Nala'nın Dünyası: Bir Adam ile Bir Kedi Bisikletle Dünya Turunda

by Dean Nicholson, Deniz Keskin (Translator)

"Bazen hayatta aradığınız şeyleri siz bulmazsınız, onlar sizi bulur."

Kedi yoldaşı Nala'yla birlikte milyonlara ulaşan Dean Nicholson'ın (@1bike1world) bisikletle dünya turunda yaşadığı hayat dönüştüren maceraların hikayesi.

30 yaşında sıradan bir işçi olan Dean Nicholson ülkesi İskoçya'dan bisikletle dünya turuna çıkar. Amacı dünyayı gezip insanlık hallerini görerek gençlik yıllarını unutulmaz bir deneyimle taçlandırmaktır. Fakat bu yolculuk hiç hesapta olmayan hayat derslerine vesile olacaktır...

Yolculuğun üçüncü ayında Bosna'nın dağlık bir bölgesindeki tenha bir yolda terk edilmiş birkaç aylık yavru bir kediye rastlar. Perişan haldeki minik kedinin etkileyici bakışlarına ve hazin miyavlamasına karşı koyamaz. Onu bisikletine alıp veterinere götürür ve sağlığına yeniden kavuşturur.

Nala adını verdiği kediyle aralarında çok geçmeden güçlü bir bağ oluşur ve ayrılmaz yol arkadaşları haline gelirler. Birlikte bisikletle zorlu yollardan geçerek Balkanlar'ı, Yunanistan'ı, Türkiye'yi ve nice ülkeyi katederken bu iki kafadarın hayatıyla beraber daha pek çok hayat da değişir.

Nala'nın Dünyası yolculuğun dönüştürücü gücüne, karşılaşmaların hikmetine, iyiliğin, dostluğun ve hayatın anlamına dair sürükleyici bir yol anlatısı.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Animals, Memoir, Cats, Biography, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2020

Reviews

[g-na · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started following the author in Instagram some time ago because who doesn't want to see photos of a cat travelling the world with her rescuer! Now that this book is out I was able to read the story of Nala's rescue, and the impact she had on Nicholson's life, and the lives of the people they've met. I've got a whole new respect for the author after hearing about his passion for environmental and animal-related causes, and I'm so happy he's been able to make positive changes in the world around him. It's funny though: I'm still seeing his Instagram posts so I know Dean & Nala are both alive and well, but when the book begins describing an illness or bad situation I get all nervous for them! I take solace in the face they're both still doing well.

I hope the author writes another book once he wraps up his journey. I've love to hear more about their travels.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Scottish man, Dean Nicholson, set off on his around the world bike ride in 2018, he had no idea where it would take him. After his friend Ricky left Dean to travel on alone, it was his journey through parts of Bosnia which changed everything for him. The tiny abandoned kitten on the side of the road that Dean named Nala (from the Lion King) would become his great companion, best friend, and conscience. Dean’s small Instagram presence suddenly ballooned to hundreds of thousands of followers. The videos he added on Nala, and their trip was well viewed and the friends he and Nala made as they travelled was life changing.

Heartwarming, poignant, amazingly touching, Dean and Nala’s adventures have been both good and bad. But always together, Nala’s instincts for danger, sickness and more is phenomenal. Nala’s World is an exceptional memoir by Dean Nicholson, and with much more of their journey still ahead of them, I hope there will be another book giving readers and fans further insight into their adventures. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure heartwarming goodness. With all the stress of the last few years, this book will give you the warmth and good feels that we all need. Such a sweet read. Definitely gifting this to the cat lovers I know!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2018, Dean Nicholson set off from his hometown of Dunbar, Scotland to bicycle around the world. He had been working at several menial jobs and felt like he needed a change. He wanted to see and learn about other countries and cultures. He also wanted to take some time to find direction and a sense of purpose to his life.

He had been biking for awhile, and was traveling through Bosnia. He was content while riding on a scenic, remote mountainous road. There were no signs of civilization - just the beautiful landscape. Suddenly he heard a faint noise - meowing- that continued as he rode along. He stopped and turned around to see a scrawny, tiny kitten running along and trying to keep up with him. He stopped and when he reached out to pet the kitten it did not run away. It looked up at him with its big green eyes. Dean was smitten. He couldn’t just leave the tiny creature there to fend for itself. So he picked it up and placed it in the tech pouch he had attached to the front handlebars of his bike.

Thus began an adventure and an unbreakable bond that would change both their lives. They met and made many friendships along the way, experiencing the kindness of strangers, and also helping to rescue other abandoned animals. While camping near a group of Syrian refugees, Dean struck up a conversation with a man who told him “Be a blessing to others and you will be blessed”. That thought has remained with Dean.

