2 comments about Lonely Planet San Francisco (City Guide).

1. I have been to San Francisco before but this time is for my Honeymoon, I wanted to make the trip special. I did not like this travel guide. There were no color glossy pictures, only a few hotels were listed for each area of the city. In the past I have bought Fodor's and Michelin travel guides that were much better.



2. My family and friends gave me over a dozen current San Francisco guidebooks before I moved there a few months ago. Out of all of them (Fodors, Rough Guide, Frommer, Let's Go, DK, etc) this Lonely Planet guide is my favorite. Not only is it the most up to date (the other guides had listings for businesses and restaurants that are no longer around) it is by far the most useful with easy to use, detailed maps for every section of the bay area. Also the history and culture sections are very well written and informative. Even though I'm now a native, I still carry this book around in a backpack when I go places around the city.

5 comments about One Best Hike: Yosemite's Half Dome.

1. My brother and I had a perfect experience on our first hike to the top of Half Dome due largely to the advice and information in this book. It allowed us to psychologically and physically prepare as best as possible. Much thanks to Rick Deutsch for sharing his vast knowledge and experience.



2. This is a great dvd collection if you are considering the half dome hike. It takes you step by step all the way to the top from a hiker's position. Great footage, even if you just want to have a souvenir from your own hike up the dome.



3. This book is required reading for anyone attempting to hike Half Dome. The key to this hike is preparation - practical, mental and physical, and Mr. Deutsch does an excellent job of addressing all 3 of these parameters. By breaking the hike down he also allows one to "visualize" the hike before setting out, and provides useful benchmarks by which to pace onesself on hike day. His advice is circumspect and focused on safety at all times - there are many potential dangers up there, and without being alarmist, he shares his accumulated wisdom as well as regulations put forth by the NPS to educate hikers about what awaits them. An added bonus is that this book becomes a "keepsake" of sorts - his exquisite detailing of the hike itself allowed me to "relive" this wonderful day and recall details that would otherwise be forgotten. I purchased copies for everyone in my hiking group - and look forward to taking this book to the summit many many more times.



4. I just wanted to thank Rick for a WONDERFUL guide. A couple of high school buddies and I (we graduated 30 years ago!) completed our hike on September 28th, 2007. The book prepared me for the arduous task of completing the most exhilarating hike of my life! He included references to many things that we would not have known about had I not read the book. FANTASTIC!!



5. My friends, if you plan on hiking Half Dome, this is your bible! It goes into every single little detail you can think of regarding this hike. It's well-written, well organized and extremely informative/helpful.
   
   Half Dome is a hike that needs to be taken seriously and this book will walk through it with you. Be sure to read this well before your trip so you can prepare mentally and physically (especially if you have never been). Following Rick Deutsch's advice will make your hike a wonderful and pleasant experience! Going to Half Dome unprepared will most likely lead to misery.

2 comments about 100 Hikes / Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range (100 Hikes).

1. William Sullivan, the author of this guide book, is reputed to be a fifth generation Oregonian who grew to love the Oregon coast as a child spending time in the family cabin in Lincoln City. As a fourth-generation Oregonian and veteran of numerous day trips and camping trips as a child and adult to the Oregon coast, I have found the book to be a great guide and an eye-opener to places and trails that for years I had driven by without noticing or stopping.
   
   I live in Salem, Oregon and for the last few years I have carried this book in the trunk of my car. I try to get to at least one new place or hike out of the book every time I go to the coast (i.e. the 'shore', for you east-coast types).
   
   If you are stuck in Portland over a weekend on a business trip or planning a vacation in Oregon, this is the book to buy if you want to get off Highway 101 and see some of the spectacular sights on the Oregon coast.
   
   The only shortcoming of the book is the lack of any color photographs.



2. This guide was great. It enabled me to plan for hikes, and had maps and all information needed to get to the places and take the hike without buying separate maps, etc. Good basic information on the hikes, what to expect, etc. My only complaint was that there was very little "subjective" information on how hikes compared with others, such as "This hike has the best views in the area", which would help decide which to do if you don't have alot of time.

5 comments about Great Plains.

