Travel Books

While not laugh-out-loud funny it is amusing, enjoyable book. So many of us can see pieces of our own family dynamics in her stories of gifts that you pretend to like, food you serve they won't eat, and those incidents you laugh at only in hind-sight. Her last chapter where she spends time with one of the Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days is wonderfully poignant.

I heard the author on NPR and immediately wanted to read her book. She did not disappoint. She provided a much-needed antidote to the current stereotype of people from Iran. She is smart, sensible, and very amusing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how her family has successfully adjusted to living in the United States.

This is a fast reading book with lots of humor about an Iranian family that comes to live in Southern California. It contains universal lessons of life and humor. Everyone can feel the love that Firoozeh has for her family, her birth country, and her new home in America. After reading Laughing Without an Accent, I felt as if Firoozeh's family were my own. I was fortunate to be able to meet this charming author in person. This book will lift your spirits!

This book is hilarious. As an Iranian-American with a large family who immigrated from Iran, i found myself reading them passages so they could laugh with me. I have re-gifted this book again and again so that my entire extended family can join in. I absolutely loved it and know that you will too!

Humor isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Iranian Americans, but Firoozeh Dumas may just change that! Each vignette highlights the craziness both of her family and of various culture: American, Iranian and French. She writes with such conversational ease, as if telling you a funny story over a cup of tea. Each family member is drawn with clarity, as if you've known them all along. Her family is like a favorite sitcom family - familiar, funny and slightly over the top. The reader can imagine them getting into all kinds of wacky situations and can't wait to tune in for more.

Part of Dumas' great writing skill lies in the simplicity of her descriptions. She is able to set a scene with few words, but provide such keen observation that she cuts right to humor of the moment. She illuminates the humor of cultures and personalities with lightheartedness and respect. She seems to find idiosyncrasies to be both precious and maddening. She clearly loves her family very much, and is able expose the absurdity of their everyday lives. Her command of humor makes even the most mundane of subjects like oversized desks, 10 lb. bags of rice and the "Midnight Chocolate Buffet" on a cruise, a cause for chuckles.

Laughing Without an Accent has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for readers of any accent. Dumas' keen observations expose the silliness of herself and those around her with an endearing grace and genuineness, causing the reader to embrace her every word and yearn for just one more story.

Armchair Interviews says: Humor lies all around this talented writer.

excellent advice for anybody that is going to Japan and doesn't want to offend their local hosts or friends.

I ordered this book for my grandaughter who was moving to Okinawa. She said that it really helped her have an understanding of the culture etc.

In Japan, as visiting foreigners keep discovering -- if they're paying proper attention -- "etiquette" means a great deal more than simply knowing which knife and fork to use. (Or, in this case, what not to do with your chopsticks.) Japan has been a deeply and subtly ritualized and mannered society for millennia, and even with the postwar easing of some rituals and the introduction and acceptance of certain Westernisms -- and even though the Japanese are generally tolerant of minor faux pas on the part on non-Japanese -- the foreign visitor still needs to be very aware of the expectations of those around him. However, this book is also an excellent source for the non-visitor who simply has an interest in Japanese society and culture. The author has been both a periodic resident and been otherwise closely involved with Japan for going on six decades, and he's also a very observant and thoughtful writer, which makes him an ideal guide for the westerner on all things Japanese. He not only tells you what to do, what not to do, and what you can get away with, he provides the historical background, the psychological rationalization, which not even some Japanese are really aware of. This will help you to extrapolate your behavior in other situations, and will assist you toward an understanding of why the Japanese are the way they are. Those shallow-thinkers who consider the Japanese simply "inscrutable," alien, and beyond American understanding should definitely read this book.

While this book was interesting, it was not essential. When traveling to Japan it is important to study their etiquette, however most good travel books do as well.

My daughter was going to Japan to spend several weeks with her boyfriends family. I figured she needed some help in the subtle manners that would prepare her to be the best guest she could. It makes for great reading on a long flight! She felt that there were many bits of information that really helped her. Going to Japan with a local is extremely advantagous, but sometimes they forget the details. Lots of good info.

