No comments about Japan Style (Icons Series).

1 comments about Philippines Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs).

1. Great book, several key places missing but information very useful. Spent 2 weeks in Philippines and referenced it often. The map was great.

No comments about Culture Shock! Singapore: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides).

5 comments about The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming (Brotherhood of the Conch).

1. With rich, sumptuous detail and admirable clarity Chitra Divakaruni draws us into the Conch Bearer Anand's journey for a second time. The difficulties faced and lessons learned by the Brotherhood of the Conch in this newest book combine to create an enchanting story. Both The Conch Bearer and The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming provide vibrant descriptions, especially concerning culture and food. These books are delightful adventures wholesome enough for any age group to enjoy. Happy Reading



2. Anand is the Keeper of the Conch. He gave up his family and his home so that he can help the world, as a Healer in Silver Valley. His friend Nisha comes with him, the first ever female healer, and the master healer Abhaydatta is one of his instructors. As Anand struggles with his studies, he hears a warning from the wind and views an alarming scene on a wall. The Healers must take action; they know it is their duty to protect the world from the "evil that stirs." Abhaydatta and a young healer called Raj-bahnu embark upon a quest to find this evil, leaving a heart-broken Anand behind. However, just before he leaves, Abhaydatta gives Anand a pearl necklace that will change color if he is in danger. In yet another alarming scene, Anand views Abhaydatta beside a lake with an unconscious Raj-bhanu at his side. He knows they are in danger, but the pearls are nowhere to be found. The Healer's Council will decide upon a course of action in the morning, but Anand knows that by then it will be to late. The Conch agrees to transport Nisha and Anand to the lake, but something goes slightly awry. Can Anand find the Conch, Abhaydatta, and Nisha before evil destroys the world?
   
   The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming expresses just how powerful love can be. Adventure, fantasy, and mystery intertwine to form an exciting novel with many important lessons. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has created a world of fantasy that involves so many of life's true feelings and emotions that it seems real; a world full of hardships and triumphs. Readers young and old who love an exciting novel will definitely enjoy The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming, and anyone searching for a book with just the right blend of fantasy and reality has just found the perfect tale.
   
   (...)



3. This book, the sequel to The Conch Bearer, mixes the sense of excitement that every book needs, a wonderful use of magic realism (which is illustrated by the fact that Anand, the main character, travels from the present day India to the ancient India, who'se realistic features are marred by the fact that Anand is a magician) , an overhanging gloom and really, really, really great writing.
   
   This was one of my favorite books and I would definately recommend it to anyone!!!



4. After picking up her first book in the series, I knew I had to find out if I could find the sequel. I really love her style of writing, spare yet there are no loose ends in the story line. The story is tight and smooth, the characters are richly imagined-although the main character Anand is the focus of most of the character development. This is a happy fantasy series about magic and adventure in historical India that you won't want to miss and will draw you in regardless of your age, with positive morals and themes that are great for children. If you like books like Harry Potter, you'll love this.



5. This is one of the best books I have read. I loved the Indian culture connection.I loved it when they went back in time.It is an amazing book.

5 comments about Lost Japan.

1. I've had really good luck with several Lonely Planets Journeys published books--their editors have done a great job of finding stories by exceptional writers that would not find a voice elsewhere. Lost Japan is really the perfect title for this book as although I've never been there, I became nostalgic at the centuries old culture that Japan began losing so exponentially after WWII. He happened to be there at the right time to capture a cultural crisis and found himself in the odd position of valuing things that the "modern" Japanese were discarding. It's a brilliant observation about a foreign culture and the added interest is his own lifestyle of a bohemian sort. He would often just move into abandoned houses in villages where he did not know a soul. His story of both the remaining rural culture and a modern culture (in the 80s) that did not understand basic real estate business rules having never seen their own real estate ever devalue is fascinating.



2. Three years ago, Alex Kerr finally left the Japan he had called home for some 30 years prior to that. For a look at why, there is no better place to start than his seminal work on the willful and casual destruction of Japanese culture.
   
   Originally written in Japanese, Kerr's work documents the loss of what drew him to Japan in the first place: its spectacular traditional arts. Divided into chapters on Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, legendary American businessman Trammell Crow, Kabuki, Kerr's own art collecting and calligraphy. Lost Japan is a must-read for anyone interested in modern and pre-modern Japan.



