5 comments about Greek Islands (Regional Guide).

1. I used this book for Crete and Santorini and it just didn't get the job done. Fortunately, I had Let's Go Greece 2005 with me as well. It had much more accurate and useful information, at least for the the two aformentioned islands.
   
   LP Greek Islands is useful for keeping your Athens cafe table from wobbling, though. So, it has that going for it.



2. I own a LOT of Lonely Planet travel guides and have always been happy with the insider information they provide. This book, however, is lacking in MANY ways. First of all, there are hardly any photos. Secondly, it seems like the same island description has been pasted onto each island. It goes something like this, " This is one of the most beautiful islands....". Lastly, it falls way short in hotel listing. In Mykonos, for example, the book only list 3 hotels in budget, 3 in medium price range, and 3 deluxe hotels. You've got to be kidding! All that's listed as far as excursions in Mykonos is the number of a travel agent and a gay cruise. Sorry,..not interested...in either!! I want descriptions and suggestions. Did Lonely Planet really ever visit all of these islands? VERY disappointing!



3. Like its companion book (Lonely Planet Greece), this is an excellent guide (but just to the islands)! It is concise, reads very easily, and gives good common-sense recommendations on what to see and where to stay. It is as up-to-date as you can reasonably expect with changing prices and euro/dollar fluctuations. A very, very practical guide from the budget tourist to middle class. Excellent pictures, very good maps, a fine job! It reminds me, in a way, of the Michelin guides to Europe. Having said that, Lonely Planet Greece gives you basically the same information on the islands, plus mainland Greece, for just a few dollars more. So unless you are flying into Athens and going only to the islands, you are probably better off with the parent book.
   
   Reviewed by David Lundberg, author of Olympic Wandering: Time Travel Through Greece



4. I read the recommendation from Amazon, who recommend reader to buy "Lonely planet island" and "Lonely Planet Greece" together.
   However, I found the book of " Greece" is enough!! Because you can find enough information of islands in the book of "Greece", you needn't to buy the book of "Greek Island" again! I am not happy for the recommendation from Amazon, which is difficult for me to trust it again!



5. In general, while I find that Lonely Planet produces far and away the best country guides, their city-, region-, and continent guides have a tendency to be surprisingly light on actual information. (One would expect city guides to have, say, _more_ information, but sadly no.) The same is true for LP Greek Islands, which uses the same stock descriptions to talk about virtually every island, really giving very little sense of how the flavor and atmosphere is different in the different places, and with very few photos to give you a sense of what each island looks like. Ferry information is minimal but sufficient, but if you're looking for information on alternative lifestyles, look elsewhere. Even the section on Mykonos, a famous gay retreat, barely acknowledges it as such!

5 comments about Top 10 Athens (Dk Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides).

1. Organized by area of the city made it easy to find items of interest when traveling to that section of town. Even though the "Top 10" are highlighted for each area and overall, more opinion or comments to help choose among entries would be helpful as there is not enough time or energy to see everything listed. We also used the Lonely Planet "Best of Athens" which was also helpful, although organized differently.



2. Like most of DK's Top 10 guides, Top 10 Athens is a great compromise between portability, information and directions. The star point of the guidebook is, for me, the hugely detailed maps, and the Top 10 lists provide a great way to digest Athens without biting off more than you can chew. I can say from experience that the insider's tips for each major site are particularly helpful. That said, most travelers with a more than superficial interest in the city will probably want to cross-reference this guide with a more detailed guidebook such as DK's Athens & the Mainland.
   
   Incidentally, the New Acropolis Museum featured in the guidebook, which was originally supposed to open before the 2004 Summer Olympics, has now been delayed until at least summer 2008. So blame the Greek government for that snafu, not DK.



3. This book was very helpful. The compactness of the book was great, it was easy to carry and stow in the back pack. The information was very acurate. It was a great benefit to have.



4. This is a very thorough guide for when you have only a day or two to visit. It actually has way more in it than we could possibly see or do.
   Giving the top ten things to see is great for your first visit. It is also great for probably your second or third.
   
   Very helpful, lots of pictures and maps.