I have been to many European countries and I always buy a streetwise map before I go. These maps are convenient, folds up easy to fit into a purse or backpack, very accurate and laminated. While in Florence it rained often. The map constantly got wet and was dropped in puddles a few times. The map held up great and I do not go to any new place with out one.

Great map. Used it a lot. Needed my reading glasses to see the small print.

I have purchased several Streetwise for various cities. I found ALL of them to be useful. For Florence, it was particularly useful because the streets in Florence are narrow and not straight. You can easily get a bit lost - but not if you have the Streetwise map with you. You can use it to quickly get your location, and to see where the nearest piazza, church or museum is located. It also takes you across the Arno to the Piti Palace and Boboli Gardens. It is easy to carry and for someone who has progressed to bifocals -- easy to read.

Driving directions can change on a dime (see previous review), but walking the streets, so to speak, rarely changes. There are maps with more detail, but this map is an essential. Lightweight, laminated (waterproof), pocket-sized, and with almost all the detail that most Florence visitors need. Fully-opened, it is still small and easy to use. A handy gazeteer lists many streets and monuments, with map grid locations. There are some very tiny streets/alleys that are hard to make out, but that is true for almost any pocket-sized folding map.

We purchased this map from AMAZON only weeks before our trip to Italy. Either it was incorrect from the start or has never been updated since its publication....or there are one way gremlins afoot at the publishers!!After trying every approach into central Florence using this map we realized that at least HALF of one way streets are WRONGLY MARKED! Finally we chucked the map and followed the actual street signs and found our hotel.

This book has been used for our group discussion at work and I really love this book. I'm big on reading and talking about books that are easy to understand. This book is funny, realistic and very imformative.

Wanna open a food service business? Read several books including this one, subscribe to the Restuarant owner email news letter and then search for any other material you can read about the subject. Lots of people try and many fail, or just give up. Be educated in your decisions. You will gain enough from the school of hard knocks, so you should have enough education to realize when a "lesson" comes your way.

Very good book. Full of details. Could go a little further into the kitchen matter. You will need another book on food cost calculation, once this one does not cover it all the way.

I realize this is a great book. But it is all lies!!! If you truly believe that owning or working in a restaurant is fun..... Wow please think of another profession. And if you ever worked for Mike Garvey.... God Help You!!!! The man is the anti-christ

When my wife and I decided three months ago to open our own restaurant, this book was our very first purchase. If you're thinking of opening one, it should be yours, too.

"Running A Restaurant For Dummies" is packed with useful tips on starting and running a restaurant: things like choosing your "concept", creating a menu, selecting the right staff and building a loyal clientelle. It's an easy read, with everything broken down into easily digested chunks and plenty of funny anecdotes along the way. The authors do a good job of getting across the glamour and the drudgery of the restaurant business, and most important, they get across the message that the restaurant business is just that, a business. Cashflow, inventory, marketing, hiring and firing -- take it from me, you'll spend at least as much time worrying about this stuff as you will about the food.

I must have bought a dozen books on the restaurant business before we opened. This was the only one I read cover to cover. Five weeks after opening, we're doing great business and getting great reviews. We regularly have to turn people away on Friday and Saturday nights. At least part of that success we owe to this book. Thinking of starting a restaurant? Buy this book. It's the best fifteen bucks you'll ever invest.

This book content is composed of mostly still photos from the television show. There is not much written content. I bought the book based on the other reviews expecting some deep written insight and background into each episode. Its not there.

It is a nice coffee table type of illustrated book if you are a big fan of the show. It does have some great photography. I also really respect how he puts his crew on the same level as him.

If you are looking for a good read though I would recommend Bourdain's other books over this one.

update: I just picked up 'The Nasty Bits'. That is the book you should read if you want more background on the people and events behind the television series.

