5 comments about Wandering Paris: A Guide to Discovering Paris Your Way.

1. I wrote Wandering Paris because it's the way I like to travel. My experience of sharing the book has been very rewarding. Mostly people say "It makes me want to go to Paris". With time and distance of it's creation, it does the same thing to me. Bon Voyage!



2. Wandering Paris is a travel guide and much more. It is a whimsical look at traveling in Paris. In addition to the solid information it provides, it also offers wonderful insights into the world that is Paris. And, the author provides you with a delightful, artful look at the Paris scene. Her illustrations add whimsy and color to the guide. This is not a heavy tome that drones on about the city of Paris but a light and refreshing approach to Paris from someone who wants to share her love of the city with you. A definite addition to any travel library.



3. This book was a pleasant surprise, with the artwork alone being worth the purchase! My husband and I are planning a trip to PARIS in August, and are learning all we can that will make it enjoyable. I thought in the stack of books I already had on Paris that I had a map of the neighborhoods called "arrondissements" but couldn't find ANY until I opened Jill's "Wandering Paris" which had just arrived. I found a very colorful map of the arrondissements right in front! It got better from there. I want to swim while in Paris although my husband, who was there for a week in 2000, said there aren't any places to swim. Well, Jill points out that "Public swimming pools are abundant in Paris, and some are exceptional." She writes that you can even "Go to the beach along the Seine." ... "you'll find sand, palm trees, umbrellas, rollerblading, bikes and Pétanque plus a swimming pool..." In his defense, he was there in DECEMBER! ha! We're also learning FRENCH, and Jill provides an abundance of vocabulary words WITH a pronunciation guide for each. For the night life, we had no idea that Friday is "Friday Night Skate", "rollerblading by night on escorted journeys through the city". We can't take all of our books with us on this trip, but Jill Butler's "Wandering Paris" is going with us for sure! [We're going to buy her other book as well! Rendez-vous with France: A Point and Pronounce Guide to Traveling, Shopping, and Eating



4. This precious little book is picturesque and pleasant. The watercolors are lovely and the detail is delightful! An entertaining literary gem.



5. I've been to Paris many times and even lead tours there. When I saw this book, I thought it would be a fun read but wouldn't tell me anything I already knew. I was pleased to discover that there is still a lot I don't know (thank heavens!). Jill's book inspired me and gave me some new nooks to explore next time I am in Paris. The illustrations are delightful and inspiring. I gave this book to a friend of mine whom I am taking to Paris for her first visit. I told her to flag things she wants to do and see. She's an artist and this seemed like the perfect guidebook to introduce someone to Paris's many delights.

No comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Cairo (Wallpaper City Guides (Phaidon Press)).

5 comments about The Parisian Woman's Guide to Style.

1. I bought this book, and several others in the whole french chic genre.
   
   I agree Frederik Fekkai's book, A Year of Style, and Genevieve a Darieaux's book are supreme.
   
   So is Things a Woman Should Know about Style by Karen Homer.
   
   Leah Feldon's advice on dressing rich and dressing thin is along these lines and really good value if you are trying to create a core or capsule wardrobe along french chic lines. Which translated simply stands for quietly elegant.
   
   Anne Barones 3 Chic and Slim books are terrific, available on her website, so you needn't pay the inflated prices on the web but they are definitely worth every penny. Google her name and the title, and the site should appear.
   
   Finally Entre Nous was a great book discussing a lot of different aspects of french life including the diet, wardrobe, manners etc.
   
   This book in comparison comes up WAY short. The pictures are outdated already, which wouldn't be such a problem if the text had anything of value to say.
   
