3 comments about Weird Las Vegas and Nevada: Your Alternative Travel Guide to Sin City and the Silver State (Weird).

1. Do not venture into the Silver State without this guidebook; otherwise, you might miss out on a lot! From America's weirdest city, Las Vegas, you can go out into the dark countryside: miles and miles and miles of open, empty space enlivened here and there by some kind of crazy, quixotic human enterprise. I love Nevada because I believe it's the weirdest state of all. Thanks to this book, I no longer have to drive for miles, dodging roadside phantoms and risking alien abduction, in order to get my weirdness fix.



2. This book is a must if you visited or live in Las Vegas. There are many places off the beaten path (like the Pinball Hall of Fame). If like to visit place that are less travel (not your typical tourist trap) than this is your book. Buy this book is worth every dollar!!!!!



3. A fun book, but doesn't really share anything new. Most of what is written about in this book is already available just about everywhere else. Not much to surprise here, either. Neon sign museum in Las Vegas? Who would have thunk it? You could get the same information for free from the state tourism guides.

5 comments about Tucket's Travels: Francis Tucket's Adventures in the West, 1847-1849 (Books 1-5) (Francis Tucket Books).

1. This was a great story!!! I loved it! If you are looking for a book, this would be the book to read!!!



2. I LOVE ALL THE GARY PAULSEN BOOKS. THE francis tuckets are some of my favorites because i've always wanted to go back in time to the western days and these books took me there.
   
   travis l. blue.



3. It's a good thing they are all five together. This book was so good even I (mom) didn't want to stop reading it! I even cried at the end. My son (9 yrs) and I read this together. It is a very good book to read aloud because you can explain things if you need, and you (as an adult) can really add some drama with your voice. One night my son had a friend stay overnight (8 yrs) and he wasn't excited about having me read to them (especially in the middle of the book and all) but he was hooked after one chapter. I think this would be a good book for those who "hate" reading because the story just pulls you in and keeps you wanting to know what happens next. There is even a little bit of historical information and things to learn (but don't tell the kids!) I would recommend it to grades 3 and up. My 6 yr old had trouble sitting still for it.



4. I have already read both of the Misadventures of Maude March books. My grandmother bought me thiese books because I kept looking for more westerns. These Tucket books are very good but something is missing. Partly girls. Partly a lot of other people. Still I can't cut off any stars.



5. This series of stories about about Francis Tucket is chocked full of encounters with Pawnee Indians, thieves, ruthless Comancheroes, sadistic murderers, and rattlesnakes. But the stories are also populated by such wonderful characters like Lottie and Billy, Jason Grimes, the one-armed mountain man, Garcia, and Iktah. Paulsen who has the deserved reputation as a great storyteller has created a series that will entertain as well as educate. You are given a glimpse of just how harsh conditions were for early settlers in the West but the stories also re-affirms our hope that there are truly good people out there as well.

5 comments about The Orphan Of Ellis Island (Time Travel Adventures).

1. I really enjoy time travel books and this book is no exception. It was very enjoyable to read though at times sad. I found it intersting and hard to put down as I wondered what the ending of this adventure could be. Great read for both boys and girls and insightful to the history of those who emigrated to America.



2. Book Review for The Orphan of Ellis Island.
   By Elvira Woodruff
   
   The Orphan of Ellis Island is a great book by Elvira Woodruff . The story is a kind of sad and funny book.
   The characters are Dominic, Mom, dad, brothers, red head boy, Ranger, Dave, Mr. Howard, Justin, great grandfather and Mr. Night. Dominic is a ten year old boy with two younger brothers.
   Dominic was growing out of his old sneakers and his mom and dad would not buy him new sneakers because they don't have a lot of money.
   The theme is about a boy named Dominic Cantorie needs his feet to stop growing and he needs new sneakers so his feet do not be squished in his sneakers.
   The mom and dad were setting a moving trip so they don't have to be with Dominic I think they should not do that because it is mean and I don't like that it is mean
   The other kids should read my book because it is fun to read it is a great book I like to read and the title is The Orphan of Ellis Island. By Elvira Woodruff
   Dominic and his parents were moving to Ellis Island.



