Reviews (1)

Fodor's isTOPS!
My daughter & I are traveling to Thailand - and doing our own research.I have obtained many travel books - and Foder's is TOPS.It has so much more information - down to those small details that can make or break a trip.I will certainly travel with Fodor's on my next trip, too! ... Read more

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

Reviews (5)

Anotherbeautiful, classy, picture journey!
This is another portable, soft cover, coffee-table book with the same high standards as the one on the the Greek islands! It is beautifully crafted, with exquisite pictures, maps and diagrams of ancient buildings and modern towns. The book takes you on a cultural journey through Greece and its history. If you haven't visited Greece, it's a motivator. If you have, it brings back wonderful memories. This book is a broad sweep, you will need supplemental information, but it is unique in providing a visual overview of a beautiful and enchanting land! It is particularly nice that with the exception of the cultural history part, this book is basically not redundant with the Island book, covering the mainland as the title indicates.
Great overview, but you'll need a more detailed guide
The colorful photos and diagrams found in the DK travel books are a big plus for some and a major detraction for others. Personally I think this is a great book to use while making preliminary travel plans because it's very difficult to decide where to go if you can't see pictures of it first. Then once you narrow down your choices you'll want a more comprehensive travel guide, such as the Lonely Planet guides, which contain better maps, travel information, hotels, etc, but which have very few photos. I'm holding off on giving this book 5 stars because it lacks that kind of detail. However, I still pull it off my shelf frequently when I want to look up someplace on the Greek mainland I have not visited before.

love the photos but it needs more maps
On a 10-day driving trip around mainland Greece this guide proved a disappointment.There aren't enough city maps so you need to buy a Lonely Planet guide as well.I love the DK guides to London and Paris where the neighborhoods and sights are so intricate that the DK diagrams and walking tours are immensely helpful.The restaurant recommendations turned out to be rather poor from the DK guide.Frommer's and Lonely Planet were a lot more reliable.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - Greece    2. General    3. Greece    4. Guidebooks    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel / Europe / Greece   

Reviews (11)

French in 10 Minutes(?) a Day
While it might take more than 10 minutes a day, It does seem to take a systematic approach to learn a language. The book contains worksheets that helps to get the point fixed in your mind by seeing, saying (it starts you out with both the word and it's phonetic equivalent to help), and writing the word under discussion. The book also contains stickers that can be applied to items around your home to remind you of the word used to describe that item. There are also flash cards that can be used to test your knowledge and keep you sharp. It works well to do it with a partner, but you might want to each get your own book.

ExcellentWorkbook for the Beginner
As a beginner to learning the French language, I find this workbook very easy to use.It makes learning interesting because it incorporates fun activities that keep it from being tedious and boring. The pronunciations make sense, and the book starts off with key words that are frequently used.Placing the word labels around my house has been a great way to practice every day.

Best way to learn french!
Other books start off with random words and have no flow but this book starts you off with the basics and helps you learn the most important words first. This book is easy to follow and it is actually effective. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conversation and phrase books    2. English    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Foreign Language Study    5. French    6. French language    7. Language    8. Self-instruction    9. Textbooks for foreign speakers    10. Travel / Europe / France    11. Europe - France    12. Language self-study & phrasebooks    13. Travel   

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

Reviews (4)

Thumbs Up
I would recommend this book if you're looking for something with great pictures and a brief narrative.The photos were good in that they weren't all taken in the summer, as in most books of this type.It was nice to see these historic homes in the spring bloom, fall colors and winter white-scape.Of course the summer shots were also beautiful.A good book for your own or for a gift.

Gorgeous Old Dominion
Gleason really excelled in books of this kind, he really knew how to capture these old grand buildings.This book is first rate and it covers all of the well known homes as well as some that may not be so familiar.All of his books of this genre are consistantly top notch.The colors are vibrant and just pop off the page.I recommend this book to anyone interested in the grandeur of the Old South, it's just amazing how many of these houses survived the Civil War, with battles often within earshot of the veranda.

