3 comments about Fodor's Paris 2008 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. Fodor's Paris 2008 has everything the average vacationer would need to experience France from the inside out.
   Here is a detailed index of what this book has to offer:
   
   -Clothing size, weight, distance, liquid volume, and temperature conversions inside the front cover
   -Detailed table of contents
   -"About This Book" page which tells you how to read and use the information in the book
   -General information about Paris such as cleanliness, diversity, and the general attitude of Parisians
   -Paris Planner which includes information on what to wear, when to go, and transportation
   -Detailed and easy to read maps of Paris and it's arrondissements
   -Detailed lists and descriptions of Paris's top attractions
   -Fun things to do in Paris with kids
   -Great Itineraries
   -Where to eat
   -Where to stay
   -A selection of gorgeous color photographs
   -Word of Mouth from Fodor's online forums
   -Detailed information about nightlife and the arts
   -Shopping
   -Free stuff to do in Paris
   -Books and movies of Paris
   -Vital vocabulary words
   -Information and advice on traveling such as travelers insurance, booking, rental cars, guided tours, emergencies abroad, electricity, money, taxes
   -A folded tear out map of Paris
   -Map of Paris's Metro system on the inside of the back cover
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone considering visiting Paris on vacation, anyone moving to Paris, or the average Joe who wants to learn more about the most romantic city in the world. It has everything you want to know about Paris.



2. I bought both Paris and London 2008 books for my upcoming trip to Europe, and I enjoy both. The guides are easy to read, tell you how to make the most of your time at various locations, tell you how to get to where you want to go and provide a variety of eating and shopping locations for all budgets.



3. I used this book on my first trip to Paris,and it was a valuable resource to pick how to spend our time. The maps were also very helpful in getting around the maze that is the Paris streets.

5 comments about Markets of Paris.

1. "Marketing" is one of the most enjoyable pastimes for a visitor in France. This book unlocks the secrets of Paris's many an varied markets in a well organized and helpful manner. The format is discreet; (You don't look like a dork walking around with a big guide book). The descriptions are candid and intelligent and the images evocative of the treasures that await. I particularly enjoyed having restaurant recommendations for each of the neighborhoods covered.
   We used the Longs' previous book on the markets of Provence during our trips there and were delighted to find a similar guide for Paris.



2. Markets of Paris is an insiders view of the great variety of treasures available to parisians and also to knowledgeable travelers of the French capatol! Here you will find information on where to shop for food, pets, antiques, furniture, military collectables, designer fashons all sorts of things that will become your ultimate souvienor of the city of light! And you will have shoped, just as the citizens of the City have done for hundreds of years, in the markets of Paris.



3. A fascinating book; the market and related stories are wonderful, charming reading. I can almost feel the City unfolding before me.



4. The information provided is very descriptive, accurate and has pretty pictures. However, the yellow typeset is amazingly annoying and furthers the difficulty in finding facts easily when you are walking or finding your way via the transits.
   
   This small bulky book reads like an accumutlation of short stories about the varied food and flea markets, boutiques, restaurnats as well as book and antique finds of the authors.



5. I used this book during a July trip to Paris and I'll take it with me again when I go next month. I always try and visit flea markets when I travel, and the Longs' descriptions of the Paris markets that I went to were spot on. I also love the way it's written--through the clear prose and various anecdotes, you can really sense their love for the city, and for its culture and people. And the photos are great, too.

5 comments about The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School.

1. Since the mega-success of Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love", there has been a corresponding uptick in the number of autobiolgraphical books about people (mostly all women in their 30s) chucking it all, and finding soul-fulfilling contentedness in SOMETHING (anything) besides ordinary life. I suppose it is a natural reaction to all the books of the 80s and 90s, in which people (again, mostly women) found hitherto unforeseen joy in having kick-ass corporate jobs....in the new economy of the 21st century, what with downsizing and layoff and the technology bust, there isn't a lot of joy in corporate America (or Europe) and it suddenly sounds wonderful to be doing something else....something more aimless and wild...heck, actually what it sounds like are all those books of the SEVENTIES that suggested you chuck it all, and hitchhike around the world and "find yourself".
   
