Travel Books

This Laura Ingalls Wilder diary is somewhat dull in parts, but the introduction by her daugher, Rose Wilder Lane, is worth the price of the book. Lane gives a first-hand account of the days before and after the journey that puts Laura in a new light. There are also several good photographs unavailable in other LHOTP books.

It's often said in tones of this-is-true-but-it's-also-heresy that Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of Laura and Almanzo Wilder, is the real unsung heroine in the Little House books, because while she let her mother have credit for the famous series, it was Rose, via her careful, invisible editing and re-writes, that turned cheery memoirs into beloved classics. I suspect that's true, but in the case of this book, it is beyond all doubt what happened. Rose took her mother's raw diary and prepared it for publication, and the product is the book On The Way Home, which tells of the journey Rose and her parents made in 1894, from DeSmet, South Dakota, setting for the final half of the Little House books, to the Ozark country, where the family would spend the next sixty years. The description is unsentimental, not glamorized (as it tends to be--for the sake of betterment--in the other books) and it paints a portrait of the difficult traveler's life on the by-then crowded prairie overrun with east-central European immigrants, many of whom being exactly the type portrayed in novels such as My Antonia. The Wilder family completes its draining re-location by covered wagon and arrives in Missouri, a state so much a promised land to them that a reader cannot help but share their relief when they safely arrive.

The Book, On The Way Home, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, is basically what it says it is. It is a Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894. This book was not that enjoyable just because it was just diary entries, like "today we ate meat." But other wise it was quite intriguing to discover the ways in which people traveled back in the day. In one part of the book it talks about how their covered wagon is not a covered wagon at all but that, "It had been a two-seated hack though now it only had the front seat." I also found it very enjoyable to read about the worth of money back then and compare it to now. It talks about how Laura had earned a whole one hundred dollars which today is like penny cash but back then was a fortune. In the beginning of the book there is a setting by Rose Wilder Lane, Laura's Daughter, which is a great piece of writing, it is like the rest of Laura's books in that it makes you want to read the rest of the book. I found this book interesting but a drag because of the slow pace in the book. If you would like to take a slow dip into history you should definitely read this book.

This book is written in a much different style than the other Little House books. Laura kept a journal of the trip and these are her day-to-day entries. It can sometimes be dry or confusing. I have been reading the series with my daughter and this one has been a little more difficult. We enjoyed it, but not as much as the others.

I can see why Laura Ingalls was able to write such good books about her early life on the Prairie. Her diaries were packed full of information and detail which she could later draw on. This is one of her diaries, with notes and a setting by her only child, daughter Rose Wilder Lane who was just a girl during this trip.

Laura Ingalls Wilder is, of course, famous for her little House books describing her childhood growing up at the edge of American settling in the mid Nineteenth century. Constantly pushing to new territories and places Ingalls father lead them west into Indian territory and later to Dakota where they settled. Laura met and Married Almanzo Wilder in de Smet, Dakota (Those happy Golden Years, and First Four Years) however those books left a me feeling a bit downhearted. Especially teh First Four Years, in which Almanzo 'Manly' and Laura seemed to be struck with tragedy (the house burning down) etc.

I found this diary to be hugely uplifting. It is not the detailed stories of her childhood, or living in a wagon as an adult settler, but it is a great tale detail of a family moving, of finding something which they could call their own, but far away in the Ozarks.

The most interesting thing to me about it, was that while they were on the road they were constantly being passed by other settlers, some going north and others going south, but the number of people on the move was amazing. At one point Rose adds a note that she looked back while they were about to cross the 'muddy' and there was a stream of covered wagons behind them.

Little details of what life was like really draw this out - tomatoes 10c a bushel and so they bought 2c worth. Huge watermelons for 5 c, Almanzo selling fire mats (ASBESTOS!) and all those little everyday details about life for Laura.

While she did not put her stories down until many decades later, clearly she was a writer in the making right from the beginning. Rose, her daughter has provided much of the detail necessary in here, but it would be really nice to see an illustrated edition of this showing the place as it was and as it is now. It was interesting to use Google Earth to view some of the trail which you can see right now. It gives it a sense of scale which I will not be able to do myself unless I acutally visit.

The only reason this has four stars is it is not as gripping as Ingalls novels - it is still a great read and highly recommended.