Beautifully presented
Beautiful photos, good text, but awkward size (doesn't fit on book shelf) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Dwellings    3. Houses    4. Pictorial works    5. Plantations    6. Residential Buildings Architecture    7. Travel    8. U.S. Architecture - South    9. United States - State & Local - General    10. Virginia    11. Residential buildings, domestic buildings   

Reviews (10)

Spain. Eyewitness Travel.
Great book, lots of information of where to go, things to do and
GREAT EYEWITNESS GUIDES
I have used these guides for my travels in Ireland, London, Scotland, Rome, Florence, Venice, Switzerland, Germany and Amsterdam.These have to be some of the best guides ever.
To plan your trip
Eyewitness Guides are beautiful, gorgeously illustrated books on glossy paper that are perfect for planning a trip but not so good for carrying along with you. But they don't need to be! I used the guide to Spain to plan my 5-city itinerary, including a stop in Ronda which I'd never heard of but ended up being one of the highlights of our travels. This guide gives you a general view of the sights to see, with many photos and maps. But especially in a country like Spain, the wise traveler makes his or her first stop the tourist office--there's one in every city and many towns. That's where you get your map, the info on walking tours, a schedule of museum openings and closings, etc.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - Spain & Portugal    2. Guidebooks    3. Spain    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Travel / Europe / Spain & Portugal   

Reviews (5)

Pretty but didn't use it
Before our family trip for 10 days throughout Germany, I purchased a few different travel guides.After having each of them in hand before leaving home, we didn't even put this one in our luggage.I reccommend Daytrips Germany, 6th Edition 1st and then Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2006. Those 2 books were great for finding tourist sites, great restaurants and hotels that could accomodate 2adults and 2 kids (most hotels don't have rooms with 2 beds!)

Germany
As always the eyewitness travelguides are superb. This Germany travelguide meets the expectations i have placed into the exewitness series and is very up-to-date.

One of our favorite Travel Guides
I love the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides for several reasons:color photos, background/history, maps/drawings of destinations, color coded sections, front and back flaps can be used as page markers (plus that's where they put the symbols for the descriptions).
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Subjects:  1. Europe - Germany    2. Germany    3. Guidebooks    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel / Europe / Germany   

Reviews (17)

A wealth of facts and figures for retirement wannabes
In the growing field of books offering suggested places to live or retire, RETIREMENT PLACES RATED is one of the few to base its findings entirely on statistics rather than opinion. David Savageau, the author, has authored prior editions of this book as well as the popular PLACES RATED ALMANAC.Feeding into the statistics here come metrics on each of 203 locations from six specific areas:Ambiance (by which the author means largely historic charm and outdoor recreation), Costs of Living, Climate, Personal Safety, Services (availability of medical services, for example) and The Economy.We're also given a useful Appendix with Chamber of Commerce addresses, income-tax information, and the like.
Reader Beware!
Save your valuable time and steer clear of this train wreck!Worse yet, you could be making the biggest mistake of your life if you make an important decision based on Retirement Places Rated.
Retirement Places Rated.David Savageau
Apart from its main function as indicated in the title, the book provides a very good source of information about our Land.
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Subjects:  1. Aging - Retirement    2. Gerontology    3. Housing (Economic Aspects)    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - General    7. Travel - United States    8. United States - General    9. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    10. Travel / General   

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

Reviews (2)