   I guess my mom was right when she said "everything comes around again". Well, here it is.
   
   In this, her first book, Kathleen Flinn is a highly paid internet mucketymuck for Microsoft (*a TEENSY detail she um, forgets to mention but which is highly critical to her actions) who gets laid off, undoubtedly with the kind of severance pay and benefits that equal more than an average person earns in a lifetime. No, Ms. Flinn doesn't mention who she worked for, but amazingly she loses her job in London, and doesn't have to A. move back to the US or B. get another job FOR OVER A YEAR and C. she has enough cash to live in Paris, in luxury apartments, for over a year and D. attend an expensive, legendary cooking school ... oh, and sorry I nearly forgot -- she also got have a very cool wedding on a private island in Florida.
   
   Inbetween, we get to read of her experiences at Le Cordon Bleu, the most famous cooking school in the world. They have official "branch" schools all over the world, including the US and Canada, but Ms. Flinn only wants to attend the Paris school, despite her grade-school level French. Much of the book is centered on her difficulties in communicating at school, and in every activity (from renting an apartment to ordering pizza), but we are never told why she choose to attend classes in a language she is not fluent in when, for example, there is a respected Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas and another one in Ottawa, Canada....and it can't be the many charms of Paris, because very little of the book shows us Paris, or any part of France. No wonder, because the school is very demanding, and poor Ms. Flinn has to move her fiance overseas (he quits his lucrative job to do so, and "somehow" there is enough money for both of them to spend the year not working, in a luxury apartment, and eating out all the time) and also plan her wedding. Mike, her fiance, is an incredible stand-up guy -- the perfect boyfriend/fiance/husband who will do anything for his woman, plus he's handsome, successful (a pilot, an executive, etc.), very romantic, and he never argues or quarrels or leaves wet towels in the bathroom, or hates being in a country where he doesn't speak the language. 'Cuz he's perfect.
   
   Actually, the blurb on the cover says "the author discovers the love of her life right in front of her", which had me thinking way until the halfway point of the book, that "perfect Mike" would reveal himself to be a creep, and that Ms. Flinn would fall in love with one of her Chef instructors! that's how one-dimensional poor Mike is portrayed. But it turned out just to be confusing book-jacket blurb kerfluffle.
   
   It turns out that what you learn at Le Cordon Bleu is how to cook very elaborate, very caloric old-fashioned "French restaurant food" -- everything pureed and covered in creamy sauces. (If your parents ever took you out to eat at a 'fancy' restaurant with a French name, you know what I mean.) They seem insulated from anything that has happened in culinary history since around 1961. I'm not a professional cook, but it seems to me that this kind of "training" would be of minimal use to anybody hoping to work in or run a modern restaurant -- and tellingly, Ms. Flinn's classes are entirely attended by non-French students -- not one is native French. In the entire 3-part, year long program, all her fellow students are either Asian, non-French European, Canadian, or American. Quite a few, including Flinn herself, are spending about $30,000 grand in tutition, plus living expenses in one of the world's most expensive cities PLUS a year lost at a paying profession -- to attend cooking school and then HAVE NO INTENTION TO COOK PROFESSIONALLY or work in a restaurant.
   
   Now -- this strikes me as awful peculiar. I don't think the same would be true for students attending the Culinary Institute of America, for example. I appreciate people wanting to make a 180 degree career shift, in mid-life, but I admit that I am baffled by anyone wanting to make a huge investment in schooling, living overseas, etc., and yet "has no idea" why.
   
   It's certainly not to "live and work in Paris", because with the demands of the school, Ms. Flinn doesn't get around Paris all that much -- she's on the buses and trains a lot -- and she never really hones her French beyond simple words.
   
