5 comments about Knopf MapGuide: Paris (Knopf Citymap Guides).

1. I find this series very helpful when I travel. they're small enough carry around and accurate/detailed enough to actually be helpful. A great design



2. Well OK, not lives, but it made a first time visit to Paris in June 2007 even more wonderful than it already was!
   
   We went to Paris as a family group of eight as the last part of a trip that also included Madrid and Barcelona.
   
   This book and its companion edition on Barcelona were extremely helpful and up to date. The beginning overview easily segues into the separate detail maps of different sections of the city. They are large enough to show street level detail in print large enough to be read without reading glasses. They are easily read in dim light, stiff enough to be read in a breeze and small enough to be somewhat covert (that is, it isn't obvious to everyone within a block that you don't know where you are). The metro and train maps at the back are accurate and a real helpful and thoughtful addition to each book.
   
   The entries on attractions, restaurants, shopping, and music were well written, accurate and up to date. We did not encounter listed places that were out of business or at great variance as to price.



3. I absolutely love this guidebook. Its format is extremely convenient: small enough to fit in a purse or a coat pocket, yet detailed enough to provide most of the information you need. The small fold- out maps cover the entire city and are easy to read. There is information about services such as bank opening times. It lists places to stay, shop and eat according to one's budget (the choices are very good) and of course what to see. My very favorite feature is the subway map in back of the book, a must if you want to get around inexpensively and efficiently. I wouldn't dream of going to Paris without it!



4. A handy sized guide to take along in my purse without feeling weighted down. The fold out maps are very nice but I would like to have had just one blank page for writing extra notes!



5. I travel abroad a lot. This is the best style of map guide I have found.
   It's small enough to carry around, but you don't have to open up a full map and figure out how to refold it again while standing in the street.
   The only thing it lacks is street listings.

5 comments about It's All Greek to Me!: A Tale of a Mad Dog and an Englishman, Ruins, Retsina--and Real Greeks.

1. If you enjoyed Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan, and A Year In Provence, you won't be disappointed with It's All Greek to Me! You'll love it. All three books have the same ingredient, which makes them so enjoyable: humor. The sub-title: A Tale of a Mad Dog and an Englishman, Ruins, Retsina - and Real Greeks, tells it all. As an Englishman, John Mole truly captures the psyche of these seemingly simple Greek people. Mr. Mole's writing is concise and a pleasure to read.



2. Just about every page bulges with the "to be" verb, making the reading dull and monotonous. Sentences are unnecessarily packed with useless wording when simpler constructions would be far more clear. I can't imagine this book was edited by a professional. Simple grammar is incorrect in places. I got as far as the fourth chapter and gave the book away.



3. As someone who has renovated an old property in Greece, I can recommend this hillarious and quite genuine account of the process. It also emphasises the support and hospitality one gets from the Greeks.



4. I liked parts of this book and disliked others, overall I'm glad I read it, but I didn't find it as funny as other reviews indicated. Its fascinating to hear about Mole's experiences whilst renovating a greek home, I loved his interactions with the villagers and there are some really funny stories. I did not like how Mole tends to go on about Greek Mythology and History. This book is marketed as a funny life experience and that was what I wanted to read. I did not want to be lectured at the same time and found that I skipped many pages because of that. I loved reading about his experiences, not the lectures on Ancient Greece, thanks, already been there and done that, if you know what I mean!



5. It was an excellent book and very funny and gave you a kind view of living and dealing with greece and the greek people.

5 comments about Zeus: A Journey Through Greece in the Footsteps of a God.

1. Who doesn't conjure up beautiful images at the mention of one of the most beautiful countries on the planet? If your busy life keeps you from hopping on a plane and exploring the vivid blue seas, green hills, and quaint villages, not to mention the Zeus history-laden land, then it won't be a disappointment to settle for a journey to this magical spot of earth through Tom Stone's eyes and adventures. I loved the book and recommend it highly. For those who relish remarkable journeys, you are in for a treat. Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia; Mayada, Daughter of Iraq: One Woman's Survival Under Saddam Hussein



2. Totally engrossing! A marvelous mix of stellar scholarship and fascinating anecdotes woven together in crisp, lyrical prose.



3. I have always loved Greek myths but I have never been able to get all the stories straight. Stone has performed the impossible task of doing just that. By putting them in their proper sequence in the story of Zeus -
   Prometheus stealing fire, Pandora's jar ("box" was a bad translation),the Minotaur in its labyrinth, Perseus and Medusa, Hérakles, the House of Átreus, the Judgment of Paris,Helen of Troy, etc. -- and linking them to actual historical events such as the eruption of the volcano on Santorini, the fall of the Minoan Empire, the Dorian invasion, the Peloponnesian Wars, and the Roman conquest, Stone has made what has seemed to be an impossible labyrinth into a most enjoyable read. But in addition to all this, the travel parts of the book, which involve the story of his and Persian wife's travels through Greeceto research the book, are refreshing and delightful side trips to the main story. A deep and beautiful look into the Greek soul!



