Reference Books - Page 13

A Traveler's Guide to the Galapagos Islands (Non-Series Guidebooks) 4th Edition (Galapagos Traveler's Guide)

Barry Boyce

List Price: $18.99 By: Hunter Amazon Marketplace: 10 new & used starting at $12.18

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Don't waste your money on this one. 1 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This "guide" to the Galapagos contains long, boring chapters on tour companies, logistics (including insightful advice such as "bring lots of film" and "don't drink the water"), how to take photographs, and mainland Ecuador. There is a short chapter on Galapagos wildlife. Mr. Boyce owns Galapagos Travel, a tour company specializing in trips to the Galapagos. It is obvious that Mr. Boyce wrote this book for two reasons: (1) to establish himself as an "authority" on the Galapagos, and (2) to sell a copy to everyone who gets on one of his boats. Don't waste your money on this one. (I can't recommend his tour company, either.) If you are in the market for a good guide to the Galapagos, I highly recommend Michael Jackson's authoritative Galapagos: A Natural History Guide.

Editorial Review:

The essentials of a "how-to" travel adventure to the Land of Darwin are available in this comprehensive guide. From the basics of what airline to choose to a detailed analysis of the Tour Operator network, the author describes the rules and tells the reader how to play the Galapagos adventure travel game. History, wildlife, and details on what to pack are also includEd

Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures (How to)

Richard I'Anson

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lonely Planet Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $10.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Advice is simplistic and there are superior resources, perhaps a decent single book for the reader on the road 2 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Richard I'Anson has been a professional travel photograph for two decades now and has become a familiar face in the Lonely Planet series through his collaborations with Tony Wheeler, Lonely Planet: Chasing Rickshaws and Rice Trails: A Journey Through The Ricelands Of Asia & Australia (Lonely Planet Pictorials). His book LONELY PLANET TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY first appeared at the turn of the millennium, and this second edition followed in 2004.

I'Anson's book covers all the basics of photography, such as choice of lenses and film, setting of such variables as shutter speed and aperature, and when to use a tripod and when not. The book's points are illustrated with dozens of I'Anson's own photographs, mainly from the Indian subcontinent, and the instruction is coloured by his own tastes, such as using natural light as often as possible and avoiding flash. The book succeeds as a general introduction to photography, and I think that my photos are at least slightly better now than before I purchased the book.

However, I'Anson's advice is extremely simplistic, as other reviewers have pointed out. There's little here that's specifically about travel photography, and so any other introduction to photography would cover the same group, perhaps even more economically. In fact, on one of the last pages I'Anson gives a list of URLs to websites with publicly available guidance, which turn out to be even more in-depth than LONELY PLANET TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY.

The book's production is also unideal. It's annoyingly typeset completely in sans serif. That makes it hard on the eyes, and only in a roundabout way did I discover that the author's surname is I'Anson (with i) instead of l'Anson as one might assume. The book is also printed entirely on plates, which is a necessary evil of a book aiming to display full-quality photographs, but which means that the book will add significant weight to your pack.

Advance hype was that the second edition of the book would include the world of digital photography. Unfortunately, digital very much seems an afterthought here. The advice is meagre, simplistic ("make sure you insert your digital camera card properly"), and generally in those spheres of digital that would go out of date most quickly and did. The manual that came with your digital camera probably gives better advice on taking good photos that I'Anson does, especially when so much of the text is taken verbatim from camera manufacturers.

All in all, I would recommend LONELY PLANET TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY only for those travelers who are going to spend a long time on the road and unconnected, who need all the info packed into one single volume. However, you're going to get through the material very quickly, and wonder why you got such a pricey and heavy book for so very little benefit.

Editorial Review:

In this second edition of best-selling Travel Photography internationally renowned travel photographer Richard I'Anson will help you capture the pictures you've always wanted.

New features:
• New comprehensive section on digital photography
• Updated, user-friendly design
• More pages and more pictures
• New images with extended captions
• Updated foreword by Tony Wheeler

Updated Information:
• Techniques to help you make the most of your skills
• Advice on avoiding common photographic mistakes, plus a guide to photo etiquette
• A guide to buying photographic equipment
• Tips on protecting and caring for your camera gear while on the road
• The low-down on assessing, displaying and earning extra money with your photographs
• Now includes advice on digital photography throughout

Teaching English Abroad, 8th

Susan Griffith

List Price: $21.95 By: Vacation Work Publications Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $17.11

