3 comments about A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali: The Greater Sunda Islands.

1. Many newer guides have been published about birds of this region, but this book still deserves its place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in birds of South-east Asia. Illustrations are good, and descriptions are detailed and mostly accurate. A bit bulky to carry in the field, but not a problem if you bring it in a backpack. The situation with forest fires in South-east Asia (especially Indonesia) is growing worse each year, so get out there and see some of these extraordinary birds while you still can!



2. This was the book that everyone who seemed to be serious used in Borneo, but if you are going to be out in the bush for more than a few days and make frequent use of field guides, consider having it re-bound before you leave -- many people I passed along the way were finding that the plate pages were starting to fall out.



3. Any serious birder to the listed regions of this book would buy this book.

   It is the best guide of the region so far with excellent plates and useful details. What I find especially useful, particularly for the raptors, is that they show illustrations of the birds in flight.

   The drawings appear consistent and the bird's information at the back of the book is easy to access.

   The birds are categorised according to their family which definately makes for faster checks and identification, which I find important when in the field.

   The spine of the book though is a little week and you might want to have it rebound before it falls apart - especially with all the browsing that is to be.

No comments about India (Rough Guide 25s).

2 comments about Lonely Planet Hong Kong Encounter (Lonely Planet Encounter Series) (Best Of).

1. Hong Kong was one of the stops on our 4 week Asia trip, and we only had a weekend to spend there. So since it was the only stop not included in our comprehensive SE Asia guide, we decided to get this small pocket guide to help us navigate the city and check out the top spots during our short stay.
   
   Overall, this book is very helpful in terms of outlining major sites, detailed transportation information, and even includes a full-size fold out map. The only issue we had with it were the recommended restaurants listed. I don't know if this applies to all the recommendations, but we checked out 3 spots that were highlighted and ALL 3 were mediocre.
   
   Bottom line, this is a great guide for a weekend visit, but don't follow the restaurant recommendations.



2. For my week in Hong Kong, I used Frommer's guide as my main guide, but took this as a secondary guide because of its maps. It has very good local area maps for the neighborhoods it covers, showing sights, hotels, restaurants, and shops. I found it most useful for locating shops and sights.
   
   Unlike the other HK guides I looked at, this one includes the written Chinese names of the places it covers. This could be useful if you need to give a taxi driver written destinations.
   
   The book's coverage is very limited. I would not recommend it as your only guidebook. I found it worth it for the maps, but it's a bit expensive just for that.

2 comments about Passport India: Your Pocket Guide to Indian Business, Customs & Etiquette (Passport to the World) (Passport to the World).

1. Since India has a distinct culture from the US, I expected to receive some useful guidance from this book. It is very elementry - just remember to be polite and you will do better than you would by following this book's suggestions. Not worth the money or the weight in my luggage.



2. A word of caution: This book is not terribly useful for business travel in India. I spent 2 months in Delhi and didn't bother to check the publication date of this book. It is dated, to put it lightly.

   There are a few useful tips in this little book (mostly about business/social interaction). However, I found that the main cultural differences in business were clear after the first week of being there--no book could have prepared me. India is an incredibly vast and varied country; no one general guide can smooth the transition.

   If you're going to India to travel, the lonely planet or eyewitness guides will do you some good (really good if you're planning to visit out-of-the-way places). If you're going to India on business, then I'd suggest simply chatting with your Indian co-workers before or upon your arrival. Most likely they'll give you a better idea of what to expect; also, their advice will be tailored to your type of business and, more specifically, to the people with whom you'll be working.

   As with all people and places--we're unique. Allow your Indian experience to be unique too.

3 comments about Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books 5-7. Indica. (Loeb Classical Library No. 269).

