Travel Books

This book is awesome, only if you need some basic tips of each country, if not get the Western and Eastern europe guide, but is really good for the traveller and lots of good tips and advice, so if you're going to differents parts of Europe this is the book to get, enjoy, I'm doing it!
Claudio

many of the places recommended weren't open anymore. maps were pretty terrible. information regarding subways and rails was pretty poor too.

the lonely planet books are THE best as far as i'm concerned, and the updates.

Very interesting to read, will be living in europe for 3 yrs and will take advantage of all the good tips!

it's really a great book!

if you are planning to take sometime off backpacking in Europe, or even if you live somewhere there and want some tips for a place to visit, this is the travel bible!

it's worth every penny!

As usual the Sterns have published another delicious book. They list eating places all over the 48 states. These are those road food diners and joints where you might not stop, sometimes because you wonder what might lie in wait for you behind that door. This even includes new ideas for places you might not have known about in your own area. With this book you can have confidence that here is real food, not that processed, frozen brought to the building and warmed up stuff that passes for most food you get when traveling or even eating locally; but food like your mother - if she was a fantastic cook would have made you. It is true you can get this information and more on their web site, but this is so wonderful to carry in the car. I have never been to a place that they recommended and been sorry. In fact sometimes the places we have stopped have led to the highlights of a trip. We have met locals, gone down roads and stopped at spots we would not have traveled to. It has been our experience that when we enter these mostly beloved local eateries, we are welcomed and we know we are visiting the real America.
With this edition some much needed corrections have been done; there were a couple eating places that had been closed for a long time before their previous edition.
I do wish that more of an effort was made to review and include places that are nearer well traveled tourist sites, so we can avoid the chains and the same restaurants we could eat at while at home. There is a huge lack of information for central Florida and that would have been very welcome. There is almost nothing for traveling along the east coastline in ocean areas and the Outer Banks area with the exception of along the Maine coast; and some western states especially have very little listed. I know it would add to the effort and bulk of the book, but some more directions from interstates would really be nice.

My wife and I have been using this guide and it's predecessor for about 4 years now. This guide still is our first reference when taking a trip. The first 3 years, eateries were very good and mostly as advertised. Lately, and especially on a recent trip through Nevada, Colorado and Arizona it was hit and miss. Some of the reviews in the book are not up to date regarding the prices and food. We missed on 2 out of the three that we visited. We also figure that we are batting about .500 in our home area, San Francisco. We will continue to use the guide as we really enjoy finding good food on the road and there is little else to help us decide. Maybe a little more personal followup is needed before putting a restaurant in this guide.

Although I am a serious home cook I tend to eat out a lot due to my busy travel schedule. I am always looking for the out-of-the-way places that only the locals know about. This book is my inside guide to those hidden treasures.

First I checked out the cities that I know best and was amazed at how many of the small, jewel-like restaurants that I have visited in the past were included in this book. However, some cities get a lot of coverage and some equally deserving cities got little or no reports. I live in San Antonio and although some of the surrounding cities have restaurants that are included in this book, San Antonio, one of the largest and most unique cities in Texas, gets nothing. Same can be said for many other cities, especially in the Northeast. I understand that no book can adequately cover a subject as broad as this and still please everyone, but I would pay three times as much for a more extensive tome.

I have this book in the Kindle version and though I wish I could get to specific cities quicker, I am not as unhappy as other Kindle version reviewers.

We recently purchased the new edition of 'Roadfood' to take along with us on our recent road trip through the Southwest. In the course of the trip, we tried three places recommended in this guide. The first, the Nevada Dinner House, had been acquired by new owners and our dinners bore little resemblance to those described in the guide. The second meal, at Pasqual's in New Mexico, was excellent. Unfortunately, the total bill was not the $30-40 predicted by the guide, but rather $100 dollars for three diners (including tip). We ordered no alcohol, shared a dessert, and one of the diners was a child. Our final shot with the guide, at Old Smokey's Diner in Arizona was also a miss. The guide described the excellence of the five varieties of bread, along with a number of sweet breakfast bread options included with the breakfast or available for sale by the loaf. In actuality, the restaurant's bread was the standard store-bought bread, available at any Denny's and NOT for sale by the loaf.

