1 comments about 50 Hikes in the Lower Hudson Valley: Walks, Hikes & Backpacks from Westchester County to Albany, Second Edition (50 Hikes).

1. Most of the hikes in this excellent guidebook are located in Westchester, Rockland and Orange Counties, but the authors include several hikes throughout the Valley from Albany in the north, east to the Taconic Mountains and west to a few peaks in the Catskills.
   
   The authors published an earlier edition of this book, and this Second Edition has been completely updated with more accurate contact information. It includes 10 new hikes.
   
   The authors cover short walks to hikes of 14 miles in length, most within a two-hour drive from New York City. An excellent chart makes it easy to choose a hike. Each hike features a detailed topographic map, driving directions, mileage and elevation rise, and a comprehensive trail description. 50 black & white photographs, 51 maps.
   
   Green and Zimmerman are past officers of the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, and are very experienced and knowledgeable hikers. They write clear descriptions of the hikes, and enhance their text with interesting commentary on the human and natural history of the area covered.
   
   Although they include some useful hiking tips in the introduction, this guidebook focuses on the trails and hikes themselves. Altogether, it is an excellent, up to date resource for anyone interested in exploring the area on foot.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008

5 comments about A Goodfella's Guide to New York: Your Personal Tour Through the Mob's Notorious Haunts, Hair-Raising Crime Scenes, and Infamous Hot Spots.

1. As the other reviewers point out, this is another shameless attempt by Henry Hill to profit from the hard work of others, namely Martin Scorsese, Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, and Joe Pesci. Any one with a minimal knowledge of organized crime could have written this book. Henry Hill makes the following insightful comments, "New York has four seasons and five crime families." "The worst trip to NYC is if you don't come back (alive)." "If you mispronounce Houston Street, you'll get whacked." Oh yes, Mr. Hill, the SoHo and Village residents will definitely kill when a tourist thrusts such a heinous indignity upon them. Complementing stories that aren't even up to New York Post standards are quite possibly the worst photographs I have ever seen. Photographs include the following: nightclubs at 10am with the shutters closed, an abandoned factor that could be anywhere in the US, a chain link fence at the end of a road, and surveillance shots of fatuously inflated lowlifes hanging around a junkyard. The unfortunate thing about this book is that it could be good. A serious book about the mob by one of its members could very possibly give insight to the rest of us. This is not that book. In Hill speak, other mobsters should have him `whacked' for embarrassing them since readers may assume the average mob mind is as weak as his.



2. I loved this book.
   
   It's really easy to read, nicely researched and great fun.
   
   Recommended...



3. I didn't read this book until i was in new york, and i spend the whole morning druising around manhattan with it in hand.
   
   it's funnier than other stuff henry has done- much lighter, but a great read nonetheless.



4. I reccommend all tourist to NY have this book so not to miss all the great historical sites clearly provided in the book!



5. Very well written. but if a guy like me, who would be interested of going to check some of the places out. Being that I am in military, I am going to planning to take a vacation and go check this out.

No comments about Fodor's Flashmaps New York City, 9th Edition: The Ultimate Map Guide/Find it in a Flash (Flashmaps).

1 comments about Streetwise Long Island Map - Laminated City Street Map of Long Island, New York - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated LIRR tracks & stations.

1. This map was accurate and really helped us get around the island. The laminated finish is the best feature. You can use it over and over, it doesn't tear and is very easy to refold.

1 comments about Making Mountains: New York City and the Catskills (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books).

1. I am enjoying this book very much. I was born in the Catskills and I am learning so much that my parents never told me. It is very well written.Making Mountains: New York City and the Catskills (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books)

2 comments about New York City: A Photographic Celebration.

1. New York is always refered to as a tourist attraction for the United States. I have never been to this city but i've always wondered what it really looked like. Sure they show the skyline on certain television shows but they never get in-depth the way the photographer has. The book captured New York's beautiful attractions and I begun to wish i lived in NYC . I was informed intelligently on everything that the book had a picture of. As an added bonus the pictures were of very high quality.



