General Books - Page 12

Lonely Planet Iran (Country Guide)

Andrew Burke

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A welcome replacement for the previous edition. 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 28 people found this review helpful.

These are some excerpts from the new edition from the section entitled 'The National Psyche':

"Iranians are the most surprising people. Where you might expect them to be austere they are charming; rather than dour, they are warm, and instead of being hostile to foreigners, they are welcoming and endlessly curious".

"Iranians are not frightening people. They are generally warm and welcoming to an extent that can be embarassing to Westerners."

"...the Iranian system of courtesy [...] makes Iran a haven for travellers - you will be treated with unfailing politeness wherever you go."

Now compare this with the attitude taken by the racist idiot who wrote the previous (third) edition and one realises what a huge difference it makes when the guide authors actually appreciate and enjoy being in the country about which they write.

A welcome (and IMO absolutely necessary) new edition of the guide. Lonely Planet has shown shrewd judgment in replacing the previous one as well as its author.

Editorial Review:

Discover Iran

Pause on the Grand Stairway at Persepolis and imagine trumpeters heralding your arrival
Indulge in rosewater ice cream as you stroll between centuries-old bridges in Esfahan
Believe it when you see it: check out the world's most unexpected ski resorts
Rent a room with a view in a mountain village and watch life unfold as it has for centuries

In This Guide:

Two authors, five months of on-the-ground research, 379 invitations to tea
Packed with tips for overlanders, women, and solo travelers
Incorporates Farsi words and script throughout
Get up-to-the-minute info from other travelers on the Iran branch of the Thorn Tree: lonelyplanet.com

In Arabian Nights

Tahir Shah

By: Doubleday UK Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $40.58

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Tahir Shah’s The Caliph’s House, describing his first year in Casablanca, was hailed by critics and compared to such travel classics as A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun. Now Shah takes us deeper into the heart of this exotic and magical land to uncover mysteries that have been hidden from Western eyes for centuries.…

In this entertaining and penetrating book, Tahir sets out on a bold new journey across Morocco that becomes an adventure worthy of the mythical Arabian Nights.

As he wends his way through the labyrinthine medinas of Fez and Marrakesh, traverses the Sahara sands, and tastes the hospitality of ordinary Moroccans, Tahir collects a dazzling treasury of traditional stories, gleaned from the heritage of A Thousand and One Nights. The tales, recounted by a vivid cast of characters, reveal fragments of wisdom and an oriental way of thinking that is both enthralling and fresh. A link in the chain of scholars and teachers who have passed these stories down for centuries like a baton in a relay race, Shah reaches layers of culture that most visitors hardly realize exist, and eventually discovers the story living in his own heart.

Along the way he describes the colors, characters, and the passion of Morocco, and comes to understand why it is such an enchanting land. From master masons who labor only at night to Sufi wise men who write for soap operas, and Tuareg guides afflicted by reality TV, In Arabian Nights takes us on an unforgettable journey, shining a light on facets of a society that are normally left in darkness.

Lonely Planet Middle East

Anthony Ham

Amazon Price: $19.13 List Price: $28.99 Not yet published By: Lonely Planet Publications

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Looking for the real story behind the headlines? Look here. Look to the region where ancient civilisations rose and fell, where deserts, seas and ancient ruins compete for spectacle, and from where all travellers return raving about the extraordinary kindness of strangers. Lonely Planet tells it like it is in this most rewarding of travel destinations.

Old Favorites Rediscovered – extensive back-ground information on Petra, the Pyramids and Palmyra

New Favorites Uncovered – from Tel Aviv’s clubs and wi-fi centres to Beirut’s nightlife and Istanbul’s hippest restaurants: opinionated reviews of all listings

Off The Beaten Track – travel safely where other guidebooks fear to tread, through eastern Turkey, Iran, the Palestinian Territories and Libya

The Best Maps of any guide to the Middle East, all 114 of them

Exhaustive Practical Information – tips on border crossings, Internet access, digital photography, avoiding an Israeli passport stamp, and much more

Middle East (Multi Country Guide)

Anthony Ham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Looking for the real story behind the headlines? Look here. Look to the region where ancient civilisations rose and fell, where deserts, seas and ancient ruins compete for spectacle, and from where all travellers return raving about the extraordinary kindness of strangers. Lonely Planet tells it like it is in this most rewarding of travel destinations.