While I'm sure that all of the places mentioned in the guide were at one time as wonderful as described, it appears that the authors may not be doing careful research on the continuing quality of some of their old favorites.

Despite this, I'm still giving the book two stars because it is excellent, mouth-watering reading. I wish the places they described actually existed, though!

Roadfood This book may be great on paper, but it's not usable in Kindle. That's too bad, because this is just the kind of book you'd like to be able to take along on your travels without being burdened by the physical book.

The organization of the book is by geographical region, with the smallest unit being a state. So if you're using Kindle to look for a restaurant in a particular city or region, you must page through all of the restaurants in the state, which are listed in alphabetical order by restaurant name. If the region bridges states, your problem is compounded.

The paper edition uses maps for indexes, with the names of featured restaurants in a particular area listed on the map. You thus go from the map to the alphabetical listing of the restaurants. Unfortunately the map pages are not legible on Kindle. They were simply scanned, not adjusted for screen size, and, as graphics, they do not respond to a change in print size.

Once again the transition to Kindle is thoughtless, taking no consideration of the practical need of the user to navigate the book.

You have many ways to die in Grand Canyon: fall, jump, get pushed, clown around, drown, starve, thirst, or be in an airliner collision over that vast chasm. Ghighlieri and Myers, a wilderness river guide and a Grand Canyon physician, methodically, graphically, painstakingly document the known deaths by name, date, events leading up to and subsequent rescue and/or recovery efforts. A fascinating read, should be required for anyone planning a visit to such a beautiful and potentially fatal attraction.

Although it sounds a bit morbid, this book is a very good read. There is a good mix of entertaining anecdotes and statistical analysis. The authors delve into the root causes and chains of events that have led to the hundreds of deaths in the canyon and really drive home the point that people make the same mistakes over and over and over again. If you are thinking about hiking, backpacking, or rafting in the canyon, I highly reccomend reading this book first - it will help you make the right decisions about your time in the canyon.

Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon
Excellent service, great book, well laid out and very informative

I was at the grand canyon when I bought this book-I didnt want to buy it,but a stranger had told me about it,and not wanting to tell a lie in case I ran into this person again (which I did)I picked it up and glanced at the first few chapters-within minutes I was hooked-it is an unbelievable read - to even think about what some of those victims must have gone thru was terrifying-yet it is one of those books that once you start to read it,you can't stop!It made me respect mother nature even more and appreciate the safety rules and regulations the forest service puts up,no matter how trivial it may seem to be.

I have been to the Grand Canyon more than once. In fact, I bought this book from one of the stores in the park on the rim. I too, could not put it down. I have told numerous people about the book and recommended it to friends and associates and anyone visiting the canyon for the first time. This book is NOT fiction folks, it is the real deal. It absolutely amazes me some of the ways people have died here. EVERY conceivable way is mentioned. It , in a way seems morbid to some degree, kind of like reading detective magazines or something, like my Grandpa used to do. But once into the first few pages you realize, that it is not just about death , but about living too. People that have come to see the awe of the Grand Canyon and its life and their lives intermingling. What's unfortunate is the complete utter disregard some people have for what is so obvious. Granted, some of the deaths are COMPLETELY accidental, but some are beyond stupid. One that I will mention here is the park WORKER, who had a few drinks , decided to get up on the wall , and fell to their death. The episodes that also got me, are the people who take a bottle of water in the SUMMER in ARIZONA and think they can walk twenty miles of very rough country with no problem...well, many of them found out , or were able to look down from heaven and realize what a bad mistake they made. While shocking , this is also an instructional manual for anyone who goes. Moms, Dads, Kids...please think twice before posing for that picture with your back to the Canyon...and be EXTRA careful where you place your feet! GREAT READ.

Purchased the guide as a replacement for a borrowed guide that got wet while we were in Paris. This one came with a wear/water resistant cover and was very nicely arranged for quickly finding the locations and areas of interest.

this is a great simple guidebook for a short trip to paris. it's very easy to absorb, but there are deeper sections if you want to know more. perhaps we had the latest edition but we did get a quick overview of the trendiest spots in paris - perfect if you're travelling with a pack of teenage girls...

the only problem is that it's a bit heavy. i'd have carried even more often if it were lighter.

