No comments about Fodor's Bermuda 2008 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

5 comments about Streetwise Downtown Chicago Map - Laminated Street Map of Downtown Chicago, Illinois - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated CTA lines & stations (Streetwise).

1. Not as detailed as the other Streetwise maps I have purchased at Barnes and Noble. I wasn't aware there were too standards.



2. We referred to the map and found our way around the downtown area! Very useful!



3. I hate maps but they are a necessary evil. This is the prince of maps. When I was apartment hunting I had everyone looking at this thing before days end ;) Its great and really easy to use. I love th4e index and the color coding. This is one map you will actually get your money's worth out of.



4. This map is absolutely worthless; it really only deserves a half-star because it's laminated. The downtown core - as in the Loop - is the only area covered in detail. It doesn't even show any of the cultural attractions south of the Lakeshore, which means no Field Museum, no Shedd Aquarium, no Adler Planetarium... Worthless.



5. received item in a timely fashion in proper shipping. Thought it would be a book but was a laminated pamphlet. That could be my own fault though. Thanks!

2 comments about Streetwise Boston Map - Laminated City Street Map of Boston, Massachusetts - with integrated trolley lines & MBTA subway map.

1. Admittedly, that's all these maps are supposed to be for, but still, given the importance of Cambridge to the greater Boston area, a bit more effort might have been made to squeeze in more of it - at least up to Harvard Square. That's a fairly minor quibble, though, and this map shows the usual Streetwise quality in all other respects. The colors of the MBTA subway lines on the map aren't quite right, but they're close enough for government work, and the street index is its usual indispensible self. If you're coming to Boston, snag one of these - they're much hardier than paper maps, and very clear.



2. The print on this map is just way too small for over-40 eyes! So if you're in that age group...forget this map.

5 comments about The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition).

1. I recently took a college class about the hidden history of the West--and it was a great class, one of the best ever--but one of the books we read in there was all about the Native American perspective of the Lewis and Clark expedition and while it was interesting to hear that take on the subject, I couldn't have been more at odds with the discussion that followed, most of which had to do with the low characters of the men of the expedition, the subversive agenda behind it all, and the thought that the world would have been a better place if the entire undertaking had never taken place.
   That's because, to me, there has never been anything cooler than the Corps of Discovery, than the journey West, than Lewis and Clark and their whole ragged crew.
   Actually, I take that back: the journals they kept...those are even cooler.
   From Lewis's insightful reflections, to Clark's lyrical descriptions, to their hilariously bad attempts at spelling, to the thought of moving unknowing into America at its most pristine, these journals have it all. This is the quintessential American adventure story, an amazing account of men against the unknown. This edited collection of the journals, well-compiled by Bernard DeVoto, is one of the greatest things I have ever read, and ever since reading it, I have had an undeniable love for Lewis and Clark, and for their expedition.
   Words fail me, but they didn't fail these guys, because here is the West of 1803, vividly rendered for us all to see today. When I first read these in 1999, they convinced me to move into the wild, onto the water, and I spent seven months afterward living out of a canoe...keeping a journal of my own.
   If you haven't read these journals, do yourself a favor, and do so now: read them. DeVoto has already made it easy for you, by picking out all the most interesting parts, and by putting them in context with a well-written introduction. You need this book, and you may not even know it.



2. This work has been edited for the general reader. Many entries have been considerably shortened in the hope of gaining a wider public. For the most part only the highlights are kept, being the actual journal in its full version is so extensive. Most of the original punctuation's and spellings are kept (this gives it a feel of nostalgia). There is repetition. But this, I would think would be impossible to overcome. DeVoto has "produced a straight forward text which could be read without distraction".
   
   The introduction is lengthy; discussed are: the importance of the Louisiana Purchase; the history and purpose leading up to the exploration; earlier expeditions, such as Thompsons' and Mckenzies'; and Lewis' and Clark's background. This was said of these two great men: "The two agreed and worked together with a mutuality unknown elsewhere in the history of exploration and rare in any kind of human association", and "Ingenuity and resourcefulness [by Lewis and Clark] in the field are so continuous that a casual reader may not notice them".
   
