Reviews (38)

He phoned this one in.
Deeply disappointing in quality and quantity for this Bryson fan. I order his titles automatically, but would have passed on this had I read the reviews first and realized it was a CARE puff piece .

An easy-to-read introduction to Africa
This is a good-humored and entertaining record of Bryson's visit to Kenya.It's a short book about a short trip, and so it would make a good read for someone just beginning to get interested in Africa.

Bill Bryson's African Diary
Though short, the sad realities don't necessitate a longer one.As usual, Bryson's writing is very enjoyable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Bryson, Bill    4. Description    5. Description And Travel    6. Kenya    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Travel    9. Travelers    10. History / Africa   

Reviews (4)

Eyewitness Travel Guide to Egypt
Very nice -- as I have found most Eyewitness Guides.Well organized, current, accurate as far as I could tell.I agreed with reviews of small number/small sample of restuarants and hotels.Guide enhanced an excellent trip!

Fabulous guide
Comprehensive, pictorial.The guide we always look for when planning a trip.

Highly recommended
I've been highly satisfied with the Eyewitness Travel Guide series, and this Egypt edition does not disappoint.Maps are clear and helpful, photos help to explain all of the rich history and culture of Egypt.We brought the Lonely Planet Egypt book with us as well, but we found the Eyewitness Travel Guide to be clearer and simpler to use.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Egypt    3. Guidebooks    4. Middle East - Egypt    5. Middle East - General    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel / Middle East / Egypt   

Reviews (3)

Wow!
I'm not really a lover of wildlife photography, but this incredible book impressed me because it is so very much more than that. It is a celebration of the beauty of African scenery; it provides intimate encounters with African fauna and flora; and it simply carries the reader away on a dream journey into wilderness spaces.
Fabulous Book
I've travelled all over Africa and have never before seen something that captures the best of its beauty like this book.
Magnificent!!!!!!!!!!!10 out of 10!!!
I am a collector of coffee table books, and I have many in my collection.I can say without a doubt that AFRICA by michael Poliza is the finest photography book that I have ever seen!In both presentation and content it is quite simply a magnificent book!!It is huge, 15 X 11.75 and 408 pages.There are 180 color photographs in it, all spread over 2 pages.The back of the book has small thumbnails describing each photo.Most of the photos were taken in Southern Africa, with the great majority being in Botswana.there are many close-up shots of animals, with a few landscape and aerial photographs included.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Individual Photographer    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photography    5. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    6. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (5)

Wouldnt recommend...
My bf and I recently went on a two week trip to Morocco and took along this book. I have to say, the maps were horrible, we got lost so many times trying to follow the maps and had to constantly ask locals to guide us. We also discovered that the book didnt mention that you need reservations in pretty much every riad and the majority of hotels you want to stay at. Also, make sure you get the most recent edition... a few places listed were closed and had been for some time.
It Just Helps Me Live
I know of no other book that assists in living overseas as well as Lonely Planet.There are other guidebooks out there, and they have their own attributes, but I'm familiar with the Lonely Planet system, and it seems to be far more diverse in the countries covered than any other travel collection.And living in Morocco as I do, I particularly enjoy the Moroccan edition.
itm
Rather stereotyped cultural comments which are not particularly accurate. Having seen the DK Guide to Morocco since, wish I had bought that instead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Morocco    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

Robert Sapolsky, the author of Read more

Reviews (56)

Baboons in the Mist
This was a humorous and entertaining book, though it could use a bit of editing. It's hard to believe that such an educated person could fall prey to the various scams. I enjoyed reading about the cultural differences and refreshing perceptions Mr.Sapolsky endured and experienced.

compassion and intellect
Robert Sapolsky writes with the compassion of David Quammen, the challenging intellect of Stephen Jay Gould and the dedication of E.O. Wilson! He engages his readers, he charms them and he treats them as kindred spirits. If I wasn't an atheist I would thank God for Robert Sapolsky.

AFearful Symmetry
Sapolsky artfully interweaves 3 stories. The parallels are amazing as he recounts his experiences studying a baboon troop in Kenya, and the human troops he encounters in his work and travels throughout Africa. The third story is his development from adolescent subadult to mature scientist and fully adult, competent human. This book reads like an action packed novel, while impartingscientific truth within the context of a broad systemic paradigm. Sapolsky is able to think objectively, while acknowledging the compelling power of his own emotional responses. He is clear aboutwhich is which and the limitations of each. The choice to rigorously utilize both results in a rich tale that offers the reader a view ofcomplex connections, vivid similarities and profound humbling differences. This pattern of both and, holds true at the level of the individual, the community, the culture as well as across species.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Africa, East    3. Anecdotes    4. Apes & Monkeys    5. Baboons    6. Behavior    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Sapolsky, Robert M    11. Scientists - General    12. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    13. Nature / Apes & Monkeys    14. Wild animals   

