Travel Books

I took this course not knowing what I was getting into. I needed one more class to certify my financial aid. I had been wondering about globalization and other issues affecting the new world economy. If you want to know what the future holds for you and how you can make your millions, this is a great read. I don't know why the other reviewer is complaining about the difficulty. I am certain that you are being taught what you need to know. Read a bit slower, think some more, and have some discussions with your classmates and your professor.

This book is so broad and not easy to understand unless you are a geography major or a graduate geography students. Not only me, but other classmates aren't enjoying the book. If you can get another geography book that uses simpler terms.

Gives you amazing knowledge..........i can insert my notes inside the book so you can read it(if you want)....i can give you helpfull web links which helps u a lot.........and also exam oriented important questions......

This is an excellent textbook for an introductory geography class. The first chapter is a general introduction with an explanation of some of the terms and vocabulary used. The second chapter covers world physical geography. The rest of the chapters each covers a different region of the world. Each chapter is divided into five sections: environment, population and settlement, culture, geopolitics, and economic and social development. This book describes the details of the different regions of the world and gives us a good idea of what life is like in these different regions. And, it ties what we learn about the different regions to the overall theme of diversity and globalization. The accompanying maps and photographs are beautiful.

This is an excellent textbook for an introductory geography class. The first chapter is a general introduction with an explanation of some of the terms and vocabulary used. The second chapter covers world physical geography. The rest of the chapters each covers a different region of the world. Each chapter is divided into five sections: environment, population and settlement, culture, geopolitics, and economic and social development. This book describes the details of the different regions of the world and gives us a good idea of what life is like in these different regions. And, it ties what we learn about the different regions to the overall theme of diversity and globalization. The accompanying maps and photographs are beautiful.

I enjoyed this book, which I received as a gift. It was insightful and fun, tackling a serious topic -- what makes us happy -- without getting too philosophical or preachy. I bought this extra copy as a gift for a friend.

I got this book on CD from the library and listened to it on my commute back and forth to work. It was perfect for that. The commute time just flew by.

Weiner is a good story teller. The book was engaging and smart while not being too challenging to follow while trying to drive.

I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter (except maybe the first - which was needed to set the stage but a little boring).

I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning about different cultures and/or exploring what it means to be happy.

I liked reading this one. The content is very superficial , yet a brief run arround the world. I must say the penmanship was not to my taste and at times disrespectful. - But I can still recommand this one!!

Excellent writing. I loved every chapter and giggled when he unexpectedly whipped in an amusing quote, a witty word, or added his funny explanatory words in parentheses. I loved his descriptions. Had the fortune of traveling some of the places and thoroughly enjoyed his insights, saying ahhhhhh to myself when he again hit the nail right on the head. My two favorites were the chapters on Iceland and Switzerland. Weiner sure recognized them in a hurry!

A fine book with fine insights, funny, and easy reading.

Great read--recommended. Part travelogue--just as interesting learning about the different countries and their cultures as it was learning about what makes people happy. Would have liked to have learned more about specific regions/cities in America where people are happiest--but perhaps that is for another book.

Great ideas. I gave it as a gift but skimmed it prior to wrapping it. Good stuff

I didn't know this book would list the dumb things to do before you die. I'll pass on the bog swimming, testicle festivals and penis parades for the real eventss I don't want to miss like the Balloon Fiesta.

"100 Things to do Before You Die: Travel Events You Just Can't Miss" by Dave Freeman and Neil Teplica is a travel book for those who like adventure, "living on the edge," and somewhat of an avante garde approach to life. It is NOT for the "faint of heart" or most senior citizens (although it depends on the seniors).

100 Things provides information on such festivals and events as: Academy Awards Ceremony (which is REALLY difficult to get into); World Campionship Punkin' Chunkin' , North American Rainbow Gathering, Mardi Gras, Custer's Last Stand Reenactment, Testicle Festival, Roswell UFO Encounter, etc. As you can tell these events CAN be pretty bizarre (but never dull).

The book's events are divided by both country and, in the back, by month, which is helpful.

Unfortunately, the book only lists their own "whatsgoingon.com" website as internet info on the events. This would have been great, but it hasn't been in service lately. This glitch may be temporary, or the website may no longer cease to exist - but I would make sure that the website was up and running before I purchased the book.

