5 comments about Motorcycle Journeys Through The Appalachians - 2nd Edition (Motorcycle Journeys).

1. For me there are three parts to a good trip - the preparation, the adventure itself, and then the memories. This book has helped me a long way in achieving all these pleasure points. The maps and text are wonderful; the crafty photo's with tasty captions peppered appropriately throughout this guide left my partner (who does not accompany me) recommending more sights than I could handle. A keeper, if not just for that.



2. I worked in the motorcycle industry for over 10 years as a service manager and still ride with all my old co-workers.
   
   We thought we knew all the best roads in our neck of the woods but we were wrong.
   
   We pick a route, get into the middle of nowhere and then get lost.
   
   This book has filled in the blanks for us.
   
   A must have if you're a real rider.



3. I just got back from a near-1000 mile trip through the Appalachians. I used this book to guide me through some thoroughly fascinating and beautiful areas -- the author, Dale Coyner, has create a terrific resource! I am not exaggerating when I say that VA Route 39 has changed my view of the eastern United States (I lived in the West -- Alaska, Utah, and Arizona -- until 2000). I'm sure I won't be the first, but I've set a goal to do all 36 rides in the book.
   
   I showed this to the clerk at the bookstore at the Peaks of Otter wayside on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She's a rider, so she took the name of the book down with considerable enthusiasm and pledged to talk to the manager about stocking the book in the store. It seems strange NOT to have your book on the shelves in such a rider's paradise!



4. I just finished a ride of a little over 1000 miles from my home in NJ to and through WV and VA. I used this book to guide me on some really terrific roads and through some truly beautiful areas. This was the first long, extended ride I've ever taken and it was in large measure due to the "encouragement" expressed through this well written resource. If you're thinking of traveling through the Appalachians then I would recommend that you purchase and pour through this well written book before you go.



5. great book detailing not just roads, but local custom and color for the mid-atlantic area from PA down to the Carolinas and eastern Tennessee.
   
   numerouse routes from a central point in each region are detailed and the local dining, lodging, and other points of interest are detailed in an interesting style of writing.
   
   useful for anyone who wants to tour the mid-atlantic region and take their time doing it...

No comments about Zagat Miami So. Florida Restaurants 2009 (Zagatsurvey: Miami, South Florida Restaurants).

No comments about Frommer's Iceland (Frommer's Complete).

5 comments about South India (Regional Guide).

1. I ventured to South India, Bombay and Goa, last January, and this book never left my side. As a first-time visitor to the country, I was nervous at first, but the information found in this book helped me to prepare adequately for the trip and navigate my way through this often confusing (but always amazing) country. The guide caters to travelers on a variety of budgets, and offers tips for escaping the white-washed tourist trail to really get a taste of local culture. I would recommend ordering a copy a couple months before leaving- there is much to peruse in the book and region, and it will help you to plan out what you want to see, what you need to pack, and how to get by when the culture shock is hitting hard.



2. This book proved helpful on my recent biycle tour of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. It's one of Lonely Planet's better guidebooks, however some sights suffer from rushed research. For example, the fort at Gingee--one of India's best--has three sections, but the authors failed to mention the most spectacular of the three. The authors should have mentioned Suchindram Temple, just north of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu; the beautiful stone temple is famous for its musical columns and 6-meter-tall statue of the monkey god Hanuman. I found the book weak on off-the-beaten-path destinations. I would have liked more information on culture--places to visit and background; if this is your main interest, I recommend that you also check out the Rough Guide edition on South India.



3. i am on my way to India so i hope this book will be thorough but i use lonely planet books all the time to travel and i travel alot.



4. The guidebook does not include all the options or highlights of places but it has sufficient information for your first or second time visit. Very useful opening times and price guidelines!
   ...In fact I found myself returning to South India many times after the first review of this book. Even though these are always business trips I try to get the most out of them spending weekends in the more or less touristic places. Thanks to LP I've even guided some Indians around Chennai and Mumbai!
   Try out bird sanctuaries or Gingee Forts for example - you'll be surprised by the fact there are places in India charming though not overcrowded (and not located in Himalaya). The book does a pretty good job in this field.
   After a while you'll need to search for some more info on the web or in local resources however LP always provides with good ideas and directions for exploring.



