No comments about Shell Road Map of Jamaica.

3 comments about Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call (Frommer's Complete).

1. Unlike Frommer's Caribbean Cruises and Ports of Call 2003 which is 736 pages, this is only 320 pages - the right size to travel with. You don't need info on each cruise line while you're on the cruise.

   It's great because it tells you exactly how far the town is from the pier and whether it's worth spending $3 on a taxi. Tells you which islands it's best to take an organized tour. Also lists name/phone/web of trips/activities offered by local agencies. Tells you which beaches are overcrowded and frequently by pickpocketers.

   Includes walking tour of San Juan, PR with map. If you're spending more time in Miami, buy a separate book. Restaurants are also mentioned as well as hotels in ports of embarkation.




2. I looked at 9 different books before choosing the Frommer's Guide. I picked this one over its competitors because it had more pages dedicated to the Ports we plan to stop at than they did. I was really impressed with how well the book was laid out, how much information there was on each port, the excursion advice, and the suggested easy walking tours at each port. The book has already saved us $120 each on our cruise excursions.



3. This book gives great information on how to get the most out of your cruise. This is the second Port of Calls book, that I have brought. It goes with me on all my cruises. I find the sections on best shore excursions and activities near the port most helpful.

No comments about Bahamas Business Law Handbook.

5 comments about The Complete Diving Guide: The Caribbean, Volume 3 (Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands/British Virgin Islands).

1. I have been meaning to review this book for some time as it is one of the most thumbed books on our book shelf. My wife and I run a charter yacht in the Virgin Islands and many of our guests are keen divers. We bought The Complete Diving Guide for our own use initially but it has since become part of the yacht's library as our guests find it so useful and enjoyable to read. (as our copy is getting rather worn I'm pleased to say that many of them buy their own copy after having seen ours). It is rare to find a book that is so comprehensive and which presents a vast amount of information in such a readable manner. In particular we find the island and dive site maps useful along with the descriptions of the dives and the underwater route maps. I can direct our guests at the tyupe of dive that I think they would enjoy and they can read about it beforehand. They can also choose the dive store they would like to use. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone planning to do some diving in the Virgin Islands (it even covers the Spanish Virgin Islands).



2. Once again we have an excellent and very useful publication aimed at amateur and professional diver alike. This is a true guide which concentrates on providing all the relevant and peripheral information that any Scuba Diver will want to know in respect of any of the Caribbean destinations covered. The maps and diagrams are particularly useful - and very easy to follow.
   
   We live in an age where diving instructors and dive guides "have" to know what they are doing and it is interesting to see those professionals are using this book and not any of the glossy alternatives. Sadly, we also live in an age where many diving publications fall short. Too much false information - and even total lack of information is hidden behind excellent underwater photographs as publisher after publisher seeks to beguile, confuse and even mislead the potential buyer. Not so with this book!
   
   My direct experience has been to find this series of books contain exactly the information divers require before during and even after their trip. Very well written, it includes all the general information on diving, facilities, climate, sea, regulations, boats, cruise liners, resorts, hotels, flora, fauna, shipwrecks, photography and safety. It then moves on to cover each of the target Caribbean countries which are the main subject of the book before concluding with a Glossary, Bibliography and Accident and Emergency Information.
   
   We can all find pretty pictures on the internet - without even having to pay to see them. Information, however, especially reliable information, is much harder to find. If you are contemplating a trip to any of the countries featured in this book, you will find all - and I do mean "ALL" the information you require right here. That might be at the expense of some pretty pictures - but hey, once you get there, you can take those yourself.
   
   In summary, once again we have "A Complete Guide" - which is exactly what it says on the cover.
   
   NM



3. This is one of the most thorough and up to date dive travel books I've ever read. We used a lot of the information on diving and related material on our recent trip to P.R. and found it very helpfull and accurate.



4. This book is very thorough on the coverage that I was looking for. I recommend this book. Actually, I couldn't find any other books that covered Puerto Rico.



5. The book is designed to offer a good list of places to scuba relying on the use of dive operators - it lists many. Its use for a couple who just wish to go alone (in a buddy system, of course) is limited, since the locations are not exactly defined. The book also offers a lot of advice as to many facets of diving in these areas. In general, it is an excellent book with the caveat of not giving exact coordinates nor reference points by which to find the specific spots.

2 comments about Dream Cruises: The Insider's Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations.

1. Cruises have never been viewed as a luxury for the average earner - but they can be, thanks to "Dream Cruises: The Insider's Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations". Speaking of private cruises, free from the hustle and bustle of community cruises and all of their hassles, it speaks clearly on how to make these, as the book is titled, dream cruises a reality and a possibility on funds as low as a single grand and other options if you manage to have more money lying around. "Dream Cruises: The Insider's Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations" is highly recommended for community library collections dedicated to travel.



2. Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (6/08)
   
   If you've ever cruised on one of the megaships, I bet you've occasionally caught a glimpse of a sleeker, much smaller ship that crossed your path somewhere, but you've never seen them in the same port as your megaship. I've often wondered who could possibly be using those luxurious-looking, very appealing smaller catamarans and yachts, since they seemed to be oh-so-expensive.
   
   After reading "Dream Cruises" by Kim Kavin I wonder no more. Ms. Kavin wrote an all-encompassing guide to choosing, chartering and enjoying vacations on private yachts. Surprisingly enough, those vacations can be quite affordable, and she provided examples for budgets from $1,000 to $1,000,000. If you regularly cruise with several friends, a private yacht charter could be even more cost effective for you than a cruise ship vacation. And with all the research that went into Ms. Kavin's book, unpleasant surprises, unnecessary hassles and wrong decisions could and should well be avoided.
   
