5 comments about Asian Dining Rules: Essential Strategies for Eating Out at Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asian, Korean, and Indian Restaurants.

1. The author of this engaging and valuable work calls himself "The Fat Guy", and is largely responsible for creating a highly popular website for gastronomes, eGullet. For this, his second book, Steven A. Shaw has taken as his subject what he refers to as "strategies" to assist non-Asian Customers with their dining experiences at Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian restaurants, as well as those of other Asian nationalities. He sums up the entire matter of procedure for eating out at these restaurants with ten tips:
   
   1. Become a regular customer.
   2. Perform due diligence for each location.
   3. Eat at times when business will probably be less (e.g., Tuesday evenings.)
   4. ASK MANY QUESTIONS!
   5. Insist upon the "real stuff" (don't take no for an answer).
   6. "Fine-tune" your restaurant radar (avoid restaurant chains).
   7. If a location is popular and/or a bargain, it well may not be very good.
   8. Be quite vocal with requests (and do not forget to praise).
   9. Language barriers need not be significant (do your best).
   10. Keep an open mind (take risks).
   
   A sampling of Shaw's insights will give an idea of the book's interesting contents. He stresses that all of the various national groups will welcome an extroverted approach from their clients, except for the Japanese. Chinese cuisine is not monolithic; minorities are well represented. MSG may not be the disastrous element that is so often posited. Thai food is more than Pad Thai. There are hidden costs with "take-out" orders. Chinese restaurants in the United States outnumber Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and MacDonald's establishments COMBINED. For the better businesses, there are separate eating areas for insiders and outsiders. Although the author's reviews of individual restaurants and many of his comments apply in the main to the New York City region, this always fascinating work will be read to advantage throughout the United States, wherever Asian eating spots are located (there are more than 43000 for Chinese food alone!).



2. I am still reading this book, but I find it very fascinating. I have always wondered if the Asian restaurants here are american-ized or not. It turns out that there are really two separate menus...the menu you know and the menu for those "in the know."
   
   It is a rather dense, 260-page book about the customs and culture of Chinese, Korean , Indian, and Japanese cuisine. It isn't about cooking, as the author points out. It is about how to eat.
   
   Want to know the history of chopsticks? It is in here. Want to know how to consume miso soup? It is in here. Want to know the history and arguments surrounding MSG? You might be surprised at what you learn.
   
   Each cuisine is described in three levels of skill or knowledge, from beginner, to intermediate, to advanced.
   
   This book has a very conversational style, as if the author is your personal expert throught the world of Asian cuisine. If Asian culture fascinates you or you just want ot know more, this book would be a great addition to your library.



3. I lived in Japan and Taiwan for a decade and enjoy eating Asian food. This book isn't exactly what I was expecting, but it may be more interesting than it sounds. There is some personal anecdote, some critiquing of restaurants, some food culture, some good advice, some detailed history, etc. I think it is well-written and engaging. Is it all true? I don't know. I'm not an expert on all of the countries. I think that adventurous eaters can get some good tips here and keep looking for answers on some of the more contentious topics.



4. If you really enjoy Asian cuisine and want to take that love farther this is an excellent text to prime even the beginner to maximize one's experience ordering in an Asian restaurant. The book is broken into several easy to follow chapters, including Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Korean cuisines with samplings from the rest of Asia grouped together in one chapter. Humour abounds, and much experience as a food critic informs the Stephen Shaw's point of view.
   
   Each chapter highlights the major points and the author's favourite dishes from each cultures offerings, with ways to discern authentic dishes from those transformed to appeal to western palates. Dotted throughout are vignettes such as personal anecdotes about first time sushi preparation, trivia about the health effects of sushi or the origin of fortune cookies, and the like. this book is a treasure trove of insider's info, teaching Asian restaurant patrons how to order, what to expect, and even giving a little insight into the psychology and motivations of the Asian communities within North America.
   
   For the sushi enthusiast, this book is a must. A sizable chunk of Japan's chapter is devoted to explorinig the codes and principles of ordering sushi. Shaw explains the motives for sitting at the sushi bar, as well as giving the reader a rundown of what to order in order to show that you're a serious sushi-eater.
   
