No comments about Lapland (Bradt Travel Guide).

No comments about Travels in the Regions of the Upper and Lower Amoor: And the Russian Acquisitions on the Confines of India and China.

5 comments about Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians: Darwin's Adventures and Discoveries on the Beagle.

1. Mr. Keynes (great-grandson of Charles Darwin) re-plays the voyage of the Beagle, with some interesting back-up material. We read of Darwin's early life and his family connections, and the Beagle's Capt. FitzRoy's interest in returning to Tierra del Fuego. Included are plenty of extracts from others' letters and logs, plus many original drawings & paintings. And there is a nice touch; at the top of each page is the month and year, so you are continually reminded of just how much time has passed.

   Having read and enjoyed Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle', I was not expecting much in the way of startling new evidence re his discoveries & theories. And there is not; but what IS there, is more focus on his time in Patagonia, which surprisingly covered 2 years - nearly half the 5 year trip ... which is not apparent in the 'Voyage' (in my faulty memory) ... And the Beagle only spent 5 weeks in the Galapagos, but that short stay provided most of the hard evidence which fuelled Darwin's later theorising.

   Further visits to N.Z., Australia and Tasmania showed the devastation to the indiginous wildlife caused by introduced species, which prompted more thoughts on survival. Had more time been available in Mauritius or Madagascar, his theorising might have been more concentrated and conclusions derived earlier (but of course, 20/20 hindsight always provides the best view!).

   Mr. Keynes provides a modern perspective on the scientific method of the young (23) Darwin, especially in his noting exactly which strata fossils were found, and his meticulously accurate un-biased descriptions of specimens (not a predominant trait in the scientific community at that time!). Particular focus is placed on his geological and fossil studies - largely glossed over by Darwin himself - revealing some deep background thinking which was formative in constructing his Theory of Evolution. The penultimste chapter reveals how Darwin spent the 20-odd years leading up to the publication of 'Origin'; how his Father and reading Malthus simulated his imagination; how his friendship with Lyell and Wallace proved crucial in the book's publication. It also underlines the idea that luck, having independant means (something denied to Wallace), and being in the right place at the right time (like Capt. Cook) probably had more to do with his success than his brilliance did.
   In a touching final chapter we feel the love and friendship that grew between FitzRoy and Darwin during those 5 years on board, FitzRoy's subsequent jobs, then his final descent into depression and suicide..

   Not an easy read; Mr. Keynes' writing style is not as fluid or easy on the eye as some other writers in the popular science arena, and some of the attached letters are hard going. I found myself frequently re-reading passages to ensure that I had the correct gist of the text.
   However, that apart, this is an illuminating, fresh look at what was probably the most important voyage - ever - for philosophical science.




2. Mr. Keynes (great-grandson of Charles Darwin) re-plays the voyage of the Beagle, with some interesting back-up material. We read of Darwin's early life and his family connections, and the Beagle's Capt. FitzRoy's interest in returning to Tierra del Fuego. Included are plenty of extracts from others' letters and logs, plus many original drawings & paintings. And there is a nice touch; at the top of each page is the month and year, so you are continually reminded of just how much time has passed.

   Having read and enjoyed Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle', I was not expecting much in the way of startling new evidence re his discoveries & theories. And there is not; but what IS there, is more focus on his time in Patagonia, which surprisingly covered 2 years - nearly half the 5 year trip ... which is not apparent in the 'Voyage' (in my faulty memory) ... And the Beagle only spent 5 weeks in the Galapagos, but that short stay provided most of the hard evidence which fuelled Darwin's later theorising.

   Further visits to N.Z., Australia and Tasmania showed the devastation to the indiginous wildlife caused by introduced species, which prompted more thoughts on survival. Had more time been available in Mauritius or Madagascar, his theorising might have been more concentrated and conclusions derived earlier (but of course, 20/20 hindsight always provides the best view!).

