Caribbean Books - Page 5

Fodor's In Focus Aruba, 1st Edition (Pocket Guides)

Fodor's

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Editorial Review:

Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.

Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Aruba!

•Fodor’s In Focus Aruba features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.

•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Aruba.

Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.

Frommer's Bahamas 2008 (Frommer's Complete)

Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

very handy 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I just returned from a trip to New Providence island (Nassau). The reviews were honest and reliable. We found a great restaurant from the book (it is called Sun and...)The book helps the traveller find the real Bahamas, as opposed to the Bahamas represented by the Atlantis resort which I call Disney Bahamas. One thing that was lacking was information regarding customs. We wanted to take liquor back to the states and the book referred us to some pamphlet online. We were in the Bahamas and had no access to the internet. Be advised: it is now a hassle to take back liquor. You have to pass it through security, then send it to the plane. You are allowed 2 liters per person. If the liquor is Bahamian (like the excellent rum), you can take more. If you like clever and funny guidebooks, this is not it. But it did the trick and it has encouraged me to return to other Bahamian islands and explore.

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 where to find your perfect Bahamian vacation, whether you seek an active getaway or a tranquil island escape.
• 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.

Frommer's Jamaica (Frommer's Complete)

Danforth Prince

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.0 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

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go--they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and sightseeing. You'd be lost without us!

Frommer's Jamaica is the premier guide to the island, with complete coverage of Montego Bay and the Northern Coast; Negril; Mandeville and the South Coast; Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay; Port Antonio; Kingston; and more. You'll get candid reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, as well as the author's picks for the best travel experiences, including: relaxing at Doctor's Cave Beach; surfing Boston Bay Beach; golfing at White Witch of Rose Hall Golf Course; enjoying a romantic picnic at YS Falls; downing a daiquiri at Time 'n' Place in Falmouth; and more.

Political Pilgrims: Travels of Western Intellectuals to the Soviet Union, China and Cuba

Paul Hollander

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Why have noted Western intellectuals-from George Bernard Shaw to Jean-Paul Sartre to Susan Sontag-embraced the vision of various "revolutionary" societies, often in their most repressive historical phase, while downgrading (and yet enjoying) the benefits of Western liberal pluralistic political cultures? How have the delusions and dreams of many Western observers of the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and other socialist states contributed to a moral and political double standard? Paul Hollander explores these crucial questions in a remarkable study of travel reports on socialist countries written by Western visitors. Observing that political pilgrims represent a tradition of seeking alternatives to flawed social arrangements at home, Hollander also suggests that underlying these visits is a quest for meaning, purpose, and sense of community that intellectuals feel increasingly deprived of in secular and individualistic societies in the West. "Political Pilgrims," listed among "The Notable Books of the Year" in the "New York Times Book Review," is a provocative study of the relationship between political commitment, perception, and moral sensibility. Originally published by Oxford University Press in 1981.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

OK, But Paul Humann's Book is Much Better 2 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

A few years ago, I bought the Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes and found when I tried to use it in the Florida Keys that there were many fish I couldn't identify. People recommended I buy Paul Humann's book, "Reef Fish Identification." The book is more expensive, but I found it to be far more comprehensive and user friendly. For example, many fish look entirely different when in their "juvenile," "initial" or "terminal" phase, and the "Reef Fish Identification" book has clear photos of each of the three stages shown beside each other, and frequently includes photos of alternate color phases as well. The Audubon book usually just shows a picture of the fish in just one phase, and often not a terribly good photo at that. Next to each photo in the Humann book is an excellent line drawing of the fish, highlighting and labeling which features of a fish are most dependable for identification. The Audubon book includes no such diagrams to aid identification. Finally, the Humann book is based upon both an extensive bibliography and collaboration with field biologists, and if the detailed descriptions in his book of definitive features for discriminating species of fish are correct (and experienced scuba divers tell me they are correct) then some of the pictures in the Audubon guide are actually even misidentified as to species. For example, the Audubon picture labeled as a "Leopard Goby" is almost certainly a picture of an "Orange-sided Goby" (if the Humann book is correct about dark lines outlining the orange rectangles being a reliable discriminating feature). If there were no other reef fish identification book available, I would have given the Audubon book more stars, I am usually a great fan of the Audubon Field Guide series, but in comparison with the Humann book it just doesn't rate very well. I should add that I have never met, nor have any private or professional association with, the author of either of these books, so my opinion is not biased by any such affiliation.
Finally, I should add that I am pleased nevertheless to own both of these books because, for many species of fish, fish of the same species can be found in a wide variety of colors and patterns, so you can never study too many photos to get a handle on the range of appearances possible for any given species. Buy the Humann book if you can just afford one book, but owning both books is even better!

Editorial Review:

The most comprehensive field guide available to the tropical fishes of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. All 417 photographs are in full color, capturing the natural beauty of the fishes on coral reefs and other habitats of tropical marine waters. The species photographs are keyed to full text descriptions of more than 400 species, each with its own range map. The text also includes brief coverage of nearly 800 additional species. Detailed endpaper maps, precise black-and-white drawings, and an illustrated family key supplement this authoritative and visually stunning resource.

The National Audubon Society Field Guides group species according to taxonomy and shape. Helpful thumb-tab silhouette keys make identification quick and easy.