According to my opinion absolutely useless book - seems that authors just "copy -paste" infomation from different sources. Also I disgaree with other reviewers that book is giving some practical information concerning participation in certian events. Having seen some of the events (places) what authors are describing I consider that information sometimes is misleading. Not to mention format and layout of the book - you really do not want to hold in hands such book, especially about travelling.

This book is the worst. The suggestions of things to do are just plain aweful. It seems to suggest every crowded fair and typical tourist attraction in any city. This would be great if you love crowds and mayhem. The suggestions are useless. New Years Eve in Times square? Mardi Gras? Acadamy Awards? Carnaval? Who's not aware of these events? It could have some redeaming qualities if it had suggestions about where to stay and how to plan these types of trips, but it does not offer any other information than the dates and location. Nobel Prize Ceremonies? Running of the Bulls? Come on!!!! What a waste of paper, money and time.

This was a thought provocing and very enjoyable read. Although it isn't "action packed" or anything, that isn't the point. The author's naration tells the tale of his philosophical journey cross country with his son on his motorcyle. Not only was this book inspirational, but provides new insight in terms of how one sees the world around them. A must read!

I re-read this book after about 15 years and enjoyed it just as much as the first time, but I got something different out of it this time too.

This book has a great calming effect on me. It's so interesting on so many subjects, and so accesssible. This is such a relevent read.

Despite the high brow reviews by self proclaiming philosophers and intellectuals who think this is a book about philosophy, it is not. It is also not a "how to" manual on maintaining a motorcycles.
This is a book about overcoming intellectualism and becoming whole. If you are contemplating reading this book please disregard the reviewers who flex their imaginary philosophical and intellectual muscle and just read it. Yes, there will be parts that seem to endlessly pursue some thought or idea but by the end of this book you will be very glad and satisfied you read it.
...of course if you have ever ridden a motorcycle, experienced the landscapes temperature changes, sounds and elements and/or struggled with and beat mental illness this book will take on a special dimension.

Reading it is like catching a bug between your teeth at 70 miles an hour. Surprise at first, then comprehension. A belated thanks to Mr. Pirsig for weaving philosophy, science, engineering, and fatherhood, into an insightful and compelling read.

I agree with many of the other one-star reviews, this is actually the worst book I have ever read, out of thousands read, in my entire life. The worst book designation goes to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance because it is extremely, extremely, over-rated. I found it to be one of the most self-absorbed, self-pitying, whining complaints I had ever been exposed to - and I know about those, because I'm a former junior high school teacher.

Not only did it not contain any philosophical insights whatsoever, the book is just plain boring and badly written. The only book I have ever thrown in the garbage can - it's just rubbish, and that's where it belongs. I'm sure the author is a fine human being. I just think he wrote a very, very, bad book. Please don't waste your time on this book.

It looks nice and I'd love to hang it on my wall but Amazon mailed it to the wrong address and now will not take action to get it to me. They should send me a new one.

I really enjoy this map. It is just what I wanted and it arrived within 2 days of ordering. GO AMAZON!!

This is a very nice map for the price. Good clear text and all the major cities. However, my only complaint is that it came flat in the mail. So there are creases every inch or so that I cannot get out. I suggest this should be shipped in a hard tube. Take your chances.

-Dale

This is a great map and not just because of its price. I was looking for a map that was updated, large, and colorful. And that's exactly what I got.

I actually like the fact that the map is not the paper typically used for posters (it feels more like printer paper) because there isn't a glare effect from light; useful because I'd rather not have to shift, twist, and turn just to read it. Also, the quality doesn't strike me as being any lower. You can always laminate it as well- we have a similar map that is laminated and (if you don't mind the glare) it looks very, very nice.

I have to reiterate how colorful this map is! A good buy for anyone, especially those who will use it fairly often and beyond "decoration."

It took me a while to discover that my kids were not going to learn any geography in school. About the time my 10 year old asked me what the capital of London was, I started shopping for maps.

Because the world changes so rapidly now, I decided to order maps large enough for a 6 and 10 year old to look at and comprehend, but cheap enough to be replaced once the borders of various countries are re-done.

The positives - this map is correct, it's large (we tacked them up in the hallway to the kids' rooms) and it's very colorful, which is good for 6 year olds.

The negatives - it's not laminated, now if I was buying this for myself that would be fine, but the paper is also some strange form of paper that attracts and holds small sticky fingerprints. Being maps, little fingers are naturally attracted like magnets.

