Editorial Review

Bill Bryson follows his Appalachian amble, Read more

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Reviews (361)

"Que Sera Sera"
I checked this out of the library and read it on the way to Australia to visit my daughter during her study abroad semester in Brisbane. She read it while we sailed the Whitsundays and dove on the Great Barrier Reef - well, not when we we actually in the water. Before whe started reading it, in conversations I regularly sited Bryson having commented on many of our topics, by saying something, "Just like in the book," or, "Bryson talks about that in the book." A little like Seinfeld having done so many topics, that we live parts of them in our daily lives. Anyway, we left the book on a plane. So, I'll buy a copy for the library and one for me - money well spent. It was a great introduction and punctuated much of the trip. A bus driver in Brisbane was actually whistling "Que Sera Sera," which,I think, was mentioned in the book. I'll find out when I read it again. I'd read Bryson's Sort History of Nearly Everything a couple of years ago. It's also a good read.

Audio CD review: His prose is annoying when spoken aloud
You get your money's worth here--there are a ton of CDs in this audio book. Unfortunately, I found Bryson's prose (which I enjoyed a lot when reading silently, as I have done with his other books) to be greatly irritating when spoken aloud. To me, he sounds kind of 'affected' in parts, and sometimes there is a sort of "moist" sound when he pronounces words. Hard to describe until you hear the CD, but trust me on this one. I think a lot of the positive reviews on here are for the book, and not the CD. I would stick with the written word on this one.

Why I read it twice...a review in two parts.
I took this book with me on a recent trip to Central America and absolutely loved it.While there is less narrative flow than, say, A Walk in the Woods, reading Bryson's thoughts on Sydney harbor, Australian-rules football, former Prime Minister Harold Holt (peace be upon him), forever walking through Canberra, and his near run-in's with a seemingly endless list of nasty (and apparently deadly) native animals was engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.He does this all the while encountering some pretty terrific and endearing folks, drinking many Victorian Bitters, and relaying an impressive and affectionate recounting of Australian history.There really is a lot to like here.So much so that upon finishing the book while still in Central America, and realizing that I committed the unpardonable sin of only bringing one book with me to read (you try finding a decent bookstore in Central America), I turned to the first chapter and started all over again.And it was equally engrossing, witty, and informative if not more-so.I can think of no higher compliment for a book and I recommend it whole-heartedly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Audiobooks    3. Australia    4. Australia & New Zealand - General    5. Australia & Oceania - Australia    6. Bryson, Bill    7. Description and travel    8. Essays & Travelogues    9. History    10. Journeys    11. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    12. Travel / General   

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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Business/Professional    2. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Corporate & Business History - General    5. Europe - General    6. Japan    7. New York    8. New York (State)    9. Real estate developers    10. Real estate development    11. Travel    12. United States - State & Local - General   

Editorial Review

Bill Bryson has made a living out of traveling and then writing about it. In Read more

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Reviews (889)

"I had never encountered anything so hard, for which I was so ill prepared."
Returning to the US after living in England for twenty years, Bill Bryson becomes intrigued with the idea of the hiking the Appalachian Trail, a portion of which is in his New Hampshire backyard.The 2100-mile trail from Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine winds through virgin forest and scenes of incredible natural beauty and provide an unparalleled opportunity to be alone and reflective.
WONDERFUL
THIS MAY BE MY SECOND FAVORITE BILL BRYSON BOOK BEHIND SUNBURNED COUNTRY. AS I SAID IN HIS FORUM, IT'S BEYOND BELIEF THAT HE AND HIS OVERWEIGHT FRIEND GOOD OLD KATZ WALKED AS FAR AS THEY DID IN THE WILDERNESS AND SURVIVED. IT IS A WONDERFUL, RELAXING, EDIFYING, LAUGH-RIOT OF A BOOK AS ONLY BILL CAN PROVIDE. I LOVE HIS WORK AND TRUST ME, BUY THIS, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN. EVEN READING ABOUT THE DANGERS YOU'LL FEEL LIKE IMMEDIATELY GOING FOR A HIKE SOMEWHERE. ONE WARNING, TAKE A LOT OF BILL'S HISTORY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. HE TENDS TO BEND THE FACTS A BIT FOR A LAUGH AND HIS "HISTORY" OF THOMAS J. JACKSON (STONEWALL) IS JUST NONSENSE, BUT VERY FUNNY. IN FACT, JACKSON WAS PROBABLY THE MOST BRILLIANT MAJOR OFFICER THE UNITED STATES EVER PRODUCED AND HE, NOT ROBERT E. LEE WAS THE STATEGIST IN THE SOUTH'S GREATEST VICTORIES. BUT I DIGRESS, BILL BRYSON IS MY HERO AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE I'M A REPUBLICAN AND HE DETESTS REPUBLICAN'S SO YOU KNOW I FIND THIS MAN FUNNY. GO BILL!