3. If you have any interest at all in Japan, this is a must read book. This is very well written, interesting to the point that I could not put it down, and a great book to read about this man and his explotis throughout his adult life living in Japan. I always loan this book to my friends with an interest in Japan, and give it as a gift to others.



4. Most of the reviews of this book either support or criticize Kerr's point of view regarding the topics he covers. It seems to me Kerr does an admirable job of conveying what are obviously his own experiences living for a very long time in Japan. It seems neither reactionary, elitist, nor condemning. As a writer, I loved the book for its writing.
   
   Kerr has a talent for phrasing, metaphor, and humor that makes the reading a delightful breeze. Clearly his Japanese publisher felt it was a subject that would appeal to Nihonjin. I have recommended it to a couple of Japanese friends myself.
   
   Even if you're not especially interested in Japanese culture, many of the essays in this little book are great fun to read.



5. Although the topics Kerr addresses are relevant all over Japan and to many aspects of Japanese culture, this book is not going to reflect the experience of many Japanese people, much less many westerners in Japan. It is a memoir, a personal exploration of Japanese culture as it has been experienced by one man. And a remarkable experience it is - Alex Kerr somehow managed to accumulate in-depth first-hand knowledge of kabuki, calligraphy, Japanese art and painting, the business world of Tokyo, and living both in extreme inaka (countryside) and the grounds of a temple outside Kyoto, all of which make for fascinating reading. Kerr describes everything in flowing, sometimes rapturous detail, tracing the changes he has witnessed with love and bitterness.
   
   At times, Kerr's depictions land a little on the side of pretentious. He describes a kabuki performance he saw this way: "... he had already conjured up a quiet, twilit, snow-covered world. ... The audience gasped ... Impossible to describe, the beauty of Tamasaburo is almost a natural phenomenon, like a rainbow or a waterfall." I found myself, in my crummy if spacious apartment in a small Japanese town with a skyline dominated by smokestacks, reading about the delicate inner world of kabuki and the discovery of rare and valuable calligraphy pieces in random shops, going, "Who IS this guy?" But somehow all of these things really have made up Kerr's experience of Japan - this is who he is and what he has seen, and it is next to nothing like what I see, but that's what makes it so valuable and so intriguing.
   
   In fact, reading this a little heartbreaking. Kerr doesn't just describe facets of Japan which are hard to find; he describes them as mostly extinct. He details the rampant destruction of old Japanese culture and tradition that seems almost absurd, or over-dramatic, but I've seen its echoes myself. Mountains and rivers walled with concrete, ugly square buildings making up entire cities, the impossibility of implementing change in the bureaucracy that runs everything, are all mentioned in Kerr's book as resulting from Japan's stranglehold on itself. It's true that not everyone in Japan is quite the block of wood Kerr implies, but I've seen the junior high schools and the city offices and the pachinko parlors, and he makes some valid points about stagnation. When he isn't waxing poetic about the lost virtues of beauty and music, Kerr sometimes sounds so bitter at the Japan of now that I couldn't help wondering why he was still here (apparently, he has, in the fifteen years since this was first written in Japanese, left Japan). In particular, his description of the mindless pachinko parlors as the "final victory of the education system" and his cultural judgment based on their popularity is stinging. But having seen the pachinko parlors that pop up garish and neon every hundred feet or so along every road, having seen first-hand the blind devotion to rules of english-language education that have long since ceased to make sense, I have to bow to Kerr's much greater experience. Although I said above that Kerr's book isn't true of what most westerners here encounter and have now drawn some parallels, it is unfortunately only negative things I can identify around me. The art, the beauty, the crafts Kerr has seen are in fact becoming, if they are not already, quite lost, at least in my limited experience.
   
