3 comments about New Concise World Atlas.

1. I bought this atlas because I wanted one as up-to-date as possible (in light of political boundaries and such), and wanted something to accompany a globe I have. There is a lot of useful information at the front of the atlas, so it's not just a book of maps. I use it for reference while taking classes for my masters (logistics and transportation) degree, and my stepson uses it for some of his high-school classes, as well. I think it's an atlas worth sharing with the family to learn geography.



2. This book is more than great. The color of it is very vibrant and the book is a great size. My dad was very pleased to have opened it on Christmas. It was well worth the money for sure!



3. I needed a really good World Atlas and I found it with this one. I use it all the time. It has a lot of really good information at the front of the atlas that has been most helpful when I am doing research. Use this atlas along with Google Earth and you don't need anything else.

5 comments about The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide.

1. The existing reviews cover everything quite well. I bought this (along with the iconic Stiles & Skutch guide) in preparation for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Costa Rica. I'll be grateful for Stiles & Skutch when I return to the car or hotel room (and I've just bought a used copy from which I will separate the plates for field use), but I'm perhaps even more grateful that Garrigues and Dean have given me a compact, portable guide that will go wherever I go! Others can more adequately address the accuracy of the guide, but every comparison I've made with an illustration or informational item from Stiles-Skutch suggests that this is a credible reference work that will be indispensable for any birder traveling to Costa Rica.



2. Great plates and maps on the same page. Size is much easier to carry also. Wouldn't travel to Costa Rica without it!!



3. The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field GuideThis is an excellent guide to take of field trips because of it's size and it is available in paperback. The information is concise, all that is needed for field trip info.



4. Written by the two foremost authorities on the subject, and long the standard field guide to the birds of Costa Rica, A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book) is now almost 20 years old and showing its age. For the past decade, there has been a clear need for a new edition of the book to incorporate recently recorded species, modernise taxonomy and bring distributional information up-to-date. And since most visiting birders take issue with weight, preferring to carry the excised plates alone (despite the relative strength of the text), any attempt to reduce the size of a new edition would have been welcomed.
   
   Here we have not a new edition of Stiles & Skutch, but what the author rightly calls an alternative. The first feature most visitors will enjoy is the reduction in bulk. My old guide weighs about 1kg (2.2 lbs) and needs to be carried in a pack, whereas Garrigues is just shy of 600g (1.4 lbs) and will fit in a medium-sized coat pocket. Secondly, the plates face the text, so there is no need to flip between the two. Maps are provided along side the text, reducing the need for the detailed range descriptions that are often so confusing to the visitor. The text itself is more concise than the earlier guide and emphasises identification features - something that Stiles & Skutch did not do. As for the plates, they are generally an improvement on the old illustrations. Boreal migrants, such as shorebirds, thrushes, swallows and warblers, are illustrated which means that one can for the first time just get by without a North American field guide - though given the difficulty in identifying these groups, it would be wiser to carry a North American guide too. And, of course, the guide is pretty well up-to-date on bird names, following AOU taxonomy.
   
   Does the new guide supersede Stiles & Skutch? Not really. I know that this is the guide that most birders will want to take in the field. It is the guide that birding visitors and general travellers have been waiting for all these years. However, for the moment at least, birders and naturalists will want to have a copy of Stiles & Skutch, even if it stays back at the hotel - or even back home. The text of Stiles & Skutch contains so much diligently compiled and fascinating natural history information that it remains far from obsolete.
   
   At a time when so many neotropical avifaunas are treated in two volume works - a "field guide" and a "species accounts" or "distribution" tome - one might view Birds of Costa Rica in the same light. Garrigues is the field guide, while Stiles & Skutch provides the detail. Both will be accompanying me on my next trip to Costa Rica in a month's time.
   
   Chris Sharpe, 5 June 2008. ISBN: 080147373X



5. This book is well illustrated and well laid out for identifying the birds of Costa Rica both in and out of the field. It's compact and fairly light weight which makes it ideal to tote around the jungle. It can easily fit in the large pocket of any cargo short or pant as well. I would also recommend buying this book from Amazon before or after your trip to Costa Rica. Buying it in Costa Rica will prove to be much more expensive. We saw it priced between $30 and $45 in various parts of Costa Rica. But never less than $30...