   The classic perfume list was interesting, as were the bits on what goes into the basics of a wardrobe
   
   but you can figure that out using Karen Homers tiny but terrific little book Things a Woman Should Know about Style (which is a terrific companion to Genevieve a Dariaux's A Guide to Elegance-- it updates Genevieve quite nicely).
   
   all in all I'd say hang onto your money, and buy:
   
   Anne Barone's 3 Chic and Slim books,
   
   Things a Woman Should Know about Style by Karen Homer and
   
   Genevieve a Dariaux's A Guide to Elegance along with
   
   Frederic Fekkai: a Year of Style (out of print now, but worth getting!) and
   
   Does This Make Me Look Fat?: the Definitive Rules for Dressing Thin for Every Height, Size, and Shape by Leah Feldon
   
   Leah has good advice on shopping for quality, and if you want more, she has an out of print one that dates back 20 years that still has good advice in it.
   
   as well as Entre Nous by Debra Olliver.
   
   That little "bookshelf" will net you a thousand times better advice on learning grace, style and chic than this little photo essay book.



2. I have "French Chic" by Susan Sommers also, and this book book by Veronique & Virginie Morana is more contemporary in my opinion. "The Parisian Woman's Guide To Style" is not written by an American in Paris, like Sommers. It was written in 1999 by two French natives who own a boutique in Paris. Although 6 years old, the pictures still look current in their simplicity. The authors have managed to capture classic French elegance without looking stodgy or outdated. Their basic wardrobe elemants and accessories apply whether your lifestyle is working mom, a college girl seeking to upgrade her image or even a socialite. There are some interesting beauty and style tips. The back of the book lists boutiques to check out when you're visiting France (if they're still there.) There are many great color photos as examples. The drawback is that all the recommended items are expensive and French-made, which isn't realistic for a woman on a budget. However, you can use this a guide to selecting and combining the best wardrobe pieces within your own budget when you visit department stores. You can always find good quality knock-offs.



3. I was very disappointed in this book. Mostly the mother-daughter team, who own a costume jewelry shop, tells you to buy expensive French brands you already knew about. The book is about half photographs of them wearing classic clothes that don't look particularly French---cream, khaki, navy and other neutrals. Very tasteful, and stylish in a quiet way, but nothing specifically French. Maybe that's the point. Entre Nous by Debra Ollivier was vastly more useful in understanding what makes french woemn seem more stylish. She is an American who lived in Paris for a decade married to a Frenchman.



4. As someone who has been to Paris many times and has many Parisian friends I find this book to be stuffy and out of date. Yes, true, there are still many women in Paris who dress in the "old school" way but the average woman on the streets in no way represents what these women are trying to sell. However, they do give some interesting advice that is classic and can be used and adapted for wherever you live or travel.



5. This book was published the same year that I lived in Paris. I like it for sentimental reasons, it gives you a picture of the street fashion that year. One of the outfits in the book is identical to the favorite outfit of one of my french friends at the time. However, this book is now outdated and I agree whith J. Whithford that Elegance by Madame Dariaux is a far better book.

1 comments about Sandrine's Paris: A Cultural History of the World's Most Romantic City.

1. Sandrine is magic .... Her style and presentation is sublime. Her intimate knowledge of Paris and it's history is remarkable. She takes you there and shows you the charm of Paris. I simply MUST visit Paris now .

5 comments about "Innocents Abroad" or The New Pilgrims' Progress.

1. Journey to the east in 1860's with the best travel writer ever, Mark Twain.
   Colorful descriptions of people, places and events abroad with Twain humor. If you love travel stories, this will delight you.



2. Twain is not only timeless but his observations may seem all the more timely. This excellent read follows him on a journey to Europe and then the Middle East in the 1860s. We learn much about the time period and his observations are helpful in learning about the past, we see the brutality od the slave market in Istanbul where European slaves are sold, we see the arrogance of the europeans and we see the true view of the 'Holy Land' as Twain puts to shame former romantic accounts of the land of the Bible and brings it to life in its brutal squalor. Twain is ever cynical and whitty and in this the read sheds light on a nascent quinitsential Americanism. The American culture of Twain is not taken in with old europe, he is not impressed by luxory and he is not easily taken in with romance, there is no Lawrence of Arabia in Twain, there is skepticism about religion, about the Catholic church. People are not inherently good or evil, but jaded, Twain has a sense of justice but he dares to challenge his contemporaries and ironically the way his contemporaries viewed say the European or the Arab beoduin, has not changed in 140 years. Twain dared to challenge popular thought and in that he was one of the first Americans.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



