Directories Books

Rivages have become the best-selling guides of their kind in both Europe and America. Originating in Paris, they set the standard for excellence with their fabulous color photographs, superb maps and candid descriptions of the most remarkable hotels of Europe. Each book also contains a restaurant guide to the country and a color atlas pinpointing the location of every hotel and inn. More than 500 establishments are profiled in this guide.

I'm not usually a guidebook fan, preferring instead to do tons of my own research from a variety of sources. Sometimes my friends ask if I'll plan their vacations for them, because I come across some of the most unusual and memorable places to stay that they've never heard of. This book had such special, wonderful information (and photos!) of so many charming and unusual places in Italy; it truly was a gem of a book. I stayed at several of the places recommended, and they were even better in person than in the book.

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

I have used the book on three road-trips to Italy and it never failed to be very helpful. I have stayed in about ten of the hotels mentioned in it and they were, with the exception of one, very close to the description given in the book. I think it is the best travel-related guide I know.

I used this book in conjunction with information I discovered on websites, travel magazines and books. The places definately had character and charm. More upscale type places (probably not for the backpacking type)and extended lodging options available.
Places listed here were difficult to find in the typical Frommer and Fodor travel books. E-mail, website address, #'s all available in the book. Trusted my instincts and booked several places from this guide and all were EXCEPTIONAL. Would use again

I love this book
Especially love the way it lays open flat when
so many are so hard to work with as they keep closing
Love the tabs for sections & the way the Author uses
more than one card design in examples
Highly recommend this to anyone loving tarot and
wanting a very well put together book heaped with
information
A+++++

This is a great book. I use it all the time, and I'm a professional tarot reader. It has good insight into the cards and gives alternative card meanings. I like the layout of the book too. It's a must have for anyone trying to learn the tarot meanings.

I am very new to tarot and this book has taught me alot.

I often turn to this book when I can't make sense of a spread. It almost inevitably gives me a down-to-earth perspective. I also like that although it offers clarity, it does not give cut-and-dried silly predictions. I've found this sort of thing in other books -- most often in books that come with tarot card decks -- and they never fail to amuse.

The one complaint I do have is that there is apparently nothing offered about reversals. I tended to avoid them in my readings until I got a deck of round cards that would not allow me to do so. Since then, I've always been curious about reversals and have not been entirely satisfied with the wide variety of explanations I've found in books. Too bad this author doesn't offer opinions (if she did in the text prior to the card interpretations, I missed it).

Firstly, I love the spiral-binding of this book! It is so handy and practical as I can examine my deck of cards without having to hold down a page. The book is also well-organised, and is divided into several sections:
How to use the book
Different decks, different influences
Tarot basics - history,symbolism, learning to trust the tarot, delving beneath the surface, illuminating our inner selves, more decks, more influences
The Major Arcana
The Minor Arcana - cups, wands, pentacles, swords
Preparing for a reading - choosing a pack, setting the scene, synchronicity & practice, reading for a friend
Case Histories - the Celtic Cross, the Three-Card Spread, the Horoscope Spread, the Triangle, the Star Spread, the Consequences Spread, the Five-Card Horseshoe Spread, Creating your own spread

And at the end there are lists of useful websites & books, and an index.

There are full-color illustrations of the different decks which is not just a visual treat but practical in enhancing one's interpretation.The different colored tabs for each section makes it easy to find the headings.

Overall, a great value for those interested in Tarot, and an invaluable asset for beginners.

I can only take one little challenge at a time. So far Sandy Berger's book has helped me with e-mail and finding and organizing things. Those two chapters are my favorite chapters. The reward for working hard to understand attachments with Sandy's help is being able to receive pictures of all four grandkids that are scattered around the country. This book opened that door for me. I look forward to tackling other chapters and learning other skills.

I did not have any computer experience. I was not fortunate to be exposed to computers during my schooling. I felt like I could learn to use the computer and found this book to be the perfect tool to help me.

I read the paragraph by Horrace Deets, AARP's top guy, and agree that Sandy Berger can help you get the most out of your computer experience. I feel like I am making up for no computer experience and will have plenty of computer fun in the future.

I found out you don't have to be described as a "Grown-up" to enjoy this book. My parents are enjoying it but they are o.k. with the description "grown-up"; I don't think it fits me. Still I found the information in Sandy Berger's Your Official Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet right on the mark for what I needed to know about computers. And I am only 27. So I guess it doesn't matter where useful information comes from as long as it is helpful.

I love this book. I am 66 and just bought my first computer three months ago. This book, along with America Online Simplified, is my bible. It is so easy to understand and so complete. I will continue learning from it.

