Reference & Tips Books

Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar

Paul Theroux

Amazon Price: $18.48 List Price: $28.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $17.20

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Transportation -> Railroads -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Asia -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Essays & Travelogues

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Yet Another Winner... 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This thoughtful book reflects the next level in the literary evolution of the incomparable Paul Theroux --- he's more vunerable, more reflective, and more compassionate (and less the rogue and rascal) --- now that he is in his 67th year. For his many fans, this is a good thing, as we get to know him more deeply. The "ghost train" referred to in the book's title is actually Theroux's inner travels in both mind and spirit. While re-tracing, mostly in 2006, much of the route of his 1973 classic "The Great Railway Bazaar", he now focuses on the theme of "change": not only do the physical locations look different, but of course the author is different as well. Theroux is a "ghost" of his younger self, traveling like a ghost through the past of his memories, while feeling nearly invisible as he re-visits many of his old haunts (excuse the pun). However, this book has all the Theroux trademarks that the devoted reader loves and expects: exotic locales, humor, grittiness, the unexpected, the insights, the observations, the interesting local people and wacky fellow travelers. Theroux is a true master of detail and description. The sights-smells-sounds of extensive and exhaustive travel are all there, as if you were right beside him. But unlike his other non-fiction travel books, this one is specially tinged with some sadness and melancholy. Can/will he do another epic travel journey to share with us? I certainly hope so. Paul, please keep giving us your unique and valued "scribble, scribble..."

Editorial Review:

Amazon Best of the Month, August 2008: Way back in the dark pre-Internet, limited-air-travel world of 1975, the way to get from Europe to Asia was by train. A young and ambitious writer named Paul Theroux made his literary mark by taking the 28,000-mile intercontinental journey via rail from London to Tokyo and back home again. His book, The Great Railway Bazaar, became a travel-lit classic. Thirty years later, an older, wiser, and even less sanguine Theroux decided to retrace his steps. The result is Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, a fascinating account of the places you vaguely knew existed (Tbilisi), probably won't ever go to (Bangalore), but definitely should know something about (Mandalay). Get on board Theroux's fast-moving travelogue, which features some of the most astute commentary on our distorted notions of time, space, and each other in the age of jet speed, broadband connections, and cultural extinction. --Lauren Nemroff

The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2009 (Unofficial Guides)

Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $11.88

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Subjects -> Travel -> Specialty Travel -> Family Travel
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> South -> South Atlantic
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> States -> Florida -> Disney World

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

More than 4 million copies sold! This series is the only one that offers evaluations based on reader surveys and critiques, compiled by a team of unbiased inspectors.

• Hotels, attractions, and restaurants in all price categories

• Extensive information on shopping, nightlife, and sports

• Easy-to-use, two-color design

• Detailed, 2-color maps

From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World

"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
—Chicago Sun-Times

"Indispensable"
—The New York Times

Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide:

1. Exclusively patented, field-tested touring plans that save as much as four hours of standing in line in a single day

2. Tips, advice, and opinions from hundreds of Walt Disney World guests in their own words

3. Almost 250 hotels rated and ranked for quality and value, including the top non-Disney hotels for families

4. A complete Dining Guide with ratings and reviews of all Walt Disney World restaurants, plus extensive alternatives for dining deals outside the World

5. Every attraction rated and ranked for each age group; extensive, objective, head-to-head comparisons of the Disney and Universal theme parks

A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World

Tony Horwitz

Amazon Price: $18.15 List Price: $27.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Henry Holt and Co. Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $12.74

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Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> General
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> General
Subjects -> History -> World -> Expeditions & Discoveries

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The bestselling author of Blue Latitudes takes us on a thrilling and eye-opening voyage to pre-Mayflower America

On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he’s mislaid more than a century of American history, from Columbus’s sail in 1492 to Jamestown’s founding in 16-oh-something. Did nothing happen in between? Determined to find out, he embarks on a journey of rediscovery, following in the footsteps of the many Europeans who preceded the Pilgrims to America.

An irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure, A Voyage Long and Strange captures the wonder and drama of first contact. Vikings, conquistadors, French voyageurs—these and many others roamed an unknown continent in quest of grapes, gold, converts, even a cure for syphilis. Though most failed, their remarkable exploits left an enduring mark on the land and people encountered by late-arriving English settlers.

