Reviews (10)

Good Guide!
Normally, I look at tour books for the following things:
Maps could be better
But overall, very good book, wouldn't expect less from LP. However, I feel they should really make a stronger statement about the scams in Bangkok. I mean, it makes it sound like you 'may' be approached by people claiming temples are closed, etc. ... This happened every single time we left the hotel! The details on the sights were very good. The maps sections left a lot to be desired, they often skipped large sections of streets and more than once we got a bit lost...

New Cover, Same Content
If you have never owned a copy of this book, then buy it. It has a lot of practical info on where to stay, where to eat and what places to visit. I can't say the reviews are all unbiased, but like other Lonely Planet titles, it's a bible for the independent traveller. Generally, following their advice won't get you into serious trouble.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast    2. Guidebooks    3. Reference - Guides (General)    4. Thailand    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Travel - United States    3. Travel Guides - U.S.    4. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    5. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    6. New York    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / United States / Northeast / Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)   

Reviews (15)

I Can't Do it Justice
This is a wonderful book, easy to read and will appeal to you no matter what your gender, age, race, color, creed...
Great family tale
Since I barely watch TV, I had no idea who Mike Leonard was.He works for NBC, and contributes to the Today show.I was really impressed with this first book.It has the main aspects I love in a good memoir, humor, self-effacing honesty, wit and history.Mike takes his eccentric parents, 80'ish, and three of his grown children on a motorhome trip across America.Oh, the stories you'll love in this one.
Pleasant reading, but a little pointless.
I think this book was a little too personal to be widely interesting to a large readership.The writing style was pretty good, and there are a lot of pretty funny incidents.But, in a way, it was easy to put it down and forget to pick it up again.I had to read it for my book club (and paid for the book!) or I probably would have set it aside and picked up something more compelling.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Irish American families    9. Irish Americans    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Recreational vehicles    12. Travelers    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Description    2. Disneyland (Calif.)    3. Guide-books    4. Guidebooks    5. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    6. Travel    7. Travel - United States    8. Travel Guides - U.S.    9. United States - Pacific - California    10. United States - West - Pacific (General)    11. Florida    12. Travel & holiday guides    13. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (4)

Locating Photo Sites
This book helped me find a lot of little known places to photograph in S.F. with stories about their backgrounds.

A Love Only for The Bay ...
I finally have my heart and body in San Francisco ... and this is one book that explains why many who love the Bay can love no other city like San Francisco. A must read for those who are traveling to the Bay Area and wonder why it is the most beautiful city in the world.

A little history about my home town -- 20 years later
I'd signed up to take a History of San Francisco class as an elective during my first two years of college.It was cancelled because there were only three students signed up that were interested and a class had to have at least 11 students in order to happen -- unbelievable!!I was deeply disappointed.Well, I think this little book covers more than I would have learned in that class, if it had taken place, a little more than 20 years ago.Next time I go home to see friends & family, I'm going to conduct my own history walking tour with this book in my pack! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. General    3. Miscellanea    4. San Francisco (Calif.)    5. Travel - United States    6. United States - Pacific - San Francisco    7. North America    8. Places & peoples: general interest    9. Travel / General    10. USA   

Reviews (1)