3. Book Review for The Orphan of Ellis Island.
   By Elvira Woodruff
   
   The Orphan of Ellis Island is a great book by Elvira Woodruff . The story is a kind of sad and funny book.
   The characters are Dominic, Mom, dad, brothers, red head boy, Ranger, Dave, Mr. Howard, Justin, great grandfather and Mr. Night. Dominic a ten year old boy is with two brothers.
   Dominic was growing out of his old sneakers and his mom and dad would not buy him new sneakers because they don't have a lot of money.
   The theme is about a boy named Dominic Cantorie needs his feet to stop growing and he needs new sneakers so his feet do not be squished in his sneakers.
   The mom and dad were setting a moving trip so they don't have to be with Dominic I think they should not do that because it is mean and I don't like that it is mean
   The other kids should read my book because it is fun to read it is a great book I like to read and the title is The Orphan of Ellis Island. By Elvira Woodruff
   Dominic and his parents were moving to Ellis Island.



4. Book Review for The Orphan of Ellis Island.
   By Elvira Woodruff
   
   The Orphan of Ellis Island is a great book by Elvira Woodruff. The story is a kind of sad and funny book.
   The characters are Dominic, Mom, dad, brothers, red head boy, Ranger, Dave, Mr. Howard, Justin, great grandfather and Mr. Night. Dominic a ten year old boy is with two brothers.
   Dominic was growing out of his old sneakers and his mom and dad would not buy him new sneakers because they don't have a lot of money.
   The theme of the book shows us if people work hard they can buy what they need. The story is about a boy named Dominic Cantorie. He needs new shoes because his feet won't stop growing. he needs new sneakers so his feet aren't squished in his sneakers.
   The mom and dad were planning a moving trip so they don't have to be with Dominic. I think they should not do that because it is mean and I don't like that it is mean.
   Kids should read my book because it is fun to read about kids like me. It is a great book. . The Orphan of Ellis Island was written by Elvira Woodruff.



5. Book Review for The Orphan of Ellis Island.
   By Elvira Woodruff
   
   The Orphan of Ellis Island is a great book by Elvira Woodruff. The story is a kind of sad and funny book.
   The characters are Dominic, Mom, dad, brothers, red head boy, Ranger, Dave, Mr. Howard, Justin, great grandfather and Mr. Night. Dominic a ten year old boy is with two brothers.
   Dominic was growing out of his old sneakers and his mom and dad would not buy him new sneakers because they don't have a lot of money.
   The theme of the book shows us if people work hard they can buy what they need. The story is about a boy named Dominic Cantorie. He needs new shoes because his feet won't stop growing. he needs new sneakers so his feet aren't squished in his sneakers.
   The mom and dad were planning a moving trip so they don't have to be with Dominic. I think they should not do that because it is mean and I don't like that it is mean.
   Kids should read my book because it is fun to read about kids like me. It is a great book. . The Orphan of Ellis Island was written by Elvira Woodruff.

3 comments about Sequoia National Park: A Complete Hiker's Guide.

1. Compiled and organized by Mike White, Sequoia National Park: A Complete Hiker's Guide is a handy resource offering customized topographical maps for each of the 62 Sequoia National Park hikes it features, as well as extensive information concerning wilderness permits, camping options, climate information, and much more. Sequoia National Park is confidently recommended as an excellent companion guide presenting a wealth of useful facts for getting the most out of a hiking vacation or expedition.



2. This book accompanies the author's "Kings Canyon National Park: A Complete Hiker's Guide" For those who aren't aware, Kings Canyon (north) and Sequoia (south) are basically one big park. The two books are the most comprehensive guide to the trails in these two parks. Moreover, the book also has some excellent and useful tables in the appendix that detail the length of the trip, whether it is a loop vs. out and back, elevations... For those serious about this region, these are necessary. Two things could improve these books for future editions:
   
   1) The maps are not very clearly printed. It is good that they are topographic USGS-style maps, however the contrast is poor and smudgy. Anyone doing these hikes ought to have a high quality fold-out map from Trails Illustrated or Tom Harrison anyway. Future editions should consider a higher-contrast less detailed map, or two-tone illustration as in the Lonely Planet guides.
   
   2)Together, the two books are over 600 pages long. Clearly at this size they are less than suitable as backpack material anyway. The author may consider expanding them to include cross-country routes for class I/II hikes, as the Roper/Secor/Arnot books have little competition on this angle.



3. very good book and hike guide but I found much of the information the same as the companion King's Canyon hikers guide

5 comments about Northern California Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. I'm planning a trip to California shortly, but I lived there for many years as a child. The Delorme for Northern California joins my collection of about 10 other Delorme maps for other areas I have lived and visited. Being a birdwatcher, we in the birding community often give directions to birds by Delorme pages. Makes life SO much easier. Although it doesn't have every little street in some areas, it does have MUCH more detail than the average road map, and makes it wonderful when you're like me and just want to head off in a general direction to scout for bird territory, but not necessarily follow the same path back. Love Delorme Atlases... wouldn't travel without them.



