Nevada Books

I found this book to be generally pretty useful. My only real issue is that there are quite a few hot spring gems that I'm aware of in CA and NV that aren't featured in this book. I did a recent tour of the Black Rock Desert area in Nevada and I passed several spectacular hot springs that weren't listed in the book. I have also backpacked in to some hot springs in the southern CA area that weren't described.

If you're looking at doing a hot spring tour in NV and CA it might be worth looking into getting some other guide books (in addition to this one) or doing more research online or elsewhere. Once again this book did do a great job of describing in great detail how to get to some very out of the way places, but there are other springs that are well worth exploring that aren't mentioned.

There have been many guides covering this subject in the past but this one is really the benchmark. Matt Bischoff includes interesting history, and geology notes for his subjects. I have visited a few of his springs listed in the book and found his descriptions to be complete and factual. His maps area really good too, as anyone who has searched for a hot spring just based on someone's verbal directions knows, they can be darn hard to find. Good job, Matt!

Very bland and writing without soul or true appreciation for the environment. Directions poor. Not worth your money. Prefer Gersh's Hot Springs book.

This guide is a great, very detailed instruction book that takes you to the best hot springs around. It lays out detailed directions on how to locate these springs, even down to physical landmarks, and exact distance. Without this type of direction springs like the one near Santa Barbara I would have NEVER found. I really appreciated the fact they tell you the current staus of the spring, if it has been renovated, or is in disrepair, it saves a trip to one that is too rundown to go to. Pay attention to the temperature of the springs also, they give you exact numbers on every spot, and some are too hot to swim in.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1YSMB6ZYXFYYN Matt. C. Bischoff has clearly and concisely listed all the great hidden and publicly known hot springs in Nevada and California. It's a great regional hotsprings guide.

I started with the Texas series, and enjoyed it tremendously ... which led me on to the Vegas trio and then to Kentucky series... all are done with The Coleman family that we first met in the Texas.

I think it would be a really close call to pick between the Texas & Vegas, as I really got into the characters in both.

When I finally got to Kentucky, I just couldn't develope the same interest I had with the first two, and strange as it may seem, I am a horse person and have been all my life. The most excitement for me, was when they were calling the races ... I had to laugh as a good many of the horses in the derby were named after books from the Sisterhood series, which I absolutely adore .... I'm thinking those books were not even written at the time the author wrote the Kentucky trilogy?

All in all ... I reccomend all three .. Texas Vegas & Kentucky.
Mimi in New Orleans

You ever listened to one of those audio books that is so bad, yet you have find out how it ends? This is it. Maybe it's because I haven't listened to the other books, but the author gives a great recap that I didn't have to worry about that. My problem was that the characters were totaly unlikeable and there were tons of inconsistantces. First of all, the characters. I didn't like anyone, though Ruby wasn't too bad. Like parts of the story, some of them get a little inconsistant. At first Fanny is a strong-willed woman and then reverts to a pathetic figure when the plot demands it.

I also think Ms. Michaels wasted Celia. In the early parts, Celia seems like a decent woman who was intriuged by the fact her new husband was rich. I know Michaels was trying to make us hate the character from the start, but the way the supposingly "moral" Throntons treated her at the party made my mother and I feel sorry for her instead and made the family look like a bunch of self-rightous snobs. Then poof, she automatically turns into your run-of-the-mill femme fatale whose been schemeing from the start to destroy the family..

I know that I probably have made a lot of the fans mad, but continue to hear me out. That over, now the inconsistantcies. If this family is so rich, how come they act like they're poor? I'm no expert on rich folks, but I think that a family as wealthy as them wouldn't expect their wives to clean and cook and live in poorly-funished apartments. Also, Thronton Chickens is suppose to be a multi-million dollar business then why does it act like Ruby is doing all the work for what seems like it's described as a small farm. And Celia's baby at the end, I think Michaels was hinting that it was Birg's even though he hadn't touched since she they got back from that jungle.

There's some other things I'd mention, but I don't have the room. Let's just say the only reason this book doesn't fail is becasue of the great recap of everything and you still want to find out how it ends for some weird reason.