I read this book over 2 weeks riding the train to work. It was a great read I really enjoyed it. Some of the book has lost its revelance as the book addresses some political issues that occured some time ago. However, the outlook on history was fantastic. In the end he was right. Good book even if you are not a 'finance' reader.

Despite many comments in other reviews, this book is much, much, more than a travelogue...it is essential reading for all long term investors...moreover, it ought to be essential reading for all government officials who want to keep America great. After traveling around and seeing all these countries, it is hard to see how another human being could have acquired the scope of knowledge that Rogers now possesses...so his wisdom counts! Major lesson from this book include:

1)the major focus of government should be (besides defense, police, fire, etc.) to get out of the way and unleash the desire of the population to chase high return opportunities...but not to protect the population from competition

2)eliminate protectionism and subsides for all industries within the economy...allowing one's industries to take its lumps in the world wide competitive market...otherwise, those industries will not innovate to the degree needed to stay competitive on the world market

3)nothing in society is permanent...the most successful societies adapt to and embrace change and competition...the least successful ones--the ones that end up dying--reach a point of success...then get fat and happy and try to preserve their status at all costs

4)do NOT leave your finances in the hands of others...even Jim Rogers did this...and he had his money stolen out from under him!!

5)stable, long term relationships are invaluable...poor Jim travels around with this "young leggy blonde" (who my mom referred to as a "tart")...who he obviously loves...but who appears to have "hit the road" after the trip...too bad...

I really enjoyed this book. He made some really great predictions, and was off the mark on others. The dollar being devalued is happening now, but there were no wars in Central Europe, except Yugoslavia. Very insightful travel book, ala Iberia from James Michener though not as academic. Easy, exciting read.

The investment biker gives the reader insight into the way Jim thinks. Jim says in 1990, most of his money was in utility stocks, U.S government bonds, and foreign currencies. Jim owned utility stocks particular nuclear power for companies like Illinois power and Niagara Mohawk which were distressed. Jim's next comments strike as parallel to problems in 2007, as he says, "I thought U.S Interest rates were headed south, so I was bullish-optimistic-on bonds and bearish-pessimistic-on the dollar, that is, I expected the price of bonds to rise and that of the dollar to fall. I figured politicians would do everything to keep the economy going. Since they aren't very smart, all they really know how to do is cut interest rates. I bought foreign currencies, mainly certificates of deposit denominated in guilders or deutsche marks, reasoning that the dollar would go down as the politician's cuts rates." Jim that was interesting insight over 17 years ago and today the dollar demise is causing exports to increase, unemployment to drop, bond yields to drop and price to increase, GDP to rise, consumption to drop, investment to decrease, real wages to drop, and credit to get tighter. The US economy is strong enough to continue climbing for the next sixty years without disruption from business cycles. Commodities will continue to be a profitable sector for the rich and commodities indexes supposing the commodity boards can remain solvent and stable.

Currency exchange controls: "The soviet union exchange rate for travelers was six rubles per dollars. On the black market I got between twelve and eighteen rubles, whereas today you might get a hundred times that". For this reason Jim carried a few travelers checks and a healthy sum of cash while traveling through Turkistan.

Georgian: Stalin had been a Georgian. "Georgia had always been a trading nation and a crossroads." Jim saw similiarities between Georgia and Texas, New Mexico, and California. "As those parts of the United States become more Lationo, and as the United States begins to suffer its inevitable economic decline, I wonder if we won't see the same things: ethnic strife and a drive for separatism, either a desire to rejoin Mexico or to be independant". "Georgia has always been a merchant area and of a capitalist bent".

Baku: "Baku, a major center of oild production, all around the road lay rusted pipes and drill rigs, idle, unmaintained, a cluttered junk heap. No wonder Soviet oil production was down." Communism fails because managers work to meet quotas, no incentives, no accountability, skimming oil from the top and running, and no private property ownership. "On of the reasons Soviets never built their capital bases, because they never built their capital." "Riding along the Caspian Sea we saw hudnreds of these discarded drilling rigs, all stripped."