2. A quick glance at this atlas, and it looks impressive. - Gradients, vegetation, and what appears to be every road and track that covers the state. BUT....
   
   This atlas does a poor job at visually separating major roads from minor roads, and makes no effort whatsoever to separate disused tracks and footpaths from well used, well signed, dirt roads that can be driven by a family car.
   
   Case in point. - The M-10 is a signed and posted road from Ukiah to Williams. - It is well travelled and graded (unpaved) for about 30 miles. Yet, it is undistinguishable in this map from a hiking trails in the Snow Mountain wilderness nearby.
   
   I've tried to use this atlas a number of times to follow lesser roads, dirt roads and fire roads accross, and have found it largely unreliable and unusable. It has probably been created from satellite photos with little checking on what is actually passable on the ground. - Much much better is the Benchmark California Road & Recreation Atlas.
   
   The Delorme book is good at showing vegetation, campsites, boat launches, rivers and drainage basins. Elevations, oddly, are in meters.



3. For wilderness travel the Delorme atlases are the best maps I've found to have in your pack aside from a backpack full of USGS and Forest Service maps. If you're interested in a road atlas, something to use while traveling around in the safety of your vehicle, then get a Thomas Guide (the best ROAD atlases in the world). The Delorme atlases show you all the land features, topography, public lands boundaries, and waterways (even the minor and intermittent ones). I've used three of these atlases while traveling on foot through the national forests, and they have literally saved my life many times. The one and only complaint I have about these atlases are their size; they're huge, and for an atlas whose contents seem to be designed for wilderness travel that large size just sucks when trying to find pack space for it. Fortunately, they fold in half easily, which helps a lot.



4. I love the gazetter series and all the detail they provide! This map and others have come in handy so many times. It's kind of a bummer that California is such a large state that two separate books are needed.



5. These Delorme Atlas & Gazetters are wondeful. They show you many features not available through GPS, maps or other atlases. It is a great feature to have the BLM lands marked as well as the back roads. Good resources are also included in each states atlas. A good addition to anyone's travel tools.

5 comments about Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park, 9th.

1. This book may be a fine guide, but it's not up to the quality that I expect from Falcon. It's not written in the usual format, there are few mile markers to help you plan your trips, the maps are poor and very rare, there are few (if any) elevation maps showing where the real climbs are, the index is useless as it lists only specific destinations instead of trail names (ie no metion of the Continental Divide Trail which marches through RMNP) and the book is not organized by specific trails, rather by regions within the park. It might be a good read for those that know the park, and are looking for little corners they haven't yet explored, but if you are planning a trip in the park and don't know your way around, skip this book.



2. Kent Dannen's book is great for the avid RMNP hiker. He provides in-depth descriptions of a great list of trails and destinations, though you may have trouble finding what you are looking for. His trail descriptions contain a great many "rabbit trails" (which provide the hiker numerous options in and around his chosen hike area) but a great deal of page-flipping is required to find what you need. I recommend The Complete RMNP Hiking Guide by Lisa Foster as a companion to this book. Foster's book is better organized and contains numerous alternative routes for serious explorers, as well as descriptions of more technical routes, but Dannen's book will provide the hiker with a more complete description of flora and fauna, interesting terrain features, and noteworthy facts.



3. I own 22 Falcon hiking guides. This thing is horrible. First few pages talks about how it is not designed to make it easier to hike in the Rocky Mountains NP. And it doesn't. It's obviously written by one of those guys who wanted to get paid for writing the book, but doesn't want you on his trail. You know what I am talking about if you have read a dozen or so hiking guides. This dreadful thing is a 320 page continuous paragraph. I can't even tell where the new hike ends and where a new one begins. Don't know how long the trail is or what the elevation gain/loss. There is no chart describing the mileage/elevation throughout the trail that I have found in every other Falcon guide I ever purchased. I see now that if I had read the reviews first, I would not have made this selection. Since the return postage is probably more than the book costs, I am going to just burn it, stomp on it and make sure it is dead.



4. I agree with what others have said about this book being disorganized & not up to Falcon's standards. Additionally, the book is poorly written and reads as if it were written by a high schooler. Nolan's comment below nicely sums up the book. Too bad, because I usually enjoy the Falcon hiking books.
   
   By contrast, Lisa Foster's book, "Rocky Mountain National Park: The Complete Hiking Guide," ISBN # 1565795504, is great. Foster's book was the one I actually used.



5. The couple has written a very good guide to trails in the park. Not the best book in my library on the topic, but in the top 2 or 3
   
   Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park, 9th

1 comments about Alaska Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Plants and Animals (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

1. These are the best thing to make you study the surrounding of which you visit. I have all of the Alaska pocket naturalist subject now. I love them.