   Mr. Keynes provides a modern perspective on the scientific method of the young (23) Darwin, especially in his noting exactly which strata fossils were found, and his meticulously accurate un-biased descriptions of specimens (not a predominant trait in the scientific community at that time!). Particular focus is placed on his geological and fossil studies - largely glossed over by Darwin himself - revealing some deep background thinking which was formative in constructing his Theory of Evolution. The penultimste chapter reveals how Darwin spent the 20-odd years leading up to the publication of 'Origin'; how his Father and reading Malthus simulated his imagination; how his friendship with Lyell and Wallace proved crucial in the book's publication. It also underlines the idea that luck, having independant means (something denied to Wallace), and being in the right place at the right time (like Capt. Cook) probably had more to do with his success than his brilliance did.
   In a touching final chapter we feel the love and friendship that grew between FitzRoy and Darwin during those 5 years on board, FitzRoy's subsequent jobs, then his final descent into depression and suicide..

   Not an easy read; Mr. Keynes' writing style is not as fluid or easy on the eye as some other writers in the popular science arena, and some of the attached letters are hard going. I found myself frequently re-reading passages to ensure that I had the correct gist of the text.
   However, that apart, this is an illuminating, fresh look at what was probably the most important voyage - ever - for philosophical science.****




3. An enjoyable recount of Darwin's voyage around the world in the early 1830s. Rather than argue for or against any version of Darwins theories, Keynes describes the adventure of 2 English gentlemen setting out to create a better map of the world. Aside from providing an enjoyable and picturesque travel guide, we get to know the way each inspired the other.

   The reader will be surprised to read about the daring young Darwin's adventures. He ends up dodging warriors prowling the Argentinian praries, trusting his life to murderous Fuegian cowboys, getting drunk with Chilean gold miners, intervening in a Brazilian civil war and tasting potentially halucenogenic South American plants.

   Keynes seems particularly interested in showing Darwin as Captain FitzRoy's agent and artist. In some ways, Keynes makes a case that Darwin was hired to write the story FitzRoy dictated. Like the artists brought along by Captain FitzRoy, Darwin was invited to embellishFitzRoy's maps. FitzRoy, a flawed character of exceptional energy and intuition, knew well his limitations: depression and a violent temper. To achieve what he knows is possible he drags young English gentlemen off to the ends of the world and sets them on their path to celebrity and fame.

   Left to itself, this action story and tragedy (FitzRoy commits suicide in the last narrative chapter) could have stood alone. The author feels compelled to trouble us with a search for the exact moment that Darwin's diary records the inspiration for 'evolutionary theory'. It detracts a bit, but only in a minor way. Unexplored is the relationship between map making and evolutionary trees, an obvious paradigm which would have fit the story better.




4. I never gave this book a good chance when I started reading it the first time and so I put it back on my shelf for a few months.
   
   I started out reading it very slowly, each word, trying to savor the images of a bygone time and of the words and adventures of an incredible man. After a while I noticed I was trying to skip through as fast as possible just to finish it. Then when I left it on the shelf a few months it dawned on me... this book should be treated respectfully, and read for enjoyment, not just to be finished but to feel and be enveloped by, and so I picked it up a second time and my impression of it is what lead me to give it 5 stars.
   
   The incredible abundance of drawings by those very artists that were there with Darwin, seeing what he saw, eating with him, journeying with him, and Darwin himself, his words, what his thoughts were, what he saw and touched... the descriptions coupled with the drawings of the places visited made me want to step back in time and visit each place the way it used to be... sadly those jewels are now replaced with superhighways as Keynes points out... man has a natural inclination and penchant to change usually irreversibly by destroying beauty... and what has been lost is truly sad...
   
   What has been left is this wonderful, moving account of Charles Darwin as so wonderfully presented by Keynes. So don't do as I first did, try to plough your way through this book just to finish it, but even worse, don't just put it down to never read it because you will have truly lost out on reading a fascinating journey, an adventure of people, places, names, faces and life you just don't find these days in todays reading...
   
   The pictures of the Feugians, unbelievable! These were the actual people that Darwin met along the journey and to see these pictures and see what these people looked like, what they wore, their face painting, everything is truly remarkable. A book like this, with this much value, pictures, detailed descriptions and accounts should be worth much much more than it sells for compared to some of the garbage churned out by lesser authors.
   
   And you know what... I plan on reading it all over again, slowly, deliberately, and with wonder and amazement filling my mind and heart.



