Description
This memoir describes the author’s experiences and adventures as he worked abroad in 16 different countries as diverse as Saudi Arabia, Burma, and Sri Lanka from 1971 to 2021. Each chapter includes a map positioning the country geographically and starts with interesting points of its history and politics. Filled with anecdotes, humour, and descriptions of work ranging from volunteer teacher to team leader on UN agency projects, this memoir answers the question “What if?” for older readers, and “Why not?” for university-age young persons.
arthureshears (verified owner) –
Review by Rebecca W., Canada (Originally posted on AMAZON)
Overseas Adventures: From Afghanistan to Zambia and points in-between is a remarkable story detailing the author’s life working in development. It spans an astonishing 16 countries and nearly 50 years. In that time, Arthur saw upheaval and extraordinary change in the countries he visited and lived in. Choosing to work in development, Arthur was part of that change, seeking out areas where he could share his expertise, and improve systems and ways of learning so that others could benefit.
I think the title of the book says it best, though. This book is ultimately about adventures – adventures in exploring work opportunities, in new cultures, new foods, new people. Adventures in going into a different country, pinpointing how you can help make things better in some way, and then setting out to do exactly that. Arthur shares tales about the fascinating people that he met along the way, the challenges and rewards of developmental work, and offers an inspiring vision of a career that not many people think of these days.
Things did not always go smoothly—there were hospital trips, tropical diseases, attempted kidnappings and explosions that were a bit too close for comfort, but these adventures are what gives life such flavour and depth. It is a truly inspiring book and if I had read it twenty years ago, I would certainly have been winging my way abroad on my own adventures.
arthureshears (verified owner) –
Review by Peter B, Canada (Originally posted on Amazon)Overseas Adventures, by Arthur E. Shears, was an enjoyable diversion during a long winter’s weekend. The descripions of warm sunny climates and lovely tropical beaches made my heart happy. The adventures that Mr. Shears experienced and describes were alternately amusing and perilous, and made for entertaining and riviting reading. It was also helpful and interesting to have maps and facts included about the various countries that Mr Shears worked in. His hard work in helping further the education of the underprivileged in these countries should be acknowledged and applauded.
Thank you for sharing your work and travel exploits with us, Mr. Shears. May your travels continue!
arthureshears (verified owner) –
5.0 out of 5 stars Quite a tale of travel adventures!!
Ken Pickthall, Reviewed in Canada on May 9, 2023 (Amazon)
Arthur travels and works to serve the people in many communities in some amazing parts of the world! The book keeps your interest as you learn of the funny, and somewhat dangerous “misadventures” of the different cultures he encounters. At the end of the day, he has contributed to the growth and development of the people in these far away lands…quite an accomplishment for the boy from Cape Breton!
arthureshears (verified owner) –
Overseas Adventures by Arthur Shears Reviewer: Kelly R. Russell B.Sc., B.Ed. (MB, SK, AB certified teacher)
Have you ever considered volunteering, teaching, or working abroad? An adventurous young man did which developed into overseas adventures spanning fifty years in approximately twenty countries. Arthur Shears has accomplished more, in a lifetime, than most will ever only dream of. Reading his memoires will open your eyes to the world of development in underdeveloped and developing countries. I believe that Arthur lives by the rule, stated in Article 26 #1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that as teachers we believe that “everyone has the right to education”. Using his educational projects as a conduit he stimulated sustainability and growth in many necessary areas unique to the countries he dipped his toes in. The easy to read and well-organized “Overseas Adventures” is appropriately titled. The adventurous Arthur dedicated each chapter to his experiences. He blended the past and present history of the countries he lived and worked in alongside quirky stories which makes the memoires personal. Arthur’s book was appealing having visited, taught, and lived in some of the areas that Arthur writes about. Arthur has made his book available in different affordable formats. It is currently available from http://www.northstarskillsfordevelopment.ca and will soon be available through AMAZON. “Overseas Adventures” is inspiring.
REFERENCES
Shears, Arthur E. Overseas Adventures. North Star Skills for Development, 2022.
“Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations, United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights. Accessed January 8, 2023.
arthureshears (verified owner) –
Around the World in 50 Years
Overseas Adventures: From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between by Arthur E. Shears
Book Review by Melanie Cutting
In an era when people seem to be growing ever more insular, and the “other” is always construed as the “enemy”, it was indeed refreshing to read Arthur E. Shears’ recently published, Overseas Adventures. Recommended by a close friend who, like Mr. Shears, has an extensive background in development projects around the world (in fact, she actually plays an important role in one of this book’s chapters!) I decided to give it a go.
Arthur Shears, originally from the mining community of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, began his working life some 50 years ago, with the original intention of studying medicine. However, the opportunity to explore exotic parts of the world, via a stint with CUSO, captured – and held – his interest; he has never looked back. Sixteen countries later, he is now “semi-retired” and has the time to write this memoir “with a pinch of history and a dash of geography”, while helping to recruit a new generation of development workers.
Nigeria was the first setting for this intrepid and peripatetic young man, and he ended up staying on for two years, learning about the life and culture of West Africa as a neophyte teacher, while also learning the basics of Educational Technology. A Master’s degree in this field from Concordia University solidified his interest in this field, but involvement in volunteer organizations such as CUSO was what really piqued his interest. Next stop: Ghana.
At this point I should mention that each chapter covers a period and location in Arthur’s professional life, and starts with a simple but illustrative map of the area, as well as various nuggets of information about the history, geography and politics of the region. I found this both helpful as background for understanding the events of Arthur’s time away, as well as very interesting in general terms, especially to someone (moi) who has done very little traveling.
In addition to Nigeria and Ghana, the book includes chapters on Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, India, Guyana, Pakistan, Belize, Gaza, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), and Malawi. Phew! While reading about Arthur’s adventures in the wide world of development, it becomes clear that there are some definite positives, and equally definite negatives. Succeeding in this field requires several attributes: a curiosity for and acceptance of one’s fellow human beings; a wide-ranging sensibility; patience; intelligence, and the ability to keep many balls in the air. On the negative side, individuals who cling to the familiar are not likely to succeed. Marriages, unless exceptionally solid, will not last (Arthur’s did not.) Sharing the lifestyle, rather than observing from afar, helps. Another “negative” I noticed both in Arthur’s book and in the company of my friend mentioned earlier, is the propensity to fall into “the abyss of acronyms.” Nothing loses friends faster than name dropping names no one else knows or cares about. Avoid this practice or suffer the consequences.
The lifestyle of a development professional can be, apparently, a very, very good one. Overseas Adventures is sprinkled with references to time spent meeting interesting people, deep-dish sightseeing, having new and enriching experiences, experimenting with new foods in new locales, and, for those who are skilled in navigating bureaucracies in many different languages, a profound sense of achievement in a job well done. Improvement of an existing situation is often, or always, the goal, and when achieved, is deeply satisfying. In Arthur’s case, at least, the end of each project, ranging from less than a year to a full eight year stint, led to a new challenge, typically in another country or even continent.
Who would derive the most rewards from such an existence? Someone with an insatiable curiosity about the world around us, someone who is dedicated to changing things for the better, and someone who thrives on, paradoxically, change and stability. A sense of humour helps, as well.
Fittingly, Overseas Adventures ends with a comprehensive chapter looking at the different regions covered in the book, as they have evolved up to the present. Each segment includes one or more helpful website addresses for those readers who want to investigate further. Nigeria is a case study in doing things the right way. Ghana is on a steady path, with the longstanding help of CUSO; in the Caribbean, “the University of the West Indies is riding a wave of success, recently joining the top 1.5% of universities worldwide.” Hotspot Libya “…made significant progress towards ending its decade-long conflict and moving towards reunification in 2021,” according to a world bank report; Timor-Leste, Belize, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar(Burma), Malawi, India, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka all continue on a generally upward trajectory, although the path is not always smooth.
Finally, among the most enjoyable aspects of perusing Arthur’s tome are his frequent forays into the personal (e.g. the time he nearly lost his private parts in a boating accident in Barbados), and the many photos scattered throughout the narrative.
I do not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone with even a modest interest in the developing world, or indeed, anyone who craves a little vicarious adventure.
Overseas Adventures, published by North Star Skills for Development, is available from the company’s website, and available on Amazon. Visiting Lennoxville Library is another great way to score a copy of this book!
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