Not EXACLY what I had hoped for
I had really hoped for more realistic ideas to go on vacation with my three children, one elementary age, preschooler, and toddler. I expected the book to leave out ideas for my toddler, but was surprised to see a lot of the suggestions left out my preschooler as well.
Interesting but Unrealistic
I had high expectations for this book but they fell flat.First, the layout is o.k. but not great.Areas are grouped by categories such as "Out and About" and "On the Water."As the book covers the world, I think it might have been better to be laid out geographically and maybe cross-referenced.As for the selections, they are very diverse.Some make sense but some I really don't feel are appropraite for children, except for maybe the very well travelled child.For example, number 397 is Mount Fuji:Scaling the Symbol of Japan.The age range is 8 and up.The author writes, "Take a shortcut directly to Kawaguchiko's Fifth Stage by bus from Shinjuku Station (be sure to book in advance); the trip takes about 2 1/2 hours.From this starting point it's about a 6 hour climb to the summit, with another 3 hours to make the descent; at the top, a 1-hour hiking trail circles the crater.The highlight of the classic Fuji Climb is to watch the sunrise from the peak, which in summer means being there by 4:30 am."I was hoping for more "kid friendly" suggestions.I don't think I'll be visiting number 280 "Hiroshima:The Original Ground Zero" or number 277 "The D-Day Beaches of Normandy" with my son anytime soon.Perhaps the child that is a huge history buff would understand the significance.
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Subjects:  1. Parent And Child    2. Special Interest - Family    3. Travel    4. Travel - General    5. Travel Guides    6. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    7. Travel / Family Travel   

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 (1)

These books can't be beat and are top choices for destination-oriented travelers
NEW ZEALAND achieves the same for that country, packing all into a pocket-sized tote which is just easy enough to take along, yet compromises nothing in the amount of detail offered. From driving and walking tours to cultural insights, these books can't be beat and are top choices for destination-oriented travelers wanting visual excitement paired with practical facts.
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Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Australia & Oceania - New Zealand    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel / Australia & Oceania   

Reviews (12)

Vacation Under the Valcano - Magic Tree House #13
Shortly before leaving for vacation, Jack and Annie remembered that they needed to go to the magic tree house to solve a mystery. Morgan said "your aventure is going to the Roman times you need to find this book or it will be lost forever""WOW! I always wanted to go to the Roman times this will be fun Annie" said Jack.
Volcanos wow!
My son and I have been reading the Magic Tree House series for the last couple months and we love them. These are the first books that my son has taken a real interest into, checking them out and reading them on his own.Vacations under the Volcanois our favorite one so far.After checking out a bunch from the library we finally decided to buy a set, and he was so disappointed that this one wasn't part of the set that he bought it seperatly on his own.This book has sparked a whole new interest for him.
Magically Adventurous!
If you like exciting stories, you will you won't be able to stop reading Vacation Under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne.In this story, Jack and Annie travel in the magic tree house to ancient Rome to try and save a library from a volcano.When they get to Rome they have to be sure they are safe from the hot lava that is going to destroy the library.Then a giant appears out of nowhere and picks Jack and Annie up and drops them in a dried up river. Did they save the book that they were searching for?Find out when you read this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Eruption, 79    5. Fiction    6. Historical - Ancient Civilizations    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Osborne, Mary Pope    9. Pompeii (Extinct city)    10. Readers - Beginner    11. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    12. Time travel    13. Tree houses    14. Vesuvius (Italy)    15. Adventure stories    16. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (5)

A fantastic book for a very much loved park
Did you know that the elm lined mall leading to the Bethesda fountain and the view of the ramble are actually based on the layout of a church? Or that all of the lakes in Central Park are manmade. This and many other very interesting facts are interspersed with lovingly taken photographs of the park which were taken by the author of the book as well. Miller starts decribing how the park came to be and the leading ideas and ideals that lead to its creation by Olmsted and Vaux. She proceeds to describe systematically the various sections of the park providing historical information as well. She delves into the some of the controversies and compromises that Olmsted and Vaux encountered in the creation of one of the finest examples of 19th Century art but it is not a comprehensive history of the park. There is a 2 page map of the park at the of the book with a legend identifying each of the features discussed in the book. If you are first time visitor to the city wishing to explore the park in detail or a life long New Yorker this book will delight and surprise you.