Reviews (6)

what a disturbing book
I haven't even finished reading this book yet and I'm already feeling queasy about my own diamond ring, which incidentally I haven't worn in a few years due to an allergic reaction.When my husband and I bought it, it was definitely the most expensive thing either of us had ever shelled out money for, except our co-op apartment.Neither of us knew about the bloody history of the industry and the likelihood that the "forever" symbol of our love was so tainted.I'd like to sell it and donate the proceeds to charity.At least then it would do something good for somebody.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, and important
As others here have noted, Tom Zoellner's book is comprehensive, engaging, and deeply troubling for those of us who had planned to proudly wear a diamond one day. In addition to these observations, I'd like to point out several other aspects of the book that place it a step above similar works of non-fiction.
Excellent read
As a current student at GIA, this book gives a total different story about diamonds and the diamond industry. He's fair, honest and meticulous in his explanations. This book is funny, sad, scary and you feel as though you are on a journey with him through the many areas of the world where mining occurs. Makes you really think about other world industries when a little rock can be the difference of whether you live or die. Excellent read, awesome author. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Diamonds    3. Natural Resources    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Customs    7. Jewellery & jewellery-making    8. Travel / Africa   

Reviews (1)

Diana
This book has everything you need to see Southern Africa.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Southern Africa    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (5)

Very complete and helpful guide
Whether you plan on doing a safari, or relaxing in the beaches of Zanzibar, or visiting the less traveled regions of Tanzania, this book provides all the useful information that you need to plan your trip or to have a more complete experience once you are there, whether you are planning to travel with a limited budget or not.The book covers Tanzania's wildlife attractions, historical sites, seldom visited places, culture, political history, food, health, maps, local traditions, etc.I didn't find any flaw worth mentioning with the book.So if you plan on going to Tanzania or are just thinking about it, this book will convince you that it is a place worth visiting, with more possibilities than you can imagine.
safari operator through L.P. suggestion
Roy Safaris is a very reliable safari operator in Arusha.
An excellent travel companion
The Lonely Planet produces excellent travel guides, and their Tanzania/Zanzibar edition is no exception. I have used this book on four different trips, and found it indispensible. The guide does an admirable job describing the popular tourist stops (the game parks, Zanzibar's Stone Town, etc.), but its real strength lies in giving the details necessary to take the roads less travelled. Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Tanzania    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (5)

South Africa (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Excellent travel guide!
Great Guide
I first discovered these books (a series Eyewitness Travel) by accident in a Stockholm bookstore. I had just come from Gothenborg by train and was a bit dazed. The book I bought by accident was in swedish but it still useful because of all the photos, cut away views, museum pictures, and maps and historical details. When I got home I bought a pile on Amazon.com of different places that I was going or had visited - but in english.
Very disapointing
I got this book as a present before i went to south africa. I was excited because I have heard that these books are really good. But after reading through the book, I quickly realizied that it did not give me enough information. I am in South Africa, I see how beautiful it is. I don't need to see pictures, I need maps, (there were only maps for Capetown)information about what i am seeing, costs of addmission, times, ect. There were none, and it became really annoying and unpleasant at many times. These books are good for people who just want to see how other countries/cities look like, but not travel to them. If you want a good travel book, look for the Lonely planet series. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Guidebooks    3. South Africa    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel / Africa   

Editorial Review

Some stories are so enthralling they deserve to be retold generation after generation. The wreck in 1815 of the Connecticut merchant ship, Read more

Reviews (53)

Gripping Story
This book brings to life a survival struggle that is often hard to fathom.In addition to the sailors story the author adds interesting information on a variety of topics including history, science, geography.Book is worth reading.

Incredible Story!! Highly recommended...the trials that man can endure are AMAZING!
This story was incredible! Some of the things these men had to do to survive were truly inhuman and at times appalling. Even so th ebook is engaging from page 1 to the end. Amazingwhat the mind can do to keep the body from dying...and what it can do to make the body give up. This book had me angry, relieved, amazed and at all times entertained. I highly recommend it!!

