Travel Books

just finished this book and have to say i loved it! i have read several of her time travel books and wish i had started with this one. loved the characters. good job lynn!

I always like to finish a book but I'm not even half way through and I can't jusify wasting any more time on this book. I'm so disappointed because of all the great reviews but this heroine is just ridiculous. I can't believe them falling in love at all and really, if someone throws you into a slimy bug-filled pit and leaves you there overnight just because he can, is he a hero when he lets you out? I'm sorry, but I don't understand.

I didn't think the heroine was "weak" at all. Quite the opposite. If a person were "dropped" into a situation where you had no say at all, especially as you would be used to in modern times, I would think the person would have to tread with care at first. I really felt for the characters and could actually envision being there. The description of the "squishy" floor made me wince! I'm looking forward to more of Lynn's books.

Book came in wonderful packaging.
Is in great shape.
Delivery was prompt.
AAAAAA+++++++++

It has the required characters and plot movement but it was lacking somehow. I compare this story to a soft drink that lost its fizz. There was nothing sparkling, surprising or delighting. A few times I wished it would be over. The hero is gruff and loses his temper a lot. He meets her and then over a short time, his heart starts melting for her. I would prefer more interesting interaction between them to justify his heart melting. Surely he has been around females in the past that he didn't melt for, so why this one?

Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: five. Setting: 1311 Scotland and 1996 New York City. Copyright: 1996. Genre: time travel romance.

For a listing of my reviews of other Lynn Kurland books, see my 2 star review of "Dreams of Stardust" posted on 6/23/08.

This is a very helpful book when photographing Teton and Yellowstone. I was able to decide exactly what equipment to pack prior to the trip and it was exactly what I needed.

Good pointers for each geographic location.

Could be updated to add digital photography tips, but my long experience enabled me to accommodate for that.

I would have given the Photographers Guide to Yellowstone & the Titons a 5 Star Rating if there was an index in the back of the book for easy reference while out in the field. It is difficult trying to remember what page the subject that your looking at is on. That being said, it is still a good reference book on the area and I do not regret buying it.

I bought this book to take along on a vacation trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons in mid-June 2007. I found it to be a great source to take photos of often photographed natural icons at different views and angles as well as some shots that the average traveler would not know about without this book. For instance I would not have known about the great shots that can be taken of the Mormon Row Barns with the Tetons in the background without this book. Perhaps more seasoned photographers may know about these different places but I for one would not have had a clue. I would have ended my vacation with the same shots of Yellowstone and the Tetons that everyone else has. The book took me off the beaten path where I got some great shots and expierenced the pleasures of getting away from the main road.

Other valuable information was the instructions on what time of day is best to shoot a certain shot, tips about exposure, and valuable tips about using filters that made my pictures stand out.

The book was concise, accurate, and very easy to follow and understand for an novice like me.

A caveat: I am a total amateur who takes pictures only during the one or two annual vacations using very simple equipment!

I just came back after 5 days at YS and GT parks. I was very impressed by how accurate Joseph's suggestions were -- in terms of the preferred times, angles and such to take pictures from. For example, Joseph had suggested taking pictures of the Old Faithful NOT from the benches in front of the Inn, but from the lodge side or from another angle which would include some colorful runoffs in the picture. I managed to pick up a rainbow with the waterfall from Uncle Tom's trail in my video (my still camera did nt pick it up). Other suggetsions also turned out to be as accurate and useful. More importantly, it is absolutely free of fluff and hence you can read it in a 2 hours flight to YS!

When I first looked at Joseph's pictures, I felt like there was probably a tad excessive use of filters to exaggerate the contrasts (the blues appeared to me to be a bit more blue than what would have been real). I never got to verify this as the sky was grey in YS and GT when I was there! Anyways, it is just a matter of taste. If you like Joseph's results (they are stunning), you can use the detailed input he provides on the use of the polarizer and the filters. Even otherwise, his suggestions on just the spots and times to take pictures from make the book very valuable.

The book is organized based on features -- waterfalls, geysers, animals and so on. That is probably useful for many. However, for family vacationers, coverage by location (Norris, West Thumb,...) would probably have been easier to use. I had to correlate the suggested times for photography from Joseph with the info I got on how to cover each location from another excellent book (YS Treasures by J Chappel).

Overall, I strongly recommend the book.