1. Frazier's book portrays the middle of America truly and entertainingly. He basically condenses his wanderings through the plains region of America into several vignettes, historical personages and occurences that convey a sense of this place. Most of what passes for "American" these days comes from the much more populous bi-coastal regions. But there is still a core of small towns, farms and small businesses that exists in our collective memories and Frazier found the real-life remnants of this culture.

   This book is well-written and entertaining. The small events that Frazier uses to illustrate the great plains region of the US are excellent vignettes that portray a deeper meaning than just the event itself. For example, the author is attending a community get-together in Nicodemus, Kansas where diverse groups of people are enjoying each others company and experiences a joyful epiphany. "This democracy, this land of freedom and equality and the pursuit of happiness -- it could have worked! There is something to it, after all!" I hope everyone has one of those moments occasionally and it is a joy to read Frazier's retelling of his.

   Frazier does a great job of examining controversial events without throwing in snide sarcasms that seem to pass for commentary these days. Case-in-point is his stories about Crazy Horse and other plains Indians and Custer and the whites who interacted with them. He assigns equal doses of blame and credit to both sides. I loved his pages on Crazy Horse and also the pages about an exuberant Custer who loved the plains region just as deeply as the Indians. The quote Frazier uses "For bringing us the horse we could almost forgive you for bringing us whiskey" sums up the fine edge that Frazier balances on so well. Frazier is at his best condensing various historical sources to develop an entertaining story.

   Frazier does display despair about the negatives of the Great Plains - the alcoholism of the Indians, the environmental issues of mining and the depletion of the aquifer, and the spectre of nuclear war that hangs over the northern great plains and its missile silos - but I still finished the book feeling both entertained and educated. The nearest book I know of to this was Dayton Duncan's "Out West" and this one is better. In short, this is a solid piece of regional travel writing that is a joy to read.




2. Let me add just these two things to the remarks of the many other reviewers: Ian Frazier's rhapsodic discussion of the joy the Great Plains engender (like the mysticism of deserts and the melancholy of moors) is good reading. Sitting Bull, though not an eyewitness, reported that Custer fell laughing in his last battle. Frazier expertly uses this intriguing anecdote to discuss the joy he connects with the Plains.
   And that last page of the book! This is some of the best and most evocative prose I've read anywhere. It's worth the price of the book to read that one page. It's nearly hypnotic and I hope soon to memorize the entire ending.



3. Mr. Frazier gives a pretty good litany of historical facts, but his haphazard presentation leaves one to wonder whether he was totally coherent during his two years on the plains. His style is reminiscent of someone who never quite grasped the finer points of high school English composition, and the entire description of his travels seems to reflect someone who is permanently mired in a 1960's-era drug trip. I grew up in northwestern Nebraska and am intimately familiar with the region and its history, so I expected a more thorough, considered discussion in this book. Boy, was I disappointed!



4. While reading this book, I found myself compelled to read parts aloud to my husband: about where tumbleweed came from, facts about different Indian tribes, Bonnie and Clyde, Crazy Horse, and "In Cold Blood". I found the book totally fascinating, and I learned many things I never thought of even wondering about before. This is the first book I have ever read by Ian Frazier, and I will now look for his other books, he's a very interesting author.



5. Wallace Stegner has written beautifully of the northern Great Plains (specifically Saskatchewan and Montana), and some small sense of similarity will occur naturally when reading this book. But Stegner had a deeper personal connection to the landscape and the writing here is better compared to Edward Hoagland's. Like Hoagland, Frazier visits and observes landscapes and cultural communities that are not his home, but that fascinate him. He enters a landscape and then 'paints' portraits of its physical features, its recent history, its lore, its natives, its foreigners, its itinerant dreamers, its meteorology, its bigness, its diversity and its sameness.
   
   Garrison Keillor said that the book "makes me want to get in a truck and drive straight out to North Dakota and look at the prairie," and it had the same effect on me. Frazier's style is more laid-back than Stegner's or Hoagland's, and the writing might seem effortless (in a good way) except for the obvious fact that the work required a fair amount of research. Frazier sketches the personalities of the plains with just the right level of detail. Diverse personalities: Crazy Horse, Theodore Roosevelt, Lawrence Welk, random farmers, rangers, American Indians, local history buffs, nuclear missile silo personnel. Cultural characteristics of native tribes are sympathetically but colorfully explained: "The Comanche, who probably killed more settlers than did any other American Indians, made a distinction among whites between Texans and all others. Then, as now, it was possible to tell the difference. . . The Comanche hated Texans the most of all."
   
