Reviews (1)

Lose Weight by Walking: Tour Your City on Foot
This book could only be improved by more photos of the georgeous landscaping in and around Portland, Oregon. The cover shows four beautiful photos which the Amazon cover shot misses (you can hardly make them out), which is more than enough to whet the appetite.
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Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Hiking    3. Oregon    4. Portland    5. Portland (Or.)    6. Travel    7. Travel - United States    8. United States - Pacific - Oregon    9. United States - West - Pacific (General)    10. Walking    11. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (13)

A fun attempt to showcase AT community
I read this book before my 2000 AT thru-hike and found the use of trail names confusing and kind of silly. I still feel that way now.
Great book.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in hiking part of or thru hiking the appalachian trail!

A trail to inspire us
"Walking the Appalachian Trail" captures the inspiring qualities of our most famous long-distance hiking trail.The history of the trail is in this book, and so are plenty of anecdotes that make the A.T. seem like it's right next door.I'm a day hiker (never a long-distance hiker), but this book still inspires me to hit the trail again, be it on the A.T. or a regional trail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Cycling - General    3. Description and travel    4. Hiking    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Walking    8. North America    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. USA    11. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (6)

Every guy must own this book!!
I bought this book and it really is a "must-own" for all single guys. It's full of great ideas, from travel to sports to parties. But the best parts are the personal stories of real guys who have done hilarious things on the list. I want to meet those guys...buy it now and start checking off your own list.

Has Oprah put it on her list yet?
Very funny book. Full of great ideas and ways to live life to its fullest. My favorite quote so far is from the Running of the Bulls: "Don't be afraid to tell (the ladies) how you are the #1 bull fighter in the state of Rhode Island." Great stuff... should be given to every guy on his 18th birthday.

My Official NEW Bathroom Book
And that's a high honor. Picked it up the other day. Full of great Ideas. From places to travel to festivals to my favorite (and I am going to organize this) the Big Wheel Pub Crawl. Awesome stuff. Definitely gave me some things to try and accomplish... like 499 of them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Men    3. Special Interest - Adventure    4. Special Interest - General    5. Travel    6. Travel - General    7. Humour    8. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

Reviews (4)

Several trips in one book
Roff Smith writes in this book about more than one trip to Antarctica, and in each trip he moves around from base to base to explore the place.For this reason, the book feels a bit disjointed, but it is a great portrait of the place and the people who live and work there today and the support systems that help them from the outside.Smith is often funny, as well as awestruck.That seems to be the effect the place has on people.

Great book
I've been looking for a book on Antarctica as I will soon be going there in a research support capacity. I was anxious to get an account of "what it is really like" being down there.Smith's accounts of dealing with the US program were especially interesting to me.His writing is humerous, insightful and thoroughly enjoyable to read.After reading this book, I think I have a decent sense of what to expect (his description of the pre-trip paperwork has already proven to be dead-on).
Needs Pictures!
I've been fascinated with Antarctica since hearing Vaughan Williams' Sympony No. 7 "Antarctica."This is the first book about the area that I've read. I found it fascinating right from page one. The author wastes no time getting to the ship and the voyage, and does a tremendous job describing the landscape.
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Subjects:  1. Description And Travel    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. General    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Polar Regions    7. Special Interest - Adventure    8. Travel - General    9. Travel / Adventure   

Reviews (13)

The JLA: As Told By Marvel Comics
Years ago, Marvel Comics created the Squadron Supreme, which was a group of superheroes based on DC's most famous characters.Superman became Hyperion, Batman was Nighthawk, the Flash was the Blur, and Power Princess was used in place of Wonder Woman.It was a way to be able to get the Marvel characters to be able to interact (read: fight) with the Justice League without having to go through legal channels (though I'd be surprised if DC didn't file some kind of suit).The series was restarted as Supreme Power under the new Marvel Max imprint.Marvel Max publishes comics that are more adult-oriented (similar to DC's Vertigo); there can be nudity, harsher swearing, and more intense violence than what is usually found in comics.
Hyperion cometh!
This graphic novel takes us back to a set of characters first introduced in Squadron Superme. However, in this revision, the characters are even more dark and grim. Contact, which reprints Superme Power #1-6 gives the back story of Hyperion, an alien being which came to earth as a baby and has nearly unlimited power. He is taken in, raised, and brainwashed by the United States to become the perfect solider. It is an existence he tolerates in part because he believes that he is alone in his abilities and powers.
Interesting idea, slow development.
The Supreme Authority idea and overall story arc are interesting, but this particular volume is slow-moving and covers little ground. You can easily pick things up with Vol. 2 and not miss a beat. Spoiler: Ol' Superdude is raised by the US gubmint. Due to his brains, super hearing, and x-ray gogs, he figures this out while still a wee lad. They don't figure out that he's figured it out until he's a teen. Nonetheless, he dons the tights, makes like a good citizen, and kills commies for mommie no questions asked. But he's lonely, since there's no one else like him. Whoops, never mind, there are others. He finds a few of them and meets them, including the Living Nike Shoe Ad. That's pretty well it for Vol. 1. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Fiction    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Special Interest - Adventure    6. Travel - General    7. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    8. Graphic novels   