5. I am going to Greece later this year, and I bought this to start getting an idea of what to go see and what to expect. This book is great!! It is a great place to start, especially if you don't have alot of time on the trip and want to hit the "big stuff." I thoroughly enjoyed the overviews on all the different places. It gives you the hours, the prices, best times of day to go to places, best restaurants, etc. It even tells you what to avoid. I bought it with a few other books, which go into more detail, but this is the book you carry around with you as you walk around Athens as a reference material. It also has a laminated map of Athens in a pouch in the back of the book. This is a great resource, and it has got me totally stoked about my trip coming up!

5 comments about Streetwise Athens Map - Laminated City Street Map of Athens, Greece.

1. When you review the specifications of this map you see 8 papes what you are not told is when you unfold the entire map it only measures 8 1/2 by 32 inches.
   it only covers " downtown Athens " I was looking for a resturant in the outskirts of Athens hopeing I could find it in this map.

   I purchased a map in Athens a few years ago which is more complete.

   I wouldn't recommend this map to anyone.

   I also purchased a Michelin road map to Greece and it was just as I expected very detailed map

   B.W.




2. This map is typical of the "Streetwise" series: Easily folded , LAMINATED (which makes it easy to write on, and keeps the map from falling apart when wet), and with handy stuff like metro stops, hotels. All landmarks the tourist needs to navigate around the town. The Athens one concentrates, naturally on the area around the Parthenon; the rest of Athens is on the other side. However, a new edition is certainly warranted as the metro now extends out to the airport, and the important hub of Syntagma Square isn't listed, and some Lat/Long lines would be great for us GPS-geeks.
   Overall worth taking with you.



3. This handy little map has all the details needed to enjoy the tourist attractions of Athens, while being sturdy and easily transported in your daypack, or even a deep pocket. GREAT to travel with!



4. I've used the Streetwise Paris map several times and am looking forward to using the Athens one on my upcoming trip to Greece. The Paris map is complete, thorough, useful, etc. It folds into a small size and is waterproof for rainy days. These are great maps - try them! The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is that the Paris map is set up somewhat confusingly - with the middle on one side and the areas both North and South of that on the other side. But it was fine once I remembered that odd placement.



5. The handy litte map was exactly what we needed in the urban center of Athens. It was clear to read, and fit right in my pocket as we walked around. With the subway information it made it so simple to get started underway to any city goal.

5 comments about Greece Athens & the Mainland (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. This book has great photos. I always enjoy looking at DK Publishing's books - they are so pretty. However, if you are looking for a true travel guide, this is not the book.



2. It is a shame that DK publishing divides Greece into two separate books, one for the mainland and one for offshore islands. It forces you to buy and carry both books for complete coverage of the country. Even places that are quite close to each other geographically are in separate books, if one happens to be on the mainland, and the other on a nearby offshore island.Greek Islands (Eyewitness Travel Guides)



3. The tourbook is organized very well with history, maps, restaurants, hotels, etc and the colored pictures are excellent. The size makes an ideal companion when travelling.



4. These is no other that eyewitness guides...purchase and enjoy all aspects.



5. I usually use Lonely Planet and Green Guide (Guide Vert) but I read a lot of negative reviews about LP, so I gave Eyewitness a try. The photos and diagrams were fantastic - they really helped me make some choices about what to see compared to LP. And I particularly appreciated the diagrams of how many of the ancient sites such as Corinth, Delphi, and Olympia used to look, because you need some help when you see these ruins. Neither LP or Green Guide had these consistently.
   
   My main problem was that it didn't have a lot of useful information, or if it did it was hard to find. The book's organization isn't too good - for a given site or city it has information about the city in terms of tourism or practical all over the place. Green Guide has much better practical maps, which are in color and cover a larger geographic area. Eyewitness is great when you get to the site you want to see, but it is not so useful to find the sites.
   
   Also, compared to LP and Green Guide it has a lot less historical and explanatory information. And in terms of total number of places covered, I have the impression that Eyewitness has less than others. There's a price for nice, glossy photos.
   
   Finally, not that it's critical, but my binding broke within a day, though the book cover mostly kept the book together.
   
   I think I will only buy Eyewitness again in special circumstances.

5 comments about Travels with Herodotus.