   This may not necessarily be designed to apply to those eating establishments inside the context of their homelands, but I think even teh traveler may be able to glean insight from Asian Dining Rules.



5. I had a very difficult time reading this book, not because it was anything less than well written, insightful and loaded with great information- but living in the lovely spot that is the agriculturally rich but culturally bereft Northern California central valley, there are probably fewer that 10 excellent restaurants- of any kind- within 50 miles.
   
   Not to say there are no fine restaurants up here, but they are few and the road to find one is scarred by bad experiences at the prototypical horrid Chinese restaurant. So it is with voyeuristic pleasure that I indulge in Mr. Shaw's book, and it is a delight from start to finish.
   
   This is a collection of articles possibly written at different times by noted food critic Steven Shaw.If so, it is not reflected in the narrative flow of this book, which is a compendium of suggestions and trivia and techniques to better help a diner enjoy their Asian experience. For me it succeeds on all and any level, and while not terribly surprised at any of the author's suggestions towards achieving a better dining experience, I cannot say I learned nothing- for example, his strategy on attacking a buffet was particularly enlightening.
   
   "Asian Food Rules": As a statement, true. As a guidebook, literally, not so true. Do not expect a list of rules, the title is probably the weakest part of this book. The subtitle, "Essential Strategies for Eating Out at Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asian, Korean, and Indian Restaurants"- which for me, the most important strategy would be having at least one of each in your town.
   
   The book is broken into sections by nationality: Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asia, Korean and Indian. Tucked in between is just about any country you are likely to find in between that has seen a restaurant open in New York, which seems, by all accounts, to have it all. It is not merely a book about food, it is a closer look at the culture and the people who bring us the diverse and delightful cuisine from so many different regions.
   
   Interspersed in these chapters are sub-essays, fascinating specials on a particular restaurant or event or experience Mr. Shaw felt appropriate to insert- on tipping, the Asian delivery worker's strike, a search for a particular delicacy. Like the right spice added at the right time, they blend in well and add depth to the flavor of a chapter.
   
   I did not expect to find recipes included, but some of his rather detailed descriptions of a sauce or a dish are nearly enough to inspire one to have a go at something new. His delight in the food is evident, his concluding essay on "authenticity" is a superb, if slightly abrupt way to wrap thing up. I suppose I didn't want it to end. It is here he describes the need to seek out and embrace all forms of food, he seems to see food as itself almost as living, evolving creative process, not a locked-down set of rules that must never be broken. I suppose the true test of Mr. Shaw's advice would be to give every restaurant at least several chances, and armed with the confidence of his techniques, perhaps I should give the chop-suey-and-fluorescent-sauce palace a little more time.
   
   Mr. Shaw deals so adroitly with the various aspects of seeking out, and getting involved with an Asian restaurant it is hard not to feel pangs of envy when he describes the killer hole-in-the-wall places all within four blocks of his home in New York. Or the detailed and hunger-inducing description of the astounding and thoroughly unique food creations prepared for the anniversary celebration of the "New Indian-Asian Fusion" restaurant "Tabla". Having not heard of this style, I feel there is something for which to strive, and this is a very enjoyable and inspirational book.
   
   One minor complaint: I am no slouch at searching the Internet, but when Shaw mentions a short video called "The Making", a Japanese film of a tour though a fake sushi manufacturing plant I was intrigued, had to see it, and am still wading through the 29 million results so far. While most references in the book are helpful and accurate, this is one I wish could have been a little more specific.
   
   I wanted to include at least a few hints from the book, but when I began to search favorite passages or sections, I found myself beginning to re-read the book and get that hungry feeling again. I realized it would be simply more helpful to just advise anyone who truly enjoy Asian cuisine to grab a copy and enjoy the journey.

5 comments about Brussels (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I have had great experiences with the DK Guides. I use it extensively in my trip planning and this is the guide I take on the trip.

   This guide provides execllent information about local sites throughout Beligium. It gives very clear guidance concerning what you can find and access information. It also helps you to locate the sites with indexed maps and diagrams.

   I have found that this and the other DK Guides are bit weak in providing guidance about what to see. That is, it offers little qualitative information--everything sounds equally wonderful. And we all know this is not necessarily the case.