Reviews (7)

Great resource and very complete!
I never realized how many kid-friendly places there are in SoCal! Peterson's entries give valuable information on the location, age range, price, time spent, and highlights of each place, as well as her insightful personal opinions. The entries are enjoyable to read and informative. She covers well-known places and places I've never heard of, as well as gives tips for a fun-filled outing. A great book for moms or anyone who wants to go on an enjoyable outing with kids. Never spend a dull day at home again!

This book has added so much to my life!
This book is amazing. The lady who wrote it must have been such an adventurer! She took her kids all over the place! You can tell that she really went to the places because she describes the best things to do there and she's always correct! I have found so many wonderful new places thanks to this book. I've been to about 50 of the places recommended and I plan to go to more. The best thing about the book is that it leads you to unknown parks and beach areas and museums that are free. It's not just a touristy book promoting all the expensive glitzy things to do in each city. Instead you find wonderful "real" places that families from the area know are the loveliest spots.

Fantastic present!
I have bought this book at least 20 times - it is by far my favorite baby present, grandparent present, parent of kids present, etc.How great to get something that does not add clutter but rather fun to a kids life.The indexes are EXCELLENT as are the directions and website references.Susan Peterson is very funny in person - she spoke to our MOPS group and was just excellent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Special Interest - Family    2. Travel - United States    3. United States - Pacific - California   

Reviews (1)

Definitely out of date
Time Out does a good job of detailing many options for what to do with yourself during your time off, but it is so woefully out of date that it mentions a few countries that are no longer in existence. It has very detailed information that must have been useful at the time it was written, but it can serve only as a stepping off point now. One would be better off going with something newer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. College Guides    2. Directories    3. Education / Teaching    4. Experiential learning    5. Experimental Methods    6. General    7. Internship programs    8. Non-formal education    9. Reference    10. Student Study And Travel Abroad    11. United States    12. Higher & further education   

Reviews (3)

The Horror!
When you read Ms. Lankford's book, be prepared to get goosebumps or the chills, have the hair on your neck stand up, face one of your childhood fears or just plain get creeped out. She creeped me out with her very first story. It reminded me of two rules I have about bodies of water. One, if I can't see the bottom then I probably don't belong there and shouldn't go in. And two, if I don't heed my own advice and still go in then it's only to waist deep. No dangling legs for this boy.
I have seen you have references to Po-ho-no being Miwok myth, sorry it was Paiute.
I a Yosemite Indian and I heard your book has Po-ho-no as a Miwok myth. Sorry, but Po-ho-no or Pohono is Paiute. The original Native people of Yosemite were primarily Mono Paiutes. People at Yosemite National Park have injustly tried to erase us out of Yosemite and we can prove this. It is one of the biggest injustices in Native American history.

WOW!EVERYTHING I THOUGHT IT'D BE~ and MORE!!
I have been waiting a long time for this book to come out. As soon as it was released I bought it right away.
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Ghosts    3. Haunted places    4. Hiking    5. National parks and reserves    6. Parks & Campgrounds    7. Special Interest - General    8. Travel    9. Travel - General    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    13. Ghosts & poltergeists    14. North America    15. Travel / Special Interest / General    16. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Italy    2. Special Interest - Adventure    3. Special Interest - General    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Travel / Europe / Italy   

Reviews (3)

A must read for Orienteers and others interested in basic land nav
This book is clear, concise and well-organized.It covers all the fundamentals of orienteering, and I think anyone that read it would have a good idea of what to expect on arriving at their first O event.Anyone who completed some of the exercises should have some confidence that he or she could complete at least an intermediate level O course (assuming reasonably good fitness). The book also includes very basic information on physical training (anyone who is a serious runner will not learn a lot from those sections, but trail running is different than road running, so don't skip those sections if you are strictly a road runner).The book also includes dozens of activities to teach various skills, and a good glossary.I highly recommend this book.

