3 comments about Frommer's Cancun, Cozumel & the Yucatan 2006 (Frommer's Complete).

1. Got a bit of everything... Not the details on common activities that are actually helpful in deciding trip. Overall, a good start, but will have to get something more detailed to supplement.



2. This guide misses some of the most interesting places to stay and completely skips the best restaurants, I think. Also, I wanted to know how to get to the ferry for Isla Mujeres from Puerto Morelos. There is only transportation information from the tourist area in Cancun or the airport.



3. Concise and excellent travel guide,helpful for my last trip to the Yucatan.Well done!!

1 comments about Oscar E. Berninghaus, Taos, New Mexico: Master Painter of American Indians and the Frontier West.

1. What an exquisite book! Not only is it an informative and interesting read, but it made me want to move to Taos and take up oil painting! In fact, I'm signing up for painting classes this week! The plates are magnificent, and the subject matter, Taos, and Taos Pueblo Indians, are filled with beauty and dignity from a time gone by. Highly recommended for all lovers of the Southwest, native cultures, and landscape and oil paintings.

5 comments about Kayaking the Vermilion Sea: Eight Hundred Miles Down the Baja.

1. This book is a depressing story of a failing marriage. The fact that the relationship unravels during a kayak trip in Baja does not in any way make this a good read for kayakers interested in paddling Baja. If, on the other hand, you'd like to experience that miserable feeling of a relationship going down the tubes, this is your book! Enjoy.



2. I read the book after sailing the Sea of Cortez. It was a depressing book by a disenchanted romantic written during what appears to be the breakup of his marrage. The wife sounds great but he can't maintain her paddling pace and she does not share his penchant for whining.) If you are looking for a guide book to the Sea of Cortez, this book has little to offer. I meet some folks at Bay of Conception who were among the few who had received favorable remarks from the author. They were furious that he had totally distorted their comments. Save yourself the greif and try something else.



3. It's very well written and full of interesting information. but it's one of these misanthropic ecology tracts. Much of what he says is well justified but, considered as entertainment, it was so full of grouching about the adverse effects of everything on the environment that it ended up with too many sour notes.
   I was struck by how close his moral attutudes were to those of the early missionaries he describes. He extols the virtues of mortifying the flesh, and relishes describing the hardships he has inflicted on himself. He keeps encountering residents who do not share his beliefs about how life should be lived. They commit such crimes as fishing and using toilet paper. They are not the original inhabitants of the country.



4. Waterman spends most of the book whining. The three main threads of his complaint are the ecological devastation, how the native peoples were taken advantage of by the various colonizers, and how his one year old marriage seems to be on the rocks. When he talks about the stark beauty of the land, it is always in the same breath with how badly the place is getting ruined.
   I read the book when I was in Baja California Sur in May, 2003. The place was beautiful, the weather was great and the people were extremely friendly. The book's doomsday predictions were very much out of whack with the reality.



5. Those who criticize this book as too "whiny" might be the type of person that is turned off by books without a Disneyesque happy ending. This book does contain a lot of darkness and has a existentialist tone throughout. The final sentance (a lyric) is "Life is worth nothing." If you are not comfortable reading a book that delves into the darker realms of our existence then you might not like it. If however, you enjoy reading an author who is brilliant and able to bare their soul, you'll like this. The author is very knowledgeable about history, science, culture, etc... and I found his observations to be spot on. His politics are to the Left of course... How many environmentalists and anti-racists are Rightists? If you are demented enough to have voted for George Bush forget about this book.

4 comments about Moon Handbooks: Cancun 6 Ed: Mexico's Caribbean Coast.

1. "Cancun Handbook" offers a wide variety of practical and vital information on Cancun and its neighboring Isla Mujeres and Cozumel.

   Chicki Mallan covers, to name just a handful of her multitude of listings, Government & Economy; Transportation; Planning a Wheelchair Cruise; Health & Safety; Mayan Glossary; Spanish Phrasebook; and, of course, Archaeological Zones.

   Shops and accommodations are also covered, of course. But often, Mallan doesn't write about them with the depth that they warrant--especially the hotels along Cancun's renown "Zona Hotelera."

   But her sections on Chichen Itza; snokeling; and flora & fauna are marvelous blends of comprehension and precision.




2. I love the Moon Travel series, their guide to Maui is the best of all the Maui guidebooks. So I was somewhat (very) disappointed to find that this guide wasn't even in the same league. Of 206 pages, 36 are devoted to Cancun - they should have found a better name than "Cancun Handbook". The rest of the book covers Mexican history and all the other spots along the Caribbean Coast. A much better choice is the excellent "Cancun and Cozumel Alive" (which at least warns you that it is as much about Cozumel as Cancun)which I ordered at the same time.

   Local information is very cursory, almost like they were trying to conserve words. Shopping in Cancun is covered in less than one page, as opposed to the 12 pages devoted to this art in the other book I mentioned. Not even a word about converting Mexican clothing sizes to U.S. sizes.

   I could go on and on about this book, but it's really not worth the effort to write it, or your effort to read it. Choose something better!




3. this is a real cool book and shows lot's of wonderful pictures you just can't resist! plus, it so real I can't believe it but the pictures do look like the real thing!



