No comments about 2009 New York City Wall Calendar.

3 comments about Immersion Travel USA: The Best & Most Meaningful Volunteering, Living, and Learning Excursions.

1. I love to travel and do interesting things. I just picked up Immersion Travel USA--what a well written, well-researched book. There is something for everyone--and every trip and activity suggested is more different and unique than the next.
   
   Experience an archaeological dig, volunteer at a national park, or play at the NY Yankees fantasy camp--If you love to travel, whether you are just getting started, or have traveled extensively, you will surely enjoy this book as much as I do.



2. Sheryl Kayne has truly written a one-of-a-kind book, filled with fun stories and an endless list of authentic "immersion excursions." I look forward to reading more of what Sheryl has to offer in the future as she will be one of the country's great travel writers.



3. I am so glad I found IMMERSION TRAVEL USA by Sheryl Kayne. It's turned out to be such a great book with very unusual trip ideas, I've decided to give it to all of our friends for the holidays! I particularly enjoyed reading the firsthand experiences from other travelers and the excitement seemed to jump right out of the pages. I've already spoken with my wife about taking these ideas and planning our next vacation.

5 comments about The Cheap Bastard's Guide to Chicago: Secrets of Living the Good Life--For Free! (Cheap Bastard).

1. I suppose the title gives it away, but I was unaware how much of a CHEAP BASTARD one has to be to find this book useful. This is NOT a book that gives you clever ways to cut corners. Instead, it assumes that you are in absolute poverty. Make sure you examine how much of a Cheap Bastard you really are before spending $15 that the book assumes you don't have.



2. I got this book as a present when I spent a few months in Chicago for work. At first I thought is was just a fun gift - love the title, but I wasn't really expecting to get much use out of it. But I was shocked by how much useful stuff is in the book. I was able to see some amazing shows for free including performances at The Goodman and Steppenwolf, ate more than my fair share of free pizza, took a wonderful walking tour with the Chicago Greeters and got a great dirt-cheap massage at a massage school. I was really surprised by how much great free and seriously cheap things are in Chicago (and this book!). I highly recommend it.



3. This book will pay for itself. Easily the most useful guide for moving to Chicago I've seen. If you are starting out in the city, you should get this book.



4. Partially my fault. I was looking for inexpensive restaurants, etc., in Chicago. I thought this was similar to the now defunct Mr. Cheap's Chicago.
   
   Instead, it only lists free stuff, such as museums that provide free admission in January. Too bad this was May.
   
   If I lived there it might be different. But I am not SO cheap as to travel all around town to a bar that lets me nurse a drink and pig out on their free food.
   
   Too bad. There is lots in Chicago for people on a budget.



5. Saw this at the bookstore and it seemed like something I should own. Good book, good condition.

5 comments about Danger Stalks the Land: Alaskan Tales of Death and Survival.

1. I think reading any work should teach you something, and tales of wilderness incidents should not simply be armchair rubbernecking. This book is a collection of true incidents involving sportsman, backcountry travelers, and bush pilots. Their misfortunes could have been models for preventing readers from finding themselves in similar situations. Kaniut misses this opportunity. Instead of an analysis of the actions that saved the subjects (or cost them their lives), most stories are just circular and pointless recollections of how scary it was having a bear drag you around/being submerged in freezing water/crashing a plane in the backcountry, etc. According to this book, surviving these incidents simply requires some really hard praying, but reaffirms one's love of life and/or faith in god. It's akin to seeing dozens of people pulled from a wrecked plane and saying "WOW, what a miracle!!" while ignoring what the pilot did in the last seconds, recognizing the crew for an efficient evacuation, and acknowledging the skill and training of the ground emergency response crews. Kaniut would relate being mauled by a bear, the conclusion being that this was a terrible attack by a viscous animal, but god smiled and saved the day. In contrast, an NGS story I read after Danger Stalks about several bear attacks on hunters taught me (if I was inclined) how not to handle kills and seasonal factors that could emerge in the future that would make bears more aggressive, all the while infusing the human emotional element of these attacks. A serious missed opportunity is analyzing bush pilots' incidents. This book could have served as an excellent resource for this otherwise dry and difficult to find info (you can read FAA/NASA reports, but they often lack analysis, can be hard to sort through, and often simply blame "pilot error leading to..."); but the reader will have to find their own lessons in the aircraft incidents, if Kaniut provided enough detail between the sermons and anecdotes. Thus distilled, Danger Stalks is either just reflective of the human fascination with other's bad luck or a fluffy triumph of the human spirit book.



2. MORE BEARS AND SURVIVAL STORIES..READING THESE GIVES YOU AN EDGE...I NEVER GO OUT IN THE BUSH WITHOUT A WEAPON AND A FIRE STARTER...



3. Great for the short of time or attention span as it's a bunch of 1-5 page stories. I call it, "Bad *&@#$% that can happen to you if you visit Alaska". It's one of my favorite books for entertainment & I bought this one as a birthday present for my brother. Great gift item. The stories are riveting.



4. I purchased this book as I like to read about TRUE life adventures. This book will not disappoint. I cringed with a couple of the stories as they are true and one wonders how human beings can survive sometimes. Definitely worth purchasing. I am going to see about other books by this author. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.



5. Having visited the frozen north of Alaska in 2007, i wished to revisited some of those lands through the stories of people who lived in extreme conditions both weather and wildlife. This book transported me back for yet another glimpse of life, harsh and unforgiving. Great read

2 comments about Las Vegas (City Guide).

