5 comments about Rick Steves' Italy 2008 (Rick Steves).

1. Dude, get the book. It saved us a ton of time in picking up our tix at the Palatine hills rather than at the Coliseum. It also got us to St. Peter's at 1pm with a 30 min wait, rather than do what everyone else does which is to arrive at 9am and have a 3 hour wait.
   
   The tips alone is certainly worth worth every penny. Let's not forget the key things to see in his book and the slight bit of history on each place. However, I found the restaurants really difficult to find in Italy, but I had a tough time finding the Coliseum too:P



2. I think this is a great resource for those who have never been to Italy and need some basic information. The book is comprehensive covering all the regions of Italy, great to use during stages of preparation. I would highly recommend also buying "its companion", the Eyewitness Italy Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guide) book because it'll cover the history and art more in depth.



3. This book came highly recommended and is awesome. We're looking forward to our visit to Italy.



4. Rick Steves states his approach to travel in Italy clearly: he doesn't cover everything in the country, just the "best" places, the best according to him, of course. If your tastes and orientation align with his (interesting, moderately priced travel, including as much local immersion as is reasonable), then this book provides the wonderful backbone of a great trip. For visiting places other than his "best" you will want a more comprehensive guide book, like Lonely Planet, in addition to (rather than instead of) this one.
   
   Steves' enthusiasm for "Europe's richest, craziest culture" comes through in every page while his practical suggestions from an often humorous perspective makes this book sound like personal advice from a friend who knows the area well. I find his information extremely accurate and insightful, based on my own experiences living in Italy for a year. Now I rely on his detailed, up-to-date information about important sights, accommodations (three levels of moderate prices), transportation, and dining (or picnicking, snacking, drinking, etc.) to help me plan return trips.
   
   -Lynn Michelsohn, author of Roswell, Your Travel Guide to the UFO Capital of the World!



5. My girlfriend and I got this guide after reading some pretty good reviews here about Rick Steves' Italy. Rick Steves provided money saving tips like the Roma Pass which was useful and helped us saved time and money. His tip to call and reserve tickets with the galleries was a handy shortcut and allowed us to skip the queues. We saved some money by showing this book to a few hotels and restaurants too.
   
   Little did we know that the poorly hand-drawn maps were to lead us in merry-go-rounds around Milan, Florence, Rome and Venice. Some of the recommended restaurants like Dante's Pizzatoria in Florence and Princi's at Milan were outright dishonest and rude. On top of that, the written directions to several places were vague. For example, we were unable to locate a recommended hotel in Venice listed on the guide even after two hours of relentless search.
   
   To be fair to Rick, his information on Ferry transfer and train information were largely helpful. However, it would have been preferred if Rick had included cultural pointers for Asians. Having said this, we would like to prepare Asian or non-European travelers heading to Florence to handle their unique form of hospitality. Please note that our experiences at the city were less than pleasant.
   
   We recommend that you get a proper map along with this book or have a look at Fodor's Italy 2008.

5 comments about 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List.

1. I bought this book for my son as a graduation gift. Symbolically it is a great gift I think. Practically, the book was very dry. It really is just a list with stats on the places. I didn't care for the format and it read like an encyclopedia. Small print, thin pages.



2. 
   The spirit of this book is well exemplified by a quotation from Mark Twain (Page xv): "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tide winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." So, the author advances a listing of places throughout the world worth discovering. This is a companion piece to another volume of hers, in which she explores 1,000 places to see within the United States.
   
   The world is divided into eight regions, for the purposes of organizing discussion: Europe; Africa; the Middle East; Asia; Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands; the United States and Canada; Latin America; the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda.
   
   In a brief review here, it would be impossible to illustrate each region in any depth. Maybe some samples from a few of the regions. Needless to say, any selection like this is apt to engender discussion--Why were some places left out? Why were others included? But that's part of the fun of a book like this!
   
   Europe: Some of the usual suspects like Windsor Castle, Winchester Cathedral, London, the Salzburg Festival, Vienna, Paris, Versailles, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Sistine Chapel. But there are other treasures as well: Bellagio, Rhodes, Ile de Re, Kinsale, and Ludlow.
   
   Africa: The Great Pyramids, Abu Simbel, Jack's Camp in the Kalahari Desert, the Cape Winelands, and so on.
   
   United States and Canada: Kenai Peninsula, Monterey Peninsula, Telluride, South Beach, Art Institute of Chicago (one of my favorite art museums), Art Gallery of Ontario, Nimmo Bay Resort, Polar Bear Safari, and the like.
   
   This is fun simply to browse. Choose a page at random and fantasize a trip there. . . . Again, lots of fun!



3. What a wonderful way to discover travel possibilities! Patricia Schultz has gifted us with the opportunity to find unique experiences throughout the world. She does seem to cite an awful lot of high priced hotels as travel destination in themselves, and very few (not surprisingly) are in the third world, but if you don't like some of her selections, just skip them. With 1000 entries that still leaves enough natural wonders and "real" experiences to keep most people busy for a lifetime of travel.
   For the most part I greatly enjoyed her selections, as well as her lively writing style. Of course, I may be biased because she included my town in her list of "must sees." Some call Roswell the world's number one crackpot travel destination, but Ms Schultz has rightly recognized The UFO Capital of the World, in all its tacky splendor, as one of the 1000 places to see before you die!
   -Lynn Michelsohn, author of Roswell, Your Travel Guide to the UFO Capital of the World!



