Nala's World: One Man, His Rescue Cat, and a Bike Ride around the Globe Hardcover – Illustrated, September 29, 2020

During the Covid shutdown, when there wasn't anything to do but sit home and watch Youtube, a video showed up on my feed with this "big bloke and his cat" (approx. how the author referred to it). It was a short video but so endearing. So I watched another and another and then I was hooked. In a couple of the videos, Dean (author of the book) would strategically place this book....well...in your face. It wasn't subtle. Like it would be Nala's birthday and he'd unwrap a gift and there was this book! 'Cause everyone knows cats can read. And in case she forgot how it ended, he gifted it again to her on Christmas. Okay, I get the hint. I bought the book, thinking I was being supportive to this guy who was bravely doing his own thing with pretty much nothing but a bike, a tent, and the love of his cat. I knew I'd like the story, but I had no idea how much I'd love it.This was a beautiful story about a man who set off across the world on his bicycle, seeking to find himself. Instead, he found Nala. Or rather, Nala found him. A tiny scrawny barely born kitten who was abandoned on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. And it wasn't like Dean said "Oh look there's a kitten." It was more like Nala said "Oh look, there's MY human." He picked her up with the plan of trying to relocate her to a safer place. But within a few miles she'd made a home on the back of his neck, and he knew he was never going give her up. I could not put this book down.So if you've seen the videos -- or even if you haven't seen them -- this book really goes way beyond the short clips. This was a fantastic adventure of smuggling a kitten across borders, visiting new countries, flat tires, pet passports, sleeping in the rain, and meeting great people who all fell in love with this cat. My guess is that when Dean set off on this journey, he could never have imagined it would turn out like this. I'm grateful he shared his adventure.

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.

Dean and Nala are living a reality that most only dream about. They helped each other without realizing it and this book documents their early time together. What a trip and life they are leading all the while helping other strays and animal shelters. This is a great read and highly recommended for adventure and animal lovers.

Loved this - I’ve followed Dean and Nala for a long time now. Sometimes, you need someone to open your eyes to the basic joys of life: health, love and companionship. Highly recommend.

Das Buch war ein Geschenk und kam sehr gut an!

It’s was really nice to read about Dean and Nala’s adventures. I’m a cat owner, and I totally understand and agree with Dean on how they change our lives. They are independent, but also very kind and loving creatures. I can’t imagine my life without mine