5 comments about A Walk For Sunshine: a 2,160 mile expedition for charity on the Appalachian Trail, 2nd.

1. A brisk mile around the block toting a water bottle is a just the right walk for me so reading about someone who enjoys a 2160 mile hike lugging a 50 pound backback is mind boggling. While I enjoy my comforts, a cozy bed, sweet smelling clothes, tasty meals, moderate weather etc. Jeff Alt, doesn't mind roughing it with a sleeping bag, sweaty duds, freeze dried food and braving the elements.
   
   Reading Jeff's journey is awesome. I have the benefit of getting an idea of what it is like to walk the Appalachian Trail without actually having to do it. I mean something inside me wants to be adventuresome but the truth is I know I wouldn't make it past the first couple miles.
   To successfully walk the trail you have to really want it. There is a lot of planning involved. Selecting just the right gear, arranging for the right amount of food.....the list goes on. Once on the trail you encounter a variety of experiences that you have to be mentally prepared for from wild animals (and people) to bad weather to health issues.
   Jeff is pretty detailed about his experiences. He discusses the nitty gritty from smelly socks to foot blisters.
   
   Though Jeff had a mission for his journey (to raise funds for The Sunshine Home, where his brother is a resident) you can read through the lines and know that he loves the discipline and conditioning of the trail.
   
   The softcover 285 book is an entertaining read. I especially enjoyed the back section, Jeff's lessons from the trail. These were lessons he learned while walking. Lessons like the simplest things can serve the biggest rewards, go after your dreams now and more! He also includes a suggested reading list at the back of the book.
   
   Kudos to Jeff for the great read, what he accomplished and the beautiful, positive way he shares his story.
   
   Lee Mellott



2. Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (2/08)
   
   "A Walk for Sunshine" is a non-fiction account of Jeff Alt's thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in Spring 1998. The Appalachian Trail, also known as the AT, is a 2,160-mile trail through forests, meadows, mountains, and streams from Georgia to Maine. Hiking from one end to the other straight through takes 3-6 months. Jeff Alt did his walk in 147 days. He did this hike not only for himself, but also as a fundraiser for Sunshine, Inc., a group home for people with disabilities, where his brother lives.
   
   The purpose of this book was for Jeff to tell the story of his hike and how he organized it as a fundraiser. Jeff kept journals throughout the trip and mailed them back home. He did an amazing job of compiling these journals into this book. It was written in an easy-to-read style with short chapters. I felt like I was walking the trail with Jeff. In 3-4 pages we had walked 15-20 miles. His fun storytelling and friendly, easy style made me think. Maybe I could really do this too.
   
   Jeff stresses the importance of family and friends as the inspiration and motivation throughout his journey. Jeff did his hike for Sunshine, Inc., a group home where his brother lives with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. Sunshine organized a short accessible day hike to correspond with Jeff's hike. They sent cards and letters to him on a regular basis. His family arranged to meet him at various points on the hike. Jeff made it clear that he could not have finished this hike without them.
   
   The unwritten motto on the trail is "Hike your own hike." Jeff takes that motto one step further in this book. He extends it beyond the trail. Anyone can reach their goals by taking it one step at a time and doing it their own way and from their own inspiration. A Post Script in the book talks about how to organize a charity fundraiser and life lessons Jeff learned from the trail.
   
   This book really inspired me. As someone who has always wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail, I was so excited to read each page and really soak in what the reality of a three-month hike would take. Jeff makes the point that people need to take the time now to reach our goals--not to wait for retirement or when we have more time. Take the time to make our lives what we want. I recommend "A Walk for Sunshine" to anyone interested in reading an inspiring book about reaching goals.