Definitive Review of the Finest Work of Art in NYC
As an avid fan of Central Park who has been exploring it and studying the books on it for decades, I was amazed at what there was still to learn about it from Miller's book. For example,other historians allude to a connection between Central Park's design and the Hudson River School of landscape art: Miller provides actual sources of the designer's inspiration and shows the results explicitly in the photos. And all in a way that is not at all "bookish" but instead makes you want to go right in and see for yourself the scenes she shows so well in the book's illustrations. The beautiful photos and fascinating stories and the well chosen historical prints all work together in such a compelling and entertaining way that one might never realize one is being educated by a superb textbook in the field of art.
New York's Oasis
Central Park is breath taking and this book does a fine job of giving the reader a feel for what makes this 850 acre masterpiece so special.The book is quite thorough and does an commendable job of disecting various sections of the park.The color photos are vivid and well thought out and the text is highly informative.The author has a real love for the park and it comes out in her writing.If you have never visited Central Park or have visited and fell in love with it like so many others, you will love this book.This oasis really is the heart of New York City and to understand New York you have to understand the parks historyand its vast importantance to the city.Central Parks importance to New York and New Yorkers cannot be overstated, I can't imagine the city without it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Central Park (New York, N.Y.)    2. Description and travel    3. Gardening    4. Gardening/Plants    5. History    6. Landscape    7. New York (N.Y.)    8. Parks & Campgrounds    9. Pictorial works    10. Travel - United States    11. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    12. Architecture / Landscape    13. City & town planning - architectural aspects    14. Local history    15. New York   

Editorial Review

Whether we're beret-bearing beatniks or Lexus-driving cosmopolitans, road trips still beckon. Gas up the tank, load up the trunk--it's hard to resist. But who has time to waste on wrong turns, getting lost, and bad choices? When it comes to finding fun, time is of the essence, so Jamie Jensen's guide takes the pain out of the road trip, be it across the continent or a Sunday jaunt. With directions to pit stops, scenic routes, bizarre museums, and the best apple pie stands, all you have to do is drive. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Used it on our 10,000 mile vacation
We drove over ten thousand miles in the last two months going acros the country on Route 2 and returning on Route 20 plus many side trips and some time in the Maritime Provicences.I drove and my wife read about what was coming.We found it fairly handy.Many of his resturant suggestions were very good. We found several errors like the address for a resturant listed that turned out to be an old garage on a graveled back street one block long.

Great resource
I just returned from a 7,250 mile road trip, following many of the routes in this book, specifically the Great Northern to the Pacific Coast Highway to the Oregon Trail.Jamie's book contained so many useful stopping places, although if I had stopped at all of them, this trip would have taken months rather than weeks.In using the book, you have to choose what works for you - and not everything is of interest.However, he did lead me to some wonderful places like Sullys Hill Nature Preserve in Devil's Lake, MT; the Buffalo Bill Historic Museum in Cody, WY; and the museum dedicated to lumbering in Grand Rapids, MN - all of which I might well have bypassed had it not been for Jamie's recomendations.
Road Trip
My dad got me this book for our trip this year. Usually I don't like family trips but this year is different. We're mapping out our routes and it's going to be a good summer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Travel - United States    3. Travel Guides - U.S.    4. United States - General    5. Travel & holiday guides    6. Travel / United States / General    7. USA   

Reviews (1)

A comprehensive and valuable resource
This Food Service Professional Guide To Series is a great resource for anyone looking to succeed in the food service industry or improve their existing operations, big or small. For those just starting out, it's a great "A to Z" of every aspect of managing a food service business, written in an accessible and engaging style.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business & Economics / Management    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    6. Travel / Restaurants    7. Food Service Management    8. Management    9. Restaurants    10. Travel   

Reviews (8)

A disappointment
I generally like the Lonely Planet Guides and have used them in many countries.This particular guide became a running joke.It is difficult to get a bad meal in Japan, but the worst meals we had were at places recommended in the Guide.If the Guide recommends a restaurant, I would stay away.Just use the maps to wander around a neighborhood, look at the food in the windows, find something that looks good and you will enjoy your trip much more than if you depended on this book for culinary recommendations.

