5 comments about Hearing Birds Fly: A Nomadic Year in Mongolia.

1. This book gives an inside look at how other people, nomads in Mongolia, live. They work hard but enjoy their life. Even in a small village, different ethnic groups stay apart and distrust each other. If you find this book interesting, you might also enjoy 'The Places In Between" by Rory Stewart. He's a young man from Scotland who treks through a remote section of the mountains in Afghanistan in 2002, after 911. Every little village he goes to gives him shelter and food. He does it in the winter and you keep thinking he is crazy and lucky not to die of cold. He meets a dog and does most of the trip with a dog-it almost feels like animal abuse-it's so hard on the dog and he never chose to be this crazy.



2. This is a book by a woman, who goes to Mongolia, discovers how much she likes the country and then goes back to it years later, lives there for two years, then teaches in a remote village of nomads. the book is about her time spent in the village of nomads teaching them English. she describes life in the village and the people there and how it was for a foriegner, who grew up in London, to be totally surrounded by such a foreign and alien environment. very good read. i highly recommend it.



3. Louisa Waugh went to live in a village in western Mongolia, to teach English, where she learned more than she thought she would. She learned about religion, lush summers, dusts storms, hard winters, loneliness, fear, happiness, yummy horse meat and dealing with death. For all the information in the book it reads pretty swiftly and I finished it within a couple of days, when not working, sleeping or eating. It really is a hard book to put down and a lovely one to add to my library of Asian books. I really felt sorry for her sometimes.



4. My husband is a Mongolian-American and I was so amazed to find how the customs have carried over to the community here. Great book. Well written.



5. Knowledgeable writer who shares her experiences in Western Mongolia. I enjoyed her story and learned about Mongolian life..

5 comments about Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures In Japan.

1. I picked up Japan Ai not really expecting much. I thought it'd be a cute read, but not something I'd really read twice, let alone buy. I was pleasantly surprised when I flipped through the pages. Steinberger's eye for details is amazing when it comes to describing her travels through Japan. Some people may be decieved by the seemingly simplistic artwork on the cover that the storytelling is just as simplistic, but they'd be amazed. The author's passion for travel, anime/manga, & hobbies comes through on every page. Fans of anime, manga, & cosplay will get into the journal because of the detailed information about those interests, but the average person will get drawn into the journal for the attention to details. It is easily accessible to most people. I would consider it a good guide to read before going overseas so one can plan out where to go, as well as knowing what to expect if you are a english speaking traveller.



2. I purchased this book because I had heard of it in a chat forum and was already familiar with the author/artist. Most books don't keep my interest long enough to get through the book in a day or two, but this was impossible to put down. Aimee's lovely sketches and playful comments kept me laughing at the turn of every page. Her useful information will fuel anyone dreaming of a trip to Japan into setting the date after reading this book. I am excited to visit the places she mentions and share in the wonderful experiences she wrote about.
   What a brilliantly lighthearted way to address the ups and downs of tourism.
   
   A+



3. Seriously love this book. It's a fun account of Ms. Major Steinberger's travels in Japan. Not only are you taken through her own experiences as a foreigner, but you're also given little cultural tidbits that are just as interesting. Plus, the illustrations are fabulous. I look forward to more from Aimee in the future.



4. Cute. Simple. A lovely guide book to one girl's adventures in Japan. So don't look for millions of pages of details. This is about her and her two friends and their journey to the VOLKS store in Tokyo by way of Kyoto. The cartoonist happens to also be six feet tall. It is a sketchbook and guide to many of Japan's little delights and, sometimes, tiny problems. It has a glossary and a appendix of websites of hotels, food places, stores and so on.



5. Have you ever felt like you stood out from the crowd? Like you were so strange and different, that people couldn't help but stare? Lately, Aimee's been getting that feeling all the time. Yes, she's a fangirl from California who has the ability to detect all things cute. She loves dolls, drawing, manga, and video games. In her spare time, Aimee and her friends like to cosplay, which is making costumes and dressing up as your favorite anime or video game character. But none of these things are the reason that Aimee stands out like a sore thumb. Aimee's 6' tall and, while that's not such a big deal in California, when you're visiting Japan, you might as well be Godzilla.
   
