5 comments about Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others (Volunteer Vacations).

1. This book is very informative and easy to navigate. I was able to ready it over a 2 day period on my spare time and breakdown the vacations that would best suit what I am looking to do.



2. This book was extremely well organized. I was able to quickly sort through for an organization that allowed teens and was for the duration of time we had available. From there, it was easy to go on the specific websites for the pretty pictures. We have just come back from our experience building homes in Costa Rica and can't wait to go again! You will never again feel the need for a beach vacation. It was much more invigorating to give something of yourself.



3. I'm sure you can get most of the information in this book online but there's nothing like being able to curl up with this while dogearing pages and marking it up. It is extremely well organized and indexed in multiple ways so you're sure to find what you're looking for. Once something gets your interest you can contact the organization or look online for more info. One really nice feature is the occasional presence of first person narratives from people who've actually done the vacations.



4. *****
   I bought this book out of curiosity and was amazed at the variety of opportunities available to travel and contribute throughout the world. The book is a compendium of opportunities of every imaginable type, an incredible resource if you're even thinking about a taking a vacation in which you volunteer.
   
   Each opportunity contains all contact information, include web site, the types of projects available, organization mission statements, the year founded, the number of volunteers last year (so that you can see the scope of the program), funding sources, what kind of work the organization does, project locations, time line (when and for how long commitments are made), cost (including arrangements that must be made like medical examinations), how to get started, needed skills, and the specific populations that could qualify.
   
   The book is very friendly to those with limitations (for example, sight limitations, physical agility, etc.). There are also stories throughout the book from volunteers about their actual experiences while volunteering.
   
   There is a section on long-term volunteering opportunities. There are four indexes: by project cost, project length, location, season, and type.
   
   It is a wonderful book to use to explore what types of things you might like to do, as well as to use as a research base to search out specific opportunities. It is a great value, and an organized way to begin your volunteer journey!
   
   Highly recommended.
   *****



5. Bought this for my husband who is deciding which v. v. he should go on!
   thanks

No comments about Moleskine City Notebook Chicago (Moleskine City Notebook).

5 comments about Chicago (City Guide).

1. This guide book was our Bible during our short trip in Chicago. It was right about most things we had a chance to check out, e.g. where to catch the best view of the city. Other helpful information included as well. For example, average prices for meals in restaurants were very helpful when planning where to eat. Very important information, I think, when coming abroad is the information how to tip etc. It's all there.



2. Found the guide really good for sites to see, restaurants + hotel bookings ... the all important shopping section was excellent but didn't mentione that non US residents can avail of discounts in most of the large department stores by registering with the customer service desks ... the 2 and 4 day itineraries ensured that we hit all the must sees ... used it in conjunction with some top tips from Trip Advisors fact sheet on Chicago. Also had good advice on days trips in the greater Chicago vacinity.



3. This is one of the better guide books to Chicago - it's easy to read and has every bit of relevant information on restaurants, attractions, etc. Plus, that chick on the front cover is super hot!



4. My wife and I used this guide for a vacation to Chicago in October 2006. I am generally a big fan of Lonely Planet Guides, and this one did not disappoint. We stayed in hotel in the Gold Coast but used public transportation to get around to several other sections of the city, and this guide covered all of the areas that we visited very well. Information was concise and useful, and overall I was really pleased with this book. It's maps were invaluable while traveling around - it is worth the price for them alone.
   
   However, there were a couple of recommendations in the book which I did not feel were very good. One restaurant in particular that the guide recommended was awful, and because of that I gave the book 4 stars instead of five.
   
   Despite this, Lonely Planet Chicago is still a very good guide and I would recommend it without hesitation.



5. If you are thinking of taking a trip to Chicago, this book is great to have. The only thing was that it was a little confusing trying to figure out the different areas in the city - I wish it would have been a little more descriptive for those of us who haven't gone many places in Chicago. However, we did try several of the restaurants that were recommended, and we were satisfied with all of them! Great tidbits of knowledge on the city as well, learned a lot before even going!

5 comments about Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West.

1. This was the best book I've ever had assigned in a class. It was part of the assigned readings for a Princeton University course "History of the American West". Perhaps the context of the class helped to make the book, but it is still well written and seems to strike a good balance between a historical view and an economic view of the story it tells.