Elitist and arrogant
I have made it to page 84 and I don't think I can read any further.At this point in the book Bryson is in Franklin, NC."Late on the third afternoon I stood in a Burger King and studied, with absorbtion, the photographs of the manager and his exectutive crew (reflecting on the curious fact that people who go into hamburger management always look as if their mother slept with Goofy), then slid one pace to the right to examine the Employee of the Month awards.It was then that I realized I had to get out of Franklin."If you find this sort of elitist humor funny, then this book is for you.Also this book reads like fiction.Too much of it is not believable and appears to me to be written to make the story more interesting and therefore more publishable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Natural history    6. Travel    7. Unabridged Audio - Travel    8. United States - Northeast - General    9. United States - South - East South Central (General)    10. North America    11. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

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A good but not great book
I did enjoy this book, but there were parts where I lost interest.Kuralt gives a lot of detail about the people he meets, but sometimes I didn't get as many details as I would have liked about the actual place he visited.In all, it is a book worth reading-- especially if you like to hear stories about individual characters.

"He looked up at a towering tree,and dared to think small."

Kuralt a Genius
Charles Osgood called Kuralt "The only genius that television news ever produced."I'll go with that. People were surprised when Kuralt retired abruptly. We later learned that he was in the process of succumbing to a fatal disease. So Kuralt was not just touring America, he was saying good bye to it. It is a brilliant work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1934-    2. 1971-    3. Abridged Audio - Travel    4. Audio - Nonfiction    5. Audio Adult: Other    6. Audiobooks    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Journeys    9. Kuralt, Charles,    10. Social life and customs    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Travel & holiday guides    14. Travel / General    15. Travel writing    16. USA   

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Reviews (113)

History is fun!
A look at the history of U.S. presidential assassinations.Part history, part comic commentary, Ms. Vowell extensively documents her visits to sites (official or not) associated with these events.The history of the assassinations alone is interesting and details are often overlooked (or not looked at at all - e.g., Garfield, McKinley) when these events are presented / captured in popular forums.It is a quick read that will shed light on and insight into these assassinations that you never considered before.

I will buy this book from you if you don't like it
I read this book aloud to 5 pre- and teenagers on a grueling road trip down south over Easter. Not only did it hold their attention the entire time it was an incredible coincidence to pass an important site in the book at the EXACT time we were reading about the capture of John Wilkes Boothe. Because of the author's exacting description we were able to arrive at the exact site she describes in such detail and VOILA, nearly living history. (Of course, being uncouth Northerners we allowed our dog to pee on the shrine in question and one child left eggs from his Easter basket on the marker).This book compelled me to read three or four more books about Lincoln, Booth and assorted others Vowell writes about. She captures history in such a remarkably approachable manner, I've since bought copies for every history teacher in our school district. Every American should read this book and even if you think you know about our first assassinations, you will learn something, and laugh while learning it. Spectacular.

Move over Bill Bryson, there's stiff competition
Assassination Vacation is one of the best books I've read this Summer. Ms Vowell should take up teaching American history. Her brilliant and expert knowledge of her subjects (normally written about in stententious and serious tones given the subject matter) is quite impressive. But, it is the wit and humor and unusual angle of expression and personal observations that is the most captivating. I was amazed to learn so much more about the Lincoln assassination and conspirators (despite more than 35 years of reading and research on the subject) and view it from a different and less reverent angle. But even more, I was entranced by the Garfield and McKinley coverage - which added huge amounts of information to my very limited knowledge of either of these presidents or their assassins and the events surrounding them. Garfield came off so much better than I ever knew - which was very little. And his hilarious "disappointed office seeker" far more ambitious (Ambassador to France?) and political (Stalwart for Grant) than I ever knew. Don't know how one can make an account of assassinations hilariously funny? Read this book - and don't assume that it isn't historically accurate, because it is. This one is a real keeper and I am thinking of buying it on tape - just so I can listen to it while stuck in traffic, so that fellow travellers can see someone who is having fun while in the midst of DC rush hours.Have fun with this book and share it with everyone you know who loves history and has a good sense of humor. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Travel    2. Assassination    3. Audio - Nonfiction    4. Biography    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Homes and haunts    7. Murder - General    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Presidents    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Special Interest - General    13. United States    14. Social Science / Popular Culture   