   There are places she goes -- like the giant food market, Rungis -- that I would have loved to have heard more about, or even seen some pictures (why is it that these new "find yourself" travelogues never seem to have any photos, when digital cameras are so tiny and easy to carry along?), but they are of less interest to the author than blow-by-blow descriptions of sauces she has made or puff pastry she practices on or the occasional small kitchen snafu (a duck falls to the floor!).
   
   Actually, what I carried away was the strong feeling that, though she never admits to this, Ms. Flinn planned all along to write an "expose" about Le Cordon Bleu, and sell the manuscript, and that the cooking school and year-off in Paris, was all upfront costs to the eventual bestseller she was hoping for....investing her "Microsoft millions" into something even more lucrative. If so, then the subject is deceiving, because this is not about wannabe chef finally daring to live her dream -- it's an investment scheme. Not nearly as charming.
   
   I did learn one genuinely interesting (though never fully explained) thing in the course of this book -- the famous cooking school trains its chefs to cook on OLD ELECTRIC RANGES...yup, the kind of stove your mom probably cooked on. Yet, any restaurant in the world of any quality would use a very different kind of large, commercial gas range that is much hotter and fussier to work on. From my personal experience, I know it is very difficult to go back and forth from electric to gas, just on a home stove for home cooking -- I can't imagine how hard it would be to translate very complex, elaborate "gourmet" cooking styles and recipes this way! My guess is, it would be awful, and it would at the least badly confuse a new chef and retard their intial progress at a real job. It suggests something never discussed in the book -- that maybe a very expensive French cooking school with unreliable electric ranges, and whose students are all foreign and not French, is maybe....MAYBE...sort of a tourist scam and not the place that real French chefs go to train.
   
   I can't prove this, but prior to reading this book, the idea would have never entered my head -- like anyone else who likes cookbooks and cooking tv shows, I figured "Le Cordon Bleu" was the best of the best. Now, I seriously gotta wonder. Just like with Ms. Flinn -- after several hundred pages of her life experience, I actually know less about her than I did on page one.



2. The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry is a riveting memoir of one woman's journey through the hallowed kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Fresh from a corporate layoff in her London office, Kathleen Flinn chases her childhood dream to attend Le Cordon Bleu, encouraged by then-boyfriend Mike. Kathleen's love for cooking came as a result of necessity: after her father's early death from cancer when Kathleen was a teenager, she took over cooking for her family, eventually exploring the works of Julia Child and other cuisines. As an adult, her job in journalism allowed her to dabble in food writing and to indulge her love of restaurants, cooking, and food around the globe (including a brush with food poisoning from undercooked pig kidneys in China).
   
   Kathleen's witty observations of Cordon Bleu demonstrations and classes are culled from 600 pages of personal notes, 120 hours of audio recordings, and selections from the 300-plus recipes in the Cordon Bleu curriculum, so readers are instantly immersed into the grueling world of elite chefdom, including less appetizing ventures such as gutting fish, removing tendons and glands from chickens and guinea fowl, beheading rabbits, and chopping live lobsters in half (this book is definitely NOT for the squeamish). However, such visions are tempered by sweeter notes, including puff pastry and delicate sauces described in detail.
   
   Kathleen describes her new friends and classmates in detail, along with her continuing explorations of Paris and her struggles to improve her rusty French. One of the book's most touching moments involves a visit from her sister, who had planned on studying at the Sorbonne but gave up her place (and her dreams of studying in France) when their father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Small moments of everyday Parisian life provide a pleasant counterpart to break up the monotony of daily classes. Other domestic affairs include Kathleen's marriage to Mike, a visit from annoying houseguests, and several medical emergencies.
   
   The Sharper Your Knife includes many of the recipes alluded to in the text, and the back of the book thoughtfully includes a recipe index for faster retrieval. Traditional selections include Beef Braised in Red Wine, Chicken Cordon Bleu (which has no affiliation with the school), Rabbit or Chicken with Mustard Sauce, Chocolate Souffle, and Duck With Orange Sauce. Some of the author's personal favorites include Minestrone Soup, Gumbo from Paris, and Banana and Nutella Crepes.



