5 comments about The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite.

1. There are many glowing reviews of this book and it does provide the goods on how and where to go to get good shots. The maps (5) and sections are also quite simple to read. In addition, the sequential numbering of the points of interest is a help.
   
   I was disappointed to find so much coverage of photographic technique. While some technique discussions directly relate to the unique character of Yosemite (for example talking about color and the lack of it in granite) most of it feels more like filler, and indeed makes it harder to navigate to the sections of interest.
   
   The book also lacks an index so the only useful navigation tool is the brief table of contents. Without that table of contents it would be hard to find any particular section and even with it, you're going to have to resort to man-made book marks to find what you want. For example if Pohono Bridge and Fern Spring caught your fancy but you didn't remember to book mark it or remember its number you'll have to resort to scanning all of the maps and/or all of the numbered interest points because despite the page of content, there is no entry for this viewpoint in the table of contents (and remember there is no index).
   
   I would prefer the maps be all together at the front or back so that it would work better as a reference book. I would also have liked to see some more examples of "out of the way" hikes to desirable vistas.
   
   Finally, I would like the author to have provided some sort of "effort vs eye-appeal" rating to help me focus on which sunrise locations are the "not to miss" areas and which are "ok". Perhaps the author can even suggest a few itineraries. These more useful things could replace the "choosing film" techniques section and others like it that are a bit basic and detract from the otherwise good "where and when" information.
   
   I'm tempted to get Harold Davis's book "The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite & the High Sierra" just to make a comparison.



2. Whether you're an amateur or a pro, this book has a lot to offer. It's loaded with information on how and when to take fabulous pictures while you're in Yosemite. It's well organized and it's easy to read. It's loaded with beautiful photographs that serve as good examples.
   
   It's small and can be easily packed with your stuff as you venture into the valley.
   
   A must-have for those who are visiting the park and want to take great pictures!



3. Even though I did not really use this book for the photography information, it has great suggstions of places to visit and good directions on how to get there. I highly recommend a trip to Sentinel Dome, what an amazing view from the top.



4. When I went to Yosemite in 2007 I saw this book at the visitor center and picked it up. But the trip was already planned so we didn't have much time to go through the book then. This year I went to eastern Sierras and chose to drive through the park (tioga pass road). So I went through specific sections of the book and could utilize my time very well, and came back with a bunch of shots (from nearby trails, lake view points, etc.) that I would have otherwise missed. For amateur or semi-pro photographers who don't have all the time in the world, but still want to come back with memorable pics from the Yosemite park, this is a very good guide. The book includes information on visiting in various seasons, where to go for the best pics, specific info on trails and sample pics from the end of such trails, etc... but also relevant info on when and how to expect moon rises and sunrises etc., dates of full and new moons, shooting rainbows in the various falls, etc. Overall, a very valuable book in a small package that I could pack in my photography backpack easily. I wish the author had books on Yosemite, Grand Canyon etc. but I guess for now I have to buy the guides by other photographer/writers.



5. Yosemite is one of my favorite places and I own many books on the subject and usually am there shooting photos once a year. I love this book, first it inspires me then it teaches me and then it pushes me to go again. I hike and camp constantly and have books on the many places all over the country but this one is usually out for others to play with. If you havent been go if you have go again, it is nothing less than magnificent!!

4 comments about Time Out Cape Town: Winelands and the Garden Route (Time Out Guides).

1. I spent a month in Cape Town and this guide was always by my side. Excellent guide with wonderful endearing side bars on locals-it gives you a great sense of Cape Town and its local flavour. All the sections are dead on. I found the dining and shopping extremely helpful with its guide to what is uniquely Capetonian. This is by far the best guide to Cape Town out now. The writers and contributors for this guide should be commended.



2. As many other Time Out Guides, the Cape Town one didn't let me down. It is a very reliable and updated source on best hotels in town, best shops, best restaurants, bars, and so on, for all budgets. I believe it enhanced greatly my experience of knowing new places. I took my Time Out Guides with me to NYC, New Orleans, Buenos Aires and Cape Town and I must say their recommendations rarely disapointed me. They also have a comprehensive session on tours, museums or sight seeing, but they are not the most complete in the market, though.



3. I was skeptical about this book, particularly since I have no interest in the wine country. But with two five star reviews, I ordered it. I was amazed. Very well written. Covers everything. Great pictures. With our weight limits we will not take most of our guide books, but this one will accompany us.
   
