No comments about Frommer's Hong Kong Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day).

No comments about Zagat Hong Kong Restaurants: Pocket Guide (Zagat) (Zagat).

No comments about Insight Guides Southern China & Hong Kong (Insight Guides).

5 comments about An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan.

1. "When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
   And the women come out to cut up what remains,
   Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
   An' go to your Gawd like a soldier."
   
   Rudyard Kipling, "The Young British Soldier"
   
   Anyone who's ever read these words, and, following 9/11, felt even an ounce of empathy for them, should not just read but embrace this wonderful travelogue.
   
   Yes, sometimes the going gets difficult. Sometimes (e.g., at the beginning, after one particularly awkward transition out of a flashback), it may be as tough getting through this book as it was for the author to surmount yet another icy Afghanistan mountain atop a horse named Clockwork. But the rewards for doing so are rich indeed.
   
   If you think all Afghan citizens are "the Taleban," know this: they hate the Taliban and wish the Taliban would go back where they came from - to America!
   
   Hardly the uncouth barbarians that we Westerners, from both sides of the Atlantic, too often have accused them of being, the nationals of Afghanistan, whether Pasthuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, or Turkmen, seem genuinely delighted to greet a foreigner in their midst (Jason Elliot, the author); to inquire as to his health; to command a seven-year-old family member to bring him tea; to pelt him endlessly with questions (including, but not limited to, questions about marriage and sex in that distant province called Anglostan); and to offer him lodging. In fact, one of the only people to turn him out into the cold, just thirty minutes before curfew in Herat, hails not from Afghanistan but France.
   
   This book leaves you understanding the difference between "terrorist" and "Moslem." At dawn and dusk, at lunch-, supper-, and bedtime, locals lay down their plowshares or teacups, unfold their mats, and kneel to share a moment with their maker. "God is good to us," one gentleman informs Elliot, moments after a bomb has devastated a neighboring street. Another bomb, one of thousands which seem as inexplicably and frustratingly common here as the elements, kills several in a group at noontime prayers. Yet life doesn't stop here; prayers and a reverence for God (Allah) don't cease being of the utmost importance. In fact, the Afghans, because of the constant danger rather than in spite of it, seem to live each moment to the fullest. As does Elliot, their guest, while living amongst them.
   
   Ultimately, it is not difficult to understand why it was almost impossible for Elliot to leave.
   
   Postscript: I read this book each day on the subway to and from work. It was frustrating, because I couldn't take my dictionary along. I'd dog-ear each page containing words that confounded me, and, at night, I'd finally learn what "arak"(1) and "tessellating"(2) meant. I considered this not to be a liability but a strength of the book; I relish books that challenge me!
   
   (1) Middle Eastern distilled alcoholic beverage; clear, colorless, unsweetened, and flavored with aniseed.
   (2) Assemblage of flat pieces (such as tiles) into one flat surface without overlaps or gaps; Middle Eastern artists were said to be masters of tilework, mosaic work, and other types of artistry requiring both creativity and mathematical skill.



2. There are books I pick up that the author's talent makes me slow down as I don't want it to end. If you read as much as me, you begin to yearn for such a book now & again as it just doesn't happen enough (particularly nonfiction). Jason Elliot's first book has taught me more in a hundred pages than I've ever learned about Afghanistan in school or the news. I haven't even finished this book & I had to write about it.
   
   Jason Elliot's prose captures the traditional pace of Afghanistan life as well as discordant notes due to the impact of war & western influence. He also works to unfold the soul of a people. He evokes this via excellent description, historical tales & summaries, his own romance & naivete towards Afghanistan, and the characters who keep him alive even when they can't communicate. I have no idea how he could top these adventures. I'm not sure I've ever read a travel book that has so transported me. I am so thankful I stumbled across this book & I hope it expands your world as it did mine.



3. This book is not simply a travelogue. Jason Elliot is clearly a poet at heart. His book manages to teach the reader about Afghan society and culture while telling of his travels in such a way that leaves the reader spellbound. When I finished the book I felt both sad and happy at the same time; sad it was over and so happy to have had the opportunity to read it. When one can say that about a book, one knows it is truly a great read. Read this book; besides giving you countless hours of pleasure, it will enrich your life.



4. As a resident of the Middle East for almost a decade, and a professor, speaker, writer, journalist, for over 20 years, I have done thousands of hours of research and read hundreds of books on the Middle East, Islam and the cultures in that part of the world. "Unexpected Light" is one of the best that has ever been written. Elliott did his research on the ground, and tasted and tested a myriad of cultural and historical facets on the peoples in their own environment; an attribute that is greatly lacking in almost all of the teaching, writing, and commentary of the so-called "experts" in the West.
   It truly shines the light of "Truth" on a very important subject.
   
   softjihadwatch@earthlink.net



5. This was really a memorable book. I have to thank Jason Elliott for being such a brave person and entering this very different and sometimes hostile place. His descriptions of the land, architecture and people are all very well done and his curiosity seems to know no bounds. Much better than his other book about Iran because he doesn't focus as much on architecture.

No comments about Vietnam, 5th: Tread Your Own Path (Footprint - Travel Guides).

5 comments about Bhutan Map by ITMB.