4. The title of this book is misleading. The title suggests that the book is mostly about Cancun if not exclusively. However, this book is not really about Cancun, but Yucatan peninsula.
   The author seems to have enjoyed everything about Mexico and does not offer any real criticism (even a comparative one)about anything. Therefore, it is hard to make a trade off between restaurants, archeological sites or theme parks. If you are going to stay in Cancun for a month that does not matter. However, we spent just one week and the book did not help us at all to choose between attractions.
   It also does not give any information on differences between tour organizers, so when the same tour is offered with $20 difference, you don't know if it is because one is better than other, or just one of them happens to have some deal with the hotel you stay in.
   I found that in Cancun most of the restuarants offer terrible food at very expensive prices. The book suggests that almost all restaurants are good at Cancun and also does not classify them neither based on price, nor location, but on cousine and stops short of giving price information.
   It provides very little detail on Xcaret -one paragraph- which is one of the main attractions close to Cancun.
   The maps in then book were lacking detail.
   I was very disappointed with this book. The only positive thing about this book is, it tells the history of the area in enough details.
   I do not recommend this book to anyone.

No comments about New Mexico.

2 comments about Sliced Iguana: Travels in Mexico.

1. Isabelle Tree can write and travel at the same time! She allows the mystic that is Mexico to shine through. Though occasionally anti-american in that smug British way - her observations are wonderful and her connections get her into rare situations and she takes us along for the ride!! If you love Mexico, or if you are just considering exploring - Sliced Iguana is my favorite book to get you there. Don't listen to her about San Miguel de Allende - she must have had a few bad days - it is the most magical place in Mexico and most Mexicans will agree with this assessment.



2. This is one of the most enjoyable books on Mexico I've read in a long time. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and well-written. Buy it.
   Jim Johnston, author of 'Mexico City: an Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler'.MEXICO CITY: AN OPINIONATED GUIDE FOR THE CURIOUS TRAVELER

No comments about El Salvador (Ulysses Travel Guide ).

5 comments about Rand McNally 2007 The Road Atlas & Travel Guide: U.S. / Canada / Mexico (Rand Mcnally Road Atlas and Travel Guide: United States, Canada, Mexico).

1. Is good map. I visit States from Norway now and driving on road trip. Shows good things to do off track; not crowded. I go to some, they very good places to see. Is nice they have this feature showing attractions, not just a map.



2. I wanted map detail and a spiral bound book. I will eliminate the Travel Guide section as it adds too much weight and isn't needed. Very pleased with the purchase.



3. I was planning on driving across the county and have found this collection of maps useful before I bought the high quality edition. It turned out to be big, heavy and awkward to use. I finally decided to take it apart and take only the pages I needed. I challenge you to pick this up at arms length from the back seat. Beware of putting you wife's eye out.



4. Great atlas. Has campsites and some topography, but is lacking one major road in Alaska. I would get a supplemental map if you plan on going there.



5. The new Rand McNally Road Atlas gives me all the information I need to drive from one place to another. As a matter of fact, there are roads shown in the Atlas which are not shown on other maps or even on the AAA Trip-Tiks. I actually contacted Rand McNally to make sure that the road shown on the map actually existed and was passable, and the lady I spoke with gave me details about what the street name was, and how that street name changed 3 times when you travel the road. I certainly didn't expect that kind of excellent service, but I got it. And knowing about the road, cuts about 50 miles off my trip.
   
   The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I feel there is too much information in the Atlas, other than road maps. So, it is a larger document than I feel it needs to be.
   
   The ring binding is a real plus too, as it makes the Atlas simpler to use.

4 comments about Hooked on Baja: Where & How to Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters.

1. I pre-ordered this book months before it was published; the title sounded too good to pass up for a fisherman like me that travels to the baja to fish. HA! I returned the book a day after receiving it. It is insipid, written to "cover" all subjects in the table of contents in the minimum of pages. Unfortunately, it does not cover anything usefully. It is so simple it reads as if it was published by a government agency to drum up tourism.
   
   The author may (or may not) know fishing, but he did not display fishing knowledge in this book. Pages 30-80 are a reference, a list of descriptions of the fish in the waters around Baja; this should have been an appendix or deleted. It is not until page 80 that you come across a chapter with a title that sounds like it will be of use, "Terminal tackle and Fishing Suggestions", but this chapter is brief compared to the pedantic ramblings about each of the fish species along the baja and it does not deliver on its title. After that it just continues downhill. It includes fishing maps, marginally useful and less detailed than free ones on line. Follow this up with fish recipes, that is correct, fish recipes from the book with the subtitle, "Where and How to Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters". Then the author has the gaul to describe the personalities of Baja fishing--let me see did the title indicate I would get to read about the people? Let's recap, recipes, fish descriptions, resorts descriptions, descriptions of the fishermen of the baja, and 5 pages on suggested tackle that don't deliver. Thank goodness, Amazon allows returns.



2. Author Tom Gatch's insights into fishing have been published in columns and articles for issues of "The Log, Southern California's #1 Boating & Fishing Newspaper" and "Baja Times". Hooked on Baja: Where & How To Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters distills Gatch's lifetime of experience into a handy and readily accessible guide for would-be Baja fishermen of all backgrounds. Chapters extend beyond the limits of a typical fishing handbook, discussing tips on how to purchase and legally secure real estate property on the Baja California peninsula, authentic south-of-the-border recipes, and true-life tales from Baja's well-known outdoors personalities as well as the basics about a wide variety of Baja fish species, Baja fishing maps, terminal tackle and fishing suggestions, and more. Black-and-white illustrations plus a handful of color photographs enhance this premier "must-have" for anyone seeking to enjoy catching fish south of the Mexican border.



3. I am so glad to have found this book. I love to travel in Baja and this is a great resource. I actually don't fish but the descriptions of the area are very useful to me.



4. Tom loves fishing and Baja! His passion about the area shows in this informative book about Mexico's abundant Baja fisheries.
   
   With a folksy style that everyone can enjoy he shares his knowledge freely about the Baja its fish to great recipes for their preparation.
   
   Worth the read! Irene
   
   Hooked on Baja: Where & How to Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters

No comments about Georgia O'Keeffe in New Mexico:A Guide (Famous Footsteps).