Robert Polidori: Havana

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Robert Polidori, often considered an architectural photographer, is in fact a photographer of habitat. On the surface his subjects are buildings, but at the core his lens is focused on the remnants and traces of living he finds scattered in hallways, left in back rooms and worn on facades. His spectacular color photographs are presented here in an appropriately oversized volume that capture both their monumentality and their attention to detail. Havana is a particularly rich setting for Polidori's inquiries. The curves and columns that line the streets refer to past eras and speak of the political, social, and economic forces that have driven the city to its present condition. Through his rigorous and sensitive examination - facilitated by a sense of color and composition that makes his photographs feel like vivid memories - Polidori delicately peels away the patina of daily living and reveals the juxtapositions that create a city's identity. His photographs define the idea of faded grandeur. In this city the peddler lives where the countess once resided; children dance and tumble where merchants conducted their business. Each photograph is a discovery and a fragment of the city's biography.

The Rough Guide to The Bahamas 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

Rough Guides

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

My Favorite Bahama Guide 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is my favorite bahama guide for several reasons. First, it has a tremendous amount of information. Best ways to get to different islands, what you can do while you are there, etc. Second, it tells you where to stay and eat for less. Third, it has more detailed information on the lesser known islands in the bahamas.

I like to do a lot of research on where I'm travelling too and this book did not disappoint. Some of the other guides use similar information, but this one seems to be unique.

Editorial Review:

The Rough Guide to The Bahamas is your definitive handbook to these beautiful islands. From the finest scuba and snorkelling spots on Paradise Island to the bustling cities of Nassau and Freeport, the full-colour section introduces all of the region’s highlights. For every town and village, there are comprehensive and opinionated listings of all the best resorts, hotels, bars and restaurants, to suit all tastes and budgets, plus a new Author’s Pick’ feature to highlight the very best options. There is plenty of practical advice for a host of outdoor activities from hiking and fishing to surfing and kayaking. The guide also includes lively accounts of Bahamian history, culture and wildlife and comes complete with maps covering the entire region.

The Rough Guide to The Bahamas is like having a local friend plan your trip!

The Rough Guide to the Caribbean 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

Rough Guides

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Editorial Review:

From diving in the Virgin Islands to Trinidad’s Carnival celebrations, The Rough Guide to the Caribbean explores all the best to see and do in this exotic region. Discover lively capital cities, colonial towns and remote, unspoiled beaches with the essential travellers’ companion. Featuring detailed historical and practical information on the entire region, the guide also has a full-colour introduction with stunning photography, plus over 100 detailed maps covering over 50 islands! There are hundreds of accommodation and restaurant reviews, as well as practical information for countless adventures sports, from scuba-diving off the Cayman Islands to hiking in Trinidad. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico Off the Beaten Path, 5th (Off the Beaten Path Series)

Ron Bernthal

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Nice book for visting Puerto Rico 4 out of 5 stars.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book right before a trip to Puerto Rico. Although I wished I'd had more time to read it thoroughly before I left, I took it with us and we referred to it from time to time throughout our vacation. I believe if I had had enough time to read it cover to cover before leaving I would have been able to mark the pages of the things we wanted to do while there.

Some of the information concerning El Yunque was incorrect when we visited, but it wasn't too much a problem. First, when we visited the Caribbean National Forest, our cost was $3.00 per adult and children under 16 were free. This was cheaper than the book said, but it also has a disclaimer that all price information was accurate at the time of printing so that was just a pleassant surprise. The other thing was that the road (PR 191) to the El Yunque lookout was closed, and appeared to have been for some time.

Thanks to the book, we discovered a new Puerto Rican rum and we were able to do a free rum tasting while we were there. Helpful tip, make sure you don't go when the cruise ships are in. When we went the piers were empty and we had the place to ourselves.

The maps in the book are helpful in a pinch, but I would highly recommend purchasing a road map from Walgreens and using it instead, as the maps in this book are not very detailed.

his book contains helpful little lists of hotels, retsaurants and night clubs, and we did refer to those lists a time or two when trying to decide where to eat for the evening.

All in all, I would recommend this book to someone who is going to visit Puerto Rico, and I would also add that you should try to find time to read it thoroughly before you go.

Editorial Review:

From its tranquil beaches to metropolitan San Juan's lively waterfront strip, this guide to Puerto Rico points the way to the island's best treasures: flavorful fusions of ethnic cuisines, nightclubs featuring salsa dancing and Cuban jazz, park reserves teeming with wildlife, and colorful souvenirs from unique plazas and shops.  

Frommer's Portable Cayman Islands (Frommer's Portable)

Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Guide to the Cayman's 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This little guide book is a good item to have if you have never traveled to the Cayman Islands before. It is a bit outdated but still a good back up. Don't atke all the recommendations to heart. They tell you to skip "Hell" the end of the island but I think the short trip is worth it, but the airport stores accually have better T shirts than can be had on site.
Beware: The Caymans are VERY expensive to visit and with the US dollar only being worth .75 to each Cayman dollar, your money does not go far. Be prepared to spend over $1000 to eat for a week, for 2 people and you won't be eating very big!

Editorial Review:

Frommer's Portable Guides are for the short-term traveler who insists on value and doesn't want to pack a full-size guidebook. The Portables have the same commitment to accuracy and detail as the Frommer's Complete Guides, with the same broad demographic appeal, from budget to deluxe. Frommer's Portable Cayman Islands includes complete information for all three of the Cayman Islands— Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman— in one easy-to-carry guide. We currently publish a complete guide to Frommer's Caribbean that includes coverage of the Caymans. This portable guide is geared toward travelers visiting only islands in the Caymans and will feature more detailed information on the islands than is found in Frommer's Caribbean.