   From a rise in a dirt road near Beach, North Dakota: ". . . all you'd need to paint [the] landscape would be gold for wheat and blue for sky."
   At a civic event in Nicodemus, Kansas: "At one o'clock the parade began. It was like a parade in someone's living room. Its front was followed closely by its back."
   In a restaurant in Lincoln, New Mexico: "The menu featured home-baked bread and sole; New Mexico is like the Vermont of the West."
   
   Like a stretch of prairie road, the book invites the reader onward. It might easily be read in two or three sittings, but that's not what I did. I habitually keep a book in my car, to keep me company at lunch, and this is how I read Great Plains. A few paragraphs or pages at a time, with a burrito or a Jamba Juice, it was quite tasty.

5 comments about The Hawaiian House Now.

1. Whether your style is contemporary, traditional, or eclectic this book has something for everyone. I've gone through it again and again, and each time I've seen something new or gotten an idea for something I can do in my own home.



2. I enjoyed this book very much. It was well written, well researched and contained a wealth of beautiful photographs. The author captured the beauty of simplicity. The Hawaiian House is a wonderful coffee table book.



3. This book transported me back to those years when I grew up in Hawaii and was exposed through friends and parties to so many of these kind of houses. I see Hawaii house decor being such an accumulation of all that is good about Hawaii - reflection of its spirit and early settlers and Hawaiian aspect. I live in New Zealand and decorate ALL my houses with a strong Hawaii/South Pacific/New Zealand flavor - this book has given me such inspiration for my next house. If you grew up in Hawaii or love the spirit of Hawaii this book is a must. I was thrilled when I received the book and as I am about to start a new adventure with a house I am going to incorporate so much of what I see and read in "The Hawaiian House Now" - It is not just a book with nice photos it is a book with some great information on all that is Hawaii.



4. I got this book so I could get some decorating ideas for my own house here in California. I found the book to be helpful in what I needed it for. It shows good interior design ideas for houses in Hawaii that could easily by used in other parts of the world. I love the Hawaiian styles and I am working on recreating them in my home.



5. This book is beautifully produced, with a nice variety of types of homes presented.

No comments about DogFriendly.com's East Coast Dog Travel Guide: Includes New England, New York, the Mid-Atlantic States, Florida and the Southeast.

5 comments about Cities Ranked & Rated: More than 400 Metropolitan Areas Evaluated in the U.S. and Canada.

1. If you have ever considered relocating to another part of the country in
   the USA, this book is a must. I loved all of the different categories, from cost of living and job opportunities, to quality of life.



2. This book is full of fascinating information about 375 metropolitan areas in the U.S., as well as 27 Canadian metropolitan areas. Each area is evaluated and described in terms of the demographic characteristics of its population, the climate, the economy, taxes and cost of living, educational factors, commuting, health care and other health-related factors, leisure activities, and art and culture. Each of those categories is subdivided into multiple, more specific measures.
   
   Based on the listed raw data, the book ranks the metropolitan areas against each other, in each category and overall. The first part of the book has a short section describing the meaning of the data for each category, along with a list of the top 30 and bottom 30 cities for each statistic.
   
   The bulk of the book (669 pages out of the total of 850) consists of a 1-to-2-page description of each U.S. metropolitan area. The description consists of a listing of all the statistics in each category for the given metropolitan area, preceded by an intelligently-written introduction which provides the kind of information that isn't directly reflected in the statistics. From my knowledge of the cities with which I am personally familiar, I would say the writers did an excellent and accurate job of portraying the flavor of each metropolitan area.
   
   BUT:
   
   If you are going to use this book to make important personal decisions, make sure you do your own research, and double-check the information that's most important to you. I found several errors in the book - and since I have no knowledge at all of most of the topics covered, there are most likely many other inaccuracies that I'm incapable of identifying myself. Examples:
   
   The book says that the average metropolitan area has 6 snowfalls of at least 1.5 inches annually. It also says, however, that the average metropolitan area has an average TOTAL annual snowfall of only 7 inches. Of course, it is impossible for both of those numbers to be accurate.
   
