Kenya’s Karura Forest offers not only respite from the bustling capital but also a sense of pride for its citizens.

Curtain's up. Monocle's October issue includes our must-read autumn culture preview on the books, films, festivals and fairs worth perusing. We also trot out a fashion top 50, nab an interview with the outspoken Tom Ford and check out Chicago to meet the team fighting Trump.

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1375067/issue-117/).

Brazil’s business capital has reinvented its city centre through clever urbanism. We meet the architects, gallery owners and transport visionaries powering this change.

The best journeys are shared with a loyal companion – and you need look no further than the 2018 edition of The Escapist. Our annual journey includes our Travel Top 50, big interviews with big industry players, destination reports and, for good measure, a road trip from New Orleans to New Mexico. Come along for the ride.

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1370616/the-escapist-2018/).

Sometimes all you need to make a better city is some humanity, a sense of scale and keen citizens. Tune into this visual manifesto, which celebrates our latest book release.

With a cosmopolitan capital, picturesque countryside and improving – albeit fluctuating – security, Lebanon is on the up.

It’s back to work this month and we’re ready to build better businesses. Once you’ve absorbed our guide, get the lowdown on entrepreneurs’ reading lists and dress the part with our workwear looks. If all else fails, you can always join the French Foreign Legion. Get busy!

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/magazine/other/issue-116/).

Celebrations have been erupting in Ethiopia and Eritrea as their 20-year conflict comes to an end. We board the first flight between Addis Ababa and Asmara since 1998 to capture the mood as friends and families are finally reunited.

Vancouver Island might not be famous for growing tea but its lush soil has proved perfect for starting an idyllic farm.

Monocle Films travels to Paris to bear witness to the French capital’s efforts to mitigate terrorism through smart design and architecture.