Reviews (1)

Much Ado About Nothing...
I bought this book for a trip to Bejing and Shanghai - and was quite disappointed. There is nothing in it that is not in other guidebooks. Several of the recommendations were hyped. And the attitude - snobby, awful. I'd suggest the Luxe guides, which not only tell you where to shop but also suggest places to eat, to drink, etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Commerce    3. Consumer Buying Guides    4. Europe - France    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides    8. China    9. Consumer guides & advice    10. Hong Kong    11. Travel / Asia / China   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Southeast    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. China    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Asia / Southeast   

Reviews (4)

The Best
I bought every guide there was on my way to Shanghai, and this was the best by far, with clear maps, a pronounciation guide that makes sense and clear, to-the-point reviews.

Very Helpful Guide
Just returned from 1 week business/pleasure visit to Shanghai and I found this guide full of good recommendations and descriptions were accurate.Better than Lonely Planet's Best of Shanghai which I also bought.

Time Out Shanghai - quite helpful
I recently used TO Shanghai to navigate a business trip to the city: quite a useful guide with plentiful restaurant, watering hole and sight-seeing suggestions.I'd definintely purchase a Time Out guidebook again (I love the mags!). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Reference - Guides (General)    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. China    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / Asia / China   

Reviews (1)

Could be Better
Frommer's "Shanghai" is better with more up to date information, more detailed maps and less flimsy pages. ... Read more

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

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel / Asia / China   

Reviews (3)

Perfect in all aspects
I got the new 2003 Edition, and it is much more compact and light than the previous one. Amazing colorful pictures on every page and impressive narrative. Compared to Frommer's that I also bought for my trip, this one wins hands down. It's a very interesting reading, superbly informative and perfectly up-to-date. I also added Insight Shanghai Fleximap to my order and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of design. So if you are heading to Sanghai or just want to explore the city without leaving your bed, this book is made for you.

substantial guide
If you are looking for a cheap, pocket-size guidebook full of hackneyed cliches about Shanghai, and have the attention span of an MTV- and video game-addled ten-year-old, then by all means, don't buy this book.But if you are looking for something more substantial, the kind of guide that you can sink your teeth into and absorb valuable information about the city's history, society, culture, cuisine, arts and entertainment, then this is the book for you.Having lived in Shanghai for several years, and having spent the past ten years studying the history and culture of the city, I can state definitively that this is by far the most substantial guidebook to Shanghai on the market today.Kudos to editor Francis Dorai for gathering together so many experts to reveal the city's mystique and explain its mysteries.

don't get shanghaied into buying this book
This guidebook is impractical to use. It is thick and bulky so makes it impractical to carry around in a purse.Bring a backpack to carry this mini telephone book around.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Guidebooks    3. Shanghai (China)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. China    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Maps & Road Atlases    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. China    6. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Reviews (1)

Hip Guide
I used this during a recent trip to Shanghai and was really happy to have it with me. It directed me to all the "happening" places - to shop, eat, drink, see art, etc. It is a small fold out pamphlet, not a book - and well worth the price. While it is geared to the hip and trendy young woman, as a 58 year old interested in that side of Shanghai, I found lots of great tips (once I enlarged the really, really tiny type). I also used the guide toBeijing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. China    2. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (5)

Condescending, racist, out of date
Gershman's entries for Shanghai--a place that's truly heaven for shoppers--were awful. The places she recommended were tourist traps, her comments were perfunctory, and her information was woefully out of date (not by one year, but by several). There wasn't one valid tip in that entire section of the book. Hey, if she doesn't like shopping, eating in Shanghai or staying there, then why is someone forcing her to write a book on it. Of the five guides I bought before traveling there, this is far and away the worst!

Not ideal for true shoppers
A bunch of my girlfriends and I live in Hong Kong and are serious shoppers in Asia. We found this book to be outdated, commercialized and definitely not clued in to where the best shopping lies, particularly for Shanghai and Beijing. There are so many wonderful boutiques which were not included. You are likely to get the same information from the local hotel concierge if not more.

out of date and incorrect
Advice given regards places and items was either out of date orjust plain wrong. China, especially in cities likeBeijing and Shanghai, is changing so fast I suggest using only guides with current year copyright dates. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Consumer Buying Guides    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. China    7. Retail sector    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / Asia / China   

Reviews (7)

Poorly designed
The maps make it very hard to figure out where you are, and all the pages look alike. You'd be much better served with the Time Out or Lonely Planet guides.

