5 comments about Costa Rica (Country Guide).

1. I'm an LP loyalist for all my travels, but of all the countries I've visited before, this LP guide seems to have the least accurate information. I only traveled to a small section of CR, flying into Liberia and staying in Playa Grande. Even in that narrow scope, I found listed restaurants that no longer existed and hotel descriptions that were quite off the mark. For example, I chose Hotel El Punto in Liberia as a staging place before flying out on my final night based on this description:
   
   s/d/tr/q US$21/41/48/53 This converted elementary school is now one of the chicest hotels in Liberia, though it would definitely feel more at home in NYC than humble Guanacaste. Rooms here are ultramodern loft apartments with private showers, small kitchens, Japanese minimalist accents and plenty of MOMA worthy art. This spot is recommended as the rooms are severely underpriced.
   
   The decor is more IKEA than Japanese or MOMA, but the room is decent and one of the nicer places in town. It cost $90 per night for 2 people, however. In Liberia, that is far from "severely underpriced" and more than double what was noted in LP. The staff said that they have been trying to tell LP for a long time that the prices are incorrect, as it doesn't suit them to have travelers becoming immediately disappointed upon their arrival.
   
   LP was right in recommending Hotel Las Tortugas in Playa Grande, however. The value for what you get is incredible - right on the beach, great food, great staff, great price.
   
   I did notice the negative tone that other reviewers mentioned, but being a person that typically wants to avoid tourist traps and exploitation of land or locals, it did not bother me that much.



2. If you want to enjoy traveling to Costa Rica I would recommend another book. If you want to spend your time lamenting about how Costa Rica has changed, how Americans are annoying, and be afraid to take your valuables out of your hotel safe than I recommend you check this book out. I would often read passages out loud to different people I was traveling with. You would think that Jaco is similar to Jersey but with more crack and lots of prostitutes from reading this book. In fact, when I went it was mostly families, a little sketch, but man get a grip. I read the chapter on San Jose and was to afraid to take my camera to the central market and downtown. What a regret! The people everywhere in Costa Rica were so nice. Downtown was crawling with tourists with their cameras and police. It wasn't even remotely sketchy. We could only get reservations in Tamarindo for Christmas day and I was terrified that it was going to be like Myrtle Beach on Spring Break. Yes there were lots of condos but it was still Costa Rica! Dirt Roads. you could walk from one end of town to the other in less then 10 minutes, everyone was nice, the beach was pretty. I just couldn't understand why the authors seemed to hate travel so much and be so hateful towards places where we were going.
   
   Also, the book didn't give a lot of key information about how to get around without a car. We wasted so much time in La Fortuna trying to figure out how to get to the different places we wanted to go. It turns out there isn't a bus, there are only guided tours. They are all expensive. We finally hitchhiked which worked out well but I never go to go on the hanging bridges. I loved Cahuita (it wasn't dangerous) and Dominical. I loved Costa Rica. I am ready to go back.
   
   I just wanted to warn people to stay away from this book. I love guidebooks. I am the kind of psycho that gets them from the library and reads through them even when I am not going anywhere. This one was the worst.



3. The detailed city maps are not very good, outdated with businesses that have gone away, etc. Moon guide books have way better maps than Lonely Planet. The hotel reviews I thought were way off base, and don't include some major hotels. All in all, let me just say this: Lonely Planet isn't the Bible. Check out other guide books and go with any of the major ones. If you buy Lonely Planet, also buy a map, because their city maps are wrong!



4. I generally find Lonely Planet Guides quite helpful. This volume, sadly, was written by a couple of Ugly American Backpackers.
   
   Their coverage of San Jose was positively absurd. The author's overstate crime dangers by a comical margin, and come off sounding like the snide "Ugly American" of bygone decades, looking down their noses at the sad, dirty third world. They also fail to comprehend the obvious: if you want to see what life is like for Costa Rica's citizens, you might want to spend some time in the city where most of them actually live.
   
   If nothing else, Lonely Planet would do well to hire a third author that isn't allergic to cities; especially third world cities.
   
   The editors might also simply practice the lost art of editing. Much good information is lost here, in a sea of snide.



