No comments about Step by Step Paris (Insight Guides Step By Step).

5 comments about Knopf Guide: New York (Knopf Guides).

1. We used this book on our first visit to Manhatten and found the book to be very helpful. After preparing for our visit with this book, I felt comfortable and a familiarity with the city.



2. folks, this is the best idea for a tourbook/map that i have stumbled across yet. i'm not prone to raving, but this will garner praise from me until the cows come home (bearing foot & mouth) no doubt.

   so, why is this so great? first of all, it's simple and well designed. the city is broken down into sections. you turn to those pages and there is a brief description of places to eat, shop, etc. the pages then open up into a map of the section with a description of major sites in the area.

   brilliant! no fumbling around a big map trying to find your street. no squinting to figure out where you are. it's easy to find landmarks, metro stops, etc.

   the card stock is nice and heavy and has lasted well even in my back pocket. the descriptions have been helpful without being too lengthy. and at this price, it's quite competitive with other maps while providing much more.




3. If you are traveling to NYC, and spending your time in Manhattan, this is the only map book you will need. It's compact, and will fit in your pocket, and is easy to use and to read.

   It starts with a map of Manhattan, which is divided into several sections. Each section has a corresponding map. When you open the book to a section, you will see some text and small pictures showing some of the highlights that you may want to see in the area. Then, the page folds out to a detailed map that is large enough to read easily, even while your walking, but still quite compact. The paper is very heavy, and after ten days of extensive use, my book has no torn maps, or even battered edges.

   The back of the book has both bus and subway maps, and although they are pretty small, you can still use them to get around on public transportation. The only thing I used to supplement this book was a compass, which helped when we emerged from a subway tunnel, and needed a quick direction.

   The cost of this book is only slightly more than a traditional map and is, in my opinion, an incredible value for the money. As a first-time visitor to NYC using this book, I was amazed that I never got lost; not even once!




4. It's the most handy guidebook I ever used. It tells you all the attractions in Manhattan and it doesn't flood you wth words. It organized into sections, so you don't have to fold the map over and over to find where you want to go. If you love to travel by yourself and you don't want to carry a big book around and look like a tourist, you should get this book.

   It's only good for Manhattan though.




5. These Knopf Guides are fantastic. They are beautiful little books, they are not quick guides, they are conscious and indepth. The images are well presented and the text highly informative. This book on New York is especially good, New York is unique and lends itself well to a guide of this kind. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Paris Mon Amour (Evergreen Series).

1. I'm surprised someone hasn't reviewed this book yet. It's quite a treasure.
   
   Some months ago, during an excursion to the Met in NYC, I was feeling a little homesick for Paris, so my eye was immediately drawn to this book. I'm really quite glad that I found it, for it's easily one of my favorite photography books. It actually reads like a book of essays, but in a photographical format. There is an introduction at the front (in French, English, and German) giving a brief background in the history of French photography, but one can easily enjoy the book without bothering with this intro. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves, from mid-19th century Parisian alleyways to the joy on people's faces during the city's liberation in 1944.
   
   First things first: the book is slightly taller than most books, so it may be a little tricky to store on a shelf. I made do, particularly since I use those metal cube shelves you get from Target, which are substantially taller than typical bookshelves. All of the photographs are in black and white, which forms some really nice contrasts and creates an overall sense of timelessness. We're dealing, after all, with Paris from the advent of photography to recent fashion (I believe the latest picture in the book is from the 1980s).
   
   As stated earlier in this review, things like the Liberation are covered, as well as lots of other historical events (the Occupation, the student riots of the 1960s, ect). But these great moments in history are the anomalies. For the most part, the book chooses to focus on everyday events in Parisian life, past and present, like little children skipping rope in the 1920s, or well-to-do ladies watching a horse race at the turn of the last century, or two college students trading a kiss in a bistro in the 1970s.
   
   It's the little touches like this that really bring the city to life. Coming from someone who has lived in Paris twice and considers it another home, this is a very nice compliment, and I think it would make a particularly nice addition to one's coffee table. I only wish it were a little bigger, but it's already over 200 pages, so I guess I'm just trying to prolong a good thing.

No comments about Buying a Piece of Paris: A Memoir.

5 comments about Once Upon an American Dream: The Story of Euro Disneyland.

1. This is a great book, well documented and footnoted. Plenty of information for the Disney novice. There are anecdotes and paraphrases which imply first person research, but the notations are useful in clearing up issues.

   A strong argument in favor of the theme park as a diversion and entertainment and not as an entity to spread American philosophy or forced culture. This is a compelling thesis for a talented author.

   A little pricey, the book is a fine compliment to other books in the Disney library.