1. This is my first book I have read by Kapuscinski. So I had no idea what I was getting into but when I see Herodotus it always gets my attention. Kapuscinski carries you along on his personal global journies and ties in his experiences and that of his life long mentor, Herodotus. Although, the experiences Kapuscinski had during his post WW2 travels are interesting, his tie in to the similiar difficulties he and Herodotus had 2500 years ago in compiling from both their travels, who he met, what he saw, and what he heard from 1000's of contacts is fascinating and entertaining.
   His interpretation of Herodotus writings (The Histories) and insight into the man is informative, believable, and enjoyable. I will always use this book as a companion and reference to futyure readings of Herodotus writings.
   Bob Hislop



2. Wonderful book, a must read for anyone who is a "global" traveler or even remotely interested in the mechanics of politics in today's world.



3. Ryszard Kapuscinki's final book is a wonderful synthesis of historical musing and inquiry with his own observations during his travels as a journalist. He draws on Herodotus' Histories, quoting from them extensively while drawing the reader into his own fascination with the ancient writer's motivations and sense of wonder at the episodes he recorded. This aspect of the book weaves seamlessly with the author's equally entertaining descriptions of the people and places he is personally experiencing while traveling to some of the 20th century's dark corners of the world.
   
   A perfect blend of historical essay and journalistic reportage that is never boring.



4. The last book by this great journalist. It makes perfect sense that he traveled with Herodotus, and that this ancient Greek writer, the first historian, or the first reporter, was like a companion to him. History is stories. Kapuscinsky was most wise in always remembering this and he learned it from Herodotus. His writing is transparent. He writes so you can know. He never forgets that nothing is definitive. He has some very wise things to say about Africa. I like that he sees Africa as part of the world and not as a special case. Herodotus did too. Herodotus wrote before the psychopathology of racism became a kind of law. Kapuscinsky writes in the aftermath, as the damage trickles down. He narrates in vivid snapshots. In this book he tells you where he came from. He describes Poland after WWII. He describes life under Stalin. He shares his first travel experiences. India! Completely unprepared! Culture shock! In this book you get to understand where his abiding clarity came from. I just loved it.



5. A poetic view into the experiences of a Polish man raised with Stalinist-era values, and how he deals with these values' total deficiency in helping him understand and cope with the rest of the world. A little-kid-in-big-city book. I can't dissociate myself from my classicist leanings enough to know what to do with his expansive interpretations of Herodotus, though. Try to enjoy them as fiction, as musings? Tough to do!
   
   Sadly, the book seems to me to lose steam halfway through: it becomes a regurgitation of Herodotus's stories about war (the LEAST interesting bits of Hdt., I think), literally paraphrasing Hdt. for chapters on end. I'm not enough of a literary gal to sustain the attention necessary to make these expansive retellings interesting as new literature. If I wanted to read Hdt., I would. And it would be far more interesting, because I'd get the neat ethnographic and mythological excurses mixed in with the boring accounts of battle formations.

5 comments about My Family and Other Animals.

1. This book is very funny and enjoyable. It tells of the author's years as a boy spent on the Greek island Corfu. I love the stories of his adventures raising and studying the wildlife on the island. It is also funny because he recounts tales of his strange family. At some parts I found myself laughing out loud. You should read this book along with Birds, Beasts, and Other Relatives.



2. Not many adults ever reminisce about their childhood dreams. Those who do, generally label these as wishful thinking and sigh them away. Rarer are those who live lives of fulfilled dreams. Gerald Durrell, an eminent author, naturalist and expeditionist, was one of those uncommon individuals whose life's entirety was one long childhood dream come true. "My Family & Other Animals" is his most famous work, and is the first of his Corfu Trilogy.
   
   The kid Gerald Durrell, or Gerry, was eight years old when his family moved from England to the Greek island of Corfu. Through the eyes of the young, fauna-loving and ever-inquisitive Gerry, Corfu seems to be the strangest place on Earth, and all humans, whether inhabitants of Corfu or not, appear to be strange people. The book describes Gerry's meticulous observations and detailed experiences in Corfu amongst dogs, cats, toads, snakes, scorpions, owls, magpies, gulls and other creatures he keeps as pets in his house, and his family members who are bemused as well as troubled by Gerry's love for these animals and insects. Young Gerry's mother and siblings stay engrossed in their own worlds, leaving Gerry alone to spend his days as he wishes, free from burdens such as going to school and being nagged by elders. Thus begins Gerry's exploration of Corfu, starting with the garden in his villa, and eventually his domain of knowledge crosses over to the neighboring islands.
   