If you are making the purchase for an adult or a classroom, or if you intend to frame it, then I highly recommend this map. If you are buying for little ones, I'd spend the extra money to get a laminated version.

One last note - if you purchase from Amazon, they are not particularly well packed. They put them in a tube that is too large for the map so it bangs around and the ends get a bit bent up. Also they don't tape the ends of the tube so I had to have a second one sent after my first tube arrived empty and without ends on it.

I bought this book before my trip to Oahu last year, and it is invaluable for anyone planning a trip. I used to live in Oahu, but this book told me things I had no idea about. The organization is superb -- by area, by activity. There are reviews and commentary about a lot of activities, some with pros and cons so you understand what the reviewer was looking at and why it was important to him, and can determine if that review will apply to your feeling as well. The map of the area was really very useful, and helped us get along very well. We had a good idea of where we were at most points, without having to resort to a city map.

This book helped me plan a wonderful Hawaiian trip without the benefit of a travel agent. I knew what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, and got a lot of useful information that I would not ordinarily have had. Like: directions to sparsely used beaches (all beaches in Hawaii are public) and information on rarely used hikes (we did one. Only saw two people the whole time)

If you're going, you need this well in advance. It is definitely a Must Buy.

The only guide book that gives you current detailed information. They even post updates online between editions. Things tend to be poorly marked in Hawaii and so the mile marker details help get you where you want to be.

This is the second book I have by the author and like the first, I highly recommend it for travel to Oahu.

Very good recommendations that I found accurate and was pleased to make my decision process based on his recommendations, though not with every one of them was perfect. But that is to be expected since alot of decisions are subjective.

It is a good starting point and of course it is fun to go off book and ask around for opinions from people who live there for some other ideas.

As with most resort destinations there's no shortage of written material to mull through when planning a vacation. I ordered this book based on the reviews on Amazon and once I received it I put all the other material in the recycling bin. It was simply the best! My only regret is that I didn't order two copies as we're a family of four and quite often we found ourselves arguing over whose turn it was next to look at the book. My teenaged children took a real interest in planning our day excursions using the recommendations in the book. We'll definitely purchase the books written about the other islands in anticipation of our next trip to Hawaii.

The honest opinions and insider information provided in this book are great, but there are two things that I found rather annoying. First, a lot of time is spent telling people turn-by-turn directions for getting to the various places on the island. It is painful to read all the right and left directions. It's like the way my grandmother used to give directions. Second, noticeably absent are addresses that could be entered into my GPS unit to get me to the destinations worry free. The author goes so far as to complain in the book about how difficult it is to navigate the island. It is even more difficult when there are 10 rights and lefts and no addresses. Good grief! Buy this book for the opinions, but get another guide to give you addresses you can use for your GPS units.

I laughed out loud more than I am really willing to admit. This book is for anyone who has taken a trip to the third world or ever graduated from college with the dream of working for an NGO. His writing is easy to read and hard to put down. I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, informative, irreverant, and even a little sad, all at the same time. Being a person who has always wanted to travel to a distant tropical island, this book opened my eyes to some of the realities of living on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere. Overall, the book was well written and fun to read.

This is NOT a fluff book. This is not steamy women's romantic fiction. This book is a witty, hilarious travelogue and from the line "red-arsed Llamas" I found myself laughing aloud. From the author's various descriptions of the setting's waste management challenges to the constant agonizing playing of the song "Macarena," to a diet composed entirely of fish and expired canned goods from Australia, you'll appreciate all you have by the time you finish this entertaining read.

J. Maarten Troost is the best author! I love his work. He writes how I think. Witty, intellectually sarcastic and insightful!

Fun read, a little repetitious but he made the point, unfortunately points out that tropical bliss has its significant drawbacks; love the writing style - tongue-in-cheek, irreverent.

Will definitely search out other books by this author.

I purchased this set as part of my travel kit for entertaining my 2 & 4 yr old during a cross country move. I was amazed by their ability to keep my kids attention and I enjoyed the distraction as well. We've listened to them several times since. Including a 8-hr drive with just me and the kids and no DVD player. The CDs made the road trip no problem.

I bought this primarily for my five year old (although I think the toddler benefits from hearing it as well) while we're riding in the car, because we spend at least 30-45 minutes per day in the car. She loves listening to the stories and for the most part listens intently and occassionally asks questions about what is going on in the story and why Jack or Annie said or did something in particular.