As they traveled, Dean posted a short video of his first encounter with the kitten whom he named Nala on his Instagram account along with other photos that he took along the way so his family could see his progress. He was astounded when his phone kept pinging. When he stopped to look, he had gotten thousands of followers and eventually saw that there were 800,000 people following him!

This heartwarming story of resilience, kindness, and love has become a bestseller. The book includes many photos of their journey. Dean’s Instagram @1bike1world has even more photos and details. At a time when the world is now in turmoil, this book is a welcome respite.

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Nicholson is a bighearted Scottish bloke biking his way down the coastline from Bosnia, when he and his buddy have a spat and part ways. At a rest in Montenegro, he sees a scrawny, malnourished kitten crawling on some rocks and decides to save her. Of course, they become inseparable almost immediately, and have some scary adventures together as they travel south to Greece, spend a summer in Santorini, and start crossing Turkey before routes through India and Iran and Russia become too challenging, and they turn back. Dean and Nala (the cat) become social media darlings, with hundreds of thousands of followers, and Dean becomes a source of inspiration for many, using his status to raise funds to protect animals and nature. Then, the coronavirus sinks his grand plan to circumnavigate the globe on his Trek bicycle. Nala is a delight, whether playing with others, kissing Dean, clowning around, riding in front of the bike, rear or on Dean's shoulder. A heart warming story, with the classic "who saved who" theme as Dean admits straight up that she made him a better person.

[Pauline Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

To cat lovers, oh boy are you are in for a treat. Dean Nicholson left his life in bonny Scotland to cycle around the world. He was cycling through the mountains of Bosnia when a kitten started chasing his bicycle, and this was the beginning of an ongoing adventure with Nala and Dean.

This a non-fiction book telling us the highs and lows of taking a cat as a passenger on a bike. Complications with passports, the agony of watching over a kitten being neutered, taking a cat on a kayak and a whole lot more adventures worth reading about.

The book is set out in three parts.
Part 1 - Finding The Road
(Bosnia - Montenegro - Albania - Greece)

Part 2 - High Roads and Low Roads
(Greece - Turkey - Georgia - Azerbaijan)

Part 3 - The Road Ahead
(Georgia - Turkey - Bulgaria - Serbia - Hungary)

There are maps at the beginning of each part and black and white photos placed a quarter way through and again three quarters of the way through. Such a well balanced book. We also experience small pockets of culture.

I bought this book for two reasons, this was a Christmas present to myself and also my husband and I follow the antics of Dean and Nala via Dean's YouTube channel @1bike1world .

Rating/Recommendation
5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nala's World - Dean Nicholson
Genre - Non Fiction - Cats - Adventure - Travel
Page Count - 261
.
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Pauline Reid
Book Reviewer
New Zealand.

[Tonkica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nala je jedno divno, čupavo, četveronožno stvorenje koje je imalo sreću kada je jedan Škot slučajno na nju naišao u Bosni, krenuvši na put oko svijeta biciklom. Bila je mala, kržljava usamljena lutalica, pored koje nije mogao samo tako proći pa ju je onda povezao sa sobom i na kraju udomio i zavolio, više nego je mislio da će biti moguće. To je početak njihove zajedničke priče koju su prenijeli ljubitelji životinja s portala „The Dodo“, koja se nakon svih dijeljenja pregledala više od 130 milijuna puta.

Cijeli osvrt pronađite ovdje: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I have followed them on Instagram since the Dodo video and it was fun to relive their adventures but also find out more about the what was going on behind the scenes and more about Dean’s thoughts on things.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you look up the word “heartwarming” in the dictionary, you will see a picture of this book. Once you start reading about Dean Nicholson’s journey to bike ride around the world, his rescuing a tiny kitten in the mountains of Bosnia and the bond that they formed with each other and the world through Instagram and You Tube, you will not be able to put this book down. Dean and Nala become an adventurous, inseparable pair, meeting and befriending people who they meet along their journey. Dean figures out how to monetize his IG posts, not for his own gain, but to raise money for animal welfare and environmental charities around the world. The book takes you along for their adventures, from Dean setting out from his home in Dunbar, Scotland in September 2018 to the two of them ending up in lockdown near Budapest, Hungary in April 2020, as the world shuts due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dean is an extraordinary man, caring, adventurous and completely smitten with Nala. Nala seems wise beyond her age, playful yet protective of Dean. Reading about her is just pure joy. I always tried to get my own cat, Buddy, to cuddle up with me while I was reading this book, but affection is only on his terms.