FACTUAL ERROR
As the author of "The Complete Guide to Easter Island" (Easter Island Foundation, 2004), I read with much interest the chapter on Easter Island in the 2006 edition of "Chile & Easter Island" by Charlotte Beech, et al. There is one important factual error that readers show know about: The account of the Peruvian slave raids on Easter Island as it appears on page 428 makes reference to an out-dated and erroneous account of Easter Islanders being forced to work the guano deposits on Peru's Chincha Islands. Due to confused personal accounts reported incorrectly by early ethnologists and historians, this story appeared in some of the first Easter Island literature and has been repeated ad nauseam by more contemporary writers who haven't done their homework -- so it's no surprise that it might end up being source material for the authors of "Chile & Easter Island" who may have had little or no way of knowing the inaccuracies involved. But, as Easter Island researcher and author Grant McCall discovered after doing extensive historical and genealogical research on the islanders (including a visit to the Chincha Islands), there is no evidence to support allegations that Easter Islanders were taken to the Chincha Islands. There is evidence that Easter Islanders were taken to coastal plantations in Peru where they were sold as indentured servants, however. One key fact that has been uncovered in investigating this misinformation is that the guano mines were not actually operating at the time of the 1862 slave raids (they were temporarily closed due to Spanish raids), so it's clear that Easter Islanders couldn't even have been on the Chincha Islands. This may all seem like a small matter but, when it comes to Easter Island (where there has been no shortage of nonsense written and far fewer mysteries than most people would like to believe), the more accurate we can get, the better!
Read more

Subjects:  1. South America    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Chile    7. Easter Island    8. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

First published in 1982, William Least Heat-Moon's account of his journey along the back roads of the United States (marked with the color blue on old highway maps) has become something of a classic. When he loses his job and his wife on the same cold February day, he is struck by inspiration: "A man who couldn't make things go right could at least go. He could quit trying to get out of the way of life. Chuck routine. Live the real jeopardy of circumstance. It was a question of dignity."Read more

Reviews (99)

On Maps Where There Are Large Red Highways And Little Blue Highways, He Took The Blue Roads To Discovery
A generation ago writer William Least Heat-Moon, getting away from the tangles of his own changing life, bravely undertook a road trip that crossed the quiet places of the American landscape, and on his journey he met a number of wonderfully unique men and women, all people of depth and individuality, and he learned their stories. Describing in this slow-paced, pure-spirited book a disappearing aspect of (rural) America most of us will never know or even be aware of, this writer crafted a non-fiction classic that is both a time capsule and a recounting of a modern-day human-centered pilgrimage of growth. The lesson Least Heat-Moon learned that sticks out above all in my mind is how he found time and again that it is the people who possess the least in their lives who are also the most generous and welcoming. An inspiring, interesting, moving sort of book about a time much longer ago than a mere quarter-century, and about places that most likely have already given way to change. I read this book in college and have found it unforgettable.

Tedious
Not at all as interesting as I hoped it would be. The back roads of USA should be able to offer a much more colourful and interesting web than this.

A Gift
William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways is referred to by many as a "cult classic".If so, it's a shame this book is not better known.It is 1978 and William Least Heat-Moon is 38 years old.Upon the near-simultaneous loss of his college teaching job and his marriage, he needs to get out of town, to leave places of sadness, futility and routine, to clear his mind and renew his soul.William leaves Missouri driving a '75 Econoline that he also intends to live in for the next several months; the truck has been named "Ghost Dancing".He has determined that he will drive only the blue highways, the old map color for single-lane rural highways and county roads, the roads that lead to all the small places in America, lost and forgotten by time, faded in economic or historic significance.He will travel and look around and listen, meet new people and learn new things and new ways of thinking.Most of all he will think, taking an inward journey as well.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Description    2. Description and travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Heat Moon, William Least    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States    8. United States - General    9. Journeys    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    12. Travel writing    13. USA   

Reviews (10)

A must for any Disneyphile!
A wonderful small book and a worthy sequel to the Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom.Whatever you want to know about Epcot, its history and attractions, is covered here.A perfect companion to any trip to Walt Disney World.

very awesome addition to a collection
I loved this book and was glad to pass it on to other family members as a well to psych them up about our upcoming trip to florida. I always love the book editions that are affiliated with the disney company.

