Travel Books

I really enjoyed reading this book, it gives a good insight of the Japanese society from a foreigner's point of view, who lived and worked in Japan for several years.
This only problem is that it's from the early 1990's and some things have changed since...

No Elbow Room is a quick and informative read into the Cultural mind set of Japanese relationships. It opens up for examination a world of contradicting correctness and sheds light on some of my own experiences in Japan. You will read it from cover to cover enjoying the wonderful illustrations and lighthearted humor.

Fun, Fun, Fun. A funny and informative documentary of first-hand experiences in Japan. A must if you are considering working for a few years for a company in Tokyo. Also a must if you want to get insight into the workings of a culture totally different from American and European cultures. The illustrations are hilarious. The book is precise with marvelous drawings. There are informative comments on improving the lot of women in Japan. Be prepared for a fun ride!

Kenneth writes a detailed and fascinating read. What an experience. Having stayed in Japan myself for a while, I found No Elbow Room to confirm some things I had suspected about living in Japan. Great book!

Do you ever find yourself in a large bookstore overwhelmed by the sheer number of titles, and wonder how so many new ideas continue to emerge in such mass quantity? Well, this is one of those books that keep us returning to bookstores with faith in the fact that we will not always leave disappointed! This book is unique in its perspective on a subject I am interested in as a professor of international business (Zicklin School of Business; Baruch College, City University of New York) - cross cultural understanding. Written in a pen indicative of ample experience in Japan's corporate world, yet from an outside Western perspective, it reveals nuances of Japanese business culture that only an expatriate can easily discern. "No Elbow Room" is blunt to a pain yet carefully objective and fair in its exposé of little known tidbits of Japanese culture and business protocol outside of the Island nation itself. Yet while set in Japan, I found myself easily adapting lessons learned to virtually any cross-cultural setting, prompting me to list this book as required reading in my "Foreign Markets, Cultures, Regimes" class. This is a self-authored text, that no doubt a large publishing house will soon discover and market to the masses. The book is short (179 pages) and a quick yet informative read. I recommend it for not just international business scholars, but as an aid for sociology class discussions, gender-relations discussions, for anyone interested in international relations, and particularly for anyone wishing to travel to Japan, particularly from the West. And if you think you're well traveled and immune to culture shock, you must pick up this book!

As a nursing student I loved this book. It gave a great perspective on some areas of nursing that nursing students may not be exposed to during clinicals. Toward the end of the book it did get into nursing/hospital politics and policy, which slowed things down. I wish that the author had ended with something better and more inspiring.

It's often said that in today's society we have no heroes. If you read this book, you will soon learn otherwise.

I really liked the aspects of this books that dealt with the three nurses performing their jobs in their perspective fields. That was great- but all the talk about nursing jobs getting cut really gets boring after a while. So much so I've been dreading reading the last chapter. Great book, just has some boring parts.

A must read for all those working IN or WITH the profession of nursing. Gordon discusses how the changes in our health care system have affected both the nurses role and quality patient care issues. The essential need for collaboration of all health care personnel is woven throughout the content. I required this book for a senior nursing course I just taught at Wayne State University in Detroit and the students were most impressed with the book and its approach to nursing, medicine and health care. A must read for nurses, physicians, hospital administration, potential students and the general public. Afterall, we are all potential patients and we should be aware of what is happening to the largest population of health care providers, the nurses!

The most under rated people in our society are nurses,this is an introduction to the ever present caregivers in healthcare today.The most varied role and most significant in all aspects of health care is the nurse.This was a wonderful read for all of those who may ever be the receiver of any aspect of their care from nurses in our country, basically everyone,a must have.For those considering the profession as a career,and the family members who would like an overview of "all in a days work", this will invoke serious thought.Yes, I am a nurse and for me to recommend a book written on nursing....kudos to all involved in the creation.

Mr Maxtone Graham's work is a pure piece of art for all people with a love for classic liners and their times. It revives a (regrettably) lost way of life. A true bible.

I have two copies of this book and keep one on our boat in Ft Pierce, FL for guests to read and one at home for ME to re-read. Although we have cruised on the blue-water fleet numerous times, I love to read about the pre-jet crossings of a (seemingly) romantic and for the most part, by-gone era. When you read this book, it is so evocative tht you can close your eyes and almost imagine that you are there on a chilly quai in New York City about to depart for the great cities of Europe on one of the great liners. An absolute MUST READ for any ocean liner fan. I re-read this one often in the wee hours of the morning.

I devoured this book and you will too. John Maxtone-Graham is one of a kind, a marine historian who is urbane, erudite, and literate. He has written an absorbing book, filled with fun, details, anecdotes, and marine dreams. Here's to Big Ships and big dreams - That toast has a kind of 1920's ring to it. But I loved it. You will too.

