3 comments about Moon Handbooks Massachusetts: Including Boston, the Berkshires, and Cape Cod (Moon Handbooks).

1. This book is great and I would recommend this book to anyone coming to Massachusetts that is able to spend some time here. If you know roughly what part of Massachusetts you want to see then this book will be a godsend as it will tell you everything, and I mean literally everything about your trip from history to sights, dining, accomodation ,etc. However, that's also a small drawback as there is so much information that at times, it can be a little disconcerting because you don't exactly know where to start. So, if you're planning a trip to MA and you're only going to be here for 1 or 2 days this book isn't for you. However, if you've got a week or more (and even for all of us that live in MA) this book will give you a real feel for the state and take you to places that other books don't. I recommend purchasing this book for anyone that's serious about understanding MA ; not only it's sights but it's history too. Well done to the author and for Moon for publishing such a comprehensive guide to such an interesting and beautiful state.



2. I realize that it is impossible to keep a travel guide up to date and current with changes that occur in the hotel and restaurant industries, but this book is very outdated. Despite being published three years ago, it features places that have been closed five-seven years. Apparently, no follow-up research was done in publishing this second edition.
   
   I was very disappointed with this purchase.



3. I can't quite put my finger on it, except to say that in my travels around New England I've found this to be somewhat less useful than the Moon guidebooks for N.H. & Maine. (The Moon guidebooks for Maine by Kathleen Brandes are just terrific, in many trips to Kennebunkport & Portland I've found them to be incredibly useful, & would give them 5 stars).
   
   Like another reviewer said, this 2nd (2001) edition is somewhat dated. I actually have the 1998 1st edition, but from other comments, it doesn't sound like they did a lot of updating between those editions.
   
   HOWEVER: This book is chock-full of detailed & useful info. that you won't find in the more generalized travel books, like Frommer's, that cover all of New England, & can start to be like "if today is Tuesday, it must be Belgium".
   
   For instance: Recently I've been exploring newburyport, MA. It's one of the most beautiful & historic waterfront towns in N.E. MA, with tons of restaurants. This book has about 1 & 1/2 pages on newburyport, (altho with almost no restaurant suggestions, which is frustrating). The Frommer's 2004 "New England" has absolutely no mention of newburyport(?).
   
   Also, there's there's a great section on Cape Cod here, that even goes into the Geological History of the Cape, with a present analysis, & future prognosis (that it's eroding, & may disappear w/in 5,000 years).
   
   This book may not be perfect, but then no guidebook is, & especially for the prices it sells for used, + shipping, is well worth having.

No comments about VENETIAN VIEWS, VENETIAN BLINDS.English Fantasies of Venice.(Internationale Forschungen zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft 37) (Internationale ... & Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft).

No comments about Zagat.com & Book Pack Boston Restaurants 2008/09.

No comments about Literary London.

1 comments about Fodor's See It London, 2nd Edition (Fodor's See It).

1. I bought this guide for a 3 day trip to London. It was very useful for the detailed descriptions of places to go, when they are open, how to get there etc. For a quick guide i used "The London Mapguide: 5th Edition." This helped me get around the streets and just generally wonder around or look for a place to eat. If you're looking for a book to plan the trip for you, i would use the "Idiot's Guide to London." This book has suggestions for a 3 day, 7 day etc trip to London with all the thinking done for you.

No comments about Wolfeboro (NH) (Images of America).

1 comments about Lonely Planet Boston: Condensed (Lonely Planet Condensed Guides).

1. We would have never made it in Boston without this little book! The maps alone, especially the subway map, were worth well over the price of the book. We took the book everywhere we went and had a blast. It offers great advice about what to see, what not to see, places to shop, places to stay, places to eat, and anything else you can imagine. I also liked that it gave information on day trips to surrounding areas. I would recomend this book to anyone visiting Boston for the first time. We were there for two days and were able to see everything we wanted to see!!

4 comments about Michelin Wales/West Country/Midlands, Great Britain Map No. 403 (Michelin Maps & Atlases).