   The book will make you roar with laughter right from the preface itself. Descriptions of animals are unconventionally funny. Humans also are not spared. Imagine an entire family changing residence from one villa to another, just because one of them foolishly invited his friends so many that they would not fit in the current villa. After animals and humans, the third elaborately portrayed element is nature. Detailed descriptions of fig trees and setting suns create a Wordsworthian aura. Once Gerry sets on describing some of these, he can be drawn back only by some exquisitely crafted squirrel or a raucously howling dog.
   
   The best way to savor the book is to read it over several sittings, by allowing the excessive laughter to brighten many a dull day. An enlightening perspective of the work can be seen through Gerry's eyes. Animals, unlike humans, know exactly what they want. They are easier to please and easier to be understood. Most importantly, animals are easily befriended and are almost always loyal. When the book ends, it feels as if an intimate and jocular friend has left you forever.
   
   "My Family & Other Animals" is a beautiful comedy, and is highly recommendable for reading by people of all ages.
   
   http://readsafe.blogspot.com



3. This book, ironically, was on one of those horrible "summer reading" lists so many of us are forced to do in high school. It's the only one I was ever forced to read that I truly, genuinely loved. I laughed out loud literally every two or three pages, and though I have no natural interest in animals (especially insects), Durell makes his descriptions of the nature on Corfu as gripping and as touching as his descriptions of his family.
   
   It's been ten years since I first read this book, and when I get together with my old friends, we STILL argue about our favorite scenes, the best character, the most troublesome pet. This is a book you won't be able to put down the first time you read it, and will want to re-read the moment you finish it.



4. Ever wonder what kind of person takes such an interest in every form of flora or fauna there is? One who is hyperobservant, apparently. And when Gerald Durrell turns that eye on the eccentric characters in his family and around him on the island of Corfu, you'll absolutely love reading his words.



5. All of Gerald Durell's writings are terrific, but the ones about his family are truly laugh-out-loud wonderful! This is a book I have enjoyed over and over, and have given as a gift many times.

5 comments about Greece (Country Guide).

1. I love Lonely Planet books, but I wish there was a little more for each destination regarding hotels and restaurants.



2. i used to only use Lonely Planet for my travels and loved it. this guide was very dissappointing. the athens info was ok, but with the islands we ended up going to it had very little info on them. even on santorini we saw tons of stuff there that was not in the book, and there were no tips on how to get resonably priced villas, which we did on our own anyways. the places we ended up staying were not in the book. the only thing we ended up using it for was fact-checking.
   i would recommend 770 greek islands, the other book we had with much more info on everything.



3. This seems to be a very thorough and complete guidebook to all of Greece and the Greek Islands, all in one volume. Kudos to Lonely Planet for not dividing the country into two volumes, requiring you to buy two books at twice the price, and then lug two books around to cover your trip. The only downside is the lack of photographic illustration, except for two small insert sections of color photos, which almost look like stock shots from the tourist office. More illustrations located near the subjects being described would be a definite help.



4. My husband and I have been to Greece 3 times using our 4th edition LP Greece. The maps are excellent; we've gotten exactly where we need to go. We read about the different islands, appear at the port w/our luggage, and take whatever boat is going next to a particular group, i.e. Cyclades, and read about the various other stops on the way. The book is not designed to be a travel agent by doing all the work for you. It is a guidebook, and some specific info should be found elsewhere (such as the internet) in trip planning. We use the internet sites listed in LP, esp. the hotel sites, so we have an idea of the author's grading scale. We found plenty of great suggestions regarding places to stay and eat, and if other reviewers felt that info was lacking, the LP would have to be 6 inches thick! While some towns have a 100 places to stay, it is not necessary to list every place in LP. We use the LP reviews as a guideline; we compare the author's opinion by what we actually found. After all, one person's dungeon is another's castle (& vice versa). The hints, tips,& warnings (esp. about taxis!) were a great help. We're buying the newest editon for our 4th trip as our poor old book is so worn and unreadable.