Upon receiving my Eyewitness Travel Guide I was so drawn into the detail and ease of use in finding many interesting facts and hints. My wife and I have both taken turns looking through the guide and have been able to create an itinerary, map our routes, and find places of interest and things we want to see. Everything is in an easy to understand format. There were things we found in the book that we had no idea were an option on our upcoming honeymoon. Traveling to a place you have never been to can be very intimidating but I can honestly say that after receiving this little gem of a reference tool my wife and I are even more excited about our trip.

Jason S.
St Cloud, FL

I must say that this guide was exactly what I needed, but also I must confess that another thing came up since I have been traveling to Europe for some time now. I didn't realize or wasn't even thinking about travel insurance?? I mean we all have insurance, that covers us while we are in the US, but not for traveling abroad. I recently planned a second trip to Germany, but wasn't sure if my insurance company policy would take care of minor details in my policy for things I am not sure I have thought about. I am not saying I might or might not be covered, but I need peace of mind when it comes to my family. I then called my HR to find out general things about traveling abroad and "What would happen if" scenario's. I wasn't going to read my lengthy policy, even if I did I wouldn't understand the legal double-talk anyway not being a lawyer and all.

My HR told me everything would be ok, and I shouldn't worry. But some thing in the back of my mind said call again and asked the same questions to see if the results would be the same from another Representative, to my surprise, it was. Ok then, not feeling a warm feeling of confidence in my HR responses. I didn't have much time to keep doing the research, so I looked up travel insurance and started to focus my attention on getting some basic package to cover me and family while we were abroad. There are a lot to choose from, but again this became confusing. So I came across www.securemytravelonline.com which had an aggregate of different well known insurance companies. I choose AIG with a basic plan and the rest was history. Also I didn't know you can insure your travel and luggage also in case of theft, flight cancellation etc. I thought I would share something from one avid traveler to the next. Overall a GREAT Guide and I have bought another copy for my friend. Paris is in my opinion the most beautiful city in the WORLD...period.

Take care.
Carl>

We have just returned from Spring Break in Paris and the "Paris: Eyewitness Travel Guide" was our guidebook for our trip. Of course, the photo illustrations in any DK book are always impressive, and since I always like to see where I am going and what is to see there without having to Google everything, that was an obvious plus with this book. I must admit that II do not really think about this particular book as a guidebook for getting in-depth information about places; when I want that sort of information I get a guidebook at the place (only thing I bought on the trip were guidebooks and postcards). In practical terms this guidebook functioned as our menu for the trip, allowing us to see what was available and when you could visit, which was crucial because visiting hours change based on the month and the day (my biggest piece of advice based on this trip is that if you can go see the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay at night--Wednesday and Thursday respectively--you will enjoy them a lot more without the massive crowds during the day).

For me the best part of this guide book ended up being the maps. Paris is gridded out in 18 maps in the back of the book and for each region of the city there is a general map of the entire area with "Sights at a Glance" marked along with metro and train stations. Add to the mix the Paris Metro and Regional Express Railway (RER) map inside the back cover, and we found it incredibly easy to find things. We got a 5-day Metro pass and had the fortune of our hotel being right down the street from the Montparnasse Bienvenile station, which was the intersection of several metro lines (plus linked to a train station which allowed us to go to Chartres and be back by 1 in the afternoon). Except for a bus tour/river cruise the first night and a side trip to Versailles, we did not have our trip planned out. We had a list of things we wanted to see and each day would pick a starting point and work out our other options as we went along. These maps were great for making that relatively easy. Nor did we feel that we were restricted to the restaurants in our area because we were able to use our maps to head off into the night and find them.

The only exception would be the maps of the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise and Cimetiere du Montparnassem because they were not extremely helpful in trying to find several of the graves I was trying to track down. Those of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison are easy to find because there are also several people standing around them, but finding those of Moliere, Sarah Bernhardt, and Samuel Becket were much harder. The guide does provide tiny icons representing what the graves actually look like, but the locations can be troublesome, especially when the graves are not right on a walkway. But there are detailed maps for Pere Lachaise and signs at the entrances that you can photograph with your digital camera and reference as you walk about (courtesy of your magic zoom button).