Reviewer: Paul Gerstenbluth (ariefound@aol.com)

Review: Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet, IDG Books Worldwide

Give me a Ticket to Ride on. The Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet is your destination ticket to a rewarding online experience. America Online makes it easy to arrive online, but what do you do once you get there?

Open Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet and find the road signs to:

* Travel and navigate AOL and the Web using links, browsers, and search engines

* Stay in touch with family and friends with AOL email and learn about Instant Messaging and Buddy Lists; and

* Explore popular topics online including travel, money, health, hobbies, retirement, research, and genealogy.

Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet's Contents at a Glance:

Pro Reaction

Book font is 14 points for easy reading. Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet pages are loaded with tips, definitions, cross-references and notes. Also, there are dictionary type thumb indexes through-out the 15 chapters for finding information quickly.

CD-ROM contains America Online version 3.0 and 4.0 for the Macintosh. Also, it contains for PC users' 5.0 for Windows.

Con Reaction

Missing from CD-ROM is Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator for Macintosh users. Utility shareware such as Always Online should have been included on the CD. Also, missing is summary of index of Websites mentioned in the book.

End Notes

The Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet is an easy-to-use traveler's guide, written specifically for adults 50 and older. It shows you step-by-step how to use the Internet to enhance your daily life.

The book also shows you how to find invaluable resources and services such as e-mail, travel planning, hobbies, health and money management, and retirement tips.

Grown-up's Guide to AOL and the Internet simplifies and defines the lingo, walks you through the basics, and points you to online destinations and activities.

=== Paul Gerstenbluth is President of the ARIE Foundation. The ARIE Foundation's mission is to provide VA hospitalized patients with hobby materials and computers that helps in their stay and recovery.

Thank you for an excellent guide for online shopping! If you are looking for great Internet guides for Kids & Family, High School, and College students, please check out the You Are Here Internet series!

Online stores come and go, especially the big ones, but this book lists hundreds of terrific small online stores that carry really unique stuff. I especially liked all of the stores that sell natural cosmetics and natural fiber clothing for me and my kids. I've had this book 2 weeks and already its saved me lots of time.

I was tired of seeing the same old online stores over and over again. This book pointed me to some real winners. It's a big time saver. Very easy to find what I wanted quickly.

I learned a lot about online shopping that I never knew before. But the best thing about this book is all the online stores, listed by categories. I found some neat stores. Loved the party section.

Before picking up this excellent book, I was wary of online shopping -- and I still am, but now I'm intelligently wary. The authors do a marvelous job of helping understand what you can trust and what you can't, how online shopping works in all its various manifestations, and what strategies to use when you do shop online. The book showed me that online shopping is not (as I had thought) just for shopping addicts who need a fix 24 hours a day, but a great space for intelligent and discerning consumers. I'm still not a big spender online (or anywhere), but I've used the book to help me find some things I couldn't find anywhere else and at surprising prices. I think this book is going to go down in the so-far brief history of online commerce as a milestone achievement. It has certainly changed my views about WWW commerce and made me a better consumer. I can't say enough about this expansive, easy-to-use, fun, and informative work. I hope they plan to update this work regularly.

The CareerXRoads series by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler should be a reference book that every recruiter buys. I am a recruiter with almost 22 years of experience and since 1998, I have purchased CareerXRoads. It is that good.

Candidates who want to use the Internet to find their next position will also find these books very helpful.

Gerry and Mark include informative articles for recruiters and job seekers alike at the beginning of the book.

Then they dive into the Internet and review websites that are job, resume, and career management sites. Their reviews are very helpful.

Recruiters, this book helps you determine where to spend your time and/or money to find niche sites to conduct searches. They also will suggest when a site may just be a waste of time.

Candidates, Gerry and Mark help you organize your job search. Their list of niche sites may help you zero in on companies who do what you want to do. Then, you may apply online or try to network your way into an interview.

Bottom line, if you are a recruiter or a candidate, purchase CareerXRoads.

Bill Humbert www.recruiterguy.com

Recruiters, job search sites, corporate career sites, HR testing online -- these are standard elements of the 21st century world of work.
If you are experienced at clicking in and out of employment-related sites, you will appreciate the very professional presentations of 500 sites the authors consider the best. There are also references to 2000 other sites.
If you're overwhelmed by the topic, or fear you'll never catch up, this volume is a place to begin. After perusing the book, you will know more about professional uses of the internet in the areas of job search and employee recruitment.

I am a career management consultant. The first two suggestions I give all new job seekers at any levels is to get a copy of CareerXRoads and get some business cards printed.