5. I read this from cover to cover but used a competitors guide while in Greece instead because I thought it might be better based on my past experiences using both brands. Also, LP guides tend to be a bit more roughing it in recommendations (I am too old for that) but, that was not an issue.
   I kind of wish I had brought this one or the National Geographic Greece guide which would have been fine and a bit thiner.

5 comments about Greek Islands (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. The book is absolutely beautiful, but its content for many islands is woefully brief. Since it leaves out the mainland, I would have hoped for more space on the Saronic Islands, for example. Thank heavens they included a brief section on Athens, since everyone has to pass through there sooner or later. But there is almost nothing on the rest of mainland Greece, which is another book. I wish the publisher would put them into one volume. Apparently this is the long awaited new edition.



2. As with most DK publications this book provides excellent information and fantastic illustrations and maps.



3. Loved the book! Had all of the infomration that we needed. Book was loaded with history, maps, key points of interest and interesting facts. It was an excellent guide for us as we toured the greek islands and gave us the best and key points to visit which helped us use our time most efficiently. Loved the Greek islands!
   
   Overall, we got a lot of use out of our book and I would HIGHLY reccomend it!



4. DK Eyewitness travel guides are the best on the market and this one does not disappoint.



5. We have used the Eyewitness Travel books for many years, and they just seem to get better and better. They aren't the only sources we consult, but they are the only one's we actually bring with us on vacation, as they seem to cover so many different types of places and activities well.

5 comments about Frommer's Greece (Frommer's Complete).

1. True to Frommer's style, you feel as though you are almost there. Also included are excellent safety tips, the roads (islands) less traveled, best ways to carry (or rather not carry) money, weblinks, passport information, political concerns and so much more. Great maps, an invaluable aid.



2. A very helpful, reliable and up-to-date guide book. It's clearly and concisely written with enough information to help you decide what you want to see in the area. It provides maps of major areas for those navigating by car to find tourist sites.



3. It had guides on where to stay and how to get around... didn't offer much in the way of background information/history that actually makes the site-seeing interesting!
   
   Also, most of the 3-star rated restaurants or high-rated hotels, I would downgrade a bit. I'm not sure they lived up to all of the hype.



4. I found this latest guide to be just what I was looking for. This covered all the areas of interest to me and gave specific info as to accomodations, travel time, and helpful hints. It has enough glossy photos and the layout was easy to follow. A good purchase!



5. Took the Lonely Planet (published in 2006) and Frommer's (published in 2008) to Greece. The somewhat out-dated LP is so much better than the Frommer's and we used LP almost exclusively after the first 3 days. The Frommer's maps are frustrating and misleading. There is no (bus) directions for day trips out of Athens so you must either drive or join a tour. The information (history, background, etc) is fine but you can find similar information on the LP too.

5 comments about Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)).

1. The last Magic Tree House that I read was Hour of the Olympics. I liked it because it had a lot of interesting facts about the early olympics. I thought it was funny that some people wore armor when they ran in races! I suggest that you read this book!



2. MAGIC TREE HOUSE OLYMPICS
   By KRISTIAN
   In the Magic Tree House there is a boy named Jack and A girl named Annie. They went to the OLYMPIC . Annie went And took her mask .The mask she had on was to act like a boy .The guard grabbed Annie she said get off of me! To get more info about how Jack and Annie got home read MAGIC TREE HOUSE
   My favorite part was when Annie took her mask off and the guard grabbed her and she said get off of me . I like this book because it has good vocabulary word and it had good details I had NO connection .
   The 5th grade will like this book first grade will not want to read such a long book
   Second through 5th will like this book because if they are studying on something they will learn about it



3. DON'T READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
   LOL!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!UNREALISTIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



4. My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!



5. My four year old son is in love with this chapter series! A friend suggested it to us since he seemed ready for a more advanced reading material at bedtime. My husband reads him a chapter every night...sometimes more because they don't want to stop. It's become a great tradition for them, and something they both look forward to. We love that there are so many in the collection! Start with number 1 and just continue. :)