5. The lonely planet helped as as always to plan our vacation. We spend only one week in this interesting country, but managed to plan an interesting and packed two day trip. Instead of booking through the hotel and spending at least $250 per person we took all the information out of the book. Besides saving some money, we had a lot of information and explored the country a lot better than with a pre booked trip. As the book is from 2006 some of the prices have already increased. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to plan his trip on his own and/or wants background information on history, culture and people.

No comments about First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century.

5 comments about Frommer's Hawaii 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. This is a bulky book but ideal for hotel selection and restaurant choices and comparisons. Frommers has always been a solid standby on all our vacations and we always buy their updated editions. Two other guides we had along were the "Lonely Planet Hawaii" (like the cover) and "No Worries Hawaii" (colourful) which were highly recommended on an internet travel site. LP was carefree and offbeat and NW was our sturdy "go-to" resource. The Frommer's approach was friendly but plowing through the pages took up time and we were glad we brought all three.



2. As one who grew up in Hawaii, I was asked by a friend who was going to go there for the first time what I thought of this guide. It is fine. I could recommend it.
   
   Laurie Birnsteel, author of Kahala



3. I relied on this book heavily for advice while I honeymooned in Hawaii and it delivered. It was comprehensive and informative. I would recommend it to all vacationers who like a packed, encompassing, and active vacation



4. This is the first book I bought when I began planning my husband and I's weeklong honeymoon trip to Oahu at the end of this year when he comes back from Iraq. It's packed full of information on all five Islands and I thoroughly read the "Where to Stay" portion of the Oahu section first to plan out the details of our lodging first so reservations could be made well in advance. The descriptions are very thorough as to what hotels offer, where they are located, how to contact them and how much they cost (they are categorized by location and lumped into "Very Expensive, Expensive, Moderate, and Inexpensive" categories), and even has information on lesser-known hotels, bed and breakfasts, and beach cottages for rental that you won't find on many travel Web sites. However, since the book was only written by one person, the impressions and reviews of the hotels, dining places and activities is a bit more objective than a book written by several reviewers would be. I went online and read many, many reviews from other people who had stayed in the hotels before I made my decision. However, I DID find the best link for guest reviews (tripadvisor.com) from a suggestion in the book.
   
   Overall, this is a good starting point purchase in planning a Hawaiian vacation. I will definitely be taking it with me.



5. I've read this book from front to back and found it to be very informative. I can't wait to go on my trip and enjoy all the wonderful things that were described in the book.

5 comments about Acadia: The Complete Guide: Mt. Desert Island & Acadia National Park.

1. I highly recommend this guide book. The author takes you on a very personal look at this incredible state park in Maine. The photography is amazing, as well.



2. I have many travel guides to beautiful places around the United States, but this book is the best I have seen. The photos are stunning, and there is just the right amount of information for a first time traveler to the area. I am really happy that I chose this as my guide to Acadia.



3. Only used the Bar Harbor and Acadia stuff, but overall it's a great guide to Mt. Desert Island. Hike the Beehive!



4. Terrific book! We visited Acadia for the first time this year. The author's descriptions are excellent, but most important his recommendations (on restaurants, things to do, which hikes to make, etc) are excellent. He gives clues on where to go for those seeking to avoid the crowds, and he also describes the 'must-do' tourist things on Acadia. Of the various guides we brought with us on our Maine trip, this was hands down the most useful.



5. I really enjoyed this travel book. We're heading to Acadia National Park this summer and I feel like I'm well equipped to make good use of our time. I particularly liked James' style ... young, smart, no BS. I'm taking him up on some of his off-the-beaten-path recommendations. I feel like I've gotten the inside scoop from a local down at the corner diner. Keep up the good work Jim. I'll look for your book when we get around to heading out west.

5 comments about Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival.

1. I read this book and could hardly believe what I was reading. It only took me one night to read this because I was so captured by the adventure.
   
   Great quick read about making choices and having good luck on ones side.



2. As many other reviewers have said, the subtitle of this book is true: the story is indeed miraculous. The book is a quick read, and the terror, desolation and troubling moral questions of the experience are palpable. I found myself squirming and uncomfortable at several points, and this is due mainly to Joe Simpson's talent as a writer.
   