Much like everyone said - the best general guide for Japan, but that doesn`t make it good
It`s not a bad guide, but it fails on many fronts.
Our Japan travel "bible!"
I find the other reviews of this book interesting.Maybe it's b/c going to Japan was the first trip out of the country on our own (so we don't have any other LP guides to compare to), but my boyfriend and I found this book invaluable for our trip.A day didn't go by when we didn't pull this book out and look at its maps or information about where we were at in Japan.In fact, one day we left the book in our hotel room--and we regretted every minute of it.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Japan    2. Guidebooks    3. Japan    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

When Rita Golden Gelman traveled to Mexico during a two-month separation from her husband, she hoped to satisfy an old craving for adventure and, in the process, rejuvenate herself and her marriage. Little did she know it was the beginning of a new life, not just as a divorcée, but as a nomad of the world. Since 1986, Gelman has had no permanent address and no possessions except those she can carry. She travels without a plan, guided by instinct, serendipitous opportunities, and a remarkable ability to connect with people. At first her family and friends accused her of running away, but Gelman knew she had embarked on a journey of self-discovery and a way of life that is inspiring and enviable.Read more

Reviews (89)

Anti-American arrogance
The author leaves a rocky marriage and her twenty-ish year-old children and sets out for frugal nomadic adventures around the world.While in Mexico, she litters with the locals, trying not to offend and to fit in.In Nicaragua, she finds out that the American journalists had it all wrong.The Sandinistas are the people.The war is "Reagan's War," and she feels anger towards his policies.Although raised in a Jewish household, a trip to Israel stirs up no spiritual feelings.In the Galapagos Islands, she lucks out on getting a cut rate on an expensive cruise, but the boat breaks down, resulting in her booking a more economical cruise, so she reminisces about a past boat trip, where everyone (including herself which she fails to mention) can afford the high price.Unfortunately that was with ugly Americans of which one-third tended to be especially irritating.The mostly European econo-tour environment is better.In Indonesia, she drinks from the skull of a sacrificed neighboring tribe member and feels the taste of...cannibalism???She foists herself on the busy, arrogant orangutan studier, Dr. Galdikas, but ultimately loses out when the doctor treats her poorly.The book she insists on writing with and for the doctor is never published and you can feel the sour milk of her words.A wonderful prince tells her he's done the things in life that he was meant to do and is ready to die and that (even so) he will teach her and show her Bali from the inside.She arrogantly claims that his words mean that her education is his final duty in life.
Inspiring!!
I read this book quickly because I was fascinated with the adventures of this bold woman. I liked her narrative voice and felt like she was someone with whom I would want to travel.

This story is movie worthy
If you've ever been interested in traveling the world, this story is a must read.I met Rita as she made one of her 'pit stops' to the United States.She came to our school on the Navajo Reservation to present her children's stories.She is authentic, and even her visit to the rez contained a story worthy of the many you find in this book.I am waiting for the second volume to this amazing tale, as she continues to travel the world.You must read this! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. Travel    4. Travelers    5. Women    6. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    7. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Commercial Buildings Architecture    3. Design and construction    4. Hotels    5. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    6. Methods & Materials    7. Planning    8. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    9. Resorts    10. Architectural structure & design    11. Architecture / Methods & Materials    12. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    13. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc   

Reviews (4)

Great Gift
I got this beautiful book for two dear friends, brilliant musicians, who will be traveling to Italy soon.They were entranced, and have thanked me several times, saying the book makes them feel "as if we are already in Italy."

Italy Coffee Table Book
The book is beautifully photographed.It has pictures of some out of the way places that some of the other brochures and books don't touch on.If you are looking for information, this is not the book for you.

Discovering/ Revisiting Every Corner of Italy:THE Book To Read Before Travel
This is one of those books that defies description.Formed as a joint project between the Italian Tourism people and the New York Times, this generously illustrated volume covers all of Italy, not only photographically but also with immensely readable and helpful articles about the regions, the people and their idiosyncrasies, the culture, the history, the sights not to be missed, the foods, and an ebullient flow of gentle humor that makes this the first choice of reading in preparation for a visit to this popular country - or an invaluable memento for perusing once home from the pleasures Italian.
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Subjects:  1. Continental European    2. Description and travel    3. Europe - Italy    4. Italy    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel / Europe / Italy    8. Travel writing