I have the Fodors book on France from 1993 (interestingly enough the same chateau on the cover! different angle though..) and the difference in 15 years is nothing short of amazing! The reviews, itineraries,maps, the explanations, the sidebars on wine-tasting, art, etc... in short, everything - has been embellished, polished, perked up, smoothed, increased dramatically and all to the good. Fodors used to be VERY good at reviews of hotels and dining but VERY short on historical interest and background. Well...not any more. This really is the only volume you will need when you go to France, and is a lot of fun to just go through if you are interested at all in the history, art, society and culture of the country - even if you are not planning a trip to France soon. Fodors has done everything right!

Loved this book. Used it in July '08 and it reflected the French passion for food. The restaurants reviewed were accurately portrayed. Their particular specialties were listed as well as the prix fixe & a la carte costs, etc. In short, you have all the info you could possibly want about restaurants...locations, hours, phone & fax numbers. I would definitely use it again for my next trip to Paris. Buy it, you'll really like it.

Plans for our two-week road trip to the National Parks of southern Utah were rather chaotic -- lots of bits and pieces from several guidebooks were difficult to organize. But, thanks to Laurent Martres' book, I think we now have a much better chance of being in the right place at the right time to truly enjoy the sights. The photographic illustrations are really magnificent.

I loved this book...however. On a trip to Moab 3 wks ago I hiked to the location of False Kiva as described in the book and originally described by Tom Till. It was a very windy, gusty day with gusts over 45 mph. I nearly pulled a Thelma & Louise without the T-Bird under me. With the wind and final assault up the slickstone, death was brought into the equation & I aborted. Also, I got lost for an hour and everything I owned was coated in sand. Avoid this recommendation when there is even a hint of wind. This advice comes from someone with 55 missions over North Viet Nam.

If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.

I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.

The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.

It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.

All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.

I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.

I already own the 1th Edition and used it extensively to find rare to be seen places in the Southwest. I am German and visit the Southwest once or twice a year and found this book to be invaluable. Easy to follow directions, great images, good advice. You don't need any other guide to see all the best places (which no one else finds).

One of several books by this author and I think that the information here will be very helpful in getting great photos on vacation. The biggest problem in getting a good photo is the location. Having a starting point is invaluable and then the only variable is the weather. Having photos in the book to illustrate the locations is a major plus.

Our third trip to Vegas is coming up in October. I always use Alamo for our car rental and I have used the same coupon to book the car every trip. This alone more than paid for the cost of the book the first time I used it. I have never been asked for the coupon at the rental car center so am able to use it multiple times. We have also used several of the match play and food coupons. Although the majority of the coupons are for off strip locations, many are for downtown including Binions Steakhouse, Main Street Station etc. You won't be disappointed.

This was the worse book I ever bought. The pages are falling out because of bad binding. The contents are very poor. Casino's that I know are not in the book or not accurate. Very Very poor

Well I never used any of the coupons in here but it did have good tips and reading in it. It was prompt on getting here.

We bought this book before our last trip to Vegas. It was well worth it just one coupon for dinner paid for the book. We always rent a car so getting to the different places was easy. The two for one buffets at Green Valley, and the Silverton were great. If you only go to the big hotels on the strip you wont get the full benifit of the book.

Loads of good info and a ton of coupons. If you are planning a trip to Vegas this book is a must have. You won't find offers from many of the large resort casinos but you will find enough free play, free gift, and food coupons to pay for this book a few times over in just one trip!

My dog loves to go places with me. A walk is his all time favorite, and he's always ready to jump in the car and just go -- I swear he knows the new from the old and always gets excited no matter what. Well, I had just about run out of new places to go with him and was starting to get a little bored when I heard about this book. It has opened up our world even more, and in doing so gave me the confidence to explore more with my best friend.

This is definately a book for the car or in my case, my dog's luggage!!! I found a bunch of parks in my area alone I didn't even know were there! I bought this because we take my dog everywhere and I wanted new places to go. This also covers areas where the Bay Area book stops. I even ended up sharing some parks with my friends who have dogs.

Bought this for myself, unfortunately just weeks before deciding to leave California and move to the East! Gave it as a gift to a close dog-lover friend who loved it. I think it is a great guide for finding out where all the dog-friendly places are. It would otherwise take years to figure all these things out on your own by simple trial-and-error and networking with dog people. Also great for socializing a new puppy (which is what I bought it for).

