No comments about Mongolia 2nd (Bradt Travel Guide).

1 comments about Periplus Travel Maps Bangkok (Thailand Regional Maps) (Thailand Regional Maps).

1. Bangkok Travel Map, Fourth Edition (Periplus Travel Maps). Of ALL the maps available for Bangkok, this was the most recent print. The Periplus Bangkok (5th edition) was very informative and easy to interpret: showing subway & rail routes, major hotels, points of interest, hospitals, etc. Important and useful info for most travelers. It has been 8 years since my last trip to Bangkok and the city has gone through a major expansion in development since then. Even more important than ever to have an up to date map.

No comments about Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Travel Map (Globetrotter Travel Map).

3 comments about Culture Shock! Japan (Culture Shock! Guides).

1. As an administrator in a ESL school, where 10% of our students come from Japan, and at least 10% of our ESL teachers trainees plan on going to Japan to teach English, Culture Shock Japan was an wonderful discovery for me! P. Sean Bramble unveiled the cultural mystery step by step from every aspect of life. It's a great reference book for anyone, no matter whether you are planning a trip to Japan, moving to Japan for a long period of time, your work involves dealing with Japanese culture like mine, or you are simply curious about this modern and ancient eastern country. One of my favorite things about the book are the hilarious little stories that Bramble collected from his own 12 years of experience living and working in Japan, which gave me many giggles through out the reading.
   
   Those stories are particularly funny to me, because they often echo my own experience of of culture shock when I first immigrated to the United States from China 7 years ago. Although, I am completely annoyed when people get confused between Japan and China, there are after all lots of similarities when it comes to clashes between Asian and western cultures.
   
   I also admire the fact that the author was willing to take the risk of being accused as negative or judgmental to honestly point out the frustrating reality of living and dealing with a new culture in a tongue in cheek manner. Unlike promotional travel books, which only portray the wonders of a destination, this book gives unvarnished insight into a country where modernity meets ancient traditions, efficiency is created by rules but also destroyed by rules. It gives insider's advices on how a new comer can be prepared to begin understanding, embracing, and even having a bit of fun with the culture he is about to clash into. As I closed the book, I felt as if I had just finished a tour lead by an experienced open heart with a true sense of humor. I am now much more ready for a real trip to Japan.



2. 
   The book does contain usefull information, but it left me with an awkward feeling after reading.
   It describes the 'typically Japanese things' from a personal western point of view, without explaining why, how, what, etc.
   -Japan is a weird and silly country, but there are nice temples-
   Or is it the writer that is the culture shock ?
   If you want an objective book about Japan, keep searching.



3. I was stationed overseas for about 1 1/2 years before I read the book. Many questions I had were answered. This book explains a lot of the everyday things you'll see/notice in Japan. Not much of a history book (which wasn't what I was looking for @ the time) but a very modern explanation of all the strange things Japanese people do.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone that is going to live in Japan for an extended period of time.

2 comments about Periplus Guide to Bali: The Island of the Gods (Periplus Adventure Guides).

1. I think this is an exceptionally good quality guide book for those who travel to Bali not just to lie on a beach or surf, but also for its amazing cultural and historical heritage, where every village and temple have their own story. The closest I can compare it with is Eyewitness Guide on Bali, but there is definitely more information in this guide. There is also an abundance of beautific pictures but they don't take full pages so you get much more text not sacrificing the aesthetics. This is a book for people who want to feel in a new place not like stupid foreigners but rather informed observers, understanding their performances, rituals, lifestyle, etc. You'll know exactly what village or place you want to stay in and why.
   For practicalities you'll have to get Lonely Planet or Rough Guide though.



2. This book contains excellent background information and descriptions of obscure attractions written by a team of expert authors along with photos of stunnning quality.
   Practical information is found separately in the back of the book, and is somewhat dated. However, with Bali well set-up for tourism, you will easily find accomodation/transport of your choice anyway.
   Highly recommended, even as a 2nd guidebook if you already have another guide stronger on practical details like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.

1 comments about D & S Thailand (Diving & Snorkeling).