Fascinating!
An absolutely spellbinding story!Hard to believe the hardship faced by the crew of the Commerce.This book made me become quite interested in the Sahara, on which I've read considerably since. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Africa, North    3. Description and travel    4. Discovery And Exploration (General)    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. General    7. History    8. History: World    9. Sahara    10. Ships & Shipbuilding - Shipwrecks    11. Shipwrecks    12. Slavery    13. Transportation   

Reviews (44)

enjoyable and educational
I wanted to learn about Africa, decided on this book, and got exactly what I wanted. He wrote: "How nice it would be, I thought, if someone reading the narrative of my African trip felt the same, that it was the next best thing to being there - or even better, because reading about being shot at and poisoned and insulted was in general less upsetting than the real thing."Well, that is exactly how I felt, so Paul Theroux succeeded with me.Africa is a mess.I didn't want to take an Ernest Hemingway type of safari and see leopards and gnus; I wanted to see Africa the way it really is (naturally aspects of it weren't included).I got as much or more than I could have possibly expected out of reading this book.I was more than satisfied.Thank you greatly, Mr. Theroux.

nigelangelo
For those who like travel, short bursts of history and touching human stories, this is a fantastic book.The author has the uncanny ability to mix humour and tragedy, despair with hope and absolute brutality with humanity.Some topics inthis book should be painfully depressing but Mr Theroux manages to present these unpleasant facts in a tasteful manner.He also condemns the actions of corrupt,decaying countries but genuinely seems to like their people. I suppose that this is Mr Theroux's gift.He likes people and believes that if left on their own people will uplift themselves.I suppose that this love for humanity makes his books positive even though the topic my be negative.

The material is great, the author is...
Theroux obviously took good notes while on his "safari," and his descriptions, historical accounts, and imagery are all very well done.However, I cannot get past his arrogance!He writes as though he knows EVERYTHING about Africa, and even acts this way to aid workers, other tourists, and even other Africans.The man condescendingly speaks to a Ugandan about the political state of Uganda, as if the African knows less about his homeland than Theroux.However, just because he lived/taught there for some time (35 years ago), Theroux feels as though he knows all.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Description and travel    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel / Africa   

Reviews (5)

Missing coordinates
Yes, LPK is fine source. But there are lot of people (including me) using GPS. And we miss coordinates & waypoints.

Lonely Planet guide to Kenya
Lonely Planet giudes are in general great.The guide to Kenya is no exception.The guide not only gives you a great deal of information about where to go and what to see but also lets you learn about the country before you get there.They also describe the country in an interesting and easy to read style.A little knowledge goes a long way when traveling and this guide is filled with useful information.

This is THE travel guide for Kenya
I was simply stunned by the number of detailed maps in this book.The amount of information for each region of Kenya is outstanding and well done.If you need to know it - it's in this book.Hotels, restaurants,parks, reserves, tribes, Swahili it's all here.Very nicely organized. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Kenya    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (2)

Ghana on the ground
Observations, current and pertainent info, from knowledgeable travelers who've been there. This is the stuff you want to know to plan a successful journey.

An Excellent Travel Guide
If you are traveling to Ghana, West Africa, this is the essential guide to have with you.It has an easy to read layout and includes everything you would ever need to know.I highly recommend this if you are going to that area.I am glad I own a copy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Ghana    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Travel / Africa   

Editorial Review

This 1992 Edgar Award winner for best fact crime is nothing short of a classic. David Simon, a police reporter for the Read more

Reviews (50)

funny and filled with drama
what was the most funniest parts were is when dave brown and donald worden kept pestering one another.

Best Cop Book Ever
I will keep this short: I have been a city cop for almost eighteen years and I defy anyone to find a better book about policework than this one. This is the closest you can come to knowing what being a cop is all about short of actually wearing a badge.

Love the show... love thebook
My husband is a BIG fan of the TV show.We have every episode on DVD.This book was a great addition to his collection.He loved the book and could see how the award winning TV was based on it. It is different enough that he throughly enjoyed it.I am now reading it and am enjoying it too! It is not the same as the show, and is a great book on it's own.
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Subjects:  1. Baltimore    2. Criminology    3. Murder - General    4. True Crime / Espionage    5. Travel / Africa    6. True crime    7. Maryland    8. Police Dept    9. Homicide investigation   

Reviews (2)

Very insightful
I think this series of guides is very good. I've just come back from Morocco and found this to be the better of the books to be carrying (others I met had Footprint, Rough Guide or Lonely Planet). It is as good as an inspiration to go as it is as a reference inside that mosque, market or on that mountain. It must not be confused with the 'comprehensive' reviewed/listing/directory book of the Lonely Planet genre (for people who call themselves adventurers yet cannot go to a hotel that has not been 'bigged up' in their 'bible' - well at least they're all guaranteed to end up in the same shed based on one person's opinion!). There's rarely a book with as many photos and full color diagramatical explanations - call me illiterate but sometimes I just want to see a photo of something and say 'I want to go and look at that'!
Morrocco travel guide
It has a lot of wonderful pictures and very clear descriptions of the regions of the country and includes a brief history.I hope Morocco will live up to the wonders of this travel guide! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Reference - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel / Africa   

Reviews (41)

an enchanted Africa
Karen Blixen's wonderful writing actually reminds of another Dane, Hans Christian Anderson, for its magical quality and ability to make the most ordinary things latent with mystery. Africa becomes a fairy-tale world in the Dinesen's book, and the setting for her great love withDenys Finch-Hatton. One feels her love of him and of the countryside, and especially her devotion for the people who live all around her. A truly beautiful and mystical writer, who could see beyond the surface of things, she has the skill of imparting joy as well as tragedy.