4. Expensive hotels and spas...and more hotels! Did high end hotels pay to be included in this book? I certainly find it hard to believe that with all the amazing things to see in the world, the author thinks the lobbys of non-historic hotels and other expensive (but otherwise boring) retail businesses should be on anyone's Top 1000 list. I guess the author would suggest I skip the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids in Egypt (or in the Americas) and, instead, sit in some expensive hotel room in the middle of nowhere? Can you imagine the thrilling vacation pictures I could take of the mint on the pillow or the new tile in a hotel hallway? Ooo..sooo exciting!
   
   I think this book was designed to make money, not be useful. Perhaps it could come in handy for wealthy travelers whose idea of seeing a foreign country is to stay at a fancy Americanized hotel and only venture outside long enough to take a limo ride to the local Starbucks and/or McDonalds outlets.
   
   I'll be returning this book.



5. I have to reinforce what others have said. This books tends to stress 5 star hotels and fancy restaurants. One of the entries for Dublin is to go to a fancy french restaurant. I can see having a pint in a Dublin pub as a thing to do, and she has recommendations for that. But for fancy french food, I think I would go to France.

5 comments about SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea.

1. I'm not an "outdoor guy" but I travel frequently in South Asia so I thought its a good idea to learn basic survival skills. So for my needs this book is over and beyond what I require. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read as well. I'm sure even pro's can learn a thing or two here. Well done Mr.Wiseman!



2. Good title but that is about it for this book, compared to the U.S. Military.



3. Every time I open this book, I'm amazed at how much information is packed in the 570 pages. Covers everything you need to know, plus some. A great buy, at a great price.



4. If you ever wanted to know ANYTHING about survival in the wilderness, it's in here. There's so much info in here, though, you might have to spend a few minutes finding it. One of the definitive books in the field.



5. The book is very nice with pictures inside that explain a lot of things i would like to know.
   Its is a great survival guide! i definitely recommend it!

5 comments about A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World.

1. I heard Mr. Horwitz speak a few years ago. He mentioned that he was working on a book about the travels of De Soto. In the source section of this book, he mentions that he enough research on De Soto for three volumes. I suspect that he originally intended to have a book dedicated solely to De Soto and his travels, similar to Captain James Cook in Blue Latitudes. As the book developed, he and his editors thought it best to expand it to the breadth of discovery of North America. The result is somewhat a jumble. There is not the continuity you find in his other books. Chapter to chapter cover different subjects, and are disjointed. He tries to tie it together in a unified theme in the last chapter, but it does not really work.
   
   The initial sections about Vineland and Columbus are a drag to get through. Instead of the usual observations about the current cultures and attitudes of the areas explored, these chapters mainly complain about the bugs, weather, crowds, or lack of crowds. The chapters in the Dominican Republic suffer, I think, because he does not know Spanish. He was not able utilize his greatest gift; effortlessly engaging in conversation with the local population, making them feel comfortable and unthreatened, and capturing their unguarded feelings and reflections.
   
   The sections about Roanoke and Jamestown are the best in the book. These have the good balance between recounting the history and modern reflections that made his other books so great.
   
   Never the less, I would recommend anyone read this, or any of Horwitz's books.



2. The "truth" about America's origins is uncovered in interesting storytelling fashion. At times it reads like page turner. It might broaden a reader's viewpoint but it will make "little difference", because "...Myths didn't just trump fact; they helped create it." If you have played (or know about) rounders and tried to explain it's connection to baseball to almost any baseball fan you know the author is "right" about that. But that is not necessarily a bad thing it keeps our "foundation" stable and thus strong.



3. For those who loved Confederates In The Attic, Tony Horwitz once again travels back into time, following the paths of Vikings, conquistadors and settlers. The main theme is the black hole Americans have of the time between Columbus and the Pilgrims, a not insignificant period of 128 years in which much occurred. Names like Coronado and DeSoto were just names in history books to many people, even well educated ones like Horwitz himself.
   
   Horwitz writes about the historical misconceptions and other tidbits of this time which surround not only the explorers (Ponce de Leon was not in search of a fountain of youth, he never set foot in St. Augustine either) but also the natives (many Indian societies were scattered and loose confederations by the 16th century as opposed to their greater, more prosperous nations in centuries previous).
   
   Some interesting moments in the book:
   
   - Horwitz rightly condemns the lack of proper historical presentation in our time, for example St. Augustine turned into a Ponce de Leon theme park complete with pirates and the new pox of dumbed-down history, ghost tours.
   
   - Regardless of the cruelty and single-minded gold mania of the conquistadors, Horwitz marvels at how they managed to march through inhospitable regions like the desert southwest and the swampy southeast. As for the atrocities they committed, there are many examples here. Still, Horwitz speaks to defenders of their legacy as well.
   