I have found that CareerXRoads is the bible for a good job search, using the internet; Obviously it is a great help in finding Internet sites where the right jobs are posted. But better than that, it tells you where to post your resume and how to post it, using the right format, key words, etc.

As a Career Coach, I recommend this book to all of my clients.
And, even more critical, as a Recruiter, this book is where I go to find the hard to find candidates.

CareerXRaods is both on my desk and another copy is in my attache.

I am even thinking of giving my kids each a copy on their birthdays.

Richard Stone
Human Resources Consultant

Every job seeker and recruiter should own this book!
This book is a tremendous resource to a job seeker. It offers advice on everything from networking to resume development. On the recruiter side, it offers advice on how to maximize your recruiting efforts in a variety of ways. The index and rating of internet sites is an invaluable tool to both [I should know - I used this book during a recent job search and now use it on a regular basis as I have found a new position as a Partnership Recruitment Manager!]
I have met one of the authors [Mark Mehler], and he has a true committment to helping individuals and companies use the internet to its full potential in job and candidate searches.
I highly recommend this book!

Clear illustrations. I think about every type of window treatment is covered. Can help maximize sales with customers. A must have for all Drapery Professionals and Designers. No more misunderstandings between customer and designers. Can hardly wait for Jackie's NEW bedcovering book to come out next year. I will be one of the first to buy it.

I am an interior designer with a start up company. The Design Directory of Window Treatments is an absolute much- this is an invaluable tool to someone who really needs assistance with window treatments. The CD is also a great tool. I could not be happier with my purchase!

Fabulous! Most comprhensive in the window covering industry. Which does make it large and heavy. Highly recommend this book

This is a great source for interior designers, decorators or for Professional Workrooms. Any window treatment imaginable is available for the customer to view. Definitely a good investment.

Fast and simple, my title says it all. The book is well worth the cost, with wonderful sketches and terrific organization.

I suppose there have been similar books written on the subject of finding the right gift for the occassion;but I doubt that any would be more helpful and inspiring than this one.
Every last one of us loves to give a gift and we all love to recieve a gift as well. Of all the gifts you give or recieve ;the ones most remembered are the ones least expected.
To the person who is always perplexed and says to themselves;I don't know wat to get him or her ,they have everything. Others say ,I'd like to get something but I can't afford it right now.This book will show you that rather than the cost,it's the thought that counts and more important it is the imagination or surprise that you put into it. After spending a little time with this book, you'll be well equipped with ideas that will amaze you. Let's say a neighbour down the street is having a birthday,is just recovering from an illness or such;and you would like to give them a gift,but are lost as to what. Just thumb through tiis book and the ideas will come to you.It may result in you giving them a plant from your garden they've admired,a box of goodies you've made,or something as simple as a note saying how much you treasure their being a neighbour. The fact that it comes totally unexpected will mean so much,just as it woulsd if it had been in the reverse.
The author has many years of experience in the gift business,but that does not mean she leans towards commercialism.She offers suggestions and ideas that cover things that are as low in cost as free, to extravagant for people looking for that "one great gift" and the cost is not an issue.How about this for an example.Fifty-fith Anniversary;which is traditionally thought as Emerald. Don't think just jewellry,how about a trip to Ireland,a new lawn,a golf game or extravagant golfing trip or a visit to a rain forest.Even something more simple such as Fifth Anniversary where Wood is the tradition.Why not a tree,golf tees,a new deck,a wooden hairbrush,a pair of Adirondack chairs,or even a load of wood for their fireplace?
Every type of event is covered in the book with appropriate gifts. Also lots of ideas on wrapping which range from the simplist to very elaborate.
Just to help you keep track of things there is a perpetual calendar at the back to record the dates of everyone and everything you want to remember.
Throughout the book,you will find information about where to find anything you are looking for;with e-mail,addresses,800 numbers,catalogues,web sites,etc.
This book will become as handy and useful to you as your address book,and rather than pulling your hair out over what would make a good gift,forgetting an event or anniversary,or whatever; you will be forever hearing things like this;"O, what a wonderful gift!,I love it!,what ever made you think of that? And most of all;

"It's Just What I've Always Wanted."

Besides,being a bookaholic,I have books coming out of my ears. When I finish one ,I ask myself who might like it,and put it aside for them.When I give a book away,it gives me something too---space for another one!!

This book not only gives lots of great ideas -- it really stimulates your imagination to create original ideas of your own.

I like to give creative gifts that really reflect the recipient, and this book will really help future purchases.

