Travel Books

I found a lot of good information on places to go within Rio. I recommend using a combination of this book and taxis to do your sightseeing instead of hopping a tour bus.

This latest offering from Lonely Planet is a good resource for the mundane tourist stuff. But if you want to explore the sultry side of Rio and hook-up with the world's sexiest women, I recommend the Lusty Traveler series by Wiley Cooper. He covers all the details you won't find in mainstream travel guides such as where to meet women, negotiating rates, and even lists guest-friendly hotels.Lusty Traveler: The Complete Sex Tourism Guide of Erotic Vacations for Men, Rio De Janeiro

They've written so many of these guides that they are becoming a tad generic on their advice. I bought this and found a lot of information outdated to inaccurate when I arrived. However, if you're not planning on going to Rio right away, and find yourself very curious about this great city, I would definitely recommend it. It is very interesting, and completely different to western culture. If you're young and into the singles scene, or on business like I was and want more of a sure thing with brazilian women, I would recommend adding with this title The Hedonist: World Sex Guide - Single Male Erotic Vacations in Rio, Costa Rica, Thailand, Carribean and much more

Side note. There are very specific visas, with very specific requirements that you have to have to go there.

Not the most interesting or comprehensive text. When cross referenced with other England travel texts this one lacks a great deal.

If you're wanting to plan a trip outside the city, this guide helps orient you to all the options. While I didn't use the suggestions on Hotels (too short a list)...it did help me decide where I wanted to go. If you've already decided on a destination, this book won't be that helpful.

We loved this book! Instead of getting guided tours we made a list of places that looked interesting - all of which were in this book - and used trains and subways. We ended up with two half days to fill and used this book to plan some spur of the moment travel as well. It has maps, train schedules, places to see at the different sites, suggestions on where to eat and how much everything cost, and a nice variety of places to visit. It was also small enough to carry easily. It included train schedules, bus information, and directions for driving. The best investment we made for our trip.

I just got back from England last night and took three of the day trips described in this book: Winchester, Dover and Hampton Court. Obviously these guides are somewhat subjective, so I didn't always agree with the authors' opinions on certain things, but the factual information on how to get from London to the destinations was spot on. Their suggestions on obtaining a Brit Rail pass and/or a Great British Heritage Pass saved me loads of money and time. I would also recommend England for Dummies, which is also by Frommer's. It gave some great general info about England and London not in this text.

I visit England frequently. I have an earlier edition of this book which I find to be very useful, even now. The new version leaves out a lot of the good places that were in the old book and it lacks credibility. I have a hard time taking any of it seriously when it tells me that an English pint is 16 ounces. Anyone who is serious about English beer knows that an English pint is 20 ounces.

Rich Steves gives the best advice you can get on travel in Europe. He was right on the money with all that he suggested as far as rooms, price and what to see. We loved this book! We took it with us to Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. While doing a walking tour of the quaint little town of Bacharach, Germany, we saw a young girl walking along with the SAME BOOK! She had the same kind of praises we had. We plan to buy the next version for our next European trip.

This book was very helpful with lots of useful tips on travel through Europe. We took the advice on several of the hotels and were very pleased with the recommendations.

Ricke Steves always gives excellent advice to the budget traveler. His advice is comprehensive and and at times humorous.

Rick Steves' does a great job taking you to the hot spots and off the beaten path. Has a ton of info on each area (ie phone numbers, addresses, names, etc).

If Rick Steves has a book for your destination(s), then do yourself a favor - buy it. You do not need any other guide for your trip. We've just returned from a trip through much of western Europe (London, Paris, Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona and Brugge) and this guide was indispensable.

We avoided long lines to visit museums in Venice and Florence, lived in great local hotels and dined in non-touristy and cheap restaurants serving amazing local food. We also had Frommer's with us at the beginning of the trip but we threw it half way through the trip - it was too bulky and did not add any value to our experience.