   - Interesting modern day people and places abound: The Kansas Swedish Lutheran town situated at the Spanish Catholic Coronado's furthest exploration north. How the flooding of the Mississippi over the decades destroyed once-prosperous towns like Arkansas City, now a near-vacant settlement. The chaos of the modern Dominican Republic.
   
   - The squandered legacy of the Vikings who failed to make inroads into the New World.
   
   - The first Indian who met the Pilgrims spoke English and asked for beer. The Pilgrims weren't close to being the first people to settle on the east coast of the U.S.
   
   Much more here, written in Horwitz's generally objective and inquisitive style. His trips to historical spots give a lot of modern day perspective. As with his other books, his visits to such places are met with either genuine interest or indifference.
   
   Most of all, Horwitz engages the reader, regardless of political leaning. Contrast this to a book like Assassination Nation by Sarah Vowell, which could have been an excellent book but is poisoned by her bitter partisan rants. For all we know Horwitz could share a similar political viewpoint but he keeps an even-handed approach in this book.



4. A really interesting look (and at times very funny) at the odd blank spot in American history between Columbus and Jamestown, especially odd since so much actually happened during that time; Coronado, Soto, the first European colony in the US at Fort Caroline (founded by French Huguenots and now Jacksonville, which was founded later after the colony was massacred by the Spanish). Also very thoughtful at times about a nation's memory and why we revere the jerks at Plymouth Bay Colony rather than any of their predecessors (who weren't exactly saints either).



5. This at least shows the fact that the origins of the USA's civilization is in the South. Spanish-speaking St. Augustine in Florida was the first European settlement, in 1565. The first-ever democratic elections in America were held in the Jamestown colony in 1607, etc. Because the North won the Civil War, they have written the history text books, which make it sound like Plymouth Rock was the cradle of the American nation. When in fact, the beginings of African-America were already one year in the past when the Pilgrims landed in New England, as African indentured servants landed on the Virginia coast in 1619. I am please to find Horwitz revealing the truth about this. I have not gotten there yet, but I am assuming he also credits the existence of the United States to the charity and patriotism of a Jew named Hayem Salomon; this man was an immigrant in New York from Poland, who bacame the wealthiest man in the Anglo-American colonies before 1775. Without his dedication and pocket book Continental Congress would not have had the resources to finance the Revolutionary War. In the middle of the 1780s, Salomon died penniless in a poor flat in New York. Congress never paid him back the vast fortune he contributed. But in recent years Congress did authorize the issue of a postage stamp bearing his likeness.

5 comments about The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2009 (Unofficial Guides).

1. This book is a must have for anyone considering a trip to Disney. It gives you the ins and outs of everything from rides, hotels, food, and prices. You will find it easy to read, and very accurate. Bring it with you on your trip and it will help you even more.



2. It is important to give respect to those that have identified some errors and ommissions in the "Unofficial Guides." The guide is not perfect, and one might expect perfection from a reference book. That being said, no Disney vacation is perfect either, although we all seek perfection from this expensive theme park trip!
   
   What the Unofficial Guide does is break down, in a very user friendly way, how to understand a Disney vacation and make the most of it. The authors also make an 800+ page book fun to read and explore and that is no easy feat!
   
   From understanding resort accomodations, meal plans, those attractions that might upset your stomach, travel, moving about the parks, shopping, attendence levels, health and safety, pets, etc etc etc., the Guide makes these complicated topics manageable.
   
   We can look to Wikipedia for hard, real-time data (and the Guide should strive to have all their information fact checked.) But, Disney is expensive, complicated, and does involve lots of planning. The Guide is the best $13 you will ever spend towards your vacation. It's cheaper than your Coke and chicken strips lunch at a counter restaurant, but will save you untold amounts of confusion and frustration about bus routes, check-in policies, how to see characters, and so forth.
   
   It is also important to note, that with the purchase of the book, you receieve access to the Unoffical Guide's crowd calendars (viewable on its website). It's a nice little perk to help with your long-range planning.
   
   We have bought numerous travel books for our trips, but the Unoffical Guide is more than just a travel book, it is a How-to guide to getting the most from your Disney Vacation.



3. This venerable Walt Disney World guidebook covers all the bases... and then goes further. It has a no-nonsense, cynical tone that is refreshing and sometimes funny. Anyone planning a visit to Disney will benefit from it.
   
   Sound strange coming from a competitor? Well, it shouldn't. Though I am the author of The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World, the two books approach Disney from different perspectives. Whereas mine is a standard-size book with lots of color photos and factual detail; this one is a huge tome with tons of fieldwork and opinion.
   
   The 844-page book goes into exhaustive detail, especially about topics outside the theme parks. A full 171 pages are devoted to Accommodations, including layout maps of the different Disney resorts, maps showing where non-Disney hotels are located, how to shop online for lodging, and a list of recommended websites that are good resources for this topic. There is even a list of 33 questions to ask the owner or rental company of a vacation home you may want to rent.
   
   I especially enjoy the reader comments. These italicized quotes are a guilty pleasure for me; I like trying to picture the person behind the words. One mom describes choosing a Cinderella character meal at 1900 Park Fare instead of trying to book Cinderella's Royal Table at Cinderella Castle: "It wasn't easy to get, but I was able to get a reservation only about two months in advance instead of the 180-days-and-atomic-clock routine that the Royal Table requires. Maybe someday we'll do the Royal Table, but this time my daughter was delighted with the dinner at 1900 Park Fare."
   