I hope that Dean and Nala are finally able to continue on their journey together. I am now following them on FB. And I doubly hope that Dean writes a sequel to this book. I would definitely read it.

If you are a cat person, or an animal person, or just a person who has a pulse, I definitely recommend this book. Prepare to fall in love with Nala and maybe get a little crush on Dean.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you've been following Dean and Nala's story on Istagram or YouTube or you discovered it through the Dodo video (like I did), then you might enjoy this book. You get to live vicariously in Dean's lifestyle of just biking around Europe with no schedule, worries, or responsibilities. His biggest issues are when he needs to wait around in a scenic villa for several weeks to get the proper immunizations for his cat or recover from his latest injury that was made worse by him not listening to any doctor's instructions. He is a hard worker who is good at budgeting and that enables him to make this trip, and he does acknowledge is insane level of privilege after wandering into a Syrian refugee camp, so this is coming off a lot meaner than it should, but man, the whole world is shut down because of a pandemic where people have lost their jobs and can't leave their homes and haven't seen their families in months and so his failure to get a visa for Nala to go to some country because of animal control just doesn't seem like a major deal to me. On the youtube channel you get to watch a cute cat and the biking is kind of hypnotic, but you don't have that with a book. He does now use his internet fame to raise money for animal shelters, which is great, and I will acknowledge that.

If you haven't been following what is really a very minor news story that's uplifting and cute, this book will not be interesting to you. While the book is not awful, he's not exactly much of a travel writer. He names the countries he travels through and says they're all beautiful and they have good alcohol but you don't get any sense of history or culture like a proper travelogue. I can't recommend it.

[Vanessa Loockx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purrrrfect! 😻

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay--this is not great literature. It is, however, a great story-- a simply told, clear, and inspirational tale of one young man at a loose end and the feisty kitten he rescues on a bike trip round the world. I loved his kind heart and Nala's intelligence and loyalty. And I'm definitely checking them both out on Instagram to follow their further adventures (COVID-19 interrupted their travels.) This is a book for all animal lovers and all fans of true travel stories--and that's a lot of us! It's a natural for fans of A Street Cat Called Bob.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
A totally heartwarming tail (deliberate misspelling) about a guy biking across Europe, and getting adopted by a lovely, friendly female kitten.
Dean Nicholson, in a desire to turn his life around, begins biking across Europe, with the intention of ending up in Thailand. Several things keep interrupting his journey, though being adopted by Nala was the best thing that happened for both of them. It's a sweet story, and Nala sounds wonderful.

(I also could not help thinking, the whole time I was listening to this book, just how many doors kept opening for this white guy. I can't imagine his reception by strangers, including border guards, would have gone so easily had Dean been brown, or a woman.)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a big fan of Dean and Nala for quite some time now.

When Dean said he was writing a book about his journey I was thrilled!

And this book did not disappoint.

I absolutely loved reading about all the things I saw Dean and Nala do on Instagram. But now with more details!

I just love them so much.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Dean and Nala @1Bike1World

An absolute joy to read, and I honestly could not have picked a more perfect time to read this. During COVID times when travel is discouraged, I was able to journey with Dean Nicholson and Nala through Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary (one place that I actually really have been) and these two could not have been better companions. As you can see from the title, it's a bike ride around the globe. Dean's world travels were put on hold in March 2020 when COVID changed all of our lives, hence this is when the book ends. I will be looking forward to a sequel when Dean and Nala's travels continue. For now I have Instagram and Youtube so I don't have to be sad that I finished the book.

I can undoubtedly say that Dean is one of the most down to earth, kind hearted, humble and generous souls I've ever 'met' - what a priviledge it would be to one day really meet him and Nala. Here's a guy that rescues an abandoned kitten from the mountains of Bosnia. How remarkable that the fates aligned and Dean happened upon the kitten, who he later named Nala, after Simba's (from the Lion King) childhood friend. Nala happens to be Dean's sister's favorite character so it's obvious that Dean also has a strong sense of family values.

Another reason this book was a breath of fresh air there was absolutely no utterance of any ugly political divisiness. In fact I flagged a page (183) where Dean states he wanted to see the world firsthand and how TV news and newspapers are too keen to pit people against each other. I will add my own personal thoughts of social media doing the exact same. Yet here is a guy that uses his social media 'fame' to make people aware of plights and how to make a positive impact if you so choose. Dean also supports many worldwide causes that do good for the world, most notably abandoned and abused animals and the environment.

The last line of the book really sums it up for me and brought tears to my eyes: "Thanks, Nala, for waiting for me on that mountain that morning."