   One of the numbers given for each city is the number of major airports within 60 miles. It says that there is one major airport within 60 miles of Eugene, Oregon, but the nearest major airport (Portland) is more than 100 miles away. In the listing for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, they make the preposterous claim that there are FOUR major airports within sixty miles, where in reality the closest major airport (Baltimore) is ninety miles away. The discrepancy has nothing to do with the definition of "major," because they also give the daily number of flights at those airports, which makes it clear that their definition of "major" does not include the airports in Eugene or Harrisburg.
   
   Furthermore, the data doesn't always mean what it appears to mean, so read the discussion of the data toward the beginning of the book before turning to the individual statistics for the cities you're interested in. One glaring example is the ranking for "water quality," which has nothing to do with the healthfulness of the drinking water. It is a measure of the "quality of runoff and groundwater," which is decidedly NOT what most people are interested in when they investigate water quality in a prospective place to live.
   
   Finally, in their otherwise helpful and well-written introductions to the metropolitan areas, and even in their interpretation of the statistics, the writers occasionally allow their politically correct prejudices to influence their comments and rankings. One amusing example is the following sentence from their introduction for Portland, Oregon: "Although average commuter times are long, the area has good public transit with a light-rail system among the nation's best." In other words, the city is to be commended for following policies the authors approve of, even if the evidence shows that those policies don't help. (Just try reversing the order of the clauses in the quoted sentence above, and you'll see what I mean.)
   
   Also, the book's ranking system assumes that people will always want maximum racial diversity, minimum taxes, and a mild climate. You might prefer a Normal Rockwell setting, you might want the kind of governmental services that are available only in high-tax jurisdictions, and you might enjoy long brisk winters or searing desert heat.
   
   So the book is fascinating, helpful, and can drastically shorten the time and trouble it takes to research any metropolitan area. But you have to read it intelligently, and you should do your own verification of information that really matters to you.



3. Wow! This may be more than some of you care to see, it's the size of a phone book. But, it is easy to read and find the bits that you are interested in. Very well organized, and valuable data. It is a great match with "100 Best Tax Cities".



4. If you analyze the ranking and ratings of this book, you will find very serious misrepresentations! Try to Compare two of your familiar cities one has low crime rate and the other much higher. What you will find is that they are about the same!! Try San Francisco and Oakland, San Jose and Richmond, CA. When you are looking for a safe place to live and raise your kids, you are likely ending up with a crime hovering place. I don't have any bias against rich or poor, but just the nature of the book--it is inaccurate and misleading!



5. I saw this book at the library, and when I saw how inexpensive it was, decided that I wanted it for myself. Very informative, and detailed information with specific statistics on population, education, cultural and demographical information. If you are even thinking about a move, this is an excellent reference tool.

5 comments about The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons (Penguin Classics).

1. Anyone who is enthralled by the beauty of the Southwest, or as Powell defines it - the Colorado River watershed, should read this book. It's not the same now as it was in his day. For one thing, Glen Canyon, which he named, is now submerged under Lake Powell (could any name be more ironic?). No one today can feel the same kind of wonder and awe as Powell and his companions did as they pushed their boats into the raging rapids of the muddy Colorado without having any idea of what was ahead. Even the part of the Colorado watershed that has not been developed, and there is a considerable extent of land under protective status, today has nothing like the remoteness that Powell experienced. Everything has been mapped and carefully scutinized.
   
   Yet, anyone who has spent some time sizing up the immense water-carved rock canyons, can still feel something of the sublimity that Powell felt. It requires more imagination; it is true, but anyone who is determined to make more of a commitment than just standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon can still experience the really sublime features of this landscape. How much more difficult will it be in the future? Will these wilderness wonders become more degraded?
   
   The book describes by daily journal entries the historic river run of 1868 starting at the Flaming Gorge in Wyoming and ending at the Virgin River as well as a follow-up expedition the next year. Powell does not overdo the apprehensions and hardships of himself and companions, nor does he make mention that he accomplished the physical exertion of climbing the canyon walls and navigating the boats with one arm: but largely confines himself to descriptions of the events and the incredible landforms. The extent of the journey and all the spectacular features that he finds and names is impressive. That Powell's group experienced hardships there can be no doubt.
   