   In the end, what makes this book so fascinating and so valuable is its detail of a culture which is completely inaccessible to those of us reading it in English. What makes this book valuable to everyone outside of Japan is its catalogue of treasures and the ways in which they are dying. As Kerr sums up towards the end of the book, "with its many wealthy institutions dedicated to preserving the traditional arts, Japan will have no trouble maintaining outward forms. ... But the dramatic decline in the quality of the environment ... is having an effect: the fossilized forms remain, but people are forgetting the purpose behind them." In this book, the reader gets a very definite sense of both form and substance. And though a good portion of the final part of the book laments the losses he has witnessed, Kerr ends with a glimmer of hope, and so shall I do here. He sees a burgeoning of new talent and artistry in Japan, and since he is in a much better position to claim this than I will ever be, I will echo his ending: " `If you think it's not there, it it. If you think it's there, it isn't.' At the very moment of its disappearance, Japanese culture is having its greatest flowering."

2 comments about A Guide to the Gardens of Kyoto.

1. Don't leave home without this book! Anyone who is planning a trip to Japan (resident foreigners included) and has even the slighest interest learning about the Gardens of Kyoto should buy a copy of this superb book, which is small enough to carry in your shoulder bag. The book contains gives the balance of detail,giving good a historical background and landscape points overview. This is a buy you will not regret. Well done to the authors.



2. This book is an indispensible aide to anyone planning a trip on his own. This book contains over 50 individual entries describing the gardens of Kyoto and environs, grouped by geographic location within the city. Overview maps for the different districts show the approximate location of the individual gardens, so that the traveller can put together itineraries for daytrips in the Kyoto area.
   
   Each entry gives details of opening hours, historic background and special features of the garden described. The name of the garden and its location are additonally specified in Japanese characters, making this book the ideal travel guide for those embarking on a trip to Kyoto.
   
   There is a limited number of photos, so that those wanting to plan a trip using the guide might consider referencing other books with numerous color photos to pick the specific gardens they are interested in.

5 comments about The Rough Guide to Nepal.

1. While in Nepal last year I found this book to be exactly what I needed to get around as easily as possible. I usually use Lonely Planet Guides when traveling, but in this case - the Rough Guide is superior. Now if I can only get it back from my friend....



2. The best thing about this book is its vast coverage; especially those places off the beaten track. It has a lot of practical information and despite being 2 years old now, it was still fairly accurate. Other travel books attempt to be encyclopedic about Nepal,... documenting everything without prioritizing the places that people actually do visit. David's book goes into a lot of detail about places of interest, both historical and practical info. For example, the book had an excellent section on Chitwan national park. In fact, on our recent trip it saved us from getting a guide. I thoroughly recommend this book. The author even keeps a website to update the readers. Great.



3. I just returned from Nepal using this guide. The book was very well-written with lots of practical advice-- everything from how to book an airline to what kind of diahrrea you may have picked up. Very accurate information re. hotels, modes of transportation, etc. Useful vocabulary list.



4. This book has given me comfort and a wealth of information about what I would like to do and see in Nepal. Having a well planned trip in advance is smart and this book will probably tell you everything you need to know about anything, and more. Food, health issues, places to stay, sights, special points, etc. Definitely worth the investment.



5. great guidebook. Describes in detail the good, the bad and the ugly of Nepal. The language section was extremely useful. A few hours spent learning some useful greetings and phrases will pay off tenfold upon arrival in Nepal. Being able to bargain or ask for directions in the native language is a lot of fun and much appreciated, especially since most travellers do not take the time to learn anything more than "Namaste."

5 comments about Chinese in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day Series).

1. This was a good book to start a basic vocab and concept of what would later be studied in the Chinese language. I use this book very frequently to start learning a new language and, the only thing that would be missing would be an audio guide to the book. Pronunciation in Chinese is very essential to the word and understanding of the language.



2. The title really speaks for itself. I was desperate to learn Chinese quickly for travel, was up late, read the reviews, flipped out and bought it. Another romance language if you know one in 10 minutes a day maybe, Chinese if you speak English from a book without audio-not so much....
   
   Let's review the logistics. They don't read English so you can't point to it. You don't read Chinese so you're looking at pictures (not when driving to work). So after dinner you paste romanized Chinese words around the house. Time's up. The next day you memorize a few words that may have a different meaning from the one you intend because you don't have audio phonetics and its a tonal language. Gotta go. The next day, you forget evrything because you only spent 10 minutes and you can't relate it to English. You do the math.
   
   The approach reminds me of the Monty Python skit, where Hungarian tries to buy cigarettes using a phrasebook that inspires him to say "my hovercraft is full of eels" .
   