And I say Thank you Dean and Nala for finding your way into my life!

[Josianne Haag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story! I don't know why I hadn't heard of them before reading this book, but you better bet I'm going to keep up with it now.

This is one of my favourite books of this year by far. I was pretty disappointed when my own three month bike trip in Europe was cancelled this summer, and this story has given me a fix of it so that I can hold off until it is safe to do it.

I won this book through the Goodreads giveaways so thank you to goodreads and the author for providing me with a copy of this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure fiction or anyone who needs to satisfy their travel bug.

[Justi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mój comfort read. W tych dziwnych i niestabilnych czasach ta historia daje ciepło i nadzieję w ludzkość.

[Rahni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a bunch of "ordinary-ish-people-doing-interesting-things" (a lot of times "for a year"), and I usually enjoy them. Sometimes they're a stretch, and I don't really like people who purposely seem to seek out something to do just to write a book about it. (I really enjoyed A.J.Jacobs' The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World , and one or two of his others, but I feel like that's his whole MO now. Very gimmicky.)

Anyway, all that to say that I'd have enjoyed this book more, I feel, if the author weren't an Instagram-star, dependent on an Instagram following. He seemed to be constantly trying to prove how much he loved Nala (who kind of became his ticket to ride, as it were--not out of an intentional action to exploit her, I think, but because that's what his popularity and support depended on (which is an awkward place to hang your hat)), and to be editing his thoughts and experiences into the most pleasing/innocuous soundbites.

He seems like a really nice fellow, though, who cares about the plight of animals around the globe, as well as the environment. Traveling "with" him through countries I've never explored before was certainly interesting; I wish there was more about the actual travel in the book. It certainly wasn't a waste of a read, just not all I was hoping for.

I am interested enough to wonder what he's doing now (his story ends with him marooned on a generous follower's farm in Austria as COVID hit), and the book really highlighted how the internet has made it possible to make connections in the most unlikely of places. People are people, no matter in what "foreign" land they live. You can find a friend. A connection. Someone willing to help and to just have a conversation with.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a follower of Dean and Nala’s instagram account (@1bike1world) and his Youtube channel since early 2019 and it has been such a joy to see their posts. I am an avid animal lover and traveler so their account was especially a great one to follow. When we all learned that Dean had written a book retelling his journey since he rescued Nala, I was ecstatic to read it. Reading this book made me respect Dean so much more. The way he admitted how much he has grown since meeting Nala was really admirable. The love he has for Nala and our planet is showcased throughout his Instagram posts, Youtube videos and now his book.

I absolutely loved this book so much! I laughed, I smiled and I did get teary eyed especially when Ghost’s chapter came up. By following Dean and Nala, I found a few more great Instagram accounts to follow, @kellyulrichartist who has been illustrating Dean, Nala and Vinny’s journey and @bikecanine who took care of Ghost. I had a wonderful time recounting all that Dean and Nala had experienced so far and looking forward to what is in store for their future. A definite 5-star read!

[Moshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nala means “gift” in Swahili. I believe all animals are gifts and having them in your life will transform you.

I followed on my personal IG for quite awhile and when I saw this in , I immediately borrowed it. I didn’t know that pets have passport and I love Nala’s antics and I really hope for the opportunity to visit Greece when COVID-19 ends. There are lots of pictures in the book with cute illustrations. Go check out Dean’s instagram page and you will be bowled by the cuteness of Nala and the lovely pictures.

I also find it extremely spine tingling to read about his perspectives and experience about Covid almost one year ago from across the world. As I read the unfolding about the virus from his viewpoint, I tried to recall how I was living my life here. It’s a strange feeling reading this as we are entering a year into this world shut down.

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this little book! Such a fun travel nonfiction, I was so invested in their journey. Made me appreciate the special bond I have with my own cat, and also made me want to treat life as less of a race and more of an adventure.

[Venus Maneater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relaxed, easy, fast-paced read for lovers of animals, travel and cat dads.

Guy meets cat, guy adopts cat, guy falls madly in love with cat, guy discovers that cats make people go from :( to :)). Guy decides to share their adventures in book form.

It's a heart-warming read I desperately needed.

[Narilka · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title infers, Nala's World is the story of how Dean Nicholson rescued an abandoned kitten while cycling through the mountains in Bosnia. Dean names the cat Nala and she joins him on his journey to cycle around the world. Nala and Dean's story is absolutely heartwarming. The book focuses on the relationship between man and cat and many of the adventures they have in their first year and a half together.