Vegas Sunrise was really great. Enjoyed the whole series of these Vegas books by Fern Michaels. They just keep getting better. Loved the way she did this one though. Would love another one. Onto Finder's Keepers next.

You ever listened to one of those audio books that is so bad, yet you have find out how it ends? This is it. Maybe it's because I haven't listened to the other books, but the author gives a great recap that I didn't have to worry about that. My problem was that the characters were totaly unlikeable and there were tons of inconsistantces. First of all, the characters. I didn't like anyone, though Ruby wasn't too bad. Like parts of the story, some of them get a little inconsistant. At first Fanny is a strong-willed woman and then reverts to a pathetic figure when the plot demands it.

I also think Ms. Michaels wasted Celia. In the early parts, Celia seems like a decent woman who was intriuged by the fact her new husband was rich. I know Michaels was trying to make us hate the character from the start, but the way the supposingly "moral" Throntons treated her at the party made my mother and I feel sorry for her instead and made the family look like a bunch of self-rightous snobs. Then poof, she automatically turns into your run-of-the-mill femme fatale whose been schemeing from the start to destroy the family..

I know that I probably have made a lot of the fans mad, but continue to hear me out. That over, now the inconsistantcies. If this family is so rich, how come they act like they're poor? I'm no expert on rich folks, but I think that a family as wealthy as them wouldn't expect their wives to clean and cook and live in poorly-funished apartments. Also, Thronton Chickens is suppose to be a multi-million dollar business then why does it act like Ruby is doing all the work for what seems like it's described as a small farm. And Celia's baby at the end, I think Michaels was hinting that it was Birg's even though he hadn't touched since she they got back from that jungle.

There's some other things I'd mention, but I don't have the room. Let's just say the only reason this book doesn't fail is becasue of the great recap of everything and you still want to find out how it ends for some weird reason.

I read this book without having read the 2 previous books in the series. It was fairly easy catching up on who the characters were. One thing I found annoying is that during conversations, characters would bring up things that other characters had done throughout the book, but there seemed to be no relevence to the conversation. It is almost as if Miss Michaels was trying to remind the reader what had happened previously. It seemed unnecessary to me. I am, however, looking forward to reading Vegas Heat and Vegas Rich.

Good book - content useful, maps clear. I use their books a lot, and this one seemed expecially well laid out and clear.

A very well assembled collection of recommendations and facts for planning a trip to Yosemite. If you want to get the most of your trip to the region, planning is essential. Just showing up will severely compromise the options you have available. If you are planning to also visit Sequoia/Kings Canyon, you might want to opt for the Frommer's Guide or Lonely Planet's "Hiking In The Sierra Nevada." Personally, I think this guide has a little more detail and better organization than the Moon guide, with the maps being far better.

Planning: The book does a very nice job giving you phone numbers, camp locations, amenities, and tips on which sites will fill up first. This really is the most important, especially if you want to camp at a popular location or want to do overnight hikes in one of the more popular destinations. If you want to stay in one of the valley hotels think a year in adavance (at least), camping in the valley needs reservations 6-8 months in advance.

Trip descriptions: For the places I visited the descriptions were thorough but not overwhelming in detail. The book has both short trips (1-3 days) as well as longer excursions, but many of these can be abbreviated to suit your needs.

Maps: You will certainly need your own big topo map when on the hike, but the maps here (and in other Lonely Planet guides) are among the best you will find in this sort of guide. First they are topographic, which helps you with overall planning, even if you will eventually make use of a big map later on. Second, the maps are in two colors, which facilitates reading immensely. Finally, the printing is fine and crisp. Some other guides have blurry reproductions of USGS maps that look like they were printed onto a paper towel.

Other: The book is compact and lightweight. If you are an obsessive type you could carry it along on your hike without adding too much weight.

Overall, this is a great guide to aid in planning a trip to the region, especially those on their first couple of excursions to the region. For those who want more details on other trips check out Sierra North and Sierra South, as well as books by Mike White, R. J. Secor, and Steve Roper.

