Dr Richard Bernstein, Books and Shackelton's Endurance !

Many of us enjoy a good read, to sit down with a book and relax. I wonder what your favourite top ten books would be? If you are a Diabetic then I think most would agree the number one must have book is 'Diabetes Solution' by Dr. Richard Bernstein, 'a legendary figure in the diabetic community, an engineer who developed a revolutionary new method of treating his own diabetes in the 1970s -- and then entered medical school at age forty-five so he could help other diabetics'.

We are so fortunate to be able to choose from a wealth and variety of books. When choosing we now even consider, do we want a hardback, paperback ... or the electronic style...

We can immerse ourselves in a good read, learn from a good read ... escape from the pressures of the world ... sit down with a cup of tea, or glass of wine and 'chill out' for a while.

Now, just for a moment, imagine you are an explorer and just about to set out to the Antartic 100 years ago like Sir Ernest Shackleton ...I wonder what reading books you may take with you? Let me share a few words ...

"What books were taken to the Antarctic 100 years ago?

When Sir Ernest Shackleton set off for Antarctica on his ship Endurance, he made sure he had plenty of reading material. But details of precisely what books he took have remained hidden in this photograph - until now.

The image from the ill-fated South Pole expedition - taken in early March 1915 by Australian photographer Frank Hurley - has been digitised by the Royal Geographical Society in London.

It is now known that the explorer carried with him dictionaries, encyclopedias and books chronicling other dangerous polar expeditions.

He took established works by Dostoyevsky and Shelley - but also, explains Alasdair MacLeod from the RGS, "newly published fiction by popular authors of the time".

"The cabin wall on the left also shows a framed print of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If', which Shackleton carried with him on to the ice floe when the ship sank."

In January 1915, Endurance and her crew became trapped in ice in the Weddell Sea. Shackleton and his men would remain there for 10 months - until the ship sank. They then spent the best part of another year on the ice, before all 28 of them were rescued.

Use this link to see the full list of books identified by experts at the RGS - and you can also see more stark images of Shackleton's struggle for survival."

... now if I was going any where cold a good soup may be just what I'd want, how about this one, a tasty and warming Roast Red Pepper & Tomato Soup stacked with vitamins & minerals.

... now where did I put that soup spoon?

Thanks for reading

All the best Jan