1. Arrian's Books, in two volumes, are perhaps the most informative and accurate existing account of the expeditions of Alexander the Great. The accounts are historical and also give insight into the personality of Alexander. Contrary to most histories, the texts are an easy read, with descriptions of places, people, and events giving the reader a good sense of the adventures encountered by Alexander and his men. The tale is told directly. Alexander's sexuality, the love of his troops for their leader, and all the other human qualities intermingled in a real life situation are presented without bias.
   The text is in greek and english, in flanking pages. The footnotes are helpful, providing clarity to definitions of words in their historical context. The second volume contains various Appendixes providing added information on Military Questions, India, Mearchus' Voyage (Alexander's Sea Captain), etc.
   For one wising to learn of Alexander, this is the best source available.



2. This book is one of two volumes written by Arrian on Alexander the Great. So many books have been written about this fascinating and charigmatic young man.Although most of the documents from Alexander's lifetime have vanished,this one is the closest that we can get to him.
   
   In my own opinion I think that the documents that vanished may have been in the Alexandria library,or possibly were the body or remains of Alexander are.
   
   What I liked the most in this book is the fact that the name of the cities and places that Alexander conquered are also named with today's actual names,making it easy for us lovers of history to relate to today's geography.
   
   The Theban battle is very well written with so many details, not only the amount of horses,companions,hypastis and so on but the way that Alexander he himself planned.How Alexander took care of the innocent people,and how he cared for them,example the battle of Agis. What he did to the citizens of Soli, giving their land and money back.Details of Darius' mother,wife and children.
   For instance I did not know that Dairus married his own sister.
   there is so much in this book that it is really worth having if you are a true historian buff of Alexander's time.
   
   The details of the army that conquered which tribe and city.How many horses, carriages, elephants, companions were used for each battle.
   
   The treason fo Philotas and the killing of Parmenio,are also detailed here.The revolt of Agis,India and the Persian Empire, plus detailes of Alexander's army.
   
   I enjoyed reading it very very much.I hope that you will do the same.



3. This is an excellent translation. The book contains a number of appendices which are superb analyses of different issues dealing with Alexander's history.
   As a professional historian I can recommend the book without hesitation.
   
   MJ Olbrycht

4 comments about In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods.

1. This book outlines Galen Rowell's attempt on K-2. Rarely does a book bring together pictures, text and feeling as this one does. Along with Pete Boardman's Shining Mountain, I rate this among the best mountaineering books out there. This one is destined to become a cult classic



2. The laundry in this expedition gets aired in this book. This seems to be the book that the movie K2 was based on. A lot of the characters and events are similar. Rowell gives a lot of historical background from other expeditions to K2. Rowell writes this novel from his perspective, but he also uses the diaries from the other expedition members to tell the story. He also gives the perspective from the porters point of view, however, it seems like he is mostly guessing what the porters feel and think and I've never like that from a ethnographic point of view. Considering the trouble the expedition had, it's a wonder that any of them wanted to return. Some of the best photographs of the region are shown. Galen is great photographer.



3. Most mountaineering books chronicle successful ascents. Rowell offers an even more fascinating study in the failure of an expedition plagued by titan egos: famous mountaineers proving themselves no gods. The photography is... breathtaking!



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the 1975 American K2 Expedition. The wonderful photos and the well-written text were some of the best I've encountered in mountaineering literature.

   I liked how Galen Rowell interspersed his account of the expedition with earlier accounts of K2 attempts, some successful and some not. They gave an interesting insight into the history of this tough mountain and the people who have climbed it. The journal excerpts from various 1975 team members were insightful and intriguing. I am now going to start on "The Last Step" by Rick Ridgeway, about the 1978 American K2 expedition. Apparently, this team wasn't without their problems either.

   I found it ironic, that after all the team discussion about the possibly negative implications of having a woman (Dianne Roberts) on the team, especially the wife of the leader, that she really figured very little in the disputes and quarrels. It was also ironic that there was still a lot of dissention and miscommunication amongst the team members on the actual expedition, even after the team expelled Alex Bertulis from the original team, due to lack of confidence in his ability to be a team player.

   Read it, you won't be disappointed. I gave it a four because I found the first couple of chapters hard to get into. But once the '75 team is formed, it picks up quickly and then is quite hard to put down.