When I read all the stellar reviews for this book, I thought it was the perfect book for me. We have had our dog for two months, and are now venturing out to different places with her. We bought this book last night (and paid full price for it--fancy THAT) in anticipation of a free-roaming day trip today.

First, I do have to say that creating a comprehensive guide is exceedingly difficult. The number of hotels, restaurants and attractions you'd have to visit...well, it's mind-boggling. However, there are both good and bad points to this book, depending on what you're looking for.

Good Points:

1. Very detailed information about the parks, beaches and recreations areas, complete with an easy-to-read rating system (1 to 4 paws) and a clear indicator of off-leash venues (running dog icon). She also includes parking and entrance tips, park amenities that would appeal to your dog, what trails or areas are dog-accessible, etc. Very good listings. This is the main reason you'd want to buy this book.

2. Detailed information on SOME restaurants and hotels and basic information on others. Just thumbing through the book, it's clear that Maria's favorites get lots of detail. For instance, I was thumbing through the book and Roses's Cafe (page 486) in San Francisco gets a full 2/3 of a page. Of course, there was a story attached to that listing of how Maria was introduced to the place, and her experience with it. Other places just list that there is outdoor seating, dogs are allowed, etc. Your mileage may vary.

3. Coverage of the entire state. More breadth, less depth. However, you would think that the local area editions are more comprehensive. Nope. The Bay Area edition seems to have the same information contained in the California edition.

4. Doggie Diversions. Maria lists some great things to do with your dog aside from parks. Shopping, attractions, fun stuff to do. These are sometimes surprising.

5. Other information. I never knew that you could take a dog onto a San Francisco Muni bus or a Cable Car. Maria includes the requirements (muzzle, non-commute hours for Muni) and costs. I also never knew that Nordstrom's welcomes dogs. Dogs and shopping...oh boy!

Bad Points:

1. Only the parks are on the area map. Okay, so let's say you're in San Jose and need a place to stay, a place to eat, and a place to run your dog. You can look at the map and see where to run your dog, but how so you know where the restaurants are in conjunction to your dog park? Hm. GPS, I guess.

2. Could use more listings for hotels and restaurants. For instance, dogfriendly.com has 22 listings for restaurants in San Jose; the book has TWO. San Jose is a pretty big city, and the inclusion of only two restaurants is pitiful.

3. Place you can't take your dog. In some instances, Maria includes this info. For instance, you can't take your dog to California State beaches. Rats. However, I was thinking of going to Muir Woods yesterday, and the book didn't say whether dogs were allowed or not. This is a major attraction in Marin County. Perhaps Maria should consider a list of major attractions in tourist areas where dogs ARE and ARE NOT allowed. For instance, are dogs allowed on Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco? Hm. I had to sleuth a bit and read the info on Aquatic Park and the RESTAURANT section...the info was there (the answer is yes).

4. Small nit pick: Listings should include name, address, phone number and THEN the info on why it's good. Sometimes the address info is buried within the text. Most times, it's at the end. A good editor would've made this a bit friendlier. It's a bit of a nit-pick, but it's annoying.

All in all, it's a decent book, but it has its flaws. I think it is better than many of the other books out there (better detailed info than dogfriendly.com's book, and rates each of the parks), but has fewer listings than others. I think it's worth your going to a store to check it out. Even with the good reviews here, I was a bit skeptical, and I needed to compare and contrast the book with others in person to make a final buying decision.

Swell book but WAY out of date. This is the 5th printing but I've been unable to verify that there is any new information since 1993. We used it on a trip last week and most of the places we checked out had changed their policy or had gone out of business.

The pictures in this book are gorgeous. I have become obsessed with traveling to these places.

First, it took forever to get this book shipped and then when I did receive it - what a disappointment. Most of the photos are poor, lots of "noise" in most enlargments - which is very surprising for "Life". Second, there is very little written information.

I ordered my copy direct from Time Life and it came in the mail yesterday; I was truly impressed; I heard about the Seychelles Islands, but who knew it was that lovely; the flat as pancake Maldive Islands impressed me as well; How they got through the tsunami is nothing short but a miracle; To see the pictures of these islands are beautiful. Closer to home, The Natchez Trace and how it started really impressed me to check it out; Of course, The Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty(which I've been to) was all interesting; Highly recommended for the wanderlust among us;

I bought this book to get travel ideas. I was not disappointed. It included several terrific places that I've already gone to such as Paris and Cartagena, Colombia, several places I've already planned to go to such as Guilin, China and Kauai and dozens of beautiful places I had never known about before. Only 20 of the places are from the United States so it does a good job of depicting places from every continent except the south pole.