2. I am a resident of New York and I have a few posters of the skyline of the city. However, after 9/11 I wanted more pictures. I've been to all of the tourist attractions and places in The City that are not so well known. This book does a good job showing the main attractions and the most famous landmarks while including some scenes that capture the typical New York. For example, there is one shot of midtown traffic (not a specific landmark, but typical of life in The City). Because New York City has so many landmarks and sights to see, it is difficult to capture all of them in a book. This book does a good job of showing the most important sights of The City from multiple and unique angles.

   However, some of the pictures are disappointing. Specifically, pictures of Times Square are about 8-10 years old and it has changed significantly in that time. It was always full of billboards and advertisements, but now it is so much brighter and greater now than the way it was portrayed in the pictures. I had also expected more written information from the book about the sights. Lastly, some pictures only show parts of some of the buildings, like the public library.

   Overall I have a very favorable impression of the book. The pictures are good and that's most important. Despite the afore mentioned weaknesses I recommend this book as a picture book of NYC especially in light of the price. The book was definitely worth what I paid for it. I would also recommend this book for people who have never been to NYC.

No comments about New York Walks, 2nd (On Foot Guides).

5 comments about The Time Travelers Academy (The Time Travelers Academy Series 1 of 6).

1. I do like time travel stories, but time travel plays a smaller part in the plot than I expected. Also, the author resorts to a few "deus ex machina" and, at times, the action reminds me of early Flash Gordon comics. Yet, the book is not bad and kept me reading till the end, unexpected twist after twist.



2. This book was not at all what I expected. It is not just another "star trek" sci fiction book. Dark, Complex, and Fun, this novel takes you on a journey that not only creates time travel but explains how it is possible. It is fiction, fantasy and physics all rolled into one. I loved it.



3. I enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to get into it. He had to set up the main characters so it was 1/3 into the book before it got really exiting. Now as for the technical stuff I did not totally get how the time machine traveled or how he could jump to Mars. That seemed a bit out there that's why 4 stars instead of 5. But I'd still recommend for someone to read how enjoys Science Fiction.



4. The idea was interesting, and I even liked the twist of how time works, though I didn't fully understand the explanation. Still, I am willing to suspend belief for a good read. However, the book got ridiculous near the end with impossible feats of superpowers that didn't enhance the story at all. There is suspending belief and just abandoning it all together. Not a good read for time travel book lovers.



5. A creative story, but I was distracted by the typos and occassional errors in plot. This appears to be a self-published book, and would have benefitted greatly by a good editor.

No comments about The 52 Most Romantic Dates in and Around New York City.

5 comments about Tea in the City: New York (Tea in the City).

1. This is the perfect guide to tuck in your handbag or pocket when going to New York City. Color coded maps tell you the tea spots available in each area of NYC. Daily hours, phone numbers, subway stops nearby, websites, decor, approximate costs, and description of teas and food are included. This will be in my handbag anytime I take a train into New York City.



2. What I really love about Tea in the City is the breadth and depth of Ms. Knight's profiles, especially when it comes to non-traditional tea rooms. This is the first guide I've seen that really makes an effort to incorporate the newer influx of modern East Asian tea destinations, rather than limiting itself to British and hotel teas (though these are here as well). Although I work in NYC, this guide may inspire me to try some new places in some neighborhoods I haven't visited in a while. I also find this guide more male-friendly than most tea books.



3. If you enjoy tea, why not take a tea trip in my hometown, New York? With this book, you can plan out everything. I have found the information provided by Ms. Knight to be accurate and have also learned a few interesting tidbits about tea culture. The excellent photos are worth noting as well. With more and more tea places popping up (and I've noticed a few recently), I hope they plan to put out updated editions. But this is by far the best tea guidebook I've seen, and a necessity for any tea lover who spends time in New York City.



4. I had slight sticker shock and hesitated to buy this book. In fact, when it arrived, I was a bit unhappy with the small size. Having perused this small tome (with a cuppa in hand, of course), I've come to realize that my reservations were in vain. What a great book for the tea lover! This guide is not only informative, but well written. I'll be reading it again and again, and I'm sure that many a happy afternoon will be spent in the City (and here in Brooklyn, too) thanks to Ms. Knight. The only downside is that the fifth NYC borough is not mentioned... sounds like a great opportunity for someone in Staten Island to rise to the occasion for a possible (and hoped for by this reader) 2008 edition.



5. We used this book on two recent trips to NYC as a guide book for planning 4 different afternoon teas. Excellent!