Rick Steve's conversational style is non-intimidating and makes for a much more interesting read compared to the cut-and-dry, facts only style of other guides. All guides will have some out of date information but this guide is very current. In fact, a tour-guide with a company in Rome that is recommended by Rick Steves' told us that while other publishers just call them every year to verify that they are still in business, only Rick Steves' company actually sends someone to take part in the tours to make sure that the experience is still consistent with the description in the book.

This book is a must have for your Europe trip.

I absolutely love this book. I have read several survival stories and this is by far my favorite. It is a most inspiring story and I love the way it's written. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I read this book for the 1st time about 7 years ago. On average, I pick it up once a year and re-read to remind me that miracles do happen.

It's become a bit of trivial fodder: In 1972, a plane carrying a Uraguayan rugby team and their friends crashed in the Andes. They survived there for over 70 days, doing whatever was necessary to survive, sustained on their faith, and the hope that they could one day break beyond the prison of the mountains and reach civilization.

Since the story HAS become a piece of trivia, it's important that we read something that makes us understand the underlying humanity of the situation. To that end, Read's book is almost a necessity. It details day-to-day life in the crashed plane, and attempts of the Uraguayan families to find their missing loved ones.

The great thing about "Alive" is that it chronicles the event in a somewhat detached manner. At first, this might seem odd; after all, such a tragic event is an emotionally-charged topic, especially once you get down to the human element. However, to tell the tale with emotion is to get LOST in the tale. To overcome this, read uses a scientific, detached description of events, which ultimately leads the reader to ponder the horrific reality these people went through. It is a very successful storytelling mode, which only hits a few snags (he insists upon calling cannibalism "anthropophagy," and admits in the introduction that some of the survivors felt the book didn't go into enough detail about the friendship they felt for each other). Also, there is the fact that this book dates back to 1974, only two years after the events; it would be nice to know how the survivors faced the rest of their lives.

Still, the book is thorough, and it's dry, almost dead-pan style is the only real way of describing the events that unfolded, without getting lost within the maze of emotions (actually, the dry delivery almost makes things even more horrible; don't read this book if you are squeamish). "Alive" is a tale of horrific events that tested the limits of humanity. It is a must-read for anyone interested in what being human really means.

This is a very interesting book. My wife and I were living in Uruguay when this occured and I recall all the anxiety until they were found. Also, recently, our son was in a conference in California where Nando Parrado, one of the survivors, spoke. Nando has also written a book about the crash and survival.
The book Alive is a bit gruesome at points, but realistic about the guys' survival. There was shown a great deal of determination and desire to live on their part.
In general, very good.

Time has not diminished the drama of the tale of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes Mountains. Of the forty five people on the plane at the time of the crash, sixteen came down from the mountain about seventy days later with a saga of survival not easily forgotten.

Theirs is a journey born of tragedy and human endurance. The author unfolds a tale that is gripping in the telling, as enthralling as it is almost unbelievable. It is investigative reporting at its best, because it does not fail to convey the human drama and pathos behind the story of this remarkable struggle for survival high up in the Andes Mountains. Masterfully written, it is a well balanced narrative that takes great pains to ground the experience of the survivors in the context out of which it arose.

The plane had crashed in the Andes Mountains on Argentinian territory. It was an exercise in terror for those on the plane, as it barreled down the mountain, before finally coming to rest in a valley of snow high up in the Andes. Of the forty five persons on board, thirty two had initially survived the crash. Some, however, had sustained serious injuries. Time would not be their friend. Moreover, with little warm clothing (keep in mind that October is springtime in South America), the survivors were exposed to the extreme cold of the night air, high up in the Andes. Though spring, this still meant temperatures well below freezing. Damp, cold, and hungry, amid the anguished cries of the injured, thus began the first of many such nights.

By their tenth day in the Andes, the limited food supplies, which they had rationed with all the care of a miser, had virtually run out. Starving and ravenously hungry, they voiced what they all knew to be true, but had not dared to voice before. They must eat, or they would die. The only thing left for them to eat, however, was abhorrent and deeply repugnant to them. Digging deep into their conservative, religious souls, they found a way to justify actions that would have them transcend a new reality. Their fallen comrades would now provide the means of their sustenance. All eventually succumbed to this only means of survival.

