No comments about Travels in the East.

2 comments about China Travel Map (China Regional Maps).

1. Very poor, virtually worthless. I ordered 3 maps. The other two are good. The best being Collins Maps. Buy that one instead. It folds out to only one quarter the size of the other 2 maps. The country is also cut in half. HUH? What do we want a map for? To look at the entire country. I the Vietnam map was cut in half too. Don't waste your money.



2. Clear and sturdy map for the overall perspective of where places are located in relation to each other in China.

No comments about Shanghai Encounter (Best Of).

1 comments about Urbanatomy: Shanghai 2008.

1. Got my hands on an Urbanatomy Shanghai book from my friend who has just come back from there on holiday. This book is crazy - it covers about every inch of the city. It is kind of split into two parts - the front focusing oneach area of the city, the back on a load of sub-categories like food, economics etc.
   
   Never seen a guide, well this is more than a guide I suppose, that is like this as it goes into areas that you wouldn't normally see. And its all written like a Shanghai lovefest! There are loads of stunning photos in it too, particularly this guy Heungman who has done an entire Noir series of the huge construction there.
   
   The titles are interesting enough themselves with sections like - "soaring and sinking - a city built on tofu" and "doors of perception - creative visions in an opened Shanghai."
   
   It's good for a guide, or like me someone who is just interested in foreign cities - a real eye-opener about what will no doubt be one of the most fascinating cities for years to come.

1 comments about Republic of Georgia Map by ITMB.

1. I took this map on my trip to Georgia and found it most useful; the best part is the list of interesting attractions for every section of the map! You can't find this there, so get it before you go.

5 comments about Living in Japan.

1. This large format book intertwines a narrative about the architectural and aesthetic merits of selected living spaces in Japan, ranging from beach-side dwellings to compact apartments to spacious and serene courtyards. The title could be misconstrued as living/lifestyle in Japan but really it refers to 'living spaces' or modes of housing and integration with architecture. The scope ranges from well renowned architecturally meritorious buildings to precious traditional Kyoto dwellings. The elegant photography captures the serenity, angles, glimpses and innovation of the structures with sensitivity and initial impressions are challenged and augmented by the thoroughly researched commentary. The author's long-time residence in Japan and understanding of its culture underlies the text. I think this book would appeal to the architect, appreciator of spaces and aesthetics. It seems quite reasonable for such a large, hardcover book.



2. I am a big fan of Alex Kerr and this book did not let me down. It contains a many images that aren't normally seen in most traditional print, and thankfully none of the babbeling of authors that only spend a week in Japan and white about the "true Japan". The last thing I am looking for is another tatami mat or Japanese screen.
   
   I have already begun a home re-modeling plan with some of the ideas in this book. I also got the idea from another one of Kerr's books, and began to collect old Japanese lumber to re-use in my own home.
   
   Thanks Alex!



3. I bought this 'coffee-table' book as a gift for a friend, but when it arrived, we were so impressed with the extensive collection of photographs that I had to purchase a copy to display, re-visit, and share with future house guests. The authors have managed to capture the rare and simple beauty of Japanese architecture and design through history. An impressive tour!



4. Great photos, a well picked and varied number of interiors and still... I can't rate it at five. It's so slick and gorgeous but I miss some smaller and perhaps more lived-in dwellings. And a little more gardens. But it is definetely worth getting and browsing. A small defect is the habit of re-using objects and motifs in some of the pictures, always annoys me when they do that. Top marks I can only give to the twenty-some-years old Japanese Style, but then you won't get the recent modern interiors.



5. Saw this book in Tokyo and loved the photos of modern Japanese living. Great shots of modern architecture and interior design in Japan. Went back to the hotel and found the book on Amazon for half the price... it was waiting for me when I got back to the states. You can't beat that!

No comments about Borneo, 2nd: Tread Your Own Path (Footprint - Travel Guides).

4 comments about Georgia: Sovereign Country of the Caucasus (Odyssey Illustrated Guide).

1. The best travel guide available for The Republic of Georgia. I had the Second Edition, so when the Third Edition came out I had to have it. I am a Georgian American who enjoys all things Georgian, especially sharing my heritage with others. This guide makes for a great coffee table book and a quick way to briefly share a little about Sakartvelo.
   
   Visiting Georgia is not like visiting Europe, but if you are a traveler that doesn't mind things being a little unpredictable or a little rustic, or likes out of the ordinary trips like the Middle East, South America, etc. you'll have no problem. The warm-hearted hospitality of the Georgian people, their culture, food and wine, more than makes up for the problems of a country still pulling itself together after the ravages of communism.
   