   When you're 6' tall and in Japan, you tower over almost everyone else. People might mistake you for a monster out of a Godzilla movie. You don't always fit in every bathroom stall. Losing your luggage on the flight is a big deal, because finding cloths your height is almost impossible. People are scared to share a hot springs pool with you. And dressing up as a geisha means you need two people and a chair just to put on a wig.
   
   Aimee's determined to have a good time while she's visiting Japan. It's her dream to see Kyoto, home of traditional Japanese culture, and Tokyo, a city that's all about the future. Along the way, she and her friends, A.J. and Judy, visit temples, watch musicals, get lost on the trains, cosplay in Harajuka, and adopt a doll. Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan is Aimee's sketchbook journal of the entire trip.

No comments about Angkor Wat & Siem Reap Encounter (Best Of).

2 comments about Epics on Everest: Stories of Survival from the World's Highest Peak (Adrenaline).

1. Not just "there I was in a whiteout" stories, although those are in there. The sixteen pieces represent attempts on Everest back to the Twenties when Mallory disappeared. They are in chronological order, which is helpful because many of the writers refer to past history in their work. All but three are excerpts, but as always, carefully chosen so that you enter and exit the work without feeling confused. There are selections about the early exploration of Everest and then a detailed third-person account of the first ascent in 1953. Geoff Tabin writes about the dynamics of an expedition and the labor that goes into making even an unseccessful assualt on the mountain. Willis puts an interesting spin on the idea of "survival" by including two interesting accounts - one explaining why the previously strong bond between Messner and Habeler didn't "survive" after their 1978 triumph without oxygen, and a first person account by Maria Coffey, who after losing Joe Tasker to the mountain traveled ther with Peter Boardman's widow to find closure for her own "survival". And there are the epics: Venables' near fatal overnight bivouac on the mountain, Anatoli Boukreev's rebuttal of "Into Thin Air", which cast him in a poor light, an account from Lene Gammelgaard, a less-known participant who nearly died that brutal night in 1996, and my favorite - an emotional yet self-effacing first-person story of that same disaster by Michael Groom, one of the guides, who reflects not only on his own near-death, but the helplessness of a guide who could not save his clients: it was he (among others) who walked away from Beck Weathers and left him for dead. So all in all a great read on many aspects of Everests history, and if mountaineering gets your blood going, don't overlook the earlier series volumes"Epic", "High", and "Climb", all packed with riveting tales of death and survival from mountains around the world.



2. This is one of the most exciting books on the subject of mountain climbing I have ever read. Adrenaline on full!

1 comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Kyoto (Wallpaper City Guides) (Wallpaper City Guides (Phaidon Press)).

1. I purchased this at the last minute due to the Loney Planet Kyoto guide was changing editions & I couldn't get a copy.
   
   This book did provide some interesting places to go if you are into mostly modern architecture, and it did have some great pictures. Otherwise it was a waste if you wanted more general information. It's written in a "You can only hope to be as cool as us in finding these spots" tone and the recommendations on hotels & dining were all on the uber-tendy side.
   
   The map included in the book was very poor, and none of the sites mentioned in the book were called out on the map (due to the lack of detail) And if you have ever had to deal with addresses in Japan, they are very complex- that's why GPS units are such a big seller there, so it made it very difficult to use.
   
   Plus there appeared to be no flow or grouping to the locations, so if you tried to track things down on the fly, you were going back & forth across the town. After a while I gave up on the book & used a great free map the hotel gave me that was published by the Kyoto City Tourist Association. You can also get a copy of it on the second floor of the JR station at their info center.
   
   Use this book only as a supplement to a better book to find interesting architectural sites.

1 comments about Lonely Planet Kuala Lumpur Melaka & Penang (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Regional Guide).

1. I purchased this guide and the DK Eyewitness Malaysia/Singapore guide about a month before I went on my trip to KL. I just returned last night after spending a week there.
   
   Let me just say that the LP guide is awesome! It is packed full of all the info you could possibly want to know and it also includes maps of the different areas of KL as well as transit maps. It describes in detail the different things to do in KL, where to stay(as well as phone numbers) and where to eat.
   
   A lot of restaurants in KL don't give many details on their menus so you're not always sure what exactly you're eating, but this KL guide includes a food glossary so you can quickly look up most foods. I found it very helpful because I have issues with trying to eat something when I have no clue what it is, even if it is delicious.
   
   As far as shopping, it did include information on all the major shopping areas in KL.
   