The audio book is the way to go; much better than getting a DVD/TV player installed in your car. The author, Mary Pope Osborne, does a good job inflecting her voice to engage my daughter. I highly recommend this audio book series for anyone with youngsters who need a distraction while in the car.

We have 2 more stories left in this disc set and I plan on buying the next series as soon as I get tired of hearing this set over and over again!

What a life-saver for car rides! We all enjoy these CD's very much. Both my 5-year-old and 2 1/2-year-old ask to listen to these stories whenever we are in the car. We have about a dozen of the books too and read a few chapters every night before bed. Thank you Mary Pope Osborne for writing and narrating such great stories!

My six year old reads these books and loves them. I hesitated when I ordered the CD's thinking she would not want to read the rest of the series. That was not the case. It is important to get auditory input as well as visual input to the brain and these are keeping her attention and building her reading endurance.

My 2nd grader does not like to read. I bought these cds to encourage the reading process. Just starting in chapter books this year has been a huge change from simple picture books. Reading the books along with the cds has helped the books seem more interesting and easier to get to the end without getting discouraged or distracted.

"Stalking Irish Madness" by Patrick Tracey is an intriguing book. From science to séance, he brings us full circle in his search for the origins of his family and the madness that runs through it. Underlying the romp from Boston to Dublin and beyond is a serious attempt to understand the nature of the schizophrenia that has dogged his family for generations. Schizophrenia, of which there is no known cure, is the persistent hearing of voices in ones head, and it wreaks a devastation that Mr. Tracey brings home to the reader, step by step, page by page.

This is an intensely personal book, and yet Mr. Tracey avoids the maudlin effects such a personal journey might incur by an inventive and highly successful use of metaphor. There is a palpable drama in stalking the madness that has stalked his family and so many others.

Beginning in a much changed and modern Dublin, we travel with Mr. Tracey through a series of small towns and villages, spending a summer in a camper van on a lonely tour of Ireland. We are witnesses to the contrast between Ireland's "faerie" folklore and the stark realities of the huge and ancient mental institutions built to house an increasing population of the mentally ill. Mr. Tracey's descriptions are vivid and entertaining, but he is never far from what brought him to Ireland in the first place. And, while continuing to track the facts with solid research and interviews, he none the less remains sensitive to the pain that memories of poverty, famine, or mental illness might cause the people he meets along the way.

Make no mistake about this sometimes-harrowing emotional trip: Mr. Tracey holds out some real hope for confronting the voices from within. He leaves us with a sense of optimism for the future mental health of the many individuals struck down by schizophrenia.

I am confident that this book could be instrumental in giving us all a better understanding of the people we may meet throughout our lives who are struggling to live with schizophrenia. Perhaps it will help us to see the best in what might at first seem strange, or frightening, by allowing us to accept the fact that though people are different, that is not always a negative thing.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is fast paced, and hard to put down. Moving through the thumbnail sketches of Ireland's troubled history to the personal revelations of Mr. Tracey's own experience, this book is a testament to the indelible imprint that each of us bear from the past.

I really hope the APA asks Mr. Tracey to speak at the next convention as this book is one of the best I've read about how mental illness impacts a family--the range of emotions from survivor's guilt to denial, anger and fear. Who will be next to fall from the family tree and how can we save them?

I prefer this memoir over the McCourt memoirs for its intellectual and introspective pursuit of knowledge via Irish history and science. I get the feeling that in another life, Mr. Tracey would be the scientist who unlocks the genetic code that solves the mystery.

I am so thoroughly enjoying this book, even though my heart breaks on each page. Tracey has researched farther back than I could even fathom tracing my own family tree. His tales about his family are interesting and so well told that I can see the houses. I feel as if I know the great-grandmother, I can almost feel her pain.

He describes schizophrenia in words that I have never heard before. It has opened another level of understanding. The horror that is losing someone in the blink of an eye, having them replaced with a different person, is terrifying. I found myself checking my age versus the statistics, wondering if my own children are safe.

My heart goes out to him for all of his tragedy. But I do so appreciate his ability to put it into words and on paper for everyone to experience.

This is an engrossing book about a disease that strikes when least expected. A fantastic read--insightful, deeply felt, poetic in its imagery, colourful, and fully engaging as we travel with the author during this incredible journey.