5. This book was an incredibly fast and easy read for its 400 pages. For those who have read Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle, this may seem a bit redundant at times, but I actually found it to be a great compliment. Richard Darwin Keynes (Charles Darwin's great grand-son) does a beautiful job weaving together a narrative of Darwin's long journey aboard the HMS Beagle between 1832 and 1836. Bits and pieces of Darwin's commonplace journal, his field notes, and letters home are very well incorporated into the overall narrative, adding authenticity to Keynes' interpretation of his great-grandfather's time aboard the Beagle. There are also several very nice watercolor plates and many gorgeous maps and engravings that really add to the reader's experience.
   
   The chapters are very short (8-12 pages) and each one deals with a specific region visited along the journey (except maybe the first and last two). This style is very effective, and keeps the reader interested and on track. Keynes' also adds important and relevant historical background that is not present in Voyage of the Beagle and provides the reader with a great deal of insight into Darwin's life and his relationships with other people, such as Captain Robert FitzRoy. I would recommend this book highly to anyone interested in Darwin, evolution, the history of science, or Latin America.

5 comments about The Fire Escape Is Locked for Your Safety: On the Road in the Former Soviet Union.

1. Try to imagine a travelogue authored by a collaboration of Franz Kafka, George Orwell and Mel Brooks.



2. Whether read as adventure, current affairs, or practical guide to
   "Russia" on Five Million Roubles A Day, Molly J. Baier's account of her trek across the former Soviet Union is informative and fun. In the interest of disclosure (and bragging)I attended the same school; Molly was competitive, curious, and excelled at everything she put her hand to. Thus, I am not surprised at the accomplishments that have culminated in her first book. A successful lawyer, fluent in Russian and German, she worked for two years to reform and bolster the rule of law in Ukraine. As if this were just an appetizer, she set off alone - in the daring manner of Victorian trailblazer, Isabella Bird - to discover and uncover the essence of a rapidly changing landscape. In its analyis, wit, and eye for detail, the book is both evocative and provocative. It is a good Christmas present for anyone desiring to learn about other cultures at a time when such knowledge is necessary rather than frivolous.



3. Molly Baier traveled 12,000 miles and kept a daily journal of her experiences as she traveled through the Ukraine, Russia and other countries in the former Soviet Union. She has a wonderful way of sharing her experiences as she had to check into hotels, buy tickets on trains and buses, prevent people from overcharging her for being a foreigner, hold on to her passport, etc. trying to overcome poverty and bureaucracy and petty thievery. She also relates meetings with friends who welcomed her into their homes and shared whatever they had with her. For anyone who wants to gain insight into the real conditions inside Russia today, this is a good place to start. It is filled with humor, honesty and careful descriptions and analysis of current conditions.



4. This was a fascinating, humorous read (from a Western point of view), and I wish it had been a few hundred pages longer! Two highlights: finding an internet connection, and a Russian woman's view of President Clinton. I admire the author's chutzpah; (what a crusader!), armed with a copy of the Russian Consitution, she challenged the unfair and illegal pricing that she met at every stop. Excellent job, Ms. Baier.



5. It's a good book, but not quite what I expected when I made the purchase. The author writes about her trip in 1999 through the Ukraine, Belarus Lithuani, Latavia, Estonia, Finland, and then across Russia to Vladivostok. She writes snapshot views into her journey, and while the snapshots are presented in cronological order they don't always connect. For example, in one chapter she's riding a train. The next opens with her getting off a bus. The book doesn't cover the sites she's there to visit, but instead focuses in on the journey itself.

   If you're looking for some light reading about traveling, this book fits the bill. Only most people are more interested in what happens at each stop on the trip, and don't need to know the details of catching the train, checking into the hotel, or attempting to deal with getting a visa registered or hotels to stamp the visa. Some of the detail is useful, as the process *is* different and could be mind-bending for someone not prepared for it.

   I was also shaking my head as we see the author (who is making the trip after a multi-year business trip to help reform Russia) attempting to use legaleze to force people to give her the same price as a Russian citizen. (It's expected that forigners will pay more for things like hotels, bus tickets, train rides, etc. Forget the clause in the Russian Constitution -- no one abides by it. Which is what the author finally realizes after weeks of arguing.)

5 comments about Teach Yourself Russian Language Life and Culture.

1. I am a writer and I could have written this book in fifteen minutes using a Collier's Encyclopedia. It is terrible. Pay attention to the title that says teach yourself Russian CULTURE and HISTORY because it has nothing to do with teaching yourself Russian or Ukrainian. The book basically begins with an encyclopedia article on Ivan the Terrible and ends with an encyclopedia article on Boris Yeltsin. That's not Russian, that's not Ukrainian- it's nothing you didn't already know by spending a half an hour on the internet. Do Not Buy This Book!



2. The previous reviewer of this books gets it completely wrong - their lack of credentials to write a review is shown by their failure to appreciate the fact that Russian and Ukrainian are separate languages. This book is about Russian life and culture, and is NOT a language textbook. And excuse me, the whole point is you CAN'T find a summary of such a wide range of topics as covered in this book on any internet site or indeed any other book I can think of, hence the value of this book (as recognised by schools, universities and individual customers of the book in the UK). Take a look at the reviews on the amazon UK site, in the journal of the Russian teachers of the UK (Rusistika).



3. As a Russian studying in the UK, I am often asked a lot of questions about Russia by my British and iternational friends. Very often I did not have the answers! So, I was actually looking for a suitable source on Russia. This excellent book is the best of this kind - it manages to compress a great deal of information and insights about all aspects of Russian life into just some 250 pages. It is refreshingly free of the usual stereotypes about Russia, but is still realistic. So, for a taste of what Russia is, I can certainly recommend this book.



4. I wish I had had this book when I was teaching Russian culture, in its broadest sense, in UK universities. Most students took up the subject on entering the university and therefore had no grounding in it at all. This book, rightly, assumes zero knowledge on the part of the reader, yet manages not to assume a condescending tone. On the contrary it is readable, up-to-date, informative and interesting. Even an old Russia hand like myself learned a great deal from it. The fact that one of the authors is Russian, the other English, gives them a particularly broad insight into their subject.



5. this book does what it advertises, a consise discussion of cultural scene from historical context to present, very pleased;
   ñïàñèáî for giving me everything in one volume, clear and full overview of most aspects of Russian lifestlye, great starting point

5 comments about The Woman Who Walked to Russia: A Writer's Search for a Lost Legend.

1. The least information supplied in this book is about Lillian (last name uncertain), the woman, whose legend has it, walked to Russia. The author is Australian, and that is probably the market for which this book is intended. She sets off on an investigative journal to uncover information about the mysterious Lillian, and comes up instead with a travelogue about travelling in Northern British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alaska. Along the way, she fills in details of the scenery, the towns, her menu, her disfunctional friendship with her travelling companion, and offers a half dozen book reviews. For someone like myself, with a solid knowledge of North American current events and Arctic history, the narrative offers very little, and in fact, gives away important details some of books still waiting on my reading list. For others, who are looking for an introduction to the region, or enjoys another person's perspective, they may find some merit in the book. The writing style is fine, and the book does have flow to it. However, don't confuse it with investigative journalism.



2. I read this book while taking a Refugee and Immigrant Perspectives class. In the first third of the book, Pybus presented a historically strong case for her heroine (statistics, archives, interviews, etc.). Then, Pybus begins to profile her own journey - nearly overshadowing her writers' pursuit of Lillian Alling. While I found the final resolution more realistic but slightly less climatic than I had been expecting, Pybus' travels and observations lend themselves to the wild Alaskan frontier and the dangers of walking/driving/living there. Overall, a good read but perhaps should be renamed: The Woman Who Walked to Russia And The Writer Who Drove to Alaska. Now I'm off to read Into The Wild...