1. I am going to Bhutan and was anxious to see a map to really see where I was going. It was just adequate. I think a map for such a mountainous
   region should be more topographical with elevations shown. It would be better with valleys and mountains more clearly delineated. I guess there is not much out there for maps of Bhutan, but it could be some much better. The back of the map is absolutely blank and could be filled with either information or photos of the highlights of the country with map coordinates so you would know where to find them.



2. I've travelled a bit in Bhutan and was pleasantly surprised at some of the detail shown on the map, and the general accuracy of that information. We've pinned the map up on the wall at home and use it when referring to stories about our time in Bhutan. As mentioned by one of the other reviewers there aren't many maps of Bhutan available outside of the country so this is an excellent reference to have.



3. Very good map, gives excellent ideas for travel times and how to plan our itinerary.



4. While I have no particular fault to find, I found this map of limited use on my trip to Bhutan, esp compared to the handout maps we got from time to time from our tour guide etc. I dont think I would recommend it to any traveler on a tour group, but perhaps it would be of some use to persons making an off-road trek tour if their leaders were not furnishing their own maps. It's relative lack of relief features meant that it did not give much of an image of what the country would be like in passing through an area.



5. OK, Bhutan is one of the best trips you're ever going to go on in your life. If you're now thinking of getting this map, obviously you've already planned your trip.
   
   And basically, you have to have this map for a general sense of the country. You paid $4,000+ for your trip. Drop another $10 on the ONLY map available (you're not giong to find another map in Bhutan... believe me).
   
   But let's not pretend this map is accurate. Even though there are only a few roads in the country, they aren't accurately (or even near accurately) represented.
   
   But isn't that the fun and charm of it!? Our guides looked at the map in disbelief many times. And I smiled. Even a few cities on the map have been re-arranged!
   
   But if you're going to Bhutan, I'm going to guess you're not the typical, boring traveller that demands perfection at every turn!
   
   In summary, don't hike by this map (because you'll probably end up arrested by Chinease boarder authorities for not having a Visa) but enjoy this map and get it framed and placed on your wall when you return!

1 comments about Kazakhstan: Nomadic Routes from Caspian to Altai (Odyssey Illustrated Guides).

1. I look at most books on Kazakhstan as I have many interests and contacts there. I picked this one up out of curiosity and was delighted to find it has far more detail and interest than the usual travel guide, with outstanding photography (including two- page spreads), essays on "Special topics" like petroglyphs, and literary excerpts. The information in any area I know about is correct and up to date. I must say I was surprised and pleased to see several people I know there referenced as contacts-- I can assure you they are good ones. Such subjects as natural history and esoteric ones like hunting with eagles and the local "tazi" dogs are accurate, something I have not seen often in guidebooks. "Kazakhstan" is both a good guidebook and a wonderful armchair tour of the country

2 comments about Kyoto: Seven Paths to The Heart of The City.

1. I was privileged to have spent 4 months in Japan, but of all the places I visited, I fell in love with Kyoto. This is a marvelous book for doing all the walking that one needs to do here. Take a city tour first, but then leave several days to revisit all the places that enthralled you, and believe me, there will be many! Get this book and study it well; you won't be disappointed.



2. Just to be clear: this is not a guide you can take to Kyoto and walk around with; it's a somewhat generic "coffeetable" (but paperback) book that has some well-reproduced photographs. If that's what you're looking for, you might enjoy, but I was looking for a kind of idiosyncratic walker's guide and this is certainly not it.

1 comments about Philippines - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!).

1. The Philippines- Culture Smart! book is intended for the American or Western business traveler only. It only provides guidance for social and business interactions with a short term visit in mind. I find it amusing that the book attempts to give advice for the expatriate business traveler, but there is no way that this book is sufficient, even for a brief visit. As very quick guide (1 - 2 hour reading) for the first time traveler, on a very short trip, this book may help you avoid any hideous cultural mishap, but as for insight into the Pilipino culture, it is definitely lacking. I would recommend the Culture Shock! Book or the Insight book instead for those seeking the next level.

2 comments about The Little Tokyo Subway Guidebook: Everything You Need to Know to Get Around the City and Beyond.

1. With the release of IBC's "Little Tokyo Subway Guidebook," there are now three distinctly separate volumes designed to help us navigate through the maze of Tokyo's underworld. The first, published by Kodansha in 2002, holds up surprisingly well and boasts a distinct advantage in having maps for about 50 of the stations most likely to be used by visitors, showing how each station, and its numbered exits and entrances, relate to the street system and noteworthy buildings above. The guide published by Tuttle in 2005 does have about 13 area maps, but these are far less detailed than the Kodansha volume. The latest entry from IBC (2007) is the first to acknowledge a 13th line (due to open in June of 2008), though the map shows only one short segment between Ikebukuro and Kotake-mukaihara, stations already served by the Yurakucho line. The unique benefits of the IBC volume are sections that explain the ticketing system (with illustrations), airport connections (for Narita and Haneda), and several pages of bilingual phrases (that could come in handy).
   
   If you feel that a guide book is needed, I'd suggest investing in both the Kodansha and IBC books. They're compact (about 4"x 6" each) and complement each other nicely, with the Kodansha supplying station and area maps and the IBC providing the latest information and helpful ticketing guidance.



2. If you're planning to use the subway system in Tokyo, this is the book for you. It's very easy to follow and its small format makes it easy to carry. I don't know what I would have done without it!