3. I bought this book based on the glowing reviews it received on this site. After all, it combined two of my great loves -- cooking and France - as subject matter. Unfortunately, I am still struggling to finish it. There is nothing compelling or terribly interesting in this story which is prosaically written. It doesn't come to Bill Buford's "Heat" or any of the Michael Ruhlman books. Eh...



4. My book club recently read this book and we unanimously voted it a five star. It's such a good read and the author writes a touching story - sometimes funny and sometimes a little sad but always moving.
   
   We have 17 members in our club and many have purchased the book as gifts for others after we read it.
   
   I am an avid reader and this book kept me enthralled. I was up reading it until 2:00 am once.
   
   I would recommend it to others. You will not be disappointed.



5. while it is true that certain aspects of this story might strike some readers as unfair or annoying (that she can afford not to work for a year and live in paris, and that she does all of this not as a career move, but more as a means to "find herself") the bottom line is that this is just not a particularly interesting or well- written book. in fact, it reads more like a journal than a compelling narrative. there is no suspense, no stakes, nothing at all to carry a reader through to the end - unless you're dying to know whether or not she graduates, which actually matters not at all, since her diploma is more a "badge of honor" than a means to an end. ultimately, it doesn't succeed on either level - as memoir or food journalism - as it manages to be somehow too small and personal to be universal, and not personal enough for us to care about the characters. anyone truly interested in the subject of cooking would do far better to read "heat", "kitchen confidential", or michael ruhlman's books (if they haven't already) for any real sense of what the life of a "chef" is like.

2 comments about Michelin Red Guide 2008 France: Restaurants & Hotels (Michelin Red Guide: France).

1. An invaluable guide to good accommodation in France
   Reliable also for the best resyaurants in the country a useful purchase



2. The big call for the new version is that it is now available in English -- Kind Of! Most of the content of the reviews of restaurants and hotels is about their menu items -- which are listed in their original French. Still, even a little bit of English proves indispensible to help us Anglophiles figure out what hotel to stay at and what restaurant to eat at, even though I'm still not sure what deep fried part of the pig I ate one night! Wish I had bought a French Menu Reader too! Eating & Drinking in Paris: French Menu Reader and Restaurant Guide 4th edition (Open Road Travel Guides) Marling Menu-Master for France (Marling Menu Masters Series)

5 comments about The Scapegoat.

1. The theme of the living double or strange twin is not uncommon in literature. In Fyodor Dostoyevsky's, The Double, (1846) Mr. Golyadkin believes he sees himself on a train, haunted by this manifestation, he becomes obsessed with meeting himself, chasing this figure endlessly through the streets of St Petersburg. Many have commented that this nightmarish story is ultimately about the fear of confronting one's darker nature, the terrible "other", and if viewed in totality, could well lead to death.
   
   In The Scapegoat, du Maurier explores a similar theme, where the protagonist, John, a very English and staid history lecturer of French culture, one evening meets his exact double in the train station at Le Mans. John is bored, searching for some connection to life, a meaning to his empty existence. Jean de Gue, however, has a full life, a member of an aristocratic family, a wife, child and a century's old business and the many problems that come with so many connections and responsibilities. He's not happy with this life and wants only to escape. Both men have dinner, drink too much, and John wakes up the next morning to find his cloths and belongings vanished, and Gaston, the driver and head servant, ready to drive him (John) back to the Chateau, St Giles. John decides to play the role of Jean de Gue's scapegoat, though in a few days, finds himself inextricably involved, emotionally and otherwise, in de Gue's affairs and family.
   
   Du Maurier is an excellent writer. John's journey into the world of his double is strangely intriguing, as he narrates his deceptions and observations, and how easily he falls into the role. No one in the family suspects his masquerade, though he comes very close to revealing himself many times. The repressed emotions and history of du Gue's family runs deep and hold numerous dark secrets. I found myself rushing through the tale to discover these secrets and what John will do next. The plot sounds outlandish on the surface, but this is psychological realism at its best, causing this reader at least, to become obsessed with how the story finally resolves itself - and it is not disappointing.
   