   Each chapter is identified by the author whose journal it is taken from, such as Lewis, Clark, Biddle, Orduray, and others. The journal writings have been left as original, giving it that early America mystique. On the 14th of May, 1804, 32 men embark in search of a trade route from the Atlantic to the Pacific:
   
   Dangers lurk around every curve. Indian, grizzly, and immense animal herd encounters are prevalent throughout the journey. To think of the rich bounty contained in the wilderness of the past is beyond comprehension. With leadership that is both strong and wise, Lewis and Clark take this large party of men on a blind epic journey. And on looking back, it was relatively safe. The treatment of the Natives is to be commended, even though many tribes were untrustworthy and warring to other Nations. Trade with the Indians was essential if they were to survive. Also recorded were observations and behaviors of the different tribes. A few of these tribes possessed a huge wealth in horses. Lewis and Clark's party purchased these horses both for traveling overland (which I was never aware) and for food. They did not seem to be displeased with eating horse-meat, dog or roots, which they bought and traded for. The days spent on the Pacific coast were to be the most miserable. The medical remedies used were almost comical; some that were proved beneficial have since been lost through time. The journey ends over 28 months later on the 25th of September, 1806.
   
   I don't know if we can understand completely, how important this expedition was for our country. The undertaking involved in putting this book together from the hundreds of pages of numerous journals is truly amazing. And finally: Appendix I contains Jefferson's instructions; Appendix II is the personnel (32+); and appendix III is the list of specimens brought back.
   
   Wish you well
   Scott



3. I would use one word to characterize this work: Timeless. To relive the great expedition through the words of Lewis and Clark themselves is a fantastic experience. I think that most people who enjoy American history will love this book. People who are not inclined to read or enjoy historical non-fiction might find it tedious (such as students forced to do so for class assignments), as it is long and detailed.
   
   I previously read Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" (which itself is excellent), which contains many passages from these journals, but the journals themselves are unsurpassed.



4. I read books in a wide variety of topics. I decided to read about Lewis and Clark because I felt I just did not know enough about it and I felt that I should. When I received the book, I opened it and was fearful that I made a mistake because it was made up of journal entries, day by day in Lewis and Clark's own words. I started reading and I found myself immmediately engrossed in the story. I mean immediately. You can read the letter from Jefferson containing the instructions and mission of the expedition- just fascinating. Then you get the story of the expedition, day by day, straight from the horses' mouth. I could not put this book down. I could not stop talking about it. I used Google Earth (so cool!!!) to follow the Missouri River into the Rockies, across the mountains, finally to the Columbia to the Pacific and then back. Canoeing up rivers, down rivers, fighting bears, trading and smoking with indians, fighting with some indians, at times overheated, at times freezing. Surving on the land with strategy and forethought. I learn an incredible amount of information about that time in our country's history. I was blown away. And the greatest part, I had to keep reminding myself of, is that it was absent all of the politically corrected revisionism we read today. This story is straight from them. They are sitting down at night and recording what they experienced in 1804 (05-06). Those notes are delivered to you via an author Bernard Devoto who uses only the most relevant parts of the journals (leaves out the volumes of strict scientific research data). Then, when he has to make the occasion insertion of a letter or two to make sure a misspelled word is not misinterpreted, he gives very clear instruction on how he has denoted the change. He also, upon occasion will give a summary of events, or a note of interest.
   The end result is a splendid story, rich in historical information, written by the men who lived it, about one of the most important events in our country's history. I leave you with this excerpt, logged Sunday August 18th, 1805 by a man who is in the middle of the American West, where no white man has tread before, trading and smoking with Indians, shooting bear and deer to survive, canoeing upriver for 2000 miles;
   "This day I completed my thirty first year, and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half the period which I am to remain in this subluminary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little indeed, to further the happiness of the human race or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence..."



5. I am not an accomplished reader so it has to really hold my attention to finish a book. This book is written exactly from L&C's journals. Lots of mispelled words and some confusion. Sometimes hard to follow. Sometimes the minute details are a bit much. They don't really expound on things. I guess what they go through on a day to day basis is somewhat mundane at times. Overall a decent read IMO...I wouldn't get it again if I knew what I know now. Oh well. Enjoy!