Old Favorites Rediscovered – extensive back-ground information on Petra, the Pyramids and Palmyra

New Favorites Uncovered – from Tel Aviv’s clubs and wi-fi centres to Beirut’s nightlife and Istanbul’s hippest restaurants: opinionated reviews of all listings

Off The Beaten Track – travel safely where other guidebooks fear to tread, through eastern Turkey, Iran, the Palestinian Territories and Libya

The Best Maps of any guide to the Middle East, all 114 of them

Exhaustive Practical Information – tips on border crossings, Internet access, digital photography, avoiding an Israeli passport stamp, and much more

Laos (Country Guide)

Andrew Burke

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Lonely Planet Laos 6 -- worth every kip 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

What a difference a new edition makes. Lonely Planet's brand new guidebook, Laos 6th edition, released August 2007, is easily the best on the market. The traveller looking for comprehensive coverage in a guidebook need look no further. An extra 60 pages long, this title packs an impressive punch, with a good balance of exhaustive coverage of the key destinations along with sound information on the lesser known spots.

Quite simply, Australian co-authors Andrew Burke and Justine Vaisutis have put together what is the best English-language offline resource for travel in Laos. From a tourism perspective, Laos is a rapidly developing nation, especially in the major tourist centres where new accommodation options multiply at a seemingly ever-increasing rate, yet they've done a fine job of boiling down a snapshot of the country into a guide that will be more than enough for the most demanding traveller.

Matters get off to a good start -- a good, easy-to-read colour map (even if some of the roads look a tad sketchy), suggested itineraries and a completely rewritten history section by Professor Martin Stuart-Fox, author of A History of Laos (1997). This is followed by a pretty stock-standard introductory section -- the people, government and culture are all covered, though the government -- arguably the most repressive and certainly the most secretive in Southeast Asia after Burma -- gets off the hook pretty lightly.

What does stand out in the introduction is the generous space given to Laos and its natural environment -- particularly its budding eco-tourism industry. As Burke says in an upcoming interview with Travelfish.org, "If there's anywhere in Asia where eco-tourism can be a success, then it's Laos". There's an outstanding summary of all the main trekking opportunities in the country's NPAs -- this alone makes the book worth buying (or at least a quick use of the library photocopier).

At the other end of the book, the "Directory" section, covering everything from getting a flight to what you should have in a medical kit is informative and rather well organised. As with other Lonely Planet titles, I think it's a bit too lengthy and hand-holding in nature.

Listings
The guidebook's listings are comprehensive, not exhaustive -- if you expect every place on Don Dhet to be listed, prepare to be disappointed. Perhaps half the available options in Vang Vieng are listed, similarly so in Luang Prabang, but what are listed are the best, and these can be taken as representative of others in the offing. Burke and Vaisutis do a fine job of brushing away the slimy rambutans and spoiled sticky rice to leave you with a feast of the best options to choose from.

The accommodation listings are generally easy to digest, with one exception -- Luang Prabang. There, the listings have been divided up geographically into "Near the Mekong", "Historic Temple District", "Thanon Pha Mahapatsaman", "Ban Wat That" and "Elsewhere". This is confusing in a number of ways -- "Near the Mekong" and "Historic Temple District" could easily be taken to be the same area -- neither is marked on any of the maps of Luang Prabang -- nor is "Ban Wat That". "Thanon Pha Mahapatsaman" is a short strip of around 200m of road that carries just three accommodation listings, and "Elsewhere" is just vague and meaningless. All this for just 37 listings -- Luang Prabang isn't that big a place!

Where this guide does come into its own is regarding things to do -- and this is particularly the case with the Southern Laos section. While it tends to be motorcycle-focused, there are lots of good tips and suggested day-trips to week-long adventures you can undertake. Less of this type of material is suggested in the north, where the focus is more orientated towards trekking and the tried and tested destinations, but you'll find ample material within the book to point in the right direction.

Transport
One of the big issues people face in Laos is the time it takes to get from A to B. Over time the road network has improved considerably but it still takes a while to get around, so it's refreshing to see that most of the bus and songthaew travel information includes an estimated trip time.

Border information is outstanding. Every main international border has a boxed section containing detailed information on how to get to and from the various border crossings and what's particularly good is there's information on onwards travel as well.