   I gave the book to my wife. She took a look at it and said something to the effect that it looked superficial. I urged her to read it and she immediately became a convert.
   
   One of the best travel books I have read.



4. This book is fantastic. I used this book in conjunction with websites like http://www.cometocapetown.com (which handled my accommodation & car hire bookings) and I was fully equipped for an excellent holiday in South Africa. Can highly recommend, and like the rest of the time out series, this one doesn't dissapoint.

5 comments about Frommer's South Africa (Frommer's Complete).

1. We visited South Africa for 20 days in July 2000, driving from Cape Town to Kruger. Before we left we sat down at a large book store and reviewed all their South African travel books. This one looked the best and proved to be very useful, particularly for accomodations. Some of the prices had changed but the standards and services were exactly as described. This is a great book for travellers who are above the backpacker/budget level but not up to "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."



2. An excellent reference book for anyone visiting Southern Africa. We only found a few minor errors but the recommendations on where to go and what to see were very useful.

   We're looking forward to going again and will certainly take this book along. We didn't have enough time to see it all.




3. I travel extensively and am a fan of Frommer's guides which I generally find to have a nice assortment of options in varying price ranges. The volume on South Africa however, was a great disappointment. If Frommer's were to be believed, you had to pay $200 and up for a decent hotel room. Fortunately I have often traveled in South Africa, enjoyed its reasonably priced accomodations, and knew such prices were nonsense. I stayed in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other top destinations in season for less than half that much. The guide also overlooked destinations a bit off the beaten path and proved of so little use to me that I didn't bother to pack it home with me. I strongly suggest the Eyewitness guide instead or just surf the web for tons of great information from the South African Tourism Board.



4. I have been to South Africa before and am heading back and needed more information and this book is very thorough and helpful.



5. Just returned from a 2 week trip to South Africa - this book was very helpful in finding places to stay, things to do, how to keep safe, etc. I took "The Eyewitness Guide" with me too, but that book was not very helpful.
   
   I would also recommend you talk to someone who has been there and make sure you have local contacts. This is a crazy but beautiful country. Have a wonderful trip!

5 comments about Backpack Gourmet: Good Hot Grub You Can Make at Home, Dehydrate, and Pack for Quick, Easy, and Healthy Eating on the Trail.

1. This is the book I have been waiting for. I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love to backpack, and this book lets me enjoy all three. Previously, I was one of those backpackers who ate mac-n-cheese and Lipton noodles over and over and over. It was really boring, and I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet. Getting ready for our epic 4 month hike on the PCT this summer, I wanted to try food dehydrating, but I also needed a recipe book. After lots of online research I ordered this book and "Trail Food" by Alan Kesselheim. Kesselheim and Yaffe have completely different approaches, and I find Yaffe's approach far more user-friendly. You DO NOT want to mess with drying each food item separately and then trying to assemble them in the backcountry. You are tired, you are hungry. You do not want to spend lots of time messing with ten different little baggies and jars of spices and oils. Leave all of that at home. Yaffe's approach is simple and elegant, and I'm quite honestly shocked that more people don't do it this way: You make your soup, stew, pasta dish or casserole in the comfort of your home. The key is that you must keep the chunks of vegetables, etc. very small. You then spread the dish in thin layers on your dehydrator trays and let the dehydrator do all of the work. Just this weekend, we went backpacking and ran the true field test: rehydrating all of the foods that I had previously dehydrated. The results were impressive. Breakfast casseroles, delicious spaghetti for dinner, tuna and bruschetta spreads at lunch, and none of it had that preservative-laden flavor that store-bought foods are cursed with. The only two comments I would make where Yaffe didn't get it quite right are that I can't fit the whole dish into the dehydrator (if you only have four trays like I do), so we usually end up eating some of it for dinner (not a bad thing). The second thing is that her recommended drying times seem a bit too short. I've had to add an extra hour or two to many of the recipes, but again, this is not a big deal as I dry most of this stuff overnight anyway. If you are looking for a lightweight backpacking meal solution, you cannot live without this book!



2. Your hiking trips no longer have to be full of boring meals in a can. Now you can cook great meals at home ahead of time and rehydrate them on the trail.



3. Well who'd ever think I, a middled aged man married to a wonderful wife and cook,would be cooking for 4 in the third world, anything other than PB&J's.
   They all laughed at me as I stashed vac-packed meals into 4 seperate ditty bags, I would just smile and say I wanted to be prepared.
   As we went off the main road and up into the mountain villages, by the third day thier tune started to change.
   