4. Tom Stone manages to produce a magnificent history or mythological and historical Greece. It's written by a lyrical kind of prose that stays true to the original romanticism of the myths. He also includes an incredible and comprehensive bibliography for those who wish to continue their own study of everything Greek.



5. A wonderful scholarly, but immensely readable odyssey through Greece. Stone visits ancient sanctuaries and shrines throughout the mainland and islands, and discusses the myth and the reality of this glorious civilization.

No comments about Michelin the Green Guide Greece (Michelin Green Guides).

5 comments about Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens.

1. Ms Zinovieff has written an entertaining journal-style "letter from Athens" about moving her family from the UK to Athens and integrating herself and her family unit into contemporary urban Greek life, circa 2002. There are certainly parts of the book that dragged, challenging the reader to continue. For example, her reflections on her earlier trips to Greece with her boyfriend as a graduate student were actually quite boring and her reminiscences as a late adolescent lend little to the experience of reading this book. A prepossessing style when you have little to say is actually quite hollow. On the other hand, the last chapter, in which she travels to the countryside with her husband and daughters to view her late father-in-law's home and confronts the question of whether or not she will make the long-term commitment to keep it and repair it is quite touchingly rendered. Ms Zinovieff, like many "ex-pats," highlights the many negatives in Athens life, but she makes a fine attempt to highlight some of the positives, too. She is best when she leaves her English anthropological interpretations aside and gives direct quotes from real Athenians -- something she does quite a bit. If you are thinking of an extended stay in the city of Athens I would recommend this. As a history of the capital of the modern Greek state, as a tourist guide, or as an "anthropological study," I would not.



2. I read this book on the strength of the reviews. I did not find it a bit charming after the first chapter. What I found it to be was startlingly Anti-American. And what is worse, I found it incredibly boring after the initial chapter. I found myself skipping pages, then chapters, trying to find something "charming" or remotely interesting. Save your money on this one.



3. Good book, well-written, broad in its scope of the mass of contradictions we call Greece. The author describes her first year in Greece, where she and her daughters and husband have taken up residence. She describes the key events during this year and uses each as a launching pad for forays into various aspects of Greek life. There is a fairly strong anti-American and anti-Brit tone always beneath the surface -- some legitimate, stemming from western support of "The Generals", the junta which unpopularly ruled Greece for a period. But I sense that the author is at heart a lefty who wants to take a few ideological shots as she goes along. Zinovieff is a masterful writer, who knows when to be blunt and when to be lyrical. Her anthropological insights serve her well -- well enough to dampen some of her left-wing passion.



4. An expat in Athens myself, I eagerly devour any accounts written by others in hopes I might find a kindred soul or nuggets of wisdom I've somehow overlooked. I did not find either in this book.
   
   Consulting with other expats whose opinions I value, they concurred that this book was boring and the author used every opportunity to name drop or prove how connected she is, so I was shocked to find so many glowing reviews here. Everyone I know tried in vain to get through a chapter at a time, nodded off, then put this book down for good. That's what I did. The only person I met who liked this book is a trailing spouse of a wealthy Greek with children, much like the author who comes from a well-to-do family and is married to a diplomat. This is not how the majority of real people live in Athens or anywhere in Greece; this is an account of a privileged life in which the bureaucracy and infrastructure so ingrained in Greek society have been removed.
   
   I know how difficult it is to write a book and really wanted to like it, and I'm sure people will vote 'no' on whether this review was helpful to punish me, but I believe in being honest nevertheless. This was not a page turner and will end up being sold since I never intend to pick it up again. Sorry!



5. Brilliant!! I was raised in America of Greek parents. I too went to live in Athens as an adult. This book is well written and spot on. Captures the Greek psyche, way of life and ethos. Truthful depiction of life in Athens and its populace. An unbiased, concise history of modern Greece. Tackles all the historical and modern issues relevant to an understanding of today's Greece and its people. Doesn't avoid the touchy issues of attitudes towards Americans, Turks and Albanians. Reintroduced me to the many traditions of my childhood but added rich cultural and linguistic underpinnings and significance. I loved the etymological explanations of common expressions and words - so many of which I use but now have a deeper understanding of them. All that and a great read too. Bravo!!

5 comments about Knopf MapGuide: London (Knopf Mapguides).

1. It seems like there are more guides to London than a person could count, but that means there are some substandard ones among them. This is one that offers very little. The main problem is that it lacks detail, and gives only a cursory explanation of the limited number of subjects that it covers. The maps are good, but that's really all this book has going for it. And since you can get good maps from other places, there's no need to buy this book just to have a map.



2. As a first time European visitor with a 13 year old daughter towing me about, I decided to purchase no less than 8 travel books prior to going. Doing most of our travel on foot, bus, or via "the tube," I found that my "light weight is better" tourist transformation completed with us carrying only this book, the "Travelling around Your Tube and bus map" (tfl.gov.uk) and the little guide book from the folks at "The London Pass." Being middle aged and of little brain, and lesser eyesight, this book has easy to read, has larger than normal print on the maps, and The Tube guide handily in the back. On top of it all, it is small, weighs only 4.9 oz (138 g - sweat soaked) and contains an index with such entries as "Westminster Abbey." The only thing that could have made it better would be to make the Tube map in one piece. This minor inconvenience was easily overlooked once the Pimms had set in.



