No comments about Place Names of the White Mountains.

1 comments about Blue Guide Boston and Cambridge.

1. John Feely has written the thinking person's guide to Boston. This could substitute easily for a history or architecture textbook about the city. It is very accessible because of an excellent index. The text is quite detailed and organized nicely giving first the history, geography and then current status of monuments, buildings, museums, geographic features and neighborhoods. There are some cautions for the buyer. The print is small and the directions for walkers both inside and outside of buildings might be confusing. This is not a guide for hotels, restaurants or entertainment. The book could use some more detailed street maps within each section, similar to the Michelin green guides. Overall a good choice at a good price.

No comments about England Chic (Chic Destination).

5 comments about A Wild, Rank Place: One Year on Cape Cod.

1. David Gessner isn't your typical nature writer. Not simply content to give lip service to "birds and trees," Gessner enters the landscape as an animal, swilling and raging and chortling his way across Cape Cod with glee and guts. He isn't afraid to tackle tough material either: he receives news of his father's malignant carcinoma after, ironically, beating his own cancer successfully. In the face of such significant life issues, Gessner worries about place---his own as son and native to Cape Cod, and the strength of his writing voice in the shadow of his real and literary fathers. This book does for fathers and sons what Terry Tempest William's Refuge did for mothers and daughters. I found Gessner to be charmingly self-absorbed: he allows the reader to view him ("the thing itself") and his landscape, warts and all. And just when some might dismiss him as another Abbey-wanabee who goes about the motions of outrage for outrage's sake, Gessner shows his talent and unique writing strength: he writes movingly and memorably about his own father's death in a stunning journal section simply titled, June. The last sections of the book are a Hymn---for Gessner's father, for the place of his birth, for life. In the end, Gessner shows how grace and real beauty rise from fiercely loving ALL the parts of the world, even the ones which pain us most.



2. An inspiring narrative about a young man who survives cancer, only to watch his father be taken by the same disease. In the tradition of Beston and Thoreau, Gessner brings the Cape to life in all its seasons. But this book should not be tied to one place: readers from all over the globe will identify with Gessner, his family, and his love of home. A Wild, Rank Place is a very special book. You'll be glad you read it.



3. Mr. Gessner has created a powerful memoir of his childhood on Cape Cod, the loss of his father and his love for the harsh Cape environment that is emblematic of personal struggles Gessner has faced and, with humor and intelligence, ultimately overcome. A thoughtful and thought-provoking work from a promising young author.



4. I found this book a disappointment because the author allowed his personal issues and problems (e.g. family problems, illness, drug use) to interfere with the picture he was trying to paint. Henry Beston's THE OUTERMOST HOUSE, A YEAR OF LIFE ON THE GREAT BEACH OF CAPE COD, is much more to my liking, because of the beautiful prose and the full concentration of Mr. Beston on the topic at hand (i.e. the Cape, its history, its beauty, its wildness). I find it incongruous for this author, David Gessner, to make the effort to get in touch with nature by living out in the wilds by the ocean, and then to take the unnatural step of using drugs while doing so. It offends my senses almost as much as do the actions of people who play boomboxes at the beach while supposedly enjoying nature. I guess I like my nature natural and without the distractions of these other modern day intrusions. And I like my information and insights gleaned from my readings to be based on reality not drug induced fantasy. These personal issues (which in another context, might have been appropriately raised and interesting) seemed only to be undesired distractions in this context.



5. I had the pleasure of meeting Gessner at a bookstore he made an appearance at. I bought two of his books, "Wild Rank.." and "Return of the Osprey." I was almost unable to put down "Wild Rank." It was so moving...so touching...so brilliantly honest, I kept the pages open as I did mundane things so I could peek over occassionally and be mesmerized by his essay. The book is a mix of so many things -- there's a little "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" in his brutal honesty. Then there's a little Thoreau when he briefs us on what the marshes and the "Suet" mean to him. This book is a must read for anyone who understands or wants to understand that life on life's terms is the only way we can exist -- and one of life's terms is that we take care of the land. Another of those terms is that our parents, for whatever faults they have, shape us in ways we can neither forget nor sometimes identify. David, I'm so glad I met you -- the book has been one of those wonderful surprises in life that change you a little bit when you encounter them. Kudos!

5 comments about The Rough Guide to Wales 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. Great book for sightseeing and understanding history. Would be a perfect book if a bit more info on dining and shopping was added.