2. So this is the real story of EuroDisney... I have to admit that I never even thought (hoped ? forget it...) to find such a well made book on this particular topic. It's fascinating, how Lainsbury packs all the different contents and perspecticves into a single, compact book. Comprehensive, informative and above all, entertaining; you'll really enjoy reading it. It's too sad that it only consists of about 200 pages, but hey... it's really well worth a try. If you are curious about the history of EuroDisney/ Disneyland Paris and searching for a comprehensive, interesting source, this is your book of choice.



3. If you're a theme park enthusiast, the description of the design phases of Eurodisneyland are particularly detailed. If you're a Disney fan, this is a rare chance of looking backstage to discover hidden aspects that will boost your respect for the genius behind the magic. If you're a marketing student, this case history is enough to feed your thoughts for years. And if you're a sociology scholar, "Riding the Black Ship" is better. Warning: no mice, fancy photos and/or hypocrisy inside.



4. Once Upon an American Dream: The Story of Euro Disneyland is extremely well researched, with interesting backgrounds and developments preceding the opening of Disneyland Paris (DLP).
   
   However, the book is published in 2000, but the last information on DLP in the book date back to November 1994, which is almost ten years ago!
   
   The final chapter furthermore has very little to do with the European park, because it focuses solely on the development of the Walt Disney Company in the States.
   
   The notes, bibliography and index take up one-third of the whole book. It shows how thoroughly Andrew Lainsbury's research has been, but represents a disappointment for the reader who expects 100 pages more on DLP.
   
   Finally must be said that although Lainsbury worked in the European park, the book is written from an American point of view on Europe, which shows in Lainsbury's sometimes negative appreciation of French culture.
   
   The book is definitely a recommendation for everyone interested in the development and initial years of Disneyland Paris, but is too short and covers too few years to be satisfying for the interested reader.



5. The story of Euro Disneyland is an exciting topic and therefor I purchased 'Once upon an American dream'. I was both dissappointed by both content and style. I am affraid that even a high school student would have written a more superior and more enticing storey. Please do not waste your money on this book.

1 comments about Open Road's Best of Paris: One-Day, Weekend, One-Week & Two-Week Trips.

1. I love the walking tours of Paris in this book. This book has seven walks with easy street by street directions. There's an Islands Walk that takes you to Notre Dame and the Deportation Memorial (but my favorite part is past the pet market). The Left Bank Walk takes you down Boulevard St-Germain (but the highlight for me is the place Furstenburg, a scenic hidden square that's been in tons of films). The Marais Walk hits the antique shops in Village St-Paul and the beautiful place des Vosges. The Major Sights walk is perfect if you only have a little time in Paris because it hits the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees. There's a Montmartre Walk past the Basilica Sacre Coure and the restaurant that was featured in the movie Amelie. And there's also a Culinary Walk (hitting some of the best food shops and markets in Paris) and a Da Vinci Code Walk (that takes you to the places featured in the book and movie). A great way to experience Paris!

5 comments about Route 66: The Mother Road.

1. Everything you would like to know about Route 66. This book and it's author served as the main source of infromation & inspiration for the Disney/Pixar classic animated movie "Cars". A must have for the motoring history buff.



2. As a child my family traveled between Tucson and NW Missouri over a number of years to visit relatives. I vividly remember neon signs, interesting signs, gas stations and diners along the way. This book made those memories come alive. The author brings in the history behind place names and the stories of the colorful and interesting people who created the various attractions along Route 66. I don't know when I have enjoyed reading a book more than this one. Michael Wallis, thank you.



3. I have really enjoyed this book, Route 66: The Mother Road..." It is very interesting and full of information that you probably have never known before. Also pictures of people along the way. I am not a collector of Route 66 things but we needed something for a Painting Reception and this fit in with our theme. I ordererd it and I'm so glad I did. I am planning to read it from cover to cover when our Show is over. The book was sent on time and packaged very well. All-in-all it was an excellent experience.



4. I travelled the Mother Road in September 1960 in a 1956 Ford from Chicago to LA. The book refreshed many memories of this trip. I was quite happy to go through the pages and I will continue to do so.



5. Nice book for the history buff or old car collector. Purchased as a gift exchange item for our car club Christmas party. Great price compared to the book store.

1 comments about La France de Profile.

1. Photographer Paul Strand (1890-1976) created an impressive, ground breaking visual portrait of rural life in post-war France in La France De Profil. Enhanced with an informative commentary by French author, essayist and poet Claude Roy (1915-1997), this truly classic (and even legendary) work has been brought back into print after an absence of almost fifty years and will admirably serve to introduce a whole new generation of photographers and students of the history of photography to a memorable and enduring tribute to combined use of photographic images and writing to explore and showcase a "yesteryear" time, place and people.

No comments about Buying and Renovating a Property in France: A Comprehensive Overview for Those With Little or No Knowledge of Buying and Renovating in France.

No comments about Smith Island, Chesapeake Bay.