3 comments about Streetwise Seattle Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Seattle, Washington - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated monorail & streetcar lines & stations (Streetwise).

1. Before heading into Seattle as an intern this summer, I bought a few foldable maps - each with different strengths and weaknesses. By the end of the summer, the only map living in the front seat of my MINI Cooper was this one. I love it because the streets are clearly labeled. I love it because it shows some of the surrounding neighborhoods, not just the main downtown area. And most of all, I love it because it shows the on and offramps for the freeway. How many times have you hit a bizarre interchange and not known what lane to be in, or been stuck in a maze of one-way streets? This map is absolutely the clearest at indicating directionality of streets, and that's a good thing because Seattle is a pretty messy city to get around in by car.
   
   Combine this map with one of the bound King/Pierce/Snohomish County "map books" that are sold at most big box stores in the metro area with detailed grid maps of the entire area, and you'll never get lost. Highly recommended!



2. Covers the subject well but far from completly. Handy to carry because it is a small book. Nice color illustrations. Points of interest chosen would sit well with people in their 20's but no so well with people in their 60's



3. Only half the size of a regular map, for twice the price. The lamination and mini pictures of buildings don't make up for the disappointment I felt when I received my map in the mail. I'm sure it will prove useful, but in a much smaller area than it should or could be useful.

5 comments about 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways North America.

1. As a former resident of San Diego, I can name the two most touristy, and therefore useless, shopping venues in the city. And yet, these are the exact two places the author lists in the "shopping" category of the San Diego section. These are places that the tourist buses unload, food prices are jacked up, and the stores hold the same useless "made in China" knicknacks that you can get anywhere in America. Had the author done some research, she would have steered you to Cedros Design District in Solana Beach, home of SOLO and Zinc Cafe, or at least, for those looking for more traditional shopping, to Fashion Valley. When I go to another city to go shopping, I'm looking for something a little different, something I can't find just anywhere. This particular listing in the book makes me doubt the usefulness of the rest of it!



2. This is an interesting and informative book. If you need a girlfriend's getaway, you are sure to find the perfect place. I especially like the breakdown of places to go, see, visit, eat, etc. You won't be disappointed in this purchase.



3. I bought this for my mom and she's found some really great things to do with her gal pals in it...I think I'll borrow it eventually.



4. The book is well written, and organized to help make travel planning easy. Haven't traveled yet to rate the experience, but loaded with great ideas!



5. This book is chock full of wonderful suggestions for time away for bonding with your best girlfriends. When I bought the book, I found that I had already covered about fifteen of the trips with one friend or another, so I can attest to the suggestions' being right on the mark. It's given me some great ideas for future getaways. Marybeth Bond knows what things are important to a group of women who want to eat, drink, tour, shop, and enjoy new and exciting (but safe) places -- and know that these things are often best experienced in the company of your good friends. She also recognizes that sometimes you want to embrace nature, sometimes you want retail therapy, and other times you want to just relax and be pampered. She has suggestions, well researched (she must have had a lot of fun researching this book!), for every preference. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Streetwise San Francisco Map - Laminated City Street Map of San Francisco, California - with integrated BART map including lines and stations - MUNI lines, bus routes.

1. I live in SF and am so dependent on these maps that we have two copies in our household. I have one older copy, which doesn't have a BART map, but still was good enough to cause dependence. This new version with the BART map and the topographical coloring is even better! If you're going to be a tourist, this is much more detail than you'll need and you won't have to worry about crinkling and tearing as with other maps because of the hard paper and lamination.



2. Crams a lot of the city into a small, durable, portable map. It was even useful on the freeway.



3. great map to quickly find your way around SF and to avoid you admitting you're totally lost. And being plastic, it can play with water (it rains seomtimes in SF...) and will not tear, whatever your level of frustration is.



4. I have a few of these for various cities and they are all very good and great for residents, new residents or even vacations or as a gift for someone moving to a new place.



