1 comments about National Geographic Driving Guide to america, Washington DC.

1. Ideal for planing your trip to Washington, D.C., Virginia, West Virignia, Maryland and Delaware , Delawer. You will have several routs to explore this part of the country. Tips, Maps and Photographs that give you a very good picture of your trip. This will help you to don't miss any of the important places of the road. Ideal for visiting the historic places of DC area

No comments about Amrica Latina: Despertar de un Continente (Ocean Sur).

No comments about Georgia (America Series).

No comments about Kentucky (Insiders Guide: Off the Beaten Path).

3 comments about Mountain Bike! Northern California (America by Mountain Bike - Menasha Ridge).

1. This is by far the best Northern California Mtn Bike guidebook on the market. It is the easiest to use, the most comprehensive, and the most diverse of all the books out there. The book is laid out incredibly well. All of the 100 rides listed are sorted by region, by difficulty, by scenery, and even by whether or not they are family and kid freindly. The maps are detailed enough to give you a good orientation once you arrive at the ride, without being so detailed that you get lost just trying to read it. The written directions provide more detail, and cover virtually everything that you need to know in order to hop on the saddle. Every level and style of rider will be pleasantly surprised by how well this book addresses their specific needs and concerns. So far I've taken 4 of the recommended rides, all of which were exactly as the book promised. This guide is the most used book in our house, and will continue to be until I've exhausted all the rides that I'm interested in. The only thing I haven't been impressed with are the less than spectacular black and white photos. But if you ignore those, this book is a perfect 10.



2. If you are interested in accomplishing nothing in your life then grab this book. It is irrefutable evidence that you too can live a meaningles life, bumming around California, after having flopped in Europe and Colorado. A sappy memoir posing as a guide to adventure.



3. This book rocks. If you want adventure, then go with the recommendations in this book. It will never fail you.
   
   The writting is very easy and pleasant to read, and the layout is done by regions. The trail descriptions are very detailed. After visiting a region and biking a trail you will feel that the author has not left anything unsaid. This book is a compilation of her experiences trail biking in Nor. Cal. What really surprised me was that she listed trails that were even esoteric to locals and people who were supposed to be familiar with the area.
   
   Great eclectic collection of trails. Enjoy!

5 comments about Rio de Janeiro (Writer and the City).

1. As a lover of Rio de Janeiro (like every carioca), I was amazed by Ruy Castro's inspired view of Rio. He manages to make this book as interesting for someone looking just for a travel guide as for the most serious student of the city's history and soul.
   
   Rio is more than just a beautiful city, and he captures it. No one who's ever been to Rio or who lives here can ignore the fact that the city, with its problems and wonders, like a being greater than its buildings, streets, beaches and mountains, is a major character of our lives.
   
   He pictures everything the make us cariocas: the history, the geography, the habits, the music of the city.
   
   This is no common book about Rio. Ruy Castro offers, in a good-humored and elegant style, a guide to the carioca soul: a fresh, original and colorful view of the city and the people that make it the best place to live in the world.



2. Castro seems to work pretty hard at sounding like a real writer. The result is a lot of over-thought poeticisms, overstatements and generalizations for the sake of the book and at the expense of a real look at Rio. Crudely crafted and flippant at times.



3. I first read Ruy Castro's 'Bossa Nova' and wanted more! Then I found this book, and loved it. I also went on to read Ruy Castro's next book (translated into English) Garrincha which is about a Futebol star. I am not into soccer but I loved the book.
   I recommend this book.



4. Ruy Castro's slim volume on Rio de Janeiro provides the casual reader a compelling portrait of that most intriguing of cities. Providing a rapid history of the city from the first Portuguese explorers to the celebrations of the dawn of the 21st century, he tells the tale of a city that has at times been the height of fashion, that has provided the world with at least its share of memorable movie scenes, more than its requisite portion of compelling rhythms, and a plentiful supply of legends, scandalous and otherwise.
   