   I carried this guide with me everywhere I went. I used this book a whole lot more than my DK guide, but I would still buy both. If you're planning a trip to KL, I wholeheartedly recommend this guide!

5 comments about Eat Smart in Turkey: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure, Second Edition (Eat Smart, 3).

1. Like armies, tourists travel on their stomachs, and nowhere are the prospects for culinary delight better than in Turkey. So don't leave home without this compact but very complete guide to what's on the menu, what's in the market, what's on your plate and what you can ask for as you travel. The book starts with a short summary of the history of Turkish cuisine, then embarks on a food-tour of the country's seven regions. There are recipes to cook at home before departure, useful foodie phrases ("Where can I see this being made?"), and an extensive listing of translated menu entries.

   Robert Arndt, editor, Aramco World




2. The authors have written a series of Eat Smart books that no traveler to foreign countries should be without. Each book covers a separate country--Eat Smart in Turkey, Eat Smart in Brazil, Eat Smart in Indonesia and Eat Smart in Mexico--and is chock full of information that you won't find elsewhere within the covers of one easy-to-carry paperback. Individual chapters cover such topics as the history of the country's cuisine, regional foods, how to shop in the local markets, mail-order sources for suppliers of ingredients, and a collection of recipes for typical dishes found in that country. Especially useful is each book's extensive menu guide, listing menu terms alphabetically in the language of the foreign country, with a description of the dish in English. That section is followed by a chapter titled "Foods & Flavors"--listing the foreign terms for foods, spices, kitchen utensils and cooking techniques, with an English translation/description. These books are well researched, accurate and very informative. Highly recommended. --Sharon Hudgins, editor, Chile Pepper magazine



3. I bought this book partly because I know that Turkish food features a lot of meat, and I'll be visiting with my wife who is a vegetarian. Can you believe that a book that is *ALL* about food, does not even mention vegetarianism, nor when they list "handy phrases for restaurants" do they list any phrases that deal with the topic? For that matter, they don't deal with any topic having to deal with food allergies, being on a diet, etc. Essentially this is a book about helping people make smart choices when eating in Turkey, but the only people they want to help are people who will eat anything. I should have saved my money.



4. The long title of this book does not even say it all. It's undoubtedly the best guide to Turkish cuisine *by far*.
   
   I've written best-selling guidebooks on Turkey for nearly 40 years (first for Frommer's, then for Lonely Planet for 20 years), traveled (and eaten) in Turkey almost every year since 1967, and Peterson's book still taught me lots of new and interesting things about Turkish cuisine. I'm still learning from it.
   
   This was not a contract job done on assignment for a big publisher in a hurry. The authors are obviously heart-and-soul foodies who started publishing their own culinary guides because they couldn't help but do it. It shows.
   
   And they're not gourmands, but gourmets: they are truly fascinated by the subtleties in the art of delighting the palate. To most writers, food is necessary and fun. To the authors of this guide, food is tradition, art, innovation, achievement, delight.
   
   And Turkey is a great place to be a foodie. Once the center of a vast, agriculturally rich empire home to hundreds of peoples and cultures, it developed an elaborate and subtle cuisine based on careful preparation of fresh ingredients. It's the perfect country to travel through with a food guide, and this is the guide to take.



5. This is a fine look at turkish cuisine and culture. It goes into the history and the different regions and includes a selection of recipes that can be tried at home. The turkish language section is particularly useful as an aid to learning appropriate words and phrases to be able to order food and drinks in restaurants, bars and markets.
   
   I find when I travel that trying local and regional food is one of the highlights of the trip. This book will be an invaluable aid to my next trip. Strongly recommended

5 comments about Thailand Confidential.

1. Hopkins book is a clear-eyed, knowledgeable, and insightful look at Thailand by an American who's lived there for more than a decade. He captures the crazy charm of the place without falling victim to the romantic haze that falls over most first-time visitors. He still loves it - the street food, the elephants, the women, the bars, the temples, the gentle people and sharp operators, the jungles, cities, and beaches and the all-round intensity and color of the place - but also sees many of its failings. Might very well make you consider retiring there.



2. Been living in Thailand now for about 22 years now.
   This book is written by someone with a bit of a naive character,
   If you wright a book about Thailand, you should know, how Thai people are,
   there are about 4 or 5 different kind of Thai, which I can recognize after they said one word. The author is obviously hanging out with the
   wrong kind of people, who are not really Thai, but think they are.
   I was hoping for a book with something special, but from my point of view, this book is useless. Nothing new, nothing special, waste of time!
   