   So I always find another guide that has more opinions and recomended tours to determine what to see. I espiecially look for guided the provide suggested walking tours. This has worked out well for the most part. I use other guides to plan the trip and the DK Guide in the country.

   It has very usable maps although sometimes too limited in scope and you may require a local map to get around beyond the central city. Also, because the book is a bit heavy and too large to fit in a jacket pocket after the first day or so I leave it in the hotel and rely on the local map when walking about.

   The one topic I find most reliable is DK's restaurant recommendations. The two places I tried in Brussels were fantastic and offered everything that the guide described. I have had equal success with DK's restaurant recommendations in other cities/countries.

   I think this is an indispensible travel guide as long as you know what you are using it for--planning or background info, etc.




2. DK guides are by far the best for any trip -- their black-by-block walking guides just can't be beat.



3. This was an indispensable tool my navigation of Belgium. I also purchased the Top 10, published by DK just so I would not miss anything. I liked the large maps and the clear directions to the venues. The pictures were GREAT. This book greatly enhanced my journey.



4. Perfect for Belgium. Brussels, Bruge, Antwerp are all well done. The quality of the DK series makes them the pick of the class, but heavy. It's the only guilde that emmanates a feel for the area's architecture. I used the hotel section comparatively with other guides. It finished slightly ahead. What is unusual is a non-tourist perspective is part of the review mix. I am an intelligent successful high tech businessman and not particularly interested in clowns staying away from people that are. To me travel is not an entertainment video. It is a mix of pleasure, leisure, and learning while keeping in reasonable cost effective contact with the world that enabled me to make the trip. This is the one area that could use improvement. "Internet access" is a meaningless description. What's the cost, how fast, what mode, where, and how often is it available? For decades the hotel telephone has been the ultimate rip off tool. Now it's morphed into the cell phone realm. Despite what you have read international calling is still very expensive. When Best Western doesn't charge for the identical serice that Hyatt, Hilton,
   Marriott, etc. do is it very clear whose happiness is primary despite what the brochure says. A lot more help on this would be most appreciated. Kudos to DK for giving local food a serious look. The inclusion of small, medium and high end places is a refreshing and useful change. For some reason no mention is made of the "ladies of the evening" displaying their virtues through sidewalk level bay windows along the street parallel to the Brussels airport-to-central station route about five minutes before it ends. After a long flight it provides a little spice that was missing in the airline food.



5. We recently took a trip to Belgium, where we intended to visit Brugge, Antwerp, and Brussels, although in the end, we dropped Antwerp in favor of spending more time in Brugge. I bought a copy of this book on the advice that it had a lot of coverage beyond Brussels.
   
   Like most EyeWitness guides, the photos, sketched 3D area maps, etc. were all brilliant for identifying points of interest and notable details. The suggested walking tours also proved to be a great resource, since these cities are best visited simply by wandering the streets rather than heading straight for key destinations.
   
   My only qualm with the book is that (as the title suggests) it is heavy on Brussels. This was a little disappointing, having heard that it included adequate coverage of the other cities in its subtitle. Nearly 75% of the book is dedicated to the capital with the other cities receiving only around a half dozen pages each. If you're planning to spend a lot of time in Brugge, Antwerp, or Ghent, I'd recommend finding a book with more focused coverage. If you plan to spend a lot of time in Brussels, with daytrips to one or more of the other cities, this book would probably be great.

5 comments about Las Vegas Then and Now (Compact) (Then & Now Thunder Bay).

1. I was finally able to visit Las Vegas last year and bought several Vegas books as souvenirs. Unfortunately, most of the books only provided information on present-day Las Vegas. Also wanted were pictures of the Las Vegas I had seen on TV as a kid. After all, that is what gave it its magic & attraction to me.
   
   This book provides that. Pictures of the old & new are featured on opposite pages for easy comparison. The pictures are large, sharp, & clear, & are of excellent quality to this layman's eye. They are also accompanied by short paragraphs of essential facts such as build dates & owners, along with information peculiar to the specific buildings.
   
   I highly recommend this book to the nostalgist.



2. I drove through Las Vegas in 1975 and was so unimpressed I didn't even stop and get out of the car. I wanted to see if this book had any photos from that era and was pleased to find out my memory wasn't faulty. I was also there in the mid '60s and the late '90s and the book didn't let me down on those memories, either.



