No comments about HAGSTROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK POCKET ATLAS.

5 comments about Gerry Frank's Where to Find It, Buy It, Eat It in New York: 2004-2005 Edition (Gerry Frank's Where to Find It, Buy It, Eat It in New York (Regular Edition)).

1. I purchased the 2006-2007 edition of the book and am shocked to discover that it still includes New York's Finest French Cleaners & Tailors, three gnerations of the same family operating this quality business. The author hasn't bothered to update this edition. The business was sold to Orientals 2 years ago and service is no longer acceptable. The author has absolutely no credibility with regard to anything else listed in the book. I could list many more entries that are invalid. I guess all he does is slap a new cover on the book. This tells you all you need to know about the reliability of this guide - and the ethics of its author.



2. fantastic book for anyone visiting or living in NYC. the only drawbacks are (1) the absence of any subway map and (2) use of the index to refer back to specific items in the book itself i,e, it's all in there, you just have to work to find it.



3. The 'List by Item' at the front of the store and restaurant chapters is invaluable. The boxed tidbits make this guide book easier and more enjoyable to read. With the changing of NYC the author's suggestion of calling a business before a visit sure makes sense.



4. We bought an early edition of this book, and have found it wanting. Yes, there were some good shopping recommendations. But the ratings for restaurants and many other points of interest are just not that good.
   
   The Blue Guide to New York is a much better bet, for my money, particularly given the book's inclusion of establishments long closed--or destroyed by terrorists.



5. Gerry Frank is a local boy (Portland, OR) and keeps us informed about where to go in Oregon, but he also knows "all the right stuff" about New York. He is definitely a man to follow when it comes to finding a great restaurant and more.

2 comments about Letters from Russia (New York Review Books Classics).

1. The great classic work of Imperial Russia from a French Aristocrat who ultimately finds Russian Autocracy too much to take. Wordy, opinionated, and not very in depth, an essayist after the French style, Custine's letters are nevertheless invaluable to a student of Russia history or anyone who simply wants to understand imperial Russia. His description of St. Petersburg and Moscow, his personal meeting with Tsar Nicholas I, make it well worth it. While I don't agree with the idea that the Soviet period was simply an extension of Tsarist Russia, one nevertheless gets an idea of what Russia under Nicholas was like, and how the Revolutionaries gained a hearing in this atmosphere. Most importantly, its small enough to curl up in bed with!



2. "Letters from Russia" is a remarkable travelogue by Adolphe De Custine - a somewhat haughty Frenchman - who travelled to Imperial Russia in the middle of the 19th century.
   
   De Custine himself was the descendant of aristocrats - his father and grandfather were both executed during the Terror in the aftermath of the French Revolution. De Custine was certainly convinced of the superiority of the aristocracy and Catholicism but was not taken with the Russian incarnation of these institutions.
   
   What makes this book so interesting is De Custine's incredibly perceptive comment on the Russian psyche, which so easily explains how Russia could move from the tyranny of the all-knowing, all-powerful Tsar to the totalitarianism of the Communist regime.
   
   De Custine writes in a florid, sentimental style, typical of the age, which makes this long book somewhat heavy going. However, there are plenty of zingers along the way and many beautiful descriptions of the Russian landscape to keep the reader entertained.
   
   Probably not recommended to the average reader, but for students of Russian history this is certainly a "must-read".

2 comments about Take a Paddle: Western New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks (Take a Paddle).

1. Take A Paddle: Western New York Quiet Water For Canoes & Kayaks is a comprehensive, superbly presented, specialized guide for canoe and kayaking enthusiasts. Detailing multiple launch and take-out sites; identifying waterway difficulty levels; providing approximate times to paddle from one point to another; noting amenities and fun diversions suitable for families with children; showing where to camp; what the best season for paddling each waterway; even where to rent canoes or kayaks or find commercial shuttle services, Take A Paddle: Western new York Quite Water For Canoes Kayaks covers more than 250 miles of flat-water creeks and rivers, as well as 20 ponds and lakes. Included are Livingston, Monroe, Steuben, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Erie, Chautauqua, Genesee, Orleans, and Niagara counties.



2. My wife and I bought this book and our canoe in the same week.
   Coincidence? I don't think so. This book overs families a great chance to get outside and share time together.
   The rating system is outstanding and the directions are great.
   This is the type of book that screams out for a second volumn I would gladly volunteer to be a guest contributor should the authors ever decide to do a second volumn.

2 comments about Fort Ticonderoga (NY) (Postcard History).

1. An intersting read, i never imagined that someone could write such a precise history of the transformation of postcards of Ft. Ticonderoga. Mr. Crego documents sites at the Fort that no longer exist, this book filled in what i missed when visiting the fort.



2. Mr. Crego writes eloquently about a subject near and dear to my family's heart. My great-grandparents and great-great-grandfather reconstructed Fort Ticonderoga and it has been a part of my family since 1820. We agree that Mr. Crego's book is by far the most carefully and accurately researched in many years and even breaks significant new ground as being the first to systematically explore the reconstruction beginning in 1909.
   