5 comments about A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France.

1. A PIG IN PROVENCE: GOOD FOOD AND SIMPLE PLEASURES IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE tells of a habitual France vacationer who decides to buy a small farmhouse deep in the backcountry. Thirty years later she tells the story of her life in Provence: a story that revolves around seasonal change, culinary specialties, and fun stories of the foodways and culture of the region. Any fan of Provence or French culinary traditions will find this gentle story revealing and appealing, and libraries catering to Francophiles will also find it a popular lend.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. This is a fantastic story about one woman's introduction to and exploration of life in Provence. The book takes you on a culinary journey through the region, with beautiful introductions to specialties of the area. Each chapter features a different major Provence food: truffles, goat cheese, garlic, etc and ends with a recipe that has been featured in the narrative. For those who want understand the relationship between the land, the food, and the people of Provence, this book is highly recommended.



3. This is not only an immensely enjoyable memoir of provencal living which is so easy to read, it has a useful overview of subjects such as mushroom collecting with practical receipes at the end of each chapter. I have ALOT of books about americans living in France and this is one of my favorites to date.



4. Rather evocative but wish it were fulleer and longer. The recipes could have been rather more original



5. Great little book about Rural France and a difference culture - you get a feeling thru the writer as to how things have maybe changed but hopefully stayed the same - it's a good fast read

5 comments about The Backpacker's Field Manual, Revised and Updated: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills.

1. This is a great book for anyone looking to get into backpacking or as a reference is the field for the seasoned trekker. The book contains plenty of up to date information covering almost everything you would need to know. The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that it is just stacked full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. A couple even in sections giving you numeric statistics and info. Apart from that... awesome book!



2. This book is good for someone that wanted to get started hiking and backpacking. I feel that it has good source of information for starting out.



3. Whether you're just becoming interested in backpacking, or you've been backpacking all of your life, this book is a great addition. When researching a reliable book for the outdoors, I was concerned with whether or not this book addressed survival adequately. Well, it pretty much covers everything. Seriously, anywhere from feminine hygiene problems while backpacking to creating a watch out of a compass. It also address any preperation questions you may have as far as buying gear or planning your trip. Great book, I can't put it down.



4. This book was written by Rick Curtis, director of the Outdoor Action Program at Princeton University, one of the most succesful college outdoor programs around. It's not the kind of book you sit down and read, rather it's a good reference to keep handy when you have questions about things. Here's a bit of what it covers:
   
   -backpacking equipment
   -cooking and nutrition
   -hygiene and water purification
   -"leave-no-trace" hiking and camping
   -weather
   -safety and emergency procedures
   -first aid
   -trip planning
   
   Every backpacker knows that space is limited and you can only carry the essentials- which definitely includes this book. In 10 chapters, a mid-size font, and 440 pages, it covers it all and will be the only backpacking guide you'll ever need. Hikers suffering with plantar fasciitis might also be interested in The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution.



5. This book is crammed full of information on a wide variety of backpacking topics, from weather forcasting to group dynamics, however it goes into very limited detail about each one.
   It is in my oppinion a good resource for the inexperienced.
   Anyone that already has a good deal of backcountry savy would be better off getting more specialized information on select topics they wanted to know more about.

3 comments about The EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook: 175 Delicious Recipes for Joyful, Heart-Smart Eating (EatingWell Books).