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Reviews (135)

phenominal
Bill Bryson is a genius. This book is absolutely hilarious. I was never much of a reader, but i got this book for a present and when i started reading it i couldnt put it down. This is a must read. Bill Bryson, please right more (italy, islands, etc.)!!!

Bill Bryson is no Mark Twain, but who is?
Why not just read Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad instead? Bryson's account reads like a bad rip-off at many points, and while Twain's mockery of a typical American tourist in Europe is clearly coming from love of and respect for his fellow Americans, Bryson comes off as snobbish and superior, wishing to distance himself from all things American, quick to point out that he is an ex-pat. Also, Twain is funnier. Of course.

Bill Bryson is always great
You must know by now that I never write a bad review about this guy. In this book, we take a whirlwind tour of Europe. You can read the cover blurbs about how funny and perceptive he is, and how skillful he is with the language, and how eminently readable he is. I agree with every word. But I'd like to mention that this isn't some snooty tour guide or gushing forth bubblehead. He's an average guy who won't hesitate to tell you what sucks, or leave a place that he doesn't like, or bend over backwards to say nice things. He'll bash anybody, himself included. He's refreshingly honest.
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Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction (Unabridged)    2. Audio Adult: Other    3. Audiobooks    4. Bryson, Bill    5. Description and travel    6. Essays & Travelogues    7. Europe    8. Europe - General    9. Journeys    10. Travel    11. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    12. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Editorial Review

In the world of contemporary travel writing, Bill Bryson, the bestselling author of Read more

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Reviews (192)

Not one of his better works
This collection of short essays he published in an English paper (and meant for an English audience) seem to miss the mark for American readers.It's as if he published this because he needed money.There was nothing original in this book, nothing really funny and what few authentically funny parts there were seemd trite and at times exaggerated.
A minor work of collected news columns
Not particularly interesting or funny. None of the ridiculous turns of language of a Dave Barry column, no elder-statesman crabbiness like Andy Rooney's. Just routine bitching about airlines, office supplies, and so on. Save it for "A Walk in the Woods" or "A Short History of Nearly Everything"

Good, but Bryson can be preachy
Bryson has been one of my favorite authors for years now - the first thing of his that I read was a magazine article comparing American weather extremes with those in his beloved England.This collection of his writings on things American has me confused.Most of it, as his wife points out, is griping about this and that.Bryson has a tendency to talk down anything that doesn't fit into his view of how life ought to be and a maddening myopia when it comes to understanding why things are the way they are in this modern world.Balancing that though is his self-deprecating humor and his beautiful writing skills.There is a piece on global warming in this book that all ought to read.So, basically, even though he is preachy, and a bit gripy, he is laugh-out-loud funny and writes so very well that I will keep reading him. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1971-    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Anecdotes    4. Audio - Autobiography / Biography    5. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    6. Audiobooks    7. Description and travel    8. Essays & Travelogues    9. General    10. Humor    11. Literary    12. Social life and customs    13. Travelers    14. United States    15. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Reviews (5)

Not exactly what I expected
The songs are in russian and english, but 2 different singers.The russian singer is more opera style and not child centered.There is a russian dialog, but it is never translated in english except in the book.It is difficult to follow along in the book.

Mostly American songs, with a lot of English, not Russian
My husband, who is Russian, reports that the songs on this are not traditional Russian, to his knowledge, and don't even sound like they might be Russian songs. Many of them are obviously American -- "America the Beautiful" -- and there is a lot of English singing taking up the tape, rather then repeating the Russian verse two or three more times. The Russian itself is well spoken, but for learning traditional Russian children's songs, this is not a good tape.

