5 comments about Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America.

1. What a great way to teach young children about US Geography. My daughter loves the map in the front of the book to trace out routes to new and exciting adventures. When she gets to the state her adventure ends, we read that page together. At 4, she really loves to learn about the states.



2. This is a great book to learn many interesting things about America and all the pages are done in colored drawing form which is great for children. I have gone through the book several times and my 7 year old grandson has viewed and read it more. A very good format to learn many of the facts you never knew about America's states.



3. Teachers will love this book! It puts facts into a child's perspective
   instead of just memorizing facts.



4. I'm very sorry I purchased this book. At the time I didn't realize it was written by Lynn Cheney. The entire time I read the book all I could think about was that I'd put more of my hard earned money into Dick Cheney's pocket and supported his propaganda. It makes me sick to have made such a purchase.



5. Loved the way the book looked. It is for a gift for a 10 year old.

5 comments about PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World (PassPorter).

1. This lets you see the ins and outs of Disney. It lets you look at Disney in a different way. It's just fun and it's great. So it's great fun!!!!!



2. I'm sure this is a perfectly wonderful book and I'll give it 5 stars based on how well it's written and how much fun it looks like it would be. However, I bought this book along with the Hidden Mickey's book and we soon learned it was impossible to do both, so we chose looking for Hidden Mickeys. I think the Treasure Hunts would be a lot of fun for large families, church or school groups.



3. This book is a necessity for anyone who visits WDW. We have been 11 times now, and thought we knew everything. WRONG. We had more much fun on this last trip using this book than ever before.
   
   If you look around at WDW, everyone is hurrying, running, to get to the "next" thing. What you may not realize is that every step IS the next thing.
   
   WDW is not just about shows and rides. It's all the little details that create the whole fun effect. We had never even stopped to read all the handprints in front of The Great Movie Ride, examine the fountain in front of Muppet Labs, notice all the details inside Country Bear Jamboree, or a million other things. Treaure hunting gave this trip so much more and really made this trip more "magical" than ever.



4. My husband and I are avid Disney goers, visiting at least once a year. We always try to find something different to do when wer're there (i.e. tours around the parks). This book has provided that new fun thing to do on our next trip. It asks a lot of questions and you really have to hunt for answers. There are differnet levels of hunts so it's great for kids, teenagers, or kids at heart. Enjoy!!!!!!



5. I found this a fantastic guide to finding many of the hidden gems that we all take for granted when visiting Disney World. You blink you will miss them. I like some of the history and meanings behind many of the items that I would have missed otherwise. I think this guide would be great to entertain and the teens on your trip.

5 comments about Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80's.

1. What we have here are over 100 op-ed pieces (about 2 1/2 book pages each) that ran in the San Francisco Examiner over a three-year period, December 1985 thru November 1988 and are now compiled in Gonzo Papers Volume 2 (Volume 1 was The Great Shark Hunt). These were originally meant to be read at the rate of one a week, but of course you can increase your speed on this compilation. However, I read them in a handful of sittings and suffered from severe overload. First of all, at this fast rate you get a good deal of duplication that waters down the overall affect Thompson was trying to create in his weekly column. Thompson reminds me of the famous Groucho Marx line: "Whatever it is, he's against it!" Just picked at random: "Any baboon with a healthy heart and good diction... could do Neil Frank's job (director of the National Hurricane Center). President Reagan: "...seems to be dumber than three mules." Frank Sinatra: "...is said to be smart, but he was fired and cut off from every casino in New Jersey when he tried to play blackjack by rules he learned in Nevada...They chased him out like a wino. It was an ugly thing to see." And these quotes all come from just one article. Pick a name or event from the headlines of these three years and you'll find a bombastic opinion from Thompson aimed directly at it. It is a fun and funny read. You'll find yourself thinking and speaking in the Thompson style. It's addictive. But, too much at one time can put you over the top. For more reasons than one, this would make for good bathroom reading material.



2. This collection of 100 or so newspaper columns is probably the worst material I have read of Thompson's. First of all, it starts OK, but then turns into a liberal rant for the last half of the book. In almost all cases, Thompson's wild and repeated predictions about the fall of Republicans never come to pass. In fact, not one of them came true.
   
   It is a shame that a man with such insidious ability to write from the gut would allow himself to slide into the dark, slimy Left side of politics, all the while failing to report-much less admit-that the Left was as much if not more corrupt than the Right.
   