Kazakhstan: "Kazakhstan had become a gigantic farmland, a desert that had bloomed into vast arable tracts." It had become 40 percent Russian, 2/3 of water provided from the Aral Sea, heavy salization, high rates of birth defects and infant mortality, and thirty mile coast line. "The Russians had thought they could use the water to turn the area into a cotton plantation. But they had treated the land the way they treated the oil fields we had passed: They stripped it and moved on." In communism you can ruin a resource without anyone saying halt. On the other hand, China in the seventies admitted its ways were not working and deregulated agriculture to teh peasants, allowing farmers to lease land for a very long time, and in some place buy it; the government allows the farmers to sell crops that they could sell for a profit on the world market; the farmers went wild; every field was planted and cultivated with items being reused and no waste; the farmers didn't strip the land; and China became an agricultural exporting country.

Samarkand: The most prosperous city in Baku. "The Centerpiece of the city's ancient splendor is the Registan, and esemble of three madrasas, or Islamic schools". "Under the corner domes of the Ulug-bek Madrasa, completed in 1420, were lecture halls, and in its rear was a mosque. The Tiger Madrasa flouted the Islamic injunction against showing pictures of live animals by boldly diplaying glorious tilework devoted to its namesake...Samarkland was like the Taj Mahal in that way, if not even more extraordinary." "We discovered that forty mosques had opened in Uzbekistan alone in 1989, and at least one was being built in every town we passed through-Ashkhabad, Mary, Bukhara."

Muslim: "The Muslims were always trying to come into Europe through Austria, through Hungry, through Spain. The Christians beat them back several times. During the centuries of the Dark Ages in Europe the Muslims were much more dynamic than the Christians. They expanded geographically, spreading their culture and religion from the Altantic to the Pacific". "All the Muslims are resurgent, not so much because they want to be Islamic, but because the need a vehicle to help them get more. If people are prosperous, they tend not to fight. What they're reaching out for is Islam, the only unifying thread they have, to help them achieve their own prosperity and identity."

Soviet Union: "The Soviet Union is actually headed toward a system that will resemble feudalism: the economic, political, and social system of the medival Europe after the breakup of the Roman Empire, in which their were innumerable and ever-changing fiefdoms."

China: "By early 1990 China's harsh new monetary policy began to cause hard times. Several months later, people surged into Tiananmen Square to complain about tight money". "Like successful entrepreneurs in many parts of the world, Chinese entrepreneurs are bringing every scrap of energy, money, technology they can marshall into their business"

Currency valuation: "If the rate on the black market is five and a half zlotys to the dollar, compared with the state banks rate of five, then things might not be so bad. But if it is ten or fifteen to the dollar, then I know the country is in terrible shape, with maybe the collapse of the government or hyperinflation on the horizon." During Jim's first visit to China he paid Renminbi for a dollar, a 50 percent premium and by 1990s the premium had dropped to 35 percent. The chinese want out of the their currency less.

Soviet Union: "The Soviet Union hadn't raised its prices in fifty years! It sounded good, even great for the customer-low rent, postcards for kopecks, inexpensive bread, cheap birch juice, and low-cost hinges. But the flip side was that they had almost no consumer goods except bread, which ofcourse was the one item not even th Communist dared allow to run out". "By keeping these prices low the Communist had robbed everyone, including the state and teh party, of any eral-world incetive to produce and distribute every product. What possible incentive could there be to make hinges or socks when every pair lost money?" "The real crime was the misery-the shortages, the shoddy goods, and teh lack of opportunity-perpetrated bythe Communist on the Soviet people for decades." "In the Soviet Union they' always been told that if they left the country, they couldn't come back except under exceptional circumstances, and that this was true throughout the world."

Nakhodka: "The port of Mobile was long past its prime, but compared with the rust and broken equipment here, it was a model of repair. There was no security around the docks; goods were piled up in such a fashion that anybody could walk off with anything." Nakhodka is a city port of 170,000 with a single children's clothing store, a single grocery store, a single auto-parts store, and a single hardware store. The bakery was full of inexpensive, extraordinary bread, baked every day. The other stores were virtually empty of people and goods.

Gold Prices: In the 1970s investors were sure all paper money was going to lose its value as the price of gold rose quickly. Historically, gold prices had seen long periods of low price which did not move up even as the price of other commodities went up. In the 1930, Roosevelt responded to the economic crisis by setting the price of gold at $35/ounce. Everyone, who owned gold enjoyed a 67 percent premium in value. "Everybody was delighted to own dollars." During WWII the worldwide economy collapsed and gold did not move around the exchange for other foreign currencies, trade had come to an end. For thirty seven years gold was held to $35/ounce. "The only gold that came to the market was from Africa and Russia" In the 1970, gold began to be used in teeth and electronics, it was cheap. Through the 50s and 60s the price of gold rose as the economy faced trade deficits and printing money (inflation). 1971, Nixon took the US economy of the gold standard to avoid recession.