Do you like food? Travel? A wiseass chain smoking New York host? Then this is for you! A great book by a really cool guy, about a really cool show. It's an overview of places around the world Tony Bourdain and crew visited and featured on No Reservations, and it's filled with information that never, ever, EVER could have made it on the air. True fans of No Reservations might get more out of this than a reader who has never watched the show but anyone can pick this up and catch the tone and flavor of one of cable TV's most uniquely audacious hour-long events.

Yes, this is THE companion book to one of the most awesome shows on television right now. I was slightly disappointed that there was not more commentary, however, one redeeming factor and a reason you should have this book is for the "Best and Worst Bathrooms" around the world. Makes you glad for the dingy porcelain throne you have or jealous you don't live in Japan!
Chocked full of photos taken during Bourdain's wild tours around the globe, this is a fantastic coffee table book for chefs across the board. Unfortunately, the book does not do the show justice and if you ever have the chance to partake of Bourdain's scathing wit and alcoholic charm, please do so! And yes, I hate Rachel Ray too my friend...I hate her too.

If you're new to the works of Anthony Bourdain as well as his Travel Channel TV show "No Reservations" then this book might not be the best place for you to start. While the volume itself is a very handsome and well-produced book with oodles of great photos and minimal text, this particular title was written for the fan of Bourdain's ongoing TV series with plenty of behind-the-scenes glimpses at the adventures in getting his show made as well as snippets of appreciation toward his beloved crew. Fans of the show will find much to like as each country visited in the show's 3 year span is re-visited with familiar still shots of memorable moments we've seen before as well as new material. The highlights of the book though occur at the very end where Bourdain hilariously rates the best and worst toilets he and his crew have encountered in their world travels.

I should have perused this in more detail at the bookstore, but alas I got too excited to see another book by Mr. Bourdain. I finally looked at it this weekend and much to my disdain it is primarily pictures. Nice pictures, but only pictures nonetheless. There is some minor text but not enough. I was hoping to find out more back stories about what happened, biting commentary (related to the episode not FoddTV "chefs")maybe lists of places from the show, recommendations of restaurants to eat at, etc.

I am a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain and of No Reservations, this book just didn't cut it for me.

I know, I know.. there are so many guidebooks out there, how do you pick the right one? Well, it depends what your need is. If you are looking for travel advice in general, the Rick Steves Rick Steves' Italy 2009 (Rick Steves) or the 'Italy for Dummies' Italy For Dummies (Dummies Travel)as they're both good. If you need information on history and highlights on the cities and sites, I would go with Eyewitness's Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guide). If you need suggestions on hotels or restaurants, the Michelin guides Michelin the Green Guide Italy (Michelin Green Guides) are better and less biased.
Frommers has a melange of all of the above, but I think overall it's a little dispersed.

Not a bad travel book, fairly complete, decent detail on many of the cities within the country, but the book does lack pictures, has a few in the front of the book. That would have made the book more complete and enjoyable. As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

We are still in the planning process of our trip so I can't speak for how true the information in the book is, but I can say that it is not an easy read. I bought Rick Steve's book and read the entire book in 2 weeks (including highlighting and visiting websites). So, I thought I would go ahead and get another guidebook since our trip was 4 months away, and I planned to compare notes. I've had this book 1+ month and simply can't motivate myself to read it. It is much denser.

It does offer tons of information. Far more than the Rick Steve's book. The dining section is organized by area of town which I like, and I get the impression it lists every available attraction versus Rick Steve's which lists only the ones he thinks are worth visiting. I guess it depends on what you like. If you want to make the choice for yourself, this is probably better. If you are a first timer (like my husband and I), you appreciate someone kind of telling you what's better, than Rick Steve's is probably the better choice.

I'm also suspicious that there is an element of paid advertising to Frommer's. When I cross reference their recommendations with online travel reviews, Frommer's recs are offen crucified by travelers. Often with the inclusion "We chose this hotel based on Frommer's recommendations..." It worries me that its users are dissatisfied, yet the hotel stays in the book. Rick Steve's has a strict policy that he asks that you contact him directly with complaints or unfair pricing so he can keep his recommendations true.