Very interesting
This book was great! It explains the reasoning behind why and how all the current attractions were constructed. I would have liked to see a little more on the past and the potential for future attractions, but it was good. They spent a considerable amount of time on world showcase and not as much on future world.Also, forced perspective is one of the strong topics - they must explain it 5 times.Regardless of the disappointments, it was overall an interesting look into the concepts of what went into Epcot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    2. Parks    3. Pictorials    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. Travel Guides - U.S.    7. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    8. United States - South Atlantic - Florida    9. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (18)

The movie was Outstanding!
I visited the Amazon site after viewing the DVD "Rabbit Proof Fence."Although I have not read the book, the DVD contained a lot of landscape and many periods during the movie were what some may consider "quiet."When experiencing literature from another era or culture, I believe it helps to try to put self into the environment of the characters.The pace of "Rabbit Proof Fence" helped me be there.
M*E*G*O
Sorry folks I just could not get through this book. Unanimously the "critics" said the first 50 pages were disorganized and tedious. I read up to page 10, "zzzz" I then skipped ahead to page 50thinking "OK NOW the action will begin"nope just more of the same rambling sentences. I am keeping the book for its historical reference, and maybe someone else will read it and then convince me of the story's value.
An amazing story
Rabbit-Proof Fence is the story of 3 young part-Aboriginal girls in Australia, the oldest only fifteen years of age.Historically, "half-caste children", (half-Aboriginal and half-Caucasian) were considered wards of the Australian government and were, therefore, forcibly removed from their families and taken to settlment schools that were little more than jails.The purpose of these schools was to prepare these Aboriginal children for their role in white society as domestics and farmworkers.This book is a true story of 3 girls who escaped from the Moore River Settlement school.Their story is nothing less than amazing.The description of the "weevily porridge" that they were served for breakfast at the school, or the sheets that were only issued when the big inspectors were coming to visit and the other hardships they faced should sadden and anger every reader.Unfortunately, there are many similarities between their story and the treatment of Native Americans in this country.It is a must read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Historical    3. Aborigines, Australian    4. Removal    5. Moore River Region (W.A.)    6. Racially mixed children    7. Cultural assimilation   

Reviews (18)

Not Very Worldly
This guy is an idiot and does not know anything about Fiji, or its inhabitants.He is the typical "ugly American" and it would be best if he stayed away from beautiful islands such as Vanuatu.The people of Fiji are not as he portrays them, and his juvenile excursion to the islands is a poor attempt to be Hunter S-like.
Agree completely that this is a sophomore slump
I agree with the earlier reviewer from Washington D.C. who wrote, "Mildly interesting, not as good as the first." Troost's second book is "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" Lite.
Lost in the SoPac
J. Maarten Troost takes us on another trip to the South Pacific. He and wife Sylvia decide to move to Vanuatu/Fiji. Just over the first half of the book is recounting some of his misadventures in Vanuatu and his discovery of kava. Afterwards, we're off to Fiji when the Troosts find out they are pregnant with Lukas, their first son.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Description And Travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Fiji    5. Travel    6. Travel - General    7. Troost, J. Maarten    8. Vanuatu    9. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Reviews (5)

Camping with the Army Corps of Engineers
A unique feature of this small book is its tight list of Army Corps of Engineer Campsites that are not found in many other directories or guidebooks.This guide will tell you if the campsite is located near a big city like Atlanta or in a rural area. Organized by state, maps of your destination area are a helpful adjunct. As the name implies, most facilities are located near a body of water. Some tend to be more family oriented, others are described as hideaways--peaceful locations where you can commune with nature. The book provides good directions from major highways and clear information about the campsites. (Most list amenities, such as electric, water and dump stations.) This is a useful tool to have with you on any trip. Coming upon one of these sites can be a wonderful diversion. D. Brandley

Camping resourse
As a retired Corps of Engineer officer and a new RVer, I found this book interesting and helpful in planning for trips.
Great for RVers
This book is a "must have" for RVers and campers. I can't think of any other source that has all this information in one place, and easy to find. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Camping    2. Parks & Campgrounds    3. Reference    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Travel - General    7. United States - General   

Reviews (6)

The Second Installment
This book follows Lonely Planet's previous The Travel Book, and is generally similar in format.Unlike The Travel Book, this volume does not purport to be comprehensive.Rather, Lonely Planet has expressly made subjective judgments on which cities merited inclusion.US readers may be slightly surprised to see that cities like Boston, Denver, and San Diego were excluded while Memphis, Tennessee and Austin, Texas were included.Of course, like The Travel Book, the text descriptions of things representative elements of each place are inherently subjective.These comments should not be taken as criticisms.This is an appealing book for some armchair travel and could well motivate some actual travel.