5 comments about Dishwasher: One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States (P.S.).

1. In "Dishwasher", we follow the author through his quest to wash dishes in all 50 states. What an odd quest to have. The author likes dishwashing specifically because of the flexibility it offers him, and he has rules of engagement that ensure his flexibility. The single most important rule is the ability to quit at any point. The author's inability (or, perhaps more accurately, lack of desire) to hold any job for more than a couple of months doesn't seem to make him the sort of person who will set out on a quest of any sort.
   
   So we set off with the author on his haphazard quest. We learn how to be a good dishwasher, we learn the jargon of the trade. We watch him quit one job after another, many times simply by wordlessly slipping out or by not bothering to come in for his shift. We learn through the author's research about dishwashers of the past (from presidents to union leaders).
   
   And finally, we watch the author come of age. Yeah, it was late, but better late than never. The turning point seems to come when he contacts a longtime reader of his zine, who is very taken aback to hear from him and turns down his offer to chat. He realises that his friends have all moved on from their dishwashing days. He wonders what happens when he's conquered his quest. And finally, he realises that he could settle down himself. Since his coming-of-age is so late, it's a bit bumpier than most. But he does seem to finally manage it. In the extra material at the end, we learn that the author is currently living in Amsterdam with his wife and child, and he even says that he'll make good on the last issue of his zine that he never got around to publishing.



2. Jordan has embarked on an very unusual quest. Unfortunately, he can't figure out whether he wants this book to be a travelogue or a biography. This causes the book to read as if two books have been split apart and reconfigured. It made for a very unsatisfying read.



3. In his memoir Dishwasher Pete Jordan writes about the twelve years he spent pursuing his unusual goal, to wash dishes professionally in all fifty U.S. states. Pete's quest landed him in plenty of run-of-the-mill diners and restaurants, but he also sought out unusual gigs whenever possible. He writes about dishing on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, and at a commune in the Ozarks. He washed dishes for snobs at a ski resort in the Rockies, and he worked salmon season at an Alaskan cannery. He "dished kosher" at a Jewish retirement home.
   
   Dishing was the perfect job for Pete, a sort of cheapskate slacker whose idea of the good life was a rootless, near possession-less existence. Dishwashing jobs are easy to get and easier to quit--perfect for a guy who can't stay put in one place for more than a few months. And in most restaurants dishwashers have access to a steady stream of table scraps, which is likewise perfect for a guy who'd rather save his pennies than squander them on undefiled foodstuffs. Pete spent his dishwashing years traveling the country, crashing on friends' couches, freeganing out of the "dish tub buffet," and quitting jobs the moment--often quite literally--the urge to do so struck.
   
   The surprising twist in Pete's story is that he became something of a celebrity. He started a zine dedicated to dishwashing, a staple-and-Xerox affair, which grew, incredibly enough, to have some ten thousand subscribers. He eventually attracted the attention of publishers, whose advances he rebuffed once he'd gotten a free meal from them, and even the producers of the Letterman show, on which he didn't quite manage to appear. It wasn't until Pete had hung up his dishrag for good that he seriously considered writing a book about dishing.
   
   It's always interesting to learn about the inner workings of unfamiliar subcultures. Each has its own hierarchies and jargon and rules for acceptable behavior. Prior to reading Jordan's book it hadn't even occurred to me that there was a dishwashing subculture, but I'm happy to have been introduced to it. Jordan's descriptions of the process of dishwashing are interesting--I'm always fascinated to learn how people organize their work. And the characters he encounters while hopping from restaurant to restaurant can make for good reading:
   
   "Most of my interaction at the restaurant was limited to the patriarch, the old man who paid me every week in a bizarre ritual. I'd stop by the restaurant during the afternoon lull. The old-timer would go to the register, count out some cash and then motion me to follow him into the corner of the dining room. He'd glance over his shoulder and scan the empty restaurant to make sure we weren't being watched. Satisfied that the scene was secure, he'd grab my hand, jam a clump of fives and ones into it and then force my fingers to make a fist around the dough."
   
   But about halfway through, the book loses steam. The dishwashing-related historical snippets with which Jordan peppers his narrative are on the whole uninteresting. And the recitation of Jordan's own doings could have been pruned to make for a tighter read.
   
   -- Debra Hamel



4. Great book that is hard to put down, but could have cleaned up the language a bit. Not necessary. I have small kids who like to read anything they get their hands on.



