Guinness World Record Holder Announces Forthcoming Sustainability Expedition with Publication of First Human-Powered Circumnavigation Memoir

MAY 1, 2016. British explorer Jason Lewis announces his latest expedition, Micro Earths, in conjunction with publication of the final instalment of The Expedition trilogy, chronicling the first human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth.

During his pioneering 13-year journey around the planet, Lewis survived a crocodile attack, blood poisoning, malaria, altitude sickness, two broken legs, and incarceration for suspected espionage. However, his greatest challenge was adapting to the tiny boat he pedalled across the world’s oceans. At sea for months on end, he learnt how to conserve water, food, energy, and other essential resources to survive. Having mastered living within this “closed system,” Lewis will now lead a series of expeditions to similar Micro Earths—small, isolated communities that not only survive but thrive within finite constraints. The project mission is to unearth timeless examples of sustainability and share them online using a variety of distribution platforms and strategic partnerships. This universal knowledge, aimed at countries fulfilling their COP21 Paris Accord commitments to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, will centre around 7 principles for a sustainable future.

“In the West, we’ve forgotten how to live sustainably,” said Lewis. “These self-reliant societies will teach us the life skills we need to ensure the Earth’s natural resources and humanity are here for many generations to come.”

More at microearths.com

The concluding volume of Lewis’ circumnavigation memoir, To the Brink, which provided the inspiration for Micro Earths, will be published simultaneously.

“This tightly written tale rollicks along at a great pace.” —FINANCIAL TIMES
“A mind-boggling odyssey beyond the stretch of the average imagination.” —ASSOCIATED PRESS
“An epic.” —THE GUARDIAN

We rejoin The Expedition for its third and final instalment with Jason, now seasoned adventurer, and April, American schoolteacher at sea for the first time, battling to keep their pedal-powered boat Moksha from being dashed against Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Crossing the infamous Coral Sea, they’ve endured gale force winds, rogue waves, and powerful currents pushing them off course for days at a time. On her thirtieth consecutive day of seasickness and now haemorrhaging blood, April is in urgent need of medical treatment. But in the uncharted waters north of Cape Flattery, far from coastguard assistance, there is little if any hope of rescue. Even if they survive, Jason faces untold hazards to complete the first circumnavigation of the planet using only human power: waterless deserts, towering mountain ranges, seaborne pirates, and extremist hotspots. And there is still the overarching question he posed at the beginning, the one driving him forward that will take him to the brink for an answer.

Tammie Stevens of BillyFish Books said, “When Jason Lewis turned down a six-figure advance to avoid a ghost written version of his amazing odyssey, it was our great privilege to bring his inspiring talent and unbelievable story to the world.”

Author Jason Lewis is quoted as saying, “The writing journey, like the physical one, has involved many years of my life, but it has brought into sharp focus where I am heading next.”

For more information or to request interviews:
Contact Kevin Jones: media@billyfishbooks.com
Links to cover image and author image. Other high resolution images available on request.

Notes to Editors
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Lewis is recognized by Guinness World Records as the first person to circumnavigate the Earth using human power. He is a contributing author to books such as Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul (HarperCollins, 2002), Flightless - Incredible Journeys Without Leaving the Ground (Lonely Planet, 2008), and The Modern Explorers (Thames & Hudson, 2013). A Fellow of London University, the Royal Geographical Society and The Explorers Club, he is a popular speaker and sustainability advocate—contact jasonexplorer.com to find out more.

Notable past circumnavigation firsts include Ferdinand Magellan, who circumnavigated the world by sail in 1522, Wiley Post, the first to fly solo around the world in 1933, and Steve Fossett, who circled the world by hot air balloon in 2002.
Watch a three-minute BBC News feature. Link to Jason’s full bio.

ABOUT THE BOOK SERIES:
The Expedition trilogy chronicles Jason Lewis’ 46,505-mile journey across five continents, two oceans, and one sea using only the power of the human body. Walking, cycling, and rollerblading the landmasses, and kayaking, rowing, swimming and pedalling a boat across the oceans - with no assistance from motors or the wind - Lewis set four world records and clinched what The Sunday Times hailed as “the last great first for circumnavigation.” Part one, Dark Waters, received the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award and Eric Hoffer Award. Part two, The Seed Buried Deep, was chosen as Foreword Reviews’ Book of the Year.

To the Brink (Part three of The Expedition trilogy)
True Story of the First Human-Powered Circumnavigation of the Earth
By Jason Lewis
Published May 1, 2016 as a paperback original. US/CAN 24.95|UK 17.50|EUR 22.00
ISBN: 9780984915521. Simultaneous eBook available

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:
BillyFish Books is an independent book publisher specializing in nonfiction. Their titles sell worldwide. Driven by stories often overlooked or ignored by the larger publishing houses, BillyFish aims to link talented authors to an audience of readers who long to be uplifted, inspired and entertained.
http://www.billyfishbooks.com

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