A must for adopted children
As an adoptive parent and the founder of Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc. I highly recommend this tape for your adopted child. We adopted our daughter from Russia and she is so into learning her culture and very proud to be able to sing Russian songs. I highly recommend enhancing your child's culture by buying this tape. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio: Juvenile    2. Children's Audio - Language    3. Children's audiobooks    4. Conversation and phrase books    5. English    6. Foreign Language Study - General    7. Juvenile literature    8. Music - General    9. Reference - General    10. Russian language    11. Travel    12. Linguistics    13. Reference works    14. Russian    15. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

Editorial Review

Arguably one of the most profoundly important essays ever written on the nature and significance of "quality" and definitely a necessary anodyne to the consequences of a modern worldpathologically obsessed with quantity.Although set as a story of a cross-country trip on a motorcycle by a father and son, it is more nearly a journey through 2,000 years of Western philosophy. For some people, this has been a trulylife-changing book. ... Read more

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Not a good philosophy book
If you are looking for a new and SUBSTANTIATED philosophical view, this is not the right book. An excellent work of fiction, great writing, yes, these you will find in this book -- but not a strong philosophy.
"Walden" Meets "Easy Rider"
Anyone with moderate intelligence and sufficient leisure can work out their own private philosophy.The worth of such a philosophy should not be measured by comparison to the great philosophers of the past (or present); rather we should ask how well does it assist its creator in coping with life.Some personal philosophies are crafted in such a way that they help, not just their creator, but large numbers of their creator's fellow beings.Thus it is with the personal philosophy of Robert M. Pirsig, who laments that he has not had an original thought in years.
It is worth rereadng several times
I read this book several times over the years and each time I get something new out of it. I'm a Christian and though this book derives some of its underpinnings from Eastern philosopy, the book gives a great overview of Western civilization. How the book uses geography, the personal relationships, his past history, and Greek and Eastern philosophy to prove his thesis is fascinating. The book has problems. The main character does not follow his own philosophy in some ways. Pirsig makes too broad of generalizations about the Greek philosophers. Phaedrus's experience at the University of Chicago does not ring true to me. However, the book challenges the reader to think, to ponder life in general and contemplate on how the branches of knowledge tie together.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Anecdotes    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Eastern - Zen    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Life    8. Parental Memoirs    9. Voyages and travels    10. Popular psychology   

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Reviews (3)

A great way to spend a few hours on Arm Chair Travel.
I love guide books. I used them extensively when I used to fly for free. This book was user friendly, entertaining and jam packed with all sorts of good information. Best Bet: Go to your local bookstore and check it out in person before buying it.

A VERY GOOD , true 'pocket size' compact guide.
Straight away, you're going to love the 'deck of cards’ size of this wonderful guide. It slips in your hip pocket and leaves your hands free to part the pressing masses of Beijing.If you’re a people person, you will love China (1.3 Billion and rising).

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. General    3. Transportation    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign   

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Reviews (4)

Excellent
As i was traveling with my boyfriend to Florida to visit with my family i acciedntly bought this book. i meant to buy something else by Nicholas Sparks but it just so happens that is was Three weeks with my brother. I dont not have any brothers and up until this point i didnt think that the realastionships between brothers and sisters could be so close. I loved how this book tied in the relationship that the two brothers had as well as the relationship with the whole family. I myself have not done too much traveling around the world and loved the insight that the book gave me. I actually have looked into a trip to see some of the locations that the two brothers went to.
Very Emotional
It took me a while to get into the autobiography of Nicholas Sparks, but if you can get past the beginning, it is a very emotional story.I listened to it while I was driving and I was tearing up a few times, which isn't too good while driving, LOL.I think this would actually make a good movie.

Three Weeks With My Brother (CD edition)
This is one of the most wonderful, inspirational, and moving books that I have read. At first, I didn't realize that the authors were Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook and Message In A Bottle, among other best selling books, and his brother. I hope this doesn't give anything away except that I am kinda dumb when it comes to remembering authors and titles. The book is really an autobiography covering Nick and his entire family. He covers their many trials and tribulations and still manages to see the good that came out of what for me and others, I suppose, would be absolutely devastating and horrible things to happen. The descriptions of his family members, especially his wife, are outstanding and again food for thought and inspiration. We see how ordinary people can be extraordinary when you know them better.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Authors, American    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Brothers    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Literary    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    11. United States    12. Voyages and travels    13. Biography & Autobiography / General   