5. This book is an autobiography/memoir about a slacker-inclined dude named Pete from California that washes dishes, and eventually decides to turn his dishwashing into a quest to 'dish' in all 50 states of the USA. The book itself spans a good deal of Pete's life before, after, and in between dish jobs as well as talks about the history and lifestyle of dishwashers - which apparently has a whole subculture of 'pearl divers'.
   
   Overall this was an entertaining, lighthearted, quick and easy read. Despite the potentially dull-sounding premise (sort of dull anyway...how many people like to wash dishes, never mind read about them?) the book itself pitches Pete into a ton of really crazy dishwashing scenarios including a summer camp, a train, a dinner theatre town, an oil rig, a commune, and the Alaskan wilderness. It has a very bohemian Kerouac feeling to it, as you learn how dishwashing is actually the ideal job for a slacker - because they are always wanted, they actually have a fair bit of power in whether they choose to stay at a place or move along somewhere else at a moment's notice.
   
   There were however, a few very frustrating things. The first is Pete's slacker mentality drove me nuts. It almost felt good to see it catch up to him as the book progressed and he actually wanted to settle. Pete is the type of person to live out of a cargo bag rather than own a house, to crash on people's floors, to bum money off people, to stop working until he's down to his last cent, to go change hunting as he walks the streets...and for the average person, his elitist attitude about this lifestyle was extremely annoying.
   
   Tying with that, my second beef with the book is the fact Pete is prone to a weird dichotomy of 'not caring' but also 'caring' about dishing and the culture around it. He's one of those annoying subculture hipsters that are so pretentious that 'not caring' needs to be handled in a certain way to be acceptable to his definition of cool. Finally those two things lend itself to the fact the quest is never really completed - this is revealed on the back of the book, I'm not spoiling anything - and it easily could have been completed had Pete not cared about items 1 & 2.
   
   Still this is an interesting read - it's a very dynamic little slice of life that I guarantee you would regularly have NO exposure to. Intelligent it may not be, but entertaining and at times, insightful (into this culture anyway) it is. A decent, fun read.

5 comments about My New York: New Anniversary Edition.

1. This is a beautiful book, full of detailed illustrations kids love to explore. Parents should note that not only is it littered with promotional messages, but that several of them promote Scientology/L. Ron Hubbard/Dianetics.



2. I thought that this was an excellent book. The pictures are great. I read it to my kids before visiting New York and after reading the book my kids could not wait to see all of the places that we read about. My daughter was especially thrilled to ride the same horse on the central park carousel that the little girl in the book rode.



3. The pictures are colorful, very detailed, and are a lot of fun to look at. It's narrated by a little girl who's venturing the famous sites of NYC. I had fun reading it and I'm
   sure kids will like it. I got the new anniversary edition. I really recommend it. NYC may change years from now. This book captures and reminisces our exciting city during our time...2002.



4. Bought this for my little cousins overseas to help them understand where we live. Apperently their mother likes it more than them! Now they know where I'm talking about when i say we went to Central park today or the zoo. i'll be buying more for my friends children as gifts. Great book.



5. By PHIL
   
   I'm happy I read this book because there are many cool things in this book. It explains all the cool things that you can do in New York City. It has the whispering room in Grand Central Station. You whisper into one corner and someone whispers at the other and you can hear each other.
   And lots of things like that. It is mostly for kids 7-11 years old but adult tourists will like it to.
   
   ...Story Board...
   
   It's about a girl that made an agreement with her mom to go on trips every weekend. The girl's name is Becky. She and her mom go to places that are fun in New York.
   
   On one trip they go to Radio City Music Hall to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Her friend Martin comes with her. In the book, she describes how the orchestra rises out of the floor in the beginning and then goes back in. I went to this show with my parents and this really does happen!
   
   They also go to the New York Public Library, Central Park Zoo, the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Times Square and other cool places.
   
   I recommend this book to any tourist trying to find fun stuff to do when visiting New York City.
   
   This Book Is So Darn Cool!!!

1 comments about Quiet Water Maine, 2nd: Canoe and Kayak Guide (AMC Quiet Water Series).

1. Now in a completely revised second edition, Quiet Water Maine: Canoe & Kayak Guide identifies more than 100 ponds, lakes, and rivers in Maine that are particularly suitable for canoeing and kayaking. Each suggested trip includes directions, parking, and launch information; tour descriptions with estimates of time, distance and difficulty; notes of flora and fauna to be seen in the area; and more. Written for paddlers of all skill levels from beginner to experienced, as well as for birdwatchers, anglers, and families with children, Quiet Water Maine is enthusiastically recommended both for its attention to detail and its enthusiasm for nature.