   And as to the reviews, we don't laugh at Clark Griswold for saying "look at how greatful the French are when we make the slightest effort to speak the language...." because other countries are more grateful when we try to butcher their language. We laugh because he buys "French on the airplane" and believes it works. On the way to China, you're tired, you drink, its crowded, you don't read Chinese, unlike French, they can't read this book, you take out "Chinese in 10 minutes a day" on a 17 hour flight, oops that's my day. Exaggeration, but not by much.
   You would either have to grow old or land in Hong Kong!



3. not enough said about this book, it takes you from basics to conversation.



4. I use this book to learn Chinese along with 10 others. When I get bored from using other Chinese book, I will come back to this one. It's simple to use for both adults and young children.



5. The Kershul method of learning is a great way to learn a new language. I took this method of language learning to help me learn Russian well over twenty years ago and I still remember much of the course curriculum. I would recommend this method of learning as a supplement to actual immersion training for everyone.

5 comments about Frommer's Singapore & Malaysia (Frommer's Complete).

1. I just purchased this book in anticipation of a trip to Malaysia....so my review is written without having yet been on the trip.

   However, this book lacks some basic information on Malaysia that I expect in a travel guide in order to plan a trip, for example, more fleshed out information on safety, health, exercise (and more) that is usually found in Frommer's guides and is found in the section on Singapore.

   The *ONE* map of Kuala Lumpur is inadequate to even find the things mentioned in the accompanying text.

   And when trying to figure out what to do with a few extra days from Kuala Lumpur, there is no information on how to get to the sites suggested, nor how long it takes! No web sites or email addresses listed for the outfitters mentioned - perhaps they don't exist, but I doubt it.

   There were other inadequacies I noted in the section on Malaysia as well, but these suffice as examples of why I find this book of poor quality compared to most Frommer's books.

   For the first time ever, I have to say I am very disappointed in a Frommer's guide.




2. Although the title of this book would make one think that both the CITY-STATE of Singapore & the COUNTRY of Malaysia would receive coverage equal to their size, think again. Two-thirds of the book is devoted to tiny Singapore and the rest to huge (in comparison) Malaysia. I guess it's not so surprising when you learn that the author lives in Singapore and is married to a Singaporian! Frommer should be ashamed of their title. It should more accurately be "Singapore with a Section on Malaysia"!



3. As most other reviewers have noted, this book's title is completely misleading. It is a mediocre travel guide to Singapore with a small subsection on Malaysia. To put this into perspective, Kuala Lumpur's metro area has a population of 6.9 million yet gets 15 pages of coverage in this book. Singapore, with a population of 4.5 million, gets 167 pages. Most of the Malaysian island sections only have hotel reviews which cover large all-encompassing resort hotels.
   
   I got the feeling from reading this book that it is targeted to tourists whose primary priority is finding a large hotel room just like back home. No walks are included. Many unhelpful comments are included like "The [train] lines don't seem to connect in any logical way" (KL Rail) without suggesting solutions. We ended up barely touching the book and cribbing from another traveler's Lonely Planet guide, which was more helpful overall.
   
   Luckily, we did have The Rough Guide to Singapore which was much more useful for the Singapore leg of our trip and had better maps and suggested agendas. Eating recommendations were hit or miss, of the places we tried in Singapore many were nothing special or seemed to be catering to timid palates.



4. 
   I was very disappointed in this book. Frommer's guidebooks are usually pretty dependable, but this one is the exception. Planning to go to Malaysia, I purchased the book and it has only a brief (about 100 pages) on the entire country of Malaysia. Have to buy another book. The Singapore section seems ok for someone going there.
   
   Frommer was very deceptive. If it were an automobile, they would have to issue a recall!



5. Other reviews have mentioned that Malaysia (especially Borneo) is given short shrift. I agree. The Singapore section is helpful, however. In planning our trip we relied on Lonely Planet more for peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

2 comments about The Rough Guide to South India Map (Rough Guide Country/Region Map).

1. It is useful for travel to India.



2. Good detailed map but is missing northern part of the coast of Andhra Pradesh state as well as all of Orissa coast. The illustration on the front cover (with a red outlined square on a small map of India) leads you to believe that the map covers all of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, but it doesn't.