1 comments about Seattle's Beacon Hill (Images of America: Washington).

1. Having just started book found it interesting however facts are not accurate as I see it, deleating some of the depth of the history has changed the picture of some of the history. Holly Park Housing is one item I picked
   up on so far, will be reading rest of book in the next few weeks.

No comments about Tradition and Change on the Northwest Coast: The Makah, Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Southern Kwakiutl, and Nuxalk.

3 comments about Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Seattle & Portland, 1st Edition (Irreverent).

1. Though I appreciated its humor, this book was a little lacking on some of the basic necessities in living in Portland. The sections dedicated to parks and recreation, for example, don't mention as much as you would want. On the other hand, it gives excellent background, trivia, and local interest facts. It's a fun book, but if you want something a little meatier, I recommend the City Smart Guidebook of Portland by Linda Nygaard.



2. Being a long-time Seattle-dweller, and even longer-time Western Washington native, this book irritates me. The author hasn't spent enough time in Seattle to truly appreciate the wonderful things about the city, not to mention he consistently dates both himself and the text by referring to events/people/places that are no longer in rapid use in the Seattle vernacular/mindset. Seattle is about MORE than coffee, grunge (ugh.. could that irritating phase have passed more quickly?), Microsoft, Boeing and rain. I'd recommend the Fodor's and Lonely Planet series to anyone who really wants a good feel for the city. Fodor's may be snooty, but at leats it's up-to-date instead of dated.



3. I very recently relocated to Portland, and getting prepared for my move I went searching for guidebooks. Since the title word "Irreverent" caught my eye, I was thinking this book would be a great "insider's look" to Portland and its quirks.

   Now that I am living in Portland, I found that this text lacks severely in the "insider's look" aspect. I would especially NOT recommend this for younger people like myself. This "insider's look" is definitely not geared towards my generation. For example, the flannel and torn up jeans look is so outdated, yet the author writes about Portland fashion like it's a crime to not look like you just rolled out of bed. For much better insider's info, pick up a free Willamette Week when you get to Portland.

   This guidebook does have its merits. It is written more personally than many guidebooks, it's easy to follow, and it has its humorous moments. However, you can find better (and free) technical info (where to stay, how to get where you want to go, best bets for visitors, etc.) at the Portland visitor's website, or at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland. For a good guidebook for "Generation X", and those about to relocate to the Pacific Northwest, I would highly recommend Best Places Portland. It provides much more detail and I find that the price guidelines are super helpful for people like me living on a limited budget.

   Had I relied solely on Frommer's Irreverent Guide to guide me through Portland, I believe I would have been completely lost upon getting here. Save your money for a movie and a beer at a McMenamins theater.

No comments about Champion Maps Washington/Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (Champion Maps).

3 comments about Trees of Seattle: The Complete Tree-Finder's Guide to the City's 740 Varieties.

1. When this book was published in 1990, it virtually created a new genre: the local tree guide. By combining clear, simple descriptions of hundreds of local area species (about 30 native, and the rest ornamental) and providing information on where you could go see the tree, it became possible for people to both learn a wide variety of trees and to learn more about the natural heritage of a place - in this case, Seattle. A second edition of this book has just (February 2006) been published; it contains almost twice as many species, many more color photographs, and a far longer list of specimen trees.



2. This book is great. We use it at least a couple of times a week for ecological restoration.



3. We use this book whenever we are thinking about planting a tree in our yard. For some reason, everything seems to grow far bigger than the nursery tags indicate, and many species look far different when young than as more mature trees. It's great to be able to see not only pictures, but to be able to drive to specific locations to see the tree in a mature state, as it may look in our own yard in many years. That's prevented a few "mistakes" in selection.

1 comments about Camping Washington.

1. There are at least four books on camping in Washington state, and I'd suggest to potential customers that this is not the best. So if you are only going to buy one, don't make it this one.
   Generally, there are too many errors in fact in this book. It is as if the writer spent more time reading other camping books, then wrote the book without visiting all of the places in the guide.
   Before buying this book, glance at the other books on camping in Washington. You'll see why this isn't the best buy.

No comments about Frommer's Washington & Oregon (Frommer's Washington and Oregon).

1 comments about Nature Walks in & Around Seattle: All-Season Exploring in Parks, Forests, and Wetlands.

1. If you're new to the seattle area and want to explore the best parks around, this is the book for you. It has maps of trails in nearby parks, lists hours and features, and has two or pages of summaries about each park. It lists out which trails are steep, which ones dogs or horses can go on, where there are picnic facilities, parking, and anything else you'd need to know.

No comments about Mount St. Helens: The Story Behind the Scenery.

No comments about Washington Wildflowers (Washington Littlebooks).