   Often the comments are blunt: "Lodging a complaint with Disney is like shouting at a brick." I've found in my own work how knowledgeable and passionate many Walt Disney World guests are; the comments in the Unofficial Guide reflect this.
   
   I also look for the boxed sidebars from Disneyphile Jim Hill, called "Disney Dish with Jim Hill." These bits of trivia are always interesting, and sometimes very funny.
   
   New for this edition is a small section with photos. These 16 color pages are right up front, before the table of contents. I especially liked the photo comparing a Disney hamburger with a regular McDonald's hamburger.
   
   As for the book having some factual errors, I know firsthand that that criticism is unwarranted. Disney changes its ticket prices more than once a year, some restaurants change their menus quarterly, and Disney's shops can reinvent themselves almost at the drop of a pin.
   
   Despite what all of us in the Disney community like to think about ourselves, no book, no web site, even no Disney executive is a perfect source of Disney World information. The place is just too big, complex and dynamic. Overall, the authors of the Unofficial Guide do a good job keeping their information updated.
   
   If you go to Walt Disney World without a plan, you can easily waste precious time by not knowing what to do, or by doing the wrong things. Having good information can make the difference between having a fun, memorable vacation and having a tense one. The Unofficial Guide is chock full of reliable information. It's a proven tool.
   
   Here's the chapter list:
   
   Introduction
   Part One: Planning Before You Leave Home
   Part Two: Making the Most of Your Time and Money
   Part Three: Accommodations
   Part Four: Serenity Now! A Look at Disney-area Spas
   Part Five: The Disney Cruise Line
   Part Six: Walt Disney World with Kids
   Part Seven: Special Tips for Special People
   Part Eight: Arriving and Getting Around
   Part Nine: Bare Necessities
   Part Ten: Dining in and around Walt Disney World
   Part Eleven: The Magic Kingdom
   Part Twelve: Epcot
   Part Thirteen: Animal Kingdom
   Part Fourteen: Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney World
   Part Fifteen: Disney's Hollywood Studios, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld
   Part Sixteen: The Water Parks
   Part Seventeen: Beyond the Parks
   Part Eighteen: Shopping in and out of Walt Disney World
   Part Nineteen: Nightlife in and out of Walt Disney World
   Appendix, Indexes, Touring Plans and Reader Surveys
   List of Maps



4. I have both the 2008 and 2009 Unofficial Guide, and honestly, my summary is that this is a good, necessary companion to the Birnbaum guide, but it is poorly executed as a stand-alone. I find myself vascillating between loving it and wanting to throw it off a freeway overpass.
   
   First, the good. It is certainly a very indepth guide. It is updated with reasonable amounts of materials between the editions. It treats most subjects much more thoroughly than Birnbaums. The off-property hotels, for example, are excellent compared to Brinbaums. The tour plans are also a neat idea, and I look forward to trying them. The letters from customers are also a nice touch (adding customer insights, tips etc) but are a tad over-done.
   
   Now, the bad. This book screams for a good technical editor. The information is fairly inaccessible, given the number of pages, the poor organization and the hideous indexing. (Honestly, in any book about Disney, should anything be indexed under "Disney's XYZ"? I wanted to kick my dog when I tried to index some attraction and the index said "See Disney's ) I research for a living and have a doctorate, and the amount of work you have to go through to find every last scrap of information in this guide about a given subject is really inexcusable. The information is in there, and thorough, but dear me you really have to flog the thing to get it out. I find myself constantly referring to a Birnbaums guide just to get myself oriented and try and get the full context of what it is I need to extract from the Unofficial Guide's multiple sections.
   
   A final complaint that I have, that some people might consider a benefit rather than a detriment, is that this book has a bunch of non-disney stuff in it. While it is a nice touch to make people aware of what else there is to do and get them "off property," I personally consider it cluttering up the book with unneeded information. The title is U.G. to WALT DISNEY WORLD 2009, not Universal Studios, not Gatorworld etc etc. Honestly, for people who want to know what there is to do off property, let them buy a book about stuff off property a la "Unofficial Guide to Everything But Disney." Don't junk up a guide that is supposed to be about Disney with non-Disney stuff. It is just more stuff to slog through in an already bloated, unorganzied reference work. (Again, I readily concede some will consider this non-Disney information a benefit, but the book isn't "Disney and Stuff.")
   
   I like the book, it has great information, but it is poorly executed and really could benefit from serious editing/reogranization. As it stands now, most people will probably benefit from having the Birnbaums guide as a kind of concise Concordance to the Unofficial Guide's sprawl and bloat.
   
   P.S. I ordered from Amazon online on a Friday with standard shipping and had it on Monday.