   It must be said that it is apparent that this is Simpson's first book, and this is why I deducted half a star. There is the occasional awkward sentence, and the book ends on a pretty weak poker analogy. Still, he displays a great clarity of insight throughout that easily overcomes these small problems. His craft may be in the fledgling stage here, but Simpson clearly possesses a writer's mind; he is able to clearly articulate complex ideas and emotions in a very immediate, engaging way.
   
   I would hope people don't dismiss this as a book for climbers or outdoor adventurers. The story, as well as Simpson's writing, definitely transcends this narrow category and becomes a universal story of perseverance, moral ambiguity and courage. There is quite a bit of technical description of climbing here--which is absolutely essential to telling the story properly--but as someone who knows very little about climbing, it was not a hindrance to me at all. If you've seen even a few pictures of mountains, or caught a few minutes of climbing on the Discovery Channel, a quick read through the short glossary is all you need..you will find that things like cornices, abseiling, etc. are easy enough to visualize.
   
   By the time you finish this book, you will be astonished. Joe Simpson's torturous ordeal, as well as Simon Yates' battle with his conscience over cutting Joe free, make for a terrifying and moving story. It's worthwhile to follow the book up with the excellent movie.



3. Even though I obviously knew he would live through the experience, I found myself on the edge of my seat hoping he would make it. A good story-teller telling an incredible story.



4. What an experience. Miraculous is the correct word. Other reviewers have discribed the situation for you. I will just concure that this is a must read.
   
   Much better than Jon Krakauers - Into Thin Air because it's more intimate imo. Into Thin air is about a big expedition up Mount Everest. Touching the Void is about two men.
   
   Two men together, Simon Yates attemping to save Joe Simpsons life by slowly lowering him down the Mt. 300 ft. at a time.
   You can just feel the agonising Simon Yates went thru. I mean he stayed and hung on to Simpson for as long as was humanly possible. I really felt for him.
   
   Than it was one extremely determined soul fighting to live.
   
   Some nice pictures too.
   
   Highly recommended



5. If you liked "Into Thin Air," then you will love this book, which is just as brilliant and perhaps even more incredible. If you've been to Peru, even better. Great writing, great story, and an unforgettable tale. Again, a rare book that once begun, is almost impossible to put down. Simpson has written some others, but none as good as his first. Read it. And try his "This Game of Ghosts" if you want more.

2 comments about Frommer's Boston 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. We went to Boston in April of 2008. It was a beautiful time to go. I know most people go to the Northeast in the fall for the leaves, but I had never been anywhere in the Northeast before, so we went in April. There are less people there than leaf time, from what I have read. The book helped us with all of our planning. My favorite part is the hours of operation listed for the attractions. That helps you plan ahead so you do not miss something because it is closed on Monday and you waited until Monday to go. I recommend this book, I used this publisher for our San Francisco trip too.



2. We used Frommer's in a recent train trip, and this was the first major city we visited on the trip. And it made me thankful that I purchased the editions for the other cities we later visited. I had visited Boston once before a decade and a half ago, but this time I had three children in tow. I wanted to make sure that we paced ourselves for the three days that we were there, and the book allowed me to do so. I was able to pick activities that the kids would like--including the Freedom Trail, a short 1-hour cruise to the USS Constitution, and Fenway Park. Frommer's has an excellent Freedom Trail section that you will want to keep your finger in as you walk along site by site. There were many excellent suggestions the book made about a number of things, including a short (positive) review about our hotel (the Midtown Hotel, which we were extremely pleased with in regards to location and price). Except for being wrong on some of the admission prices to some of the sites--just a buck or two--the book was fairly accurate in everything else we looked up, which I thought was pretty impressive. In addition, I recommend picking up an Entertainment book for your city--they're only $10 after the spring--as we used food and entertainment coupons in Boston that saved us more than $100. Two-fer-ones and excellent discounted fares made it more bearable to do a few extras, especially for us on a limited budget. Whether or not you've been to Boston before, I highly recommend Frommer's for getting around with the best possible information at your fingertips.

5 comments about The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada (California Academy of Sciences) (California Academy of Sciences) (California Academy of Sciences).