1. Get this - you'll need it.........



2. Set to the same scale as a lot of the very good Michelin maps, this map covers all of Scotland with enough detail to make traveling the country easy. It can give you a sense of how far Loch Ness really is from Edinburgh, points out the scenic roads, main roads, back roads; has good detail on the islands; and covers from the border with England up to the top of the country. Any specific city like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, etc, will require a more detailed map, obtained locally, but this map is very good for planning and getting around. Main thing to remember, you can end up going much slower in the Highlands than you think, in some areas 25 mph average speed because of the roads twisting or being single track. On the other hand, I was going 70 for a while, keeping up with traffic, in a glen above Loch Lommond. The roads are in good condition, and driving on the left is not the hardest thing about driving in Britian; it is getting used to how narrow the lanes are.
   The roads are safe, the countryside more beautiful than you think, even if you rent a car only for one day to head out it is worth it, and this map is excellent.
   
   I have leanred, never ask driving directions from someone waiting for a bus.



3. When we first looked at this map, we didn't think it would be accurate. Once we arrived in Scotland, we realized that it was extremely accurate, there are just not that many roads there as we are used to in the US. I would recommend this to anyone traveling in Scotland.



4. This map is an excellent choice for trip and route planning, particularly in Wales. Information on Welsh roads can be very difficult especially up in the Snowdonia region. This map is an excellent scale (1:400,000) with plenty of detail for planning, but not so much as to be distracting. I used it extensively for planning a Welsh holiday, and recommend it highly.

5 comments about Moving to Maine.

1. I loved this Book it has changed my life. Now that I have moved to maine I can really enjoy myself.



2. As someone doing serious searching as to where to move in New England, I expected more from this book's title as it had promised. Too often, I found the information too general and not specific. For example, coming from "the highest car insurance rates in the country" NJ, I wanted to know how Maine's insurance costs ranked as a basic cost of living. Insurance costs -- auto or health -- were not discussed. Duh! Real estate? How about housing costs by county or community? Not in this book. What are average utility costs? What are Maine winters really like? In brief, you will not find the serious information in this book you need to make an informed decision about moving to Maine. Frankly, I'm having a hard time locating any definitive guidebook about living in Maine -- what about the subject of reliable heating -- what do residents do when power goes out? -- and will likely have to do my own laborous search through various sources -- to pull together all information I need. I really tire of purchasing books that don't deliver on their titles. This title -- does not deliver.



3. It's crammed full of facts & figures, but like one reviewer mentioned, there is no discussion of Medical Insurance rates or plans--something hugely important to a lot of Americans these days. I should mention I've made several house-hunting trips to Maine myself. I was hoping this book this book would "fill in the gaps" for me; but I don't think it even really covers a lot of what I already knew. Besides all the dry statistics, there are testamonials from people who've moved to Maine, & by Gosh, every single one of them absolutely loves it(!). You think there might be one or two people who ever DIDN'T enjoy living in Maine? Not according to this book.
   
   Her other book, Where to Retire in Maine, is somewhat more useful than this IMO; I'd probably give it 3 stars (altho it didn't even cover some of the nicest areas near Portland). I've also ordered the "Moon Handbooks: Maine 2 Ed": often good travel guidebooks can provide tons more useful information about places than some of the "moving to..." books.



4. As others note, Doudera is more concerned with clam festivals and kayaking than the nuts and bolts of everyday living. The book is not impartial in the slightest; not one interviewee mentions any dissatisfaction in their Maine experience in a state where griping is the prime pastime.
   
   I, alas, am not impartial either, having moved to Maine from Montana a year and a half ago to my deep regret. If YOU must persist, however, I can provide some words of caution Doudera leaves unsaid.
   