It's absolutely amazing how much they experienced, the kindness of strangers and how they have been able to raise both awareness and funds for animal rescues across the globe with their story. I love how at the end Dean shares just how much Nala has impacted his life for the better asking the classic "who saved who" question. This part of Dean and Nala's story ends in spring of 2020 just as the world was locking down for Covid-19. I have started following their YouTube channel and am enjoying videos of their continuing adventures. I hope there's a follow up book at some point.

[Kirja Vieköön! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean, kolmikymppinen rouhea skotti Dunbeanista, oli aivan tavallinen nuorimies, joka biletti, keksi jekkuja ja teki hanttihommia. Sitten iski halu repäistä, ja siitä se ajatus sitten lähti. Nalan maailmassa lukija saa seurata, miten Dean pyöräilee löytökissansa Nalan kanssa maasta toiseen.

Deanista ja Nalasta on tullut someilmiö ja heidän seikkailunsa keräävät satojatuhansia seuraajia eri somekanavilla ympäri maailman. Dean on käyttänyt tunnettuuttaan hyväkseen, järjestänyt varainkeruukampanjoita ja lahjoittanut varoja eri maissa löytöeläinten hyväksi työskenteleville järjestöille.

Kirja oli ihastuttavaa kuunneltavaa. Oli hienoa lukea kaksikon seikkailuista ja tunnelmista maista, joihin itse tuskin koskaan matkustan: Bosnia, Albania, Georgia, Turkki... Ymmärtääkseni he ovat tämän talven yli koronamotissa Itävallassa, kunnes matka jatkuu. Erinomaisen vetävästi ja kiinnostavasti kirjoitettu ja hyvin suomennettu teos, jota suosittelen kaikille kissojen ja eläinten ystäville. Myös matkailuvajeeseen kirja on omiaan! #1bike1world -hauilla löytyy Instagramista ja Youtubesta paljon katsottavaa.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, cute cat, wholesome story. No notes.

[Rose Grover · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it - deathly boring, and I'm a cat person. Only perk was reading about the various countries, but that was rare. The entire book focuses on Dean's learning of how to care for a cat and is cheesy and poorly written. He sounds like a kind person and is trying his best with the environment and strays.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This completes Task 24: Read a book featuring a beloved pet where the pet doesn’t die, of the Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge.

This was exactly what I needed to read, but at the same time, horrible, because I can't travel to any of these countries. Dean also reinforces my ultimate dream to have an adventure cat to take on hikes and bike rides and boat rides. My next cat will be an adventure cat; my husband thinks it's wishful thinking.

I loved the story of how he met Nala and she became his daughter. I loved their play time and how they take care of each other when sick. I especially loved the look Nala gives when he brings another stray back to the bike. I loved the message of the book and how this world is so big full of stereotypes and expectations that can easily get blown away when you actually experience it. I loved the people he met. I even started following the vet on IG. I loved that he followed a timeline within the book and didn't bounce back and forth. I loved that he uses his fame for small charities in dire need.

My issue with the book is the constant repetition of things, especially with how the bike ride changed his life or how Ricky and him started out the trip differently, how Nala changed his life, or how he made a mistake about Nala. But it doesn't make me love the book any less.

Now, go read this sweet story adventure story. You will not regret it.

[Ashley Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the book Nala's World about the biker and cat of 1bike1world . I enjoyed it a lot as I do love a good travelogue as it detailed finding the kitten, how biker Dean's life changed for the better, the people he met and places he visited, and how his following on Instagram and elsewhere led him to being able to help charities, especially animal ones. It gave me goosebumps though when the book caught up to a year ago with borders crossing. .. the book was published late summer of last year and I'm assuming the interruption of travel let to time to work on publishing the book about them. Highly recommend if you like traveling and cats. The bond the two pair is so precious and it is inspiring how good the people were that he encountered offering him a place to stay, food, etc. https://instagram.com/1bike1world

[Nosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai adoré ce livre ! C’était un super témoignage sur la vie, les relations humaines et surtout le pouvoir des animaux sur nous, simples humains qui ne les méritons pas. Il ne se passe pas énormément chose. Ne vous attendez pas à un livre plein de rebondissements. C’est un livre sur la cause animale, le pouvoir des réseaux sociaux et l’amour d’un homme envers son chat.
J’ai adoré suivre ce récit via le compte Instagram de l’auteur : @1bike1world
Cela a rendu ma lecture beaucoup plus interactive!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed Dean and Nala for quite a while on Instagram and loved being able to read Dean's account of their adventures in depth. You can actually feel the love between them through his words. And nala is dang beautiful too. In the current mess of the world this book was a welcome ray of feel good sunshine for my soul!