Text and design
As always, the densely-packed text has been put through the Lonely Planet humour wringer, so don't expect too many Laugh Out Loud moments, but the facts are all there and that's what really matters. As with all the new Lonely Planet titles, there's more fact boxes scattered throughout the book than I'd like, but at least in this case they're mostly interesting or of some practical use.

Maps
With 61 maps you'll struggle to find yourself needing many more. Some -- the Wat Phu locale (p 267), Wat Xieng Thong (p 142) and Around Vang Vieng (p 124) -- seemed superfluous, but all the key spots are mapped out well.

I had two issues with the regional maps: they're difficult to read, and make frequent use of the "unsealed road" indicator. Some of these roads are really little more than foot-trails. Perhaps they need an extra map indicator for goat-tracks.

Photos
The guide contains a pretty good collection of pics. There's one of kids fooling around in the Nam Song at Vang Vieng (p 11) which really caught my eye, but it's a shame that given the weight the NPAs get in the text, there's only one photo taken in one -- and that of an easily visited waterfall. Having photos taken of the more remote (and beautiful) parks would have been a great means to showcase some of Laos' more challenging destinations. People aren't going to go if they don't know about it!

Conclusion
My gripes are minor and mainly focussed on the layout and in some cases organisation of the title. These are factors that will be minor inconveniences once you're on the road. Lonely Planet's Laos 6 really delivers the goods -- it isn't exhaustive (that's why it's called a guide), but it's succinct, accurate and very easy to use. Be you a first time visitor to Laos or a repeat visitor looking to get off the beaten track, you'll do well with this title in your backpack.

The friendly people at Lonely Planet sent me a complimentary copy of Laos 6, so even though I didn't pay any money for it, we'd suggest you do -- it's worth every kip.

Editorial Review:

Discover Laos

Weave your own path through the temple-lined streets of World Heritage-listed Luang Prabang, p. 134
Find out why Katang villagers sleep with their heads pointed towards an outside wall, p249
Explore the ancient Khmer's 'imitation of heaven' at mystical Wat Phu Champasak, p265
Join locals for a riverside Beerlao as the sun sets over the Mekong in Vientiane, p110

In This Guide:

Three authors, 1472 hours of on-the-road research, 61 maps
Our guide is dedicated to providing travelers with environmentally and culturally aware travel advice
Visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler insights

Fodor's Israel, 6th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides)

Fodor's

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Adequate but could be better 3 out of 5 stars.
14 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I was grateful that Fodor's was the first of the major guides to release an update on Israel after the tourist drought of the early 2000s. The book has strong points and weak points. The description of sites, the history, and the information given on each attraction is very solid. But when it comes to choosing hotels and restaurants, information that I count on a good guidebook to provide, Fodor's Israel fails badly. Even in major cities, only a small number of options are offered, and I was stunned to see major, important options omitted altogether. All in all, this guidebook would not be very helpful if I did not already know Israel. And of course, it is written for people who are not knowledgeable.

Those folks could do far better with the updated Frommer's Israel that came out a few months later. This book isn't bad -- just not good enough.

Editorial Review:

The only up-to-date guide to the region available!

Fodor’s Israel, 6th Edition, completely rewritten for today's travelers, is ideal for first–time and return visitors who want to experience the country's awe-inspiring historical and religious sites and its vibrant modern culture.

• Eight pages of brilliant color photographs
• Accessible coverage of top destinations: Jerusalem and the Old City, the Dead Sea, Masada, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, Zfat, and the Negev desert
• Brand-new information on spa culture, the B&B scene, resorts, wineries, gallery experience, folk art shops, and transportation changes
• Full coverage of outdoor activities from the beaches of Eilat to hiking in the Golan
• Plus travel safety information and security expectations

Frommer's Turkey (Frommer's Complete)

Lynn A. Levine

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

America’s #1 bestselling travel series

Written by more than 175 outspoken travelers around the globe, Frommer’s Complete Guides help travelers experience places the way locals do.

• More annually updated guides than any other series
• 16-page color section and foldout map in all annual guides
• Outspoken opinions, exact prices, and suggested itineraries
• Dozens of detailed maps in an easy-to-read, two-color design

Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism predicts that tourism in 2007 will grow 8% over the prior year. Turkey will have a projected 20 million foreign visitors in 2007.