   These characters certainly come from another time and another place. Jean de Gue's daughter, Marie-Noel, is a deeply religious child who experiences visions and loves her father beyond words. My thought was that if any of the family would see through John's deceptions, it would be the child. This young child, through her innocence, is the only voice of truth in the house, and her antics and precocious dialogue speaks of another time - a truly unique and memorable character.
   
   This is a masterful piece of literature, a unique thriller that will be just as fascinating and entertaining for readers a hundred years from now.
   



2. This is my second book of Du Maurier. I was intrigued by the-Prince-Pauper thingy but with more weight on the issue that caused the charade. Although I can't say I like the ending but I feel it is the true way to end this story. Not a simple type of ending where everybody get all they wanted, the good characters win over the bad. It belongs to the whole story, adding the irony. Each character was in grey zone, no one was all white or black.
   
   The issue of family and people relationship played the circumstances over the exchange of John and Jean, the 2 look-alike person but with very different background. John, the loner, had no family ties, as the narrator. While Jean, a father, lives with a sick mother, a silent sister and a troubled family of his brother to deal with. While John felt himself as a spectator of life, Jean complained about his demanding family. Was it only the family's fault or Jean's himself who caused the oppressive situation?
   
   All things were started from inside oneself. It is like throwing a stone into a pool effect. What you think, which will come out as words / action will affect all the people around you. What you think a good decision does not always give the same impression to other people because each person has her/his own perception, unique way of viewing a problem.
   
   You would just feel as conceited as the characters you were reading. A thoughtful story.



3. Apparently,'The Scapegoat' is not one of Ms. DuMaurier's more popular novels, and having just finished reading this curious and frustrating book, I think I see why. While I had to admire DdM's undeniably virtuosic technical achievement, I can't say that it gave me the same pleasure I usually derive from reading her books. Certain aspects of the plot, most obviously the non-filial resemblance between the narrator John, and Jean de Gue' I found just too far-fetched to swallow. How could his family have had no idea that this was not the man they knew? Even if their looks were identical, would the British John's French be completely unaccented? Other personal traits and idiosyncrasies would surely reveal themselves to a close family member. I felt I was asked to suspend far too much disbelief in this regard. On a moral level, I can't say that I cared at all for how the imposter falsely manipulated everyone with whom he came into contact during his week at St. Gilles, though I have to say I found no one in the household to be a particulary sympathetic character, and was never really bothered about their ultimate fates. I found the hothouse atmosphere of St. Gilles to be stifling and claustrophobic, and looked forward to the scene shifting to Villars and the verrerie, where I could breathe a bit of fresh air. Though John may have possessed more 'tendresse' than his non-attendant double, I still found him cold, manipulative and never fully human. There were times during my reading of 'The Scapegoat' when I thought I could just not finish the book, the action remaining stagnant for long stretches, and the characters just too trying on my nerves. What redeemed it all for me in the end was DdM's consummate use of language and single-mindedness in stitching her story through to the end. Perhaps an eventual rereading will prove enlightening, as I may just not have 'gotten' it the first time through.



4. Never have I wished for a person with questionable values to be the winner or try to solve an unsolvable problem. It would be worse if there were not a child involved! No one should give away anything in this intriguing novel. As good as Rebecca, and I never heard of it until now. Start reading and you're hooked. I bet you don't put it down very often until you arrive at the final end. A great book club discussion!



5. Daphne du Maurier is one of the great unappreciated writers of the 20th century, and I was pleased to find this opinion validated in "The Wall Street Journal" this past weekend. Her insights into human nature make her a writer of the first order; and her ability to build suspense and atmosphere with her deft characterizations and descriptions are superb.
   
