Secret Wonders - by Peter Guttman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Award-winning photographer Peter Guttman presents wide-ranging travel inspiration with vivid images of hidden experiences and eccentric adventures

The magical secret sauce for a memorable, well-lived lifetime is largely cooked up by what one DOES.
D = Do (engaging adventures and experiences)
O = Observe (viewing spectacles and festivities)
E = Eat (indulging in food and drink)
S = Sleep (slumber in dreamy and fantastical abodes)

Do, Observe, Eat, and Sleep provide the backbone for three-time Travel Journalist of the Year Peter Guttman's photographic volume of renegade exploits and privileged knowledge unlike any conventional travel guidebook. Secret Wonders features a striking diversity of experiences that are not often encountered among mainstream vacation pursuits or standard corporate packages. Take in spectacles and settings that are hidden, remote, eccentric, obscure, or unexpectedly imaginative, many rooted in traditions or artistic visions. Experience the grandiosity of a wondrous discovery--a wonder that may spark further investigative curiosity and compels a closer look. An appendix assists the interested reader in further planning these experiences at newfound dream destinations for their own personal enrichment.

Review Quotes

Praise for Peter Guttman:

"A legendary photographer and journalist whose travels have taken him across all seven continents."--Arts in the City

"Some of the most daring, thrilling, breathtaking photos of the last four decades have come from the camera of Peter Guttman, whose images have transported people to all seven continents and 250 countries."--Arts in the City

"He's braved molten lava, chased violent tornadoes, hung off cranes over Antarctica's icy seas, climbed presidential noses, and waded deep in cranberry bogs to get his shots."--Arts in the City

"How the photographs are placed in this exquisitely composed book reveals as much about the American character as Mr. Guttman's prose."--New York Sun

"His photographs, like Walt Whitman's poetry, paradoxically restore faith in a more perfect union."--New York Sun

"That Mr. Guttman is a fine writer, as well as a connoisseur of people and places, is evident."--New York Sun

"If only Whitman were alive to catalog Guttman's lineup of American types that are so well put together."--New York Sun

"You too will fall under his spell ... A marvelous dream book, sure to appeal to any traveler with a sense of wonder, where Peter is the map!"--The Longitude Blog

"Life on the edge: fearless travel journalist Peter Guttman chronicles the extreme end of what the world can offer."--Daily Mail

"This is armchair traveling at its best and just might give you the nudge you need to add more adrenaline-laced activity to your life."--Time Warner Cable News

"Using light to its fullest, Mr. Guttman creates stunning images no matter how far he travels ... sumptuous, dramatically lit shots ... a one-man Explorer's Club."--The New York Times

"Peter Guttman is a gutsy photographer who has taken pictures all over the world and paints glorious word-pictures with extraordinary photographs... legendary."--Popular Photography

"His photographs all seem to glow from an inner light."--Dallas Morning News

"One of the premiere travel photographers."--CNN

"Such a beautiful vision."--CBS This Morning

"One of the world's most accomplished photographers."--National Public Radio

"Guttman's photographs capture the spirit of a place."--Time

"Breathtaking... evocative... stunning. "--Kirkus Reviews

"It is his thirst for new experiences--and new subjects to photograph--that drives his life. He has chased tornadoes, skydived, gone spelunking, ridden Olympic bobsleds, and climbed high into the rigging of tall ships and to the top of a radio tower at the North Pole."--Kodak Guide to Shooting Great Travel Pictures

"His work is filled with joy, beauty and insight, and he conveys his sense of wonder with the world in every photograph. His work is inspiring and impressive."--Society of American Travel Writers

"His eye is magical, and he clicks his lens at the perfect moment--time and time again. Gifted photographer Peter Guttman thrives on discovering unusual destinations ... the photography is stupendous."--New Orleans Times Picayune

About the Author

Peter Guttman is a photographer, writer, author, lecturer, television personality, and adventurer, who has traveled on assignment to all seven continents and over 250 countries. Guttman was named by the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film as one of "20 of the World's Most Influential Photographers." The author of eight previous books, he has received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Exploration and Storytelling, has three times won the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Award, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the New York Travel Writers Society. Guttman created Beautiful Planet HD, the first number-one bestselling travel app, and has had solo exhibitions in museums and at Sotheby's and the United Nations. His work has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Geo, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, the New York Times, and Outside. Joining the ranks of Jacques Cousteau and Buzz Aldrin, Guttman was named a Fellow of The Explorer's Club, requiring substantial contributions to mankind's geographical knowledge, in 2023.