Never Get Lost Again
This book is a MUST for anyone who dreams of wandering off the beaten path. It teaches the skills and techniques to ensure safe travel through the woods. Down to Earth, clear explanations and practical advice
Good from begginer to medium/advanced, this book covers the basics of navigation as well as advanced techniques, such as handrailing.There are equipment and training chapters as well, in all a comprehensive book on a great sport. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Orienteering    3. Outdoor Skills    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Walking   

Reviews (4)

Have The Antacid Standing By
This is one of the least pleasant learning experiences I have ever been through. I used this book and associated software (which you must download) in a graduate Aviation Route Planning class, and this book takes every opportunity to disappoint. New 4th Edition...on it's way
Stay tuned folks, the new and improved 4th edition is scheduled for publication during the third quarter of this year!

Where's the rest of the simulation? It's important!
The manager or student who does not have the assistance of an 'airline-experienced' professor, the computer software and the additional training material makes this simulation process much more difficult tocomprehend, understand and complete. If the publisher and the writer wouldinclude the extra material plus the computer software, this could be agreat training tool for many airline managers and others.Read more

Subjects:  1. Airport Management    2. Aviation - General    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Computer Engineering    6. Computer Simulation    7. Entrepreneurship    8. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    9. Strategic Planning    10. Transportation    11. Aerospace & air transport industries    12. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    13. Business strategy    14. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (2)

Filled with Info....
I read lots of travel guides and this one is jam packed with info.It's tough to find good guidebooks that deal with family travel...usually it's the same tired info, and boring to read...not so with Zagats. Can't wait to put this guide into action.

GREAT FOR TRIP PLANNING WITH OR WITHOUT CHILDREN
For this survey book, Zagat teamed up with PARENT MAGAZINE to come up with a guide that is particularly helpful for parents traveling with children.It is broken down geographically, and within each geographic area, it is further broken down into "Attractions," "Hotels," and "Restaurant Chains."Read more

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

Reviews (3)

What A Great Book!
I really enjoyed reading this book.It truly exceeded my expectations.I would recommend it to just about anyone.

A Good Book but a Little Insensitive
The first reviewer is correct in saying that this is a very good book full of thrilling stories about firefighters which I have truly enjoyed.
Good book... the greatest? Doubtful...
This is a very good book, especially for those who dream of becoming a firefighter.This does little to tell the actual stories of firefighters, however. It is more a collection of tales to thrill rather than to give insight.Any book by former firefighters such as Dennis Smith would be a better read for firefighters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Career/Job    3. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    4. Fire extinction    5. Fire fighters    6. General    7. Lifesaving at fires    8. Murder - General    9. Politics - Current Events    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Special Interest - Adventure    12. True Crime    13. United States    14. Fiction / Adventure   

Reviews (3)

Semi-Narrative History
After you've read a few dozen books on pirates and piracy, you start to notice that they, mostly, repeat the same stuff over and over again. There IS material in here that I have not seen in other books; however, a good portion is rewritten from Captain Charles Johnson's A General History of Pirates. A Classic on Piracy of all Times, and in the Seven Seas...
"The Pirates Own Book" is written in old, Nineteenth Century English, which provides the reader with an archaic atmosphere that allows a better undestanding of the characters and their times. Its illustrations are worth mentioning because they are beautiful and imaginative engravings that have been reproduced in some of the most important works on Piracy. The book covers a wide period in History: from the Medieval Norman and Danish Sea Robbers to the cases of piracy in the first half of the Nineteenth Century. Even though, it lacks to mention the ancient Mediterranean Piracy in the times of Alexander and, later on, in the Roman Times.Something really interesting of this book is that it includes narrations of pirates from all five continents, demonstrating that piracy has existed in all the seas since Maritime Commerce was applied. The lives of some of the least known pirates, such as the Chilean Vincent Benavides and the Spanish Benito de Soto are covered in this volume. "The Pirates Own Book" is highly recommendable for all readers interested in piracy, for it is mentioned as first hand source in many works.