5. We've gone to "The World" for 3 years now in a row, this year will be #4, our 5th total. I've purchased this book for 6. In fact, I've purchased just about every 'help' book on WDW there is out there! Sehlinger & Testa put out the best, hands down....period. They're un-biased, independent, honest, and fair. As a single parent of two boys, I just don't have the time to spend the absolute hours/days it would take to gather the info and do the research these folks do for me with teams of 'professionals' gathered by the authors! If you've never been to "The World" or never tried to plan to go there before, we who have can tell ya just how much and often 'Disney' changes just about anything you can think of. The 'Guide' even gives us a web-page where we can check for up-dates and changes 'Disney' makes. They provide the research to help you plan your day(s) in each park, in-depth info for each attraction, dining, lodging (on and off property), when to go...., just about anything you may need to plan your visit to see "The Mouse". You can't do any better nor find anything to help plan your vacation more thoroughly than using this book to get you started......'The Best Out There' and "....Still Champion!!!"...PERIOD!

5 comments about How the States Got Their Shapes.

1. This is a book that should be read by everyone. It is not only fascinating with the twists and turns of events that shaped each state, but teaches so much about our history as a growing nation. For me it is especially delightful since no one who was involved those many years ago could have imagined what those shapes would represent in the book The Little Man In the Map: With Clues To Remember All 50 States See how those shapes created by a myriad of forces have now become the simple clues to remember the name, shape and location of the states.



2. It has always been a mystery to me how states wound up with the boundaries that they currently have. Of particular interest was my home state of Arkansas with the notch at the top and bottom corner along with the bent line on its western border with Arkansas. This book finally laid my questions to rest.
   
   Rather than reading the book from front to back, I skipped around to the states I have lived in the past. My current home of Texas made riveting reading as I learned of the wars and disputes that defined the boundary. Particularly, why Oklahoma has a "panhandle".
   
   The history and associated conflicts - especially those of the slave states - makes for a fantastic read. As an example, I enjoyed the way California basically told the federal government what they would and would not do. How things have changed!
   
   The subject may sound a bit mundane to some but I can assure the potential reader that it is very interesting and provides well-researched facts that you will carry with you on your next road trip. Thanks Mark Stein. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs



3. Very interesting information presented in an easy to read format. Pick it up and put it down, read selectively, it's all fun and fascinating.



4. This book is somewhat interesting, but overall it is very disappointing. Light on substance, heavy on repetition, and full of errors.
   
   It quickly glosses over major historical events to race through each state's borders. The choice of dealing with the states alphabetically is odd and leads to reiteration of the same facts over and over without deeper explanation. The French and Indian War is mentioned 16 times, but the causes of it are never described.
   
   Errors are frequent. In "Arizona," Stein writes about a buffer "...around the town of Yuma, California..." Yuma is in Arizona. He states that Texas joined the United States in 1846. It became a state in 1845. He never describes New Hampshire's northern border, stating that the western border of that state is the Connecticut River but completely ignoring the fact that the northern border departs from the river on its way to Maine.
   
   The book seems amateurish and incomplete. I realize the author is a playwright, but that is not an excuse. It left me wanting more.



5. I live in the panhandle of Connecticut and have always been fascinated about the vast irregularity of the borders of most of the United States. Author Mark Stein's informative new book, "How the States Got Their Shapes" is a quick report as to how each state's boundaries came into play...and there are dozens of different reasons why.
   
   Two things stand out in Stein's book...the shaping of many of the eastern states (due to charters by England's Charles I and II) and the western ones by Congress (in an attempt to make states of equal a size as possible). In between these two devices all chaos ensues. It's one thing to have a river act as a natural boundary but if one looks at a map of the United States, rivers come and go supplanted by straight lines which don't always follow parallels or meridians. There are stories of bad surveying, compromises about gold mines and Indians, lines made anew to give certain states more access to lakes and to keep certain cities within some borders, interstate negotiations and the inevitable wars that helped to redraw the boundaries.
   
   Stein's book would have been better organized by region than by state capitalization (there are continuous references to flip back or forward when better arrangements could have been made) and there are dates that are simply wrong or misleading... (Texas became a state in 1845, not 1846 and the Hoover Dam is listed as being created in 1935 AND 1936). But with the introduction of each state, Stein asks the reader to ponder questions about why that particular entity looks the way it does and that is, in itself, a nice historical challenge.
   
   "How the States Got Their Shapes" is a good, if not a great or deep attempt to answer these questions but it does provide many facts we never learned in school. I recommend it for that reason.

5 comments about Fast Food Nation.

1. You might think you know what this guy has to say, but rest assured that this book as full of surprises! It is also very interesting in a way that makes you read deep into the night.
   The book doesn't only cover what fast food is doing to our health and families, but also at how it is changing industries across the world. It contains a shocking section on how minorities are being exploited, especially in the US meat industry.
   
   It becomes more and more obvious how much research must have gone into the book, and it is refreshing, and maybe a little ironic, to see a product into which a lot of care and time was invested, especially in this fast-everything culture.
   
   I recommend this book wholeheartedly, because it is interesting, well-researched, well-written, relevant and good value for money.
   
   You'll never look at McDonalds the same way!



2. If you eat fast food, you need to read this book to understand what you're really putting into your body. Even if you don't eat fast food, this is an important read for the sake of understanding how the fast food industry has changed what we are as a country, and what we're becoming. It is a remarkable reality check.



3. In Eric Schlosser's first devastating book on the malpractices of the fast food industry, he pieces together history, facts, and numerous sources to reveal some disturbing truths about their nature.
   