   Wonderful quick meals Breakfasts(eggs and sausage) soups for lunch, lasanga and stews for dinner and even bisguits. breakfast squares, granola bars, and carrot soup were the big hits with the ladies but I think they just enjoyed not having to cook.
   The meals are power packed and full of protien very nutritional. easy to find or grow ingredients.The portions were plentiful, usually we would share in the villages.
   
   Now from grill master at home to the trail chef cooking lasnqna in the bush in less than 5 minutes they want me to cook these meals at home .
   
   I Highly recommend this book to all who travel and camp where there are no stores. Cooking meals 1st then dehyrating them not only saved lots of weight in the backpack, but allows you to spice them up to your liking before you dehydrate, so meals are a delight not the same old, same old, very important on 3-4 week trips.
   (A good cook always tastes the food before giving to the critics)
   These Nutritional meals keep your body healthy and full of energy to work or play the next day. yet allow you to pack away plenty in a small space. also you can prepare them and stash them in the freezer months before.
   Not a bad Idea to have on hand in a disaster kit stored in a sealed bucket with a couple of cases of water in the cool basement either.
   
   Don't forget the water filter and small pot to cook & eat out of.



4. This book will be a benefit to people enjoying long hikes deep into inconvenient territory. Beyond that, it is mostly useful only for the helpful hints and a few product reviews. I recommend finding this book at a library or paging through it at a bookstore to make sure it is really what you're looking for before buying.



5. This is a great book for backpackers looking to save $$$ on freeze dried foods. I consider it a starting point as after you make a few of these recipes, you realize that you can dehydrate anything you cook at home and turn it into a backpacking meal. I often found myself adjusting the recipie seasonings to suit my personal taste. The breakfast eggs weren't a big hit, but the dips/spreads, jerky, pasta recipes, etc are quick, easy, nutritious and tasted great after a day of hiking.

No comments about Frommer's Alaska 2009 (Frommer's Complete).

5 comments about Not for Tourists 2008 Guide to Seattle (Not for Tourists Guidebook).

1. I gave the book, 'Not for Tourists' as a gift and it was received with much interest and delight. The book is very informative, covering various districts in and around Seattle. The information is very detailed and acurate, with good readable maps, great information about the many areas that it covers and a fun book to browse through. I've lived in Seattle for many years and it was great fun reading through this delightful book. I will be purchasing 'Not for Tourists' for my self.



2. I would probably rate this 4.5 stars if I could, but I like it enough to round up. This is an excellent way to learn about the city. The book is divided into chapters that cover neighborhoods. It doesn't focus on the hottest new restaurants/clubs, instead it gives you the feel so that you have a basis for exploration. As the title indicates, this isn't the right book for a weekend tourist but it is great for new Seattle inhabitants.



3. I'm a Seattle mostly-native (been here for 20 years) and picked up this book so that my guests from couchsurfing.com might be able to use it to get around the city. I used the Not For Tourists New York to get around while visiting there, and figured the local one might be handy too.
   
   It's great! It truly does cover the city from the perspective of a local person, including witty and accurate comments about neighborhoods, restaurants/bars, etc., useful information about how to get around the city and to other nearby cities via public transportation, cool local places that are beautiful/unique but not touristy, etc.
   
   In fact I'm so fond of it that sometimes I carry it around and read it myself for fun even though I'm quite familiar with the city already. It's entertaining for natives and informative for transplants/visitors too. I would definitely recommend it for someone who's just moved here.
   
   Even though it's called "not for tourists", I think that really depends what kind of tourist you are. If you're someone who wants to hang out in the places where local people hang out and do the things they do, I still consider it very useful. None of the tourist books have maps of neighborhoods outside the central tourist area of downtown, so if you want to go beyond the beaten path this is a fine way to do it. The book doesn't have reviews of tourist spots but you could always combine it with a more tourist-y book. I bought some other more touristy books too and found the Lonely Planet to be the best of those.



4. I think this book may be good if you are not a tourist (hence the name). The maps are good, but it does not give you an idea of what to see when you are there. It got such good reviews even as a tourist book that I ordered it. For vacationing there, I'd rather stick with Frommers or Fodors.



5. Erica Asahan wrote:
   
   Well, I lived in Seattle for years, this book is great to have! She has so many points and venues I did not know existed! Great reference book to have.