Ultimately, I think this is a fine reference book with plenty of useful information. My personal preference is Rick Steve's style. My plan is to use Rick Steve's while in Italy and carry it with me, but make notes in it with info I picked out of Frommer's.

This is a great book with many details and suggestions. We always use Rick Steves' books and so I got this one as an extra. I was not disappointed by the content. Frommer has wonderful details for your trip. Like the Steves book, it describes in details all you need to know to be comfortable and have a great trip. I highly recommend it.

I bought Frommers Italy 2008 on a lark as I was headed for a long weekend in Pisa/Florence and couldn't find my usual Lonely Planet or Let's Go travel guides. All I can say is that it was truly a disappointment. The authors stated that the Stazione Pisa Centrale (main train station for Pisa) was, "a 10 to 15-minute walk from the Leaning Tower." My husband and I walked to the Leaning Tower from the station at a good pace (we really enjoy walking), and it took us about 30 to 40 minutes to reach the station.

Secondly, the Antica Trattoria Da Bruno was one of only two recommended places to eat in Pisa. Again, the authors state that, "It served old-fashioned but market-fresh dishes of the Pisan kitchen", and, "It's one of Pisa's finest restaurants." Well after a long day spent wandering in Florence, we returned to Pisa, mouths watering in anticipation of a memorable Italian meal. What we got instead was bland, pinged-in-the-microwave pasta and straight-out-of-the-tin canellini beans! The bread was stale, pasta over-cooked and wine horrible. What the place capitalizes on, though, is over-the-top ambiance, a huge wine list, and a waiter that 'cheeses it up' for tourists. If you are ever in Pisa, please go to the Pizzeria Galilei. We ate there 3 times! The traditional home-made Tuscan specialties, gorgeous wine, tasteful decor, attentive staff made our time in Pisa heaven.

Don't get me started on the hotel recommendations (there are some wonderful pensiones in Pisa, but the tacky Jolly Hotel right across from the station got a mention?!).

If you want travel books you can trust, stick with Let's Go--they've never done me wrong, and I travel a lot!

I did a multiple country tour across Europe and I will preface my review with the disclaimer that I only ended up seeing Venice while I was in Italy so all my comment pertain to the Lonely Planet's section on this city.

The section on Venice was not as helpful as other Lonely Planet guides that I have had the pleasure of using with my travels. The maps, while accurate and useful for approximate locating, will need to supplemented with another map (either the Lonely Planet's or one purchased when you get there).

The hotel reviews were good, but I would also use the internet more as I found a nice cheap hotel not listed in their guide just walking through the city. Their review of the usefulness of the Venice Pass was also spot on - ie you will have to work hard and smart get your money's worth.

I bought this book before I went to Italy and planned to use it to guide me around. When I was there, I found the book is good for reading, but is not useful at all when you need to rely on it to go around. The very few maps in the book are very general and lack of details. You can't tell where you're and what you're looking at if you only have this book. I had to buy some other books there so that I don't miss the great things at the places I visited.

Decent range of information, though some more specificity would be nice-especially in Venice. They had very little on accommodations or dining there.

This book tells you everything you need to know about Italy. Anyone who is planning to visit Italy should read this before they go. It is full of good information and will help you to get the most from your trip.

My friend bought this guide for our trip through Italy this summer. Our trip went through Venice, Florence and Rome, with side trips into Tuscany and Naples/Pompeii. This book contains information on so many different places that it does not provide much useful information on any one city. We felt so lost in Venice and Florence with the scant information provided in this book that we ended up buying the LP Rome City Guide when we got to Rome. You would be much better off buying individual city guides before you leave the US though because travel books are very expensive once you're in the city. I have used many LP books over the years for both domestic and international travel, but I would recommend city books from now on.

My husband and I travelled independently around China for 3 weeks with this book and the Lonely Planet. We found that the beautiful photography helped inspire our choice of destinations, and the maps and illustrations helped us navigate once we were there. We especially liked the axonometric drawings with labels.

Although this book includes some practical information about the sites, the Lonely Planet was much more detailed in terms of how to actually get somewhere. I think it would be difficult to travel with only this book for guidance.