3. In what must have been the first organized tour by Americans of the Old World, Mark Twain tells of his experiences as a member of a party of 150 taking a cruise steamer to tour the European mainland, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
   
   The "innocents" of the title applies to Twain and his comrades. It shows partly in their naivete such as being flattered by a French shopkeeper into buying a tawdry piece of apparel, and in their assumption that every native guide must be telling the truth. It shows partly in their attempting behavior that seasoned travelers would not attempt, such as riding a donkey all day, or making an evening foray to the shore of Athens--in violation of the quarantine--to observe the Parthenon under the moonlight. It shows mainly in Twain's sense of wonder at the monuments of civilization which tower over him in what seems the first confrontation of American culture with Europe and the East.
   
   There are some memorable moments: Twain's audience with the Czar in the Caucasus; his arduous trek through the Syrian desert to the Holy Land; his measuring the blocks of the Baalbek temples and deciding they were as big as railroad cars; his being harassed by beggars in every town in the Middle East; his being made a virtual prisoner by his guide as he labors up the great pyramid in Egypt. And we realize that throughout this tour of the antiquities, some things remain as they were in 1867. Tour groups are still largely made up of the gray-haired, the Louvre with its miles of art galleries is still overwhelming, the sphinx remains inscrutable, and Arabs still hate Christians.
   
   INNOCENTS ABROAD is typical Mark Twain, full of his humor, irony, and exaggeration. Brevity is not its virtue, however.
   
   I found this non-fiction work useful for its travel information, but even more readable for its digressions: those anecdotes, legends, spoofs, and mini-essays that liberally infuse the book. Twain's reproduction of a fancied playbill for the Coliseum of 2,000 years ago is hilarious. His well-evidenced argument that Egypt is the wellspring of western culture is a startling one. His portrayal of his experience in the Tomb of the Holy Sepulcher shows a devoutness that we do not associate with this American iconoclast. In fact, he marshals a fund of knowledge of the Bible and Christian history in demonstrating that Ephesus, now largely in ruins, is really the most important city in Christendom.
   
   I purchased INNOCENTS ABROAD after I read it. It is the only book of Twain's that I own, because I will want to read its passages again and again, to myself and to others.



4. If you don't know the person for whom you're buying a gift, well get them this. It's laugh-out loud funny even for someone who doesn't read much or who has never heard of Twain.



5. I think that I must be one of the few people who has read all of Mark Twain's non-fiction and practically none of his classic works of fiction. I think that Mark Twain is one of the cleaverst philosophers who has ever lived. There is more to be learned in reading Mark Twain than in reading Plato or Aristotle as far as I am concerned.
   I think that this was the second Twain travelogue that I read. It is a laugh a minute. I just love this guy. When they say the "wit and wisdom" of Mark Twain they are not kidding. He is really too much ... and he is fun! How can you beat it.

1 comments about Paris 2009 Calendar.

1. This Paris 2009 Calendar is such a good visual trip through the streets of Paris. The photographs are so crystal clear and pretty you feel like you're actually there. Lovely, lovely photographs especially the January one with all the trees in front of the Eiffel Tower. I had no idea it had a park with all these trees in front of it. Every time I see the Eiffel Tower in the news all I see are young kids skateboarding in front of it. What a pleasnt surprise to know the Eiffel Tower has a tree lined park beside it too. GraphiquedFrance does itself proud with these Paris photographs. Thanks Amazon.

1 comments about Retiring in France: A Survival Handbook (Retiring In...).