Frommer's Turkey, 5th Edition explores the highlights of a country that is an amazing and diverse treasure trove of architectural styles and ancient ruins. You'll learn how to navigate the chaotic bustle of Istanbul, buy a rug and get the best deal, find the best undiscovered ruins, and learn the ins and outs of getting a Turkish bath. Readers also get language and etiquette tips, exact prices and directions, logistical advice, detailed two-color maps, and much more.

Frommer's China (Frommer's Complete)

Simon Foster, Jen Lin-Liu, Sharon Owyang, Sherisse Pham, Beth Reiber, Lee Wing-sze, Christoper Winnan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Over 800 pages, but still too thin! 2 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Frommer's "China Complete" tries hard to include a lot of information, but there's just not enough room in "only" 800 pages to pack it all in. Let's face it, China is too big a country to be covered adequately by an all-in-one guidebook. I'd definitely go for more specialized, regional and city, guidebooks whenever you can find them.

For something more inclusive, though, I can suggest two possibilities, especially for first-timers: (1) "Frommer's China: The 50 Most Memorable Trips" and (2) "The Eyewitness Travel Guide to China." The Eyewitness Guide is very attractive and informative visually, while "50 Trips" has excellent descriptive text and not a single photograph! You could decide which one to buy, depending on your own preferred orientation (visual or text). Both do a fine job of describing China's many cultural sights: temples, palaces, gardens, and more. They are cultural guides, rather than "Frommer's Complete" all-things-to-all-people approach, but I prefer them for that very reason. In trying to do too much, "Frommer's Complete" doesn't really fit the bill.

Editorial Review:

Frommer's. The best trips start here.

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.

• Insider tips on China's top attractions, plus extensive coverage of unique and off-the-tourist-track regions and villages.

• Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.

• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.

• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

Find great deals and book your trip at Frommers.com

Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (Seal Women's Travel)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

As the Western world struggles to comprehend the paradoxes of modern Turkey, a country both European and Asian, forward-looking yet rooted in ancient empire, Tales from the Expat Harem reveals its most personal nuances. This anthology provides a window into the country from the perspective of 30 expatriates from six different nations, who established lives in Turkey for work, love, or adventure. Through narrative essays covering the last four decades, these diverse women unveil the mystique of the "Orient," describe religious conflict, embrace cultural discovery, and maneuver familial traditions, customs, and responsibilities. Poignant, humorous, and transcendent, the essays take readers to weddings and workplaces, down cobbled Byzantine streets, into boisterous bazaars along the Silk Road, and deep into the feminine stronghold of Ottoman bathhouses.

Coining the "expat harem" as a distinct community, the editors boldly reclaim the concept of an Eastern harem, long the subject of erroneous Western stereotype. "Much like the imported brides of 15th-century sultans, our expat harem is conjured by the shared circumstance of being foreign-born and female in a land laced with a harem tradition," Ashman and Gökmen declare. "Our writers are inextricably wedded to Turkish culture, embedded in it, yet alien nonetheless."

Stranger in the Forest: On Foot Across Borneo

Eric Hansen

List Price: $5.98 By: Houghton Mifflin (T) Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $1.31

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Little More Than Sensationalist Fiction 1 out of 5 stars.
14 of 33 people found this review helpful.

I read this book when I was actually in Borneo where I spent over a year, visiting many of the places described in the book.
I found it plainly ridiculous!
The real Borneo is nothing like the mystical "deepest-darkest" fantasy-world described in this story, nor was it even when those travels were supposedly taking place...
It is amazing that this book got such good marks from other readers and probably the best example of how many high tales a writer can get away with about far-away places where most readers haven't been. :-)
A more realistic description of the same places on a similar trip could be read in A Stroll Through Borneo by James Barclay.

Editorial Review:

Eric Hansen was the first westerner ever to walk across the island of Borneo. Completely cut off from the outside world for seven months, he traveled nearly 1,500 miles with small bands of nomadic hunters known as Penan. Beneath the rain forest canopy, they trekked through a hauntingly beautiful jungle where snakes and frogs fly, pigs climb trees, giant carnivorous plants eat mice, and mushrooms glow at night.

At once a modern classic of travel literature and a gripping adventure story, Stranger in the Forest provides a rare and intimate look at the vanishing way of life of one of the last surviving groups of rain forest dwellers. Hansen's absorbing, and often chilling, account of his exploits is tempered with the humor and humanity that prompted the Penan to take him into their world and to share their secrets.