A few hotels and restaurants are recommended in the back of the book. This information would have been much more useful if the names were also written in Chinese. We often found ourselves in situations where we could not communicate with taxi drivers or hotel concierges, so we relied on pointing to places (with Chinese names) in guidebooks. Having the pinyin names didn't do us much good since our pronunciation and accents were not understandable.

DK has again produced a fantastic guide - this time for all of China. While it is not definitive, and in know way can be, it covers an amazinginly large portion of the country, in good detail, and with DK's signature photographs. I saw many pictures in here of places in China I'd never seen before, and made me want to explore more of the country. I hope they publish a new edition soon though, before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Trying to review this book is somewhat hard, technically it's a travel guide and as that its ok, but its really more than that. Its one of the best birds eye views of the major attractions in China. Kind of a Whats-What of China. Having been to China on several trips I can personally attest to the quality of the selection and information.

They Layout is organized by region, usually two provinces to a Chapter. You get a brief overview of the province, then it moves to 1-2 pages per location (maybe a city or a park) in that province. The information is a smorgasborg of text, photos and illustrations. It covers the major attractions and why they are significant. The photographs are stunning (if small by necessity). The information is both informative and concise. Its amazing how much stuff they've packed in there.

Sprinkled throughout the chapters are various shorts (1-2 pages) on Chinese history and culture. Again high level concise information but enough to get you started.

The construction of the book is way above your newsprint guides. Its got good binding, vinyl covers and slick glossy pages. Top notch.

The only thing I would knock it for is that as a travel guide its travel nuts and bolts (specific places to stay, eat, shop, train schedules, directions etc) is pretty weak. They have some information but it tends to be focused more on the high end stuff rather than the budget backpacker.

This book is best bought, used and enjoyed as a overall reference book on China for people who just want to know more. As a travel guide it is a good source of information to get you started, but its not where you'll finish. You'll want to look at other information and resources when it comes to the specifics of your journey.

So to Recap

Pros
Excellent Photos, text and diagrams
Well organized
Concise chocked full of info
Good quality printing and binding
Wide variety of information

Cons
Weak on travel specific information

Conclusion
A great book for someone thinking of a trip to china and wondering "what is there to see" as well as reference to China and its many highlights.

The eyewitness travel series is the book of choice for any travel. And the China version doesn't miss.

I traveled to China for vacation 2.5 years ago when I didn't have the Eyewitness guide. I got a good sense of my travels a the time by reading multiple books and asking my guide many questions.

However in my trip this year...I had the Eyewitness guide. It not only strengthened my understanding of the many places, events, and culture which I experienced 2.5 years ago...it prepared me to open my eyes to a whole new world when I traveled in 2007.

What sets DK apart is that it gives you not only practical information...But provide maps/pictures/illustrations which other's cannot present. And this is all that much important for the Western traveler where China is still in the process of fine tuning tourism and how sights are communicated to visitors.

I recommend Eyewitness guides not only for any vacation...but especially for travels to China.

This was my first Eyewitness Travel Guide, and I must say that it's really quite good. Photos, photos, and more photos, and lots of great feature pages (language and script, landscape and wildlife - by region, and so on). Also, superb diagrams permeate the pages, like the one of Shanghai's Bund. You no longer have to match number 23 to the 23 in a list of microscopic place names on another page, nor will you realize later that what you thought was (for example) the Palace Hotel was really, say, the Chartered Bank of India. Also, this type of book is outstanding in that it will show you something you are unfamiliar with and explain it to you. Ever wondered what all the different components of a temple are called or what their purpose is? Go to the archictecture section and look it up.

I only have a couple of wee complaints. The map in the front would be much better if it were fold out and/or divided into provinces. Also, another map should be included to show rail lines and major roads without obscuring the provinces, etc. The two maps provided are OK, but you'll probably need other ones. Such a high quality book deserves better maps. Also, it's really very heavy, but I suppose that can't be helped. You'd have to be pretty adventurous to only use this guide book, but it would make an excellent supplement to a "traditional" one. Ideal for a couple. One can figure out where to stay, where the bus station is, etc., and the other can carry this volume and - in spite of the weight - be enlightened.