3rd edition a BIG improvement
Some of the previous reviews are about the 2nd edition which was weak. The 3rd edition appears to be a significant rewrite, and is much better. All the salient info is there, from an author who obviously has not only "been there" but understands the nuances of Chinese culture. Can't wait for the 4th edition!

Easy overview
This book gives you an easy overview over attractions and the maps are quite fullfilling. Really a good guide book.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. China    6. Travel & holiday guides    7. Travel / Asia / China   

Reviews (3)

Hilarious journey on the ocean
This is a great, un-put downable read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Nothing chicken about this author
I have read some of Gillian Kendall's travel stories and she has an eye for the telling detail. Although this book is more memoir than travel commentary, she manages to include enough background to set the scene for this genuinely funny page turner. Kendall finds herself signed up to teach English as a Second Language to an all-male crew of Chinese seamen, with her only non-crew companion an ex-jock from Texas on board as a technical adviser. The book recounts her voyage not only from China to the U.S. but from initial apprehension and self doubt to the sure knowledge that she has not only taught a good number of her pupils to make themselves understood in English, she has also become something of a hero to them -- and not only because of her teaching. I laughed out loud more than once and admired her apparent conquest of an improbably dificult task. Inventive teaching methods, respect for each other's culture (except perhaps for chicken feet on the menu or the reported promiscuity of American women) and genuine curiosity and humanity made this a journey Ifelt must have been pivotal to both crewnmen and author. There is a subplot of Kendall's indecision about her love life back in Texas, and actually, her love life in general. If I have a criticism, it is that the reader never finds out how that aspect all worked out. But that's fodder for another book from this talented author. I can't wait.

A Slice of Life on a Chinese Working Boat
"Mr. Dings Chicken Feet" is a well paced can't put down memoir by Gillian Kendall.If you have ever wondered what it would be like to sail as part of the crew of a working boat, this will satisfy your curiousity.The author has a marvelous sensitivity and excitement about world wide cultures (she also taught in Egypt) and she manages to take us with her to Shanghai and back to Texas.She uses gentle irony to tease us along and includes an ongoing running joke that we never find the punchline for unless we read the book through.I am still missing the characters and writing although it has been more than a week since I finished reading it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americans    2. Asia - Far East    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. China    5. Chinese speakers    6. English language    7. Intercultural communication    8. Lesbian Studies    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Shanghai    11. Study and teaching    12. Travel    13. Biography: general    14. East Asia, Far East    15. Travel / Asia / Far East    16. Travel writing   

Reviews (2)

Poorly organized and out of date
Information covered is broad but shallow.Useful pieces of knowledge are often buried in the middle of long blocks of text instead of being highlighted or placed within easier to find tables.The index is of little help as it is small and cursory.Beware of using contact information as some groups/businesses/locations have changed or no longer exist.Some is just flat out wrong.I tried to pick up a set of the plasticized location flash cards for use with taxis as described on pg 112 from the Am Cham office but they had never heard of them.They even copied the page and book information to tell the publisher that their information was wrong.A far more useful guide for expats moving to Shanghai is Passport Shanghai.It's more difficult to find but it's well worth it.

Great read for anyone relocating to Shanghai
I highly reccomend this book to anyone relocating to Shanghai. The chapters on visas, housing & goods relocation offer well written advice that is easily worth the price of the book.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - General   

Reviews (12)

Not fitting to my expectations
I found this guide not exactly fitting to my expectations - I went to Shanghai for business and it was difficult to find some really practical informations. I've found more in some Polish guides of China (whole), surprisingly I haven't been supported by exact Shanghai guide as I expected.
OK but not as comprehensive as it could be
I moved to Shanghai in August 2005 and bought this guidebook to orient myself to the city.A few observations from having used the guidebook for the past six months:
Not as much as I hoped for...
I hoped that this guide would have more background on the history of the city and its attractions.The background/history portion of the guide was extremely sparse.I have not read any of the other popular guides to Shanghai so I cannot make an alternative recommendation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. China    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Asia - China    3. Historic Preservation    4. International Architecture - Asian    5. Travel - Foreign    6. China   

Reviews (1)

Great.
This is a great and comprehensive guide to some of the eateries in Shangahi.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Asia - China    3. Interior Design - Style Books    4. Restaurants    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. China    8. Interior design    9. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc    10. Restaurant & pub guides   

Reviews (1)