This is the heartbreaking story of Patrick Tracey's family history of schizophrenia. So many times when an introduction to a book review starts out saying its "heartbreaking", the ending of that sentence normally will also say "uplifting". Unfortunately that is not the case here... but in the place of uplifting... the story is definitely the next best thing... EDUCATIONAL. The author's Irish family on his Mother's side has been cursed with this dreaded disease. From his Great- Great Grandmother Mary Egan, to his Grandmother May Sweeney, to his Uncle Robbie, and to his two sweet and loving sisters, Chell and Austine. The reader will be taken on an educational and scenic trip from Boston to Ireland and back. The reader will... if not shed tears... will definitely feel pangs of sadness and dread in the gut of their soul... as names of victims become real to you... and you can feel the actual utter helplessness... that healthy family members... are reduced to. Along the way you will learn about the tragic speed in which this mind controlling, life-changing, dreaded, curse of a disease attacks.

"Schizophrenia is the hearing of voices, but the hallucinations can be seen, felt, and smelled as well as heard. It's fright night for life for many, an all-consuming terror that never ends." The author's healthy Grandmother, May Sweeney went out one day and came back late. Her husband was worried sick. When she came back to their house, he met her at the gate, "her slow grin says it all: every tooth has been wrenched from May's head - her gums a swollen and bloody mess." "What has become of your damn teeth?" "May it turns out, was nobody's victim. She had gladly paid for the dental surgery, she said, to stop the voices in her head. The voices had grown in power and strength until she could no longer bear them. The voices told her they would go, happily, if she would free them from her dental cavities. Whether extensions of her mind or enemies in her head, these strange voices lied, though; they were still chattering, her empty gums still bleeding, as May collapsed into my Grandfather's arms."

After schizophrenia attacks his Uncle and his two sisters, Patrick decides to depart on a trip to his ancestral homeland in Ireland, to try to trace down his family tree and investigate possible causes of his family's medical and mental dilemma. Along the way many myths are refuted. The author delves deep into the effects of the many famines in Ireland... he investigates the effects of alcohol... explores the mysterious and magical "fairy-caves"... and he visits the sights of old and new mental institutions... which held patients that not too long ago were openly called "LUNATICS". His investigative journey brings him upon a Dr. Dermot Walsh an epidemiologist "whose work, with Dr. Kenneth Kendler, led to the discovery of the first-ever schizophrenia-gene-link. Walsh reveals that questions of causes and cures still tax him. Despite his press, and all the excitement about the abnormality in the dysbindin gene, he is nonplussed. "Yes", he says of the gene marker, that's our discovery. But it's quite clear that its effect, like some other genes that have been discovered, is quite small and you will only get this effect in a small proportion of individuals. How it works and how it operates is another day's work. We don't know much about it."

"OF COURSE, IT'S NOT JUST GENES," HE SAYS. "THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AS WELL - AGAIN, ABOUT WHICH WE KNOW VERY LITTLE - BUT WE HAVE SUSPICIONS ABOUT THIS OR THAT OR THE OTHER. BUT OVERALL, IT'S PROBABLY TRUE TO SAY THAT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ORIGINS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA IS STILL QUITE LIMITED."

There are a few "main" types of delusional schizophrenic characteristics; one of which is "religious-delusions." Patrick asked Walsh: "ONE OF MY SISTERS HAD IT IN HER HEAD THAT SHE WAS MARRYING JESUS. WOULD YOU KNOW WHY?' "NO, WE DON'T. WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHY PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES."

The author sadly summarizes: `THE FUTURE IS UNIMPRESSIVE, WE NOW CAN SAY. SCIENCE CAN LOOK BACK THIRTEEN BILLION YEARS TO THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE, BUT IT STILL CAN'T HEAR THE VOICES IN MY SISTERS' HEADS. SOME THINGS TAKE MORE THAN A LIFETIME TO KNOW, AND IT MAY BE THAT I'LL NEVER LEARN THE NATURE OF THIS DARK THING THAT MUGS US."

At the time of the publishing of this book there are 35-40,000 schizophrenics in Ireland and approximately 2.4 million American adults, or about 1.1 percent of the population age 18 and older in a given year, that have schizophrenia. After reading this book... I will never look at one of those poor tortured souls... talking to themselves on a street corner... in the same way again.