Tracing this legacy with his own epic trek—from Florida’s Fountain of Youth to Plymouth’s sacred Rock, from desert pueblos to subarctic sweat lodges—Tony Horwitz explores the revealing gap between what we enshrine and what we forget. Displaying his trademark talent for humor, narrative, and historical insight, A Voyage Long and Strange allows us to rediscover the New World for ourselves.

SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea

John Lofty Wiseman

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $10.99

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Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Reference
Subjects -> Reference -> General
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Survival Skills

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 107 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good Stuff! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I'm not an "outdoor guy" but I travel frequently in South Asia so I thought its a good idea to learn basic survival skills. So for my needs this book is over and beyond what I require. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read as well. I'm sure even pro's can learn a thing or two here. Well done Mr.Wiseman!

Not as Good as the Army Survival Manual 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Good title but that is about it for this book, compared to the U.S. Military.

a must have 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Every time I open this book, I'm amazed at how much information is packed in the 570 pages. Covers everything you need to know, plus some. A great buy, at a great price.

Editorial Review:

The SAS Survival Handbook is the Special Air Service's complete course in being prepared for any type of emergency. John 'Lofty' Wiseman presents real strategies for surviving in any type of situation, from accidents and escape procedures, including chemical and nuclear to successfully adapting to various climates (polar, tropical, desert), to identifying edible plants and creating fire. The book is extremely practical and is illustrated throughout with easy-to-understand line art and diagrams.

1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List

Patricia Schultz

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Workman Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 217 new & used starting at $1.97

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Subjects -> Reference -> Encyclopedias -> General
Subjects -> Reference -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Guidebooks

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 307 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Lots of Fun! 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.

The spirit of this book is well exemplified by a quotation from Mark Twain (Page xv): "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tide winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." So, the author advances a listing of places throughout the world worth discovering. This is a companion piece to another volume of hers, in which she explores 1,000 places to see within the United States.

The world is divided into eight regions, for the purposes of organizing discussion: Europe; Africa; the Middle East; Asia; Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands; the United States and Canada; Latin America; the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda.

In a brief review here, it would be impossible to illustrate each region in any depth. Maybe some samples from a few of the regions. Needless to say, any selection like this is apt to engender discussion--Why were some places left out? Why were others included? But that's part of the fun of a book like this!

Europe: Some of the usual suspects like Windsor Castle, Winchester Cathedral, London, the Salzburg Festival, Vienna, Paris, Versailles, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Sistine Chapel. But there are other treasures as well: Bellagio, Rhodes, Ile de Re, Kinsale, and Ludlow.

Africa: The Great Pyramids, Abu Simbel, Jack's Camp in the Kalahari Desert, the Cape Winelands, and so on.

United States and Canada: Kenai Peninsula, Monterey Peninsula, Telluride, South Beach, Art Institute of Chicago (one of my favorite art museums), Art Gallery of Ontario, Nimmo Bay Resort, Polar Bear Safari, and the like.

This is fun simply to browse. Choose a page at random and fantasize a trip there. . . . Again, lots of fun!

Editorial Review:

Around the World, continent by continent, here is the best the world has to offer: 1,000 places guaranteed to give travelers the shivers. Sacred ruins, grand hotels, wildlife preserves, hilltop villages, snack shacks, castles, festivals, reefs, restaurants, cathedrals, hidden islands, opera houses, museums, and more. Each entry tells exactly why it's essential to visit. Then come the nuts and bolts: addresses, websites, phone and fax numbers, best times to visit. Stop dreaming and get going.

Rick Steves' Italy 2008 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $4.30

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Guidebooks

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This will save you time and Money!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Dude, get the book. It saved us a ton of time in picking up our tix at the Palatine hills rather than at the Coliseum. It also got us to St. Peter's at 1pm with a 30 min wait, rather than do what everyone else does which is to arrive at 9am and have a 3 hour wait.

