No comments about Guide to Catskill Trails (Forest Preserve, #8) (The Forest Preserve Series).

1 comments about 25 Bicycle Tours in the Hudson Valley: Scenic Rides from Saratoga to Northern Westchester County (25 Bicycle Tours Guide).

1. We bought the book and used is exclusively to prepare and conduct bicycle trips in the Hudson valley. The trip length and route layout suites the occasional to average trained cyclist. The routes are using mostly side roads which makes the trips safe and pleasant. The indication of the mileage for each step make sure than no turn or remarkable viewpoint is missed. The abstract that precedes the detailed description of each tour is a good help to pick a route for the day. We highly recommend the book to anyone who has a interest in cycling in the Hudson Valley. Hopefully there will be more cyclists in the future as this area is great to be explored and enjoyed from the bicycle.

1 comments about Insight Guide New York State (Insight Guides New York State).

1. This book has a lot of travel info. It also has some history in it. It's great for the people that would like to travel around NY state.

5 comments about The WPA Guide to New York City: The Federal Writers' Project Guide to 1930s New York (American Guide).

1. I'm writing a novel set in 1930s New York and for research purposes, this book is a great starting point. But as for simply sitting down and reading it all the way through, well, it's a bit dull. For a better sense of the sweep and drama of New York's history, try tracking down New York Panorama, also put out by the WPA around the same time.



2. Not for reading straight through, the guide is an amazing resource. Anybody living in or visiting New York regularly will be fascinated to look up their favourite (or least favourite) neighbourhoods to see what they were like in 1939. The maps are beautiful (the photos less interesting) and the text is elegantly and lyrically written.

   It's a bit of an archeological game at times, as you find that a few minor idiosyncracies in neighbourhoods today are the remnants of entire cultures and histories that used to thrive.

   The editors made the right decision to leave the text entirely alone.

   A perfect gift for anybody trying to make it in the Big Apple.




3. A facinating treasure trove of detailed and documented information on New York's neighborhoods. The bibliorgaphy is an invaluable but often neglected resource. Despite its extensive detail, the text is a facinating read.



4. This well written guide had intersting facts about this - the greatest city in the world. The majority of the buildings described are still standing. The descriptions of the city in 1939 are facinating to read. Well worth reading if you are planning to visit 21st century New York and a must for any New Yorker



5. This is a very good guide to New York City at the time it was originally written (1939). I must, however, rate it at only three stars for the following reason:
   
   I've seen the original in libraries, and said original contained, inside the back cover, a pocket with a detailed street map of New York City, and this map was NOT included in this reprint. From my own standpoint as a cartographer, this is inexcusable.
   
   Robert L. Sklar

5 comments about Crying with Cockroaches: Argentina to New York with Two Horses.

1. What struck me most about this book was the sheer fortitude, ingenuity, perserverance and luck that Marianne evoked. Her initial lack of knowledge about horses makes it even more remarkable that she completed the journey at all, much less with such grace and aplomb. The way she tackles her dream trip is an inspiration indeed. A unique read that is sure to keep you turning the pages and leave you wanting to hear more. What will she do next?



2. Crying with Cockroaches is a great read, and unbelievable in its scope of what one person (with a little help along the way) can accomplish. My husband and I had the good fortune of meeting Marianne during her trip, which only enriched the reading of her story. It's entertaining and compelling, a must read for those inspired by tales of triumph over adversity.



3. When you meet Marianne Du Toit she doesn't look crazy. She seems like a perfectly normal, charming and inteligent young woman. And then she starts telling you stories about her trip, and you start to wonder...
   
   Then you read her compelling narative and you have to wonder how this woman summoned the courage to take on such an incredible journey. She claims she had no idea how tough it would be and that seems as good an explanation as any. Thankfully, nobody suggested she climb Mt. Everest on roller skates.
   
   Her book is a wonderful tale of what the human spirit can accomplish with a healthy dose of determination and a little grass roots help along the way. Du Toit uses her equine adventure to enthrall and enlighten.



4. "Crying with Cockroaches" provides an interesting insight into an extraordinary journey of both personal and geographical achievements. Du Toit documents her trek with two horses in an honestly written account. The beautiful pictures help bring the story and the terrain of the Americas to life. Animal welfare is a predominant point and seems even more relevant as the relationship and co-dependency between Du Toit and her two Criollos develops. The story also uncovers the good and bad of human behaviour in a trip so unpredictable and dependent on the offerings of others. The most appealing aspect of this book however is in my opinion, the determination and perseverance of the writer who was focused in the pursuit of her dream. This is inspirational in view to the challenges she faced in a seemingly impossible journey. These messages will no doubt, be encouraging and motivational to any reader of this book. A highly recommended read to any adventure seeker or those in face of a challenge!