5. These "streetwise" laminated maps are the best there is to get you around any city. Walking OR driving. We wore this one out on our recent trip to San Francisco.

5 comments about Streetwise Washington, DC Map - Laminated City Street Map of Washington, DC.

1. This map was a great help when we were in DC - the detail was fantastic and it was easy to tote around. The enlarged detail for the national mall was extremely helpful
   
   one small detraction - the print is small - so be warned



2. When I moved to DC I had only been there one additional time, my job interview! My friends got me a guide book for moving to DC and this map. It saved my life the first trip to DC on a weekend, and it helped me explore great dining since I knew how far it was to walk or Metro. I love this map so much I know have one for most cities I visit, like Manhattan!



3. Map is extremely small and difficult to read. It did help but, it was not easy to use, especially while driving when information is needed rapidly.



4. This was the best source for helping us maneuver through the maze of buildings, monuments, and memorials in Washington, DC. The map is very functional. Flip it one way and you see the Metro, flip it another way you see the mall, still another and you have a DC area map. Since it's laminated, I kept it in my pocket while walking around and didn't worry about it getting sweaty or damaged. I really like the detailed names of the buildings and monuments near and around the national mall. Metro stops and streets are well marked. The next best thing to GPS.



5. We used this guide everyday of our trip to Washington, DC. The subway guide was especially useful. I never felt lost, and didn't waste any time trying to figure out where to go. It was such an important thing to have each day, we double checked each time we left the hotel to make sure we had it. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States, 5th Ed. (National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States).

1. Very informative, very useful, good size for carrying it around,
   great book.



2. Es una guia fantastica, para recorrer los parques nacionales de EEUU y disfrutar al maximo lo que ofrecen.



3. Good book of national parks. Good practical information for the short term visitor (how many people have the vacation time to spend 2 weeks anywhere? not many i think) which is welcome to see. I'd recommend this book if you'd like to get a feel for where you'd like to go, what you might see when you're there and where you might stay. Once you've figured that out you might do well looking elsewhere for some detailed information, but for the casual visitor the basic information (10 - 20 pages per park) is great. I'd recommend this book if you're either someone who's like to visit a few parks or someone who's trying to work out which park to go, or someone who'd just like to flick through to see if there's something you hadn't considered before.



4. Totally awesome guide that rolls through the U.S. geologic areas and the parks occupied within. Nice 5-10 page look at each park, great photos, plenty of details regarding attractions, square miles, trails, fees, etc.
   Also includes historical details, geologic history, animals and habitat, tips on high traffic vs. low traffic tourist spots, etc. Wonderful book!



5. This book includes all the national parks in the United States (as of mid-2008). Note that there are a few non-traditional parks in the system such as Hot Springs, which nonetheless get the same treatment. It even has the national parks in US territories (i.e., outside the 50 states), although the park for American Samoa barely gets two pages.
   
   All in all, the guide is pretty good at giving you overviews of each park, with maps and information on each. It tells you usually what the main things to do in the park are and what you can do in a day or more. It is not a substitute for making your own plans, though, so do not rely on it completely. Someone suggested that web information is lacking, which is true, but it might be better to rely on the parks' web sites for up-to-date web information anyway.
   
   There are also excursions listed for many, but not all, parks. This makes sense because some NPs are close enough to each other that you'd be listing the same excursions. I would note that the distance to excursions varies greatly. I also wish they weren't so skewed in favor of national forests and wildlife refuges (not much emphasis on state parks), but these are nice to have.
   
   I would finally note that sites such as national lakeshores, seashores, preserves and monuments that would be of interest to readers of this book are not covered as it only covers national parks. Some of these are covered in a one-paragraph excursion description, but because this is a book on the parks that is all they get. My point is that there are many places in the US designated as other than national park that are worth visits, and to find out more about those you'll have to look elsewhere.

5 comments about A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World.