A bet against the central bankers: "In the seventies, the central banks were defending the United States artificially low price of gold." The market realized the prices (high or low) were absurd. As soon as the gold price controls were lift the price went up. When price goes up more supply will be created; new gold mines will open; existing gold mines will scale production; and replacement commodities will compete as a cheaper alternative. The supply will increase and price will drop cooling demand. Eventually, the price of gold will become cheap. "Every year since 1981, the world has produced more gold than in the year before. Remember, it takes a long time to bring a gold mine on stream...More supply.

Siberia is the world's largest country with 8,650,000 square miles, a sixth of the world's land mass. Siberia makes Russia one of the richest country in energy resources and minerals: a quarter of the world's oil reserves, 40 percent of the iron ore, and a third of its phosphates. "Even today no one knows the full extent of the nation's wealth", says Jim. The Soviet Union pushed hard to produce more steel, fertilizers, and oil. "This fervid lunge for producing more and more, however, mean that quality, environmental concerns, and efficient production had been ignored." "As the price of oil went to forty dollars a barrel, Moscow reaped a bonanza. All the money had gone to the Communist hierarchy and for the space program, to intercontinental ballistic missiles and world-class Olympic teams. The party managed things so poorly and the system was so rotten, there had been nothing left for the 275 million working toads except subsistence wages and a subsistence existence."

Moscow, "there was a good chance, however, that despite the good harvest, half the grain and vegetables wouldn't reach the consumer because of tractors, combines, and trucks that sat idle for lack of spare parts and gas... One engineer said it was a waste of his talents for him to be pulling up carrots."

Government price fixing messes up production. In Zimbabwe the government decided to enforce a cheap food policy and set the price of corn. In the mid eighties farmers produces 1.8 million tons of corn a year. After the government policy enforcing corn price fixes was in place corn production dropped 98 percent. However, the government never regulate flower production and in the mid eighties flower production was $5 millions and the year Jim traveled through Zimbabwe the flower production was $200 million. "The ability of farmers to raise flowers had apparently gone up some forty times during this catastrophic drought." "It is only when a government artificially holds a price back and then all of sudden releases it that the price explodes and a political crisis arrives." "I saw countries realize they could not control prices, that it wouldn't work". "Only when the market is free-unleashed, if you will-and the local currency finds its own level, will people then start doing what comes naturally..." "I won't put my money into a country until it actually makes it currency convertible."

"It's the American government policy for the dollar to sink, because the government think then American goods will be more competitive on the world market...But unfortunately the dollar will continue to go down until it fall becomes so out of control that the government will snarl and blame our problems on `evil financiers`. Once controls are put on, the currency will fall farther because everybody will try to smuggle it out."

Botswana had a balance of payment surplus. Major economic sectors are diamonds, copper, nickel, beef and tourism. Botswana had democratic elections. Botswana passed laws, given tax incentives, and everything to attract capital.

While in China for business one of my coworkers recommended this book. The author and a female friend traveled through China, as well as the rest of the world, on two BMW motorcycles. I am a cycle enthusiast so I wanted to see about their trip. The author is a self made millionaire and very stuck on himself, his opinions and his life. Why his female friend stayed with him I have no idea. But he does do a good job of descrbing the countries, the people and the conditions within which they survive. A good read. Would recommend it to other travelers.

This is a fabulous book. I can't believe the amount of detail in it and the honesty. It was the only book we needed and it really enhanced our whole trip. No matter where I go I will always get the Lonely Planet guide to the place I'm visiting.

I picked up a few books to plan my trip to Iceland but this was the one that made it into the bag. I referred to it constantly and found the information to be dead-on. It was also handy that use the the Icelandic letters for street and place names, e.g. Þorsgata instead of Thorsgata.

I was saddened by the fact that Iceland chooses to whale hunt. I cannot believe the ignorance of a country in this day in age. This made me so distraught that I cancelled my trip to Iceland. Hopefully, with a down turn in tourism they will think about the effects of whaling and cancel that program.