   I would pass this tome of incoherent bloviating. His other works are far superior to this wasted cache of paper.



3. This review was originally used to comment on Hunter Thompson's Songs of the Doomed. Since most of the points I made in my review of that book apply here I will let that review stand in here. Obviously each book is formatted differently but whether Thompson was skewering the Nixon era, the Reagan era or the Bush eras the song is the same. And it aint pretty.
   
   Generally the most the trenchant social criticism, commentary and analysis complete with a prescriptive social program ripe for implementation has been done by thinkers and writers who work outside the realm of bourgeois society, notably socialists and other progressive thinkers. Bourgeois society rarely allows itself, in self defense, to be skewered by trenchant criticism from within. This is particularly true when it comes from a known dope fiend, gun freak and all-around lifestyle addict like the late, lamented Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Nevertheless, although he was far from any thought of a socialist solution and would reject such a designation we could travel part of the way with him. We saw him as a kindred spirit. He was not one of us- but he was one of us. All honor to him for pushing the envelope of journalism in new directions and for his pinpricks at the hypocrisy of bourgeois society. Such men are dangerous.
   
   I am not sure whether at the end of the day Hunter Thompson saw himself or wanted to been seen as a voice, or the voice, of his generation but in any case he would not be an unworthy candidate. In any case, his was not the voice of the generation of 1968 being just enough older to have been formed by an earlier, less forgiving milieu. His earlier writings show that effect. Nevertheless, only a few, and with time it seems fewer in each generation, allow themselves to search for some kind of truth even if they cannot go the whole distance. This compilation under review is a hodgepodge of articles over the best part of Thompson's career. As with all journalists, as indeed with all writers especially those who are writing under the pressure of timelines and for mass circulation media these works show an uneven quality. However the total effect is to blast old bourgeois society almost to its foundations. Others will have to push on further.
   
   One should note that `gonzo' journalism is quite compatible with socialist materialism. That is, the writer is not precluded from interpreting the events described within himself/herself as an actor in the story. The worst swindle in journalism, fostered by the formal journalism schools, as well as in other disciplines like history and political science is that somehow one must be `objective'. Reality is better served if the writer puts his/her analysis correctly and then gets out of the way. In his best work that was Hunter's way.
   
   As a member of the generation of 1968 I would note that this was a period of particular importance which won Hunter his spurs as a journalist. Hunter, like many of us, cut his political teeth on one Richard Milhous Nixon, at one time President of the United States and all- around political chameleon. Thompson went way out of his way, and with pleasure, skewering that man when he was riding high. Thompson was moreover just as happy to kick him when he was down, just for good measure. Nixon represented the `dark side' of the American spirit- the side that appears today as the bully boy of the world and as craven brute. If for nothing else Brother Thompson deserves a place in the pantheon of journalistic heroes for this exercise in elementary hygiene. Anyone who wants to rehabilitate THAT man before history please consult Thompson's work. Hunter, I hope you find the Brown Buffalo wherever you are. Read this book. Read all his books.



4. This is another in a series of collections of Hunter's columns. The other compilations are:
   
   The Great Shark Hunt (Gonzo Papers Vol. 1) about the 70's, mostly post Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail,
   
   Better than Sex (Volumen 3) about the 90's, and his final release before his untimely death,
   
   Hey Rube (about the early 00's).
   
   I should mention here that I'm only in my 20's, and the first administration I ever really paid attention to was the second Clinton term.
   
   Reading this book and the other Gonzo Papers books, along with Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, gives you a perspective on the past 30 years that is hard to find elsewhere in this context. Since these columns were written as critiques on current events, you get a feel for what was going on in the 70's, late 80's and early 90's. You find that for everything that has changed over the past 30 years, that politics is quite static. Corrupt presidents, sex-scandal plagued politicians, and more.
   
   There's not too much to dislike about this book, assuming you enjoy Hunter's writing style. And it is valuable to those who can't get enough of Hunter's style.



5. HST must include himself as the top SWINE of that generation.
   HST the FURTHEST LEFTNUT FREAK THIS WORLD'S EVER SEEN/READ.
   I just passed page 60 and was sickening by what i read.
   How pathetic can HST get.
   I know i'm just focusing on this one incident below_but how many incidents does one have to show before you see what kind of animal you're dealing with?
   Belittling what happened at chappaquiddick_first by not mentioning Mary Jo Kopechne by name_ but doing his very best(WORST) to just call it bad driving?((( YUCK )))He should just bend over and let teddy and the rest of the far leftnut freaks do him.
   