I thought this was a pretty well-rounded overview of Yosemite with some nice pics to boot. I've been hiking all over Calif but never quite got around to hitting the Big Y. I had seen pics and knew it was great, but I wasn't quite sure what the best approach to schedule a three-day weekend. Well, this baby helped a lot -- reservations, planning hikes, meals and all that a snap. The maps and spotlight-recommendations were great.

I've lived in California for 3 years and have been to Yosemite at least 5 times. We have gone for backpacking trips, car camping trips, and stayed at Curry Village. We always bring this book with us. You need to have a book like this with you when you are there so you can both plan ahead and do things on the fly. It's a great book that highlights all the must-see spots. Yosemite rarely disappoints.. even if some spots are crowded, once you get there, you can understand why! Lonely Planet books in general area always well organized and have great maps. I like how this book had both short hikes as well as some longer overnight backpacking trips. It also does a good job of detailing all the campgrounds. If you want more detail (or a little different perspective) on hikes and backpacking trips, get "Hiking in the Sierra Nevada" by Lonely Planet.

I enjoyed this guide for the easy to find information and easy to read maps. It gave good hike descriptions and the list of spotlighted activites was right on target. I do use this regularly to create my plans for the park. This did lack the personal touch that I found in some other references and found myself picking up other guides to go with the maps in this book. The Moon guide was by far my favorite. But do check it out if your going to Yosemite. More information is always better.

Of all places, I found this little gem in an old book store in Manila, way back on a dusty shelf. With the spider webs and disarray, it seemed appropriate that I would discover an historical novel with a memorable beauty Lily and a good plot. I read it on a trip to Cebu and found it well-written, exciting and wonderful characterization. I passed it on to an Australian so it has likely ended up in a book shop in Melbourne. Good job...I liked it. Will have to read "Railroad Schemes" to catch up on the whole story.

Cecelia Holland has written a great sequel to her book RAILROAD SCHEMES!! This books has very lovalbe characters, a great story line and is full of real San Francisco history!!

This was a very good novel continueing the story of Lily Viner, the heroine we met in Railroad Schemes. In this sequel Lily is now 20 years old and has joined up with a theatre. Lily has been searching the news papers for any sign that her mother, who left her and her father when Lily was only a toddler. The only thing that Lily nows about her mother is her name, but she won't give up.

The Railroad Dective, Brand, is now on the trail of a man, who was formerly a part of the theatre. The man, whose name he finds out from Eva Green (Lily's friend and roommate), has supposedly sent a threatenig letter to the governer of California. When Brand finds them (the theatre) he finds out that Lily is traveling with them. This sets Brand on a whole new quest to steal Lily's heart, while still searching for the man that is plotting against the governor.

After reading RAILROAD SCHEMES I was enthalled with Cecelia Holland's heroine, Lily Viner, and couldn't wait to see how her life would unfold in LILY NEVADA. Though not entirely disappointed in the sequel, I didn't find it as satisfying or captivating as the RAILROAD SCHEMES. The winsome young daredevil we met in RS seemed to have become a angry, cold, distant woman in LN. The historical narratives are interesting but I feel that character development & interaction were sacrificed to make room for the history. I hope that Ms. Holland takes us into Lily's world at least one more time and possibly resolves Lily's obvious ties to Brand and her link to her new-found mother.

It's been five years since the close of Railroad Schemes and Lily Viner, now known as Lily Nevada is a member of a theatre group en route from Virginia City to San Francisco. On the way she briefly meets up again with the despicable (in her eyes) Railroad detective Brand. In San Francisco the acting troop reaches the heights of success in their version of Hamlet as the flames of anger from the depressed railroad working class swirl around them, and Lily also searches for true love and her long lost mother.

Sound interesting? Actually it's not, at least for this reader. Without the endearing innocence of Lily in the first novel, along with the absence of her beloved books, Lily was rather bland and I didn't find much in the rest of the story or characters to interest me much either, especially the railroad strikers and the riots. It all just fell flat and thankfully was over quickly at just over 200 pages. Three stars, not great but not really bad either. For those who want a thumping good read about 19C San Francisco I highly recommend Gwen Bristow's Calico Palace. Out of print but well worth taking the time to search out.