1. This is a good, comprehensive cook book for those of us that want to enjoy healthier food!



2. So much of heart disease is self-inflicted through destructive life style choices such as poor diet, smoking, and lack of exercise. So it follows that through a proper diet, the avoidance of tobacco smoke, and a program of reasonable daily exercise the prospect of heart disease can be minimalized -- even for those with a family history of genetic predisposition to cardio-vascular problems. That is the basic foundation underlying cardiologist Philip Ades' "Eating Well For A Healthy Heart Cookbook" which was written with the assistance of the editorial staff of 'Eating Well' magazine. Through the 150 recipes compiled in this thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' compendium of delicious and nutritious dishes suitable for any dining occasion, the risk of heart attack by be reduced by fifty percent, along with the lowering of both blood pressure and cholesterol. The first five chapters are devoted to providing up-to-date information on having a healthy heart. Then the beautifully illustrated, gourmet quality recipes run the gamut from Lebanese Fattoush Salad with Grilled Chicken; Lentil & Almond Burgers; Grilled tuna with Olive Relish; and Roast-Pork with Sweet Onion-Rhubarb Sauce; to Eating Well Waffles; Eating Well's Pepperoni Pizza; Crispy Fish Sandwich with Pineapple Slaw; and Dark Fudgy Brownies. Each recipes notes the calorie count, along with fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, sodium, potassium information, cooking time and more. Scattered strategically throughout are 'Heart-Healthy' and 'Shopping' tips. The "Eating Well For A Healthy Heart Cookbook" is an ideal addition to both personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.



3. I bought this cookbook a few months ago and have cooked many recipes from it. Everything has been delicious. There's a great variety of dishes and ingredients. Shows you how to prepare delicious, healthy meals that don't sacrifice taste for nutrition. My teenagers love it too.

5 comments about The River at the Center of the World, Revised: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time.

1. I agree totally with Yau in the previous review. Mr. Winchester is more interested in sharing the British (yawn) history of China, not giving us much else about the culture and beauty of the Yangtze and its people. I have been to China 2&1/2 wks and also taken a cruise (5 days) of the Yangtze and for him to make it all so boring is more than annoying, it is almost criminal. Perhaps his ego supersedes him. I would not buy this book, in fact I was uanble to even read more than a couple chapters, it was that boring and dry. The one by Mr. Hessler is an absolute winner. I read it once a year at least to refresh my amazing memories of China.



2. Maybe I should be a little embarrassed about this, but my first reaction is...why weren't there any pictures?
   
   I know that travel writers often don't include pictures in with their accounts, and a lot of the time, that's okay. For example, Bill Bryson writes about journeying up the Appalachian Trail, and that atmosphere is familiar enough to me (and I would imagine many of his readers) that pictures of all the trees and mountains really are not necessary.
   
   Winchester's account, however, is of travelling all the way from the mouth of the Yangtze River, near Shanghai, to its headwaters, just to the north of Tibet. You would think that this is a sufficiently unusual location that pictures might be appropriate. I'd venture a guess that 99.9x% of American readers have not ever been to the backwoods of China, so we, going in, wouldn't have the faintest idea of how to visualize what he talks about. A thousand words, like they say. (Probably more than that, in this case!) This omission is particularly annoying, in this case, because Winchester goes out of his way to note that he did, in fact, bring his Leica M6, a very expensive (almost $2000), high-quality camera that could, and no doubt did, take wonderful pictures of the awe-inspiring scenery that Winchester describes in words...and more words...and more words.
   
   Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book a great deal. I really liked the basic idea of the book, and I was fascinated by his descriptions of the people and places in the more remote regions of China. The book does have sort of an unusual format, in that the farther Winchester travels up the river, the farther back in Chinese time he pulls history and historical anecdotes from. The history lessons are well-written, and it's obvious that Winchester knows his material very well. It's clear why he structured the book this way, although the historical digressions be disorienting (as in, "Wait...what were they doing again? Who is Mr. Tang?").
   
   I do wish Winchester had included some of the mundane, day-to-day stuff, like random conversations he had with Lily, and the other unusual characters he meets along the way. I had very little feeling of what any of the people he met were really like; even Lily, who is with him for the entire journey, only speaks in the book when she has something important to say (usually a political rant). By the end of the story, I still had almost no feel for what she was actually like as a person, and this is even more true for the various minor characters he briefly introduces throughout the trip. As far as interactions with the locals go, this is a strictly-the-essentials book, meaning that unless there is some really good reason for including a snippet of dialogue or observation into the text, it won't be included. This lends the journey a kind of stripped-down air, which I think is not good in travel writing. Travel writing ought to have a sense of immediacy; immersing the reader in the journey important, and his omissions in that regard have reduced this immersion considerably, to the book's detriment, I think.
   