5. This product was a tremendous help when I was trying to plan my trips in South India. It does a great job of not only giving maps and historical information of a particular area, but it also recommnends restaurants and hotel accomodations, which is always extremely helpful when you find yourself in an unknown place as a foreignor! I would definitlely recommend this book for both first time travelers and the travel veterans.

5 comments about The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character (Phoenix Books).

1. Kramer provides a brief survey of the history of ancient Sumer. Even though this book is listed as archeology, he gleans most of his narrative from literary sources. It includes a history of the area from early dynastic times down to the time of Hammurabi, as well essays on Sumerian literature, education, religion, and so forth. Kramer writes very elegantly and includes a large collection of primary sources, making this book, despite its age, one of the best on its subject. On the other hand, it is a rather old book, and there are some subjects where Kramer's interpretations do not seem to have been accepted by more recent scholars, for instance his theories about Magan, Meluhha, and Dilmun. Despite this, his book is a good introduction to the history of Sumer, worthy of a read by anyone who is or thinks they might be interested in the subject.



2. An extremely rich series of tableaus of a fascinating cvilization in all its past glorious history. The author is a superb writer. And this book is a treasure...almost all the vital aspects of Sumer are depicted with bright colors:...religion...culture, way of life...society..ideology...history and fascinating stories..It is rich rich rich. No library on history and civilizations is complete without this book! Really a rare gem!!



3. Very good book to start reading about a people and a time that is hard to research and investigate.I think the author presented a very good account of the Sumerians and in a clear and concise manner.Excellent book!



4. I am neither an ancient history buff nor a historian, but began to explore the Sumerians only after my curiousity about the beginnings of civilization enabled me to discover this amazing culture. Here were the beginnings of epic literature. myth and religion, writing and an advanced
   culture almost three millenia before the birth of Christ! Samuel Noah Kramer is a specialist and authority in this field, and has produced an interesting, factually correct and fascinating book. If you're bored with the 21st century, give this one a try!



5. _The Sumerians_ by Samuel Noah Kramer is a very readable overview of the ancient Sumerians, those ancient, non-Semitic peoples who produced the world's "first high civilization" and were the world's first urban culture. This ancient culture spanned the fifth to the second millennium BC though its scientific and literary achievements would have lasting influence throughout the ancient world and down through today.
   
   The first chapter reviewed the history of the modern study of the Sumerians. As late as the 19th century the Sumerian culture was completely unknown. When scholars and archaeologists began excavating in Mesopotamia they were looking for Assyrians, not Sumerians. The Assyrians were discussed in Greek and Hebrew sources, but of the Sumerians, there was "no recognizable trace of the land, or its people and language, in the entire available Biblical, classical, and postclassical literature" (though some experts now think that Sumer is mentioned in the Bible with a variant name). Sumer had "been erased from the mind and memory of man for more than two thousand years."
   
   This chapter revealed the history of the decipherment of Sumerian writing (the name cuneiform dates from 1700 when Thomas Hyde coined the word to described Old Persian writing that he believed was decoration, not actual speech) and the naming of these people (Sumerian was proposed as a term in 1869 by Jules Oppert, who used the name from the title "King of Sumer and Akkad" found in some royal inscriptions, believing that Sumer referred to the non-Semitic inhabitants of Mesopotamia while Akkad referred to the Semitic people of Mesopotamia).
   
   Chapter two dealt with political history. The Sumerians didn't really produce what we would call histories; they were rather more archivist than historian, chroniclers more than interpreters of history. The first real record of Sumerian events was essentially to preserve for posterity what great building projects (particularly of temples) Sumerian rulers had accomplished. Not all historical source material is "curt and lifeless" though, as one source of information is the royal correspondence between rulers and officials, letters that can reveal motives, rivalries, and intrigue.
   