Stop killing endangered species!!!

The book was helpful as a reference, but lacked in the type of photography I have enjoyed in other LP guides. As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words- I find pictures are helpful for me to identify the must-see places whether they are the most popular or not. I thought the book was a great reference but it didn't necessarily help me plan my trip. I'd seek out a book with more pictures, or search blogs to pair with the information in this guide.

I like Lonely Planet Guides for their thorough and helpful details. But I have always found them lacking in the pictures that I personally want to have when planning any trip. So,I purchased this book in conjunction with the Insight Compact Guide to Iceland.

The book scales the island down in a very nice way and is easy to follow. Heed their water safety and driving with "aloha" tips. Squirts out all the best things to do and made our daily itinerary decisions slamdunks.

Take it with you on the road. I strongly recommend seeing the Hana Highway in a convertible. Our twisty ride out there in the early morning was awesome.

The places we did get to check out were awesome. I know we wouldn't have found the "aquarium" without this book and that was our favorite snorkel spot. I wish we had more time in maui to explore.

Where this one shines: compact and to the point, definitely our style. It covers all of the island and the hikes they list inside Haleakala Crater and near Hana were terrific. Bring your binoculars for the whale and windsurfer action. We had several guides with us, but the most consistent useful information came from this one.

Friends asked us how we saw and experienced so much in just a week and we attribute it to doing our homework first - mapping it all out with the Trailblazer.

Beaches are the reason we went to Maui and this was the guide we used to find them. There were several dozen to higrade. When we arrived we noticed many of the street signs were missing or twisted the wrong way so we navigated using the maps and mile markers in the Trailblazer guide. Even our rental car map didn't have the detailed streets this book had.

We have three kids and they spent hours and hours boogieboarding and their UV protected rashguards that we also bought on Amazon paid off plenty. The bike tours were closed so we hiked in Haleakala State Park. Trail distances we needed and trail distances we got. We felt like we were on another planet. They suggested we bring warm clothes and water, thank goodness we did.

Organized, detailed, dangerous places to avoid, the advice was priceless. This was our first time on Maui and this book really did blaze the trail.

We decided to visit two islands because we had heard how different they were: Maui and the Big Island. We chose the trailblazer books to guide us since they were both crammed with incredibly helpful information. For hikers and snorkelers and sightseers they are a gold mine. They are written in clear language and the outings are well arranged with accompanying maps.

The tips for getting out to Hana were treasure trove status and put us out in front of the chain of cars we saw heading out at 2pm. Leaving at 7:30 am before the tour buses made all the difference. We could have used another few days on Maui and regret taking only one hike down into the crater. We plan another visit in 2009 and our first order of business will be watching the sunrise on Haleakala and taking a helicopter tour.

Thanks Trailblazers for sharing and demystifying wowie Maui.

The book is about Larry Lavin, a dentist, family man, and cocaine dealer on the side (!). The book is well written. Moves along very nicely. This story goes to show what greed and discontentment can do to a person. Here you have a guy who has a lot going for him, but risks it all by dealing cocaine.

a good book to read, could have used that 30 page block of pictures you would find in most of these books, Bowdens writing is very visual, talking alot about people's looks, and mannerisms, so some pictures would have really tied it together I though... he did it in killing pablo, and it really sank home some of his points.

I think this book was better than Killing Pablo!! It is a great read. Don't miss it.

Not Bowden's best (I give that honor to Killing Pablo), but still a page-turner. I wanted to meet Larry Lavin after reading this. Has a bad guy ever been portrayed so well? He had charisma, intelligence, charm, and even worked in a job where he helped people. It doesn't even seem like Lavin was the type to intentionally hurt people through his "other" business. Bowden almost has you cheering on Larry as you progress through the pages. Perhaps it has something to do with how complex Larry is, and Bowden captures it magnificently.

They say "truth is stranger than fiction" and this book proves it. I can't believe they haven't made this into a movie yet.

If you're a fan of Bowden, this is a must-read.

FROM START TO FINISH YOU KNEW PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE OUTCOME WOULD BE BUT THIS DID NOT STOP ME FROM PUTTING THE BOOK DOWN. WAS AMAZED WITH ALL THE ACTUAL ACCOUNTS DETAILED WITHIN THE BOOK AND THE WORK THAT WENT INTO GATHERING ALL THE REQUIRED INFORMATION TO MAKE THIS BOOK A TRUELY GREAT READ..