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Reviews (5)

This Book is a Little Gem!
If you want the real lowdown, and the fine detail on travel to Rome, this is the best guide book I've found. There are literally hundreds of recommendations for places to shop, see, eat and stay. I checked out the restaurants mentioned around The Spanish Steps, and completely agree with their picks. As someone who makes part of their living by writing about Rome, through my web site, I can tell you that this is a well researched, up to date book that will not disappoint.

opinion
I really don't care for Lonely Planet's Italy guide so I bought this one.Many of the descriptions are brief.

perfect if you're visiting for a weekend or a year
I bought this book while I was living in Rome, and in my six months there saw nearly all the sights listed and more. I especially loved the book's size--I could hide it in my pocket and not look so much like a tourist, and I didn't have to walk around with a big huge map unfolded in front of me. If only the maps in the book could be a little more detailed (like, including the names of the piazzas and churches mentioned in the text!). The bars and restaurants recommended are places I actually went and would recommend to other travelers.Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Italy    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel / General   

Editorial Review

If you enjoyed Read more

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Beautiful memoir!
Through this well written memoir you get to learn a lot about Africa, specially about Rwandas history. Rosamund's life story is very interesting, the choices she made, the oportunities life offered to her and that she took. It's great to see all the good deeds she made and the things she achieved inspite of all the caos Rwanda has gone through in the last decades. She takes care of lots of orphan kids and shelters them at her property. She does her best to help these kids become the best they can be even they live surrounded by danger. I enjoyed the book very much and learned more about Africa and about humanity as well.

50 years are artfully packed into this memoir
What a well-written book! It reads like the memoir that it is, and memoirs require special storytelling skills when they cover an entire 50 years.And this is what the book does--covers 50 years of the author's life and Rwandan history.
Fascinating look into Rwanda's history
My interest in Rwanda was spurred by watching the movie "Hotel Rwanda" and reading "The Poisonwood Bible" (which is set in next door Congo).This book follows the life of a young woman that marries an African adventurer and goes there at a fairly young age.She winds up spending practically the rest of her life there, and provides a unique and interesting perspective on Rwanda's history.Watching "Hotel Rwanda" gave me only a snapshot - leading me to think that Hutus were crazy blood thirsty savages going after Tutsis.Well, many of them were, but this book gave me a little of the background as to why the Hutus are so crazy and militant.Rwanda certainly has had a turbulent history.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Ethnic Cultures - General    3. General    4. Travel    5. Travelers    6. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    7. Women   

Editorial Review

In the mid-1980s, Tony Cohan and his artist wife, Masako, decided they had had enough of the hectic pace and inherent insecurities of life in Los Angeles and made tracks for the historic town of San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico. At first they rented rooms in a hotel.Then, when the hotel became less appealing, they graduated to renting an apartment. Almost inevitably, they eventually found themselves buying a 250-year-old hacienda on the verge of collapse, with wonderfully elegant Spanish colonial architecture and a garden brimming with papayas, avocados, and custard apples. Read more

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enjoy Mexico vicariously!
This author has a wonderful style that made me feel like I was there with him, experiencing his zen-like transformation from fast-lane city dweller to truly connected human being. His luxurious use of prose and vivid descriptions, combined with his sincere love for Mexico, made reading this book a most enjoyable vicarious adventure.

¡A mí me gusta!
I think he nails it.
The Seinfeld Book of Living in Mexico
How is this book similar to the sitcom "Seinfeld"?Well, it's a book about nothing.Absolutely nothing.There is no action event of relevance.This book just describes a couple of Americans visiting Mexico, San Miguel de Allende more specifically, falling gradually in love with the laid back lifestyle, and never coming back.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Travel    2. Audio - Travel    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Description and travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. General    9. Mexico    10. San Miguel de Allende (Mexico)    11. Social life and customs    12. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Editorial Review

Work's still not completely finished on Bramasole, the Tuscan house that California-based poet and bestselling author Frances Mayes bought a decade ago and has been fixing up every summer since. Nevertheless, in Read more

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Reviews (126)

Boring
I am about half way through the book and can't bring myself to read another page.I only read this far hoping that soon it would become as interesting as her first book, but sadly I feel I've wasted enough time listening to the boring rants of wine, gardens, and other writers...If you'd like to read whole chapters devoted to describing gardens and flowers and if you like to whole chapters devoted to recipes she's come across while in Tuscany, you'll enjoy this book.The only parts I enjoyed were her travels to other parts of the country.