   The book covers a little of everthing - history, culture, information, maps, and of course beautiful photos of Georgia and its people. If there is a better guide to Georgia here in the U.S. I haven't come across it.



2. This book is quite comprehensive as it tries to describe many aspects of Georgian geography, history, culture and economics as well as being a tourist guide. Unfortunately, it is quite boring to read.



3. The best thing one can say about this book is that the author's love for the people and culture of Georgia shines brightly; rather than the cynicism that peppers many guidebooks to the former Soviet Union, this one is written with genuine warmth and affection.
   
   Regrettably, however, this very affection soon becomes one of the book's many, many flaws. Rosen's style is florid to the point of being laugh-out-loud funny: open any page at random and you're sure to find a sentence gushing with the moonstruck hyperbolic excesses of a hopeless sentimentalist. (Wish I could now provide examples, but I abandoned my copy of the book in Georgia.) Much worse, though, is the book's utter, utter uselessness as a travel guide. Rosen provides no practical information whatsoever for the independent traveler: where to stay, where to eat, how to get from point A to point B. Some phones and addresses for hotels and a very few for restaurants--the vast majority of them in Tbilisi--are appended without comment at the very end of the book, but no descriptions are provided, and no value judgments about the quality of the places are made. This is a "guide" wholly without "guidance"! Nor does the author get off the well-beaten tourist-track: nearly a third of the book is devoted just to Tbilisi, while entire regions (Guria, Racha, Kvemo Kartli and Samegrelo) are glossed over in a paragraph or two. Fabulous places like Bakhmaro don't merit so much as a mention.
   
   How then does the author fill his 300-odd pages? With long-winded disquisitions on the art, architecture and history of the country. Some of this is interesting, some not, but none of it is useful once you're actually in Georgia. Fine to go on for pages and pages about the history of Gelati Monastery, for example, but the only thing you need to know once you're on the road is how to get there easily from Kutaisi...the one piece of information this book doesn't provide.
   
   So, as PRE-DEPARTURE background reading, the book isn't completely without merit, especially for those who know little or nothing about the history of the Caucasus. (Some "background" areas where you'd expect to Rosen to be good, however, he comes up inexplicably short. I'm thinking particularly of the perfunctory sections on Georgian language and Georgian cuisine.) To actually help you get around Georgia, though, you're better off with any other travel guide. Tellingly, I lived in Georgia for nearly two years, and the entire time I was there this book sat gathering dust on my shelf, while whenever I needed some practical information I referred to the older Lonely Planet or Bradt guides--both flawed themselves, but far superior to this effort.



4. My friend's daughter and her husband recently were sent to Georgia as missionery's. Naturally she wanted to know everything she could find out about the place where her daughter is. She says it has been invaluable. When her daughter visits diffent parts of the country she can picture what it is like there. She also plans to visit her and feels she knows the place already before embarking on her trip.

2 comments about Fodor's Hong Kong's 25 Best, 5th Edition (25 Best).

1. I just returned from 14 days in Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Macau China and found this guidebook to be lacking for our needs over Chinese New Years 2008. I'm a new international tourist, so I didn't realize that 25 things to do wasn't enough to fill 1 week, much less 2. My friend had a Lonely Planet Guidebook, which was much heavier, but had more detailed information beyond the "Visit the Peak" stuff. I'm happy he had the LP guide.
   
   Neither book was helpful with Macau, however.
   
   The pull out map included with this book was fantastic. It was better than any other map we came across.
   
   The included MTR map was good.
   
   For the items that the book covered, they seemed to be covered "just enough" for a 2-3 day trip or layover in Hong Kong. I just re-read the Lantau Island 1 page entry and it provides barely enough detail for you to understand what there is to do there and how to accomplish it. You'll have to read between teh lines or figure it out for yourself.
   
   We stayed at the Metropark Causeway Bay/HK, the both in Kowloon Eaton, and Harbour Plaza Metropolis. The Eaton felt like the least value for our HK$, but it was the busiest day of the Chinese New Year. Rooms at the Eaton were small - even for Hong Kong. Internet isn't free, but the shower was FANTASTIC!
   
   If any of the Indian hawkers from Kowloon are reading this ... no, thank you, I don't want to buy a knock off watch or a custom suit.
   
   Buy for a short trip to HK. For longer trips, you'll want more detail, probably.



2. Found this guide extremely useful for planning and enjoying a week's trip to Hong Kong.
   
   There is a rich array of Hong Kong Chinese history and experiences awaiting visitors, so this book can be helpful in arranging for the best use of your time- and for the most rewarding experiences, according to your interests.

No comments about China (Eyewitness Travel Guides).