1. Good all round description of dive sites and resorts. All you need to plan your holiday.

No comments about The Travels of Marco Polo - Complete.

2 comments about Philippines: The Land (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures).

1. A MIGHTY FINE BOOK WITH GOOD NARRATIVE AND FANTASTIC PHOTOS. I TRAVEL OFTEN IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND THIS BOOK ACCURATELY CAPTURED THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND. IT IS A NICE COMFORTABLE READ, ESEPCIALLY WHEN YOU'RE PLANNING YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE AND WHAT TO DO AND SEE NEXT. SALAMAT PO AND MABUHAY FROM AMERICA!



2. i was very please with the product that i bought. it not only was in prestine condition, it was delievered to me straight away - actually coming a week early.
   i would definatly recommend buy from this seller.

2 comments about Luxe Shanghai, 7th Edition (LUXE City Guides).

1. I used this during a recent trip to Shanghai and was really happy to have it with me. It directed me to all the "happening" places - to shop, eat, drink, see art, etc. It is a small fold out pamphlet, not a book - and well worth the price. While it is geared to the hip and trendy young woman, as a 58 year old interested in that side of Shanghai, I found lots of great tips (once I enlarged the really, really tiny type). I also used the guide to Beijing.



2. These books were great because they were small and easy to carry! The stores I found they suggested were very good. I gave the Shanghai book to our private guide because she really thought the book was great. She wasn't even aware of some of the shops or restaurants in it. It was fun to read and very good information. In Beijing I bought Pearls at the shop that was suggested after looking at several places. In Hong Kong the Stanley Market was very confusing and this helped us out a lot! I have already passed Beijing on to a friend for their trip.

3 comments about Basho's Narrow Road: Spring and Autumn Passages (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature).

1. This is a very well translated and annotated edition of this great work.



2. This was the first time that I have read Basho's Narrow Road to Oku, snd I enjoyed it a great deal. Actually I read it twice this week. The first time I read through it I tried to read it without using the notes. I was lazy, so it came out that I really didn't enjoy what I was reading because I really didn't know what was going on throughout most of the book, so I read it again using the notes, and I got much more out of it. The annotations are on the left page while the actual text is on the right page, so there is no flipping to the back of the book every time that you need to look up something. There are endnotes that give more information about the haiku Basho writes. This is a very cool book, that gives the reader a glimpse at the literary world of japan back during the 17th century.



3. Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/06)
   
   Matsuo Basho (1644-94) was a famous Japanese haiku poet. In 1689, he took a 1,233 mile journey across Japan. His travels lasted five months. He was joined by his friend Kawai Sora. Basho wrote about this trip. He titled it, "Oku No Hosomichi," which translates to "Narrow Road to the Interior." This story is considered to be a masterpiece of Japanese literature. He took four years to write it and revise it.
   
   Basho started this trip when his house burned down. He had two goals. One goal was spiritual; it involved "poetic truth." The other goal was a practical one in which he would use his travels to become well known as a poet. Sora developed stomach problems and had to end his travels with Basho. Basho wrote a short piece for him. In the second part of this book, there is a translation of "A Farewell Gift to Sora."
   
   Basho funded his travels with donations from wealthy friends and students. He felt that there were three types of poets. The first type is confused noisemakers. The second type is wealthy people who desire to write instead of gossip. The third type is poets who work hard at writing true poetry. These poets write to "soothe their heart." Basho was the third type of poet.
   
   Hiroaki Sato includes annotations to go along with the writings. This adds richness to the story and helps explain more about the culture and what was happening at the time. I read the story first with the annotations to gain understanding of what I was reading; then I went back and reread the story by itself so that I could feel how it flowed. Without the annotations, I would have enjoyed Basho's story, but I would not have understood much of what was written. Sato also includes pages of notes and commentaries. This is a well researched piece. "Basho's Narrow Road" is a beautiful story about Basho's travels. In it he reflects on the beauty of the countryside and the spirit of the people that he encounters.
   
   I recommend "Basho's Narrow Road" to people that enjoy Japanese poetry, especially Haiku. It would also be a great book to use for a college literature class. I really enjoyed Basho's journey.