1. Some of my favorite books are those in which the authors recreate historical voyages. Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki and Ra journeys, Colin Tubrin's pilgrimage along the Silk Road, Dayton Duncan's re-tracing the Lewis & Clark path: I love reading that stuff. And now Tony Horwitz has contributed to the genre with his A Voyage Long and Strange, a book in which he "roams the annals of early America" (p. 7). Readers who remember his Confederates in the Attic can well imagine the insight with which Horwitz explores the history of the New World's discovery and the wry sense of humor he brings to his personal rediscovery of ancient routes.
   
   Horwitz set out to explore all the points in the New World "discovered" and described by early explorers. Focusing on the three categories (that frequently, in reality, overlapped) of discovery, conquest, and settlement, Horwitz narrates the history of, for example, Coronado's search for the Cities of Gold (pp. 134-164) or the settlement of Roanoke's "lost colony" (pp. 293-325), and interweaves in the narration accounts of his own travels over Coronado's route and his exploration of the Carolina peninsula where the lost colony once flourished. The mixture makes for exciting reading, lending a contemporary vitality to the historical descriptions.
   
   I was especially intrigued by Horwitz's account of the Spanish exploration of the New World (chapters 5-9). It's as good a short account of the conquest of the southeastern coastal regions, the southwestern deserts, and the plains west of the Mississippi, as any I know. Chapter 9, which deals with de Soto's rather aimless trek north of what today is Louisiana into Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas--which Horwitz describes as "wandering blind, deaf, and mute in the middle of the continent" (p. 255)--is particularly interesting.* It really does underscore just how much of a leap into the unknown the early visitors to the New World were making.
   
   All in all, an interesting read with a good bibliography and several helpful maps. Highly recommended.
   ________
   * While trying to recreate de Soto's confused ramblings, Horowitz makes his way to Arkansas City, where he's been told he'll find de Soto's coffin. But Horwitz discovers he's been on a wild goose chase. As a city elder tells him, "Young man, I do believe you've been led on. Just like those Spanish, always chasing their gold" (p. 259). In more ways than one, then, Horwitz walked in the early explorers' shoes.



2. Who could have guessed that history (and current events) could be so much fun. Horwitz, whose previous triumphs have included books about Civil War reenactments, travels in the Middle East, and a retracing of Captain Cook's voyages in the South Pacific, turns his gimlet eye on the first European forays into the New World. "Washing up" in Plymouth, Massachusetts one day on a New England road trip, he buys a beer at the Myles Standish Liquor store, beds down at the William Bradford inn, and then mocks (in his mind) the clueless tourists at Plymouth Rock. But as he mulls over his experience, he realizes how little (even as a history major) he knows about the origins of the land that became America. The rest, as they say, is history, and history of a most witty and enlightening kind. Who knew, for instance, that Juan Ponce de Leon came to Florida looking for gold and slaves like everyone else, and not for the Fountain of Youth? or that the man for whom the DeSoto touring car was named was a butcher of unequaled savagery? The first feast in the New World that might appropriately be called Thanksgiving took place in St. Augustine and probably consisted of a stew of salt pork and garbanzo beans. (And there is some contention between Floridians and "the powdered wig" states over who should get credit for the national holiday.) A Voyage Long and Strange is a ball of laughs and a veil of tears--the offhand executions of women and children play out in the same text as deliberations upon whether moose is kosher and whether one should ride the "Trolley of the Doomed" in St. Tourist Trap, Florida. Horwitz goofs some stuff up--he thinks Mormons believe themselves to be descendants of the Nephites--but on the whole this is a fascinating, impossible-to-put-down look at where we came from and what we have become.



3. When a history book describes Plymouth Rock as looking like a "fossilized potato" and Florida's capitol building as "The Big D...," you know you're in for something unusual. Having gone to college in Tallahassee, I can attest to the reasons for the capitol's nickname -- its "towering shaft flanked by gonadlike domes," as author Tony Horwitz puts it. He writes with equal wit throughout "A Voyage Long and Strange," a smart, funny book that skewers traditional views of our nation's past. I couldn't put it down.
   
   The book explores the lusty, violent period in American history between Columbus and Jamestown. Horwitz embarks on a journey of his own, exploring the modern-day places where our country began. Along the way he uncovers some strange truths -- Columbus never saw or set foot on any land that became U.S. soil; Pocahontas was only 10 years old when she met John Smith and they were never romantic; Ponce de Leon was looking not for the Fountain of Youth but rather gold, just like so many others. The overall picture is cruel, hilarious, messy, unfair and always fascinating.
   