   As far as history itself the reader learns that two of the truly ancient Sumerian rulers were deified (Dumuzi, a deity whose worship would have profound influences in Judaism and in Greek mythology, and Gilgamesh, the "supreme hero of Sumerian myth and legend," his deeds written and rewritten not only in Sumerian but also in other languages), and that Sargon the Great was the conqueror that finally brought about the end of the Sumerian people as "an identifiable political and ethnic entity" and began the "Semitization of Sumer."
   
   Chapter three looked at life in the Sumerian city. In the third millennium B.C. Sumer consisted of a dozen or so city-states surrounded by a few villages, each city's main feature being the main temple situated on a high terrace, one that gradually evolved into a staged tower or ziggurat, "Sumer's most characteristic contribution to religious architecture." The temple was the largest and most important building in a Sumerian city, reflecting the importance of religion in Sumerian life (though scholars have debated for decades whether Sumer was a "totalitarian theocracy dominated by the temple" or whether there was some relative freedom and private property; opinion now leans towards the notion that while the temple was the major economic player, private individuals could buy and sell property and own businesses).
   
   An important chapter, Kramer looked at such things as the average Sumerian house (a small, single story, mud-brick building with several rooms arranged around an open courtyard), the Sumerian calendar (they divided the year into two seasons, emesh, "summer", and enten, "winter," with the new year falling between April-May), even Sumerian medicine (providing translations of several ancient prescriptions).
   
   Chapter four looked at religion and mythology. The Sumerians recognized a very large number of gods, some of which had some very specific areas of interest (such as a deity in charge of the pickax) but recognized seven gods who "decree the fates" and fifty deities known as "the great gods." Sumerian gods were entirely anthropomorphic, appearing human in form and could eat, drink, marry, raise families, and even die.
   
   Sumerians believed that rite and ritual were more important than either personal devotion or piety, and that man was "created for no other purpose than to serve the gods." They also believed in something called me, essentially a set of rules and regulations that were meant to be followed in order to keep the universe running smoothly. These me's included both positive concepts, like "truth" and but also negative ones like "strife."
   
   The parallels between Sumerian and Greek and Biblical stories were quite striking and Kramer discussed several examples (the Sumerian underworld looked a lot like the later Greek version, complete with a "Charon," for instance and the Sumerians had a Flood myth as well).
   
   Chapter five examined their literature, which included religious hymns and lamentations, epics, dirges, elegies, collections of proverbs, and a favorite Sumerian form of literature, the "wisdom" compositions or disputations in which two opposing protagonists debate back and forth (even if the two protagonists might be say personified animals or tools).
   
   Chapter six looked at the Sumerian edubba or school.
   
   Chapter seven examined Sumerian "drives, motives, and values." The author looked at the role of hatred and aggression in the Sumerian character, their drive for prestige, preeminence, and superiority, though they also valued goodness, truth, even mercy and compassion. Kramer noted though that their ambitious drive for preeminence produced many of the advances for which the Sumerians are noted, such as the development of writing and irrigation but also carried with it the "seeds of self-destruction," which trigged bloody wars between the Sumerian city-states and impeded unification which ultimately proved the downfall of Sumer.
   
   Chapter eight examined the legacy of Sumer, its tremendous influences on other ancient cultures and religions, its numerous technological inventions, even its political advances (they invented the city-state which was in marked contrast to the state of affairs in Ancient Egypt).

5 comments about Living, Studying, and Working in Italy: Everything You Need to Know to Live La Dolce Vita.

1. This book is literally a goldmine of useful information. I had no idea that the university system began at different times then the university system in the States... no wonder I didn't meet any cute Italian boys until two months into my stay! Hehe. But beyond that, I would recommend this book to anyone who, like myself, dreams of one day calling Italia home. I went through some of the avenues listed in the book (i.e., post-graduate study abroad, mingling with the locals, etc.) before even knowing this book existed, so the authors must be doing something right!