   It's hard for me to decide which Du Maurier book is my favorite -- of course I read and re-read "Rebecca" many times, and was fascinated by "My Cousin Rachel" -- but I think "The Scapegoat" may actually be my favorite. Something about the narrator, John, really connects with the longing to belong and care about something or someone that lives in all of us. I found myself turning the pages compulsively, marvelling at how credible she made this incredible story seem. If you haven't read du Maurier before, treat yourself to this little gem or any of them. You will enrich your world, no doubt about it.

5 comments about The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography, from the Revolution to the First World War.

1. I will not repeat the praises of the preceding reviewers with which I fully agree. This I must say: with Graham Robb I'm absorbing rather than reading. Like his Victor Hugo's biography, this book is a smooth flow of information that pumps one full. I feel satiated and richer in knowledge.



2. Robb has done more than a yeoman's job in producing this book. It's not that difficult to write a book like this to be informative, but it is hard to write one that is pleasant to read. Robb has spun out a great many anecdotes while making the information not only plausible but entertaining.
   My only regret is that he spent so much time researching a 'People' who probably will never appreciate what he has done.
   
   Like the stereotypical French Cafe Waiter (never snap your fingers and yell Garcon); the French will probably turn up their collective noses at the thought that anyone but a "true" frenchman (i.e. a Parisian) could 'know' much less write about La Belle France. Most Parisians still look at their countrymen outside of 'Le Capital' as country bumpkins and half literate imbeciles who marry their first cousins.
   
   In parts of the book (like the stories of the Cassini's I->IV), Robb mentions that there is little information about such and such. Here's hoping that he continues to write about these 'little known' areas and people so that the rest of us can be entertained while opening our eyes to more 'hidden history'. Thank you M.Robb.



3. France is more than just Paris! There seems to be little written on life in provincial France and the author has certainly filled that void with this book. Who would have thought that life in rural France was so backward compared to not only Paris, but rural life in other European countries? Peasants at this time prayed to stone fertility statues, believed in werewolves and witches and were very ignorant of life outside of their little village--and most didn't even speak French.
   
   This book is chock full of the history of cartographers, early travelers as well as daily life and thought.
   
   There was a France long before there were the French.
   
   If you're interested in French history, this is a must read.



4. Robb has generated a book which taught me much about a place I know little--France beyond Paris. The book seems a compilation of provincial lore and wisdom accumulated over several years' of bicycle travel through this country of peoples. It was generally enjoyable, but like a long uphill climb, was tiring in places. I often enjoy books in this genre, but I found this one occasionally lacking. I still recommend it, for it will open most readers' eyes to new notions, and the author is competent. I most enjoyed the section describing Cassini's mapping of France.
   
   My lack of enthusiasm may be because I did not find the book to be tightly structured, and I sometimes found myself wanting a crisper roadmap for the direction of the text. I also wanted a better roadmap of France in the illustrations, as the many localities described had me turning to my own atlas much of the time. The major theses of the book are lightly woven into the text. One mildly recurring theme is a whiff of anti-clericism. At one point the author suggested the Church had more to fear from latent paganism than the revolutionaries of 1789; I suspect the thousands of clergy who were massacred by the Republicans after seeing their churches destroyed and properties taken might come to a different conclusion.



5. Every page of this book yields unexpected and brilliant insights and sidelights into the motley collection of nationalities, languages, and races that somehow became France. The story of Bernadette of Lourdes. The creation of the "official" meter. The persecution of a particular group for a thousand years (and no, it wasn't the Jews). Add to this a smooth and witty prose style and you have a book that shouldn't be missed. It's one of those rare books about which, as Holden Caulfield would say, you feel like calling up the author after reading it.

5 comments about Mediterranean by Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide to Mediterranean Cruising with Giant pull-out color map..