3. A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt is the story of his 2,160 mile trek-through on the Appalachian Trail, from the southern end in Georgia to the Northern end in Maine. This is the oldest trail in the United States, started in 1921. Jeff's dream since childhood was to walk it without interruption, but it was not until the end of his college degrees in marketing that he was able to do so and to accomplish the feat with an extended purpose. He has a mentally retarded, cerebral palsey brother who is in a care center, Sunshine, in Toledo, and Jeff decided to promote his walk and gather sponsor's money for equipment for Sunshine. With lectures, slide shows, newsletters, emails, and magazine and newspaper articles he gathered more than his goal of $10,000. He perservered through six months of blistered feet, rain, sleet, snow, heat, varmits, doubts, fears, and lonliness to go all the way to Maine. His book, a portion of which goes to Sunshine, is the fascinating detailing of the dream trek, which thousands wish to do and only several hundres accomplish. Jeff now sponsors annual fundraisers and leads short Appalachian hikes to continue to raise funds for Sunshine. He has raised now over $100,000. A really gripping and inspiring book!



4. 'A Walk For Sunshine: a 2,160 mile expedition for charity on the Appalachian Trail' tells the story of Jeff Alt who walked the entire 2,160 Appalachian Trail to help raise $100,000 for his disabled brother. Embarking on an adventure few people would ever think to take on, you will be inspired by his adventures and learn about the simple way of life that might be better than the hectic stress-full ones that we deal with every day. If you are a hiker or just want to be inspired to do great things, this is a wonderful read!!
   
   ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED



5. i love this book, and i have read many books on the AT-- this is by far the best account.

4 comments about Alaska.

1. Art Wolfe's beautiful photos and Nick Jans' reader-friendly text blend in a beautiful coffee-table paperback edition of Alaska (1-57061-216-1, $29.95), featuring gorgeous full-page color photos of environments and animals and reflecting the contributors' familiarity with Alaska's many faces. Choose this as a keepsake memoir of the state's natural beauty.



2. WOW! Breathtaking photos of Alaska. He captures Alaska as it should be.



3. Whether this book of color photographs accurately shows what Alaska really looks like, I don't know, because I haven't been there yet. But having finished it, I'm planning my trip!

   But I can say this is a great book of photographs of nature. Anyone who loves to look at photographs will love this book. Wolfe demonstrates that he is one of the greatest living outdoor photographers. His sense of light and composition is unexcelled. Almost every picture has a strong sense of line, either vertical, horizontal or diagonal. And the range of light is exceptional, often including in the same picture the darkest blacks and the brightest whites.

   The handling of sky is as sublime as that of any of the 19th century American landscape painters. I'm certain that there must be plain blue skies in Alaska but every one of Wolfe's skies has clouds that are fleecy, or glowering, or mysterious. And the light that falls on the landscapes illuminates them with a strange beauty whether casting deep, hard-edged shadows that make a rugged peak look even more majestic; or soft shadows that fall across a brush-covered hillside and create a subtle modulation of green; or the red rays of the magic hours of dawn and dusk.

   Occasionally his pictures take on a strange abstraction that requires a careful examination to discover what one is looking at, like the pictures of white ice floes on the surface of an inky-black river or the network of crevasses on a glacier with a few spots of emerald blue in the white field, where the snow has melted into a pond reflecting the sky.

   Wolfe is a master of color field photography. Consider the brownish, grayish web of fine lines with several smears of white across it that resolves into a portrait of musk oxen with white horns and muzzles. Or the white arctic foxes in the snow with a bare hint of orange on their undersides. Or the receding green hillsides distinguished only by differing textures with a tiny browsing caribou in the foreground.

   The text by Nick Jans is sometimes overly poetic and almost unnecessary given the photographs although explaining just what it is that makes tundra tundra has some interest. However when I turn the page to see just the top halves of the heads of two fierce little owls peeking at me with yellow eyes hidden amongst a row of wildflowers in the Arctic Wild Life Refuge, words disappear from my mind.

   Most people agree that Alaska is one of the last great wildernesses and that we are unlikely to see anything more exciting in our lives. Art Wolfe has captured the excitement of Alaska. He has also captured the excitement of great photography.




4. Beautiful photography of the grandest state. If you've read any of Nick Jans work, you know the text is excellent as well.

5 comments about Flyfisher's Guide to Idaho (2nd Edition) (Flyfisher's Guides) (Flyfisher's Guides).

1. This book is the best Idaho guide I have seen. It has clear directions (especially for people who are not familiar with Idaho), plenty of maps, and good complimentary information such as fly shops, motels, and restaurants. It is well written without being condescending, yet it is of just as much use to the experienced flyfisher as it is to the novice. I have not tried out all the streams and lakes listed (obviously), but Retallic and Barker's descriptions and evaluations match those of the fly shops on the internet as much as could reasonably be expected. If I could fault anything, it would be that the book is 5 years old and many things can change in that time. I would really like to see an update. Other than that, I would rate it 4 ½ to 5 stars.



2. There is a lot of information in this book. If you are looking for information on fly fishing in Idaho this is probably the most concise book to get. Information covers everything from the Henry's Fork to small lakes you would need to hike in to. There is probably more information in this book than you will ever need.
   
   CONS: some of the info is old. I believe the last revision of this book was 2002 and even then some of the information was out of date. Just double check before you head out. There is a lot of urban fishing in Boise and I would have liked to see some more coverage regarding that. The book just skims over it. Its doesn't detract from the book in a major way but if you don't want to leave the city to fish its great stuff to know.
   
   PROS: Lots to read. A great index to help you get right to the area you are looking for, hatch information, Detailed maps, Restaurant, fly shop, hotel, lodging, camping information. (although some of it is no longer correct) 450+ pages of content
   
   If you are looking for an everything Idaho guide for fly fishing this is the one to get. The other Idaho guides like the Fly Fishing Idaho: A Quick, Clear Understanding of Where to Fly Fish in Idaho (No Nonsense Fly Fishing Guides) and Idaho Blue-Ribbon Fly Fishing Guide (Blue-Ribbon Fly Fishing Guides) don't cover nearly as much water as this does but they do seem to be a bit more detailed on the water they do cover.



3. I used this book (and others) to plan a fabulous flyfishing, camping vacation. Then Hurricane Katrina hit. I still peruse the book, waiting for my next 2 week vacation...



4. I have fished in seven states, East, Midwest and West, and have read all the major guides. This guide is one of the best, if not the best, because of its coverage and accurate detail of the major rivers down to out of the way creeks. The lure of Idaho for me is its remote fishing venues. This guide introduces them, then gets you there with all the info to stay comfortably. This is not to say the "Big Boys" ( Snake, Henry,s Fork, Silver creek, Boise, Clearwater ) are given short shrift.Indeed, they are given the blue ribbon treatment they deserve. Stream conditions, wading, drifting, bottom conditions, hatches, suggested flies, and stream access are all covered in detail. Maps are good. You will not have enough time in your fishing life , unfortunately , to use all the info in this fine guide.



5. Outstanding reference and, well written! All fly anglers should have this book as part of their library.

1 comments about Spectacular Wineries of the Napa Valley: A Captivating Tour of Established, Estate and Boutique Wineries (Spectacular Wineries series).

1. Having visited many of these wineries I can say that this book truly captures the best of Napa Valley. The book is an excellent guide of the "must see" wineries of California. I sent a dozen copies to my friends.

4 comments about Day Hikes Around Los Angeles, 4th.

1. Considering that there are like 20 million people living in the LA area, it's sad no one's really written a review of this gem of a book. I find that even though people may have lived here their whole lives, they really haven't seen much of the city.
   
   So what better way to get acquainted with my new home than this book? More interesting to me than "how to go to Disneyland with 110,000 other people" or "learning where the Orange Crush is located," is a book about some offbeat, and beautiful, parts of LA.
   
   Case in point was the hike to Point Fermin I took Sunday. A fine day with my father-in-law, son, and daughter. My panama hat did yeoman's duty, and we enjoyed the wonderful scenery and relative solitude. The best part is, it didn't cost a dime. We even drove over the only suspension bridge in LA county to get there. My boss has lived in LA for forty years, and hadn't heard of this location.
   
   Anyway, this book falls under the heading of "potentially life-changing books" not because the hikes are all that mind-blowing, but because it is the key to unlock experiences you'd otherwise never have. It's that little push that gives you permission to do something a little unusual, a little less safe, than your ordinary weekend. The exploration of such a complex city rich in natural beauty is a great gift, and opening the book is the first step on that journey.
   
   Sean Penn says that now that men aren't hunters anymore, the only thing left for them is violence. I say that's not true. There's a whole world out there to explore, and a man can still try to see it for himself, and take pleasure in showing it to his family.



2. I haven't gone on all 82 hikes in this book. But I have gone on a few, and on some the directions are not quite right. So if you get this book, here's some notes:
   
   Hike 51: Rustic Canyon
   This hike is awesome. However, if you go, go with someone who has gone before, or you WILL get lost. The trail in the canyon is not maintained whatsoever, and has pretty much disappeared at the tail end. The best way out is to slog through the stream, so you will be soaked. Be prepared.
   
   Hike 66: Brush Canyon
   It says to reach Mt Bell, to take a right on Mount Hollywood Drive. It's a left. The turnoff isn't far, but it's to the left. If you go right, the first turnoff takes you up to Mt Hollywood (a back way to Hike 68).
   
   Many, many hikes:
   Be very careful - there are numerous hikes where North is not at the top of the map. On some hikes, North is the bottom of the map. Who does that? If you don't realize this, you're going to get lost. Be sure to double check.
   
   Other than that, some great hiking routes. Many are pretty far from "Los Angeles" - so be prepared for a bit of a drive sometimes. Also, there are NO hikes east of the 5 freeway - even though there are some fantasic hikes above Pasadena, Altadena, Azusa. Even a few above Whittier. They're just not in here at all. The majority of the hikes are nearer to the Ventura County Line than they are to Los Angeles. They're just not in here at all.



3. I purchased this book for directions to hike to the Hollywood sign with a friend, and was not disappointed. The directions in this book take you as close as you can legally get to the sign. The map, driving directions, and hiking directions were quite accurate. The trailhead has been moved since this edition was published, but there were signs clearly directing us to and marking the new trailhead. The only unclear element was the listed hiking time, which the book says is 1.5 hours, not stating whether this is one-way or round-trip. Taking time along the trail to stop for water breaks on a warm sunny day and photograph the excellent vistas, it took us about 3 hours round-trip to complete the hike. I suppose if one did the hike in a hurry it might be completed in the stated time, but if you plan to admire the scenery, you should probably add at least an hour onto the hiking times provided in this book. Though there were several other groups of hikers on the trail with us (one group also using this book as a guide), there were many points where it was so quiet that you couldn't hear anything but nature sounds. Even the freeways and fellow hikers elsewhere along the trail were often inaudible. The views along the trail and from the top of Mt. Lee were gorgeous - we could see all the way to the ocean!



4. I went on a number of the suggested hikes - all were good ideas and well described in the text, also nicely sorted by area - hill range. The maps leave a bit to be desired - best to check the trip out on Google maps first, especially if you are combining routes into a single longer hike.

5 comments about City Walks: San Francisco: 50 Adventures on Foot (City Walks).

1. I was disappointed with this product. The format is convenient, but the walks they recommend aren't real intersting. Most of the walks are very short (usually only a few blocks) and are mostly in the touristy edges of the city. I much prefer "Stairway Walks in San Francisco" which has longer walks (a few miles each) and focuses more on the more diverse interior of the city.



2. That walk you show online is virtually impossible for any but the most
   physically fit walkers - and, like others in the book you don't end up where you started.
   On the other hand,virtually all of Adah Bakalinsky's walks in her book, "Stairways of San Francisco" bring the walker, via most interesting routes, back to the point of the walk's origin. Great to have your car or bicycle right there after the walk. The stories of the stairways and the neighborhoods are fascinating. Good walks and a good read.



3. This nifty box of 50 walking tours printed on cards takes the drudgery of using a big flat paper map & gives you info about the individual tour & suggests stops along the way.



4. I compare this to my two favorite books of San Francisco walking tours: Stairway Walks in San Francisco by Adah Bakalinsky and Historic Walks in San Francisco: 18 Trails Through the City's Past by Rand Richards (see my reviews of both). If Adah is your eccentric walking Aunt and Rand is her history professor, tour guide husband, this deck of 'walk cards' is their slacker nephew.
   
   These cards are the slacker nephew saying "Dude, you should just go to the Ferry Building and then walk up the Embarcadero. They've got cool stuff at the Ferry Building" without the extensive directions and commentary you'd get from either of the other books.
   
   Of course I exaggerate, but here each 'walk' is printed on a card about four inches by 5 inches. One side is a map with your route; the other is brief highlights of history, places to stop, and so on.
   
   Each walk is explained in much less detail, but that's actually the strength here. The walks are shorter and quicker and the walk cards are easy to carry in a pocket or purse. This is probably a better resource for someone brand new to San Francisco or a casual tourist than it is for a resident or even a tourist who wants to get to know San Francisco by walking around.
   
   With this deck it is easy to look for quick walks near your new home, new office, or hotel or tourist spot you are going to anyway. It should also appeal to people who find the structure and information in other two books to be overkill.



5. These are OK cards for someone who wants a tour of a neighborhood to get a general feeling of what it's like and isn't as concerned about the details. I would've missed some interesting spots that I've seen on San Francisco City Guide tours if I only relied on these cards.
   
   If you're looking for something a little more in-depth, then you may want to pick up one of the other books that some of the other reviewers have suggested. Either that or take some tours with the San Francisco City Guides (free tours through SF public library). The City Guides tour creators are required to do thorough research before creating a tour, and the guides are thoroughly trained on the history, architecture and sights of a neighborhood. You'll get a lot more out of those tours than from these cards.
   
   Having said all that, these aren't bad for the casual tourist or new resident of the city. Just don't believe everything you read on the cards. In reading over the first 15 cards I noticed two "facts" that were wrong.
   
   The cards claimed that Coit Tower was made as a tribute to firemen. Though Lillie Hitchcock Coit had a fireman thing, Coit Tower was built after she died. Money was given to the city upon her death for beautification and the city decided what to do with it. Coit did get a statue of firemen put in down the hill in Washington Square Park, but that's not the same place as Coit Tower.
   
   Another card claimed that Grace Cathedral was built in 1910, when in actuality the Grace Cathedral that currently exists was started in 1928 and finished in 1964.
   
   The routes on the cards are decent, but some of the routes leave out hidden gems that I think are more interesting than some of the things that were included. That and the fact problems make me think that these cards were put together by someone who had a moderate knowledge of San Francisco, but that isn't as much of an expert as some other authors out there.
   
   The tips for places to eat and rest along the way seemed nice and the author seemed to know more about the shopping and commercial establishments than the history and architecture.
   
   Don't get me wrong, these are handy cards with some good, if sometimes superficial, information for someone who is relatively unfamiliar with the city. They just don't measure up very well as a great resource for anyone who is already somewhat familiar with the neighborhoods of San Francisco.

4 comments about Comeback Cities: A Blueprint for Urban Neighborhood Revival.

1. Community development practitioners, grass roots activists, and others who have long worked to revitalize America's inner city neighborhoods know that change is afoot. The transformation is subtle and still uneven but palpable nevertheless. In recent years there have been positive improvements in the day to day lives of inner city residents across America. Here is a book thta tells us why it happens, where, and what we can do to support this trend.

   Drawing on evidence from urban neighborhoods in different regions of the country and on their own substantial knowledge of the field, Paul Grogan and Tony Proscio identify key factors that have contributed to these positive changes. Several factors, including the revival of private markets in the inner city, have been identified by other experts in the field. Grogan and Proscio make an especially compelling case, however, that it is the confluence of factors - the right combination of effort and innovation - that makes for "Comeback Cities."

   This book is a must-read for community and economic development practitioners, grass roots activists and others in both the public and private sectors who hope to create an urban agenda for the future. For those who are already on the front lines, this is an acknowledgment of hard-won accomplishments and a valuable road map for the future.




2. Though it leaves the reader acutely aware of the problems still facing America's core urban areas, "Comeback Cities" nonetheless instills a wave of optimism in the reader about the revivifying effects that grassroots community development organizations, new techniques of community policing, and deregulation in welfare, public housing and public schools have had in some of the nation's formerly moribund cities.

   Grogan and Proscio take an anecdotal approach to their argument, which serves the book well. Where such an approach can sometimes mask a paucity of evidence, these authors have no such problem. Grogan and Proscio show that the phenomena they're discussing are just as visible in Cleveland and Boston as they are in San Francisco and Chicago. And each actual case they cite bolsters the book's argument: that bold, new approaches to age-old urban problems have recusitated patients that most prognosticators long ago said were dead on the operating table. Whether one considers HUD's mid-1990s recasting of the role and form of public housing in Chicago's Cabrini Green, William Bratton's widespread application of the "broken windows" method of community policing in Boston and New York City, or Cleveland Mayor Michael White's and Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist's audacious efforts to make public schooling in their respective cities more accountable, Grogan and Proscio clearly illustrate the key changes that are uplifting cities.

   Another fantastic aspect of "Comeback Cities" is the multi-layered, nuanced approach the authors employ. Proscio and Grogan understand, and they make the reader understand, that community policing, community development corporations, economic deregulation, and public school accountability are all interrelated solutions to urban problems. Far too often, politicians and public policy commentators argue that such problems are individual and should be combatted individually and apart from the larger picture. Smartly, these authors show that such an approach is not only no longer possible, but that it may just have contributed to the deep-seated problems affecting cities in the first place.

   Finally, the prose of "Comeback Cities" deserves an effusive salute. Where many planning books can be arrid and full of jargon, these authors are careful to boil down their arguments to their essential terms, while providing the appropriate and necessary background. "Comeback Cities" reads like the best journalism, and I must recommend it as one of the finest books I've read in months.




3. Paul Grogan and Tony Proscio may be on to something - a completely new urban dynamic that has quietly evolved over the past 20 years or so - largely unnoticed except for those engaged in it. In a lively and entertaining style, the authors tell a remarkable story of four, sometimes discrete, but often coordinated trends that they say hold the promise of the rebirth of the nation's inner city neighborhoods.

   The central thesis of "Comeback Cities" is that if lost inner city neighborhoods are to be reclaimed, the residents of those neighborhoods must do it. Until they themselves take responsibility - mainly through the creation of nonprofit community development corporations (CDCs) - nothing else seems to work. But these "engines of reclamation" are not enough - the authors say they need to be coupled with new policing techniques, deregulation of public systems, (i.e., welfare and public housing reform) and educational reforms to reach a "critical mass" and real improvement. Seems unlikely, - but in city after city, - New York, Boston, Cleveland, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Oakland, Houston, - the authors detail the extraordinary results achieved by the confluence of these four new forces.

   The central question of course is whether these trends can gain sufficient traction to become the blueprint for reliable inner city revitalization. Or are they simply anecdotal random events, uniquely tied to local circumstance.

   This compelling and insightful book examines these new trends and shows, especially in the synergy of their confluence, that meaningful revitalization is not only possible but also predictable. The evidence, skillfully woven into cogent argument, builds chapter on chapter. Without denying the importance of a booming economy or new energy from immigration, the authors make a credible case that but for these new forces - especially the local nonprofit CDCs - the successes they describe would not have been realized. And while they acknowledge the important role of HUD's Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs, and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, (which provide the "fuel" for these engines), the authors rightly focus on the local nonprofit machinery as necessary for these programs to work. As a 30-year practitioner at the federal level, I can attest to the wisdom of this focus. The best outcomes seem to occur, as is borne out by the book, when the Federal government uses its leverage, instead of prescriptive programs, (e.g., the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the CRA, FannyMae directed-mortgage commitments and so fourth), and the local level - using this Federal leverage - is free to design and implement appropriate solutions.

   The writing is a pleasure: speaking, for example, of the Federal government's role in establishing the practice of "redlining" [excluding large demographic areas from access to mortgages] and the decades later passage of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) [encouraging banks to lend in such areas], the authors comment:

   "Consequently, to view the modern mortgage industry as an immaculate offspring of the unfettered private market - one whose dainty virtue was now threatened by an unprecedented federal groping [the CRA] - was disingenuousness raised to the level of parody. Perfect, in other words, for a congressional debate."

   So fluid is the writing that one is barely aware of all the information actually coming off the page. Surprising nuggets, simple but powerful, are so easily told their significance might not be immediately appreciated. Just two of many examples: that poverty needn't be inexorably associated with disorder and slum conditions, - as demonstrated by the South Bronx story - deserves serious reflection. As does the lesson of how taking care of little things - like people jumping the fare stiles in the NY subway system - can pay major dividends:

   "Collaring 'petty' offenders suddenly led to a harvest of arrests of serious criminals. One out of ten fare beaters turned out to be wanted on a felony warrant, and many others were carrying illegal firearms. In one stroke, Bratton had not only eliminated an appalling spectacle that was frightening the public and costing the transit system tens of millions in lost revenues annually, he was bagging large numbers of wanted felons in the bargain. As a billiard player would say, a three cushion shot. Crime in the subways fell off a cliff. Between 1990 and 1994 felonies dropped 75%, robberies by 64 percent."

   But cities are complex entities, even "organic," and if there is any criticism, it may be that the writing is so clear and easy that some may think it belies an extraordinary energy required of these local citizens and officials to achieve these hard won victories. This would be a mistake. Certainly, effort and energy are required, but perhaps one of the lessons of this book, to put it simply, is that things go much easier with the right approach. In fact, no matter the energy expended, they might not "go" at all without it. This book is about the right approach.

   Comeback Cities is superbly crafted. And, while optimistic, it is by no means a Pollyannaish book about the elimination of poverty, injustice, and how we can all get along. Speaking from "hands-on" experience the authors describe what they see, and take care not to overstate the case. This is an honest, balanced book that provides a sound basis for hope, with realistic recommendations to multiply the rebirth they document.

   "The political challenge for cities and their supporters -and specifically for the next president and Congress-is to draw the national imagination towards the astonishing accomplishments already underway, the pace of those accomplishments, the intelligence that has led them, and the mounting opportunity they will create as they continue to pile up.".

   Comeback Cities will fire this imagination. It is well worth the time of anyone interested - even if only remotely- in urban America. It avoids the normally dense "policy wonk stuff" and makes complex issues transparently accessible. It is must reading for academics, policymakers, and the general public.

   Paul Grogan and Tony Proscio are definitely on to something.




4. Find out why & how the inner cities in America have started recovering from social disorder and crimes that plagued them only years ago.
   
   Informative.

No comments about Red, White, and Brew: An American Beer Odyssey.

1 comments about Moon Tahoe (Moon Handbooks).

1. If you only have a few days or a week to spend in Tahoe you will certainly want to make the most of your time. A good place to start is this new book by outdoor author Ann Marie Brown. In addition to stunning photos (both color and black and white--a trademark of Brown's travel guides), decent maps, and multiple itineraries for various types of vacation activities, this book povides a detailed listing of all the recreational opportunities at Tahoe. Hiking and biking receive the most attention but water sports, skiing and climbing opportunities are also covered in detail. Using this book, you will have no problem filling the days of your vacation.
   
   But of couse you will also want to enjoy Tahoe's nightlife, dining, lodging, and other tourist attractions. Brown's book covers it all. The book is divided into four sections: south shore, north and west shores, eastern shore (the Nevada section), and the Carson Pass area. Each section includes mini restaurant reviews, a list of lodging options (including campgrounds) and entertainment and shopping opportunities. This is truly a comprehensive guide. For my part, I will primarily use it to plan outdoor activities on my next all-too-brief visit to Tahoe, but I recommend this book to everyone who wants to spend some time in this fabulous region in California.

No comments about Fodor's Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard 2008 (Fodor's Gold Guides).