I bought the book a year before our trip, when my impromptu suggestion that we go to Paris for Spring Break was derailed by the lack of a current passport. So there is a minor concern that information is not totally current. On the one hand the Musee de l'Orange with Monet's water lily series was open, but the one place my wife wanted to go, the restaurant atop La Samaritaine, was derailed because the department store was closed. As long as you suspect that these sort of things are always going to happen (I felt sorry for the law students visiting the Louvre to discover that the Code of Hammurabi was not on display), you should be able to roll with these punches. Final word of advice regarding this particular guidebook: Make sure that you have a purse or a coat with pockets large enough to accommodate the peculiar not quite "pocket" size of this guide.

I was impressed enough by INTO THIN AIR, his '97 account of the previous year's Everest climbing disaster, that picking up a used copy of EIGER DREAMS was a done deal. I didn't pay enough attention when buying it, however( at a local used bookstore) to learn that it was a compilation of climbing-related stories he'd previously published in 'Outside', 'New Age Journal' and 'Smithsonian'. I have nothing special against collections of previously published work. If I haven't read the material, what's the difference? But, as a writer myself, they always make me nervous somehow. Maybe it's the image of the writer badgering his agent about getting the cash flow flowing again and the agent placating him with, 'Why not pick some stories that aren't doing you any good anymore, the rights to which have reverted, and see if we can't make'em work the second time around?'

The included stories, with two exceptions (to me), are good, solid tales of blue ice and heartless rock and the maniacs who love both in vast quantities ... and vertical. They vary widely in specifics within that overall focus. Think of them as 'climbing canapes'. The two (out of 13) that put me off were a personality piece about two male climbing twins and juvenile delinquents, The Burgess Boys, and A Mountain Higher Than Everest?, a, to me, tedious examination of the history of the science of 'triangulation' or whatever gauging the height of mountains entails.
I heartily recommend that anyone lured by the image contained in 'Eiger Dreams', the title, skip'em.

I like Krakauer's writing persona and his style of reportage, but I'm not thunderstruck. I'm glad I picked it up for $6 in paper. I KNOW I'll read 'Into Thin Air' again, but 'Dreams' may be really yellow before it's opened again. The former, in fairness, had mainly to skillfully report a place and event that provided every conceivable element of breathtaking(excuse the pun)drama, high (see previous apology)tragedy and a worst case example of what happens when too many people abandon reason, common sense and a saving humility, preferring to let blind obsession become their guiding principle. And they all managed to do it, somehow, in the same place, at the same time.
After reading that, damn near anything would fall shorter.

I concede that that tale was a hard act to follow. It only followed it for me, however, having been published in 1990, six years before the catastrophe on Everest took place.

This is an amusing conglomeration of climbing stories. Humor, greed, suicide, and sheer bravery all included in these stories. Parts of these traits could be in a single story depending on which stage of the climb you are in. Written well, and it seems to put you right in touch with the climbs. However, through fault of the writer or of the storytellers themselves some of this seems to be a bit over the top. He could have been a mixing it up for entertainmnet value or for some other reason. But it should still be read by anyone who is into climbing.

People have always pushed to accomplish more. When one of my best friends took up mountain climbing well into his fifties after he back wasn't up to golf any more, I began to wonder what the sport was all about. Having remembered that Jon Krakauer is both a wonderful writer and an adventuresome climber, it seemed like I might learn the answers by reading this book. I was more than amply rewarded for my curiosity.

Knowing that adventures are better heard as a story rather than read, I also opted for Philip Franklin's reading for Books on Tape. This was a stunningly good choice. Mr. Franklin makes you feel like you are right there as you look down from dizzying heights of thousands of feet while being held up by a small patch of crumbling ice.

The diversity of the stories is remarkable, from those who want to set records for getting up dangerous new routes to those who want to set records for speed in sport climbing (lots of strength and technique but not much risk). I was very surprised by some of the stories, including the ones about climbing "impossible" boulders that might be only 30 feet high and tall columns of crumbling frozen water . . . unattached to any nearby rock.

Mr. Krakauer has a wonderful ability to bring you into the stories by recounting his own fearful beginnings as a climber and the ways that he has sought release from humdrum cares by climbing. You'll find yourself chilled to the bone in places, even though you may be sitting in front of a roaring fire. It's a great trip!