Pet Sematary is a book which is simultaneously one of King's most frightening and most annoying. Like all his novels, this one is a slick, gripping page turner so chock-full of horrifying incident and violations of ancient taboos (cannibalism, for one...) that you just can't put it down. From a mythic viewpoint, the decay of Louis Creed's sanity recalls the structure of Greek tragedy - like Oedipus, Creed destroys himself and everyone he loves through his own arrogance and curiosity, even though he only does what he thinks is right. The plot forces the reader to think about many things normally swept under the rug in sanitized America: the inevitability of death and decay. For me, these themes were most grippingly explored in the sad tale of the decline and death of Rachel Creed's invalid sister - Zelda's transformation from a teenage girl to a wizened, demanding, jabbering thing reminds us that invalids are not noble, and that there is nothing romantic about terminal illness. The main problem I had with this book was the characters. Usually, King is an expert at creating characters so real and vivid that you think you know them. In this case, his characterization of the Creed family seems like an 80's "Leave It to Beaver" - Hi! We're the perfect white middle-class professional family - watch us die! Both Louis and his spoiled wife, Rachel, are the most bland and dull personalities imaginable. Their very ordinariness makes the reader care a lot less about what happens to them, rather than the reverse. Perhaps the problem is that we don't really get to know these people before Louis destroys them all. This is a fairly short book for King - I would have liked a little more convincing character development before the slaughter began. Still, a very scary book if you can handle the boring characters.

This is a marvelous little book full of great ideas on gift giving for any occasion or no reason at all. It's fun and enjoyable to read. Lots of terrific thoughts and resources, including phone numbers and web addresses. Loved the sidebars with thoughty suggestions. The book includes ideas for all age groups and in all price ranges. All in all, just a wonderful find!!!!!

Trying to find your wife the perfect anniversary gift? Got a Christmas gift to buy for that hard to buy for person? Looking for the perfect gift for the new baby? Looking for the ultimate housewarming present? Or maybe you just want to say I love you - whatever you need is right here in this book.

With over 2,000 different, unique and imaginative gift ideas, there is certainly something for everyone and something to give to everyone. You'll find gift for graduation, for those feeling the blues, for baptism and even mother's and Father's day.

You'll be treated to baby clothes, gifts for the golf fanatic, fisherman, gifts the kids can give and even the last minute shoppers have been saved because there's something in here for them. You'll find new ways to surprise that special someone.

Included is an appendix the break down the gifts by category, one appendix for gift sources including web addresses, the holiday breakdown and a calendar for you to fill in as you go. So if you are looking for that just right gift, you might want to start here.

Lots of pictures of different logos and the book is arranged in a very orderly manner. Excellent book!

Well printed, well edited and an excellent resource for designers and creative individuals.

I'm very impressed with the wide array and organization of this book (and the others in the series). Such great colors, and layout... everything just makes me want to study every last detail on every last page. I've bought the first two... and have added the third one to my wish list. If you want to be a good logo designer but experience "designer's block," this should get you over that hump. Thanks, Bill Gardner, and all the fabulous designers who were featured in the book!

Logo Lounge 1 is a must-have in my design library - I refer to it often. Unfortunately Logo Lounge 2 seems lackluster, uninspired, and disappointing. While it contains the same quantity of logos as the first book, the solutions are much less imaginative and the profile section at the beginning is too long and the designers profiled, and their work, are difficult to relate to.

Great for idea gathering and inspiration. It keeps you up to date with the newest logo designs.

I was a little disappointed in this book, I thought it was a list of things to do. It was more like vague suggestions with web sites to check out. Several of the web sites were no longer working. I didn't find a lot of new information that I have not already read about. This is more of a beginners guide for going green. I would have gotten a lot more out of it several years ago. So if you are just starting to find options for going green, this is a book for you.

Most people want to do whatever they can to make the world a better place and protect the Earth. For them, marching in demonstrations or engaging in direct action is not an option. What to do? In subjects ranging from Air to Water to Food to Global Warming, this book lists many web sites with more information to get the reader involved in protecting the environment.

Perhaps the reader just wants to find out what sort of recycling facilities are in their town. One of their first stops should be to www.earth911.org. To look for reusable or biodegradable diapers, visit www.organicbebe.com. The Wildlife Conservation Society (www.wcs.org) has a very distinguished record in conserving endangered species. For those who have compost heaps, Starbucks will give you their coffee grounds. Details are at www.starbucks.com/aboutus/compost, or talk to your local manager.