3. this is a nice book with very beautiful photos ,a must for people who like
   to learn about other cities evolution.



4. I purchased the book for my son-in-law who enjoyed it VERY MUCH. Great Book.
   Shirley Nordby



5. It's a nice big book with plenty of contrasting photos of various locales in Las Vegas.
   
   Each photo, old and new, comes with a brief description and/or historical fact of the structure or location. The info is informative and interesting.
   
   While I enjoyed the photos that were presented, the format makes it too "black and white". So basically you get the very beginning photo and then the most current photo(usually in the 21st century).
   
   Would've been nice if they could've included some transition photos, as a lot of casinos went thru various changes throughout the years.
   
   Overall though, I enjoyed the book as it managed to evoke my deep memories of Sin City.

5 comments about Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power, and Lies.

1. When most Americans conjure up an image of Niagara Falls what most likely comes to mind is artist Frederick Church's iconic 1857 painting. In those days the Falls really were wild and wonderful and although a certain amount of development had already begun to take shape in the surrounding area those who loved revelling in the spendor of nature were likely to make a trip to Niagara a top priority. But unbeknownst to most of us what we see today at Niagara Falls is largely a mirage. The powers that be in New York state and Canada literally have the ability to turn the Falls completely off if they choose to! Just what has occurred over the past two centuries that has led this venerable natural wonder to be degraded so dramatically? Ginger Strand has had a lifelong fascination with Niagara Falls. In "Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power and Lies" Strand traces the largely unknown and unreported history of this national treasure. What you will discover will likely surprise and greatly disturb you.
   I certainly had no idea of the long and diverse history of Niagara Falls. Although my wife and I have visited the Falls twice in the past 15 years we were totally unaware of just how much of the scene we were observing was being manipulated. For nearly 200 years vastly competing interests have been vying for economic advantage at Niagara Falls. In the pages of "Inventing Niagara" you will be introduced to many of the key players in the ongoing saga of the Falls and the adjacent communities. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 the Falls area immediately became a popular tourist attraction. It was fun reading about so many of the offbeat amusements that sprang up in the area during the middle of the 19th century. One of the most popular attractions was a colorful high wire artist named Blondin who wowed audiences for several summers with dramatic jaunts across the gorge. You will also discover how the long lost mummy of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses I wound up in the popular Niagara Falls Museum. A fascinating story! Another important slice of Niagara history is that Harriet Tubman ran her Underground Railway System from Niagara before the Civil War. Later on in the nineteenth century a group of well-heeled individuals emerged who had other ideas about how to best utilize the enormous hydro resources at the Falls. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing and power was badly needed to turn the wheels of industry. Soon chemical factories appeared all over the area spewing their toxic fumes and waste and forever altering the landscape. Sadly, in the 1940's thousands of workers at these plants were exposed to radioactive materials as they unwittingly did work on "The Manhatten Project" for the U.S. Department of Defense. You will also learn how the Army Corps of Engineers and an assortment of other state and federal agencies and private industry interests would come to be involved in altering and reshaping the Falls.
   Author Ginger Strand brings a boatload of important new material to light in "Inventing Niagara". Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews she succeeds in bringing to life the checkered history of this once beloved region and speculates what the future might have in store. It turns out that Niagara Falls was so much more than merely "the honeymoon capitol of the world". This is a book that grabbed my attention in Chapter One and just would not let go. I simply could not put it down. One of the surprise hits of 2008! Highly recommended!



2. Ginger, I am being quite informal here, is a self described fanatic about Niagara Falls. So am I. Thus, while reading her book I felt like I had found a long lost friend. We could converse (although she could not hear me!) the many subjects about the lost Niagara, the damaged Niagara,the changed Niagara, the abused Niagara; well I could go on and on. (I wish someone could force the power companies, for one lousy day, to let the water flow naturally but I digress......)
   
   Here's what I suggest. If you are one of these people that goes to Niagara Falls and can look for a few hours and be content to move on to the casinos or Clifton Hill entertainment (ie Ripley's, haunted houses, water slides) then you are not going to appreciate this book very much. However, if you really want to know some real "geeky" (my kids word for me, alas) stuff about hydro power, chemical landfills, misplaced mice killed by radiation, etc. then you will probably adore this book, as I did. The book scores on many levels.