I don't think I'll take up climbing, but I am indebted to this brilliant exposition of climbing's appeal.

In the same form as his "into Thin Air", Mr. Krakauer has brought the mountains to armchair alpinists all over the world, except through a collection of short stories of a variety of experiences, history and people. The book is educational, easy and interesting to read. The fact that the author himself is a climber adds a very real substance to the story that allows him to write intelligently on the subjects without it being unnatural, and how he can brings information to the forefront of what he is writing that he himself finds amazing.

My only problem with it is with all these places and people, photographs would have helped to enhance the stories he is telling.

For anyone into adventure, climbing, outdoors or even survival, this would be a book that should be read. Not for the lessons but more for the information and enjoyment of it.

What an incredible book. Once you start reading it, you won't be able to set it down. I even got yelled at by my boss for reading the book on company time. I've read it 4 times and each time is like the first time. There is alot of information to process so get ready be blown away. It's awsome. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it.

Being someone who loves motorcycles, travel, and thought Long Way Round was awesome, this book was already high on my list. I saw the one time showing of the Long Way Down movie and I am currently watching the full series on the Fox Reality Channel. I love this stuff!

So why didn't the book get five stars? Well, I think it suffered from being the second time around. It never felt quite as much of a seat of your pants adventure as Long Way Round did. I suppose it shouldn't since this is the second major trip and all the crew kind of know what they are doing. I also thought that having Ewan McGregor bring his wife along for part of the trip did change the dynamic of the trip, as you'll hear Charley Boorman say a few times. But it was damn funny to hear about her falling all the time.

I won't say much more so as not to ruin some of the truly entertaining and interesting parts of the book. But if you love motorcycles, travel, or both, this book is for you. Heck, you've probably already read it!

The first book was great and so was the series. This one is awesome as well. Very funny and a great read.

I really enjoyed their first book, but this one's much, much better. I have to admit that I like memoirs and travel journals better when they're not ghostwritten. I like to hear the voice of the person whose story I'm reading. In other words, I like it to be genuine.

Ewan and Charley's enthusiasm for their travels comes through in every page. The ups and downs they experience are there, with no sugar-coating. The photographs are better this time around as well, and some of the captions are quite amusing. There's one humorous photo of the two that looks as if they're about to rob a liquor store. Another, in which the guys are down to their shorts, makes me think of a line from "Smokey and the Bandit": "The last time I saw a leg that looked like that, it had a message tied to it."

My only disappointment with this book is that I would have liked to see some input from Ewan's wife, Eve, on her leg of the trip. As a woman, I'd enjoy getting her perspective. After all, she held her own after only six months of riding, while these two men had been riding for years before attempting a long trip. I laughed at her response to his objections when she wanted to join them.

She really should have put together her own trip with a group of women. I know a lot of female bikers who would have been willing to join her for a good cause. Isn't kicking the guys' butts always a good cause? Oh, yeah, and it could have been good for UNICEF, too.

I love this book. I read his first and I couldn't wait to receive this one. It is very well written. I am afan of both Ewan and Charley.
Marianne Shinmon mshinmon@cox.net

Kapuscinski reports on the people and political culture of the third and fourth worlds( the third being countries like Iran and the fourth countries like the Congo).

He is very humble to recognize that it is difficult if not impossible to report on a country if a reporter does not speak the foreign country language such as India and Iran.

He laments the total chaos of countries in Africa, the total anarchy !

He also made us realize through Herodotus Histories that a good reporter is more than the reporter who provides snippets of sound and images clips for immediate daily consumptions.

He forces us to realize that men in their psychological makeups are still the same as in Herodotus times.

Through the Histories of Herodotus underatand today's events.

Ryszard Kapuscinki's final book is a wonderful synthesis of historical musing and inquiry with his own observations during his travels as a journalist. He draws on Herodotus' Histories, quoting from them extensively while drawing the reader into his own fascination with the ancient writer's motivations and sense of wonder at the episodes he recorded. This aspect of the book weaves seamlessly with the author's equally entertaining descriptions of the people and places he is personally experiencing while traveling to some of the 20th century's dark corners of the world.