   Mark Zwarts Hua Hin.



3. This book was informative. It gives you a basic outline of the place. You can read this book, as well as look for pics and videos of Thailand on the internet. Especially videos on youtube. A pic is worth a 1000 words, and a video is worth 1,000,000 words. You really don't know until you see a video of the place, how it is going to feel, and then you still don't know exactly, but you have a much better idea. One thing that has helped me decide where to go, and where not to go, is a software app called TubeSucker. Do a google on TubeSucker to find it. The turbo version lets you do a "Download All" for a given search, and then you can quickly scan through 100s of Thailand videos on your hard drive with no delays. I use is for all my travels, including the beach of Mexico, India, and Italy. This book paints a decent picture of the place. But with video you can almost smell the smells.



4. I found this work to be much better written than BANGKOK BABYLON as well as very informative. The author's prejudices become obvious at times but I guess if it's his book he can say what he thinks. Reading THAILAND CONFIDENTIAL would be helpful to anyone planning a visit to Thailand for the first time.



5. I bought this book before moving to Thailand and found it to be very informative. I also like Mr. Hopkins style of writing which made this book even more enjoyable. Most of what is written between these pages rings true although some of my own personal experiences differ from Mr.Hopkins. One is the Thais preference when cooking. I find more gas tanks wherever I go wheather it be a street vendor or someones home. I, like the author have a home in Issan and every house I have ever been in (incuding mine) has a gas set up for cooking (as well as coal for grilling). The only other difference of opinion is what Thai beer is the best to drink. I do agree that Thailand does not produce a "world class beer" and I am not a big fan of Thai beer in general but Chang over Singha? I prefer neither and if planning a trip to Thailand stick with the international staple beers Hieneken or Kloster or a very good Thai beer is "Leo" which is made by the Singha corp. and unlike Singha which is rather acidic Leo is very smooth and drinkable. Thailand Confidential makes for a very good introduction for anyone planning a trip to Thailand.

1 comments about The Seventy Wonders of China.

1. Any collection strong in China surveys, from college-level holdings to general-interest public libraries, will want to include THE SEVENTY WONDERS OF CHINA in their collection. It provides a cultural and geographical review of the country's wealth with a strong focus on the arts, surveying its modern systems and its achievements. Entries come from experts from leading academic institutions in Asia and the West and are accompanied by color photos and maps throughout. The result is an excellent review certain to appeal to both general-interest browsers and students of Chinese history and culture alike.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about Myanmar (Burma) (Country Guide).

1. We recently visited Myanmar, and used the Lonely Planet guide extensively to research our trip, and while there to help us get around. It is by far the best English language guide for Burma we could find, and was extremely detailed and helpful. Using Lonely Planet certainly enhanced this travel experience.



2. There is no other guide which comes close to being as useful for visiting Burma, either as a first-time tourist or an veteran traveller. Its overall descriptions, information on transport, reviews of hotels etc are all generally reliable and up-to-date. The accounts of restarants in Rangoon however is probably somewhat dated, as the restaurant scene in Rangoon changes quickly and there are many new restaurants today (more than a year and half since publication) which are not mentioned.
   
   I would recommend reading The River of Lost Footsteps by Thant Myint-U for an excellent and entertaining history of the country, either before going or during your trip. The LP Myanmar and The River of Lost Footsteps are the only two books you'll need.



3. An excellent book and take the advice. Myanmar is a cash-only society. You cannot use credit cards anywhere and there are not any ATM's anywhere in the country. Also, your currency must be new and without folds or marks.
   The book's advice on Yangon was wonderful!



4. I think Myanmar is a beautiful country. The Lonely Planet series is great. However, by going to Myanmar you are supporting an oppressive government that kills innocent people for purely sadistic reasons. I hope you will not visit the country nor buy this book until a democratic regime is installed there.



5. This is about the best book available on Myanmar that I know of. I used it extensively.
   
   Problems include the hotels in Yangon that are listed. There are several that are very nice and about $30. US that are not listed.
   
   There's a brand new airport in Yangon and new capitol city. Both are missing as far as I can tell.
   
   Like all travel books, it's outdated when it comes off the press. It is quite good overall however.