   Fast Food Nation is less an expose` on how unhealthy junk food is than a look into the operations of the food industry, specifically McDonalds. The book is divided into two sections: the first, "The American Way," is concerned primarily with the growth and development of the fast food chains, beginning around the 40s in southern California and soon burgeoning into multiple restaurants across the US. Schlosser details the rise of the Speedee Service System, advertising techniques the emphasis on conformity by the chains, and their consolidation of power. The next section, "Meat and Potatoes," details various specifics about the machinations of the incredibly powerful fast food corporations. To the terrible conditions of workers in filthy (and dangerous) slaughterhouses, the employment of thousands of illegal immigrants in these buildings throughout the Midwest, and the diehard attempts by the corporations against possibilities of lawsuits by these workers after receiving any number of injuries. The companies further fight against the right to unionize.
   
   While Schlosser doesn't focus on the naturally unhealthy nature of fast food, he does describe the abundant diseases that can be found in the meat, such as E. coli O157:H7. The causes for these pathogens are the environments in the above-mentioned slaughterhouses, particularly the fact that feces often finds its way into the processed animals, or sick cattle are used along with healthy ones. Near the end of the book, fast food's spread around the globe and its effects on the societies of foreign nations are described. This and much more are brought up and examined by the determined author.
   
   As for the writing style, Schlosser has a great ability for scene setting, as in the first pages of the introduction where he describes the Cheyenne Mountain base, where it feels like it's some sort of sci-fi novel. This book never really drags, although in the epilogue his writing abruptly seems to become more lackluster. Other than that and repeating E. coli O157:H7 one too many times, this book can be a useful weapon against the fast food empire. I still plan to eat McDonalds, but I'll definitely be thinking more when I bite into one of their products.
   
   
   A note: many people will likely believe this book to be biased against the Republican party. But the fact is that the conservatives have all to often aided the corporations in their power grabs and take over of rivals. The Republicans are always accusing the Democrats of striking down competition in the free market, but it should be blatantly obvious that by buying off their other powerful competitors the corporations suppress any "free market" activity.



4. The author offers reader a book behind the fast food industry which mushrooms around the county with their joints which the majority of working class rely on for their quick meals.
   
   His research on the growers, suppliers, processors, laborers, politics and health issue behind the smiling teenager order takers leads reader to the composition of the hamburger in blood, tears and sweat from thousands of cattle, handled by the chain of workers before going to your mouth. It also makes you wonder who is eating the steaks and leaving the "residue of fats, noses, ears, trims" grounded into a mixture enhanced with artificial favor - a virtue"100% beef".
   
   Does fast food industry cost you an arm and a leg? By eating the cheap fast food, we may pay a dear price for healthcare later!
   
   This book illustrates the Tao of food: good and bad, healthy and junk, natural and artificial, slow and fast, traditional and modern, real and illusion.
   
   Who program the population in acting "the allegiance to the flag of fast food industry, one fast food nation under God with franchises around 50 states in offering cheap hamburgers and freedom fries for all"?



5. received the book quicker than expected. the book was in excellent condition. I highly recommend this seller

5 comments about The Little Book.

1. This being Selden Edwards first book there isn't much to fall back on, but don't let that sway your decision to read this instant literary classic. I wouldn't say that about just any book and The Little Book is certainly a strange tale for that title, but a truly Wonkaesque story it is. Strange and unbelievable were the first words that came to mind. The protagonist is Frank Standish Burden III (Wheeler), a self-proclaimed every's man who manages to travel back in time using a Delor....I mean....(a little joke)....and meets some very interesting people who are not yet at the pinnacle of their careers.
   
   Starting with the still relatively unknown Sigmund Freud who dismisses Wheeler's time-traveling tale as a delusional episode. But that isn't the only celebrated historian to come across the path of this rock legend. We meet Winston Churchill, a young Hitler, Mark Twain, and Egon Wickstein a philosopher reminiscent of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Curiosity strikes this wonder man as to how he slipped through the streams of time.
   
   But the tale gets even stranger when Wheeler bumps into his deceased father, Dilly. Reality is getting stranger and stranger as the tale moves forward. Wheeler isn't sure how he got here and isn't sure how long he'll stay. The book shares characteristics with Forrest Gump (the cultural miss mashing) and The Twilight Zone, but manages to be completely original. If I was going to knock the book, it could only be that the format doesn't move you like Forrest Gump did. Or shock and awe you the way Twilight Zone did, but that is minor and I had to stretch to find those flaws. This is going to become an instant literary classic and one you don't want to miss.
   
   Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou, Tino Fates (2nd Edition)



2. Most of the plot twists in this book have been done before: someone who goes back in time and meets people he has read about or who he knew before the time travel episode. But having said that, Edwards manages to introduce some new convolutions to the story. The writing is very good, the sense of Vienna in 1897 is well-done, and with flashbacks--or perhaps flash-forwards to the period between 1897 and 1988 when the time travel occurred, you're drawn into an intriguing labyrinth. I was prepared to find the story a little hokey and superficial, and in places this is indeed true, but I still found myself thoroughly enjoying the tale.
   