This book should be a must-read for anyone planning to work outside their own culture. Its treatment of culture shock and adjustment is so very well done.

The author is a very good writer and has a fabulous story to tell, full of interesting characters, amazing places, politically based tension and conflicting emotions as she balances her two worlds and tries to find her place between them. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, worth a place in any library.

Memoir of a Canadian Teacher in Bhutan

Jamie Zeppa, an English teacher from Canada, in 1999 wrote of her life experience in Bhutan from 1989 to 1992. With the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) financed overseas education program in Bhutan, the slightly over 20 year old teacher changed her whole life to take a chance at living in a completely different part of the world. Practically without knowledge of the culture she was going to impact and loads of useless baggage she transferred to this tiny Himalayan kingdom convinced of reaching the Shangrila. The cultural shock of the small village posting, the solitude, the breathtaking but initially frightening environment, the incapacity of connecting to such a different population almost drove her crazy at the beginning. But due to her strong ego and a particularly ironic and self-mocking attitude she slowly learns to cope and understands the life philosophy of these simple but practical people. "Anyone can live anywhere" she wisely concludes. The beauty of the landscape and the joy de vivre of her students conquers her heart and starts a transformation that not only converts her to Buddhism but leads her to accept a new challenge in a superior school in a bigger city.
The college students and colleagues contribute to her re-evaluation of her Western cultural heritage and the deeper comprehension of the Eastern way of life and open her vision of the true nature of Bhutanese culture and difficult political situation. With magisterial delicate tones Zeppa describes the political and ethnological undertones of the Bhutanese youth and the gender discrimination of women.
Unexpectedly she also falls in love with one of her students and bravely decides to make a life commitment to her new found values.

This diary/novel is well written, funny, full of quaint and memorable episodes and a pleasure to read. It conveys all the puzzlement of cultural shocks in the pre-globalization era and shows how the concept of "sustainable economy" was already evident at the beginning of the 1990's. The book contains a plethora of useful information to understand modern Bhutan.
The "spirit of place" is conveyed with grace, the personal experiences gain an universal value and it is possible to identify with the Author.

If you like these types of memoirs I suggest reading Louisa Waugh's "Hearing Birds Fly", a similar experience of a British teacher in Mongolia.

Many here in America and maybe elsewhere (I never lived anywhere else so can't say) are taught to be believe or come to believe that material comfort, good education and a high-paying job are of great importance. People spend their lives striving for these things without considering the importance of family, friends, love and the personal satisfaction that comes with having a job you enjoy. I think that Ms. Zeppa found these things in her journey to Bhutan. I wouldn't go to say that Bhutanese culture promotes those things but certainly being away from her native surroundings gave Ms. Zeppa the chance to experience this. Maybe that's the great thing about places like America and Canada, we all have the freedom to find for ourselves how we want to live. If it takes a journey to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, so be it.

this book was absolutely amazing from start to finish. i was so fascinated and excited by what she would write next... i looked forward to every page and slowed down towards the end because i never wanted it to end! anyone who didnt like this book is insane!!!

In Beyond the Sky and the Earth, Jamie Zeppa presents an overall intriguing and insightful account of her experience as a schoolteacher and college lecturer in the remote kingdom of Bhutan. Published more than ten years after the author originally left for Bhutan, the book succeeds in presenting a fascinating view of the author's early experiences in the country. In the first two-thirds of the book, Zeppa's vivid images and careful attention to detail are possible only as she writes sincerely from her heart. One believes that her only motivation is to share her love of the Bhutanese and her gratitude for the privilege of living there and being loved by the children and villagers of Pema Gatshel. The reader feels a part of Zeppa's lovely world.

The reliability of Zeppa's account is bolstered by her consistent address her own imperialist mind. Most of us White people living in the Western world have inherited a perception clouded by a pervasive sense of superiority to other races and cultures. Zeppa is mindful of this fact, and sincere in her efforts to unlearn racism and imperialism. Zeppa wrestles with her desire to perceive the Bhutanese in romantic sentiments, and to impose her values upon them. Zeppa provides an interesting account of her personal despair over the social and political unrest she witnessed in Bhutan, some of which played out among students at her university.