2. I remember, many years ago, standing next to an Illinois corn field at the intersection 212th and Cicero and wondering how Chicago's street grid system had worked its way so far into the country side. What in the world did this corn field and the intersection of State and Madison in downtown Chicago have to do with each other? This book explained it to me along the economic history of Chicago -- a history that went a lot farther in explaining the citys size, influence, and even existence than the biographies Marshal Field, Potter Palmer, the Colonel, and the rest.

   Great read.




3. Been dying to read this book for at least six months. Finally found it at a used book store for six bucks! Huzzah!

   Having now read the book, I probably would have shelled out for it new or used at the 10+ bucks it commands here on Amazon. The 18 reviews below indicates that this is a fairly popular work. That's more then three times the reviews of the other history books I've checked out on Amazon.

   Since the other reviews are substantial, I won't comment much, except to say that while several reviewers have commented on the role of "first" and "second" nature in this book, I didn't see anybody mentioning his use of "Central Place Theory", which was apparently developed by German theorists in the 1800's. He also doesn't discuss Lewis Mumford at all, even though he cites to that author in the bibliography.

   I thought this book made an interesting contrast with "Imperial San Francisco", another book about the development of a western city. I was hoping Cronon would include more information about the "flow of capital" between Chicago and the FAR west, rather then focusing so intently on Chicago's immediate hinterland.

   Cronon chose to focus on a description of the processes which led to the creation of Chicago. It might have been interesting to look at the ways in which the interests of wealthy individuals tracked across various industries and time. A point made in "Industrial San Francisco" was that the oligarch's who made money in mining gradually "cleansed" their money through the purchase of utilities and media firms(newspapers). Did something similar occur in Chicago? I suspect so, but Cronon's treatment of the newspaper/media industry is largely descriptive.




4. This is a very distinctive, well researched and argued book about how Chicago developed. Starting with a standard model of Urban Economics - the von Thunen model of central place theory- the author quickly moves beyond it. The distinctive contribution of his book is Cronon's emphasis on how the roots of Chicago's remarkable development lay in the "soil" of its surrounding hinterlands. He carries this argument further by examining how the transportation and communication revolutions of the 19th century - the railroad and the telegraph - created unique advanatages for Chicago relative to other competitive metropolitan areas (such as St. Louis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee) and finally, how in turn, new metropolitan areas (such as KC, Omaha) arose to steal aways Chicago's dominance.
   
   As other reviewers have noted, the book offers really fascinating, detailed discussions and original research on - for example - the grain and lumber industries as well as capital flows in the midwestern US creatively using court records on corporate failures to track the flow of investments.
   
   This books contains a rich lode of intellectual wealth and it is well worth the effort to mine it.



5. There are going to be other reviewers who can provide more erudite reviews-- reviews better grounded in the study of cities or economic history. I am nothing more than an average reader who enjoys non-fiction.
   
   First of all, potential readers should be aware that this is an economic history. It follows flows of goods and capital rather than following the lives and careers of the men and women of Chicago. I knew what to expect, but for people looking for a more standard history of Chicago this may make Nature's Metropolis difficult to engage.
   
   I really enjoyed reading the book. It stretched my understanding of the economic growth of cities and raised issues that I had not considered about the role of the city *in* nature (not as opposed to nature). The examination of elements that made Chicago into both a city and The City was fascinating. The chapters tracing grain, lumber and meat as goods were clearly written and underscored the central theses.
   
   I guess it goes without saying that Nature's Metropolis is far from a light read, but that does not make it less rewarding. As someone who does not have a background in history, I only longingly wished that the bibliography had been annotated to help support further reading.

3 comments about Streetwise Chicago Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Chicago, Illinios - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated CTA & Metra map including lines & stations (Streetwise).

1. I recently moved back to Chicago and needed a map as a refresher. I was very disappointed when I received this map. It's great and handy, unfortunately it didn't cover the city. The map didn't show Bucktown or anything West but included all of the Southside. I was looking at moving into an area that I didn't have a map of!!! If you want to see any of Bucktown, Wickerpark or Logan Square do not buy this map.



2. This map does not show any of the parts of Chicago that I am interested in - mainly anything very far west of downtown. I would say that this item is not useful at all and a total waste of my money.



