No comments about The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark, Vol 3: Up the Missouri to Fort Mandan (The Nebraska Edition, Vol 3).

3 comments about Insight Guide Buenos Aires (Insight City Guides Buenos Aires).

1. I was disappointed in this guide. Although some of the photography was vivid, there was a surprising lack of detailed maps of Buenos Aires (in marked contrast to what might be found in "Eyewitness" guides, for example). I also thought it was strange that the "1998 reprinting of the 1996 edition" should note in the "Getting There/By Air" section (page 243): "From New York, fly EASTERN"! (Eastern Airlines hasn't flown anywhere for years!)

   I also felt the book was poorly organized, and that it was a challenge to find specific information quickly.




2. Although this book is not the best source of restaurants, hotels, etc. it offers a panorama of the great city of Buenos Aires. I am returning to B.A. next month and I reread this guide in anticipation of my return. Buy a traditional tourist guide to supplement this book, however, you will better anticipate your overall experience with this beautiful synopsis of the life of this great city. Terrific reading on the long flight to "Bueno". Not your daily tour guide but a geat insight into the beauty and wonderful people that you are about to encounter. After my first trip, I reread this book and had fond memories of my experiences. A great addition to a travel library. PS. Quality photography and printing!



3. Why would anyone bother to read this when there is the lonely planet guide available? This is in my opinion a vastly inferior guide when compared not just to lonely planet but to many of the others available, it lacks organisation and detail.

1 comments about Moon Handbooks Chile (Moon Handbooks : Chile).

1. We traveled with this guide and another and found this book to be more acurate and frank than the other guide. Clearly the author knows Chile and we found his practical travel advice to be the best and his sensibilities about certain places to be revealing and helpful. It was our first trip to Chile and we couldn't have done it without this guide.

3 comments about Let's Go 2001: Peru Bolivia, and Ecuador Including the Galapagos: The World's Bestselling Budget Travel Series.

1. It may be understandable that these are 3rd world countries, and things change all of the time (especially prices). However it often seems as though the reviewers couldn't be bothered to find out the correct opening-times to tourist information centres etc.

   However as a rough guide it pretty much covers everything with invaluable town maps as well as hotel,hostel and restaurant recommendations.

   It is a good thing too that finally one of the big Travel Guide's have included Bolivia to their Peru and Ecuador book to create a succinct yet sufficient review of the popular trio of destinations.

   Avoid taking a library in your backpack - this book should cover your needs - if you are going to two or three of these destinations then this is certaintly the book for you - but don't trust all the information it gives you.




2. I bought this book mainly because it was supposed to be up to date. Some of the information (most notably internet addresses) is already outdated. The information itself is valuable but prices should be cross referenced.

   Through this book I was able to save more than a hundred dollars on a Lima-Cuzco flight. That fact alone pays for the book 4 times over.

   In short, if you want to visit Peru, Ecuador, or Bolivia on a budget this is your book but use it as a rough guide and not as your sole source of information.




3. I only bought this because it has Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia and I was going to all three and only those three.
   I previously used the England, Scotland, Ireland one.
   These books are not geared towards travelers who travel to learn rather than be sporty.
   They are helpful to an extent, but the Lonely Planet books seem to be more intelligent.
   Not all young travelers are out to party and shag the locals.
   *rolls eyes*

5 comments about The Rough Guide to Peru, 4th Edition (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. Having what I referred to as my "Blue book" I traveled from Lima to Paracas to Nasca to Cuzco to Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca and Ariquipa. This book was HEAVEN SENT. We never had to worry about which restaurant to eat in or which hotel would be clean.

   We are already planning the next trip which will include Iquitos and Machu Picchu again! I won't need any other books. I have my "blue book!"

   Thank You!




2. I just returned from 2 weeks in Peru using this book and it was terrible, way below the standard of other Rough Guides. Here are the main problems:

   Out-of-Date Listings - This book may have been reissued in August 2000, but it has not been comprehensively updated. Many of the listed restaurants and hotels no longer exist, which was very frustrating and time-wasting. Moreover, many good establishments that should have been in the book were missing (e.g. Inka Cafe, the best restaurant among the limited number available on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco).