The photos, for the most part, are high quality and beautiful. The only drawback is that there is only one picture of each location with only a one paragraph description of each place. Although you will have to do more research on your own if you are interested in actually going there, this is a very good place to get started.

Another good book is "Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die" which only has 40 places, but has multiple photos of each place as well as a six to eight page description of each place. There's not that much overlap since only about 15 places are in both books.

This book is very disapponting. The 100 places picked most of the times are over rated and the pictures in it are poor. Also the list forgets about magnificent places in the world, one of them is Angel Falls in Venezuela, the largest fall in the world in the middle of the jungle. I think it must e reviewed.
We all have opinions but I didnt enjoy this book at all.

Just returned from a 2 week trip to South Africa - this book was very helpful in finding places to stay, things to do, how to keep safe, etc. I took "The Eyewitness Guide" with me too, but that book was not very helpful.

I would also recommend you talk to someone who has been there and make sure you have local contacts. This is a crazy but beautiful country. Have a wonderful trip!

I have been to South Africa before and am heading back and needed more information and this book is very thorough and helpful.

An excellent reference book for anyone visiting Southern Africa. We only found a few minor errors but the recommendations on where to go and what to see were very useful.

We're looking forward to going again and will certainly take this book along. We didn't have enough time to see it all.

I travel extensively and am a fan of Frommer's guides which I generally find to have a nice assortment of options in varying price ranges. The volume on South Africa however, was a great disappointment. If Frommer's were to be believed, you had to pay $200 and up for a decent hotel room. Fortunately I have often traveled in South Africa, enjoyed its reasonably priced accomodations, and knew such prices were nonsense. I stayed in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other top destinations in season for less than half that much. The guide also overlooked destinations a bit off the beaten path and proved of so little use to me that I didn't bother to pack it home with me. I strongly suggest the Eyewitness guide instead or just surf the web for tons of great information from the South African Tourism Board.

We visited South Africa for 20 days in July 2000, driving from Cape Town to Kruger. Before we left we sat down at a large book store and reviewed all their South African travel books. This one looked the best and proved to be very useful, particularly for accomodations. Some of the prices had changed but the standards and services were exactly as described. This is a great book for travellers who are above the backpacker/budget level but not up to "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."

I think some of the people who reviewed this book must be talking about the first version, published several years ago. This version does a great job of covering modern means of communication, telecommuting careers for expat spouses, etc. It also addresses the increased security concerns of a post 9/11 world. It is no way outdated, as far as I can see.

The strongest part of this book is its accurate description of the challenges faced by "trailing" spouses. I so wish that I had had this book before our first move overseas. It would have helped a great deal to understand the stages that I was going through, and the advice on getting connected at post wouldn't have hurt, either. There is nothing like personal advice from those who have been in your shoes!

Secondly, the chapters on cross cultural adjustment and communication are very well done. Again, nothing like advice from those who have been there. The tips are presented in a very matter of fact, non-judgmental way, with plenty of illustrative anecdotes, and with acknowledgment that there are some things to which we may never adjust, no matter how hard we try! This book does not tell you to try to blend in, but rather to find your own place as an expat within the local culture. That is the most we can realistically achieve in most foreign countries, and not a bad place to be, as a matter of fact.

Other chapters on moving with kids, with pets, etc. are chock-full of useful information gleaned from the practical experience of both authors and their many experienced expatriate interviewees.

I've lived in six countries as an expat, and I would highly, HIGHLY recommend The Expert Expat to anyone preparing for an overseas move, especially spouses!

I'm so glad there are expatriation books like this one, Expert Expatriation, because expatriation from America is a subject that the US media considers taboo and non-existent. But yet, it's very real because many are dissatisfied in America and realize that it's not the ideal world it claims to be, nor is it the place where whatever's not possible is not possible anywhere else.

In fact, my greatest discovery overseas is that: "Beyond North America, the social climate is INFINITELY more natural and free flowing, and I am NEVER without attractive female companionship."

This book though, only gets into a few reasons for expatriation, describing only a few benefits that are at the tip of the iceberg. The rest if mostly a how-to guide that covers some practical aspects of it. So far, there hasn't been a book that addresses all the deep real life reasons for living overseas. In short, it talks only about the HOW of expatriation, not the WHY. And shouldn' the WHY be dealt with first? That's what all these authors seem to be missing, except for me. Perhaps the WHY reasons are taboo?