   Also, I have to say, this book made me want to visit Tibet (or at least remote Qinghai), although, unless the situation has changed significantly since this book was written (1996), that probably remains an impossibility, since the Chinese government keeps the borders to Tibet locked with an iron fist.



3. I agree with some of the previous reviews that it would have been an asset to the book to include more images of the trip (especially the Three Gorges Area), and to have more content on the people of the areas he visits. The book is still excellent. To cover every interest for a region like this would make it a three volume, 2,000 page edition. China is a rich subject and this is a one person of a billion view.
   
   The author has done his work and achieved permits to travel the entire length of the River from the China Sea to Tibet. I am grateful to be able to read an account of a journey that is probably impossible for most of us. I read the book last summer and I still find myself thinking of it from the impression of the 21st. century city of Shanghai to the horrific history of the city of Nanking, the ledge walks above the Three River Gorges, and the remote, cold, snowy heights of the headwaters.
   
   If you are not upset about a Brit-centrict view of the history of China and long for an impossible journey through lands beyond reach you will feel that this book is a very worthwhile read.



4. This travel essay from the author of "The Professor and the Madman" is subtitled, "A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time". Here, the author uses all his journalistic and investigative skills to tell the story of his 1996 journey through China. He is an Englishman who has lived for many years in Hong Kong and had taken several trips to China at the time of the writing. His desire, however, was to explore areas where westerners were few and far between as well as learn more about this 3,900 mile river which runs through the entire land mass of China and begins in Tibet. As he is a trained geologist, he includes all the interesting details of the natural wonders of this river, as well as discussing the cultural history and introducing us to the varied ethnic groups who consider themselves Chinese.
   
   Most of the area he explored is off-limits to foreigners because there is just too much red tape involved. But he planned his trip carefully, enrolled a Chinese companion and, starting in Shanghai, used whatever means available to take this journey. He was a passenger on several different kinds of boats and there were also some legs of the trip that included motor vehicles. The result is a lesson in history, geography and culture that is unique in its perspective.
   
   The outside world connected through China through trade in its waterways and the history of this trade is fascinating. I learned about the tea industry and the opium wars and the agreements with the United Kingdom that changed the face of China forever. I also learned about the cultural revolution from a different prospective and started to understand the kind of man Mao was who was able to bring about a change from imperial rule to a communist country in just one generation. Mostly though, I learned about the environmental disasters that China is now bringing on itself, especially in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam project. As the book was written in 1996 I was curious about what was going on with this project my internet research found out it is scheduled for completion in 2009 and cost more than 25 billion dollars.
   
   Simon Winchester is a fine writer. His descriptions made his journey come alive for me. There's a big map in the front of the book and a smaller map at the beginning of every chapter. The big map did not include every place name he talked about and so I had to look at the little maps. This made it a little confusing to follow but I was determined and so I had to put some effort into following these maps.
   
   Armchair traveler that I am, I definitely recommend this book. I especially liked it because it piqued my interest in learning even more.



5. I had never read Winchester before. On our recent trip down the Yangtze a fellow traveler was reading this book and recommended it. After reading it I would consider it a rich cultural experience through the history of this river.

5 comments about Mediterranean by Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide to Mediterranean Cruising with Giant pull-out color map..

1. I expected more from this book after reading some of the reviews. I do really like the diagrams of the ports and some of the maps seem helpful but other maps are bad with scale and distances just plain wrong. I have also found many spelling errors... who edited this?
   My biggest complaint though is the pictures outnumber the information. Some pages have 4-5 photos making each one so small you can't see much of interest in them. And the photos aren't that good to begin with, many actually look like scanned postcards.
   This book seems to be a very unprofessional attempt at a travel log. There are other books on the market which do a much better job... don't buy the book just for the diagrams of the ports!