The best guide I have found so far, for anyone wanting to move to Las Vegas. As a Nevadan of 30 years I have to agree with a lot Mr. Smith says about our state -- it is a different world. People from out of state can really get an insight into the true city. Even a longtime Northern Nevadan can learn a few of the differences between North & South.

Yes, it is a bit dated, but things change so fast in this state it would be impossible for any book not to be dated. Map books can not even keep up with all the streets ... North or South.

This book cuts through the hype of coming to Las Vegas and gives newcomers a chance to see the place for what it really is. It's a land of opportunity and of opportunism. It's not an easy place to get settled and the book gives the straight story and also offers the usual list of clubs, relocation companies and so forth.

Despite a review to the contrary, this is an honest little book that gives people moving to the city an accurate background on how to survive there. It warns newcomers to stay away from casinos if they want to thrive in Las Vegas. Given that fact, it might be the best Las Vegas guide available.

I read the older edition of this book, but the newer one caught my eye and I gave it a try. It's a lot different and contains more helpful iinformation. I especially appreciated the inside information on schools and how locals live and what they do for fun here. I keep the book with me--it even helps me shop. It helped me choose a good neighborhood too. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering a move or extended visit to Las Vegas.

I gave this to a friend who was moving. I borrowed it back from her and read it...it is a great comprehensive book about moving to las vegas with everything the new las vegan would need to know including how to register your car and get your driver's license, how to get a job quickly and information on all the schools in las vegas. It seems very comprehensive to me.

The only persons I would recommend this book to are those who may be moving to Utah from out of state and want to better understand the unique (bizarre?) Utah culture. This is what the book is good at: describing the differences between Utah and Nevada cultures. The fact that I had to fight to finish it should be telling enough. The writing is alright but the characters are not compelling. It's not a great book but may be of use to some people.

This remarkable book betrays a genius for language in a variety of places. Poetic and fast paced, it is as if keats had sat down to write king.

The language is fast but takes on an emptiness that reflects the Nevada desert. The story is an interesting one with sudden twists (making crop circles, drag racing on the salt flats)and takes on a slightly religious tone towards the end, but not overly so that the author becomes self-indulgent. Funny, interesting, great characters, vivid descriptions. I highly recommend it.

I couldn't disagree more with the Kirkus review. This book breaks many conventions of fiction writing and sparkles because of it. From the moment those snakes are shocked out of their holes, this novel barrels forward with the breathless passion of its narrator, the old blackjack dealer. Anyone who knows writing knows from the richness and power in his voice that his love for Charlotte, though unexpected and selfish--as love often is--is real. I read the book in two rapt sittings. When the old man's mind's eye follows Charlotte and Keith through Las Vegas and the Nevada desert, I AM there with them, happily, sometimes eerily and in luscious discomfort. The novel's ending was entirly unsuspected and at once inevitable, which is perhaps a novel's highest praise; it takes an artist. But it's the passion and complexity of the old man's consciousness that makes this book the work of art it is, a book I would love to say that I had written. Rock is the man.

I gave this book to my mother, and she was reading it in her car while stopped at red lights. The book's philosophical and racy passages are equally engaging; the descriptions of the landscape open spaces in your mind.

Nevada Barr, Carole Nelson Douglas, Marcia Muller and other top names provide engrossing short stories of murder and mystery centering around the psyche of the housewife in a mystery gathering of new stories by big names. Anticipate stories which excel in strong characters and absorbing plots with plenty of mystery paired with women's issues and concerns as a side-dish.

On television the housewives are desperate, but in this page-turner collection of short stories by award-winning women mystery-suspense writers, the housewives are deadly.

Anyone who knows the mystery genre knows the authors in this anthology: Nevada Barr, Barbara Collins, Carole Nelson Douglas, Eileen Dreyer, Vicki Hendricks, Suzann Ledbetter, Elizabeth Massie, Christina Matthews, Denise Mina, Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky, Nancy Pickard, S. J. Rozan, and Julie Smith.

Resist any temptation to ignore the introduction and head straight for the stories because the introduction sets the tone for the rest of the housewives you'll meet in the pages that follow.