3. Great series of maps for residents and tourists. Very detailed but extremely compact (though still legible), laminated, folds easily. It can be used quite subtly, so you don't look lost (giving the apperance of a goofy out-of-towner, or worse, a safety issue.)
   
   Chicago Streetwise features:
   -Main map (north to Lakeview, south to Hyde park, west to Ukranian Village)
   -Downtown map
   -neighboring counties road map
   -Hyde Park/Kenwood detail
   -CTA/Metra train lines
   -street and landmark index
   
   On the main map, it identifies train stops (but unfortunately no busstop info, which may be helpful), street numbers, various important buildings (landmarks, colleges, some hotels, etc.).
   
   If you are planning on visitng Chicago, or have just moved to the area, look no further than this map.

5 comments about Chicago (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. The ethnic neighborhoods, which Chicago is quite famous for, is barely mentioned and offers no instructions on how to visit them. This book is much thinner than the other Eyewitness city Guides.



2. Great book, but not as great as other books from that series.



3. I used to live in Chicago, and I can tell you that had I had this book back then, I would have visited lots of places I never knew existed or didn't fully appreciate at the time. As in most DK Travel Guides, there's lots of information, photos, maps and graphs.

   Sure, the book is a bit outdated, but then again, IT'S A BOOK! In any case, the good people at DK keep updating their books from time to time.

   I do have one complaint, in the fact that this book has less than half the pages that the New York book's got. Because it's less famous it doesn't mean that Chicago is less of a great city as the big apple is...




4. I think these are the best travel guides. I wish they had them for every city!!



5. For the most part, Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Travel Guides are terrific both as a backpack resource and as a keepsake afterward. I have about a dozen of their books at home, and I return to them frequently since I am a fan of the pleasing graphics and intuitive organization by neighborhood. The New York City guidebook (or more accurately, the Manhattan guide) is a particularly strong entry in the series, but the slim volume put together for Chicago, last published in 2003, is a relative disappointment. The gap comes from how the editors define the city's boundaries or at least what they perceive to be the areas of highest interest. Of course, the Loop and the Near North Side are covered thoroughly, but popular neighborhoods like Lakeview and Lincoln Park are given short shrift relegated to small paragraphs in the Farther Afield chapter.
   
   The first part of the book presents a brief history of the city that is interesting if rather cursory with events that are cross-referenced to the more popular sights you would want to see there. There is a well-presented survival guide toward the end of the book that highlights important travel information as well as recommendations on where to stay, shop and eat. Moreover, there is a comprehensive street finder, which helps you navigate without the inconvenience of fold-out maps. But again, the shortcomings reflect the selection of key areas at the expense of others. Even with copies of Chicago and Time Out, I was not able to achieve a more holistic view of the city when I traveled there.
   
   The pluses remain in its format. All the information is contained within a user-friendly, laminated paperback format that slips easily into backpacks and holds up well against inclement weather. Of particular use are the detailed pictorials showing animated aerial shots of neighborhoods and cut-away floor plans of the more heavily visited buildings like the Art Institute of Chicago. However, the net result is a guidebook that provides only marginal value in spite of the high quality of the series as a whole.

5 comments about Streetwise Downtown Chicago Map - Laminated Street Map of Downtown Chicago, Illinois - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated CTA lines & stations (Streetwise).

1. I have both maps. The Downtown map is only a portion of the Chicago map. It begins at North Ave/North Ave Beach and concludes with Balbo Ave/Balbo Dr [about the middle of Grant Park].
   
   Streetwise Chicago [gets 5 STARS] is my recommendation as it is much more complete. It begins with W Irving Park Rd



2. Not as detailed as the other Streetwise maps I have purchased at Barnes and Noble. I wasn't aware there were too standards.



3. We referred to the map and found our way around the downtown area! Very useful!



4. I hate maps but they are a necessary evil. This is the prince of maps. When I was apartment hunting I had everyone looking at this thing before days end ;) Its great and really easy to use. I love th4e index and the color coding. This is one map you will actually get your money's worth out of.



5. This map is absolutely worthless; it really only deserves a half-star because it's laminated. The downtown core - as in the Loop - is the only area covered in detail. It doesn't even show any of the cultural attractions south of the Lakeshore, which means no Field Museum, no Shedd Aquarium, no Adler Planetarium... Worthless.