2. If you go on a Mediterranean cruise...buy this book..if,like me,you really enjoy immersing yourself in a book about the trip of your dreams..buy this book...It is a perfect combination of facts,history and beautiful pictures and maps.The "must see" sections turn an overwelming siteseeing tour into one that is relaxed and enjoyable.My daughter and son-in-law are flying to Rome next month..she is looking forward to "borrowing" my book...it has wonderful suggestions for a Roman holiday....how romantic is that!...I would not go to the Mediterranean without this book..it would be like trying to make a delicious italian cream cake without reading the recipe..



3. This is a good book. Nice color pictures, lots of information on history, architecture, what to see in ports, where to eat and maps. A nice small enough to carry in you purse book.



4. I am planning my first trip/cruise to Europe and I was hoping for a more in depth look at the museums, restaurants, sights, etc. More than anything it was a history lesson... But, overall it had good information and it a nice "catch all" guide.



5. This book is a great help in preparing for a cruise. It contains a wealth of information on cruising, but an unexpected & very interesting section is the "History of the Mediterranean.

5 comments about Michelin Italy: Tourist and Motoring Atlas (Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas : Italy).

1. Map is has an easy to read scale and user friendly spiral book binding. Although I almost always have my GPS with me, this map is great to get an overview of routes, serve as a back-up when the GPS malfunctions, plan alternative routes and see what other interesting places are near-by.



2. This is our second purchase of the Michelin Italy Atlas as we used the first so much that pages were torn and missing. We find it to be one of our better map guides for traveling in Italy.



3. I haven't field tested this atlas yet, but I like it already. Its very light, so it won't be a burden in my carry-on. It has detailed maps of a lot of towns too.



4. Rick Stevens says the traditional road atlas needs be 1/300,000 or larger scale in order to be useful for guiding drivers on the road. This atlas has the right scale.
   
   I have a GPS navigator (Tomtom GO 720) which works very well in Europe, I almost thought the traditional atlas was no longer necessary. But after two instances occurred to me during my 2-week driving in Europe (June 2008), I am very glad I had brought this atlas with me as a backup to my GPS.
   
   In the first instance, a scenic mountain pass identified by the GPS was closed midway, I must rely on the atlas to reroute. In the second instance, the entire traffic on our side of motorway stopped completely due to a traffic accident ahead. I had to rely on the atlas, ignoring instructions from GPS, and driving through country roads to reach my destination.
   
   The paper and printing quality of the atlas is first class. It's a worthwhile investment. Take it with you even you have a GPS already!



5. I hoped that the Michelin Italy Atlas was a good paper (pages), but the pages are very fine (fine pages), not good to travel by car (pratical).
   
   Thank you.

1 comments about Frommer's San Francisco 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. I found this book more useful than any other guide book for San Francisco. I was very much enjoyed what they recommend in the book especially road trip. They give real detail and recommendation for restaurant and shopping which I found very accurate.

5 comments about Rand McNally World Wall Map: Laminated : M Series (M Series Map of the World).

1. My main complaint is that the lamination is very thin! When secured to the wall with push-pins, it tears-off very quickly! Just thought that people who're interested in this should know about it!



2. I gave this product 4 stars because Russia is still one big area not broken up into its sections. Guessing it was made before 1990? Expo dry erase markers come off very easily. Map is large and I it's just what I expected!



3. I needed a map for a school project. I loved the fact it was already lamenated!



4. I particularly like this this over sized map of the world as it stands out in itself. The finish allows one to point to different places unhesitatingly knowing they will not mar the finish. Because the countries are in tones of varying colors and labeled with eye friendly sizes, it is easier to spend more time checking out places you wish to locate. You also get a better sense of distances versus looking on a globe. This map is not only a great reference and teaching tool, it lends itself to be on the wall of your study or office.



5. I bought these for my son's 9th b-day, I hung it on his wall with blue painters tape, We didn't need anything fancy just something that if he had a question he could go look it up himself. It's not the worlds sturdiest map, but if you are looking for something simple it's perfect.