Beautiful Pictures; Insufferable Preachiness
This book contains many beautiful pictures and if you are a stay-at-home world traveller you will definitely enjoy it.
good but...
really nice for some cities but i think the ranking could be much better, some cities are displayed incredihbly well for what they really are if you go and live there, other seem trashy when they are not at all.... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pictorials    2. Travel    3. Travel - General    4. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

Great
This book is pretty thorough.I haven't gone on my trip yet, but I feel much more confident traveling with this book in hand.I'm very pleased and the information is all relevant to this year.Written clearly and concisely and something for every budget. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - Australia    2. Australia & Oceania - General    3. Reference - Guides (General)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Australia    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (3)

Beautiful and Charming
This is a Wonderful book! The pictures are very beautiful, vivid! A Photo Collection Of Great Interest
I lived in London for two years a decade ago and so had the opportunity to travel extensively through the stunning countryside of England and Scotland. I never made it to Ireland however and so purchased Irish Blessings in order to have a good look at what I missed. TOO MUCH! A Beautiful Coffee Table Book...
I guess I'm partial to Irish things, but I think this is a beautiful book. Pages are split between pictures...landscapes, buildings, homes, and text... Irish blessings (May the road rise to meet you...etc.) and Irishpoets. Not a book to read staight through, but a great display book for youand guests to thumb through during idle moments. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    3. Inspirational & Religious    4. Ireland    5. Multicultural Nonfiction    6. Photoessays & Documentaries    7. Photography    8. Pictorial works    9. Quotations, maxims, etc    10. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    11. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Europe    12. Folklore    13. Photographs: collections    14. Places & peoples: general interest    15. Sale Books   

Reviews (48)