Francis Mayes' Italian Adventure Continues
Francis Mayes returns to Tuscany from her teaching job in San Francisco, and while continuing to work on Bramasole, she takes the time to make trips to other areas of Italy.She is feathering her nest with the beautiful pottery, great wines and cheeses, clay tiles and other treasures that she discovers as she travels beyond the village she has made her own.I love food, gardening, shopping and planning a household myself, so Mayes' accounts of her adventures in Italy really appeal to me.She has a wonderful way of describing color and texture and flavor, that makes the armchair traveller feel as though they are really in Italy.Like some other reviewers, I am unnerved by Mayes' prosperity and elitism, but I still really enjoy the fantasy of living the "sweet life", buying beautiful things, finding myself in ancient places as the sun sets, and eating wonderful food which Mayes so skillfully brings to life.

This book provides an imaginary escape for the reader...
The book itself is beautifully bound with thick hand cut pages. I found it to be pleasurable simply to hold it as I read it. Frances took me on a gentle journey through various small towns, museums and trattorias throughout Italy, along with shadowing her personal journey during that 6 or so years. The book had everything I want from Ms. Mayes Tuscany stories. If you are looking for an escape to an Italian dreamland, you will like this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction    2. Audio Adult: Other    3. Audiobooks    4. Cookery, Italian    5. Description and travel    6. Essays & Travelogues    7. Europe - Italy    8. Tuscan style    9. Tuscany (Italy)    10. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    11. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Subjects:  1. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    2. France    3. Travel & holiday guides    4. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Editorial Review

In this memoir of her buying, renovating, and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Frances Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy, and the generous spirit she brought with her. She revels in the sunlight and the color, the long view of her valley, the warm homey architecture, the languor of the slow paced days, the vigor of working her garden, and the intimacy of her dealings with the locals. Cooking, gardening, tiling and painting are never chores, but skills to be learned, arts to be practiced, and above all to be enjoyed. At the same time Mayes brings a literary and intellectual mind to bear on the experience, adding depth to this account of her enticing rural idyll. ... Read more

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Reviews (415)

Lemon Tree
The cover of mine was decorated with the actress from the movie so I expected it to be the tragic romance with a happy ending on the DVD. Instead I got a description of a couple of college proffessors who cash in their investments to buy a million dollar run down house in Cortona Italy in which they only planned to live in 3 months out of the year.
Beautiful Tuscany
Frances Mayes and her boyfriend Ed are college professors in San Francisco.Since her own college days, Mayes has rented houses in Italy, and dreamed of one day buying a home of her own in Tuscany.After looking at endless houses, ranging from ruins to the opposite extreme, they finally came upon Bramasole, a country home long abandoned and surrounded by terraced hillsides with old olive trees.As other reviewers pointed out, Mayes has a lot of money and whines about spending it.She does not become one of the locals, and when school starts she flies back to her apartment in California.But her descriptions of working on the house and the land around it really appeal to me.I enjoyed a story she told about rebuilding the falling stone walls with a team of Polish workers who worked for her contractor and stayed at the local church.She does love her new home and the land, and the layers of history she and Ed discover as they work on the house.She writes descriptions of the wonderful local produce and cooking, and you can feel the warmth of the sun, a visit to the weekly market, or the drama of a thunderstorm in her writing as if you were there.

Drew me in!
Long having toyed with the idea of retiring in the south of France, my interest was piqued when friends told me about this book.They were ready to lend me their copy, but seeing that this was a topic close to heart, i.e. the buying of a house in Southern Europe, I decided to go out and buy it.Admittedly, the narrative started off slowly for me.However, once Mayes started to recount the tale of actively looking for a house, and ultimately finding one, I was hooked.Since I am a bit of food-lover, the recipes were of interest as well.In all, I read the book in two sittings, it's that interesting once you get going.If I could proffer some criticism, I would point out that the book has little insight for those hoping to find a true cultural observation.The author and her boyfriend deal with the locals in various capacities, from notary to carpenter, but they befriend too few to really get at the heart of the real Tuscans.Of course, given that friendships in Europe develop at glacier speeds this is normal.Nonetheless, my hope is that all the years spent in Italy Mayes will be able to address this lacuna in her next book...the one I picked up today.All in all, Under the Tuscan Sun is an eloquent, worth-while story about a fascinating part of the world. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Travel    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Cookery, Italian    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Europe - Italy    7. Mayes, Frances    8. Travel    9. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    10. Reading Group Guide   