5 comments about Lonely Planet Iran (Country Guide).

1. These are some excerpts from the new edition from the section entitled 'The National Psyche':
   
   "Iranians are the most surprising people. Where you might expect them to be austere they are charming; rather than dour, they are warm, and instead of being hostile to foreigners, they are welcoming and endlessly curious".
   
   "Iranians are not frightening people. They are generally warm and welcoming to an extent that can be embarassing to Westerners."
   
   "...the Iranian system of courtesy [...] makes Iran a haven for travellers - you will be treated with unfailing politeness wherever you go."
   
   Now compare this with the attitude taken by the racist idiot who wrote the previous (third) edition and one realises what a huge difference it makes when the guide authors actually appreciate and enjoy being in the country about which they write.
   
   A welcome (and IMO absolutely necessary) new edition of the guide. Lonely Planet has shown shrewd judgment in replacing the previous one as well as its author.



2. There have been some rumors concerning a previous edition. I have just been to Iran (in September 2006). The 2004 edition is as witty and informative as any Loney Planet book. When compared with two German books for travelers it is a notch above the others. I haven't found any insensitive or belittling remarks only the usual sarcasm, just as the description of Ahvaz: "Unremitting Iraqi bombing during the Iran-Iraq War didn't beautify it and subsequent redevelopment has faild to offer much inspiration." Some telephone numbers and addresses are however outdated.



3. Great to refresh my memory of a visit some 35 years ago in preparation for a re-visit later this year



4. I've used over 20 Lonely Planet guides, of widely varying quality. The 2008 Iran guide is one of the very best I've used, from historic background information to feet-on-the-ground travel pragmatics:
   
   * The maps are excellent. There are multiple maps of the largest cities and there are very helpful detailed maps of key sites such as Persepolis or the Haram-e Razavi shrine in Mashhad.
   
   * There is thorough background information on culture, history and religion which helped me understand the country and the sites better. The general tone is benign and factual.
   
   * The hotel and restaurant guides seem accurate and pragmatic. I had to trudge around a number of hotels in Tehran while searching for a room and the Lonely Planet descriptions seemed consistently on the mark.
   
   * The specific coverage of cities and historic sites, and the suggested walking tours were helpful and accurate.
   
   * There is copious and (allowing for the vagaries of the bus companies) accurate information on train and bus schedules, travel times and costs.
   
   I often saw other travelers consulting various editions of this guide in Iran. It seems to have become the standard. It deserves it!



5. Lonely Planet Iran (Country Guide)
   
   This guide added immeaurably to my just-completed & thorougly enjoyable three-week vist to Iran. As the authors stress in the opening chapters, Western perceptions of Iran are largely based on government propaganda, ours as well as Iran's.
   
   They also point out the huge differences between public and private life.
   
   For example, alcohol may be government banned, but it is available for anyone who really wants it.
   
   The Iranians are warm,friendly, and most of them do not hesitate to tell us "We love you! We love America!" Getting free of effusive schoolgirls--high school and university--who want to take our photos, can be difficult. I missed a mosque & a couple of old homes in Natanz because of this entrapment!
   
   November was an ideal month, perfect weather throughout the country includinn sunshine in Tabriz and the Caspian Sea region which can be bitterly cold in the winter.
   
   I didn't like having to wear the hijab in public, but this and no access to ATMs were small prices to pay for an invaluable experience. Burke and Elliott's Lonely Planet Iran makes both an ideal introduction to a visit and encapsulates everything one wants to remember about various sites from Persepolis to the flourishing bazaars in every city.
   
   I would encourage everyone, especially Americans, to visit Iran. Ignorance on both sides is a problem that can be dispelled by first-hand experience.

No comments about East Timor (Lonely Planet Country Guide).

5 comments about Weird N.J.: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets (Weird).

1. Weird NJ is a fun, funky book of legends and folklore about the Garden State. Written by Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran, it started as a journal, evolved into a magazine and has now morphed into a popular book (in New Jersey, anyway).
   
   Most readers have heard about the Jersey Devil and UFO's. But Weird NJ goes way beyond these "mainstream" oddities. The stories in Weird NJ were gathered over ten years. The authors claim that they like to "churn up the historical muck" and that "when the line between history and legend begins to blur is the tightrope we like to tread." Many of the stories came from readers, and it is to them this book is dedicated.
   