   Kudos!
   
   Robert Pell-deChame

No comments about MapEasy's Guidemap to Manhattan Cultural (Regional Guidemaps).

2 comments about Mobil Travel Guide 2000 Northeast: Connecticut, Maine,Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, ... Guide New England (Ct, Me, Ma, Nh, Ri, Vt)).

1. I highly recommend this guide to anyone who will be traveling in the Northeast as well as Canada. This guide gives you everything from upcoming events for the year to where to stay & eat. The maps are easy to read and follow. I have been a reader of the Mobil Guide for many years and it is continuing to give the most accurate, up-to-date travel information. This is the MUST-HAVE for the Northeast traveler.



2. The book gives a good overview of the areas with many addresses. Anyhow I found it a bit too black and white. It gives useful maps, but no coloured pictures from the areas, which would make it a bit more pleasant to read.

5 comments about Veronica.

1. If you're looking for a wild ride of time/space/dimension travel, this ones hard to beat! Beautifully written, near flawless in conception, this book journeys through Elizabethan England (with Sir Walter Raleigh at his death), Lower Manhattan, the entire Empire State Bulding, Tibetan myth and magic, an unknown South American island, and some of the most bizarre characters you'll ever run into, including the fellow whose life revolves aroung the number "8"! Give this whrlwind adventure through magical and fantastical Gotham (and lots of the universe), and you'll have a thrill-filled ride!



2. ......A Winter's Tale, not by half! Another reviewer compared the two, and it moved me enough to write this. I'm also a fan of John Fowles, and again, this work just isn't comparable. It can be an enjoyable read if you allow it its quirks, but I do agree with those frustrated by the gratuitous symbolism, predictable plot and cardboard characters. Often times, it felt as though the author was trying to appeal to the LA set interested in a special effects movie.



3. You think that magical realism only happens in South America or in Paul Auster novels? Think again. A chance meeting on a snowy street in Manhattan draws our hero Leo into a world he never knew existed. Nicholas Christopher is an author to be treasured. Besides VERONICA, he has also penned A TRIP TO THE STARS, wondrous poetry and the best book on film noir ever written (SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT). Give this novel to your beloved and watch as he/she begins falls into the mystery at its heart. An unforgettable read, fascinating and arcane. Magic is all around us, wonder everywhere. You just have to know where to look for it...



4. If you live in NYC, will live in NYC, or have lived in NYC you will appreciate Mr. Christopher's painted scenarios of this book, since a lot of it takes place right on Waverly Pl.
   This book is more then magical , it's a portal to a different realm not only because it talks about portals and such, but because it's sure to wrap you up in it and not let you go...



5. I first found this book in a bargain bin about 10 years ago, and my memory of it was that it was atmospheric and thought-provoking. After losing the book I spent years looking for a replacement in 2nd-hand shops and finally decided to buy it from Amazon. It is absolutely as good as I remember it. Very esoteric, mind-bending, mysterious, romantic and exciting!

No comments about BlackBook Guide to New York 2008 (BlackBook Guide series).

4 comments about Greetings From The Finger Lakes: A Food And Wine Lover's Companion.

1. This book was very useful to have on vacation -- his restaurant reviews were a big help in terms of types of cuisine available and the winery reviews were very specific about what types of wines they produce and what he liked when he went tasting. It was also nice to know how formal restaurants were before you went.



2. I live in the Central New York region just east of the Finger Lakes. I work with people who live in the region and I road trip quite a bit in the area when the weather warms up, so I have a "mile-wide and an inch deep" knowledge of the area.
   
   I consider this book a "lite" travel guide because it doesn't cover much of what's in the area, but it covers what it does in great depth. It focuses on what the cover says, and nothing more. It doesn't cover many eateries outside of the population centers, and skips a lot of the "hole in the wall" restaurants, diners, and stands that offer great food but are a bit off the beaten path.
   
   If you want to focus on wineries and want some in depth knowledge about thoose wineries this is the book. Beyond that you will need to look elsewhere for information.



3. This is a great insider's guide to the wineries and restaurants of the Finger Lakes regions. Other books give better background on the varieties of grapes and other local attractions, but this one is the tops in terms of covering the wineries and restaurants.
   
   The restaurant recommendations are great and give you an idea of the menu and entree offerings. The winery listings give profiles of the winery owners with entertaining "back stories" -- all very helpful when you are planning your itinerary.
   
   Very easy to slip into your suitcase or backpack.
   
   I give this book a five-grape rating!



4. This book does a nice job of highlighting many of the wineries, hotels, restaurants etc. in the finger lakes region. However, it does not give specific recommendations about which places to visit (as does other guidebooks), which is what I find useful about travel guides. I would save your money and just do some online research through a site like travelocity... you will get the kind of information that will truly make your visit more enjoyable and affordable.