2. This book is great because it gives you things from an American perspective. I've lived in Italy before on a study abroad program, so I was familiar with some things, but the lists of contact information alone are enough reason to buy this book. It covers everything from student visas to getting dual citizenship and from teaching ESL to starting your own business. A must read for anyone thinking about moving to Italy.



3. To those who are either considering moving to Italy or just going for vacation, this is the book for you. It provides not only the basic information, but also answers questions that you would not normally consider or even think of. It also provides valuable information about embassies/consulates, education, and every day life. Even as a seasoned traveler, I found this book very useful, as I plan my relocation to Italy. It is an asset to any traveler's library.



4. This book arrived today, and I have read most of it already-- absolutely wonderful! It addresses answers to 98% of my questions, as well as issues I hadn't even thought about. There are also useful addresses and resources, as well as basic, but necessary tips, including how to convert measurements (for butter, sugar and clothing!), saints' days, and everyday etiquette (don't walk around your hosts' house barefoot!). How can someone who doesn't speak much Italian find a job? Which visa is actually right for you and what's the process? How do you prepare for your Italian job interview/write your resume? What's the garbage tax? What if you need emergency medical care? How do you get covered by Italy's public health care system? What is the proper way to go shopping in Italy? I've spent several months living/studying/traveling in Europe before, and I wish I had access to this book earlier. Full of tips, tricks, and tools to make you a successful individual in Italy (and beyond). Go eat some pasta and read up!



5. I moved to Italy to live, study and work, taking with me this book as the ultimate resource for an American looking to make a life there. Unfortunately, I did not find it to be the exhaustive guide I had hoped.
   Not only did it brush the surface on important questions any American moving abroad would have (such as those addressing legal requirements, getting proper paperwork and visas to stay, finding work, etc.), I found it to actually contradict itself in the discussion of some important subjects.
   
   I am afraid that whole-heartedly trusting this book to help you navigate through some of the legal implications of moving to Italy may result in much frustration. I also found the helpful lists (compilations of schools and universities, English-speaking organizations, etc.) to be less-than-comprehensive. These lists mainly focus on the big cities and American-draws (Rome, Florence and Milan).
   
   This book is fine as a starter guide to help you to begin to plan, but it is not "everything you need to know."

5 comments about Minus 148 Degrees: The First Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley.

1. I loved how suspenseful it is when they are trapped in the snow cave for a week. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone about the age of 12. It is kind of challenging.



2. this is a fantastic read, if you have ever climbed any mountain this would probably interest you



3. I'm not sure, but I may have been one of the pilots on the C-130 that helped to coordinate the rescue of the team off of Mt. McKinley. Rescue 489 sounds like one of the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron's aircraft. And, I recall dropping (parachuting) a couple of radios on the emergency frequency to a climbing team that we helped rescue. The aircraft commander and I are discussing this particular rescue as "I speak."
   
   As I recall, the person from the expedition that was talking to me was very very reluctant to leave the climb, finally asking what it would cost. When the team was assured that there would be "no cost," things did change... :-)
   
   On the rescue that I'm describing, perhaps the one covered in this book, the Army Huey helicopter had difficulty landing at such a high elevation, and carrying out such a load. I watched as the helicopter lifted off, and it had to dive down toward the base of the mountain to get into more dense air, and to gain associated lift. On the way back to the airport, we slowed the C-130 down, and lowered the flaps, so the Huey helicopters could fly on each wing tip...