   Here's a site you might want to check out [...]
   Everything you ever wanted to know about leftnut teddy.
   
   I'll complete the book_hopefully without absolute disgust at the king of the FREAKS.
   And this isn't a good thing sychophants.
   
   When i look at the news(TV & Internet)and this countries direction_i see HST sickening influence almost everywhere.
   moveon.hst/dailykos.hst/huffinton.hst/msnbc.hst/cnn.hst/
   etc.etc.
   Keep your friends close,but your enemies closer!! Food for thought!!
   
   PS: I'm buying these books as an investment, because in 15-20 years, First Edition's will be worth a fortune to HST sychophants.
   END OF RANT!!

5 comments about Route 66 Lost & Found: Ruins and Relics Revisited.

1. Both volume one and two are very interesting and well researched books.
   I traveled Route 66 a couple of years ago and reading the book was fascinating- now I know how many locations I went sailing past without a clue!
   When I next get a chance to do a repeat journey, I shall certainly re-read the books very thoroughly and travel slower so as not to miss such historic scenes.



2. this is a great book in my opinion i love it very informative nice pictures and comparisons from old-new of most photos of places .. i have been on bits of 66 over the years i may never drive the majority of it but reading this book made me feel like i did wonderful is all i can say



3. I was very disapointed with this book. I was hoping to get some information about route 66 as it is today, but it's all but gone now.
   
   What made it a bad book for me is they showed how it used to be then should it as it is today. I just wanted to cry. It would have been all right if they just showed the old or the new, but the before and after just about killed me emotionally.



4. Great Photographs, yesterday and today. Gives you a good feeling of the old Route 66.



5. This book is great to take a look into the past and the hearty souls that created the famous route..To read it is to take a trip into the past..It is a great book I throughly enjoy it.

5 comments about 101 Things You Never Knew About Walt Disney World: An Unauthorized Look at Tributes, Little Touches, And Inside Jokes.

1. This was an unsatisfactory book. Beyond the lack of content, it was poorly edited with entire paragraphs being duplicated in various instances of the 101 'things'. There was little of value that I gained from the book. I bought this because our family will travel to disney for the first time next year and I can't say I have taken much away from it. This book seemed like the type of content that would be handed out on a promotional flyer which had a map of disney on it.



2. Great book for those who have never been to WDW and for those who have been before. There really were things I never knew.



3. I should have known from the cover of this book that there was trouble in River City. Trouble with a capital T that rhymes with B that stands for "bored now." There was literally not a single thing in this book that I hadn't heard/read/learned somewhere else. I suppose if you had absolutely positively never in your life been to Disney or read anything at all about the park, you might be interested... then again, probably not. It's positively insulting to Disney fans that the author tries to pass off what amounts to information readily available in a thousand other places as his own work.



4. This is a great book for any one who is interested in the details of Disney World. There is a lot of information is this book that is revealed to you on the "backstage" tours at the parks, but with the book, it's easier to remember all the stuff you learned!



5. Excellent book. It had lots of interesting facts. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Walt Disney World.

2 comments about Ramblings of a Lowcountry Game Warden: A Memoir.

1. I got my first camera 4 decades ago.I've developed a love for capturing "the moment".My love of adventure combined with my curiosity have put me in some unbelievable places.In the early eighties I became involved with environmental issues.Over time I became the spokesman for all the Sierra Club Groups in my home state of South Carolina.My connections got me pointed down an ever increasing number of wilderness pathways.Traveling by plane,auto,sail,canoe,kayak and on foot I have learned to sneak up on scenes from Death Valley California to The Western Isles of Scotland.My camera is always with me.
   The necessity of earning a living keeps me primarily in The Lowcountry of South Carolina.My photography puts me in many of the same places that this Author writes about.Scouting in the daytime ,I take for granted getting up in the dark,traveling in the dark and getting in position early. Having read the book I realize the Author is an hour ahead of me and in waiting.We have never met in the field.I'm staying away from Humans,he is observing and outsmarting them.What we share is an incredible amount of joy from the scenes that have unfolded in front of our eyes because we were out there.
   In this book you will hear of incredible places that anyone can visit.I have not seen half the places mentioned here.Can you imagine my happiness to read about so many more adventures all around me,just waiting for me ?
   This book is about much more than Law Enforcement.It is The memoir of A Quintessential Southern Gentleman.It is a guide to conservation,history,human psychology,personal responsibility and how you bring your personal values and leadership to the general public for the good of all.
   The book is riveting.Not since James Dickie's "Deliverance" have I sped through such an enjoyable book. You will laugh,wonder and keep turning pages.If the account of the last hunt of The Santee Gun Club doesn't bring a tear ,you have ice water in your blood.The eloquence of his writing combined with the seldom described events he is recounting,will keep you spellbound.Your minds eye will be activated and you will have a new perspective on many things.
   If you want to take a nice trip without leaving the house,read this book.If you want to plan a nice adventure,the ideas here are plentiful.If you like romance and dogs , this book is for you.Would someone Please make this into a movie?