   The omission of two particular subjects is especially heinous. First, though Doudera mentions that "on a map, the state appears to be sinking" from all the lakes and does recommend a home inspection, she completely elides the threat of flood or water damage. This should be your top priority in a home search; any Mainer will tell you that nearly no house is without at least occasional water in the basement, and persistent water problems can rot support beams, unseat the foundation, and threaten the long-term stability of a home - not to mention make the basement unusable and foster mold. Depending on the season, though, such problems might not be immediately apparent. Check the road drainage; ask multiple neighbors; have your inspector take a second look. FEMA flood zones are NOT a reliable guide. Do not trust your realtor to the extent Doudera recommends; as Maine has nearly no consumer-protection laws, agents have no motivation to disclose such issues.
   
   Secondly, if you venture off 95 or Rt. 1, you'll find that the roads are in a dangerous degree of disrepair, with asphalt like peanut brittle that's been cracked with a hammer. This is due to a combination of wet soil refreezing and unfreezing during winter ("frost heave") and plain neglect. There are also a great number of roads that turn to rutted, nearly untraversable dirt without warning. Your car will see great wear and tear; you will go through at least one pair of struts per year (and I have heard of two or three). Until you acclimate, drive VERY carefully to avoid serious damage.
   
   Maine is also an extraordinarily fractious state. There is no sense of unity on the state or county or even town-to-town level; the radio and even TV ads are rife with competition in trying to tear down neighboring locales as "trailer trash". It's every man (and town) for himself, and this is a source of endless problems. Rampant corruption and waste in state government goes unchecked, as there is no one city press strong enough to expose or counter it. Taxes are extraordinarily high, as each individual village must provide near-completely for its own welfare and cannot take advantage of economies of scale. Utilities are provided unreliably and at great cost, like teenagers performing chores poorly and with great folderol to impress upon us their displeasure at such unreasonable requests. There are few charities or other means of community support; basic public goods like sidewalks or parks are relatively rare. It is hard to make friends due to the lack of community functions. If, like me, you took the concept of community for granted before, you won't after a year in Maine.
   
   Other points:
   
   - Maine's economy is tanking. Few Mainers will dispute this. In 2005, only Katrina-ravaged Louisiana had a worse outlook, a fact raised relentlessly by all sides in the 2006 elections. Doudera cites the wealth of small businesses, but the vast majority are at-home side ventures. For 40-hour-workweek employment, the average worker will have no choices beyond convenience stores and Wal-Mart.
   
   - Many businesses - general stores and supermarkets, not just restaurants - cannot sustain year-round operations and are therefore "closed for the season", the "season" ranging from winter only to everything except summer. This practice is not at all confined to resort towns. A seemingly lively community in summer might get much less so at other times.
   
   - Doudera expends a lot of space on puffins and moose. The former are restricted to a few isolated islands. The latter will not be seen unless you hunt up north; the highway signs are there solely for the tourists. (Deer, as Doudera mentions, are a legitimate concern; take care when driving on densely wooded highways.)
   
   - I cannot speak for health insurance, but my auto policy is relatively low. Generally, though, prices are on par with Massachusetts (or, as Doudera mentions, California), particularly for food and health care. (A recent eye exam cost me $170.)
   
   - This might seem silly, but do not underestimate the effect the weather can have on your disposition. If you come from a sunny state, Maine's chronic overcast will be a big adjustment.
   
   - Winters in Maine are perhaps not living heck, though I have stayed for two exceptionally light seasons. Listening to everyone TALK about it, however, going on and on in defeatist tones with gleeful hand-wringing at forthcoming divine meterological punishment, is plain unendurable.
   
   - All but a few beaches are chopped up and privately owned. Don't expect a community waterfront.
   
   - Pollution is rampant from paper mills and factories. The rivers are the color of used toilet water.
   
   I complain, I know. I wish, though, that someone had told ME these things before I moved. I'll let you in on something positive - the absolute best fish in Maine is served at The Shed in Cornville, 10 minutes north of Skowhegan, where Rt. 150 meets Rt. 43. Unfortunately, it might no longer be available by the time you read this; the proprietors are selling, for a new garbage incinerator is slated to be built just 5 minutes away.
   
   You see what I mean.



5. This book is nicely written and has a unique point of view for the person moving to Maine. There are some areas of Maine that receive more commentary than other, but what is included is good.

No comments about Packard Motor Car Company (MA) (Images of America).