3. There are really two books here, an excellent history of an American/Canadian icon, and a confusing voyage of self discovery. I loved the first story, but was often irritated by the way Strand intruded with her speculations, often negated a page later, and her personal asides.
   
   Strand's substantive portions are really superb; her overview of the toxic site histories and her discussion of honeymoon history at the falls, for example. (But what, exactly, does a Red Hat Society meeting have to do with honeymoons?)
   
   Strand cites The Second Greatest Disappointment: Honeymooning and Tourism at Niagara Falls by by Karen Dubinsky, an excellent study of honeymooning at Niagara. She writes a superb review in the main text of Marilyn Monroe's performance in Niagara; she's especially effective on Monroe's long walk away from the camera in one scene. She calls the wonderful Falling for Marilyn by Jock Carroll "an indispensable photographic essay". On weddings and honeymoons generally, she applauds Rebecca Mead's One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding. Again, I'm not sure why she wrote about the Red Hat Society meeting, but did appreciate her compliment to "Constable Allen A. Rodgers, who gave me new respect for the many talents of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. O Canada!"
   
   Suggestion: read Strand's "Sources and Acknowledgments" pages, then visit her outstanding website, and then, if you have time to dawdle, read the book itself. She has put together a tremendous collection of excellent books and other sources in the book, and she has greatly strengthen some of the weaknesses in the book on her website. The sections on hydrotechnology are weak in the book but superb on the website. And her suggested tours of the Falls on her website are excellent, and surprisingly missing from the book itself.
   
   This book is well worth reading for an understanding of Niagara if you can get past the biographical asides, and I urge you do so if you have any interest in Niagara.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



4. If you are from N.F this book will bring back alot of memories. Not all of them fond. But a blast to read.



5. Just a short note to let the reader know how much I enjoyed the book about Niagara Falls. I have lived on the West coast my entire life and have always thought of Niagara Falls as nothing more than a honeymoon destination. I had no idea about its past or all of the underlying tragedies that mankind has dumped on this natural wonder. I feel that this book told the story with both disgust as well as a deep caring for this community. I especially enjoyed the final chapter and got a real sense that even with all of the problems and man made issues that are still confronting this place, the author still loves it. When she were talking about the sound and the power of the falls, I wanted to hop on a plane and experience this for myself. Warts and all, she made it come to life.
   
   There are so many great places in this country that I have yet to see, but this will be one that I will make it a point to go listen to the water.

5 comments about Robert Young Pelton's The World's Most Dangerous Places: 5th Edition (Robert Young Pelton the World's Most Dangerous Places).

1. The expanse and effort they took to writing this book is awesome, especially if one is dumb enough to actually wanna go to these places.



2. You just do not know how lucky you have it until you read this book. I call it the places most likely not to be in my passport.
   
   Great read. A must for the adventurer (armchair or real).



3. This really consists of three books. The first, and the most obvious part, t is an actual, honest-to-goodness travel guide to dangerous places. I can easily imagine reporters, security consultants, and others pulling this book off their shelf before going to an unfamiliar place.
   
   Inevitably, there are places left out. Pelton includes the United States here, half-seriously and half tongue-in-cheek. This is all to the good, and gives readers a sense of perspective. Still, its inclusion raises all sorts of questions. What makes the US dangerous is gun crime in some areas, which rates it one star (consistently with other countries such as India). But . . . the rates of gun crime are higher in most of Latin America, and kidnaping is much more common. In other words, if you're going to include the US, then Brazil and especially Mexico should have been in the book, along with many of their neighbors. Clearly his rating of the US reflects a pose more than a serious rating.
   
   The second "book" here is a quick-and-dirty summary of the politics and society of these dangerous places. These summaries have information but tend to have rather more attitude. Pelton tries to be cool, tries to assign blame for conflicts in a non-standard way, and likes to review who-did-what-to-whom facts more than underlying causes.
   
   The third "book" is a summary of issues that make places dangerous, such as the drug trade. This is more informative than the country summaries, but also displays a lot of attitude.
   