Well-written and mostly fair, but far from insightful
I really enjoy reading studies of America by foreigners, spending so much time abroad has really reinforced my ideas about what it means to be an American.I picked up "American Vertigo" because I was genuinely interested in what this man had to say about America, its people, its culture and its role in the world.
Who Are We?
A French philosopher with liberal leanings tours America to parallel Tocqueville's journey.Basically there are two sections: the tour and his philosophical conclusions.The tour is interesting.Yes, he discloses his political leanings and mentions Clinton and our obsession with a puritanical sexual view (in a European opinion).There is much discussion of Kerry as the tour starts a week after his loss.But the journey touches many varied subjects with excellent thought and particular emphasis on subjects Tocqueville covered in his early 1800's tour, none bigger that our barbaric prison system including Gitmo.Opinions are varied as he moves through the country and varied subjects with in my opinion, no particular leanings but just observations.
The oddest characterization Mr. Levy makes in this book: Senator "Norm Coleman, Jewish," has "the smile of a wolf."
"Travelling America in the footsteps of Tocqueville" is the subtitle of this book by fellow Frenchman Bernard-Henry Levy.But Mr. Levy had nothing to do with proposing this trip and little to do with the itnerary of it.Rather, The Atlantic Monthy magazine proposed and set it up for Mr. Levy; although the author does say of the stops proposed that "it was glanced at before leaving."So where did the Atlantic send him to look for America?Mr. Levy's first destination is New York's Rikers Island jail (just the first of 5 prisons he ultimately visits).Next he goes to Cooperstown.Cooperstown is the home of the baseball hall of fame of course, but also the "town of James Fenimore Cooper, and thus of the symbolic responsibility for the slaughter of the Indians," says Mr. Levy.Mr. Levy finds it hard to believe why "every year millions of men and women come, like me, to visit a town devoted entirely to the celebration of a myth."The myth he is referring to is the fact that baseball (as we have since learned) has origins older than Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown.So, presumably it's ridiculous to travel there anymore.Obviously, however, folks go there for the Baseball Hall of Fame, not to pay homage to Mr. Doubleday.Apparently Mr. Levy believes that a celebratory museum of America's pasttime has to be located in the actual place baseball was invented, otherwiseAmericans are saps for visiting it.(The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is a myth too then and, presumably, not at all worth visiting either, in Mr. Levy's view, presumably.)Likewise, he attacks Gutzon Borglum for proposing to carve Mount Rushmore in Indian territory.Borglum, however, had nothing to do with choosing the sight.And even less justfiable is his criticism that Mount Rushmore is far more grand than the monument for Wounded Knee (also in SW South Dakota), as if everything in America is proposed and commissioned out of Washington D.C.Mount Rushmore was NOT a federal government project.Its size (and the lack of size for the Wounded Knee marker) has nothing to do with decisions made in America's capital.It was a South Dakotan project pure and simple.Conclusion: Mount Rushmore is another huge American myth not worth visiting either.I suppose if Mount Rushmore was carved at Mt Vernon then it be be worthwhile.Such is the reasoning of this Frenchman; who, incidentailly, could have phoned in this book from his homeland as it is full of cliches: Americans "are armed like Nazis" (yes, Mr. Levy uses the term "like Nazis." He also calls America's "obsession with the flag" to be "strange," because, apparenty, it only flies at government buildings in France.Care to know where else Mr. Levy was sent to by the Atlantic Monthy?Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, San Francisico, et al.But it is not just places he visits.He also meets with a number of representitives of America culture along the way.Any guesses who the Atlantic Monthy set up for him to meet to take the cultural pulse of America?Answer: Norman Mailer, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, and Warren Beatty. This book's jacket describes Mr. Levy as a "brilliant and sympathetic foreign observer" who "has arrived to help us begin a new conversation about the meaning of America."That's the biggest myth, actually, of this book.(06Aug) Cheers! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1980-    2. 20th Century Description And Travel    3. Description and travel    4. Economic Conditions    5. Essays    6. Essays & Travelogues    7. National characteristics, American    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Social Situations And Conditions    10. Social conditions    11. Travel    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. Political Science / General   

Editorial Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nervesof first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the mostjaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach.While still givinginsights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations anditineraries for those with less time than money.Read more

Reviews (6)

one backtrack mind
this book was extremely helpful and informative. its history and description of the culture and landscape was a great precursor to my visit. my only complaint is that "shoestring" can be so objective. i didn't want to stay in hostels but still was interested in budget options. unfortunately, there just weren't many good suggestions for this level of travel. i think i'll need to write that book . . . "South America on a Cheap but Classy Budget!"

Must have companion ...
A travelers life support system. The consistency of the LP series across various continets is amazing. Some information in the SA edition is a little dated, but the locals indicated that small hostels and food places go in and out of business faster than the book can keep up. I particularly liked Argentina section (I just came back from a wonderful trip), the information was very correct and some of the prices accurate to the decimal. Needless to say, the maps and orientation information was extremly helpful.
BAD BAD BAD
Maps are good, that's all. After 1 year in south america with both Footprint SA and South america on a shoestring, I can say the first one in much better (exept the maps).
Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. South America    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (4)

Panama Cruising Guide by Eric Bauhaus
The zydler guide was ok in its time. But the new Panama Cruising Guide by Eric Bauhaus is very, very much better than the Zydler. ALL PAGES IN COLOR, beautyful photos and nearly 200 precise charts. Dont dream of cruising panama without it.