3 comments about Not for Tourists 2008 Guide to Chicago (Not for Tourists Guidebook).

1. I bought this gift for by boyfriend, since his parents moved to chicago and while he is not in college in CA he will be in chicago. He was so excited that i gave him it. At first i was looking into buying the Moleskin Chicago edition, but this is SOOOO much better. it has great maps and little blurbs about fun restaurants, museums, bookstores and more. It has sections of fun things to do with children too. overall, i think its a great resource that is small enough to fit in a purse or backpack and packed full of great information. i wish every city had a book like this.



2. There are scores of books that help you explore San Francisco. Go with one besides this product. Though the book offers a pithy, colorful guide to the commercial and recreational places of the city, it's really no more than a glorified yellow pages. Instead of putting everything in alphabetical order, the editors merely group places according to the neighborhood.
   
   Bottom line: if you live in Laurel Heights and are looking for the nearest post office, this book is helpful. If you want to easily find great, economical Burmese food or a dog park, this book isn't your best resource.



3. The NFT series are the best city guides produced, in terms of the amount of information covered, detail of the maps, and quality of the product. However, this truly is not a guide for tourists - the book is geared towards helping natives get around the city and find what they need. It does not contain lengthy reviews of tourist destinations, although some recommendations are sprinkled throughout the book. If you are looking for a book to help you navigate your city, this is it - a perfect car companion. If you're just visiting Chicago, the NFT guide won't be very useful to you.

1 comments about Frommer's Chicago 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. I grew up in central Illinois, and Chicago was always "the city." It's one of my favorite places to visit for professional conferences and even for vacations. This guide does a nice job in relatively few pages of outlining what to see, what to do, where to eat, etc. I (as one might guess) would have some different recommendations, but this little volume does a good, solid job.
   
   One of the cool things about Chicago is its buildings. Many historically important architectural gems are around, and most enjoyable to explore (e.g., early skyscrapers, Beaux Arts [e.g., the glorious Art Institute], Art Deco [e.g., Chicago Board of Trade], and so on)
   
   One nice feature of this volume is a series of day trips, to take in Chicago's sites over a one to three day period. I like the one day itinerary a lot, beginning with the architectural gems in the Loop area, the Art Institute, Millennium Park, to the Magnificent Mile (and the Hancock Observatory--I find it grand, but I'm scared by heights and talk about approach avoidance when I'm at the observation level!), to the wonderful Field Museum, to Wrigley Field (and the cursed Cubs--maybe this year??), and ending at Buddy Guy's Legends, with other steps in between. Such a one day trip would be exhausting--but what a wonderful introduction to Chicago!
   
   There's the usual suggestion regarding hotels (I might add to the list the Hyatt Regency on the river on Wacker Drive; its nice steak house, Stetson's, features large steaks and big, crunchy chunks of broccoli). Then, the listing of restaurants. Chicago is a grand venue for good eating. Fine steakhouses, nice Italian, and so on. Many good international restaurants. Go to Greektown, sit down at The Parthenon, watch the flaming saganaki (did I misspell this?), and order some good Greek food.
   
   The cultural life of Chicago is a strong point. The Art Institute, as already mentioned, is a gem. The Lyric Opera provides major league talent in its home, the Art Deco Civic Opera House. Then, one of the world's great orchestras--the Chicago Symphony--in its Michigan Avenue home. And on it goes.
   
   There is a nice foldout map, made of heavy duty material that lays out Chicago's heart nicely. It does not cover the entire city, but it does provide useful coverage of many of the sites and areas that visitors would want.
   
   So, I'm convinced. Next time I visit Chicago, I'll take this little volume and the map to help me identify what I'm going to do. . . .

5 comments about The Time Traveler's Wife.

1. Hands down. The most romantic thing I have ever read...but not in that romance-novel kind of way. I've been waiting and waiting for another novel by Niffenegger, but I'm sure this type of thing can't be done twice.



2. I have always read and now sometimes listen to fiction books, with the thought of "As is".
   What I mean by this is simple. I believe the author wrote this to project a certain vision to the reader.
   I don't ever criticize authors for "not writing this, or leaving something out".
   People who criticize fiction books for something they think were left out, are being anal, and should remember, it is fiction!
   