A Breathtaking View of a Vanished World
I've long been fascinated by Isak Dinesen's life and with this book she lovingly describes the very heart of it, her sixteen years running a coffee plantation in the African highlands.She tells the reader almost nothing personal; but her descriptions of this vanished place and time are nothing short of magic.By "erasing" herself from the landscape, you are really and truly experiencing her life there.It was a mesmerizing experience and I hated to finish the book.Fortunately, it's now mine and I can re-read it any time I want to!

Denisen's Mastery of the Memoir
Denisen's ability to take you into Africa and make you know it as she did is astounding--she captures feelings very difficult to describe, and makes you want to see Kenya for yourself, the Hills of Ngong. She is a story-teller, yes, but she does not tell her stories in any way conventional; much of the time you have no idea as to the chronological order of things. Yet it doesn't matter, because she is conveying feelings and emotions which are not limited by time. And when time does come to play a role in her stories you are informed of it as is necessary. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to experience life as it should be experienced, confusing the primitive life of the Natives with the sophisticated Europeans come to visit Isak on her farm. Through the course of the novel, conflicts arise, celebrations take place, nature's best is described in full detail, and living things die as is natural. Denisen ends her work as beautifully as she began it, and you feel as though you have been through something really important when you finish. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1895-1963    2. 20th century    3. Authors, Danish    4. Biography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Classics    7. Country life    8. Description And Travel    9. General    10. Kenya    11. Literature - Classics / Criticism    12. Social life and customs    13. Biography: general    14. Dinesen, Isak    15. Fiction / General    16. Homes and haunts    17. Travel writing   

Reviews (5)

Find another guide
I used this book before my trip to learn about the history, but I never used it once in South Africa.I found everyone else's Lonely Planet Guide much more helpful.

Easy to read, balanced, and informative
I recently purchased this book for my mother who is going to South Africa for a vacation. The book was so helpful for me two years ago, that I wanted to make sure she had it. (My copy is marked up and the seams are a bit worn!) I like the books's balanced report on the history of South Africa, and the fact that it is neither for rich travelers with no budget, nor is it for poor students.The sections on things to buy and places to go are great, with enough examples to give you choices, but not simply a laundry list of restaurants and stores. It also has good information on things like local languages and cultures. A Beautiful Book about a Beautiful Country
I had the opportunity to visit SA for a month in 1999. I knew going that Iwould have an informed friend to host and guide me, so I did not bring anyguide books with me. However, when I returned home and had 34 rolls of filmto show, I wanted a book to accompany the photos and act like its ownsouvenier. After looking at many titles, I settled on the Insight Guidebecause of its excellent balance of basic information (incl. a well-writtenchapter on the history), color photos (on the order of NationalGeographic), maps, tourist information (what to do; where to go; how toprepare; etc.), and candor about apartheid. I never regretted paying a fewextra dollars more for the book because it stood head and shoulder abovethe competition. It's the book I would have made had I the opportunity.The mulitple authors are well-informed, and though some info might beoutdated, one has to remember-- this is AFRICA! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Republic of South Africa    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (5)

Good overall, but very disappointing in places
Lonely Planet is the leader in travel books. This isn't just my opinion, I've met many other travelers who won't go anywhere without the appropriate LP book. Africa on a Shoestring is a great guide, with information on places to stay and what to see, for travelers who don't want to spend a fortune and aren't afraid to get out and actually experience the local culture.
good overview
It took so muchto get there and I found it very comforting having this book to entice me along.Yes it was pretty general but it left us open to meeting people and having more excuses to dig for directions.Many times we were invited into people's homes, the ones that spoke English and French.I always prefer roughing it to clean ironed sheets and air conditioned rooms.Anglin writes well and although there are some holes, there's no book out there that is better for seeing the raw Africa.

Don't head for Africa without Africa on a Shoestring in your pack
As someone who just returned from a solo tour(via local buses, trains and hitch-hiking) through Botswana, Zambia and Namibia with this book in my pack I feel I can review it more fairly than those who have simply looked it over while dreaming about a future trip.
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Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. East Africa    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

Lonely Planet scores again!
Just like the rest of the Lonely Planet tour guide books - it's awesome!Everything is the same in this book as the others, except it's about South Africa.So, if you liked their other tour guide books, as I do very much, you'll like this one too.Check it out! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Lesotho    5. Republic of South Africa    6. Swaziland    7. Travel & holiday guides