Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne

I do like Jules Verne. His books are adventurous and fun, as well as hold up high moral standard of the best kind. Even if the skew is anglo-centric (with the inherent superiority of the colonial English assumed), Phileas Fogg is a good man at heart. In a truly dry British sense, he is pulled from his regular life by a bet - not made rashly but based on the firmest of scientific convictions. He is willing to risk his fortune for this bet, but at the same time is willing to risk the bet for both his servant (to whom he owes nothing) and strangers (including a woman that he saves from immolation). The inclusion of the mistaken detective adds plot complexity to what would otherwise have maybe been a plodding journey. I love Fogg's ingenuity and sticktoitiveness - would I be so creative and sure of myself in similarly difficult situations? It's inspiring.