A handy wallet card on produce and pesticides called "The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides" (bring it with you when shopping) is available from www.foodnews.org. A good site on global warming is www.climatestar.org. The Busy Person's Guide to Greener Living can be found at www.greenmatters.com. Do you have stuff you no longer need that someone else may want? Before that trip to the landfill, visit www.freecycle.org. Adopt a lobster (and help ensure a continued supply of lobsters) at www.lobsters.org, the Lobster Conservancy.

This is a wonderful book. It's small (it really can fit in your back pocket), it's well laid out, and the reader can pick their level of involvement. It is very highly recommended. Saving the environment does not get much easier than this.

Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, environmentally challenged or conscious, teacher or student, computer savvy or not - you will like this book. It provides real-life resources and contacts, anecdotal examples and insight on how YOU, the reader, can easily help sustain Mother Earth. Great for students of all ages!

As is the list of environmental problems so overwhelming and the scale so global, so is the feeling that one person can't make a difference. And, even in the trying, the choices are so many and the information so contradictory, that it's hard to know where to start. Here, at last, is the logical successor to "50 Simple Things...," better, more evolved, and yet easier. A wealth of choices that can be tailored to match what you feel you CAN do now, what you MIGHT feel you can do later, and what you SHOULD be telling your friends-- in short, a compendium of answers on a scale that any of us can comprehend.

This little book is simply amazing! It is a wealth of information,contacts and web sites regarding the environment and ways we can do our part to help. It is like the spark of desire, that hopefully, ignites the fire of action, encouraging us to seek out and "embrace a more environmentally friendly lifestyle". It is witty, informative and easy to navigate. A perfect gift and an exceptional manual for a meaningful life.

A great resource for the starting writer and an even better way to know what publishers and literary agents are out there. This along with the novel and short story market book are sure to help you get published.

These books are my annual present for loving to write. Each is filled to brimming with articles and publishers that real people need. Always a wonderful buy, always worth every cent.

I first saw THE WRITER'S HANDBOOK sometime in the mid-1970s. I was already aware of (and owned) WRITER'S MARKET, but as always and still, I craved more market information. I found it in THE WRITER'S HANDBOOK.

What's the difference between the two? Oh, where to begin ... THE WRITER'S HANDBOOK has the nice feature of listing items in multiple categories when appropriate. THE WRITER'S HANDBOOK and WRITER'S MARKET each contain listings the other doesn't. Some listings are more informational in one than the other. And of course the articles are different in each.

And, if nothing else, when I cannot turn up a listing that turns me on, or info I need in one market book, there's always the other.

The bottom line: I recommend THE WRITER'S HANDBOOK equally and concurrently with WM. Buy or borrow both!

If you were to use only two of the best writer's resources I would say that "The Writer's Market" and this book along with it as your main tools of marketing and refining your work. Why this book? This book contains about 60 articles of advice by the most successful writers in the business. Even for a beginner this may be the only book they'll use.

It's packed with useful information. It's gives the writer techniques, inspiration and advice. Some of these techniques are discussed how to find more time to write, creating memorable characters and revising your writing. It evens tells you specific wways to market your work, designing your website and writing for niche markets. As an added plus there are over 3000 listings of markets and resources including 2000 magazines in 45 categories ranging from performing arts and religion to adult literary to juvenile. Each one with descriptions and contact information. There's 600 book publishers, plus organizations and a glossary. This is one source that will be referred to many times over. I know I have. This is one of the best writer's resource book you can get. I'm sure this is to be updated in 2003.

This is a veeeery long book, but it's most definitely worth it for any writer, and I recommend purchasing it on an annual basis. Before I decided on a market guide for the writing craft, I compared this book to "Writer's Market", by the editors of Writer's Digest magazine; and I must say that I love their bookclub, but "The Writer's Handbook 2003" is the guide that I picked up for me. Nowadays, competitiveness is everywhere, and in a market so vast and varied as the one for the writing craft, one needs a guide that feels also like a close friend. Thank God I found it in this big book (my copy is full of colored flags sticking out of it, marking my choices for submission, conferences I'd like to attend, etc).

The first part includes selected articles that at some point or another have been previously published throughout the year in "The Writer" magazine. Everything from inspirational ideas, to legal advice on copyright and selling your material through the different magazines and agents, advice for poets, etc. There is also an article on how to better set up your website, something that is no longer an option but a "must" as a promotional tool; plus conversations with famous authors. The different listings include non-fiction and fiction magazines, with as much information as possible on requirements, website, editor's name, etc.; book publishers, agents, arts councils and syndicates, writer's colonies and conferences, prizes and awards, drama and theater, TV and film producers; even greeting card publishers.

I recommend purchasing this guide on an annual basis or, at least bi-annually; if the price comes to be a bit too stiff for you. All the same, it can become your best friend.