This, while one of the most dramatic parts of their story, is just that, a part. Their survival entailed much more. They had to endure other deprivations. They had to survive the elements. They had to overcome a profound despair over being seemingly forgotten by the outside world. Ultimately, only sixteen were able to do so. How they did so will fascinate all readers of adventure literature. The means that they took to let the world know that they were still alive will astound even the most jaded of readers. It is an account of human endurance that is thought provoking and compelling, a quest to reconcile physical needs with the spiritual. It is, above all, a riveting testament to life.

Once I finally got into the book, this was a good story of survival. The men and women who crashed in the Andes had to overcome horrible situations -- injuries from the crash, an avalanche, and then the lack of food. What they did to survive was admirable, even if some may judge them harshly over their decision to eat the flesh of their dead friends.

That being said, though, the story moves so slowly, and the author's writing style is so staid, that it took me forever to actually feel like I was reading something worthwhile.

A good story, but it's a journey to plod through it.

Great book and exceptional service. I bought as a textbook for an on-line Restaurant Management course. It is well written and easy to follow. I love the course.

Read this book! It's awesome. It gives an inside look at certain hotels, resorts, and restaurants. It's easy to follow and understand. So, if you're a HM major, I suggest you pick up a copy of this book today.

I have been teaching the college lever intro course for well over 20 years. I have used many text and supplemented same. John's book is succinct, well written and dosen't bore you with trivia. Students thinking about a career in hospitality are interested in finding out all they can in a short period of time what the hospitality industry has to offer. Walker's book, I have used as Department Chair at two colleges, is still the best book on the market. John quickly exposes the unsuspecting student
to a array of opportunities that many of them never thought that they could get to via a career in the hospitality industry. The stero typical notion of HRIM Majors being "Burger Flippers" is quickly dispelled when John's book is used along with supplemental material demonstrating further connections to many facets of the service industry.

I thank John Walker many times over for his diligence in keeping consistent the material with regular updates. Other books are good, but John's is the best. Afer more than 44 times of teaching this class, I will stick with John's text. It is an sperb read for those who are either beginning a career or who may be searching for a place to start. It also ties in nicely with other courses that often capture a readers interest to continue on and seek out more information. It is a great recruitment tool if used well.

I first saw this book advertized in the AAA magazine we receive. They encouraged readers to order it from Barnes and Noble. $5 cheaper at Amazon! Looks good. Haven't traveled with the pet yet using this book.

I purchased this book to start a new adventure in our lives of traveling with our yorkie/chinese crested mix dog. The book was easy to use, but found that you still need to call ahead to verify that the hotel still accepts pets. We found several that weren't listed that did and some that said they did that no longer were. However, it made life easy having it all in one book. Even when reaching a hotel that no longer accepted pets, they were quick to tell you which of the competitors did. We also discovered that west of the Mississsippi, places are more dog friendly. Ohio is terrible for taking a dog with you. Albuquerque, NM and Santa Barbara, CA are the friendliest.

It's ok, not a complete list, misses quite a few hotels that I stay at that I know takes pets.

My husband and I just returned from our trip to Tennassee and then to Florida. We stayed in hotels the entire time and we found them all by this book, its an essential and the ratings are so very helpful. I would recommend this to anyone traveling with their dog.

I wish I would have known about this book years ago. I can't tell you the number of times we have pulled into a motel - exhausted - only to be told "we don't take pets"! Included in this book are the rates, exact locations, exit numbers, phone numbers, motel ratings, discount information, and much more. Everyone with a pet needs this book. Your pet will love you!!!

This is a great book! Even the recipes are good, we have tried several. Great read before traveling to the area or as an armchair traveler. Highly recommended!