   The authors take us on quite a journey. We would expect monsters, ghosts and haunted houses. But Sceurman and Moran bring us even further. The chapters are broken down into such topics as Ancient Mysteries, Unexplained Phenomena, Local Heroes and Villains, Cemetery Safari, Roadside Oddities, Roads Less Traveled and Abandoned NJ (to name just some of them). Most of the stories also include pictures and drawings. We see a Stone Living Room and a house shaped like a cookie jar. The authors try to find the fabled midget village and tribes of albinos. We see a mystery lake in the Pine Barrens called the Blue Hole, and the Gates of Hell in Clifton. There is just so much here to keep you entertained.
   
   My only complaint about Weird NJ is that most of the stories take place in North Jersey (South Jersey gets slighted once again). Also, I felt the authors could have done a little more to separate fact from fiction in some instances. But despite these minor flaws, I plan on giving a number of these books for Christmas this year. I know that they'll be a big hit.



2. I received this as a gift from a close friend. As one who was born and mostly raised in Jersey, it really explains a lot about me and my family. The book was terrifically funny, and also gives some great insight into the experience of growing up "Jersey". After reading this, I think I have a greater appreciation for midwesterner's weird reaction to ME. A must have for those among us who still pine away for life in Jersey in the 50's and 60's and beyond. You can take the kid out of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of the kid, and this book brings it all home.
   A Midwest Transplant



3. i live in Salem N.J. and theres alot of strange stories behind that town. i read this book my freshman yr in high school and i forgot the name of it and i've been trying to figure it out for like 2 years and i finally got it..



4. I PREFER TWO, BUT YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE YOU ARE MISSING SOMETHING WITHOUT SEEING AND READING THE FIRST.



5. Excellent coffee table book. Truly weird and funny things on the roads and places less treveled in NJ.

5 comments about Sailing Alone Around the World: The first solo voyage around the world.

1. this edition has no illustrations, a cheap edition, very frustrating because the book is very good. I was forced to buy another edition with the illustrations, but have had problems with the shipping from the vendor, the book has not arrived, so I will have to buy a third edition !! Very frustrating. The first time this has happened to me at Amazon.



2. Wish I had been a little more careful before I selected this edition. It's a tiny book with stiff pages and cover which doesn't stay open unless you want to break the spine. Just awful. I'll find a different edition at the library.



3. This story is the greatest sailing story I have ever heard of. Joshua Slocum is so far out and such an indomitable human being that it is difficult to fathom without reading the story. This book is truly an exercise in understatement.
   
   A large society of Slocum afficianados exists now, largely in response to this one book. I just this past friday saw a replica of the Spray, the vessel on which he made this unprecedented voyage, owned by an old sailor. The replica is named Joshua, and sails from Alameda California. I saw it because it was at the annual wooden boat festival in Port Townsend, Washington.
   
   Spectacular.



4. This book is a wonderful find! Very readable and compelling, the author unwittingliy tells the tale of his adventures around the world on a small boat that he built with his own two hands in New England near the turn of the century. The book is without pretense, at times is hard to imagine, yet the language is so simple and straightforward how can we do anything but believe his stories written in a down home style. This is a book that's easy to get lost in and holds your attention until the very last page. I read it while on the beach. I recommend that you do the same. The sound of the lapping waves makes the book that much more enjoyable.



5. I first read this book about 30 years ago, I think. I vaguely remember thinking it was dry, and now I'm amazed at myself. It is anything else but that, from today's perspective! First published in 1900, Slocum's prose reads fresh and crisp; and his sense of humor pleases me with its dryness. No wonder it's still around, over a century later.
   
   Slocum, who worked his way up to shipmaster and owner after starting before the mast in the days when sailing ships still ruled international commerce, reached middle age in a different era. With his family grown, he accepted a friend's gift of a sloop that lay decaying in a field. Slocum rebuilt the SPRAY completely. Then he set out in her alone, to circumnavigate the globe.
   
   He spent nearly three years in that successful effort. Newspapers followed his progress, and in port after port he made new friends and learned new things. Seasoned world traveler though he was, I got the feeling as I read that he hadn't had time for much of that learning on earlier voyages. He'd been busy looking after his ship, its cargo, and his family (who sailed with him). Now, off on his own with a freedom he hadn't known before, he savored each new experience and then recorded it for eventual publication.
   
   "The author made me feel that I was there, too," is a cliche. But cliches come into being because they're true enough to invite over-use, and in this book's case the words fit perfectly. A classic for good reason!