Some of the housewives are bored, others are disgruntled, but all discover nasty ways to respond to what irritates them. I tried to choose a favorite tale, but couldn't. I recommend you read them all, just not necessarily in the order they appear in the book. "Trailer Trashed" makes reality television worse than you thought. "Joy Ride" gives prudent insight on knowing who you're dealing with. "The Next-Door Collector" makes anyone look at the new neighbors a bit differently. "Lawn and Order" shows new ideas about plants and pets-two things that are supposed to help reduce stress. Ten more stories await you, so make sure you block enough time to enjoy them all.

After you've finished the stories, you'll want to read the "little black book" containing extra entries of comments and recipes supplied by the authors. After seeing how these ladies think, however, I don't know if I'd actually allow anything from the recipes into my mouth without a food taster trying it first.

You're in for a real treat as you move from story to story. Be on the lookout for haunting humor, precious pets, hurtful husbands, naughty neighbors, and generation gaps. Enjoy the ride.

Armchair Interviews says: Wow, sounds like a fun read.

I have listened to many audio books and I must say that this is absolutely the worst. If I can really choose, I would rate this with negative infinity stars!! I am glad that this was not my first audio book; otherwise, I would have given up on audio books altogether. There are two stories in a single disc. The first story was read at a way too fast pace. Moreover, the lady sounded half drunk! I couldn't catch most of what she read. The lady who read the second story sounded like she was trying to outdo the first in terms of speed! There were no proper pauses (e.g. at the end of a sentence), intonations were wrong, and both stories were read in a dreadful monotone that almost put me to sleep. If you ever think of trying this CD, don't do it when you are driving. It almost drove me nuts trying to keep up with the stories. There was simply no pleasure in listening to their voices. Maybe it was because the producer was trying to squeeze everything into a single disk. So were the stories good? Guess what? I don't know. The readings were so bad that I simply could not concentrate on the story enough to truly appreciate them.

The Introduction sets the tone for this strong anthology. DEADLY HOUSEWIVES opens with letters asking for sage advice on spousal removal including a request from a woman who apparently killed her husband with his bowling trophy, but nonchalantly wants to know how to remove the bloodstains. Fourteen tales later complete what is one of the better compilations in several years. The authors are a female who's who going deep into what makes motivates the gentler sex to turn criminal and is some cases lethal. Each tale is well written as some of the best women mystery-suspense authors on the market provide their insight filled with twists. After reading this superb often amusing short story collection, the secret is out as to who dominates relationships especially family for estrogen rules.

Harriet Klausner

Fifteen authors band together to make one of the most deadly mystery anthologies ever! These are not unknown names either. Oh no! All fifteen are known in the mystery genre and all the tales are new, never-before-published.

**** Do not skip reading the book's humorous Introduction. Just by reading it I knew this was going to be a fun book. Many women have considered killing off someone, but these housewives follow through with their thoughts. A few of these stories have unexpected twists or surprise endings. This fun read is perfect for your mountain or beach vacation. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I found this book to be extremely information about life in the 1860s as I am into Civil War Re-enacting. There were so many interesting facts of everyday life, etc. that it was as if I had been transported back nearly 150 years.

A great book for students studying the Civil War (like myself). Gives amazing insight to the lives of people during the Reconstrucion era after the war. Pages of great information about soldiers' lives, homes, churches, schools, rites of passage, working life, daily woes, and enjoying life in the late 19th century. However, the info somewhat dry, and gets a little tedious at times, but the amount of details and great facts evens it out a bit.

This broad-ranging text covers daily life, customs, and technology in a variety of American settings during the Civil War and post-war periods. Inevitably, it doesn't give a whole lot of detail on each topic, but this is a very good place for general readers to start. The descriptions of farm life are particularly detailed and helpful. One complaint I do have is that the author does not footnote his quotes from primary sources, making it impossible to follow a reference up. Like most histories of daily life, this volume is short on information about mentalities and beliefs. Also, probably deliberately, it contains little information on political events and almost none on events in the South during Reconstruction. The effects of the Civil War on daily life and thought get rather short shrift. Nevertheless, this book does cover a lot of information and does so in a clear, useful fashion.