5. A friend suggested I get this book and I was sceptical at first as I have read only a very few, true-adventure stories that excited me. Crying with Cockroaches however had me mesmerized from the very start. I purchased the book in January and have read it cover to cover, twice already.
   
   The voice of the author is so clear and her honesty, humour and optimism transparent on every page. All I can say is get this book. It is an easy read, well-written, great photographs and an excellent example of what we all can accomplish with determination and a strong will. The author is truly likeable and also humble, despite having undertaken this magnificent journey on her own but for two equine companions. She did not even know much about riding but her love for horses and really all animals and her perseverance to make this happen, made her triumph at the end. You'll laugh and cry, be exhilarated and moved as you are swept through the Americas on this epic adventure.
   
   It's not a "horsey book" but just really a five-star read to be enjoyed by all ages.
   
   HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

4 comments about Park It! NYC: Complete Guide to Parking Garages, 2nd Edition.

1. The book is so well laid out and easy to follow. It made finding a garage near our appointment location super simple. The format also let us pick and choose which garage to use based on cost and safety. Additional features like extra charge for SUV and the full range of rates helped us also make a choice based on finances instead of guessing like in the past.



2. I am glad I have two of these books - one in my car and one in my apartment. I had a friend coming to visit with a car and because I forgot to look at the one in my car before I parked it, I got my apartment one out, researched the best choice based on location and price and found a great garage for him. This book is easy to use, well laid out and well worth the cost.



3. This book is a fantastic resource for anyone that drives in New York City. If you're sick of overpaying for parking and tired of wasting time circling the block looking for a space, you will be thrilled with this guide to all of the parking garages in New York City. Find the best deals and the most convenient spots near your destination and learn how to avoid getting ripped off.



4. I've had to park twice in Manhattan in the last month and saved 10 dollars both times by using Park It. It also helps knowing where you are going to park so you can drive straight there.

No comments about Niagara Falls: An Intimate Portrait.

5 comments about One Thousand New York Buildings.

1. Every once in a while I'll walk down a street of my busy city and spot a building that I'd never seen before, or, if I had seen it, never paid it much mind. But something about it--its age or its architecture--tells me that there's a story to be told about it. Judith Dupre, Bill Harris, and photographer Jorg Brockmann in their monumental book, "One Thousand New York Buildings", fill in the gaps left behind in the AIA books.
   
   There are hundreds of buildings that, for whatever reason, have escaped landmark status and/or the attention of New Yorkers. Although "One Thousand New York Buildings" does discuss the familiar structures, like the Empire State Building, the Woolworth Building, and Grand Central Station, it also devotes equal time to those that have been ignored or overlooked. What are those tiny, Colonial style houses on Harrison and Greenwich Streets? How old is that building at 2 White Street? Who lived in those somber buildings at 130-132 MacDougal Street? "One Thousand New York Buildings" answers these and hundreds of other questions. In this sense, this book is much like "New York Streetscapes: Tales of Manhattan's Significant Buidlings and Landmarks" by Christopher Gray and Suzanne Braley, in as much as it pays equal tribute to the famous and not so famous structures.
   
   One last note, this is a solidly put together book. The binding is sturdy, the paper thick and glossy, and the photos are clear and intriguing. It as well constructed as the buildings they pay homage to.



2. and come back and sit and look at this book.
   
   Bet you missed a lot on each street.
   
   Then go out again and do it all over.
   
   A real treat.



3. The title might have been 1,000 of the BEST buildings in New York City. No city in America, and few the world over, contain the mind-boggling ensemble of outstanding urban architecture, both historic and modern, as does New York City. This city is a national and world treasure, and all of Manhattan SHOULD be a UNESCO World Heritage site, but, alas... There's simply no comparison possible. This book is a survey of 1,000 outstanding structures in the city, properly chosen in my opinion, each including a black & white photograph and short descriptive essay. With so much wonderful material from which to choose, the book is a real feast of architectural goodness! Because it isn't as exhaustive as White & Willensky, it is more thorough in coverage of the selected buildings. It's well put together. Good buildings. Nice photography. Well written short essays. Covers the five boroughs well.
   
   America's peninsular cities; San Francisco, New York, Charleston and Boston also happen to contain the best architecture. Hmm...



4. I'll disregard the book's one glaring omission--Saarinen's TWA Terminal at JFK is not included--and give it a five. Well written.



5. This just might be the most awesome book about my hometown of NYC. The artwork is fabulous and this book is put together so well. Its shown me things I never saw. I think being a tourist in your own town is great.

1 comments about SoHo New York.

1. Steve Kahn has captured the essence of SoHO-the old the new, the chic the artsy. His photographics are crisp and inviting, imaginative and creative. I've been to SoHo many times but never viewed it through so many different angles. Bravo, Mr. Kahn. What a marvelous job!

No comments about New York's 100 Best Little Hotels 4th Edition (City and Company).