2. Like other Rough Guides, this book excels in its depth and breadth of coverage - if a town isn't covered, it does not have very much for the tourist. However, I was very disappointed by the out-of-date price information found in this ostensibly brand-new guide. While I don't expect guidebooks to be perfect, it became obvious that they had not contacted many of the bed and breakfasts they list for many years, as rates I was quoted were often almost twice as much as the Rough Guide price! In a couple of cases, the proprietor was no longer doing B&B, and had not been doing so for several years! So buy the Rough Guide for its detailed site information, but look elsewhere if you need accomodation advice.



3. After travelling in Europe with the Lonely Planet guides for Paris and Barcelona, I found this guide somewhat more difficult to navigate. However, I suppose you must consider that the city guides will generally be more detailed than those for an entire country.
   
   Although the guide gives a wealth of attractions, restaurants, and sleeping options for the various regions, I found it a bit lacking in maps and "how to get there" information. In addition, I would have liked it if the author had included a more website references. Finally, for some of the hotel and restaurant options, it would have been nice if there was some system used to denote how cheap or expensive a place was.
   
   If you plan on using this book as your primary reference for your visit to Wales, I highly recommend purchasing a good map and plan on doing a lot of driving.



4. The 2006 "Rough Guide to Wales" features a part of Great Britain generally off the beaten track for most tourists coming from the United States. Although a small component part of the United Kingdom, Wales has fiercely maintained its independent character over the centuries. Travelers will find a geographically varied region celebrating its Celtic origins while welcoming tourists.
   
   The Rough Guide to Wales combines vital visitor information, maps, graphics, and photographs in a compact format, along with the expected Rough Guide opinions on where to go and what to see. Wales offers some dramatic shoreline and equally dramatic hill country in Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. Wales also features an excellent selection of castles, many in good repair and most open to the public. If some popular areas, especially along the seacoast, have become overrun with caravan (trailer) parks, other parts are relatively uncluttered and offer spectacular attractions. Wales has been a tourist destination for the British for many years and the infrastructure for accomodations, eating, and traveling are both well-developed and offer options across a broad price range.
   
   The Rough Guide breaks down Wales into seven geographic regions in order to address to address the principal attractions, accomodation, and information on how to get around. Website addresses are generously included for those needing additional information about hours, rates, and times of specific facilities. The last portion of the guide features some interesting narrative essays on the history of Wales, its modern sense of nationalism, its natural history, and its music and other cultural attractions.
   
   This guide is highly recommended to visitors to Wales. Coupled with the appropriate Ordnance Survey maps, the guide should be a very sufficient planning resource for most vacations.



5. I ordered this book a few weeks ago and was absolutely thrilled to finally receive it! I was so discouraged that most book stores don't carry Welsh travel guides. This guide did not disappoint at all! The two authors are very thorough and divide the guide into the following sections:
   
   - Colour (as the Brits say) gives the reader a feel for Wales. They describe various events throughout the year (like the Dylan Thomas festival, great places outdoors for hiking, cragging) and where to go, how to get there.
   - Guide describes the various cities in North Wales and South Wales in depth. Each section has a map and lists most restaurants, prices, and local cuisine and venues to try out.
   - context describes the history, culture, music, literature, films, books, and enough Welsh to get the reader by.
   I'll be going to Swansea, which is by Cardiff, and I imagine I'll be exploring that town greatly! I am interested in finding many different castles in the surrounding areas too and the guide points out where they are and the best means to get there.
   I think perhaps the only thing I would have liked more is more color photographs. But other than that, it's a very functional and easy guide book to use.

2 comments about Moon Acadia National Park (Moon Handbooks).

1. This book is extremely helpful as a planning guide to a great trip.



2. This book is well written. It seems quite complete. I do have to qualify that our trip involved cooking on our own, hiking and a little bicycling, so we didn't avail ourselves of all the other things to do in the park and surrounding areas. I like the layout and the text font. The reference maps are clear.

No comments about Exploring the Hidden Charles: A Guide to Outdoor Activities on Boston's Celebrated River.

No comments about New York's 50 Best Places to Find Peace and Quiet: 3rd Edition (City and Company).

1 comments about Streetwise Northern New England Map - Laminated Area Road Map of Northern New England - Folding pocket size travel map.

1. very small type, of course, but great for getting a general idea of where everything is in relation to one another

No comments about Lynn (MA) (Images of America).