5 comments about Seattle Survival Guide: The Essential Handbook for Urban Living.

1. While this book is an invaluable resource for those who are relocating to Seattle, it is increasingly out of date. The rents have gone up, the employment scene has changed.

   Morrow could also expand the scope of what she covers. How about listings for yoga studios, for example.

   Still, it's a must have book for the neophyte Seattle-ite.




2. This book is meant for people relocating to Seattle, not for tourists. It's filled with a ton of data about Seattle taken from the last census. Unfortunately, this data is a little stale, especially given the city's explosive growth over the last several years. Nontheless, the overall trends in the book still remain accurate.

   The book devotes a little attention to the East Side, but is definitely lacking in this regard. As such, I would recommend this book only to those who will be relocating to Seattle itself, not the greater Puget Sound area.




3. I recently visited Seattle after moving away some 7 years ago. I wanted a book to refresh my memories and to reacquaint myself with the city and whatever changes it has gone through. This book does give a lot of information about the City, and yes, the Eastside communities are not discussed in depth (but, who cares? if you're going to live in the area, Seattle is the place to be!) The data, for me, wasn't enough though. I was looking for even more demographic-type information and couldn't find any other book that came close. The data is from 1996, so things have changed somewhat. With the latest census 2000 data, I would hold out for the next edition of this book, should one be forthcoming. One complaint from me is the graphics. The image of the city is used in many graphics with shaded elements refering to city extremes. These are often hard to decipher and leave many of the areas of the city without coverage. Overall, the book was the best sourcebook of those I found in many of Seattle's great bookstores.



4. THERE WERE SO MANY INTERESTING ITEMS IN THIS BOOK THAT I HAVE A THREE-RING BINDER FULL OF NOTES. I AM DEVOUT TEXAN, BUT SINCE THE FIRST TIME I VISITED SEATTLE I HAVE WANTED TO MOVE THERE. THIS BOOK MADE IT EVEN MORE APPEALING. EVERYTHING IS DISCUSSED FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE CRIME STATISTICS. THIS IS A MUST FOR SEATTLE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THOSE THAT WISHED THEY WERE.



5. I used this book when I moved to Seattle four years ago, and it was extremely helpful in acclimating me. I especially liked the overview of neighborhoods. But, a friend who is moving here just got it, and in checking out her version, I am surprised the data hasn't been updated the past few years. A lot has changed.

   Ballard, for example, is not a blue collar neighborhood anymore. It's become quite yuppified and expensive. There are not many housing bargains (rental or ownership) to be had there anymore. There also needs to be updated info on up and coming neighborhoods -- like Columbia City.

   I think any book on Seattle needs to address the earthquake hazard. Some neighborhoods are safer than others. For example, the 2001 earthquake made it pretty clear that Pioneer Square, which is built on landfill, isn't where you want to be when the Big One hits (unless you fancy brick showers.) If you have the time, it might be worthwhile to wait for the next edition of this book which will hopefully contain 2000 census stats. And do some more research on the seismic issues-- try to live in a place built on bedrock.

No comments about Loudoun: Loudoun County Virginia: A Photographic Portrait.

No comments about Mountain Bike! Southwest Washington: A Guide to Trails and Adventure.

No comments about Great Walks of the Olympic Peninsula (Great Walks Ser. 7).

1 comments about Outside Magazine's Urban Adventure: Seattle.

1. This is a fantastic, comprehensive guide to the Puget Sound region for the active traveler. It covers a broad range of sports in depth--hiking, biking, sea kayaking, sailing, scuba, snow sports,rock climbing and more. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Washington II (Washington).

1. This is the best photographic essay of Washington. The pictures are lightyears above the competition. True artwork. I am sending this book to friends in London for a good view of life here.

4 comments about Pacific Northwest : Oregon, Washington, and Alaska (National Geographic's Driving Guides to America).

1. Excellent maps , photos and facts. You do not need more details for plannin a trip to Alaska. Is really perfect.



2. This guide is well structured, the chapters on the states are color-coded and make it easy to find trips for the state you're interested in. I liked the classification with stars for locations - the reader knows at a glance which trip offers a lot of "must-sees" and/or interesting places to visit. And because it is a National Geographic guide, it also features lots of beautiful photographs.

   The guide is ideal for people who are on a schedule, and would still like to get the most out of a short trip. However, it does NOT offer tips on accomodation or restaurants. Although the appendix lists 800-numbers for hotel & motel chains, this isn't helpful when you plan to stay overnight in, let's say, Ritzville, WA, because there is no information which, if any hotels/motels are in that town.

   People who are looking for in-depth travel information would be better off with another guide. But if you don't want to carry a heavy book around or spend hours reading up on your destination, and you're just looking for hands-on tips on where to go, I would recommend this guide.




3. This book was disappointing. Although it boasts the, as always, lovely National Geographic photographs, the information and the writing are dated. It needs to be updated, at least.



4. The National Geographic Driving Guides are guides to Blue Highways, i.e., non-freeways. They are perfect for people who want to get back to the "real" America. Since they are written by different authors, they vary in quality.

   Of the ones that I have read, this one is the best. The author, Bob Devine, loves the Northwest, and has done an excellent job of ferreting out a lot of great sights to see and things to do. He also writes clearly.

   I was particularly interested in the sections on Alaska, because I was trying to figure out whether it would be interesting to me (I am not an outdoorsman), and if I do visit it, how to structure the trip. After reading this book, I decided that there were a lot of interesting things to do and see in the Anchorage area and decided to fly directly into there.

   Other good books in this series are the ones for Pennsylvania/New York, and Texas. The only bad one I've come across is the one for California.

1 comments about Inside Out Washington: A Best Places Guide to the Outdoors.

1. Ron Judd is the outdoor editor at the Seattle Times. His passion, experince, and knowlege of Washington State is captured in this comprehensive yet succint book. Judd outines Washington's nine geographicall locations. Each section contains all the general inforamtion about the areas plus a list of informational numbers. Also included are descriptions and information about what outdoor type acitivities can be done, as well as where to eat and sleep in the area after doing them. This book is easy to use and easy to read which makes it a great planing tool for weekends and longer trips. As a new commer to the Pacific Northwest this book comes highly recommened to those still unaquainted with the natural treasures of Washington State.

No comments about American Map Central Vermont: Southern Caledonia & Washington Counties: Street Map (American Map).

No comments about Temple of Liberty: Building the (United States) Capitol for a New Nation.