   Unfortunately, Galen Rowell, the author of this book and a well-known photographer, recently was killed in a plane crash near his home in California with his wife.

5 comments about Eating Soup With Chopsticks: Sweet Sixteen in Japan.

1. Through her new book, Ruth Pennington Paget takes us on a summer-long journey into a new culture (Japan) through the eyes of an adventurous and curious teenager. Twenty years after her exchange to Japan, the author recounts her time abroad and her vivid memories of the many experiences she encountered. The book is not a travel book as much as a book about dealing with differences, communication and human connection.

   It teaches us that at the heart of understanding a different culture, we learn most about our own self and come to understand better our own values.

   This book is a fun read!




2. At the age of sixteen, Ruth Paget traveled to Japan as an exchange student. Although she had traveled internationally before, she had never had such an intense immersion into a foreign culture. And Japan was very very foreign. "Eating Soup with Chopsticks" shows the remarkable poise with which this sixteen-year-old faced what many people would consider a challenge. In her search to understand her host family and culture, she jumped in with both feet. She did so by immediately identifying what she and her hosts had in common, which was a sense of respect that quickly developed into a sense of affection. It shows the growth that can occur when you appreciate and accept differences between people.

   Ms. Paget's account of her summer abroad lovingly recounts scenes of daily life in Japan, and amuses with anecdotes of a Midwestern girl's first encounters with raw fish and wasabi. But the overriding lesson of this book is that wonderful things happen when you take off your blue glasses - and open yourself up to discovery. It should be required reading for every American teenager.




3. If you added what you know now to a diary you wrote 20 years ago without changing the original script, it would read like "Eating Soup With Chopsticks." This charming memoir of a life-defining experience captures the innocence and youthful enthusiasm of an adventurous spirit learning to see the world. The lessons of language, history, and cultural perspective are more important than ever as we evolve toward a global society.



4. Ruth Pennington Paget's "Eating Soup with Chopsticks" is a sentimental and sweet tale about one momentous exchange summer in Japan. Then-teenage Ruth is full of profound observations about life and shows a maturity beyond her years. These memoirs will help you see the world through "green" lenses! Pack your mental bags and head on a trip to Japan!



5. This book is short and sweet. Ruth's writing style has a natural flow and she displays a keen sense of humor that kept me laughing throughout. If you are interested in an authentic account of the exchange student life, a quick and smooth read, or just a good laugh, this book comes highly recommended.

3 comments about Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture.

1. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. It is a must read for anyone planning to do business in China.
   As of 2005,it is out of date regarding lifestyle and living standards in China, however, the cultural facts are correct, in particular the aspects of culture crucial to negotiating with the Chinese.



2. If you ever need to do business in China then don't start anything until you've read this book. It will save you time, money and your sanity! After reading this book we took advice from it and saved a valuable business deal by using some of the knowledge Kevin Bucknall has compiled from his time spent there. This is a seriously good book even if you just want to travel in China as it tells you all you need to know to get the best from your time there.



3. Potential buyers should keep in mind that this is a book about Chinese business etiquette. It is a specific topic, not a general treatise on Chinese culture.
   
   Buknall is thorough, but repetitive. He beats to death the concepts of hierarchy and waiting for approval from various people/governmental agencies.
   
   He references the late 90's in the book and mentions more than once that certain historical customs are beginning to give way to more modern practices. That was six years ago. Thus, the book is in need of an update.
   
   One other thing I've noticed is the high number of misspelled and missing words. The editor did a very poor job.
   
   Overall, an informative book, but one that could be better.

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

1. If you are a casual traveler to Turkey or a serious one, these books are essential to read, to know the customs and habits of the country. It is not only useful, it is a courtesy you should show to ever country you step foot on their soil. We'd want people visiting America to know about us what this book tells us about Turkey. Read it, absorb it, and follow it.

No comments about Japan: The Cycle of Life.