The tips alone is certainly worth worth every penny. Let's not forget the key things to see in his book and the slight bit of history on each place. However, I found the restaurants really difficult to find in Italy, but I had a tough time finding the Coliseum too:P

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best way to see Rome, Venice, Florence, the hill towns of central Italy, the Dolomites, and the Amalfi Coast? With Rick Steves’ Italy 2008, travelers can experience the best of everything Italy has to offer — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Steves' time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

Bill Bryson

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Anchor Amazon Marketplace: 69 new & used starting at $2.92

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Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Instructional
Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Essays & Travelogues

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 61 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Probably Bryson's Best Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book as a replacement for a lost borrowed book. I had started reading it in Phoenix when I lost it. But the few pages I read there prompted me to buy this book from Amazon when I returned home. (And yes, I did return the new book to the lender.)

Very interesting book - some off color language scattered throughout though. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Overall this was a very interesting book that I enjoyed reading. Off color language scattered throughout book though. Too bad that was not left out.

Editorial Review:

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).

Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $3.50

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Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> General
Subjects -> Reference -> Etiquette -> Conversation
Subjects -> Reference -> Foreign Languages -> Instruction -> Italian

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not a way to learn the language 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.

It seems that Americans buy books such as these in great numbers. They are generally a waste of time. If one observes how most foreigners speak English when they visit us, we might try to emulate them when we go abroad. Italian is not a particularly difficult language to learn; there are many cognates with English....and Spanish and French. You will enjoy foreign travel so much more if your vocabulary can be extended beyond "Where is the Post Office". In fact, with laptops and e-mail, no one really uses the post office very much these days. Get some tapes and listen to them on your commute; take an adult ed. course, but these phrase books, which looked cute 50 years ago when post-war Americans started discovering Europe should now be considered obsolete.

Editorial Review:

Buon giorno! From ordering calamari in Venice to making new friends in Tuscan hill towns, it helps to speak some of the native tongue. Rick Steves, bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and key words to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling; an English-Italian and Italian-English dictionary; the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Sistine Chapel. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler's zainetto.

Into the Wild

Jon Krakauer

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Anchor Amazon Marketplace: 329 new & used starting at $1.74

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Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Regional U.S. -> West
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Travel

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1197 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"God, he was a smart kid..." So why did Christopher McCandless trade a bright future--a college education, material comfort, uncommon ability and charm--for death by starvation in an abandoned bus in the woods of Alaska? This is the question that Jon Krakauer's book tries to answer. While it doesn't—cannot—answer the question with certainty, Into the Wild does shed considerable light along the way. Not only about McCandless's "Alaskan odyssey," but also the forces that drive people to drop out of society and test themselves in other ways. Krakauer quotes Wallace Stegner's writing on a young man who similarly disappeared in the Utah desert in the 1930s: "At 18, in a dream, he saw himself ... wandering through the romantic waste places of the world. No man with any of the juices of boyhood in him has forgotten those dreams." Into the Wild shows that McCandless, while extreme, was hardly unique; the author makes the hermit into one of us, something McCandless himself could never pull off. By book's end, McCandless isn't merely a newspaper clipping, but a sympathetic, oddly magnetic personality. Whether he was "a courageous idealist, or a reckless idiot," you won't soon forget Christopher McCandless.

1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die

Patricia Schultz

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Workman Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 94 new & used starting at $6.30

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Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Guidebooks
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Canada -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

No Rick Steves 1 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

1,000 places to go before I die? More like 1,000 spas and resorts and resturants. Big deal - the more money you spend, the bigger the wall you create between yourself and the local culture. Who wants to know about exotic resorts and five star restaurants? Don't tell me about the big ticket items! Tell me about quirky offbeat places with personality and charm, things I cant get anywhere else. Tell me about Hole in the Rock, UT. Tell me about The Last Stoplight on I-90. Tell me about a PLACE, not about how to spend money at generic locations.

Worthless.

Editorial Review:

It's a traveler's life list, a guide, an inspiration, a memory book. Open it to check out where you've been, and where you should go next. What to see and what to do and what to show the kids. Where to eat and where to stay. And how to change your life.

Covering the U.S.A. and Canada like never before, here are 1,000 spectacular, compelling, essential, offbeat, utterly unforgettable places. Pristine beaches and national parks, world-class museums and the Corn Palace, mountain resorts, salmon-rich rivers, scenic byways, Chez Panisse and the country's best taco, lush gardens and Holden Arboretum, mountain biking on the Maah Daah Hey trail, historic mansions, vineyards, hot springs, the Talladega Superspeedway, classic ballparks, and more. Includes more than 150 places of special interest to families, and, for every entry, the nuts and bolts of how and when to visit.