Troy Parfitt, author

But....seeing as I haven't received it yet, and there doesn't seem to be anywhere on your website for me to complain that I haven't received my book, I'm afraid Amazon's readers are just going to have guess what I think about it....as am I.

Anyone at Amazon reading this, I'd appreciate you letting me know how I can find out what's happened to my book. It's no fun not getting what you paid for in advance, and then not being able to tell anyone about your problem.

How's that for a review?

Have a nice day :-)

Got the book for my Industrial Organizational Psychology class. It's a pretty interesting read. I recommend it to anyone looking to study IO Psyc.

This is a great book on the study of Organizational Behavior. It provides great examples and keys elements to running a successful company. As a college student, this book has been invaluable as a source of information for various classes. I highly recommend this book to any student of Human Resource Management or Organizational Behavior.

I got about halfway through this book and couldn't stand the back slapping tummy rubbing view of perfection portrayed by the author. I lent the book to a colleague who has worked at Southwest and they agreed. Perhaps if you hadn't worked in the game it would be a better book. problem is Southwest probably deserves a better book because they are a great success story - just don't have an author crow so hard about it and detract from the true story. I rate the book three stars (possible generous) simply because I couldn't bear to read it all. For the money I recommend 'Hard Landing' by Petzinger as far more worthwhile ('From Worst to First' is also better).

The first part of the Audio CD was a turn-off. The title begins by trumpeting the virtues of Southwest. Not only was that not necessary, it gets old very quickly. Once that is over, the discussion is quite a bit more interesting. The philosophy that Southwest operates under is presented in a "top ten list" format. In addition, the author discusses how each of the ten items is necessary for the formula to work, and thus why many companies have failed to improve when trying to use only some of Southwest's techniques.

I would recommend this title only after reading other business titles. Two in particular are "From Good to Great" by Jim Collins and "First, Break all the Rules" / "Now, Discover your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. I feel this book doesn't stand well by itself; rather it is a case study of these two works, and probably a few others I haven't read yet.

I recommend the former because Jim Collins notes long term successful businesses all figure out their key performance metric and subordinate all business processes to it. The first part of "The Southwest Airlines Way" speaks right to this point. Aircraft turn around is Southwest Airline's key metric, they do it better than their competitors, and all of the 10 points support minimizing the metric.

The latter references by Buckingham theorize that people's talents are fixed, not learned. Thus, Buckingham recommends hire for the talents you need, as it is a waste of resources to try and train the untalented. This goes hand-in-hand with Southwest Airlines interviewing for, and only accepting, applicants with natural aptitude in people skills. Southwest Airlines ten points to success follow many of Buckingham's observations (recommendations) on how to successfully manage employee talent.

Wisconsin native Sara Roahen writes of her adopted home with a passion that jumps off of every page. Gumbo Tales is part travel guide, part history/culture lesson, part culinary exploration.

In 268 pages, Roahen takes readers through the neighborhoods of New Orleans to become acquainted with the foods, the people, and the history of a city--a history that is still being written thanks to the devastating effects of an act of nature.

Roahen has done a superb job of making the food, the place, the people, and even Hurricane Katrina characters in this initmate look at New Orleans. Each chapter holds the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of a different neighborhood in a city that harbors an amazing diversity. Roahen moves her readers from po'boy sandwiches to crawfish and from gumbo to sezeracs (a rye whiskey based drink) with ease and grace. Always mindful of the fact that she is a "transplant" to the area, she lends some insightful references to how her New Orleans life both mirrors and differs from her life in Wisconsin.

One cannot read Gumbo Tales without feeling an immediate urge to pack her bags and head to New Orleans to partake of these taste treats, hear the music of the area, and meet the people who make New Orleans what it was before Katrina and what it is striving to be once again.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I'm always searching for books about and related to New Orleans which can put me in a New Orleans state of mind even from the Northeast. It was fortuitous, then, that I selected Gumbo Tales as my most recent reading material.