A good book...but beware!
This is a good read, but you better be ready for the original 18th and 19th century language. It is authentic, and is often more disturbing than romantic (as we've come to expect of pirate books). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. History: American    3. Military - General    4. Pirates    5. Sailing - Narratives    6. World - General    7. Aquatic creatures    8. Travel / Adventure    9. Travel writing    10. USA   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Career/Job    3. Careers - General    4. Directories    5. Sociology    6. Special Interest - Adventure    7. Special Interest - Ecotourism    8. Volunteer Work    9. Welfare Work Of Charitable Institutions   

Reviews (13)

Inspirational and Honest
I read this book when we were in the process of finding a boat to cruise on with our 2 toddlers. I found this book to be very enlightening on the crusing lifestyle. I found it humerously written in parts when the Martins made a plan for every obstacle they faced. I laughed, I cried and I laughed and cried at the same time. I've read a lot of books catered to women out cruising and as a woman and mother I found this book to be the most interesting as it really delved into family life on board. It is the only cruising book my husband wanted to hear about - in fact I'd read to him at night and we enjoyed it together. Jaja has a positive attitude that is infectious. You find yourself almost connected to the Martin family. Other books leave you feeling depressed your not out there yet but this book leaves you feeling inspired. A very happy read and I've recommended it to a lot of people. My only regret is I loaned it to my father-in-law and, now that I'm out cruising, I'd love to read it again but I can't get it back from him!
A big dose of adventure with afew drops of sanctimony.
We all love adventure books:the power and challenge of wild, the beauty of nature, the personal tests of hardship, and the strength of the human spirit.All of this and more can be found in the Marin's saga.It makes for great reading.But pervading all of this adventure and beauty is a philosophy.For some, it appears, this philosophy is enlightening, uplifting and "enriching", speaking to our desires to be free from the pathos of our modern world.For me, this philosophy of rejection by the Martins comes across a little heavy-handed, with inverted narcissism (hey, look at us, look how simple and humbly we can live), a touch of hypocrisy (ooh, let's keep our children out those American schools in North Carolina, but wow, wouldn't it be culturally uplifting to enroll them in an Icelandic and a Norwegian school), and an air of superiority.OK, OK, I'm being overly critical.We all at times seek a simpler life and I too envy the Martin's freedom, spirit and sense of adventure and this really is an enjoyable book.But hey, let's not take ourselves too seriously here.I give Into the Light 4 stars: 4 or 5 for the great adventure, and 2 or 3 for the overdose of "Martinism".

Sailor"s review of this book
Being a sailor myself I bought this book with great expectation of entertainment in reading about an adventurous sailing journey.I was very disappointed.There was very little data given about the boat, its gear, and sailing tactics.The book was about what they did when they got there.The author would go on and on about people and places in Iceland and Scandanavia that you could not pronounce; yet, I still don't know what brand of Diesel engine the vessel had, its displacement or horse power.Sail plan, displacement, keel type, etc., are still a mystery.No pictures or data charts.Did a vessel really exist?Read more

Subjects:  1. 1962 or 3-    2. Arctic regions    3. Description and travel    4. Martin, Dave,    5. Martin, Jaja    6. Polar Regions    7. Special Interest - Adventure    8. Travel    9. Reading Group Guide   

Editorial Review

Captain James Cook's three epic 18th-century explorations of the PacificOcean were the last of their kind, literally completing the map of the world.Yet despite his monumental discoveries, principally in the South Pacific, Cookthe man has remained an enigma. In retracing key legs of the circumnavigator'sjourney, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz chronicles the culturaland environmental havoc wrought by the captain's opening of the unspoiledPacific to the West, as well as the alternately indifferent and passionatereactions Cook's name evokes during the writer's journeys through Polynesia,Australia, the Aleutians, and the explorer's native England. Horwitz skillfullyweaves a biography and travel narrative with warm humor that is natural and human-scale, and his restless inquisitiveness quickly infects the reader. Whilestriking dichotomies abound throughout that journey--Maori toughs who adopt Naziimagery to symbolize their own fight against white domination, millennia-oldPolynesian sexual mores that would shame the Reeperbahn, a sense thatChristianity decimated native cultures at least as effectively as Westernvenereal diseases did--few are more poignant than the ones that abound in Cook'sown life. This fine work is an adventurous reminder that answers to historicalriddles are elusive at best--and seldom as compelling as the myriad newquestions they pose. Read more

Reviews (79)

entertaining (3-1/2 stars)
This account of Captain James Cook's three voyages is juxtaposed with accounts of what the author encountered two and a half centuries later at venues on Cook's itinerary. The reader switches between Cook's history (upbringing, family, strengths, faults, patrons) and the author's humorous travel impressions.
Great laid back, meandering read
Though the prose wanders a bit in places, one of the most entertaining travelogues I have read.Best read on a beach somewhere in the Pacific.The style is easygoing, but the author gets his point across.Read it!