   Much of the attitude in this book makes it quite funny. The book looks like an almanac or encyclopedia, but you can actually read in through straight. Over a long period.
   
   It's a great read despite its length. Bring it to a dangerous place and throw it at your enemies.
   
   Disclaimer: the US aside, the only "dangerous place" I've been is the Balkans, and I wasn't in the dangerous parts, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information on the ground.



4. though now slightly dated, this is still a very useful book in terms of information about the less stable parts of the world. The political coverage is smart and honest. Nothing is dumbed down or put through the filters that newspapers/magazines apply. The analysis is also short and to the point. And its often better than the professional or governmental analysis. If your entering a "bad" country on short notice, there is nothing better than this book to give an overview of the situation, the players and the basics of whats going on. But it is getting rather dated from the lack of a new edition.
   
   The tone of the writing makes the book interesting as a "read' as well.
   
   However, as a "travel book" to dangerous places its not all that great. The advice he gives is usually generally applicable to any travel to any place. Anywhere can be dangerous and its possible to get into trouble in what seems like safe places.



5. On one level, this book is a crackup. It mercilessly skewers the worst places on earth, places that combine poverty, fear, and oppression. I dare you to read a single page without laughing.
   
   On another level, this make really makes you think about the huge percentage of the world's population that doesn't have electricity, considers pain to be a second language, and considers a good day one in which you eat. It's incredible.
   
   On the day I wrote this review, this edition is being offered for sale for one cent. An amazing bargain, in terms of entertainment per penny.

5 comments about A Year in Japan.

1. This is such a lovely book, with each page a gift of grace and beauty and humor as it seems to capture through its aesthetic, the sensibilities, colors and tone of Japan and the Japanese people. I have not yet had the opportunity to travel to this rich and fascinating country, but Kate Williamson's book is a delicious enticement to make it happen.



2. This is an even more beautiful book than I thought it would be. As with all illustrated books, how much you like it will depend on how much you like the illustrator's style. Luckily, I love Kate T. Williamson's style, rendered simply with black outlines and bright colours. I lived in Tokyo for three years and felt that she captured much of what is memorable and visually interesting about Japan - that I would've liked to capture myself if I could draw...



3. Don't spend your money on this book. I was through within 30 minutes. It's a bunch of drawn pictures with a few sentences to each picture. I don't quite know what to say to this book, but it's really not a book. It's more like a well-meant children's diary with drawn illustrations (sometimes 1 small branch over 2 pages and nothing more). There is SOOOOOO much wasted space and paper! There is no subsence to this book whatsoever and very few and poor explanations. I think the author would have been better off taking beautiful pictures of Japan, which speak for themselves, instead of these child-like drawings that bring you anything but close to Japan. I hate to be so mean, but the book really isn't even worth $5. I just don't understand the purpuse of so much wasted space and paper. It's almost like she didn't know how to fill all those pages....



4. Why bother with this book? If the author were creating this for herself (i.e., like the way we write in our own journals) that's perfectly fine. But for an audience other than the self, this books is useless, and meaningless. For an audience other than the self, the author needs to give more in-depth illustrations and textual explanations. Pictures do not speak for themselves when one is a stranger to the place the pictures come from.
   
   Do not buy this book. Go to your local bookstore and read/glance at the darn thing for 20 minutes (or less) and you'll be done.



5. This beautiful book contains a wealth of detail, both in the artwork itself and in the author's commentary. The scenes will be instantly familiar to anyone who has visited Japan, and if you haven't, this book just might make you want to go. The artwork is complemented by the author's observations on Japanese visual culture - everything from package-wrapping to geisha style. The book allows you to see Japan not from a tourist's point of view but through an artist's eye.
   
   In my opinion, some reviewers have missed the point - this book does not claim to be a novel, a travel guide, or even a memoir. It's simply a window into the everyday beauty of life in Japan.

5 comments about Robert Polidori: Havana.

1. These photos are breathtakingly spectacular. As soon as I saw this book, I had to buy it. It was the first time I'd ever seen anything that captures exactly what being in Cuba feels like: as if you were witnessing the beautiful ruins of a decaying Roman empire. It's the most spectacular, cinematic misery you could ever experience. And I'm glad that someone like Robert Polidori has captured it so faithfully before it all crumbles to the ground (or gets built over with hideous concrete Spanish hotels).