1. Contained everything I needed to know for a one-week jaunt in Sin City. Where to stay, where to eat, where to gamble and what shows to see. Lonely Planet never disappoints!



2. i'm so sorry, but all the lonely planet books are the best,
   i bought many of them, and my last was this from las vegas,
   as usual, it was easy, cool and update.

5 comments about 'Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazetteer (9 ed)'.

1. It's Wednesday evening. You're trying to think of something new and different to do with you weekend. Your loved one(s) are bored and restless and want to do something different. It's all up to you... What to do...

   If you've been there before, there is one solution - this book of great maps. In addition to the detailed accuracy of the maps, there is a great section that details locations of interest, places to go, things to do, phone numbers you can call to make arrangements and get info. This could be the book that saves your weekend!

   Stored in your car, it could also be the book that get's you where you want to go without driving to a gas station to get directions. If you've tried that lately, you know that your chances of getting good directions to far-off places are slim to none.

   I have purchased several of these books - one for each state that I frequent. Whenever I want to get away, I take them out and see what I can find. We have visited covered bridges, homes built by Frank Lloyd Wright, cliffs and caves, museums and all kinds of historic landmarks.

   For the price of a nice meal, you will have a travel companion for many years to come. While you can get maps on the internet, most of us still don't have that at our disposal when we are on the road. This book will be your guide!




2. It's a map. That's what it is. And a very detailed and useful one, at that. It's difficult to write a review for a...map. But this is the one you should buy.



3. I was hoping this would be as excellent as the Maine Gazeteer, but it isn't. It is a topographical map, which is fine if all you want to do is hike mountains. But if you want street names and town names better grab a magnifying glass. Tiny print and roads drawn in pastel colors is not really helpful. Disappointing.



4. We have gone on several vacations with our DeLorme book maps. This is definately the way to see the countryside.



5. I am looking at pg 85 of the 10th edition I received directly from Amazon and I see several important roads are missing labels. It seems like the town names take up more room in this edition, at the expense of street names. This is an unfortunate change. I might have to label some of these by hand now or search out an older edition - i think those were more comprehensive.

1 comments about Streetwise Miami Map - Laminated City Street Map of Miami, Florida -with integrated metrorail and metromover lines and stations.

1. I have used Streetwise Maps alll over the world -- literally -- and they have NEVER disappointed me. Super, super accurate. Whether I plan to drive or to be on foot, I would not visit any new city (including Miami) without my Streetwise Map.

5 comments about Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks.

1. Great little book. I do not know why it is named "Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks". This book covers all the national parks, monuments and State Parks in Utah. For each area, the book gives information on what to see depending on the amount of time you have to visit(half day, one, two, three or more days). For each location it gives you the sights to see, trails to hike and other activities to do in the area. Along with places to stay (Hotels, Motels and campgrounds), places to eat, equipment rental and more. This book is small enough to put into your glove box.



2. This book is the best and most informative source of useful information for visitors to the national parks of southern Utah that I have found. It provides information on: the most popular hikes, popular restaurants, good camping sites, activities, descriptions of geology, flora and fauna, and brief histories of the early cultures, explorers and settlers. The book is very well written by authors who obviously know their stuff. All material is presented clearly and concisely and in a manner that enhances its usefulness. I recommend this book whole heartedly.



3. This was an invaluable resource for our 16 day trip to southern Utah. This book also includes information for the other national parks in Utah. We used it every day on our trip.



4. We used this book to plan, execute, and review an amazing trip through Southern Utah. The guide covers much more than the two National Parks listed in the title, including Arches NP, and Capital Reef NM, among others. Not only was it extremely accurate, but it was remarkably entertaining to read. This book is a must-have for anyone venturing into this beautiful part of the country.



5. We had bought the Moon guide for Utah and upon reading it realized it wasn't very good, so had this one expressly shipped just in time for our big trip. It was worth the extra shipping costs. It's full of useful information and it covers all the National Parks in Utah (so they should really change the title). The trip wouldn't have been the same without it.
   
   Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks

3 comments about Streetwise Chicago Map Laminated City Center Street Map of Chicago, Illinios Folding pocket size travel map with CTA & Metra map including lines & stations.

1. I recently moved back to Chicago and needed a map as a refresher. I was very disappointed when I received this map. It's great and handy, unfortunately it didn't cover the city. The map didn't show Bucktown or anything West but included all of the Southside. I was looking at moving into an area that I didn't have a map of!!! If you want to see any of Bucktown, Wickerpark or Logan Square do not buy this map.



2. This map does not show any of the parts of Chicago that I am interested in - mainly anything very far west of downtown. I would say that this item is not useful at all and a total waste of my money.



3. Great series of maps for residents and tourists. Very detailed but extremely compact (though still legible), laminated, folds easily. It can be used quite subtly, so you don't look lost (giving the apperance of a goofy out-of-towner, or worse, a safety issue.)
   
   Chicago Streetwise features:
   -Main map (north to Lakeview, south to Hyde park, west to Ukranian Village)
   -Downtown map
   -neighboring counties road map
   -Hyde Park/Kenwood detail
   -CTA/Metra train lines
   -street and landmark index
   
   On the main map, it identifies train stops (but unfortunately no busstop info, which may be helpful), street numbers, various important buildings (landmarks, colleges, some hotels, etc.).
   
   If you are planning on visitng Chicago, or have just moved to the area, look no further than this map.

No comments about Frommer's Washington, D.C. 2009 (Frommer's Complete).