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Fully revised eighth edition of the definitive and acclaimed guide to short and long-term opportunities around the world for both trained and untrained teachers in the booming field of teaching English as a foreign language. Opportunities exist from Bordeaux to Bogota, Paris to Patras and the Mediterranean to the South China Seas as the worldwide desire to learn English is fuelled by the gradual adoption of English as the language of the internet.
Teaching English Abroad covers all the essentials for anyone considering working as an English teacher overseas, including:

*Deciding to go and preparation.*Training as an EFL teacher with details of 380 TELF courses in the USA and around the world.*The different ways of finding a job.*A specific guide to the opportunities in 88 countries.
Invaluable background information in the book includes a section on training as an EFL teacher on courses that last for periods from a weekend to two years; it also advises on the preparations to make before leaving to take up a job and on how to cope with any problems that may arise once actually working.
Essential information provided by Teaching English Abroad on finding a job includes:

*A directory giving the teacher requirements of more than 700 language schools worldwide.*Over 1,000 additional language school addresses to contact for jobs.*Recruitment organizations and useful websites.*How to set yourself up as a freelance teacher. *Finding jobs on the spot once abroad.
In addition the country guide in Teaching English Abroad covers 88 countries around the world where EFL is a major industry, giving information on the local prospects in each country for qualified and unqualified teachers, the red tape involved in taking up work, conditions of employment etc.

Italy, Instructions for Use: The Practical, On-Site Assistant for the Enthusiastic (Even Experienced) Traveler

Nan McElroy

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Illustrata Press Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $7.15

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ranked first in About.com Italy's Top Ten Travel Guides, the highly portable Italy: Instructions for Use is the only handbook concentrates solely on the practical aspects of Italian travel. With revisions for 2007 that include a larger typeface, it keeps all the insider info that other guides have neither the space nor expertise to provide at your fingertips...without weighing you down.

Written by an American who lives in Venice, organizes traveler's time there, and is fluent in the language, Italy: Instructions for Use foregoes dense destination descriptions. A concise, in-depth, palm-sized compendium containing all the information that's impossible to memorize as you prepare, (and that would make no sense without an Italian frame of reference) it instead provides expert answers to the questions that occur as you travel, at the moment you need them.

An elegant, color-illustrated guide designed for easy reference, it's packed with the most current, pertinent advice available. Updates include revised information on trains, cell phoning, and more. No matter what your destination, you'll find info on:

. Eating, drinking, ordering, tipping
. Driving, including color road sign illustrations)
. Phoning (local, international and cell calls) and getting online
. the Italian train system
. Shopping, shipping, VAT refunds
. Vocabulary in context, Italian to English, and vice-versa
. Tourist information
. Keys to language pronunciation
. Extensive appendix and index

Attractive as it is useful, Italy: Instructions for Use is indispensable, ideal companion to any destination guide. Read the Instructions before you go (perhaps a page or two each night), scan it again on the plane, and then keep it in your handiest pocket to consult for every what-now travel situation.

And remember: when all else fails, read the Instructions!

The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel: The Art of Cultivating Preferred Customer Status (Travelers' Tales)

Joel L. Widzer

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Travelers' Tales Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $8.34

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

Common Sense in bloated form 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Instead of any "secrets" to luxury travel the author simply repeats the same common sense "if you just spend enormous amounts of money with travel providers and are nice to them, they'll be nice back" Well Duh. Of course they're nice to someone who's flown 3 Million miles with them. What about the rest of us? Further, the author shamelessly shills for all the major airlines and outright bashes Southwest and other discounters. His plugs for Delta should win him free tickets for life.
Save your money. This is a page of common sense jammed into 300 page plus tome that's not worth your time.

Editorial Review:

This new edition of The Penny Pincher’s Passport to Luxury Travel provides readers with the secrets and wisdom necessary to travel first class on a tight budget. Engaging and entertaining true-life travel anecdotes demonstrate how the luxury travel experience is not impossible for most travelers, while, in down-to-earth, accessible language, the author tells travelers exactly what to do and not to do to travel in style. "Quick Tips" reinforce the most important information in each chapter, and "Key Points" provide a step-by-step summary at the each chapter's end. Over 30 pages of appendices provide listings of toll-free numbers, comparison charts of airline, hotel, and car rental frequent-user programs, as well as relevant Internet sites and software programs.

Culture Shock! Korea: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides)

Sonja Vegdahl, Ben Seunghwa Hur

List Price: $14.95 By: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $7.63

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An OK book, but a good travel guide is more useful 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This book was OK, but I wish that I had just spent my money on a good travel guide (Moon Handbook Guide to S. Korea by Robert Nilsen) because most of the information was superficial. Worth a look into if you are in a bookstore or library, but otherwise I would just save my money.