Looking for an easy-going but comprehensive chronicle of Cook's journeys?
During a round-the-world trip, I travelled to Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Bora Bora and Easter Island. I came across lots of places visited by Captain Cook or otherwise connected with him, as well as plenty of monuments with snippets of information about his journeys. I was interested to learn more, but at the same time wanted to avoid academic histories. This book was recommended by my guidebook, and it was perfect. Tony Horwitz combines a chronicle of Cook's journeys in the Pacific with his own experiences of modern-day travel in some of the same regions. It's light-hearted and entertaining, as well as being interesting and informative. It's travel literature, not a literary classic, but it's perfect if you're after an easy-going but comprehensive description of Cook's journeys. Definitely recommended.
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Subjects:  1. 1728-1779    2. Adventurers & Explorers    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cook, James,    6. Discovery and exploration    7. Expeditions & Discoveries    8. History - General History    9. Modern - 18th Century    10. Oceania    11. Travel    12. Voyages around the world    13. Travel / Adventure   

Reviews (5)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep ...
Easy to get Lost in this Gripping Narrative....
Gripping Account
This fascinating book tells two stories, of two men who lost their way on separate journeys into the north woods. Its structure is engaging: it tells the two stories side by side in alternating chapters. It details their peril, their survival efforts, and the search and rescue operations.
I loved this book!
My title says it all, but it bears repeating: I really did love this book. It's interesting, well written, and utterly riveting.I am a sleep-deprived mom to a toddler and a baby, but this book kept me up at night reading well past the hour when I should have been asleep.I read about this book in my alumni magazine (like the author, I am a graduate of the U of MN).When I read that the book chronicles not just one man lost in the wilderness, but two, each in different years and circumstances, I wondered how the author would manage to tell both stories without confusing the reader.He does it masterfully.The stories of the two men are woven seamlessly together, in alternating chapters, and the structure adds beautifully to the suspense.This is a terrific book.I highly recommend that you buy it right now. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boundary Waters Canoe Area    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. Minnesota    4. Search and rescue operations    5. Special Interest - Adventure    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. United States - Midwest - West North Central (General)    9. Wilderness survival    10. Travel / Adventure    11. True stories of endurance & survival   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Individual Photographer    3. Intellectual life    4. Photography    5. Pictorial works    6. San Francisco (Calif.)    7. Social conditions    8. Special Interest - Adventure    9. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    10. Subjects & Themes - Travel - U.S./West    11. Travel    12. United States - State & Local - General   

Reviews (20)

Excellent history on an underreported topic
I love reading history and fancy myself to be quite well read on a variety of historical topics, however I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that much of what I read in this book was completely new to me.
All illustrations and some maps omitted
Buy the 1967 softcover edition (isbn 0140019332) instead, it has photographs of quite a few of the characters in the text. The stories revealed in the pages of this book are some of the most fascinating I have ever read, just another example that truth overgoes fiction. The tale is five stars. My 1967 edition had become really tattered so I decided to renew it with this edition. I was very disappointed to discover that all the photographs and engravings of the earlier edition, of Kitchener, King Kabarega, Lord Gordon and his Khartoum palace, Emin Pasha and quite a few more, aren't included here. Gone. I think these original photographs really added a dimension to the story and I lament their passing. Several maps in the earlier book didn't make it either.

Dated but interesting
This is one of those books that's hard to evaluate, because of the fact that it was written almost 50 years ago, by an Englishman (though he grew up in Australia) and he exhibits the characteristics of someone of that era. Moorehead was a product of his time, and so his prose with regards to various Africans is not surprisingly condescending and arrogant, at times. On the other hand, he also repeatedly expresses sympathy for them (at least in abstract) and discusses their plight, positioned between Arabs and more distant Europeans, with considerable sensitivity. This makes the book a mass of contradictions for the modern reader: on the one hand you're somewhat revolted by the racism of the author, and on the other hand, he's not racist at all.
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Subjects:  1. Africa - General    2. Expeditions & Discoveries    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Rivers    6. Special Interest - Adventure    7. Travel    8. Travel / Adventure