I bought this book because I had read "The Reshaping of Everyday Life : 1790-1840" by Jack Larkin. Both books were originally published in the 'Everyday Life in America' series. I really enjoyed "Reshaping" and hoped that "Expansion" would be of similar caliber.

Given the page constraints (170 pages of text) this book does a good job. However, given the vast increase in the size of the USA between 1840 and 1876, the coverage is necessarily thinner. Everything from the frontier to the South, to New York tenements to established rural districts is covered, the only exception being the extremely rich (who are well covered in other books).

The main problem is that so much is covered that a reader might feel that he knows all about living in the US during this time period, and that would not be accurate. Some areas are left out almost entirely. For example, the West Coast is almost completely ignored except for Virginia City. Unfortunately, the only solution I see is either a much bigger book, or several books covering each of the subtopics.

That is the reason this book only gets three stars: the coverage is broad but shallow. It is a good introduction to the time period, but that is all.

I think this is, perhaps, the finest book I have ever read on social history. I'm not kidding. After reading this "encyclopedia" (for that is what it truly is) on every aspect of life as it was during and just after the Civil War era, I actually feel as if I went back in time and visited the past first hand. Forget about "Everyday Life During the Civil War" and the other writer's guide books out there. "Expansion of Everyday Life 1860 - 1876" leaves no stone unturned, covering topics extensively such as the role of religion in the daily lives of the people, courtship, death, birth, clothing, prescription drugs of the era, what was eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, bathing, and schooling. Life in the city, in a town, and on the farm is covered pretty equally where the differences occur. The lives of the (freed) blacks is also mentioned throughout the text. Other topics covered include such taboo subjects as sex and abortion, homosexuality, as well as women's rights. But it is done not in the typical 21st century liberal PC style so prominent in current history books. One gets the impression that author, Daniel Sutherland, has a true passion for truth in social history and is not out to promote a political agenda. He does get a bit tedious at times (which I absolutely love - every detail of life is here!) but never dry, as another reviewer wrote. If you are a student of history, which I am, then I am sure you will feel the same as I.
There is not another history book of this era that I would recommend higher than this.

This fabulous book concentrated on the history and glitz of old Las Vegas, and I loved it! Very informative, and very exciting! I'm only 25 years old, so I especially loved comparing the glamour of old Las Vegas with the city that I know today. I gave this book to my dad to read after me, and he loved it for completely different reasons... mostly because he remembers those fabulous days from the 1950s. The photos and stories are unbelievable, including the Rat Pack, Mae West, and my personal favorite: Elvis performing with Liberace! This is a great book for anyone who loves Las Vegas, who wants to know the history of sin city, appreciates good entertainment, or who just likes to travel. The whole book is fun, and I even learned something from reading it! I'm telling everyone, young and old alike, to buy this book.

I've been to Vegas a dozen times, but the stores are always sold out of this fabulous book. So I was glad to get it here. It's a great, visual tour of old Las Vegas--the place my mom and dad used to go and bring me souvenirs. I like the pictures very much, as well as the artwork from the period, and the brief captions were enough to whet my appetite for more. I want to collect poker chips now! The fabulous shot of Elvis and Liberace, as well as the shots of Sinatra and Mae West are all unbelievable treasures. I don't know how these guys found all this stuff, but my hat is off to them. And actually reading Keely Smith's words after listening to her music for years was a great honor. I recommend this book whole heartedly

I'm sorry to be negative--I'm a big fan of some of Mr. Basten's other books--but this was a disappointment. I expected more (or at least some) text. Hardcover, but only 127 pages, and many of the photos are blown up so that their pixels or scanner artifacts show. The book's graphic style is "Annoying Fifties," which is appropriate, but the caption text is rendered in brush script. Another reviewer said that the first half was all about the early history of the first casinos--would that this were true.