Shedding Light on the Korean Enigma 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I have a lot of Korean friends and I wanted to better understand them so my search for a more knowledge of their culture led me to this book. I was fascinated by it. However, since my copy of the book was last revised in 2000 I wondered if some of the material might be out of date. Some of it didn't seem to agree with the images shown in most Korean television soap operas and popular music shows I also watch. After finishing the book I decided to ask some of my Korean friends if the material I had questions about was indeed out of date. One such question was whether most of South Korea still has public restrooms shared by men and women at the same time. The book said women walk nonchalantly past the backs of men using the urinals on their way to use a stall with a door. Once inside a public restroom's bathroom stall there will often be no toilet, simply a hole in the tile floor over which to squat like I've often found in Paris and other regions of France.
I asked several of my Korean friends and was surprised to learn that the book is perfectly accurate on both those facts. Other of my doubts included the almost universal adherence to Korean shaman fortunetellers (Mudands) and their advice (kuts and kosas). And the fact that most dining is done in near silence with everyone paying close attention to just eating and not talking. That's still very much the case according to my friends from South Korea. Heavy drinking is also a universal fact among Korean men. It's part of all social and business dealings.
That said I found this book very, very helpful. It was more helpful than a couple of the travel guides I own that are more recent because it goes into depth about why things are done the way they are in modern Korea. People act differently and it often takes a lifetime to understand the proper ways Korea citizens treat each other and why. Business relationships are often permanent and based more on which grade school a person attended with his associates than skill at performing a certain job. Family, school and military connections are more important to business relationships than performance. Saving face is of major importance in Korea. Friendships are formal and a normal part of business and networking. Relationships between different social and business classes are very structured. One doesn't have to study much of the language to understand why the Korean word for "yes" sounds like "no" in most other languages and the method of saying "no" requires several phrases. Saying "no" in Korean is a major skill requiring much diplomacy and practice. We Americans would consider the way "no" is used in Korea as "beating around the bush" and avoiding answering the question.
For any Westerner who hopes to understand modern day Korea this book is a good primer. Just watching Korean television doesn't give a true picture of the nation. The Korean Soap Operas go out of their way to show the most modern, most perfect image of a booming Modern Korea. Korean television's popular music shows give no hint of the standard of living and are every bit as slick as the same kind of shows shown in the USA. The plots of the soap operas still reflect the history and cultural ways of Korea. Reading this book greatly increased my ability to understand much of what I watch on Korean television and why some of the plots and humor seem so convoluted.
Kipling said something to the effect that "East is east and west is West and Never Do The Two Meet." His advice is still right on the mark. You can take the Koreans out of Korea, but you can't take Korea out of the Koreans. Korea has a rich and fascinating history. It had invented and was using movable type to print more than two centuries before Guttenberg introduced his movable type printing press to the western world.

Editorial Review:

Whether you're conducting business, traveling for pleasure, or even relocating abroad, one mistake with customs or etiquette can leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. International travelers, now more than ever, are not just individuals from the United States, but ambassadors and impression makers for the country as a whole. Newly updated, redesigned, and resized for maximum shelf appeal for travelers of all ages, Culture Shock! country and city guides make up the most complete reference series for customs and etiquette you can find. These are not just travel guides; these are guides for a way of life.

Living, Studying, and Working in France: Everything You Need To Know To Fulfill Your Dreams of Living Abroad

Saskia Reilly, Lorin David Kalisky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Most Practical Book 5 out of 5 stars.
31 of 33 people found this review helpful.

I purchased a number of worthwhile books to help prepare to move a small Yuppie household across The Pond. In terms of practical matters, Living, Studying and Working (etc.) is clearly the best of all the titles I read. Other books placed so much emphasis on cultural expectations that they completely glossed over the hundreds of complications involved in such a complex transaction. It is this book that convinced my girlfriend (who is French, by the way, and learned quite a bit from this book) and I to postpone our target move date due to the difficulty of securing a work permit/residency, getting a bank account, etc. But it is also this book that shifted my attitude from "what am I getting myself into" to "ok, given preparation, this will work".

Editorial Review:

The essential book on how to make a life in France.

More than 90,000 Americans live abroad in France, making it home to one of the largest expatriate communities in the world. This is a savvy and insightful book full of hard-earned advice on how to make the most of your experience in France.

Following in the footsteps of the successful Living, Studying, and Working in Italy, this guide will help Americans grow into French culture and help them feel at home in a country famous for its cultural and social particularities. The authors, two Americans who have spent extensive time in France, provide detailed information ranging from health care procedures in France to how to put together a résumé (known as a CV in France). With material on networking, employment opportunities, choosing the right study program, and navigating the French Internet, this is the essential guide for anyone who wants to live, study, or work in France.