4. I am not going to rehash the plot here, I'm sure others have done so and you can get that in some capacity from many sources. The author was on the expedition which this book is about, and it was a bold one to say the least; the first winter ascent of Mt Mckinley. He does a great job inviting us onto Mt McKinley (it was not Denali in 1967, at least not in the public mind) and this is a quick and pleasing read. However he does not interweave as deftly the history and personal story lines that have taken the genre to new places in the past decade or so. Granted Art wrote this in 1969 at which time he'd sworn off expeditions -- largely as a result of holing up in snow cave in a hurricane at 18,000 plus feet for 8 days - so the books that I'm used to reading from adventure writers simply feel more modern. Regardless of this I would highly reccomend this read, and I would also pair it with Forever on the Mountain by James Tabor; about the Wilcox expedition on the same mountain a mere 3-4 months after the first winter ascent (which ended up changing the rules for how Mountains would be climbed in general - not from the mountaineering standpoint, but rather from the standpoint of how gov't officials approved and approached expeditions). For any armchair expeditioner -- such as myself -- the literature on McKinley is essential. This is a mountain that can be every bit as evil and unforgiving as the nastiest Himalayian peak, the weather and the relief are actully in most cases at least equal. Donavan's book is certainly a great read. I bought the paperback reprint, but if I had a do-over I'd look for an early edition as I suppose they must be out there.



5. Book was good but text was missing from maybe 20 pages of the last chapter.

5 comments about Top Trails Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone (Top Trails).

1. I wish there were more of the common trails in the book (I used to work in YNP) but it's definitely a handy book with a lot of useful info



2. This is a really good trail book for Yellowstone and the Tetons, but I wonder if maybe the writter is holding back on more secluded or backwoodsy, if you will, trails? I feel these same trails are pretty much in all the books I have read. The thing that puts this one in the lime light is the fact that it has pretty much all the trails in one book. I find it handy that I only need to tote one guide book, instead of three, with me on the trail. I would like to say thank you, Andrew, for the details your book puts forth!



3. "Top Trails" for Yellowstone and Grand Teton is extremely well-organized and eary to use. We had limited time in the parks and needed to quickly assess how to make the best use of our time, hiking limitations, etc. The first few pages offer an excellent overview of how long and how difficult each trail is, what you're likely to see (from geology to wildlife, panoramic views, etc). Then it gives you a reference page number, where you can get more detail on the trail, best time of day/year to do it, pros and cons, etc, etc. I can't vouch for the longer hikes, as we stuck to those under 2 miles, but it was quite accurate, easy to use, and a valuable asset.



4. We took a one week trip to Yellowstone at the end of July. This book was invaluable. The hikes are ranked from 1 (easiest) to 5 (hardest) making it simple for us to figure out what the four kids could handle. By taking trails rated over "2" we saw almost nobody else on the trails for most hikes. It seems that a vast majority of visitors to Yellowstone do not actually want to hike and having this book made it easy for us to have an uncrowded, pleasant experience. Very detailed, easy to find trail heads from the descriptions. Highly recommend this book, it made our experience fantastic. We also bought "Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park" which offers more info on the actual park. Together these books covered everything we needed to know.



5. This book is good but with other map books and gps map details it was not needed.

1 comments about Fodor's Caribbean 2009 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. I bought this book in preparation for a Caribbean cruise. However,it does not include information on Western ports such as Mexico and Belize. A better choice for me would have been "Fodor's Caribbean Ports of Call". ..... My advice: Check the Table of Contents before ordering.

5 comments about Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman.

1. This was one of those books that I did not want to end. I enjoyed hearing about the author's travels and her experiences. I found her to be interesting and curious about the places and the people she encountered. She shared her experiences and her feelings in an intimate and friendly way. I look forward to reading her other books.



2. Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach looked like a good book as I strolled through Barnes n Noble bookstore one afternoon. So I bought it and couldn't wait to get home and start reading it. I think I got maybe halfway through it before the sheer boredom nearly knocked me out. I have several issues with this book and I'm going to address all of them.
   
   First, I am 30 years old. The writer of this book is potentially in her 40s or 50s and I wasn't too interested or excited by her lifestyle. Separated with kids is not appealing to me. There was not even a remote stitch of sensualness to her character - to me, it was reading the boring travels of a middle aged woman - and sometimes, it felt like she was already in her 70s.
   
   Second, no one I know travels to Europe and just walks into cafe's and meets and makes friends that easily. As much as I'd like to talk to others, I'm also very careful when I'm in a foreign country. I found it hard to believe that she made all these perfect friendships everywhere she went.
   