1. This field guide is perfect for the hiker and camper or general nature lover who lives near the Sierra Mountain range in central California or who intends to vist that region. The authur has drawn almost all of the animal, flowers,insect and bird life to be found in the Western and eastern Sierra mountain range in beautful color by hand. To identify the various life forms you simply look under the various topies and you no doubt will ID that strange bug or plant. You can trust the author and his work is among the best selling of the genre. This is one of the most readable guides to life in the Sierra's and the artwork is first rate. This little guide is perfect for the rucksack crowd in terms of size and weight. This guide has limited written commitary as the artwork is the key to this field guide. This is a well-designed book, making for effortless page-turning and the writer/artist really get into the detail of the creatures shown. You will enjoy your quick hike much more and will have a dramatic change of atmosphere as you reference the life surrounding you in these mountains of great beauty. I recommend this guide highly.



2. This book is amazing. With all the different species of life.
   I'm going to keep it in my car. Some times when we're driving; my husband will say "what kind of bird was that" or "what kind of flower".
   It's very imformative and very handy.
   Thank you



3. This book is stunning!..Beautiful artwork by the author as well as meaningful interpretations of wild life. The author is a gift to natural books as well as his art!



4. John Muir Law's Guide to hiking in the Sierra Nevada is lush with his artistic renditions of all you might see, and want to identify, as you hike this area. Small enough to carry in your back pack, but chock full of helpful information.



5. I have at least 10 books specifically on Sierra wildflowers and several field guides. This is the best all-in-one book. It's not too heavy for me to carry on a day hike.
   
   Janice
   in the Sierra

5 comments about Etiquette Guide to Japan: Know the Rules...that Make the Difference.

1. While this book was interesting, it was not essential. When traveling to Japan it is important to study their etiquette, however most good travel books do as well.



2. I ordered this book for my grandaughter who was moving to Okinawa. She said that it really helped her have an understanding of the culture etc.



3. In Japan, as visiting foreigners keep discovering -- if they're paying proper attention -- "etiquette" means a great deal more than simply knowing which knife and fork to use. (Or, in this case, what not to do with your chopsticks.) Japan has been a deeply and subtly ritualized and mannered society for millennia, and even with the postwar easing of some rituals and the introduction and acceptance of certain Westernisms -- and even though the Japanese are generally tolerant of minor faux pas on the part on non-Japanese -- the foreign visitor still needs to be very aware of the expectations of those around him. However, this book is also an excellent source for the non-visitor who simply has an interest in Japanese society and culture. The author has been both a periodic resident and been otherwise closely involved with Japan for going on six decades, and he's also a very observant and thoughtful writer, which makes him an ideal guide for the westerner on all things Japanese. He not only tells you what to do, what not to do, and what you can get away with, he provides the historical background, the psychological rationalization, which not even some Japanese are really aware of. This will help you to extrapolate your behavior in other situations, and will assist you toward an understanding of why the Japanese are the way they are. Those shallow-thinkers who consider the Japanese simply "inscrutable," alien, and beyond American understanding should definitely read this book.



4. excellent advice for anybody that is going to Japan and doesn't want to offend their local hosts or friends.



5. My daughter was going to Japan to spend several weeks with her boyfriends family. I figured she needed some help in the subtle manners that would prepare her to be the best guest she could. It makes for great reading on a long flight! She felt that there were many bits of information that really helped her. Going to Japan with a local is extremely advantagous, but sometimes they forget the details. Lots of good info.

5 comments about A Sand County Almanac.

1. "Thus always does history, whether of marsh or market place, end in paradox. The ultimate value in these marshes is wildness, and the crane is wildness incarnate. But all conservation of wildness is self-defeating, for to cherish we must see and fondle, and when enough have seen and fondled, there is no wilderness left to cherish." (from "Marshland Elegy")
   
   "It must be poor life that achieves freedom from fear." This, from reflections on being caught on horseback during a lightning storm, is a comment on the "civilized" mindset that wanted all to be safe, and so feared and destroyed wildness.
   
   These essays were written mostly in the 1940's, although some of them are about earlier times in the author's life. In a way, reading Aldo Leopold is like watching Humphrey Bogart in those old movies, with his smoking and tough-guy sexism. We understand these as disreputable today, but can put them in context. Likewise, Aldo Leopold was in many ways a typical countryman of his time and place. He loved to hunt and fish, and even reflexively shot wolves, like everyone else. He came to regret that, and in fact to realize that in the new era, where hunting and fishing have become mass recreations, that the old ways just don't work anymore. But they did in his day, and he does not retrospectively apologize for having been, in a sense, just another predator.
   