   Seemingly influenced by the flaneur approach to writing on cities (though not adopting the majority of that form's conventions) and with the long memory that comes of living in and loving a city for his whole natural life, Castro gives plentiful insight into a genteel experience of the city. He tells how Rio rose over its first few centuries, and then fell into the same morose situation that afflicted so many metropolises through the Cold War years, a conflation of the effects of over-exposure that turned an exciting, exclusive experience like early Copacobana into the banality of over-exposure, and a structuralist approach to cities that sucked them of life. Alongside the allusions to many a scandalous encounter, there are nods to the less glamorous aspects of Rio's underbelly, but the favelas, the drugs trade and Brazil's notorious crimeworld are skipped over with only the scantest of mentions.
   
   Despite the vivid picture he draws, for all the talk of hypnotic rhythms, the book never quite grips the reader or imparts the carnival spirit on which its first half is almost entirely focussed. It may be that that detachment is telling of a divorce that has taken place between the Rio of legend and the Rio as experienced by a man who has lived through the city's awkward middle years and is still trying to work out a place in a new age, but it results in a less engaging book than one might hope this city would inspire. As a quick read, Rio is worth a look, but its not quite the mesmerising experience readers may be looking for.



5. Castro is a fair writer, presenting an honest view of the city. I've never been, so I cannot base this on my own experiences. The book presents a little bit of everything which seems to be central to Rio: the nightlife, Carnival, the cuisine and, most importantly for me, the history. The problem with small books such as this one, which in a standard layout would maybe top 130 pages, is that the writer is prohibited from straying from the main path of introducing the city to the reader. I would say this book is the equivalent of spending two days in a major city - seeing the major sights, creating opinions and generalizations without really getting to know any citizen or neighborhood too well. However, the book did succeed in what I took as its major goal: to get the reader to go to Rio. Brazil is now definitely near the top of my travel list.

1 comments about Surinam - Switi Sranan.

1. This book really shows what Surinam is about. It's people, natural richness and history are all displayed with beautiful pictures. Having lived there for a couple of months I've bought the book to keep my memories alive. Right now, it's lying next to my couch and I occasionally pick it up, just to browse and the memories come back instantly!

No comments about Latin America Travel Map (Globetrotter Travel Map).

5 comments about Lonely Planet Argentina, Uruguay & Paraguay (2nd ed.).

1. This guide badly needs updating! I found that a lot of addresses for museums and tourist information have changed (I visited Argentina in October-December 1999). Though the included local maps are usually very good and easy to read a first stop should always be the tourist office (ask locals for present address) for more up to date information. Background information on history is excellent. Generally I found the guide very helpful but it lacks enthusiasm for this beautiful country and does not really entice one to go. More descriptions about the essential character of individual towns would help.



2. Though I had this book when I visited Buenos Aires, I found it utterly useless. I stayed with a group of friends who are natives of this incredible city and so I was able to rely on their information about cool neighborhoods and off-beat places. Though LP prides itself on offering this kind of information, this edition has little that allows travelers to discover the city's uniqueness. Instead, I used this guide to find museums and other basic info that I could have gleaned from ANY guide. It's hard to believe that LP included hardly any information about Palermo, one of the city's most charming neighborhoods, or failed to mention the tradition of Milongas, which are "local" dances in venues such as community centers where everyday Portenos dance the tango with more grace and passion than you will find in the expensive, touristy shows. It's rather disappointing considering that the LP published an entire city guide on this capital.



3. Used this guide for all three countries - Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The information for the latter two countries was the most detailed and reliable (maybe because things don't change there as fast as they do in B.A.). It was especially good for hotels/restaurants in Montevideo; the region around Igauzu Falls (including Foz de Iguacu and Ciudad del Este); and Bariloche. Travellers going exclusively to Buenos Aires might want to get a more cosmopolitan book (it is impossible to distinguish good hotels from bad, good cultural events, etc. using this book). The whole lonelyplanet shoestring/adventure "feel" doesn't mesh well with a city as culturally rich & refined as Buenos Aires.



4. LP guides are usually complete and thorough. so why is the section on buenos aires in this one so carelesly researched? is it because LP wants us to buy their book on buenos aires or because their researchers didn't visit the city at all? i've been to buenos aires countless times. reading the LP guide, one would think that it is just a hamlet not worth wasting your time on. buenos aires is one of the most exciting and mysterious places in the world; a european outpost in south america, full of chic decadence and a lot more than just beef and tango. entire districts are overlooked by the guide, descriptions are misleading or incomplete and uninviting at best. one wonders why. if you're looking for a guide to buenos aires, buy yourself a plane ticket and a map. once in the city, meet the locals. this is one city you need to explore and understand rather than just see. as jorge luis borges once said: ''it would seem that buenos aires has existed forever.''



5. It's true, this book is not the best LP has to offer, with somewhat pedantic, bone-dry descriptions and overly-detailed town histories your average traveler could care less about. It still offers your basic traveler's information, though, and you won't miss much with this complete tome in your hot little hands.
   A promise, however: the next edition will arrive spicier and cutting-edge fresh, with beefed up entertainment sections and wittier town introductions to boot. It will also be more fun to read (same goes for the Buenos Aires guide). I personally guarantee it.

5 comments about The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World With Kids (Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids).

1. We've been to WDW three times with our two small children in the past 2 years. We decided to become Annual Passholders because its cheaper. We have now read 9 books on WDW - hey, saving on the trips if you are going to take them requires planning. Of all the books we own or have borrowed this one just plain reads like an attempt at a fast buck!
   
   On a factual level: There are so many errors in here about when things happen, which characters are where, etc that it is a complete waste of money. In addition to the factual errors, the authors arrogance about what they like (as opposed to describing the quality or characteristics of something so the reader can decide for themselves) is just too ever-present.
   
   Pass on this one and look elsewhere if you actually want to know what to do with the kids at WDW. We were VERY disappointed in this book on our trip this month! The best choice for us, and MANY of the families we know and work with, has been the PassPorter series!



2. I picked this up last week thinking I would do a little research on a Disney vacation and make plans for the summer. I chose this book because it wasn't backed by Disney itself and I'm glad I chose it over the other guides. I have never been to Disney World and I had no idea of the cost--WOW! After skimming through this book I realize that a Disney World trip will probably cost as much as a short trip to Europe or a nice cruise! Ugh!
   
   The book is very well laid out, and I truly appreciated the section "Is a Disney Vacation Right for You?" because it made me see that NO, it definitely is not! With a 2 year old little girl, the expense, hassle, and the sheer size of Disney is enough to make me scared to try it! I agree with the authors that Disney is the perfect vacation for a family with kids ages 8-14, and our plan is to wait a few more years. I really liked the break down of the parks and all of the ride descriptions--I can just imagine older kids wearing this book ragged while they make their itineraries for the vacation.
   
   If you are planning a family vacation, definitely pick this guide up and prepare yourself. It has everything you need to know, from hotel rates to tips on making a coveted reservation for tea time with the Disney Princesses, to preparing your kids for the heat and endless walking around the parks. I will warn you that you may come away from the book a little scared and wondering, "Uh-oh, what have we signed ourselves up for?" Don't forget to pack it in your travel bag and carry it with you when you go. :)



3. This book is great. It gives you a lot of hints on how to make the most of your day, yet allows you to be flexible for your particular likes and dislikes. It was very helpful when traveling with 3 children under 7.



4. I've noted some of the more negative reviews of this book, but quite honestly I thought this book did the job. Yes, the main Unofficial Guide has even more info than this book (it's quite a brick), but if you are traveling with kids and especially if you are planning to stay at a Disney resort or hotel you will find this book pretty informative. If you aren't traveling with kids, need to know about practically every hotel in the area, or you have a lot more time to research everything to death then by all means get the main Unoffical Guide, but either way you won't go wrong. I think the authors did a fine job on both books, and ultimately helped us get the most out of our vacation.



5. This book was a total godsend. It was our first time (with kids), and this book answered every question we had and then some. We never asked anyone anything, if we had a question, we consulted the book. Only thing I wish they would do different is update it annually. Some of the newer rides weren't in it. But didn't make big difference. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it! When we go back, we will always have the most updated version of this book with us.