   Third, the Japanese man she had a "relationship" with. It was never outright stated whether they had sex and most of the time she spent describing scenery when they were together. A virtual sleep fest. Again, this made the author appear to be in her 70s.
   
   Fourth, once she left Paris - I tried to continue reading on for the London and Italy journeys but I must admit the lack of dialogue and overall lack of interest kept me from doing this. She spent eight pages being ill and talking about that...and I was bored to tears.
   
   I recently travelled for business and brought the book with me in the hopes I could finish it on the plane. I could barely read through it and had wished instead that I bought a glossy magazine. As I exited the airport, I threw the book away. $14.95 ill spent dollars and I refuse to tolerate that.
   
   I will not buy anything further from this author.



3. Based on the summary the book sounded amazing for someone like me, who aspires to travel everywhere! To me this book seems like a pre-cursor or more mature version of a 2006 (I think?) book entitle Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
   
   Parts of this book were a bit slow to me & while it is supposed to be a documentary of Steinbach's life with some advice worked in, I found certain parts hard to relate to. Specifically, Steinbach constantly refers to her childhood memories & imagines relatives of her past in her [then] present situations. I am 25 so am not @ the same point she is/was, which is why I'd say this book is more "mature". I just could not connect MY family/MY emotions with HER relatives & HER personal memories.
   
   Nonetheless, there are some wonderful life lessons that anyone, of any age, can take away from this book. Likewise, Steinbach artfully mixes in traveling advice. Last, I liked that she covered typical, popular cities (i.e. Paris) for traveling but also undiscovered, off-the-beaten-path cities as well! I would recommend this and/or read again, just not a favorite.



4. If you've read everything else on your bookshelf, you might reach for this book, but be prepared. It's a 278-page self-congratulatory journal of a woman that can't eat even one meal alone. She spends all of her travel time making instant deep friendships that are forgotten as soon as she moves to the next city, all the while congratulating herself on how bold she is for talking to other tourists. Once you leave the section on a particular city she's visited, you can't remember a single amazing thing she saw or did, because she spends the whole time debating such amazingly stupid dramas as how adventurous she is for wearing espadrille sandals. Give me a break. My mother is more adventurous on a bad day.



5. Now that summer is officially over, and I spend most of my waking hours sequestered in a classroom, I seek out travel books so that at least my mind can pretend it is somewhere else. Usually, I am attracted to exotic travel tales, so at first I was not that impressed that Alice Steinbach chose to spend her six months abroad in western Europe. I could not imagine what exciting adventures she could get into in England, France, and Italy, but as I read on Alice explained that the point of her trip was not to discover a crazy adventure but to rediscover the adventurer she used to be before life and responsibilities took over. As a divorced woman with two grown children, Alice decided that she had reached a point where she could go out and find the woman she used to be. Traveling along with Alice was like sitting down and taking some good life lessons from a wiser, older woman. I saw that in her fifties, she was dealing a lot with looking back at the past, at those who she had lost throughout her life, and reconciling those loved ones with the new people she was meeting in her travels. A bittersweet element came out. A big lesson that I try to learn is to say yes to more things than you say no to. Just the other day, as I was taking a walk around the corner from my parents house, I stopped in front of a large McMansion. Its garage was open, and a lady sitting on a lawn chair was barbequing something that smelled delicious. In all my years of growing up in Plainview, I had never seen someone bbq in front of their house. Practically no life happens out front. The food smelled so good, so even though I just had dinner, and I never do things like this, I called out, "It smells really good."
   "What?" the lady called back.
   "It smells really good," I called back.
   "Come," she said waving the spatula. "Come get something to eat." It was with this last sentence that I heard her thick accent and felt things made more sense. I wondered what country she was from, where they make really good bbq and talk to their neighbors. Was I the first neighbor to ever greet her. It was possible in Plainview.
   And then I said, "No. No thank you." and I continued walking around the block. The no was a reflex action based on too many demands too many times in too many days. I hated that reflex action. Like Alice, I want to say yes. I want to wander around again and hopefully next time join this woman for a bbq.