2. Often game violation cases make the news, with bloodthirsty tales of egregious over-hunting, poaching or selling of illegal species. But you almost never hear of the hours of stealth, soul-sucking mosquito swarms or frostbite that went into catching the criminal in the act.
   
   Veteran South Carolina Game Warden, Ben Moise, the cigar chomping, ticket writing scourge of Lowcountry fish and game violators, has written his memoirs about his twenty-four years patrolling the coastal woods and waters of the Palmetto State. A bit Havillah Babcock meets Roscoe P. Coltrane, Ramblings of a Lowcountry Game Warden has a good many stories about how most of the time the poacher gets it, but how sometimes the outlaw sticks it to The Man.
   
   From frequent bouts of pneumonia due to wintry pre-dawn stakeouts, to search and rescues in hurricane-force winds, the focus of the book is the author's steadfast and unrelenting desire to bring to justice those who ran roughshod over the fish and game laws. Moise takes the reader on a narrative journey from his beginning days, his formative experiences, court trials, surveillances, and embarrassments all the way to the very moment of his retirement at sunset on the last day of the 2002 duck season.
   
   It covers conservation, environmental stewardship, hunting, fishing and general badassmanship. Moise caught drug runners, deer shiners, bootleggers, bad liars and those sportsmen who were either too lazy or too greedy to abide by the state's fish and game laws. From busting judges, representatives, sometimes his friends, and once, even a blind man, he got the reputation for being mean enough write his own mother a ticket.
   
   This is a must read for any conservationist, hunter, sportsman, tree hugger, campfire talker or lover of a good yarn.

1 comments about This Is Texas (This is . . .).

1. Ok, it's doubtful anyone will ever read this review, but as Mr. Sasek has passed away, this is the only tribute I can leave him.
   
   I was born in Texas, and have lived my whole life there. For many people outside of Texas, our devotion to our state and the pride we take in being Texan can be confusing. After all, most people think Texas consists of nothing but cowboys and oil wells. But those who have lived here know that Texas is far more than the sum of her parts.
   
   As a child, my parents bought this book, and we read it together. This book made me realize how lucky I am to have been born here, and what pride I should have in my state. How odd that this lesson would be taught by a writer from Prague! True, the book does contain many of the cliches associated with Texas (such as the aforementioned cowboys and oil wells), but it really tries to show that Texas is so much more. Mostly, I remember that, instead of focusing on one city in the state, this book covered the whole territory, from El Paso to Houston. From the King Ranch to the Mexican Border. As Sasek himself said in 'Books are by People': "Doing 'This is Texas' I had to travel 3,000 miles by bus to see all I had to see!" It shows in the quality of his writing.
   
   Honestly, however, I can say that the one thing that sticks with me most from this book is the art. Mr. Sasek was an exceptionally gifted artist with a very quirky style that made everything seem vibrant and dynamic, but still utterly approachable. If there is any finer illustration in a children's book that the image of Tent Maker Creek Canyon on pages 48 and 49 of the original hard-cover edition, I've yet to see it. Evocative, poignant, yet still fun to view, his illustrations are what made him a superior author.
   
   If there is any one critique that can be leveled against the book, it is that the information in the book is rather dated. However, for me at least, the book makes me nostalgic for times when technology had not conquered the world, and Texas was a state of plains and prairies, as much as a state of oil and microchips.
   
   Miroslav Sasek traveled the globe painting beautiful pictures and writing books that have touched peoples live. Of his work, I can only say this: my wife is currently pregnant with our first child, and it will be my great honor to read this book with him/her when they are old enough. There can be no greater legacy than that.