   There are elements that were annoying: I didn't see any real need for the hero Wheeler Burden to be a truly gifted athlete, rock star, and writer, and for his father to have similar gifts. This plot device has been overdone. In Vienna, Burden interacts with lots of people who will become famous, Freud in particular. He meets a young American woman who calls herself Emily James. Fin de siecle Vienna was a consuming interest for Burden--and so the problem for the reader (and the author), a problem frequently encountered with time travel stories, is the possible influence upon history and perhaps altering the future. You can't say much here, though, without giving away plot elements.
   
   The whole tale twists in on itself like a Klein bottle (see Wikipedia) in which the inside is also the outside. I began to think of that classic science-fiction story "All You Zombies" by Robert Heinlein (if you want what might or might not be a spoiler, see Wikipedia), and from that point, part of the fascination was to see whether we were indeed going to see perhaps a similar denouement. The ending is unpredictable, but certainly satisfying, perhaps especially so since at that point it was hard to see where things might be going. So while there are some flaws, they are only a rather minor annoyance, and do not detract measurably from a fine read.



3. Dilly Burden was a legend and a hero. He excelled at his Boston boys' school and at Harvard, was a star baseball player and gave his life in World War II when he was tortured and killed by the Gestapo in France. His only son, Wheeler, has no memory of his Dad but has spent his life living up to the legend.
   
   Where Dilly was an icon, Wheeler is more eccentric. He followed in his father's footsteps to the Boston boys' school and despite guidance from a much beloved teacher, the Haze, (who had also taught his father), he was an average student. He did show talent in baseball but his real love was music. He found great success in his life and was quite a music star in the late 1980s but never stuck to anything, or anyone, for any great length of time. He was always looking for something he couldn't put his finger on.
   
   But that's not where the story begins...
   
   Suddenly one day Wheeler is walking along and begins to realize that he is somewhere he does not recognize. He soon discovers that he is in 1897 Vienna, in his modern clothes and with all of his memories intact. He doesn't know how he got there or how long this visit will last. But as one day stretches to two, he realizes that he is going to need some help. Thanks to the Haze, Wheeler speaks German well and knows a bit about this part of European history. After much consideration he approaches Sigmund Freud, a little known figure at the time, for help. Their discussions and the journal Wheeler starts to keep help him to begin to understand this amazing thing that has happened to him.
   
   During his stay in Vienna, Wheeler discovers his past in a way that is entirely surprising and leaves you hoping that Selden Edwards has somehow really figured out the way the universe works.
   
   There are many well developed characters that appear in the story. The reader gets to know them all and will realize that this book isn't just about Wheeler or even most importantly about Wheeler but about his loved ones and the patterns that life weaves.
   
   This is an absolutely wonderful book. It has layers of meaning and an interconnectedness that make it a breath-taking read. It's a history lesson and a love story, a mystery and a psychology lesson. I can't recommend it highly enough.



4. Truthfully, I am only 1/2 way through this excellent novel. I decided to write a review now, because I don't know if I'll finish the book... I just do not want it to end.
   
   Selden Edwards shows his commitment and talent, taking decades to write his first novel. The characters, the nonlinear time line, the familiar style of his prose; all are worthy of great praise. For the avid reader, this book will feel familiar as it winds its way across continents and centuries. For others who happen upon this book it is an even better introduction to what a Great America novel should be: captivating, stimulating, entertaining and witty.
   
   Cheers to Mr. Edwards! Please don't wait another 30 years to write another.



5. I got this audio book after hearing a gushing review on NPR's Fresh Air. I was enthralled with the notion of a fantasy novel that would contrast time periods offering insight and reflection on the pre-war avant garde of Europe and its relevance to our time. Sadly, the book bogs down in the telling of the tale, mostly, a love story, too often told in the baroque language of a romance novel. The main characters are mostly sensationalized, and comic-book like heros whose behavior demonstrates very little depth of thought. I had just enough interest throughout the book to keep returning to the story to find out what happens next, but I remained ambivalent throughout. I think any other distraction occuring in my life in the last week could have dislodged me from the book, never to return.
   2 stars for evoking fin de siecle Vienna as a backdrop for an otherwise C-minus story.
   Jeff Woodman is a very talented narrator - I look forward to listening to other books he reads.

5 comments about Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar.

1. This thoughtful book reflects the next level in the literary evolution of the incomparable Paul Theroux --- he's more vunerable, more reflective, and more compassionate (and less the rogue and rascal) --- now that he is in his 67th year. For his many fans, this is a good thing, as we get to know him more deeply. The "ghost train" referred to in the book's title is actually Theroux's inner travels in both mind and spirit. While re-tracing, mostly in 2006, much of the route of his 1973 classic "The Great Railway Bazaar", he now focuses on the theme of "change": not only do the physical locations look different, but of course the author is different as well. Theroux is a "ghost" of his younger self, traveling like a ghost through the past of his memories, while feeling nearly invisible as he re-visits many of his old haunts (excuse the pun). However, this book has all the Theroux trademarks that the devoted reader loves and expects: exotic locales, humor, grittiness, the unexpected, the insights, the observations, the interesting local people and wacky fellow travelers. Theroux is a true master of detail and description. The sights-smells-sounds of extensive and exhaustive travel are all there, as if you were right beside him. But unlike his other non-fiction travel books, this one is specially tinged with some sadness and melancholy. Can/will he do another epic travel journey to share with us? I certainly hope so. Paul, please keep giving us your unique and valued "scribble, scribble..."