The Big Trip (General Reference)

George Dunford

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lonely Planet Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $12.87

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

Editorial Review:

The Big Trip

So, you know you want to experience that ultimate overseas adventure - but where do you start? Right here, with the one-stop guide to planning the trip of a lifetime. Try these ideas on for size:

Swim with dolphins off the coast of New Zealand
Learn Spanish in Guatemala
Hike your own pioneer route through Canada
Teach Children English in Ghana
Work your way around the UK's best bars
Tend orphan elephants in Sri Lanka
Get a soaking at Thailand's Songkran water festival
Be the first in your family to go around the world

The Big Trip is your ticket to all this and more!

Also Includes

Essential pre-trip planning: health, safety, kit, costs, tickets, etc
Volunteering and working abroad - from fruit-picking to teaching, yacht-crewing and au pairing
Regional overviews, maps and a diverse range of road tested itineraries
Tips and stories from travelers and experts
Comprehensive directory of essential resources

Fodor's How to Pack, 2nd edition (Special-Interest Titles)

Fodor's, Laurel Cardone

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Dear Sister, the book saved me lots of time and headache... 4 out of 5 stars.
45 of 45 people found this review helpful.

Dear Sandra,

Thanks for lending me Fodor's How to Pack book! Having never been abroad before, I had a lot to learn and didn't even know it. I'm going to have to get a copy of this book for myself, especially for the checklists of "Basic Wardrobe Options for Women," ditto for men, and what to put into a first aid kit, laundry kit, sewing kit, toiletries kit, etc. I read the sections on packing for cruises, mountain trips, hot and cold weather, and adventure trips even though I wasn't going to use them for this vacation, just because they were interesting and I kept picking up the stray tip. (Thank goodness I don't have to use their advice on traveling with children!)

The sections on what to wear on the plane, what to pack in one's carry-on (as well as reminders of what NOT to pack), food for the journey, and how to pack luggage that will be checked in were extremely useful. Who would have thought to pack clothes in those plastic bags from dry cleaners to keep items from wrinkling?? I'm trying it and will let you know how it works out. They also talk about the different philosophies of packing -- the "roll" style that is especially good for duffel bags, vs. the "interlock" style where you stack layers and then fold them all together to decrease wrinkling.

On the down side, the book seemed padded and too chatty, when, being the procrastinator that I am, I needed to get the information right away. But I was able to find it, and someone could just use the many helpful checklists and be way ahead of the game, as I was. And there were things I never thought about, such as compiling a "personal documents" file to put in my carry-on, with a copy of my passport and driver's license and a photo of my luggage in case it got lost.

Altogether I found this a must-read for either the procrastinator or the unseasoned traveler such as yours truly. Thanks for caring enough to send me this book!

Best wishes,
-H

Editorial Review:

Aiming to trade your jumbo suitcase for one that's merely medium-size? Trying to fit everything into a carry-on? Do you always pack too much, too little, or the wrong thing, and obsess about it? Fodor's How to Pack is a must-have to helps you get organized.Packed with info and advice on everything from foolproof pre-trip to-do lists; travel kits; how to arrive wrinkle-free; tips for packing tricky items; help for moms and dads; carry-on packing; all the secrets; how to pack for the way back; and what to take no matter where you're going. Plus how to avoid the overpacking trap; clothing checklists for men, women, and kids; packing checklists for every kind of trip; and how to buy luggage.

Behave Yourself!: The Essential Guide to International Etiquette

Michael Powell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Very interesting little book. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Has lots of true facts about a handfull of different countries.

not completley accurate 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I am Swedish and bought this book as a present for a friend.
The book is cute, but after I read a story about manhole covers in my country that I, nor any of my Swedish friends ever heard of, I'm getting suspicious that there may be stories in other countries that aren't true.

Interesting but sparse 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is an interesting book to read. It gives you insight into various cultures. But it's not a good investment if you're going to a single country listed in the book and want to use this as a serious aid. Each country is given 2-3 pages of information covering handshakes, what to wear, gifts, etc. It's good to know, but it's a fairly shallow treatment; I'd prefer many pages of regular print rather than the glossy presentation here. Still, it makes for a quick, fun read if you're into this sort of thing.

Handy little book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a handy little book, especially if you're going to several different countries. You can learn a little about each. Though I think it may need some updating... it talks about shillings in the Austria section, but I read on the internet that they went to the Euro in 2002. The 1st Edition I bought from the store doesn't have a publishing date on it, but the date for the 1st Edition according to Amazon is 2005. So you'd think that it would be updated. The Italy section talks about Euros...

Editorial Review:

Learn how to walk the walk and talk the talk with this easy-to-use guide for those traveling abroad.