   Bad Organization - The city sections are organized as though you were doing a walking tour of each city. It tells you what's in neighborhood A, then in neighborhood B, etc., even if there's really nothing worthwhile to see in neighborhood A or B. This is stupid, because nobody travels that way. What it means is that you have to read the entire city section, wading through a lot of useless info along the way, to figure out what to do.

   Poor Recommendations - Most travellers have limited time. A good guidebook helps them manage their time by recommending sites to see or to avoid. Unfortunately, this book seems too afraid to have an opinion, except on the most obvious things (e.g. you should visit Machu Picchu). I searched in vain for a list of the best things to do in Peru, or in any of the cities I visited. The book just doesn't help you plan.

   The only caveat to the above comments is that I'm not sure any other guidebook does any better than the Rough Guide. One of these days, someone will write a guidebook that tells travellers what they really want to know -- namely, where should I go, and how can I best understand the places that I visit? Until then, we're forced to rely on subpar offerings like this one that promise a lot more than they deliver.




3. I used the third edition of this book on a trip two weeks after it was published. But I found that much of the information was less reliable and up-to-date than in the Frommer's guide, which is about a year older. Examples: the information on Perurail never mentioned the fact that it is now owned by Orient Express, and is mostly a luxury service with changed schedules, increased prices, and some discontinued lines. And in Ollantaytambo (not a town with a lot of hotels to choose from) this guide didn't mention the three-year old Hotel Pakaritampu, whereas Frommer's correctly identified it as the nicest hotel in town. The reviews of other hotels and restaurants also turned out to be less reliable and useful than Frommer's. This guide does have much good background information on Peru's history and people, and has good maps of the cities. We ended up using this book mostly for background reading and used the Frommer's guide more for practical information.



4. This travel guide was a great help during my recent stay in Peru. It covers a lot in the way of practicalities, like transport, food and wine, etc. It is also very informative on regions, history and culture. It has a useful reading list for anyone wanting to take further their knowledge of Peru. In actual fact, I think the world of this guide. With one exception. It could include a good section on the language. I tried my Spanish but was not always understood. Particularly in everyday speech they seem to use different expressions. So 4 stars for this guide as it is, 5 if a good language section is added on!



5. I really enjoyed the tone of this book, it was full of excellent background information (history, customs, etc.). What I found lacking (a problem I have not encountered with other rough guides) was a lack of details. Many bus companies were left out, and some of the maps were difficult to follow. I do not know spanish and felt very dependent on a guide book. The Lonely Planet had many of the details I felt the Rough Guide lacked, but I would really prefer to use the Rough Guides.

5 comments about Mrs. Kennedy Goes Abroad.

1. This book has wonderful pictures that captures the "facts" from actual photographs and transforms them into scenes of "fantasy". I really enjoyed the background information that accompanies each picture. A real treat of Jackie fans.



2. "Mrs. Kennedy Goes Abroad" is a beautiful book. The illustrations are lovely to look at, and the book is fun to read. A good choice for anyone to add to their library; especially recommended for those interested in the Kennedys and Jackie in particular. Evokes the fun mood of Jackie's scrapbook written with her sister Lee, "One Special Summer".



3. Mrs. Kennedy Goes Abroad is an adorable little book filled with colorful Fauvist-like illustrations. Anyone who likes Laura Stoddart's simple-chic illustrations for Kate Spade will probably enjoy it. Fans of the recent exhibition at the Met that highlighted Jackie's White House clothes may appreciate it too. The commentary is kept to a minimum and black and white photos from Mrs. Kennedy's travels are included, but the focus is on French artist Duheme's amusing miniature paintings that capture Jackie in all those great pink sleeveless dresses and crisp suits in Paris, India, London and Italy.
   