1. This one helped me avoid a major mistake. It is thorough and not politically corect. It is very to the point. I'll still go on vacation, but definately not to live. Best dough I spent recently. If you are even considering living in France, get this book!!!! You may end up going, but your choice will be way more informed. The further references are very good, and inspires further examination of taxes and various governmental issues - which the book just about demands. Very, very useful. Great book. I am definately not going to live in France.

5 comments about From Here, You Can't See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and Its Restaurant.

1. I enjoyed this book for the most part, but found it poorly edited. The author mentions the same things over and over again in different parts of the book. When the same idea or scene is repeated, it is as though it is being mentioned for the first time. I found this highly annoying when I was reading the book.



2. I started out prepared to like this book, after all, I love France, having visited it many times, and my Grandmother on my Mothers side was French. However, after only a few sentences, alarm bells started to go off. The more I read, the worse it got. Basically, -here are the problems. The authors appalling use of Grammar, the tortured sentences, the overuse of adjectives, the misplaced adverbs and verbs, the use of American slang, {as in "I wanted to get the "skinny" on the matter,-meaning the inside info.}The mixed use of Ameringlish, Franglais,and slang.
   Just read it yourself, and you will see what I mean. Michael Sanders badly needs a} a good proof-reader, one who is literate as well as literary, and b}someone to edit his work and be prepared to slash many tortured sentences with a red pen.I gave up before I was even half-way through, as being a retired English teacher, it was too painful to read further. Sorry, but I cant recommend this book to anyone who is half-way literate.



3. I found a link to this book on the site of the B & B in Albas I was planning to visit during my trip to France last year. I bought & read the book and had to see for myself. Since my traveling companion & I were going to be in the area we e-mailed the owners of the B & B to make us a reservation.
   
   It was the most marvelous meal I've ever had. Three hours long and there was no sense of time having passed. The owners were lovely and I have never seen a cleaner kitchen ever, anywhere. My only regret is that we didn't have time to see much of the village he writes about.
   
   My dream is to go back & do it again. I'm so glad I read this book.



4. Sanders has captured the life in a small French village and its wonderful restaurant. My wife, best friends and I organized a trip to France around Sanders' book. It did not disappoint. La Rec was unbelievable. My friend and I could not figure out how the restaurant makes money at 30 Euros a person for a wonderful meal (five courses, including some of the most elegant dishes we had in France -- the Lobster bisque and ravioli are beyond description, for example). We took many of Sanders' other suggestions, including a lunch at the cooking school in a nearby village, and found the experience to be wonderful. The only downside to Sanders' work is that Les Arques has been bought up by northern Europeans, with virtually no French people living there.



5. I just now finished reading the celebrated "foie gras" section; as a Francophilic reseller checking prices for this title, I noticed some of the reviews and got curious.
   
   For all I know the large-scale editing could be better (or the book might be intended to stand as chapter-independent), but the 5-6 pages I read were quite well crafted, with varied and sensitive sentence pacing and inclusion of many insightful details.
   
   If you can't get from one end of a compound or (perish the thought) complex sentence to the other, like so many young video-game-deranged ADHD cases apparently have trouble doing, this lovely slice of a beautiful if hard way of life will probably be too taxing to enjoy.
   
   But for seasoned readers, it's a delectable read as far as I've seen (and it's fun to handle a book with traditional, ragged page signature edges for a change).
   
   Foie gras production is a pretty inhumane business, but non-vegetarians won't be learning anything totally new about how the other half lives. The people are wonderful and real. I wish I too could visit the area, as one reviewer said she did, before it becomes a part of a bygone age!
   
   P.S. Anyone generally interested in the proud and warring nations of France and Paris are encouraged to read "Fragile Glory" by Bernstein, a former NY Times Paris Bureau Chief -- it's delightful and informative!....

No comments about Italian Gardens: From Petrarch to Russell Page.

No comments about Travel + Leisure's Unexpected France (Travel + Leisure Unexpected) (Travel + Leisure Unexpected) (Travel + Leisure Unexpected).