No comments about Cowpens Battlefield: A Walking Guide.

2 comments about Michelin 2006 Road Atlas: USA-Canada-Mexico (Michelin Road Atlas).

1. Living in the UK I have travelled tens of thousands of miles across Europe during the past 30 years or more, always using Michelin road atlases. When it came to a two month, 6000 mile plus driving vacation in the USA covering 9 states, I was delighted to discover that one was available for there. True to form the Michelin atlas didn't let me down.I also had a Rand McNally road atlas which I rarely used. Michelin knocks spots off Rand McNally. The maps are more clearly set out, easier to read and flow from page to page. When you are crossing a state line, which I did many times, you do not have to jump to another part of the atlas to find maps of the new state. The atlas can also be used in conjunction with the Michelin Guides to the USA which again are unbeatable with perhaps the exception of those by Dorning Kingsley.



2. This little map book has put me back on track several times, a good quick reference in a compact book.

No comments about The Best of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A Hiker's Guide to Trails and Attractions (Tag-Along Books).

1 comments about Desert Memories: Journeys Through the Chilean North (Directions).

1. I've lived in Chile and I've lived in the desert (but not Chile's Norte Grande). Ariel Dorfman writes very compellingly about the many complex aspects of desert life - the mining-based economy, the range of people who come from elsewhere, the relation of the desert as "periphery" to those "other places" who live off its wealth. Also he does justice to the desert's beauty, native peoples, transportation systems. He involves himself in the narrative, almost Woody-Allen style at times, but this book isn't in the British travel narrative mode of "here are all the awful things that happened to me." Rather, it's a story of extraordinary people and places - world-class scientists, grass-roots activists, byzantine networks of in-laws (few Chilean memoirs would be complete, lacking these!). It's a measure of this gifted writer's absolute skill that he has so many funny moments, and fine descriptions of the desert's landscape, and the pathos of people working to reclaim the ghost towns of the mining industry, all in one book. One of the book's most moving moments, for me, is the chapter that ends with the narrator observing of one town citizen who'd returned to a reclaimed ghost town, that there was no need to ask if he'd kept the key to the house he'd been forced to leave thirty years earlier.

   The title is absolutely right: memory and time are crucial to the desert. In writing of Chile, one of the most complicated and interesting country of the world, Dorfman brings with him his experience, contacts, broad awareness of this land. The narrative is beautifully structured, too. Dorfman, in all, is getting better and better with time. There are many wonderful books about Chile's extraordinary history, its many-layered social class structure, its heart-breakingly beautiful geography. The field of social and ecological memoirs/travelogues about Chile is a very crowded one, with some top-notch writers (think Darwin, just for starters...). Desert Memories is one of the best books there is for anyone considering a trip to this country.

No comments about American/Canadian B and B Dir. 2002-2003 (Annual Directory of American and Canadian Bed and Breakfasts).

No comments about Lewis & Clark: Legacies, Memories, and New Perspectives.

1 comments about Where the Animals Are: A Guide to the Best Zoos, Aquariums, and Wildlife Attractions in North America.

1. Tim O'Brien has written a wonderful informative and easy to use reference book about the best zoos, aquariums and wildlife sanctuaries in the U.S. Listed by state, each entry includes information on hours of operation, location, special exibits, admission prices and other nearby attractions. There are over 200 places reviewed, each unique and Mr. O'Brien lets you know what to see and what to miss. This guide can be used by both children and adults to find great animals all over the United States. We use it extentsively and it is a joy to read. I can only hope that it comes back in print for everyone to see.

No comments about Guía completa de Chicago (guía turística).

5 comments about Streetwise Los Angeles (Streetwise).

1. This map of LA includes detailed maps of all the essential areas you're likely to want to visit. It even has the location of major hotels and attractions on it. The overview map of LA is also good for information at a quick glance. All of this is made even more useful and handy by being packaged in such a relatively small and DURABLE laminated map (and it folds up nice and small too!). This map will be with me at all times on my upcoming trip to LA.
   
   UPDATE: Just got back from a week in L.A. and this map was a true lifesaver... perfect, spot-on, with all the right landmarks and coverage of just about all the most common areas you may visit. Within two days, the map helped me feel like I was an old-hand at the L.A. streets. Study it ahead of time, too!



2. I am an avid fan of Streetwise maps. They are handy to carry and waterproof. Before visiting cities, I use a permanent marker to locate my hotel, places of interest, subway/bus stops, one-way streets, etc. I recommend them highly.



3. I love L.A., but getting around the city, even for a native can be very arduous, especially if you get into the hollywood hills. This map, though limited, is a very good item to have it you get lost in west L.A., as with all of these streetwise maps, it focus's on the most traveled part of town, and in the case of L.A. it's downtown and the Westside. As for quality, these maps rate high, they are easy to access, are well crafted, and the font is easy to read and the map graphics are first rate. If you are in west L.A. or downtown often, then i highly suggest this map, you can really get lost on the westside of L.A...ever seen the beginning of Pretty Woman, Gere should have picked up one of these along with the Lotus.



4. Durable, portable and easy to fold! Great for navigating the downtown LA area. Street names and intersections very clear. However, not a very useful resource for navigating the outer fringes of the city.



5. I don't like this map. It doesn't cover the USC area and the print is too small. It also doesn't extend far enough northward.

No comments about Land of the Inland Seas: The Historic and Beautiful Great Lakes Country.