In the final third of the book, however, Zeppa's sincerity begins to waver as the details give way to rushed summaries of particular events. Suddenly a year and a half has passed, and the reader is no longer invited into Zeppa's world. Although one doesn't doubt the veracity of the events reported, the tone of the events and the words spoken savor of emotional editing. The brief paragraphs of conclusion Zeppa offers to tie up her story indicate a difficult relationship with her Bhutanese husband and a host of regrets. One gets the impression that the story of the love affair, which hurriedly takes over the last part of the book, is presented for the benefit of Zeppa's spouse, meant to send some message about "the way it used to be." In any case, the reader is left behind. In the second edition of this book, it is hoped that Zeppa will rewrite the last 80 pages or so, and even (gasp!) go over the 300-page limit to present more fully, and more honestly, the story of the second half of her tour as a lecturer in Bhutan.

We make our profit off of the products we market...what we sell is our service. A culture of customer service first, and seperating our company from the pack needs to be driven from the top down...but it is the line managers that have to most influence on our customer facing associates. When fish fly...gives our managers a look at reality with real examples of what they can do to influence their teams.

Our company has adopted the Fish policy and we love it. Although we cannot throw fish, we do throw alot of fun activities, etc. to help the attitude's of our employee's.
Wish I could move to Seattle and work at the Pike Market!
Thanks for sharing ALL your Fish products with us here in Louisville KY!

Purchased after a recent seminar showcasing the Pike Place Fish Market, I found this book an outstanding tool to take back to my co-workers. When Fish Fly focuses on the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market and how the owner, John Yokoyama, turned his once failing business into a fun, thriving one. Motivational, inspirational and easy to read. It has proven itself time and again with work and the difficult task of motivating others.

The book tells a really inspiring story about how it is possible to turn a team, a company around to delivering excellence and beyond.
I've read quite a few management and team building related books, and still mention this one before any other books on the same topic.
- It is a realy honest book
- It is about real people with their real story
- The author shows how he had to change first
- It is a very simple, quick read that will stick.

Thanks
Bart

Author John Yokoyama, owner of Seattle's World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, explains how he changed his attitude toward his employees, embraced a new way of treating people, led his employees in a fundamental directional shift and built a widespread reputation. This isn't a business "cookbook" that tells you step by step what to do. As Yokoyama insists, you can't just copy someone else's success. You must be an individual. However, the story of his turnaround and triumph at World Famous Pike Place Fish Market is a good read that illuminates the need for leaders to treat their employees, as he says, as people, not as human resources. Although the Market is getting to be as overexposed as a fish left out in the sun, we welcome this first person exposition from the owner. After numerous published accounts about the Market, the saga of how Yokoyama empowered employees, promoted his business and changed his style comes through best in his own words.

This book will have you laughing out loud. The adventures of a British man working in France, who knew this could be so comical. Along the way there are a few trysts, miscommunications, and tons of merde. LOL! Definitely exaggerated, but who is to say that some of it could not really happen.
Read it and you will see how funny it is.

Sadly, this is a book that falls victim to misleading advertising. The title and book description would lead one to assume this to be a travel memoir about our hero's experiences trying to get a chain of British tea rooms off the ground in France.
If you buy, or as I (fortunately) did, borrow the book from your library it won't take you long to come to the conclusion that in an attempt to make the book saleable and "real" the thing is written less as a travel memoir and more as a sexual misadventure. For, in truth the main recurring theme of this book is the narrator's failed attempts to bed women...any women...women he barely knows and for whom he doesn't care.

Now that's fine and I'm sure the hero of A Year In The Merde is not the first, nor will he be the last fella to go to France with getting laid as his main goal in life.

This goal is, however, not universally endearing, and is in fact quite off putting for a large number of the reading public...like the female reading public---quite a lot of those out there actually.

His constant attempts to prey upon people for sex are not endearing, not charming, and worst of all...not entertaining.
Last time I looked guys in their teens and early twenties weren't the major audience stampeding to buy stories about life for expats living in France.
Yes, there are insights into the French, but they are incidental and largely overshadowed by nearly continuous comments about women and their undergarments, lack of undergarments, attractiveness, and willingness to bed the narrator.
Casting a humorous light on the French people or the French culture is secondary.
Since my interest in France is NOT primarily focused on scoring with chicks...I was disappointed. Depending upon your interest, your mileage may vary.