Thus, I've volunteered to become the first one and put together a website and ebook called Happier Abroad at [...] to help inspire people to pursue international living, dating and traveling, and cultivate an awareness of the positive benefits overseas unknown to most Americans, who instead are living in fear and isolation perpetuated by the US media and culture which tells them that there is nothing good outside the US and that you are empty inside and need to work and consume to fill that emptiness. It's a soulless life lacking connectedness with others and inner life.

In fact, some of my fans say that my ebook is the perfect complement to this one, making a great combination together. You can read my ebook, Happier Abroad, which is the Gospel inspiring Expatriation from America, at: [..]

I hope that books like this one in paperback, and mine in electronic format help people see beyond the myths and lies created by our culture, such as 1) America is the only free country and all other countries have no freedom, 2) America is the ideal place where everyone wants to come and nothing good is outside America, only bad things like war, poverty, oppression, misery.

Together we are already making a difference. I've put together hundreds of fan letters sent to me from people who see beyond such egocentric cultural myths at this link: [..]

Also, the majority of immigrants to America do not exactly claim that it's a win-win situation here, as our media likes to portray. In reality, most of them either have mixed feelings about being in America or they regret it. You can read the uncensored thoughts of many immigrants that I've collected on my site at [..]Also, Little India magazine did a story on unhappy Indian immigrants in America, quoting their thoughts and feelings, which you can read at http://www.littleindia.com/august2004/UnhappyinAmerica.htm (and in fact, any foreign considering moving to America should read that story in Little India first)

Anyhow, if you wish to discuss these issues with other like-minded people, you are welcome to come participate on my forum at [..]

Thanks for reading this review.

Sincerely,
Winston

I'm so glad there are books like Expert Expat that tell you and try to show you how to live overseas. I never knew they existed before either, since expatriation from America is a subject that the US media considers taboo and non-existent. But yet, it's very real because many are dissatisfied in America and realize that it's not the ideal world it claims to be, nor is it the place where whatever's not possible is not possible anywhere else.

In fact, my greatest discovery overseas is that: "Beyond North America, the social climate is INFINITELY more natural and free flowing, and I am NEVER without attractive female companionship."

This book though, only gets into a few reasons for expatriation, describing only a few benefits that are at the tip of the iceberg. The rest if mostly a how-to guide that covers some practical aspects of it. So far, there hasn't been a book that addresses all the deep real life reasons for living overseas. In short, it talks only about the HOW of expatriation, not the WHY. And shouldn' the WHY be dealt with first? That's what all these authors seem to be missing, except for me. Perhaps the "WHY" reasons are taboo?

Thus, I've volunteered to become the first to address the deep "WHY" reasons and put together a website and ebook called Happier Abroad at http://www.happierabroad.com to help inspire people to pursue international living, dating and traveling, and cultivate an awareness of the positive benefits overseas unknown to most Americans, who instead are living in fear and isolation perpetuated by the US media and culture which tells them that there is nothing good outside the US and that you are empty inside and need to work and consume to fill that emptiness. It's a soulless life lacking connectedness with others and inner life.

Check it out. It'll give you a whole new dimension on life.

Thanks for reading this review.

Sincerely,
Winston

The authors of this excellent and comprehensive resource guide for expats of all stripes contacted me when they learned this newly revised edition of their book (formerly called "The Expert Expatriate") was going to simply be called "Expert Expat". If they had been distraught the first time over their publisher's cheeky choice of title (so much like my website expatexpert.com) they were afraid to find out how I would react to the new title! They should not have been worried. Both of the authors (US foreign service spouses whom I both admire and respect enormously not only for this book, but for their work on the internet through sites like www.talesmag.com) have provided a wonderful service for expats worldwide. The new edition really brings their book into the 21st century with new challenges of families or single expats. Well done! Great title!

Before you go, while you're headed there, and even after you've moved, you'll find "The Expert Expat" an indispensable guide to living outside your country of citizenship. If you have the time or money for only ONE book, this is the one to purchase. Frequent "asides" from experienced expats illuminate the suggestions and information given in the ten chapters. Companies and organizations sending employees abroad should make sure families are given a copy of this book along with country specific material as soon as an expat assignment is accepted.