1. I expected more from this book after reading some of the reviews. I do really like the diagrams of the ports and some of the maps seem helpful but other maps are bad with scale and distances just plain wrong. I have also found many spelling errors... who edited this?
   My biggest complaint though is the pictures outnumber the information. Some pages have 4-5 photos making each one so small you can't see much of interest in them. And the photos aren't that good to begin with, many actually look like scanned postcards.
   This book seems to be a very unprofessional attempt at a travel log. There are other books on the market which do a much better job... don't buy the book just for the diagrams of the ports!



2. If you go on a Mediterranean cruise...buy this book..if,like me,you really enjoy immersing yourself in a book about the trip of your dreams..buy this book...It is a perfect combination of facts,history and beautiful pictures and maps.The "must see" sections turn an overwelming siteseeing tour into one that is relaxed and enjoyable.My daughter and son-in-law are flying to Rome next month..she is looking forward to "borrowing" my book...it has wonderful suggestions for a Roman holiday....how romantic is that!...I would not go to the Mediterranean without this book..it would be like trying to make a delicious italian cream cake without reading the recipe..



3. This is a good book. Nice color pictures, lots of information on history, architecture, what to see in ports, where to eat and maps. A nice small enough to carry in you purse book.



4. I am planning my first trip/cruise to Europe and I was hoping for a more in depth look at the museums, restaurants, sights, etc. More than anything it was a history lesson... But, overall it had good information and it a nice "catch all" guide.



5. This book is a great help in preparing for a cruise. It contains a wealth of information on cruising, but an unexpected & very interesting section is the "History of the Mediterranean.

5 comments about My French Life.

1. This book is so inspiring, I sighned up to travel to Provence in June! Amazing layout and great read, we are left appreciating the French way of life and most of all it's people.
   Congratulations to Vicki on a work well done.



2. Opened it, loved all the photos, read most of it right away. It is an engaging book with real flavor. The author gives an account of raising a family in France, it's romance and the draw of this beautiful country. This will be a book I linger through again.



3. I've always had a fascination with anything french! Oh I loved this book so much and intend to read it again and again! BEAUTIFULLY DONE! BEAUTIFUL WRITING...I hung on every beautiful word!....Photography couldn't have been more spectacular! I feel closer to France now more than ever!



4. This book is just devine. It will inspire you to take risks, uproot your life and follow your dreams. Vicki and her husband David fell in love with a farmhouse in Provence while holidaying, and have lovingly restored the house and surrounding acreage. The house is truly beautiful and I now have Provence on my list of places I must visit soon. What is interesting is how she made this her new life, learnt a new language, gives us her viewpoint of the French and way of life. What living in France is like to someone who is not French but has chosen it as their new home.
   Vicki also covers Paris - I am thankfully going there next year!
   The photography, thanks to Carla Coulson is spectacular,and this is a beautiful book.
   Vicki also shares a list of shops in Paris and in Saint-Remy-de-Provence she recommends, plus movies, books and music that have have inspired her love of all things French.
   Thank you for sharing your journey with us Vicki.



5. I have never read anything so utterly pretentious -- how wonderful that Ms Archer found this paradise and, at untold cost, restored it brick by brick, stone by stone, using the best local craftspeople,artisans, antiquarians and the like (and who all, along the way, became her new best friends)-- and telling us in the most mundane style how lucky she is to be able to sit and watch the olives grow while also tripping off to Paris or London (her now home).
   
   Her ultimate coup, it seems, and which Ms. Archer proudly tells us she has received, was recognition,by the French Security person at the airport,of her HERMES BERKIN handbag. He informed her that she had bought the most perfect item in the whole world, made with utmost craftsmanship at Hermes-- and she has the privilege of owning it! MON DIEU!!!
   
   Luckily, I got this book from my local library and thus have not added a centime to her rather full coffers. SAVE YOUR MONEY! BETTER TO DONATE IT TO A WORTHY CAUSE!!!!

5 comments about Rick Steves' France 2008 (Rick Steves).

1. We've used other books of Rick Steves to travel by and not been disappointed, so we're looking forward to all of the helpful advice that he has to give us. We're not traveling until the fall, so I won't know if the advice is good or bad.