Serious drawbacks
It makes sense to market a guidebook focusing on the two cities in China that many Americans will bundle together in one trip.I found the site, hotel and restaurant reviews consistent with my own experiences (albeit my sample size was small).But this book has key drawbacks that made me regret the weight it took up in my baggage:(1) place names for hotels, restaurants, sites, etc. are generally given only in English.Most tourists will get around these cities by cab.Cab drivers in China almost never speak any English.Nor will most Chinese on the street, should you want to ask directions.Thus, giving these names in both Chinese characters and Pinyin (romanized Chinese, so American travelers could at least try to pronounce them), should be mandatory for any guidebook you actually want to take with you to China.(2)The maps are confusing and, worse, sometimes inaccurate.Separate maps are given for hotels, sites and restaurants, and the formats differ, making it harder than it needs to be to figure out, say, how to reach a given site from your hotel.Many streets are unlabeled, making it hard to use the maps when walking around.It's not clear whether the maps are to scale, and scales aren't provided, so the maps can't be used to predict how far away things are.(3)Little information is given even on key sites.It would be better to find a guidebook that included little maps of large sites and major museums, as well as detailed background information.(4)The phrasebook section is far too limited, includes phrases you won't actually need (e.g., phrases for checking into hotels, although every hotel listed will have English-speaking reception staff), and omits phrases you definitely will want (e.g., phrases for asking directions and navigating customs) as well as phrases that could make your trip more fun (e.g., a basic foot-massage vocabulary).Finally, it should be noted that, like other Fodor's titles, this book is geared towards travelers who might be somewhat afraid of leaving their "luxury bubble."Unless you are willing to set the book aside and explore on your own, using this book will shield you from a lot of wonderful experiences. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Beijing (China)    3. Guidebooks    4. Reference - Guides (General)    5. Shanghai (China)    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. China    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. Travel / Asia / China   

Subjects:  1. Travel - United States    2. United States - General    3. China    4. Travel / road maps & atlases    5. Travel    6. Maps & Road Atlases    7. Maps   

Subjects:  1. China    2. Living & working abroad    3. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

Reviews (4)

A beautiful book
Lynn Pan's "Tracing It Home" is a resonant and beautiful memoir that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. She has a particular gift for intertwining family issues with historical ones, leading to a very rich narrative. As I look over the book, I see many, many pages I have turned down so that I can revisit a particularly poignant turn of phrase. If you are interested in the history of Shanghai or in Chinese family relationships, you will learn a great deal from this book and experience a very enjoyable read in the process.

An intelligent alternative to the likes of Amy Tan
"Tracing it Home" could be criticized for the many things it is not, but for what it IS, it is wonderful. Lynn Pan is one of the best, if not THE best writer around on subjects of Old Shanghai and the Chinese Diaspora. She is a Writer, however, and not a historian or a journalist. She tells a story, and tells it engagingly and beautifully. Disappointing
When Lynn Pan tells the stories of her family's past, the work isriveting, but too often she inserts herself in the story. Not only does itfracture time in a confusing way (unlike the way Chang-Rae Lee fracturestime to a purpose), but it interupts the through line, making it difficultto remember where we are in the overall story. There are too many excellentbooks about modern China (Shanghai, Chiang KaiShek, the CulturalRevolution, etc.) to recommend this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Asia - China    3. Authors, English    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. China    8. China - History - 20th Century    9. Historical - General    10. Pan, Lynn    11. Shanghai    12. Travel    13. Biography: general    14. Journeys   

Reviews (4)

Shanghai "Groovy" Map
I found this map to be extremely helpful in Shanghai. It's laminated, and it has all the downtown streets clearly marked and major hotels, office buildings, parks, and other reference points clearly shown. The back side has quick-and-dirty lists of the best restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, etc. so you can use that info and leave your heavy tourist book at home.
Colorful but not expansive
This map shows various restaurant, club, and shopping areas in a visual fashion.Basically, it just locates on a map what any standard guidebook would tell you about which areas are the best for tourist attractions.It also has a map of the subway.The brief descriptions on the back are handy too, because then you don't need to carry around a heavy guidebook all day, just the map (which you'd need anyway).
Big City Made Simpler
Shanghai is not the easiest city to 'get to know' after only 3 days there and especially if you are not a native speaker of Mandarin, but I was lucky enough to find this map and take it with me from my hotel while touring and travelling around. The map is very friendly and makes the navigation of this big busy city much easier. I found my way from hotel to shops and restauarnts and markets using this map and guide all day. The writing style is informal and you will feel like you are getting some good tips from a friend as opposed to a tourist brochure. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. China    2. Travel & holiday guides