There are lots of "mood" photos, and Charles Phoenix' collection of matchbooks and swizzle sticks are amply presented, but the text is filled with "mid-fifties" and "late 1940s." Call me obsessive, but I like a bit more precision in my history. The book starts with a mention of "Helldorado Day," a tradition that evolved into a four-day annual celebration. Wonder what time of year it occured or whether or not it is still occurring? Me, too.

So, if you'd like to see several dozen historical photos with reasonably good captions, here's your book. Keely Smith's introduction is entertaining. But as another reviewer mentioned, Alan Hess' Viva Las Vegas is better for a real history with actual, um, facts.

I was attracted to this book because it covers a period in American life that fascinates me. The text (basically captions to the photos) provides a superficial but exuberant look at Vegas. The first half of the book covers the origins of the major hotels and casinos, plenty of color photos, match book covers, postcards, menus etc presented in breezy layouts. The section on the entertainers I found dull as these people, looking at the photos, could have been performing anywhere. For what ia really a fun book it does have an index.

A far better coverage of Las Vegas can be found in 'Viva Las Vegas: after-hours architecture' by Alan Hess. This book is almost the oppposite of 'Fabulous Las Vegas', essentially text and some color photos but Hess has done a tremendous amount of research. The really keen could plough through 'Learning From Las Vegas' by the architectual team Venturi, Scott-Brown and Izenour, their controversial view was that Vegas, because of its popularity, should influence building design elsewhere...I think I would agrre with that.

Great Book. Many old pictures of Vegas. Shows some awsome old Casino Chips Pictured. Talks about the behind scences life of vegas. One of the best books out there.

For several years I've been using the Fodor's published books when going on vacation and wouldn't consider another product. When planning my visit to Las Vegas (having never been there) it was very helpful and detailed. The book is organized very well and now contains comments that have been submitted by other travelers. There are a lot of things to do in Vegas and this book tells you all you would need to know.

I have been visiting Vegas every year or two for about 20 years. I try to get as much new information as I can about it before I leave. Fodor's guide helped me considerably because it lets me know what's new so I can go right to it.
I especially like the maps in the book. I'm going to take the pullout map with me.
This book answered all my questions and answered them well.

I didn't like this book very much. The Fodors New York was very useful for me, so I decided to buy Fodors again for Las Vegas. The text style has changed. I guess Fodors is trying to be more hip and cool to attract readers from Lonely Planet and Rough Guides, but seems pathetic. The guide tells which hotel has the best groovy pool for you to see and been seen. Rubbish. And I must say that only some hotels are listed. I wanted to know their opinion about Signature by MGM Grand, cause it's very well quoted in Trip Advisor, but it's not mentioned. Well, it was very disappointing.

When I receive the fodor's (Los angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas) I ordered month ago, I honestly didn't expercted to be so good, it has been an incredible help when planning my next vacations. Thanks for been such as good tool for us (internet buyers). Pao

I purchase guidebooks for two reasons: first, to have a handy resource guide I can use to for its maps, phone numbers, and addresses, and, second, for a chance to find overlooked, new, or hole-in-the-wall places to go that I might not think of or discover on my own.
Fodor's 2008 guide does an okay job on both these points, but not exceptional. Perhaps Las Vegas just has too many hotels, restaurants, and other attractions for the guide to list even their most basic information, but it can be frustrating to look up a fairly well-known attraction (for a needed phone number and address) and not find it. It's less frustrating, but also less worthwhile, to sit back on the plane and flip through the guide looking for something new to do in a familiar place and not find anything ... and that happened, too.
The guide hits many of the high points and does appear to try to spend time looking for a few "secret hideaways," but I think it does only an adequate job in each area. Perhaps the handy-but-somewhat-unnecessary gambler's guide could be shortened. Yes, the information there is cool and understandable, but there are dozens of better-written and easily available guides to gambling ... most of which can be found in the Las Vegas Airport or a casino gift shop. Maybe the guide could excise a few pages from the "around Las Vegas" sections, where it talks about attractions a good hour or two drive from the city. Still, those ARE things you aren't likely to find out about on your own. Maybe the guide simply needs to be longer.
Anyway, I think the Fodor's Guide to Las Vegas is about as good a guide as I've seen ... but that's just not saying a lot.