Not a page turner by any means, but laugh out loud funny! I really enjoyed this book, took my time reading it, and am rather sad it's over... :)

A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke is an uproarious roman à clef following a year in the life of Clarke's alter ego, Paul West. Paul West is a Brit who has been transplanted to the City of Light to help a French businessman open English tea shops throughout Paris. Paul's struggles to understand and master all things French, including the French work ethic of his colleagues (which places more importance on vacation planning than on anything truly work related); the confusing manner in which the real estate market operates; and the most perplexing thing about France - French women, will have you laughing throughout the entire book.

Besides being a humorous account of French assimilation, A Year in the Merde is also an insightful look at how the French view British and American citizens. Clarke is especially discerning when recounting the start of the American led Iraq war.

As the inside flap of the book says, "This book is for everyone who can never quite decide whether they love - or love to hate - the French".

I love every one of Stephen Clarke's books. I have never laughed so hard reading. Looking forward to getting his newest. I wish these books would also go to the big screen. Hugh Grant?

Our 2.5 year old absolutely loves this book and we have fun reading it to her.

My three year old loves Dora and this book was great to get her used to starting daycare/preschool. We read it together and then she would read it to me. Good buy.

This book really helped with the "first time in school" jitters that my little Grandaughter felt. She loves Dora and if Dora could face it and get through it then she could too. I highly recommend this book for the great lesson it teaches. Plus, the kids love to read it or have it read to them too!!!

This book is not only positive in that it has more than one nationality portrayed, but it also displays positive helping skills. My child loves hearing about school.

"Hola! I'm Dora and this is my best friend, Boots. It's our first day of school today! And look, there's our teacher, Maestra Beatriz! She's on her way to school too." --from the story

Maestra Beatriz is riding her bike to school and gets a flat tire. Dora and Boots help Maestra Beatriz make her way to school with the help of their trusty friend, Map. The quickest way to school is through Letter Town and over Number Mountain. El autobus helps take them through Letter Town, which feature streets paved with letters. As children find the route with the alphabet, they sing the ABC song.

Then, Azul the train arrives to help take them over Number Mountain. While the book doesn't teach the child to count from 1-10 in Spanish, it *does* show the numbers forwards and backwards so they can count from 1-10 up the mountain...and 10-1 as the go down the other side.

With the schoolhouse in the distance, Dora's cousin Diego shows up on the back of a Condor. Encouraging the reader to say "Squawk, squawk!" to call the Condors, Dora, Boots, Maestra Beatriz and Diego rides on the back of the birds all the way to the school house. Before they enter the door, there are 8 items from Backpack that are shown...but which ones are Maestra Beatriz' school supplies?

They all make it inside before the third bell...even fending off an attempted theft from Swiper the fox!

My only beef with this book is that "Maestra Beatriz" is quite the mouthful to say over and over and over. I would have thought they'd pick simpler name to say for the story.

I love this book! The style he has written the book in is so full of easy to understand information - written diary style I feel. I would choose Rick Steve's guide books over any of the other well known ones anytime in the future. Some books are full of lovely glossy colour photos and others with short pieces of information whereas this book is brim full of wonderful insights of the countries. Well worth it.

As always, this guide book of Rick Steves' was just what we needed during our recent trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest! Very easy to read, lighthearted, witty, funny, and yet very informative. Helped us decide where and when to see the sights in the cities. The book is a good buy!

I've always been a big fan of Rick Steves' guides. This one is no different. It's not the best guide if you want to see everything in Eastern Europe, which most of us don't really have the time for anyway. That's why having the best picks at your fingertips is the best way to go.

I've traveled Europe with the advise of this man, and he's never let me down. Once again, a plethora of information. Can't travel without him!

I enjoyed this book even though it missed some coutries we wanted to travel to, such as Romania. It was perfect if you want to visit the major attractions and major cities. The walking tour of Auschwitz and Krakow were fantastic. The information was up-to-date and detailed (such as how to use the Hungarian baths in Budapest). We also found the restaurants to be good as well. I recommed the book if you are doing a "whirlwind" trip of Eastern Europe (ours lasted just one month and was 6 countries). For more in-depth country info, you might need a more detailed country guide.