   One of the more interesting parts of the book to me was the way Powell approached the Indian tribe that killed his three companions, who decided to abandon the expedition and hike out of the Canyon. In those frontier days, it was the accepted norm to meet violence with violence. But Powell, I thought here, really showed himself to be an exceptional human being. He had a inquiring mind and a sincere desire to learn everything he could without inflicting retribution.



2. I got this book to read while I was rafting the Grand Canyon. It was well worth it. John Wesley Powell's description of his unbelivable expedition helped me put into words the spectacular scenes that makes up the Grand Canyon. I recommend this book to anyone who is considering traveling down the Colorado River.



3. After I've been down the Colorado through the Canyon 3 times and after having read Stantons "Colorado River Controversies", I had to read the original Diary of Powell. This guy, though daring, did not stick fully to the truth in his diaries, but the descriptions are overwhelming and I loved every word. After all, he was still a youngster in those days - a daredevil. We seem to forget this, as we only know the picture of him in his old days. But I like his guide Sumner better.
   
   How can you rate such a classic?



4. Although this one-armed Major from the Civil War has a tendency to marginalize the dangers, turmoil, and strenuous labor that was required to forge the uncharted waters of the Grand Canyon in 1869, you definitely "get it". His descriptions are more of a nuts and bolts account, never waxing poetic nor adding philosophical banter. Through trial and error, they learned how to read the geology and how they could predict what may lie ahead by the types and angles of the strata that formed the river's edge. However, knowing what was ahead only added to the tension and they still had to make crucial last minute decisions, sometimes too late. I was totally enthralled with this adventure and couldn't put the book down.



5. I started reading this book while on vacation in Mexico and was enthralled from the moment I picked the book up.
   
   The writing style is a tiny bit hard to digest in the beginning, but clears up and gives you a very thorough, easy to follow narrative of the Colorado.
   
   The drawings in the book give you an insight into what they sw along the way, and made the book a truly great read.

2 comments about Streetwise Transitwise Map - Laminated New York Metropolitan Commuter Rail Map - Folding pocket size travel map (Streetwise).

1. Purchased for my daughter prior to her attending college in NYC. She says this has been very helpful in navigating her way around



2. I've been using this map (multiple copies) in my classroom during my class' New York City unit for the past several years. It is perfect for our needs, though it only shows half of Manhattan on each side, so it is not great for display purposes. We also take it with us when we visit the City on our class trip and it is perfect for walking/riding around - very clear and easy to read.
   Good value for the money.

5 comments about Complete Guide to Full-Time RVing: Life on the Open Road.

1. My husband wanted to try full-time RVing, but I was too attached to having a house. Anyone trying to make that decision, needs to read this book.
   It helps you figure the costs of such a lifestyle and how to deal with mail, licenses, and medical issues without a home base. Two chapters cover selecting an RV for full-timing. Then it addresses adjusting the RV to your special needs and what to do about storage. Five chapters cover the care of the RV (electrical systems, water, sewage, etc.). There are sections on driving, security, and selecting campgrounds.
   We're talking about more than 500 pages of solid information here. It's essential for full-time RVers and quite useful for even part-time RVers.



2. Very informative. Gives very good details on full-timing.



3. This is an older book on RV living and as such it doesn't have much if anything in the way of solar for power, satellite dish for TV and computer use or other off the grid living information one needs in 2007+. But the information on mail, medical, fees for various things, and what type of floor plan for an RV vs a trailer are helpful. Am still looking for a newer book and one that speaks to the single woman who travels in an RV and alone.



4. This book is full of great information. Every chapter is very detailed. What I like most about the book is that it discusses things to consider when looking for your RV - things you might not have even considered had you not read this book. Also contains a great section on customizing/modifying your RV for full time RVing. A great book to read if you are considering the full time RV life style.



5. This is a comprehensive work that provides the pros and cons of life on the road. Although some of the material is out-dated the core message is complete. I found the information on licenses, vehicle registration, and voter registration to be very thought provoking.