   After I've gotten over the feelings of intense jealousy, stirred in me by reading about the absolutely fabulous cruise vacation Ms. Kavin has taken in the past (just kidding, just kidding... but they are enough to make you sigh wistfully for sure!), I delved deeper in the technicalities of chartering a yacht. Ms. Kavin provided all of the necessary information to make the decision process simple and streamlined. Starting with the basic explanations of yacht chartering and comparison of yachts vs. cruise ships, Ms. Kavin familiarized the reader with boat basics, types of boats and what one could expect on different boat types. An in-depth discussion of destinations, both the usual, classic ones and a nice sampling of the emerging, new ones, followed those basic chapters. Ms. Kavin did not neglect to include a detailed overview of the cost, both up-front and the additional as well as optional ones. The next half-a-dozen chapters dealt with all of the other cruising aspects, from whom to choose to be your boating party to how special requests and needs could and would be accommodated, how to decide on the right type of the charter for your, how to find a respectable broker and what exactly will you encounter once on board, down to the descriptions of the different types of staterooms or bedrooms as well as how a head looks on a yacht and where to find it.
   
   If you are planning a cruise vacation and would like to depart a bit from the routine of the megaships, or if you are just curious about how other people live, "Dream Cruises" is an excellent book to familiarize you with the world of private yacht chartering. And there is no law against dreaming, is there?

5 comments about Trading With The Enemy: A Yankee Travels Through Castro's Cuba.

1. While Miller's book is not as fascinating as the one related to Cuba that I am currently reading (Che Guevara, A Revolutionary Life--I can't put it down!), I am still shocked by the harsh criticism of some of the other reviewers. I thoroughly enjoyed Miller's objective, humorous, and insightful account of his time in Cuba, which only further fuelled my desire to visit this extraordinary country. My only complaint is that it wasn't more up-to-date. The bulk of the book takes place about 10 years ago...though it is still definitely worth the read if you are interested in Cuba.



2. Miller's book is written before the turn to tourism, which has dramatically transformed Cuba and Cubans. Those who read this and then travel there will find a very different country. Nevertheless, the book is useful for understanding a too often misunderstood society, one that remains one of the world's most culturally vibrant, despite hardships, blockades and misguided economic policies.



3. I'm surprised at the dislike some reviewers have expressed towards this book. True, its dated picture of 1992-era Cuba does not ring entirely true compared to the country one sees today: more and more marked by tourism everyday. But Miller's funny, flowing writing style and encounters with everyone from literati to farmers to hustlers are rendered in an intelligent and observant way. His 'digressive' style of writing actually serves the material quite well, and preserves a chatty familiarity that does justice to what this is: a travel diary. It's a lot more astute than most of them.



4. Miller concentrates on the people he meets and keeps away from politics.

   The result is an entertaining account of his extended visit to Cuba including the time he spent in Havana and travelling throughout the country.

   I found the book puts a more humanizing face on the country that is always dominated by coverage of Castro and his policies.

   For me, this book is a good companion to Buena Vista Social Club in providing a non-political view of Cuba and Cubans.




5. The style of presentation that Tom Miller uses in "Trading with the Enemy" captures a personal perspective of Cuba. For those who critique this as a travel reader should see this as "his" travel reader. For me, his book was required reading for a graduate class on Cuban culture, business and economic policy. Usually required reading doesn't engage my full attention; this book did. I appreciated the fact that the subject matters within "Trading with the Enemy" were handled with objectivity, humor, and humanity. The strength this format provides allows him to be descriptive without pontification. Following the reading of "Trading with the Enemy" (and other texts), my class included a 10-day trip to Havana (it happened to be the week in which the recent Iraqi War started) and its environs to study our selected research topics. Tom Miller was gracious enough to be an unofficial guide and advisor for this excursion. His insights (both written and interpersonal)proved to be essential for understanding the milieu within which we were trying to operate. This book gives a reader an individual's perspective of "cubanidad" - with its glory, shortcomings, simplicities, nuanced complexities all included. For those who enjoy readings that "speak to you" rather than "speak at you, this book will be an informative and enjoyable read.

No comments about The Dive Sites of Cozumel & the Yucatan (The Dive Sites of . . . Ser.).

No comments about Bermuda (Landmark Visitors Guide Bermuda, 1st ed) (Landmark Visitors Guide Bermuda, 1st ed).

1 comments about African American Travel Guide to Hot, Exotic & Fun-Filled Places.

1. I picked up this book because I'm planning a long trip to West Africa and need a good travel guide. I found Jon Haggins' book to be VERY informative on preparations to West Africa and other places, but not on the actual destinations.

   This book is excellent for tour groups and for people who strictly want to stick with the tourist sites. However, since I'm traveling off the beaten path and doing the "backpacker" thing, I'm afraid I have to find another travel guide since there's no help in that area.

   I must say that the travels the author has done to South America, South Pacific, and Africa have encouraged me to do more traveling to exotic places.

2 comments about Jamaica Through My Eyes.

1. I just purchased this book and I love it! The images on each page are captivating and magical. Lois Ingledew has captured the essence of Jamaica with obvious love. I highly recommend this book.



2. I just got this book, and I have to say that the photos are wonderful. The photographer did a great job!