   As a side note: Duheme and Jacqueline Kennedy became friends who shared similar painting styles, and Duheme was invited to Cape Cod to give the First Lady an art lesson.



4. As an ardent admirer of Mrs. Kennedy for the past 40 years, I have read every book on her that I could get my hands on. "Mrs. Kennedy Goes Abroad" is a refreshing change from the repetitive narratives and recycled photos that are the mainstay of so many other books about her life. Ms. Duheme's illustrations are elegant and sumptuous but also embrace a childlike purity and simplicity which capture the essence of Mrs. Kennedy's persona and mystique. The commentary has the simple charm of a beautifully written children's book. It is obvious why Mrs. Kennedy chose Ms. Duheme to accompany her on her more memorable trips abroad as First Lady. A truly enchanting book.



5. I interviewed Jacqueline Duheme when she was promoting this exquisite book, and one thing remains in my mind that she said about "The Grand Dame, Jacqueline" - that she could have been a painting woman!!!

No comments about South of Haunted Dreams.

No comments about The South American Diaries.

No comments about The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America: The South-Central States: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi (Smithsonian Guides to Natural America).

5 comments about Travelers' Tales Brazil (Travelers' Tales Guides).

1. The book is unique in its wide range of viewpoints and subject matter. Interesting to see Brazil covered this way. I found it very helpful when I went to Brazil, along with the books "Lonely Planet: Brazil" and "The Brazilian Sound" (Temple University Press).



2. I so enjoyed reading about the people and places of Brazil in this book. I am hooked on "Travelers' Tales" books now. I am excited to have a deeper knowledge now of the heart of this place in preparation for my trip there. The short story format is ideal for me and the variety of entries paints a colorful picture. Anyone traveling to Brazil should pick this up for before and after the trip.



3. After returning home from a 10 day missions trip to Brazil I found myself scouring the book shelves for books on Brazilian culture and history. The stories captured in Travelers' Tales : Brazil, truly brought me right back to Brazil. Each tale awoke a memory, a scent, a feeling that could only be brought on by "saudade". I look forward to my next trip to this rich country armed with a book full of ideas for my next adventure.



4. The Travelers' Tales are just that - fifty stories mostly written by occasional or short-term visitors to Brazil. While it's often fun to tune in to their wonder and amazement at the things they discover, there are occasional disappointments. The stories range in quality from the very strong (Alma Guillermoprieto discussing evangelism, Bill McKibben on the orderly city of Curitiba, Alexander Shankland on Canudos); to the so-so (Downs Matthews on the nineteenth century flight of American confederate sympathizers to Brazil - a good topic but written in a silly sappy prose); to the downright unreadable (Christopher Hall on Candomble, Rachel C. Derrick searching for Africa in Salvador, John Krich on Ipanema, and Gilbert Phelps' pointless and themeless final chapter).

   Predictably, most of the stories discuss Rio, the Amazon, and Salvador. Useful and colorful, no doubt, but the gems are those that get off these well-chronicled paths and surprise a reader with something really new. Like most travel-style writers, many here offer their own novice attempts at Portuguese words, often amusingly wrong, but earnest. Brazil is a vast, shocking, wonderful country. This book is fairly successful at presenting different facets and different perspectives. Perhaps it's not the only book you'd want to read if you were going to spend some time in Brazil, but it's among the handful that would help you understand the people and the place.




5. Travelers Tales Guide of Brazil should be required reading for anyone applying for a Brazilian visa. The 50 travel essays capture the essence of Brazil. They're brief, mostly well-written, sometimes entertaining, and always revealing the people and culture of this dynamic country. I expected to find mostly stories about the Amazon and Rio; they're there as are so many other diverse places from Curitiba to Belem.

   As an aficionado of Brazilian music, I particularly enjoyed the two articles by John Krich: Simply Irrisistible and The Guy from Ipanema. Alma Guillermoprieto gives great samba instructions for both men and women. And I learned about cachaca and capoeira, though both are fluid, one a drink and the other a beautiful martial arts performance.

   It made my trip to Brazil more enjoyable.