   Over a dozen maps and many historical black and white illustrations are scattered through the book.
   
   Here's the chapter list:
   
   Part 1: Discovery
   1. Vinland: First contact
   2. 1492: The hidden half of the globe
   3. Santo Domingo: The Columbus jinx
   4. Dominican Republic: You think there are still Indians?
   
   Part II: Conquest
   5. The Gulf Coast: Naked in the New World
   6. The Southwest: To the Seven Cities of Stone
   7. The Plains: Sea of grass
   8. The South: De Soto does Dixie
   9. The Mississippi: Conquistador's last stand
   
   Part III: Settlement
   10. Florida: Fountain of youth, river of blood
   11. Roanoke: Lost in the lost colony
   12. Jamestown: The captain and the naturals
   13. Plymouth: A tale of two rocks



4. Another interesting book historical travelogue by Horwitz as he looks and resteps the paths of the early explorers and settlers of America and looks at what the sites are like today. Horwitz's starts each subject with readable, well researched historical summaries as he personally visits the sites and attempts to accurately follow their trail in the present day world and while trying to solve the mysteries along the way. What is unique about Horwitz is that he interviews local historians, park rangers, qualified historians and authorities on the subject including the local folk who have their own insight and opinions, adding the local flavor. That's the attraction of Horwitz's style, he gives you the interesting history and its controversies with a touch of humor as he also meets some interesting characters while running into some unique situations. And he dosen't just see the easy tourist stop such as when he went looking for the remains of an Indian village he unexpectedly ends up in a swamp, requiring a hasty retreat. He gets the real history and quite often the local legends are challenged, most aggressively in historical St. Augustine where the alleged fountain of youth is peddled right next to authentic historical sites. The author starts with an initially under whelmed visit to Plymouth Rock that has been suggested as the historical start of America but he then follows the first paths of all the known first Europeans to make it to American from the Vikings in Newfoundland, Columbus, Conquistadors (from Cortez, Desoto to Ponce de Leon), the French in Florida, the Spanish in St. Augustine, the late coming English in Roanoke Island, Jamestown and Plymouth Rock returning again where his travels started. Following the conquistadors seems the most trying aside the Columbus and the heat in the Caribbean, but you will find Horwitz's travels quite interesting particularly if you not only enjoy history but also actually standing on sites of historical significance, regardless what urban development has done in the present. Fortunately, much of the country that Horwitz encounters is either remote or reasonably protected. I particularly enjoyed reading of the extended travels of Desoto who continued to chase the dream of gold that he could never find, for four years! Exploring endless unknown interior of America while his troop strength eroded and his forcefulness with the Native Americans became weaker and more aggressively challenged until he becomes the victim. Horwitz provides appropriate attention to the most depressing aspect of American history, the harsh treatment of Native Americans that seems most severe by the Conquistadors but it reoccurs with the English settlers as well. The exposure of the white man's diseases to the natives and its devastating impact is astonishing virtually eliminating complete tribes literally easing the Pilgrim's ability to settle in pre-cleared Indian lands. The failed Roanoke colony's abandonment is fascinating as always but many other early soldiers, slaves, hunter and etc. were left behind with no knowledge of what happened to them as well and the author tells you about them. Aside from the history summarized or seen first hand, Horwitz provides nicely detailed descriptions of the towns and people he meets, the various places he stays, that obviously vary in quality, even a sweat lodge in Newfoundland that almost does him in. Entertaining and quite frequently Horwitz's rye sense of humor and observations give you a chuckle. In closing, his references are nicely detailed so if a subject fascinates you, you have the resource to read more. With his references, I found an excellent book, the right book, on Desoto's relentess and devastating exploration.



5. I have been waiting for this book and I wasn't disappointed. Tony Horwitz has an uncanny ability to make history fun! I plan on sending this book to friends and family who still believe the many myths of history. Keep up the good work, Tony!