3. We found this guide to be the one we carried with us every day. It has great maps and brief descriptions of key places, all of which are very useful as you move around the city. There is an index and a tube map in the back. Places to visit and see, shop and eat are described and located handily on various close up maps. This one fits in a purse or pocket, isn't big and bulky and can therefore be looked at discreetly. The pages are stiff enough not to rip on repeated use. Next time I travel, I'll check out similar guides to other cities.



4. I am very pleased with this little guide book. Perfectly sized to carry along in my purse. I paricularly liked the fold out map on each area. However, I would have liked at least one blank fold-out page to make extra notes!



5. This is definitely not the book to use to plan your trip to London, since the descriptions of the attractions are little more than blurbs, but this is absolutely the best map you could have. It's compact, easy to read, and the maps have twice the detail of any other map I've seen. I threw out the map I got with Frommer's guide (Frommer's was largely useless anyway) because it only labelled the main streets. Knopf's labels almost every street, which was a huge help when walking around the city. It's wonderful to find the street you are currently walking down on the map instead of having to wait until you hit a major intersection to figure out where you are. If you're going to London, get this book. You'll be glad you did when you don't have to fold and unfold a huge street map over and over again.

3 comments about Guide to Greece, Vol. 1: Central Greece.

1. One of the most interesting classical Greek texts. If you are interested in ancient Greece, you must read PAUSANIAS ! Of course Pausanias' series in the Loeb classical library are the best. And I don't agree with the policy of Penguin Classic's translator. However I recommend the book for English-speaking people who cannot read Classical Greek.



2. Yes, my title alludes to Shelley's poem about ancient Egypt, but the Greece that Pausanias describes has in many ways suffered a collapse as notable as that of Ozymandias. Looted before his time by Macedonians, Romans, and warring Greeks, it has since suffered from religious upheaval, antiquities collectors of various types, and, not least, the demolition of ancient structures to obtain building materials and limestone (for fertilizer). The notes to Peter Levi's translation (which is in two volumes -- if you order it, be sure to get both) gives many instances of these loses. This is not for someone planning a visit to Greece in the immediate future, nor easy reading for the curious (although browsing can be fun), but it is a remarkably valuable contribution to modern knowledge of the ancient world.
   
   Sometime during the reign of Hadrian, a very well-read Greek set down a description of the Greek mainland, paying attention mainly to pre-Roman structures and works of art. A long tradition of German scholarship has denied that Pausanias ever left his library, ignoring English "amateurs" who had little trouble following him on the ground. Those interested in this controversy, or uncertain of whether they want to commit themselves to a work of this size, can now turn to Christian Habicht's first-rate introduction to the book and its critical reception, "Pausanias' Guide to Ancient Greece." Habicht also evaluates existing translations, including this one.
   
   There is no substitute, however, for the riches lying within what looks like a dry account of buildings and natural wonders.
   
   First of all, Pausanias had the good sense to avoid retelling the best-known stories and historical episodes, and give space to lesser-known material. It is thanks to manuscripts of his work that we have, for examples, the stories of the Messenian struggles against Sparta (a fascinating mixture of history and patriotic romance), and some of the more obscure episodes of Athenian history under Macedonian rule.
   
   Secondly, Pausanias provides otherwise unknown versions of many classical myths, explaining exactly where they were told, and how they were connected to the local cults. This is an extremely valuable source for Greek mythology as part of a living culture, instead of a literary theme. From time to time we get a glimpse of rituals, and frequently we learn of abandoned cults and forgotten shrines -- it is sometimes hard to remember that the ancient world was subject to profound changes, even before the rise of Christianity or the Barbarian Invasions. (Come to think of it, Pausanias includes interesting details of a Celtic invasion of Greece which is seldom mentioned in modern general histories.)
   
   Finally, if read with great care, Pausanias provides an extraordinary amount of detail about the physical realities of the ancient world. Used with intelligence, it has been of enormous value to archeologists. On the other hand, the descriptions are sometimes extremely obscure, due to unstated assumptions as well as textual corruptions, and the application of Pausanias to the evidence of excavations has often been controversial. (Habicht is, again, a good introduction to the issues.)
   
   Although Levi's translation is not always ideal (the distribution between two volumes is eccentric, and some passages, such as the list of Spartan kings, are shortened) , and the line drawings which illustrate it are sometimes as frustrating as they are helpful, it is a handy, relatively inexpensive, and mostly very reliable, contribution.



3. This edition is a good translation of Pausanias. The placement of the sites in the modern Greek landscape and reality is also accurate, judging from the places that I am familiar with.

No comments about The Rough Guide to Crete 7 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

No comments about Fodor's Greece, 8th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1 comments about Michelin Greece/Grece (Michelin).

1. This map was easy to read, gave us enough detail for driving to various locations throughout the country and was very practical. The only problem was when driving on the roads in Greece, none but the super-highways has any route markers. We drove for miles and miles on state highways and never once saw a route sign. You have to navigate by destinations toward a city or village. (So that's not a fault of the map.)