A perfect blend of historical essay and journalistic reportage that is never boring.

This book steals the reader away from the present in a journey through time. Although his own stories and narratives are fascinating, Kapuscinski's enlivening of Herodotus becomes what holds you. You can't help but feel excitement for the reading journey ahead when you pick the book up after having put it down for a break. Furthermore, his analysis of a certain type of "traveler" (versus tourist) will haunt (or inspire) any of those who find themselves more the former than the latter. In the realm of memoirs, this book is of par excellence.

A poetic view into the experiences of a Polish man raised with Stalinist-era values, and how he deals with these values' total deficiency in helping him understand and cope with the rest of the world. A little-kid-in-big-city book. I can't dissociate myself from my classicist leanings enough to know what to do with his expansive interpretations of Herodotus, though. Try to enjoy them as fiction, as musings? Tough to do!

Sadly, the book seems to me to lose steam halfway through: it becomes a regurgitation of Herodotus's stories about war (the LEAST interesting bits of Hdt., I think), literally paraphrasing Hdt. for chapters on end. I'm not enough of a literary gal to sustain the attention necessary to make these expansive retellings interesting as new literature. If I wanted to read Hdt., I would. And it would be far more interesting, because I'd get the neat ethnographic and mythological excurses mixed in with the boring accounts of battle formations.

The last book by this great journalist. It makes perfect sense that he traveled with Herodotus, and that this ancient Greek writer, the first historian, or the first reporter, was like a companion to him. History is stories. Kapuscinsky was most wise in always remembering this and he learned it from Herodotus. His writing is transparent. He writes so you can know. He never forgets that nothing is definitive. He has some very wise things to say about Africa. I like that he sees Africa as part of the world and not as a special case. Herodotus did too. Herodotus wrote before the psychopathology of racism became a kind of law. Kapuscinsky writes in the aftermath, as the damage trickles down. He narrates in vivid snapshots. In this book he tells you where he came from. He describes Poland after WWII. He describes life under Stalin. He shares his first travel experiences. India! Completely unprepared! Culture shock! In this book you get to understand where his abiding clarity came from. I just loved it.

We bought this activity book for when we travel. It is pretty big with lots of pages to keep the kids busy during a long car or plane ride.

I bought this for my 4 and 5 yr old sons, we are taking a long car ride so I thought it would entertain them for a while and it has.

This is a good buy for young children. I was impressed with the variety. But many 8 year olds will find it too simple. For kids getting tired of coloring books, you might want to look into a Klutz book or something more exciting.

This kept my 5 and 7 year olds busy for part of a long car ride...nice selection of things to do.

Our 5 yr old loved this activity book. It kept her busy on an eight hour road trip. She never wanted the dvd player on.

We live outside of NYC in Stamford, CT and we head into the city about every other weekend. We love go out to eat and so we're ALWAYS carrying around this book (its small enough to fit in a medium sized purse) and reffering to the book to get an idea of price, atmosphere, location, etc. I refer to the book at least once a week to find out more information about a place....its the only place I look for reviews and it has basically become the only place I look for ideas on places to go! If its not in Zagat, usually I'm not interested in going!! Most of the times its for dinners, but I've looked it up a few times for lunch/bars too. Great sections - separated by location if you're looking for a particualr area of the city, or type of cusine, or atmopshere (even stuff like, does it have a fireplace?). Great gift....I've given it out several times to newcomers to the city, and they dont go anywhere w/o it either. Would buy again when my book gets old!!! And, I will buy it again for someone as a gift..!

Everyone who wants to eat well in NYC needs a Zagat guide. It lists almost every kind of cuisine, price level and restaurant location in the city. The reviewers are people just like you and me, they like to eat and they are willing to share their experiences. If you are visiting NYC for the first time, or for the 20th time, you need this book.

If you are planning to take a trip to New York City, be certain that you have the latest copy of Zagat's with you. It will totally enhance your dining experience. don't leave home without it.

i have been to new york city several times and always consult my zagat guide. it has never let me down! i would not dream of not going without it!

This book is awesome!! If you like to go out to eat and try new things this is the book to help guide you. I get one every year and use it all the time. I recommend this book to anyone who goes out to eat in NYC!