2. Rick's latest book on travelling in France has already proven quite valuable as we plan our 2009 trip to France. He is knowledgable and his books provide a variety of easy to understand and implement options for touring and for overnight stays. I appreciate his honesty and suggestions. Thanks Rick!!



3. Pretty comprehensive. But the prices listed are not quite accurate, however it is a good starting point for bargaining. This a good guide to start with at home, combined with a couple of others one can really safely plan a trip to through France.



4. Having used many guidebooks, I think these are the best. Granted, the Rick Steves books are unique in that they are selective in the areas that they describe, but these areas are described well. With his guides, you feel like Rick is on the trip as your personal tour guide. Most guides (Frommers, Foders, etc.) give you a superficial overview of the whole country. Rick lets it all hang out. He tells what he thinks is a worthwhile stop and what isn't. Most of what "isn't" doesn't make it into the guidebook at all. Thus, I suggest taking another more comprehensive book (Lonely Plantet, Rough Guide, etc.) to fill in any gaps should you find yourself in a location Rick doesn't describe. On the whole though, I love his itineraries. Most people traveling to Europe have limited time (1 month or less). There's only so much you can see; why not have someone boil it down and provide a straight forward opinion as to what to see and do? In his books there is easily enough to keep you busy for two months. The real question is whether you are the type of traveler that would like Rick's suggestions. Here is a test. If you can answer "yes" to most of these questions, buy the book, you'll love it. 1)Are you a value seeker? 2)Do you want to venture off the tourist trail? 3)Are you an adventurer? 4)Do you appreciate tidbits on history and art 5)Do you have the stamina to tour a new town/city every 1-3 days? 6)Do you try to avoid tourist traps like the plague? 7)Is your idea of fine lodging simple, homey places in good locations, with moderate prices? I would not suggest this book for people who want to spend their vacation walled up in a luxury hotel, venturing out only to shop and tour the biggest of sights.



5. We just got back from France a couple of months ago. I have to say, this book gave us the best 4 days outside of Paris during our entire trip.
   
   Although I went in reverse order, I took his advice and went to the Loire Valley, then to Mont St. Michel, and then to Normandy. Rick Steve's map for the driving distance was right on target, so that helped us budget our driving time properly.
   
   Another great investment if you plan on going overseas. Our collection of Rick Steve's is getting pretty big. We also bought his book on Paris, which we used enough that i felt it was worth it, but there is certainly a lot of overlap.

5 comments about This is Paris (This is . . .).

1. Such a cute book!! Both informational and cute. Great for kids and the child within all of us.



2. This book has created a fabulous insight into the world of travel for my children. It has compelled us all to take a language course in French and to travel here and put our dreams into reality. It has planted the seed of intrigue and wonderment to which my children seek out this book to read at bedtime.



3. My granddaughter loves books about Paris; however, she is only 2 1/2 years old. While searching for other books about the city, Paris, we stumbled across this book on Amazon.com. She loves it. It is written in language she can understand and it has many drawings and illustrations to capture her attention. You won't be short changed with this book. We can't wait to order the rest of the books in this series.



4. Once I have found this book at Amazon and I wondered about the Czech name of the author. I got to explore the book and realized that he was a Czech, what a mystery, we have never been taught about him at school (of no type). His books were written in English after he emigrated from the Czechoslovakia and were never published in Czech. I got too amazed and curious about this book, so I bought it, read it and love it! All the pictures and the style he wrote it in. I just feel cheated, that we Czechs do not know nothing about this wonderful books and about the author.



5. Written and drawn in 1959 this children's book taught me a thing or two about a city I thought I already knew a lot about. The pictures and scenes are wonderful in bright colors and include most of the major sites in Paris from "le metro" to Montmartre and the Champs Elysees.
   
   There have been a few of the drawings, or accompanying text, that have been asterisked to reflect the changes that have occurred in Paris since 1959 but if you are taking young ones over I highly recommend this book as a way to make some of what they will see a little more understandable for them.