New Panama Cruising Guide by Eric Bauhaus is way better
We just finished (July 2006) cruising the Pacific side of Panama and through the canal and found the Zydler guide to not be as useful as the newer Bauhaus guide. The major difference is in the charts & chartlets - the Bauhaus guide is all color charts that look like real charts - the Zydler guide is all B&W hand drawn sketches that are extremely hard to read - virtually useless. The Zydler guide has more words but less useful information as it's quite a bit older and some information isway out of date - eg. the Western Panama Islands like Coiba.

the panama guide
excelent book Tom and Nancy,proffesional piece of art.Finally i found you Tom,im your old buddy from naval academy in Gdynia,contact me pls.Chris kowalski E-mail-kowal17@hotmail.com ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Panama    2. Pilot guides    3. Reference - General    4. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    5. Transportation    6. Travel    7. Yachting   

Reviews (15)

a unique perspective
Considering the wealth of information about Lance in other venues, this is a refreshing and unique perspective of the Tour with Lance as more of a backdrop and unifying theme.Definitely a more humanistic side is examined, and it satisfied my interest in more about the "behind the scenes" of the Tour.Reading Mr. Dugard's articles during the 2006 Tour were similarly incitefull and prompted me to read his book which was equally educational and entertaining.

3.5 Stars... Pleasant read about experiencing the Tour up close
The 2005 Tour will always be remembered as Lance's last grand stand in the Tour de France, winning an improbable (and most likely never to be equalled record) 7th straight win. It made for great TV viewing (as I experienced it).
Great Book About The Tour Experience
Marty Dugard does a great job capturing the ambience of this amazing race in print.I've been to the last 10 Tours and what I remember most about my trips to France are the kinds of episodes Mr. Dugard shares with his readers in this book.For those who love the race, it's more than just 189 guys in tight pants crawling up the Galibier; it's the countryside and the food and the spectators and the publicity caravan and 342 days of looking forward to the next Tour.Dugard captures all of it.I'll be there again this year and CHASING LANCE has already got me stoked. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (2005)    2. Armstrong, Lance    3. Cycling    4. Cycling - General    5. Cyclists    6. Description And Travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Tour de France (Bicycle race)    11. France    12. Sports & Recreation / General   

Editorial Review

In 1996, 26-year-old Peter Hessler arrived in Fuling, a town on China's Yangtze River, to begin a two-year Peace Corps stint as a teacher at the local college. Along with fellow teacher Adam Meier, the two are the first foreigners to be in this part of the Sichuan province for 50 years. Expecting a calm couple of years, Hessler at first does not realize the social, cultural, and personal implications of being thrust into a such radically different society. In Read more

Reviews (134)

A fascinating, insightful account of a Westerner living in Sichuan in the 1990s
I first stumbled across Peter Hessler's River Town about a year ago. At the time, a busy schedule prevented me from reading more than the first chapter or so. But I resolved to get through the book once I had the chance. Fortunately, this is one resolution I managed to keep. I enjoyed River Town and believe it achieves exactly what it aspires to do: record the life of an outsider living in a specific place in China during a specific, albeit brief, period of time.
insigtful
If you want to get an understanding of what life in China is like this is the perfect book. A very detailed book nicely written Would have given 5 stars if there had been pictures!

very interesting even for someone with little interest in China
I started reading this book for my book club and before I started it, I was sure it would be one of those books I would struggle with and never finish.China has never been high on my list of interests, I've always been fairly apathetic about Asian history.But Peter Hesslers storytelling swept me up and managed to keep me engrossed enough not to want to put the book down.It also peaked an interest for me in the culture of another huge country on the other side of the world from me.I think it is a huge gift for a writer to open a reader's eyes to a new interest. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Description And Travel    2. Asia - China    3. China - History - 20th Century    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. International Relations - General    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. Travel / General   

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Travel - United States    3. Travel Guides - U.S.    4. United States - Pacific - Hawaii    5. United States - West - Pacific (General)    6. Hawaii    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)