2. Visceral images of a unique city, in which splendor and squalor are juxtaposed, and the past is suspended within the present, decaying yet enduring. Robert Polidori has captured the beauty and melancholy of Havana, gazing unflinchingly at the ruins and the people who inhabit them. When the boycott is finally lifted, all this will be swept away by a tide of new development, so try to see it now and use this wonderful book as an introduction and a lasting memento. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)



3. Being Cuban American and having visited Havana numerous times as well as having the opportunity to actually see firsthand, many of these grand interiors Polidori so eloquently displays for all to page through and imagine the events that have transpired in these interiors. The joys, the struggles, the rise and fall of a culture with all it's social graces. This book captures what I captured with my own eyes passing through those marvelous mansions of Cuba's golden age. Havana is truly a Paris of the Caribbean, although decayed and damaged, she is still beautiful, graceful and inspirational to all who visit her. Thus the term "Havana-itis", a disease thought to befall visitors who fall instantly in love with the grand ole dame. I believe there is still hope for her to be restored to her rightful brilliance one day, If only the current government would allow it.



4. Polidori's work is not just about the places he photographs. This book is something to recommend to people with no understanding of Havana or it's history as well as those that do know the city. He has captured an eerie world, ghostly and abandoned, yet clinging to life. It's a dark tropical dream. If you find peeling paint and dark hallways strangely inspiring, you will treasure this collection of work from a masterful photographer with a great appreciation for decay and its warmth as well as sadness. Look at these photographs and enjoy their mysteries.



5. There are two principal cities in the world where time seems to stand still. One is Pripyat' Ukraine which was abandoned following the Chernobyl disaster in April, 198. In that unfortunate time literally all the people left within 24 hours. The other is Havana whose middle and upper classes departed over several decades following the Cuban Revolution mainly to live in the United States.
   
   Unlike Pripyat' where vegetation and wildlife replaced human inhabitants, the City of Havana lives on despite its painful decay.
   
   Robert Polidori's Havana depicts several days in the life of the city in the early years of the new century. Probably by chance, the period he photographed represented simultaneously the zenith and nadir of the Revolution. His camera details the architectural heritage of the colonial era set among the blockish facades of Socialist reality. Even as neglect defaces these urban jewels, a certain spirit shines through recalling a city whose exiles in Florida still yearn to return.
   
   As we enter the last days of the Cuban experiment in our hemisphere, the Havana so lovingly pictured here will not endure. Buildings and homes will be restored naturally enough. But the spirit of the urban caretakers of this legacy might have been lost forever if not for Polidori's lens. This is an amazing and dreamy work that belongs to a city and people whose heritage stayed behind.

5 comments about Traveling With Your Pet, 10th Edition: The AAA Petbook (Traveling With Your Pet).

1. I wish I would have known about this book years ago. I can't tell you the number of times we have pulled into a motel - exhausted - only to be told "we don't take pets"! Included in this book are the rates, exact locations, exit numbers, phone numbers, motel ratings, discount information, and much more. Everyone with a pet needs this book. Your pet will love you!!!



2. My husband and I just returned from our trip to Tennassee and then to Florida. We stayed in hotels the entire time and we found them all by this book, its an essential and the ratings are so very helpful. I would recommend this to anyone traveling with their dog.



3. It's ok, not a complete list, misses quite a few hotels that I stay at that I know takes pets.



4. I purchased this book to start a new adventure in our lives of traveling with our yorkie/chinese crested mix dog. The book was easy to use, but found that you still need to call ahead to verify that the hotel still accepts pets. We found several that weren't listed that did and some that said they did that no longer were. However, it made life easy having it all in one book. Even when reaching a hotel that no longer accepted pets, they were quick to tell you which of the competitors did. We also discovered that west of the Mississsippi, places are more dog friendly. Ohio is terrible for taking a dog with you. Albuquerque, NM and Santa Barbara, CA are the friendliest.



5. I first saw this book advertized in the AAA magazine we receive. They encouraged readers to order it from Barnes and Noble. $5 cheaper at Amazon! Looks good. Haven't traveled with the pet yet using this book.

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).