I absolutely LOVED this book. Made me feel like we're going to be OK, as long as we watch out for each other and focus on what matters. Well done, Dean!

I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would. Of course Nala is gorgeous and I enjoyed everything about her, I loved hearing about the travel. But I also really enjoyed watching the author grow and gain purpose as he went. Super job. I want to know what they've been doing since then! Need to find on insta i guess.

I probably liked this more for my own connections to it than for its merits. As a cyclist who just adopted two shelter cats and who has traveled to almost the same places Dean did -- some at the same time! -- it felt very personal. I loved his perspective that a single animal can change the world around them.

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.

ATTENTION: This is NOT your usual traveling book.

If you start "Nala's World" expecting the stuff you usually get from traveling journals/books, most likely you're gonna be disappointed. This book does NOT contain any introduction to towns or the country's cultures or what places to visit in what countries. Dean is trying to cycle around this world, often camping out, so what he sees and comes across differ greatly from those who travel using planes or trains or bus and stay in 'normal' accommodation like hotels and such.

This book is more like a traveling diary, in which Dean (or Nala's dad) pours out his thoughts and experiences during his cycling into words. Apparently, he's assisted by an actual writer—makes sense, because there's a limit to what one can do alone. If you follow, or at least are familiar with, his and Nala's Instagram page, @1bike1world, this book also serves as 'behind the scene' of all the pictures he had put up on Instagram.

What I enjoy the most about this book is the honesty. Dean unapologetically wrote down his perspective about everything that happened to him during the journey, from the early parting with his initial cycling mate to how he felt when facing lockdown in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes it's apparent how he acts exactly like who he is, a man (presumably cishet, too) from the global North with his Western values and everything, but I can appreciate how he's open to the idea that sometimes, people are just different. And it doesn't mean one is better or worse than the other.

The photo section at the end of the book is nice, too!
Nala sure is one photogenic cat.

This is a lovely feel good book. Especially if you like cats and travel, which I do. Plus I have a cat named Nala!

Best for:
Animal lovers. People who like to travel. People who care about the world.

In a nutshell:
Scottish wanderer Nicholson set out to ride his bike throughout Europe and beyond. He found an abandoned kitten and their lives changed.

Worth quoting:
N/A

Why I chose it:
I follow Dean and Nala on Instagram so was aware of the book and happy to support them in their travels.

Review:
Like many of Dean and Nala’s social media followers (@1bike1world on Instagram), I discovered them when a video of them was put out by The Dodo. (You can watch it here https://www.thedodo.com/videos/our-shows/guy-biking-across-the-world-picks-up-a-stray-kitten) I am a cat lover (I have two ginger tabbies of my own who we brought with us when we moved from the US to the UK) and a sucker for sweet stories.

This book details Dean and Nala’s journey so far, spreading awareness of and support for animal and environmental issues. They’ve sold calendars (and now a book!) to raise money to support animal rescue groups in the countries they visit. It’s also a travelogue, full of tales of their adventures across Europe. It ends right around the start of the pandemic, and there is some legitimate drama in there.

I don’t know what I was expecting from this - a bit of fluff and some sweet pictures, I guess. But this is a legitimately entertaining, sweet, and inspirational book. It’s 250 pages, so while it’s capitalizing on their fame a bit, there’s substance here. There are discussions about animal welfare, explorations of what to do with one’s life, thoughts on what matters. And it’s also really, really hopeful. It’s simple and sweet and frankly so welcome at this moment. It brought me joy and I’ll get more joy out of it in the future, looking over the pictures of this adorable kitten and her Scottish human.

Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it

Like so many others, I'm one of the followers who discovered Dean and Nala after The Dodo featured them back in April of 2019. I'm an avid traveler and a huge fan of cats in general, so his story spoke to me and I've followed their journey online every day since then.

This book is way more than just cute pictures (although there are definitely plenty of those), as it tells Dean's story of why he set out on this journey in the first place, what he's learned along the way, who he's met, what he's seen, and how Nala has literally changed his life. It's part travelogue, part cute kitty story, with a healthy dash of environmental and animal awareness, sprinkled with some life lessons and inner growth, and a side of faith restored in humanity from all the kindness he's shown from strangers. It's definitely a recipe for an enjoyable read that's tough to put down.

Having followed Dean and Nala for over a year now, many of the stories in the book and the people he met along the way were familiar to me. But it was interesting to get more details about those stories and learn aspects that I never knew - and that honestly shed some light on his plight. For example, I didn't really know the details of his journey before he found Nala in Bosnia. And I didn't know how he'd gotten his kayaking job on Santorini for the summer, nor that he was actually supposed to stay and work there longer, but he chose to leave the island early. It seems he primarily left early in order to get back on the road and get new content for his now massively swollen follower count -- but it made me a little sad that one of the reasons he chose to leave early was due to all the solicited (and unsolicited) visits to his workplace by his followers. I get the desire to see them, but he was actually working. As it happens, I was actually on Santorini the same time they were, but I didn't want to be a crazy stalker fan, so I didn't go find them. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't. It was also interesting to learn that the idea for this book was pitched to him way back then, when he was on Santorini.

His life really did take such a huge turn after The Dodo featured him. I'm sure not all of the changes have been positive, but overall he seems to have used his newfound power/fame for good, which I fully respect. He always impresses me with his care and concern for people, animals, and the environment, and I love that he continues to donate money to charities around the world. (As an aside, I was shocked to learn how many calendars he sold and the total profit!). I also really love hearing about all the strangers he comes across who help him in various ways (either in person or virtually/online). The world has been a pretty ugly place lately, so reading how complete strangers help him and Nala is really the feel-good story we need right now.

This book ends in the spring of 2020, right after the lockdowns had crippled the world in the wake of the Covid-19 global pandemic. Dean and Nala have continued their adventures (as much as possible) since then, so I'm hoping that there will be another book sometime in the future.