Ning mulle meeldib ka Simoni meeldetuletus, et kui sul on võimalik reisida (eriti veel lennukiga ja kaugetesse eksootilistesse paikadesse), siis pea meeles, et see on tegelikult väga väheste privileeg. Ära võta seda enesestmõistetavana. He was so open about these issues that I wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything would be okay. He talks about how desperately depressed he was, how disinterested he was with school and his future. You can be sure to trust Simon to find a fun story. Simon might just be the best tour guide in the world. * Sun * Simon] begins to fill in the gaps in his life story that until recently he has never publicly revealed.’ Telegraph

He goes over his teenage delinquency and mental health issues. His mental health is really quite serious. After this while looking for a job he gets the advice to ‘Take things step by step’. makar globalno poznat i cijenjen prvenstveno kao bbc lice dokumentaraca, čini mi se da je mnogo vještiji kao autor. piše spretno i duhovito, pismo mu je prožeto iskrenošću i empatijom. nalazi pravi omjer između javnog i privatnog, politike se dotiče taman onoliko koliko treba da bi prosječan čitatelj dobio sveukupnu sliku (iako je politika njegova prva ljubav, još tamo iz redakcijskih dana i kada je, na svojevrstan način nakon prvog napada na blizance 1993. predvidio ono što će se dogoditi 2001.) i tekst ležerno klizi, bez obzira piše li o čudnovatim običajima neke zabiti, o tragediji siromaštva, o opasnosti terorizma ili o važnosti brige za prirodu. It is an account of his mind's journey to inner peace - and it is wonderfully life-affirming -- Max Pemberton * Daily Mail * Large parts of the book explain how he and his tiny team put these travel adventures together - far from the notion of a big-budget crew that I envisioned and it also explains that the authenticity of his series is genuine and not an accident. Everything is very personal and Simon himself.He was working as a freelance writer and author when an acquaintance who worked for the BBC suggested that Reeve audition for a role of documentary presenter,. He went to their head office for an interview....and thus began his television career.....which has been such a success. The book ends with marvellous descriptions of some of his early documentaries. Not only are the countries he visits fascinating, but he also has so much respect for the people he encounters - and I find that most inspiring. Equal parts an inspiring account of Reeve’s determination and adventurous spirit, as well as a field guide to some of the most remote parts of the world, Step by Step is a vivid and fascinating title. Readers may be surprised to learn of his early life struggles with mental health, owing to his onscreen persona, but this traces his journey to inner peace.’ Independent

I’ve always enjoyed Simon Reeve’s BBC documentaries, so as soon as I knew that this book was being published, I had to get copy, especially on audio as he reads it himself.

Summary

To those who are familiar with his work - this book is every bit as good as his documentaries. I highly recommend it. I learned so much from this wonderful book. Simon Reeves takes us to some very challenging places both in his childhood, adolescence and in his career as a rookie documentary maker in ‘The Four Stans’ Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan. And on to ‘unrecognised’ countries in a series called ‘Places That Don’t’ Exist’, Somaliland, Transnistria and Artsakh; obscure, forgotten but dangerous, unstable but with a population deserving of attention Simon Reeve, a man whose very name is a guarantee of interesting television. Outstanding. * Observer *

If you’ve watched any of his travel documentaries, you’ll remember his enthusiasm for meeting new people and travelling to dangerous countries around the world. He always comes across as excited and full of life with not a worry in the world. This book opens up his early life to reveal a completely different person who struggled with mental health issues and problems with his father’s authority as a teenager, something that you’d never imagine from his on screen personae.

Like all the best travellers, Reeve carries out his investigations with infectious relish, and in the realisation that trying to understand the country you’re in is not just fascinating, but also hugely enjoyable’ Daily Telegraph