5 comments about Insiders' Guide to North Carolina's Outer Banks, 29th (Insiders' Guide Series).

1. Went to the Outer Banks recently, and bought this book and took it with us. The book turned out to be indispensable for our three-family vacation...from fishing to creating stain-glass mosaics, this guide has a description of it all!
   
   Highly recommended!



2. The Insiders' Guide to North Carolina's Outer Banks was the best book I found for our trip there this summer. Every source we used from the book was accurate and helpful.



3. This book is fantastic! It gives a very detailed description about everything you'd need for a wonderful trip to the Outer Banks.
   
   I especially like the way it's laid out, with each section going "north to south". For example, the restaurants section starts at the north end of the islands and works its way down to the very south. Same with accommodations, etc.
   
   It also definitely gives you a "feel" for the place - telling the type of vibe each community has and what the general demographics are.
   
   Highly recommended!



4. When I bought this book I was not sure if it would really be helpfully for us and our first trip to the Outer Banks. It was great! We used it everyday. Before we went somewhere we looked at it as reference. It helped us eat everyday in the Outer Banks plus do a little shopping. I am glad I bought it now, it helped us have one of the best vacations we ever had. I can't wait for the next edition because I think we are going back again and again to the Outer Banks and a updated version will help us prepare for any changes since our last visit.



5. This guide is full of information and was extremely beneficial on my first trip to the Outer Banks. The chapters and index are well organized and easy to navigate. Have also used the Charleston book from the same series.

3 comments about New York Atlas and Gazetteer (New York State Atlas and Gazetteer).

1. We have come to rely on the Gazetteer series for general navigation when an Internet connection is not available. My husband purchased the New York version for a business trip and found it to provide exactly the information he needed.



2. I wanted to get this atlas, especially to help us find places to go camping and hiking.. It's not always easy to find campgrounds or primitive campsites (since they're not always located in clearly identified campgrounds), so having these detailed maps is very useful for that. We recently used the atlas when we camped in the Catskill Mountains region, and I was glad we had these maps to help us out.



3. Already have an Atlas, topo CD set of Northeast, Garmin GPS Vista with topo/street maps. Once I found these Gazetteers, I bought one for every state in New England and New York. Each of the above provide different levels of information and alternative routes and access to various locations, often places with no direct road or trails. The gazatteers provide fast detail access to areas in question over the GPS or atlas and are invaluable to me while in the vehical. Although, the GPS is my lifeline away from the vehical, the gazatteers are large and not weather resistant.

5 comments about 50 Hikes in the Adirondacks: Short Walks, Day Trips, and Backpacks Throughout the Park, Fourth Edition.

1. Barbara McMartin is one of those few resident Adirondackers that has supplied the world with great information, anecdotes and history about lesser known trails in the Adirondacks. Keeping to the less over-run trails, the reader is treated to beautiful trails to remote mountaintops, caves, fire-towers, unique wetlands and historic sites.

   This newer edition is only slightly different (three more hikes), but it includes great topo maps, directions, trail and destination descriptions and just a ton of interesting local folklore to keep you going. A great find.




2. This guide has easy trails and hard trails all in one for a pretty low price



3. I've used this book for about 10 hikes over the last few years. It has been a helpful resource in planning day hikes. I rated it so low for two reasons.
   
   First, as one of the other Amazon raters pointed out already, the "How To Get There" section which directs readers to the trailheads is indeed very vague and has caused me much frustration. The author does provide a map of the actual trail itself -- very helpful -- but never a street map for how to arrive at the trailhead.
   
   Two, if you're a right-brained person then the book's lengthy trail descriptions might work for you, but I am not and I instead want to see facts, maps, etc. instead of reading pages of the author's reactions as she walks the trail. No offense, but I find myself skimming through her history lessons thinking, "Get to the point! I just want to know where to turn!"
   
   Maybe I should have at least given this book a 3, but trying to find a trailhead based on the book's description has been so aggrevating at times I'm being vengeful.



4. we only had 3 days to hike and we did 4 of the hike from this book - great choices, very clear and exact details. A MUST



5. Having just moved here, I needed a book that would take me to out-of-the-way, non-touristy hikes. This one does it. The only drawback is that the directions to the trailheads are not as detailed as I would like.