2. Throughout this latest Theroux book I kept asking myself, why does he do it? Why does he punish himself with decrepit trains, filthy toilets, near poisonous food, crummy hotels, lonliness, a constant stream of strangers met on the way and never seen again? He is an old man, presumably well to do, perhaps really rich, who needs all that punishment? Obviously he does. This travel book (though like all of his books it is not a travel guide, no hotel recommendations, no must do restaurants or sights) simply is fascinating reading, although by now, having written 41 books, 17 of them travel books, there is a certain sameness that is I guess unavoidable. The names and places change but the experiences remain the same.
   Still, he never bores. And while this may be his last travel book (he hints so) it is a terrific one with which to exit the stage. JDP



3. Mr. Theroux is over 65 but still doing the hard road. He is cranky as usual but more erudite, in other words he refers to Larkin, Buddhism, etc. I didnt agree with all his perceptions, especially concerning Romania where I have spent some time. I liked the Romanians and thought Bucharest a very interesting city, and Transylvania has some beautiful landscapes, but then he only spent few hours there. However, I also thought he was very good on India, where I have also travelled. He has been criticized for being egocentric in this book and, of course, he has his quirks, but he is a great writer, especially of travel literature, and as he himself would say, writers are a bit mad (or they wouldnt be writers).



4. A love "Ghost Train'. I love that some places did not change in 33 years. I love that, as a man of a certain age, he spent somewhat less time in bars and more time with nature. I love that he found people he had met 33 years ago. I love that the people were so happy to see him again.
   
   I fantisize that I am reading 'Ghost Train', I look up and there he is sitting across from me on the train.
   
   And, I love that he supports Barack Obama. Fired Up!



5. I will spare few minutes of my precious time to write those lines.
   I was born and raised in France, then moved to Singapore in 1992 where my daughters and I became proud Singaporean in 2006.
   Yesterday I was a Borders and my eyes got caught by Mr Theroux's book "Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the track of the Great Railway Bazar" latest edition. I was in the intention of purchasing this book until I read what he said regarding his stopover in Singapore.
   I was shocked by such critics, clichés and totally wrong analyses. Mr Theroux understood absolutely nothing of our country, our people, our values etc.... and think he is in position of despising us and our beautiful island.
   After reading those pages with sadness and even disgust, I decided that I will not buy this book as his testimony was so wrong for Singapore that I can't trust what he will say about others countries. As a matter of fact, I will never buy another book from this author who is not worse reading.
   
   As for Mr Theroux, it is good in a way that he did not appreciate our country so at least he will not be around as we don't need people like him.

5 comments about Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

1. Not only did I find her whiney and self-absorbed, but also didn't see her as a really great writer. I almost quite half way but I hate not to finish, so I slugged through it all. There were a few interesting times in the book, but they are few and far between. Just find someone who read it and ask them to recap their favorite paragraph and you're done.



2. This is a very interesting and fun book to read. Elizabeth is creative in her descriptions of her experiences.



3. I was shocked when I logged on to Amazon and saw so many snarky, bitter reviews; I expected this book to have a solid five star rating. I do a lot of reading and it not every day that I find a book so engrossing, so honest, so profound, and so funny that I clear my schedule in order to plow through it. To all those mean-spirited reviewers, my question is: if you hated the book so much, why did you waste your time on it? Seems to me those folks are the ones who needed this book the most, yet read it without appreciating any of the gifts it has to offer. Now, I am not saying that this book is some sort of holy text; to the contrary, the writer is, or at least starts out, as a whiney, neurotic mess, who admittedly can be quite annoying in her self-referential misery. And her path to spirituality reads more like a TV reality show than the Bhagavad Gita. But I love the intensely personal, hyper observant, open-to-everything way in which she embraces her experiences, as well as the gritty and witty way she communicates. The chapters are packed with wonderful nuggets of information, wise insights, fascinating observations of people and cultures, and delicious moments of sensuality, spirituality, grace and inspiration. As a person who enjoys nature writing, my one disappointment with the book was that her interest seems so exclusively focused on people. I would have enjoyed a little more natural history, the names of some of the beautiful flowers and butterflies she describes, or a description of a dog or cat or sacred cow that even begins to match the sensitivity and wonder with which she describes humans. But that is a minor quibble with a major achievement. And I don't even say this because I identify with the author's journey. I spent my glorious months in Italy when I was 20, have met my soul mate, and am able to quiet my mind without visiting an Ashram. But I, and I suspect most of us, can always use some help expanding our world views and and shoring up our moral and spiritual failings; this book inspires such self-work while being thoroughly entertaining.



4. I couldnt put this book down~!`
   i'm going thru my own stuff right now and found myself crying at parts of this book when it hit close to home.



5. Inspiring and uplifting! Laced with laser sharp humor, Eat,Pray,Love is the account of a mid-thirties woman figuring it out! Read it now!