3. Pybus purportedly is writing about a woman who, in the 1920's, set out to walk from British Columbia all the way to Siberia. There isn't much information on this woman and Pybus, with a friend, was going to retrace her steps in an effort to find out more.
   That sounds really good. That is why I picked up the book to read it.
   What most of this book is about, though, is how mean Cassandra's friend is to her, how too many people are hunting Alaskan moose, how backwards Americans are, how nice Cassandra is. There is finally a resolution to the "woman who walked to Russia" story but it's only thrown in in a halfhearted way before Pybus throws her whole self into telling us how happy she is to be back with her husband, and that's what really matters, right? If she had spent more time being sympathetic the first 3/4 of the book I could have been happier with the ending. As it was, I was completely uninterested in Cassandra's personal life, having been given regular doses of it throughout the book.
   There are some good descriptions of Yukon & Alaska in this book; it's an area I've visited before, and her descriptions made me miss it. I can get nostalgic without having to tread through 200 pages of complaining about Pybus's sad lot in life.



4. I thought that The Woman Who Walked to Russia, by Cassandra Pybus was a good book. The book showed a relationship between Cassandra and her friend Gerry; and how Cassandra never gave up. I felt that it was important that Pybus never gave up because she felt and was so into Lillian Alling and how she supposedly walked through the wilderness to get back where her home was. Pybus said "To follow Lillian's trek from Vancouver would involve a return trip of ten thousand kilometers, allowing for a side trip to Providenija , and to do the trip I would need to hire a four-wheel-drive vehicle for five to six weeks."(p.41) Knowing that all this would have to be done to find how and what Lillian had to do to get back home is remarkable. If I was in Pybus position I do not think that I would go through all that trouble.
   The relationship between Pybus and Gerry is a good one for the both of them on this trip. They are both from Australia so they can relate on things, but also can snap at each other. For example when Gerry says, "And I got fat!" and later after they ate dinner, "As if nothing has happened between us, she cheerfully dismantles the Tranjia stove, packs up the food box and locks them into the trunk of the car."(p.111) With it just being them two in a car driving it must get crazy at times. Not having anyone else to talk to or having your own place to just get away must be really challenging.
   I liked this book because I never read a book with the people in it being from Australia and looking for someone that they have never met before and them determination just moved me. Also the determination that Lillian had to go back where she was from and here she knew where her home was at.
   
   Natalie San Francisco



5. The woman of the title is nowhere to be found. If you are looking for wilderness adventure, as I was, you will be disappointed. Pybus has almost no information on Lillian Alling's life or supposed epic hike to Siberia. In fact, she doesn't even know her name. Lillian Alling is largely a guess. In the end, she finds a few tidbits and one first hand account and from that weaves a wispy fairy tale. What the reader finds instead is an often fascinating, if unintended self-portrait author -- a woman frightened by wilderness and unable to comprehend anything beyond her own limited and narrow world view. As when she mocks rural Americans or expresses "astonishment" that readers of Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" see anything more than hubris in the the book's protagonist.
   
   The interactions between her, her travel companion, and her thoughts along the way are mesmerizing, if often painful.

2 comments about St. Petersburg: Russia's Window to the Future, The First Three Centuries.

1. I lived in St. Petersburg for seven years, and of all the books I have read about the City and Russia, this is the most fascinating and thorough. Arthur George is very smart; well educated in many areas: culture, history, law, politics, and philosophy; and has an excellent research colleague in Elena George. Because I lived there, I especially appreciate his historical descriptions of the city, often followed by subsequent and current names of places. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has visited the city, either once or frequently; and it would be a brilliant introduction to anyone planning to go to St. Petersburg for any reason. I definitely appreciate his placing of St. Petersburg into the history of Russia, and his hope that the current Russian Federation administration under Vladimir V. Putin--coming as it does largely from St. Petersburg--will lead Russia away from the two horrible eras dominated by Moscow. My only disappointment is that the book finally ended, although for anyone who has ever visited St. Petersburg there is hope that they will return and be part of its history again.



2. I was born and lived in St.Petersburg for 23 years. I am and will always be in love with this strikingly beautiful, cultural capital of Russia. Arthur George's book is the best book about St.Petersburg I have ever read. The author shows a thorough knowledge of the Russian history, literature and politics, the history of the city and the most famous St.Petersburgers: writers and poets, musicians and artists, politicians.

   Thank you, Arthur and Elena George. Vivat, St.Petersburg!!

No comments about The Baltic Sea: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland, Kaliningrad, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia.

No comments about Russian Ride.

No comments about Romanian Language Phrases: Learn to Speak Romanian.