The Book of Walking Dangerously: Notes from a Theatre Memory

A response to the drudgery of everyday life, this book juxtaposes the view that walking is mindful against the idea of the liberating pleasure of doing it dangerously. It blends leisure studies, sociology, philosophy, and geography and leisure studies. The focus of this book is not to provide a walking guide or a history of walking. Neither is it about the practical, functional or therapeutic nature of walking. The Book of Walking Dangerously investigates the kind of walking that is a by-product of something leisurely that entails a high and often unintended degree of possible risk. It sets out to map the ways in which the imagination is shaped by danger and the kinds of ecstasy, meaning and freedom it ignites. It is about introspection, the act of looking inward and exploring new thoughts and feelings. As a result, it is an important means of entering worlds where other things are made possible. Kevin Bingham's point, in a nutshell, is that people can have a fulfilling leisure life through danger if they are willing to deal with the delicate art of disagreeableness.