I fell in love with the city of New Orleans on my first visit four years ago, and I try to visit as often as possible. When I can't, a book or a movie is the next best thing, and I eventually plan to call New Orleans my home. Gumbo Tales provides the perfect window into the culture of New Orleans, and I was sad the book was over when I finished.

One of the things I liked most about the book is that it's from the perspective of a non-native New Orleanian such as myself. That I could really identify with, moreso than I can with books and stories written by people who were born and raised. I identified with the process of coming from the outside, becoming enchanted, and wanting desperately to be part of the culture. I identified with Roahan's first experiences of New Orleans traditions as a newbie. I cackled out loud reading about her crawfish mishap. I cried several times because of the book, especially when she wrote about the city's struggling spirit in the wake of the events of 2005.

Besides the sentimental feelings the book gives you about the city, the descriptions of food are really the main ingredient here- and they are brilliant.

Roahan's book was the perfect find for leaving-town-reading, for keeping the feeling of NOLA going even when you're far away. Gumbo Takes made me feel not alone in my New Orleans experience and stubborn love for the place. I recommend this book to anyone who calls New Orleans home, once called it home, plans to call it home, or just wishes they did.

Like the author, Sara, I was also a non-native who had moved to New Orleans for my first ten years out of college, from 1987 to 1996. Even after I moved from New Orleans in 1996, I had never thought of reading books about New Orleans (not counting New Orleans and Cajun cookbooks, of course) until now, three years after Hurricane Katrina. I have not yet been back to New Orleans since Katrina, but I am planning a trip there next year.

Two of the main aspects of New Orleans that I love so much is its food and music. It was my countless memories of New Orleans food that prompted me to read this book, and I was definitely not disappointed. Sara's descriptions of the food and dining in New Orleans are accurate, well-researched, evocative, and, as the Brits say, spot on. She writes with the informed knowledge of her background as a food writer and restaurant reviewer, but also with the fresh perspective of a non-native Midwesterner, and she paints a vivid picture of the passionate food culture in New Orleans, a culture that I was once an active part of (Emeril Lagasse once stopped by our table to chat during the first week that his Emeril's restaurant opened in 1990). Like a great Zatarain's seasoning mix, she accents all of the food lore with snippets of New Orleans culture, people, humor, and just the right touch of discussions of the city before and after Katrina (she lived in Philadelphia for awhile before moving back to New Orleans in April of this year).

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in food, or is interested in or planning a trip to New Orleans. My only quibble with this book was that I wanted more chapters or another book of hers to continue reading after I had finished this book; there are still plenty of New Orleans food topics to write chapters on. After I finished reading this book, instead of placing it amidst all of my other many non-fiction books, I placed with my row of cookbooks in the pantry; although this is not a cookbook, it just belongs there with my cookbooks!

Also... Sara has a Web site where she has posted various "Photo Companion to Gumbo Tales" photos that are grouped and named like the chapters in her book: www.sararoahen.com\Sara_Roahen\Gumbo_Tales_Photos\Gumbo_Tales_Photos.html

What a fun book. I live in Houston, and know New Orleans from several over-eating visits. Sara really brought you right back there and so far beyond in the history and fun details. I'm looking forward to going back. Her writing style is playful and fun, perfect for her topic. She hit just the right balance with Katrina details - since it will never be the same, yet will always be the same.

If you read only one book about New Orleans, it should be this one. Sara Roahen's love of the the city's food is exceeded only by her love of the people who make it and their creation of a unique culture. Her love of the food is the more convincing by being hard-won -- a struggle against mid-Western roots and west coast vegetarianism. But her natural curiosity (and the exigencies of being thrust into the role of restaurant reviewer) leads her far beyond the cliches of gumbo and crawfish into the exotic realms of the mirliton and turducken, to name just a couple. For those who fuss about the absence of jambalaya and bread pudding in these pages, I too would like to read her treatment of other local specialties, but I'm thankful she has saved something for another book!