Fun read that has enough adventure to keep you coming back during the cold evenings in winter. I read this and passed it along to my mom who in turn sent it around the world. Each reader found the time to write a comment either about the rum, recipes or pitfalls of sailing down island way. If you ever thought about taking a year or two off you'll definantly want to give it a read. If you just need an escape you won't be sorry. I still pick it up from time to time just to read a chapter before going to sleep (with the hopes a caribbean dream soon to follow). If you only use the recipes it's worth it.

Seems like good information for Cruisers, I enjoyed the reading. Did not try any of the recipes.

If you want a book by and about experts sailing the Caribbean this is not it.

This is the story about a hard working Toronto couple. His dream was taking time off to sail to and around the Caribbean. If she had a dream; long, scary sailing trips were not part of it. Still, shaking in her flip-flops, she helped him pursue this dream and did pretty darn well. They spent several years saving and preparing. Anne was the founder and editor of Cottage Life Magazine. Her husband, Steve, worked for her magazine.

When they finally leave I can feel Anne's fear. Maybe because my husband would like to do the same thing and I haven't ever been on a (moving) sailboat. They were very well prepared and organized, but there were still very scary times.

I liked that they were sincerely interested in getting to know the native people and the islands. They didn't treat the people as though they were there only for their convenience--they wanted to learn from them and build friendships. That is really the heart of the book.

Sprinkled throughout the book are tested recipes that are as authentic as Anne could make them. Quite a bonus.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone whether they dream of sailing or not.

I learned recently that Anne and her husband sailed down to the Caribbean again on their boat. I don't know if another book is coming, but I hope so.

This book is interesting, well written and, according to my cousin Joe, is a 100% accurate description of what it is like sailing in these Carribean waters. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in travelers tales.

As already stated by the other reviewers, the DeLorme atlas & gazetteer is fantastic. I love the many points-of-interest features which other map products lack.

But if you're going to buy one, don't get this 2005 edition, go find the 2008 edition (such as on DeLorme's website). In addition to the road updates, the new one has GPS coordinates and more topographical info. I'm a little disappointed that Amazon doesn't have it available yet, when it's been out since early this year.

These DeLorme maps are great. I plan on visiting the state of Utah next spring and do some hiking while I am there and these look great. The details of the roads and all campsites are awesome. I plan to purchase more of these of other states. They even have details about fishing being available.

Quick delivery, good price, excellent travel guide for the state of Utah where you want to see terrain, not just highways.

I think the title says it all. It is very useful. I got it really fast and it is flawless.

Great maps as always from DeLorme.. I have 6 different states, great for fly fishing, fishing and hiking.. You can use the GPS cordinates to get to specific locations. A must have for the fisherman, hiker and camper.

When I saw GLNP on PBS, I was surprised to find that Christine Barnes had yet again discovered more national treasures to share with us all. I have all of her books, and like the earlier ones, she makes these lodges come alive in so many ways. I suggest you only read one chapter at a time, then let the experience sink in overnight. The photography by itself tells a story with a great selection of photos including priceless historical shots. Those who appreciate history will not be disappointed as the author covers each topic in an accurate, but interesting way. Architects will appreciate the detail and early renderings. And finally, for those who are looking for new places for the family vacation, this book is a must. I visited many of the lodges featured in her previous books, both in the US and Canada. I can assure you there is nothing artificial about any of these places. As they say, they are the "real deal" and part of our history we can all be proud of and experience ourselves

Fun reading if you are an explorer of the National Parks, which I am. Certainly the most detailed descriptions in general circulation of these historic places. The second edition had a few places in it that I did not know about and have now placed on my list of lodges to stay in. Without a doubt all these places still have great position. For example the Many Glacier Lodge was the most dramatic nature setting of any hotel I have ever stayed in. This includes some really fabulous places in Europe. But the level of the rooms does tend to vary. Check Frommers, AAA, or others to get a sense of what the room quality may be. Frankly with some like the Many Glacier, it did not matter. But to those wanting to stay at a "Four Seasons" level accommodation in a National Park you may not be happy.