   But he was also a college professor, and an expert naturalist and ecologist. In this book he is a poetic writer about nature and a loving reporter of all things wild. No matter where I lived I would love this book, but having lived not too far from his sand counties and walked his restored prairies makes it the sweeter.



2. I keep this book on my nightstand and read an essay or two after my pj's are on and before going to bed. My bookmark is a pencil for making notes in the margin when particularly wonderful passages are encountered. The margins are very full.
   
   Aldo opens our eyes to worlds in our own backyards which have always existed but which have remained undiscovered due to our own dull-sightedness. I considered myself an avid nature-watcher, but the extent to which Mr. Leopold carries this hobby is humbling. He inspires any true fan to learn the names and habits of every tree, shrub, weed, thistle, bird, insect, and critter native to one's home county, and to hone one's journaling skills and master the talent of imagery and metaphor.
   
   But, this book is not for everyone. I've read favorite passages to friends only to watch their eyes glaze with disinterest. If you're the outgoing, life-of-the-party, must-always-be the-center-of-attention type, then perhaps The DaVinci Code would be of interest. But if you enjoy solitary walks in the woods, canoe paddles on distant foggy lakes, or reading prose with your pj's on, then this is required reading.



3. Life got you down? Live in a big city? Take a refreshing break and escape to the Wisconsin countryside in this beautifully written little book about the land and the plants and animals that live and grow there. Aldo Leopold's writing is more compelling than John Muir's,and more knowledgeable than Thoreau's. In a series of short sketches you follow the cycle of the land from January to December. Along the way you learn about history, meet amazing plants and animals, and experience the drama of both the destruction and the rebirth of our land.



4. I knew I would enjoy this book right from the start, when I found the following passages in the Foreward: "There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot..." and "For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television..."
   
   If you can relate to those statements, you will love this book. Guaranteed. Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, but he was so much more. He was a visionary. Read those statements again, and when you realize that he wrote them back in 1948, you might be amazed. But as you read the book, you will come to understand how special he was. Facts or knowledge that we take for granted today (e.g., predators play an important role in a healthy ecosystem), Leopold was talking about them over 50 years ago. Time and again I found myself checking the copyright because I could not believe someone was actually thinking this way so long ago.
   
   However, it's not just the ideas of Leopold that made him special. The way he wrote was special, too. His talent drew you in, even though he was writing about something that, by the sound of it, might be kind of dry. For example, in a section called "Good Oak," he connects the passage of years to the rings of a fallen tree that he is cutting for firewood. Starting with the 1940s he relates one environmental tidbit after another for decades or years: "Now our saw bites into the 1890s...when the last passenger pigeon collided with a charge of shot near Babcock." By the time Leopold is done cutting the fallen tree, the reader has received a fascinating and sobering account of what had transpired to the environment in the area of this oak tree for the previous 80 years. The way he used the backdrop of cutting the tree rings as "markers" of environmental mishaps was masterful. It is Leopold at his best, but fortunately, the book is full of writing like this.
   
   It is divided into three sections. The first one follows a calendar year on his farm in Wisconsin, with Leopold relating little vignettes about chickadees, skunks, flowers, or whatever else he comes across. It is probably the most charming part of the book. Part two ("Sketches Here and There") contains short remembrances of Leopold's travels to different parts of North America. Unfortunately, the story usually has a "bad" ending - at least, for the environment or for a species (like the now-extinct passenger pigeon). But Leopold had a reason for that. He moves to part three, "The Upshot," where he spells out his ideas for saving the land and the wild things that live there. It is too much to discuss here, but Leopold again hits the mark. His goal was to try and change how Americans think about the use (and abuse) of our environment. Pehaps his biggest lament then, and mine now, is that not enough people care about what we are doing to the land.
   
   That's why this book was published. The hope of this book was to change the hearts of the average American. It still is. Over fifty years later, it's still in print, and it's still relevant.
   
   Five stars. Absolutely the best nature/environment book I've ever read.



5. A classic. As we rush into brave new environmental worlds where angels fear to tread, and as our kids grow up plugged in rather than playing in the dirt, this should be required reading in all schools (and required for the parents, too). Besides presenting a compelling and important argument, it's also a very good book.

No comments about Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid.