5 comments about Getting Out: Your Guide to Leaving America (Process Self-reliance Series).

1. This book was written so well. It covers everything you will need to know about getting out, most importantly, legal issues and taxation. The educated and intellectuals of America are smart enough to realize what is going on - and they are GETTING OUT.



2. This book is pretty interesting. As an American who has lived abroad for over eight years (Germany), I find it interesting. The book has all kinds of information. The only point I would make is, I find the idea of "fleeing" the U.S. a bit much. The U.S. is not exactly collapsing, economically (if it were, the net immigration would be reversed and more people would leave than enter our country).
   
   Regarding Germany, to me, the chapter on that country reflects typical thoughts one has in the first 5 years of living there. It personally took me about 5 years to lose the "Germany is more social than the U.S." thing. After 5 years, at least for me personally, some of the negatives began to come through: I got sick of the overcast, drizzly days. I got tired of people smoking absolutely everywhere (when I returned to Dallas, I marvelled at how clean the air inside the Dallas airport was, compared to Frankfurt). Unless you like cigarette smoke, don't move to Germany. I thought it was interesting that the woman mentioned that German restaurants are not as sugary-friendly as in the U.S. On the other hand, in the bars I used to frequent in Germany, you can go in there for 10 years in a row, and the bartender will pretend he hardly knows you. In the U.S., on the third visit, you have a new friend. It is much easier to meet people in the U.S. than in Germany. I also got sick of paying 47 % tax (I pay 27 % in the U.S.), and paying things like: radio tax, East German solidarity tax, church tax, etc. German store hours are horrible (they used to close at 4 PM on Saturday and stay shut all weekend). I remember being sick and attempting to find the one lone open pharmacy in Heidelberg. It took me about an hour to find the one that was open. Get the picture ? Yes, Germany does have its nice side: landscape, nice biking paths, great infrastructure, great architecture. You can walk or take the tram almost anywhere. Older people bike (unlike in the U.S.).
   
   I kind of question some of the crime stats in the book. They list the U.S. as the nation with the 5th highest violent crime (assault) rate. I highly doubt that. We are above Columbia, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela ? I highly doubt it. Not sure where those stats come from. I personally saw more interpersonal violence in Europe in 8 years, than I have in 25 years in the U.S. The book has a table with terrorism rates, and they list Nepal higher than Pakistan or the West Bank. I personally have not read a lot about those Nepalese terrorists who supposedly are running around.
   
   I still think the book is very interesting and useful, and despite these minor criticisms, will be a very good resource to anyone wanting to travel and live abroad.



3. Here is a book that claims to give you the material to leave the country (USA) and live somewhere else in the world. First, lots of countries are missing. There are some mini-narratives from people who have moved to a specific location, but there isn't much meat on the bones.
   There is plenty of general data about working, housing, cost of living and integrating into the culture, but it is really superficial.
   I wanted greater insight and more depth.
   
   If you want an overview, then give it a read. If you are looking for what it is really like and steps to make it happen, then don't waste your time or money.



4. I'm surprised this book has been rated so highly. It's quite decent, but five out of five stars? Not in my opinion. Giving it three was a bit charitable, but 2.5 wasn't an option.
   
   The author has some nice little diatribes, not even really thinly disguised, against the current administration. I firmly agree with them, but that's not really why I read this book. Those considering moving abroad for such reasons will definitely enjoy the subtle rants, though. There are some good little mini-bios from current expats, including a lengthy one from a young Los Angeles woman in Chengdu, right in the heart of the earthquake mess in Sichuan province, China, so I couldn't help but wonder, "Is she still there?" and "I wonder if she made it through okay?"
   
   For me, it didn't include anything whatsoever on the country to which I am moving (Malaysia), apart from a blurb on how strict it is about drug trafficking. There actually wasn't very much substance on ANY country in SE Asia. Witness this fascinating insight into Thailand: "Infrastructure: Needs improvement." Seriously, that's all it says. I also took slight issue with it referring to Bali, Indonesia as a "Pacific paradise." Bali is in the Indian Ocean, not the Pacific. You can expect this sort of information "bullet point" treatment of all nations covered, which is only fifty to begin with.
   
   The book definitely has some value, and is at least enjoyable to read for, if nothing else, the personal anecdotes compiled from expats around the world. There is some very useful information scattered throughout the book, but again, most of it is in abbreviated "bullet point" style. The book is probably most useful for its compilation of various websites, but I had hoped for a meatier compendium with more substance and less fluff. Even though it's a bit over 300 pages, discounting the website references, you can quite literally exhaust every scrap of this book's usefulness in a couple of hours' time. It's long on cute formatting and tables and lists (and in fairness, is presented appealingly), but short on depth and clarity.
   
   I think this is a decent book, but a not great book, and it may well be more useful for others than it was for me. Malaysia is admittedly not the most popular destination for expats. (Yet the book includes countries such as Estonia, Cambodia, and Morocco, so go figure.) This is definitely one to look for at the library before plunking down any real money on it.



5. This book is filled with information, and the quality of the paper, printing, and binding is top notch. Unfortunately, the writer could have used a good editor. Writing is awkward, clumsy, and at time borders on illiterate. If you're searching for this type of information though, I wouldn't let that stop you from buying it.

4 comments about Good Night America (Good Night Our World series).

1. Beautifully designed by author/publisher Adam Gamble and illustrator/toy designer Suwin Chan, "Good Night America" is charmingly entertaining board book which is highly recommended for preschoolers and depicts some of America's most icon settings with respect to the nation's vast natural and cultural wonders. A multicultural group of children visit various attractions ranging from Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, the Everglades, the Grand Canyon, and more. The rhythmic language of the simple but engaging text provides young children with the passage of both a single day and the four seasons while representing the beauty of each selected site. The debut title of the new "Good Night" series from Our World of Books, "Good Night America" will make a thoroughly entertaining addition to family, preschool, day care center, and community library board book collections.



2. I have enjoyed this entire "Good Night Our World Series" with our son for almost 2 years now. Any child 1 1/2 years or older will love these books. I would go as old as 7 years for the reader, depending on your child. I highly recommend this particular book, Good Night America, for anyone who wants to introduce our land to their children. The quality of their books are wonderful; thick sturdy pages with colorful illustrations. The writing is simple and perfect for bedtime; lots of "hello's" and eventual "good nights" to special places around America that the book discusses. We also enjoy the other "Good Night" series of books that highlight San Francisco, Provincetown, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket specifically.
   
   Since our child has a tough time going to sleep and likes to travel, this is a perfect series for him. He goes off into dream land with quiet appreciation about adventures in a particular place he loves or wants to visit.
   
   Also wonderful if your child has a friend who has moved to a particular town that these books cover-it will peak their interest in where their friend is living now and it'll make it an interesting experience to explore instead of a sad one. And, if sadness comes up, it is a good way to discover that your child may have deeper feelings you were unaware of around a friend moving.
   
   The only reason I gave this one particular book in the series one less star, is because of a sentence in the book that states: "America stands for what is right". We always replace that with" "America stands for diversity." Seems an appropriate change because these words appear next to the Statue of Liberty, and we recognize the beauty of this as we are only second generation Americans. All in all, these are great books!



3. This gorgeous introduction to the USA and all its wonders is beautifully illustrated. Other books in this series have boring, more work-book-stiff-looking art. This one shines. The stars in the sky, the twinkle in children's eyes, the feathers on the bald eagle... all have depth and a softness that renders this book a wonderful gift. We have given it to foreign guests several times! And our toddler loves the bedtime ritual of putting the whole country to sleep :)



4. This book is incredibly adorable. I love reading it, and my 21-month old son loves hearing it. Well, not so much anymore...he made me read it over and over again, probably a hundred times in 3 weeks, and now he has it memorized and no longer wants to read it. But he can talk about the Statue of Liberty, can pick out the Washington Monument and U.S. Captiol, and can tell you who lives in the White House. All these are important things for him to know, and my friends think it's amazing that he knows them at his age. The pictures are cute. It's a great, quick read at bedtime.

5 comments about A Lion to Guard Us.

1. LION TO GUARD US
   
   This book is very good I really loved it. Amanda, Jemmy ,and Meg Freebold are all alone their mother is dead and their father is in Jamestown. Later Dr. Crider brings them to his house . The next day he took them to the boat heading for Jamestown. The writer tells the story in 1609. I really liked this book. I give this book five stars.



2. Lion to Guard us
   Hello. My name is Ryan Adams. I will tell you about my story. The plot is that Jemmy, Amanda, and Meg will reach their dad in Jamestown. He is building houses for the colonists. At the beginning, their dad left them with the cook, mistress tippet, Sir Randolph. When he was about to leave he gave them the lion doorknocker head. He said, "This is the lion to guard you." Then they tried to look for him. Well, I can't tell you the whole story, so I will tell you why the story was great!
   I really couldn't put it down because it was so tempting to find out if they find it or not. You should read it to find out too. The style of the author is sort of old fashioned.
   
   See ya later!
   Ryan Adams



3. A Lion to Guard us Review
   
   
   The Book, A Lion to Guard us is by Clyde Robert Bulla and illustrated by Michele Chessare. I think the book was good to me because it has a lot of sad moments and a lot of adventurous moments. And when there is a suspenseful part of the story they might end the chapter. Jemmy takes care of the door knocker their father gave them. Meg was the youngest she stayed by Amanda's side She was to quiet to step up and help much.
   
   The main characters are Amanda, Jemmy, and Meg and their father.
   
   Amanda, Jemmy , and Meg's Father gave them a lion door knocker before he lift for Jamestown for three years. They didn't see him since.
   Amanda is the oldest of the group. She has to take more responsibility for Jemmy and Meg. [..]. He keeps care of the lion
   
   I won't tell much more or I will ruin the story!!!



4. Lion to guard us review
   
   
   
   
   I would read lion to guard us if you like not to fast and not to slow books. Lion to guard us is a somewhat sad story a slow and some might put a little dull adventure.
   There are three main characters. One is Meg the youngest girl, jimmy is in the middle for the ages. Amanda is the oldest and looks after them. Lion to guard us is a middle problem. Like when people steal oh wait I don't want to give the book away if you want to know read this book. Meg Jimmy and Amanda are going to Virginia for a reason and if you want to know the reason READ THIS BOOK!!!!



5. This story is about a girl named Amanda freebold and her 2 younger siblings, Jemmy and Meg. At the beginning the 3 children and their mother live with a rich old lady named mistress trippet In London, England. She makes them work for money, except Meg and Jemmy. Their father went to Virginia to seek fortune. One day their mother got sick and eventually dies, so they run away from mistress trippet. They run into their mother's doctor Dr. Crider who takes them in. the next month they get on a ship to go to Virginia, it shipwrecks in Bermuda, they make a small town and leave on 2 makeshift boats to Virginia.... My favorite part is when Dr. Crider finds the children running away.
   By: Patrick

5 comments about Retirement Places Rated: What You Need to Know to Plan the Retirement You Deserve (Places Rated series).

1. Almost more information than you can assimilate, it's amazingly informative. It can really help you find the place you want to be.



2. You know exactly what's promised when you read the title of this book, and it delivers exactly that, and better than any other book on this topic that I have seen. This is a great companion book to read together with those that address finances and other aspects of preparing for this major life transition. But with relocation being part of so many Americans' retirement strategy, for financial or other reasons, it is really helpful to know in advance what you are getting into. David Savageau makes that task easy through his seven-category rating system. And I particularly liked the fact that the rating system is transparent, so you can make mental adjustments to the ratings based on what is important to you. While moving to another place may not solve all your problems, if you are contemplating a retirement relocation, this book can be very helpful, and can help you avoid mistakes.
   John Trauth, Author, "Your Retirement, Your Way."



3. Book contains a preference inventory based upon real data. It helps narrow ones preferences and then focus on areas that meet personal preferences. It also provides ratings of all of the major retirement areas. It is an invaluable tool.



4. Overall it is well written. I do miss the earlier format as is had much more statistical data. This current format is good for readers who don't like to really dig into the data and make more more analytical avaluations. I happen to like statistical data so I can slice and dice to come up with my own "best choices". I have the two earlier editions so I can cross reference to some extent. I really look forward to the next edition which will reflect the current foreclosure/subprime mess and possibly result in more affordable places to retire.



5. Previously I have used Places Rated for reference and it is much more comprehensive than Retirement Places Rated. This book focuses on smaller communities and is limited in that respect. It also gives general information about working in retirement, housing, medical care and personal safety that is readily available in other sources. The section on climate is most comprehensive and helpful. Otherwise, I will mainly use the links to websites for further information about communities of interest to me. Since I am more likely to retire close to a larger metropolitan area, this book is not a lot of help.

5 comments about The North End Italian Cookbook, 5th.

1. I love this cookbook. The recipes are excellent--the book is worth the value for the gnocchi recipe alone--just like mama's.



2. I have tried numerous recipes since buying this book and every one of them was well received. I am my worse critic but I too know a good dish when I taste one. Olga's fishcakes were delicious.



3. I know that Italian American cooking is out of style, but it still puts a smile on my families face. My brothers, our wives and children rave when I cook Ma's food. But I have a secret, I don't cook Ma's food. She was unfortunately, gone before I got her recipes. I cook Marguerite's food. I bought this book in the late 80's and it fell apart from love. This book will bring back memories or make them, five stars.



4. perfect, easy, real Italian. Recipes are no fail. When I lived in the North end in the 90's (pre nouveau) everything tasted this good. But be careful, the Pignoli cookie recipe calls for 1 pound of pine nuts, (thats like $25!) You only really need 5 oz or so. Must be a misprint.



5. This cookbook is wonderful, I went onto Amazon looking for an Italian cookbook and found this one. It has everything I was looking for, every Italian recipe that I needed and more. Photographs are great and put you right in the old Italian setting. Love this item.

1 comments about Fodor's Hawaii 2009 (Full-Color Gold Guides).

1. I got this book as a gift so I could remember my times in Hawaii. I lived there for a couple of years and recently got back from a long vacation there. I looked through the book, and I have to say I was surprised at how accurate it was. I wish when I was planning my vacation I had the brains to go out and get a book like this! It doesn't have EVERYTHING in it, but I think thats why you get the book, because its only supposed to have the good stuff so you don't waste your time! I had to find out the hard way. I have to say it had all the best restaurants in it - I've eaten at most of them, great reviews of the night spots and beaches and activities.
   One complaint is that they said "The Wave Waikiki" was still open, but I'm pretty sure they tore that down - a few years ago actually. I might be mistaken cause I don't live there, but I think thats where Trump is building now. So it might not be perfect, but the maps are great. And I get lost A LOT.
   Definitely worth your time. I have only been to a couple of the islands, and can't wait to use it for when I go to the others.

5 comments about Map of Hawaii: The Big Island : Reference Maps of the Islands of Hawaii (Reference Maps of the Islands of Hawai'i).

1. As a former long-time resident of the Big Island, I can attest to the fact that this is very well done. It's a very good buy.
   
   Editor of former Oahu resident Laurie Birnsteel's Kahala



2. This map was not what I was expecting, so I returned it. Thanks anyway.



3. Purchased this map for our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and found it to be most helpful!



4. Thank you Amazon.
   I received my order(map of big is) quicker from Stateside than I get some
   mail here in Australia . I received my map 2 and a half weeks quicker than promised , and to think I don't need it till Nov .
   Thank You.
   Regards
   Patrick
   Patrick Richardson



5. We moved here and I like it, but there are better ones that I've seen around.

5 comments about This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind.

1. This is my all time favorite book. Period. Beautifully written, thought-provoking. It will make you want to move to Montana. It will make you love open sky and a horizon that goes on forever and the importance of family.



2. This book was one of the few memoirs I have read when in the end I placed the book down and sighed "wow." What a wonderful story. The author rolled experiences together in western Montana with his dad and grandmother and turned it into a lovestory for fathers and grandmothers, for people of Montana, and all that using very little dialogue. (That gave the book a sense of truthfulness, as who can recite full conversations that took place years ago?)
   
   The constant struggle with man against nature, man against man and man against himself come alive in these pages. Despite many obstacles of every kind, his father never abandoned him and sacrificed what he had to to raise his son and to give him what he needed. Montana and its bittersweet closeness never leave the reader; its isolation and wide open sky are always in the background. Thus the title is so perfect for this beautiful memoir.
   
   This was my first Doig book and I will definitely read more of him. I definitely consider this book one of the top ten in American 20th century writing.



3. Of the three best books I've read in 2007, this probably ranks number two. It took me a little while to get into it, but the wait was well worth it. Ivan Doig is a magnificent writer and his talents are well displayed in this book. The other two books were The Good Old Boys, by Elmer Kelton, and The Missouri Riders, by George Banks.



4. This magnificent book is a must read for anyone who cares about humanity; who loves people and wants to ride with them. It is more than that. It is the feel of Montana, of the West, of the people who built this country and the hard, blistering work they did. Don't miss this book. You'll love it and hate when you must put it down.



5. Ivan Doig is one of the leading writers of the modern American West. I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, at least four of his novels. THIS HOUSE OF SKY is a memoir of Doig's youth in the hard-scrabble high-country of central Montana in the 1940s and '50s. Despite the hardships Doig's parents encounter, the book is a heart-warming story of decent, hard-working people who personify the pioneer spirt and work ethic so central to our myth of the American West. THIS HOUSE OF SKY shows that in large measure that myth is grounded in reality, although it also betokens some of the places where reality trumps the myth.
   
   As grand as Doig's story is, the telling of it is less so. THIS HOUSE OF SKY was one or Doig's first published works; so far as I can tell, it was his first book-length work other than edited anthologies. For my taste, in THIS HOUSE OF SKY Doig is too idiosyncratic in language, style, and syntax; ultimately, the book seems overly contrived. Especially grating is the frequent use of nouns in various verb forms: for example, "epitaphed", "prowing", "monumented", "embered", "croupiered", and those few are just the tip of the iceberg.
   
   After reading THIS HOUSE OF SKY, I read "Heart Earth", which Doig wrote 15 years later as a sort of continuation of his memoir, a kind of appendix to THIS HOUSE OF SKY. "Heart Earth", too, has a distinctive style, but it is much more accomplished and less mannered. Likewise, Doig's novels, for the most part, are better written than SKY. So, to demark SKY as a less mature work of Doig's, I have given it but four stars, despite the richness and wonder of the story itself. But having said that, if you love the West and treasure stories (especially true stories) of plain, straightforward, hard-working folks who just lower their heads and do what has to be done, with wry humor and gumption, you undoubtedly will enjoy THIS HOUSE OF SKY.

5 comments about Jackie & Me (Baseball Card Adventures).

1. I purchased the book as a gift for my children. They love the series and have all of them. I highly recommend the series. It engages the minds of the readers in a fictional, imaginative way for those avid baseball lovers.



2. This book was very powerful in climaxs and the segregation.As I read this I was mad at the terms and the abuse the african american people had to stand up to and in doing so were at risk of being killed.But at the same time I enjoyed hearing about the early 1900's ball players so i rate this book a 4 star book.



3. Jackie andme is the best baseball book ive ever read but the thing i hate about it isthere is a kid namedant whosi very negative and hecalls african americans bad names thatwe cant speak of but i would recomend the book if you like baseball.



4. The book I am reading is Jackie and Me. It is written by Dan Gutman. I think this book deserves five stars because it has real events but at the same time its fiction. It's about a kid who travels back in time to meet Jackie Robinson. But the next thing he knows he gets stuck back in time. So the next thing he tricked ant a bat boy to give his Ken Griffin Jr. Card back the key to get back to his time. He also wrote Babe and Me Honus and Me.



5. Jackie and Me is a book about a kid named Joe Stashack. He has the power to touch baseball cards and go back in time to when that card was printed. Joe is supposed to write an essay on African-American Heroes. He loves baseball so much he does his report on Jackie Robinson. There is also a contest where the best essay wins a trip to Kentucky Kingdom. Joe really wants to win. Joe goes to his favorite baseball card shop but they don't have a Jackie Robinson 1947 card. Jackie will break the color barrier which is not an actual barrier but it is the law, yet in 1947 he hasn't broken it yet. So they don't have the card, but they do have a Jackie Robinson 1947 signature. Joe is able to travel back through time and he learns something from Jackie. You must stay cool and do not use violence. This is a great book. -Andromeda Grade 5

5 comments about Coast To Coast Ghosts: True Stories of Hauntings Across America.

1. Awesome stories, actually scary or spooky.This is one of the best books I've found on true hauntings!



2. Wonderful storytelling. A great read! Full of spooky tales.
   
   Rose Pressey
   Author of "My Haunted Family"



3. Rule sure got good writting genes from her mother Ann Rule. This a really good book on true ghost storys accross the USA. Very well written. Can't wait for her next book.



4. Ever since having several unexplainable things happen in my own past I have always been fascinated by the paranormal, but up until now I had never read a book about other people's experiences before. At first I was simply drawn to Leslie Rule's "Coast To Coast Ghosts" by the gorgeous, dreamlike cover of wispy curtains flowing in the breeze (or from two lingering lovers dancing on the balcony... whichever) but it's when I read the gripping introduction that I found myself hooked. I knew I was in for a real treat, and I was right about that, but I did find certain parts less desirable than others. I would have liked for Leslie to have gone a bit more in-depth with many of the more intricate stories rather than making room to include a lot of short ones because they mostly just left me feeling disatisfied, wanting to hear more, but I did find most of the stories to be quite intriguing. I also understand that many of these retellings are from personal accounts so it is far more difficult to investigate or elaborate on someone else's experience.
   
   With that being said, one of the two more notable stories that quickly come to mind is that of Captain Tony's Saloon in Key West Florida. It is not only built on top of a visible young woman's tombstone who was murdered by her secret lover after becoming pregnant with his child but it is also built around an alleged hanging tree that has left behind one of its victims. She supposedly haunts the place now and is known there as the "Blue Lady". Then there's the horrific documented telling of the Eastland ship that capsized under Chicago's Clark Street Bridge. In 1915 many employees and their families of The Western Electric Company were on their way to a picnic in Michigan when, instead, hundreds of people lost their lives. Shrieks can reportedly still be heard from those who drowned in the river on that fateful day.
   
   I also enjoyed the more familiar stories about The Alamo, Myrtles Plantation, The Queen Mary, and my personal favorite, The Whaley House in San Diego which I hope to visit someday. There are many different types of stories featured in Leslie's book with sightings ranging from several various locations across America but it is hardly anything scary that will keep you up at night. She's obviously done her research and has a great respect and understanding of the dearly deceased.



5. I liked this book because the problem I find with alot of books about haunted places is they are either the same old stories about the same old places or they just sound full of it. I am a paranormal investigator and there are some things you find it very hard to believe a ghost could do. Most of the stuff in this book I had never heard before and sounded pretty realistic so that makes it five stars for me.