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Subjects:  1. English as a Second Language    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Language    5. American English    6. ELT audio-visual (video & audio cassettes)    7. ELT: English for travel & communications    8. ELT: vocabulary skills    9. English Language Learning (ESL) | Jazz Chants | Holiday Jazz Chants    10. Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language   

Editorial Review

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A great tale of an island adventure, not much detail about shark science
Susan Casey, a journalist, becomes intrigued by white sharks and the Farallon Islands some thirty miles from San Francisco. After fighting through restrictions and barriers, she manages to get onto the island and observe a group of scientists studying predation by great white sharks within the so-called red triangle. Her description of the islands flora and fauna are very good. Detailed descriptions of shark attacks also give the story some excitement. She doesn't provide much scientific detail about the research she observed; however, she's a journalist, not a biologist. She's a story-teller and does a good job.
Other reviewers must be relatives
My thought after reading this book was " I wish I could get my money back." I didn't like it at all. It had less to do with sharks and more to do with Susan's plights on the island itself.
I came away disappointed in the end...
Susan Casey's book is a fascinating peek into her obsession with white sharks. Her fascination and admiration of the creatures comes through, as does the passion behind her personal quest to spend time on the Farallones. However, by the end of the book, I was angry with Casey. Her blind passion put the entire Sharkwatch operation in jeopardy and resulted in the firing of one valuable researcher. I think that she succeeds in translating the majesty and awe of the white shark, but I think that the story comes off as a selfish city reporter who is no better than the tourists (whom she criticizes) who pay to cage dive with the sharks. She may mean to do well, but leaves the project in jeopardy as a direct result of her irresponsible actions.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Travel    2. Anecdotes    3. Audio - Nonfiction    4. Audiobooks    5. California    6. Farallon Islands    7. Fish    8. Marine Life    9. Nature    10. Nature/Ecology    11. Saltwater Fish - Individual Species    12. Special Interest - Adventure    13. White shark    14. Nature / Marine Life   

Editorial Review

Bill Bryson is an unabashed Anglophile who, through a mistake of history, happened to be born and bred in Iowa. Righting that error, he spent 20 years in England before deciding to repatriate: "I had recently read that 3.7 million Americans according to a Gallup poll, believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, so it was clear that my people needed me." That comic tone enlivens this account of Bryson's farewell walking tour of the countryside of "the green and kindly island that had for two decades been my home." ... Read more

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Hilarious
I love Bill Bryson's books, even though I've criticized a couple of them. He's witty, urbane, insightful and an all around fun guy. In fact, he's my favorite liberal and one of only 4 or 5 with an I.Q. above 95. This book is just a wonderful insight into the mind of the British, and a sad eye-opener to some of the tragic destruction of the environment that made Great Britain what it was. If you want to have a wonderful, relaxing and quite funny journey through Great Britain from the eyes of an American who lived there for many years, do read this book. In fact read all of Bill's books, you won't be sorry. Thanks Bill, you're my hero!!!

Great stories, good humor, bad narration voice
The book is brilliant, no question about it. His stories are great, his humor dry and culturally insightful. The problem is that, like all audio books, the voice of the narrator can make or break the experience. And in this case, unfortunately, the voice of the author fails the material.
Laughs galore
This is the third Bill Bryson travelogue I have read.This has several laugh-out-loud sections, particularly if you have travelled in the United Kingdom.It is excellent for relaxing on weekends or on a plane.If you have never been to the UK and don't know any British people, then don't form all your opinions based on this one book, but Bryson does a good job distilling some of the differences between our nations into an amusing few hundred pages. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Abridged Audio - Travel    3. Audio Adult: Other    4. Audiobooks    5. Civilization    6. Description and travel    7. England    8. Essays & Travelogues    9. Europe - Great Britain - General    10. Humor    11. Topic - Political    12. Travel / Essays & Travelogues