   Had this been a documentary account of a true story and something been omitted, well that is entirely different.
   
   My comments on the book? I liked it. Enjoyed it, and it was a great escape. Would recommend as a good read to people who remotely like fiction/science fiction.



3. The book has it's flaws but I thought it was interesting. It held my attention and took me away. I think my strongest critique would be that the reader does not get a glimpse into Clare's life without Henry. This seemed like an oversight to me. And Henry having sex with Henry was weird.
   Otherwise I really enjoyed it.



4. Henry has an unusual condition: when under stress, and sometimes for no reason at all, he time travels, leaving him stranded naked and alone somewhere in the past or future until he returns to his present time. When Clare and Henry meet, she is a child and he is in his forties; when they meet again, 20-year-old Clare has known Henry her whole life but 28-year-old Henry has never seen Clare before. The Time Traveler's Wife chronicles, from both points of view, the circular journey that bring the lovers together through time. The premise of the novel is unparalleled, and Niffenegger presents it with care and realism, and so this is a truly unique book. The novel runs too long for its romantic content and the ending is abrupt, but on the whole this is an ingenious book that turns romance on its head and raises questions about the inevitability of love.
   
   The premise of The Time Traveler's Wife is ingeniously simple and makes a summary rather hard to write. Henry time travels; Henry and Clare and in love. Henry's travels take his future into Clare's past so that when they meet in the present, they are destined to be together. Of course this idea denies any sort of science, and for the most part Niffenegger avoids a pseudo-scientific explanation. But while the concept goes against common sense, it does not require a suspension of disbelief: Niffenegger is so dedicated to the reality of her story that the concept's impossibility is irrelevant. Henry's travels are realistically difficult and dangerous, the narration frequently switches between time periods to bring both the periods and Henry's constant changes between them to life, and the plot turns back on itself to form an intricate spiral or past, present, and future that brings together major plot points as well as the smallest details. As a result, the novel's premise comes to life. It defines the book and sweeps away the reader until it seems entirely real. It takes a very simple story about a couple and their love and turns it into a very complex story about their love as created by and challenged by Henry's journeys through time. The book is worthy of recommendation on this point alone: it is rare to see a novel with such a unique premise, and rarer still to see one that fulfills the potential of its premise.
   
   Outside of the brilliant time travel, however, The Time Traveler's Wife isn't much better than average. The writing style is apt, but not exceptional. Although Niffenegger avoids much of it, the dual narration and multiple timelines leads to some repetition, and the repeated sections slow the book down and feel like filler text. They are not the only time that the book feels slow or padded: the novel runs over 500 pages, a fair bit longer than the average book and a bit too long for this love story. Time traveling turns romance on its head, but even upside down the romance remains a romance, and there's only so much that can be done with it. Without any secondary aspects (like science fiction) or further complications, the love story is spread thin over the 500 pages. Conversely, the conclusion comes too quickly in a series of swift events that make only a clumsy attempt to do what the rest of the story does so well: loop, inescapably but always meaningfully, back up themselves. The conclusion seemed immature compared to the rest of the book, and makes for a disappointing end to the story. None of these flaws are major, and they're certainly not enough to detract from the brilliant premise of the book, but they do knock the novel down to "above average" rather than "excellent."
   
   Even an above average novel can deserve a hearty recommendation, and this one does. The concept of a time-warped romance is ingenious, and Niffenegger fulfills the premise and brings it to life in a captivating novel. The circuitous plot holds the reader's attention to the end, and all in all the novel is intriguing and quite readable. The reader that looks deeper into the text will also discover some interesting questions: where does Clare and Henry's romance begin? is it inevitable? how can fate and free will coexist? The Time Traveler's Wife has its flaws, but on the whole it is readable and intriguing, and quite unlike anything I've read before. I'm glad that I picked this book up, and I recommend it to all readers--don't be put off by the would-be-sci-fi aspects or by the romance, because neither are as they appear, and trust that the plot is more logical and more magical than I make it sound here. With such a unique concept, made so realistic by the author, this is a romance unlike any other.



5. My heart still beats fast when I think about this book. You end up falling in love with the main couple just as they do with one another. This is the best love story I have ever read...better than the classics.