I had the pleasure of meeting John Maxtone-Graham aboard the SS Norway in 1985. He autographed a copy of "The Only Way to Cross" and I have read it at least 3 times. I'll never tire of his detailed accounts of the ships and the people that made that era.

What I found really wonderful about the book was not only learning about the best parts of transatlantic travel but the worst as well. The section on Steerage as well as on the Boiler rooms show you every side of what life was like aboard the grandest ships to ever ply the oceans of the world.

If you buy only one book in your life buy this one!

This is a must read for any Oceanliner or ship fan. It will transport you back to the days when the steamship was truly the only way to cross. After reading this book you'll realize that those floating barge-hotels that Carnival and the other Megalines call ships will never be Luxury liners! Long live the SS Norway!

I look at this book every morning before I leave my house for the day. While the photographs are truly remarkable and can stand on their own because they capture the imagery of beautiful people and places, the quotations and prayers inspire and certainly leave you with something to contemplate each day. This book is a beautiful gift for yourself or someone close to you that can bring joy and peace every day.

One of the "BEST" investments within our book collections... my wife will not put it down, leave it alone or share it!

We simply have to get another copy (and give this one as gifts as well).
EXCEPTIONAL and RADIANT !!

Makes for a wonderful, reasonably priced gift. Photos are magnificent. proverbs are inspiring. Just a great book that I refer to daily. It is not just a coffee table book...though it could be. Every African American home should have one.

Laura

This book has so much to offer both visually, and in motivational comments to inspire thought and creativity.

This is a beautiful book in more than one way. Everything about it is pretty exceptional. From the photographs, to the wise sayings and it's powered me and my girfriend through a couple of hard days already. DEFINITE INVALUABLE PURCHASE!

Although this book was written in 2000, when I saw it at a book boutique I bought it immediately...a fabulous book on a unique culinary culture for those who love to delve into french cooking recipes. I highly recommend it! The photos transport you back there and it has made me so homesick to return to Paris again even though I return there every year when I can to visit family there and have always made it a pilgrimmage to go to the Marches a few times a week, especially to the 'Richard Lenoir Marche at Place de La Bastille in the 11th arrondisement...you can spend the entire morning (they close at 1PM) there perusing from table to table and end your day walking home in the streets of Paris with a tote-ful of delicacies to prepare the sumptious evening 'repas'
The varieties of each food are endless and fabulous and fresh, the colors of the fruits and vegetables are brilliant, the energy at the marches are exhuberant, and venders are so proud of their products...This book really does take you back to feeling like you are there in the midst of a culinary feast; the recipes are easy and with US measurements, and the descriptions of each arrondisement gives you such a personal tour that you feel akin to each personality they present you with. This is really the true colloquial joie de vivre experience in Paris-a way to commune with nature's bounty. I highly recommend this book; 5 stars!! a true feast for the eyes!!

Nicolle Aimee Meyer and Amanda Pilar Smith have created a book that is part travel guide, part cookbook, part biography -- and all wonderful! The photographs are terrific. The text brings the markets and their people to life. And I can't wait to try some of the recipes, which are for many classic French favorites. Altogether a complete success! Bravo!!

Beautiful photography and lively writing make this a perfect gift this holiday season (or any time) for anyone who likes to eat and loves Paris. Even for a longtime resident of the City of Lights like myself, this book brings another Paris to life, one you will want to explore again and again, in these pages and of course like the authors did themselves, bicycling through every arrodisement, leaving no quartier unvisited, no fromage untasted, no croissant unfinished! A magnificent and original hommage sure to earn its place among the classics of cuisine and travel.

A must for anyone seeking out the real Paris, off the beaten track of tourist traps. Even if you can't visit more than two or three markets per visit to this wonderful city, this book will continue to be a major reference for seeking out these fascinating places of food, drink and 'objets'. Happy exploring!

I love this book! The cover roped me right in and before I knew it I was buying it. I am so glad I did. The book is organized by arrondissement; each chapter is devoted to one of them. They tend to focus on the biggest or best market in each arrondissement but they devote paragraphs to the others. The text itself is gracefully written and yet very convivial. For each of the main markets, the authors start you out on a typical Parisian morning and gently suggest the path you might want to follow as you navigate that particular market; it is almost as though they are walking along with you. They tell you what's available at each market and what are each market's strengths and weaknesses. You will be introduced to a lot of people - the butcher at the Marché d'Aligre, the poissonier at the Richard Lenoir, the organic farmer at the Batignolles market, the interesting old fellow who hawks bath salts as he soaks his feet in green water... I feel as though I'd be able to walk up to them and say hi. There's some history mixed in there, too, so you'll get to see some nice old photos and learn about everday Parisians of the past. And of course there are the recipes. Most of them appear delicious and a few rather exotic. Many of them come from the very people that you "met" in the chapter preceding, so you know they're authentic and the human element makes you want to try the recipe all the more.

I love Paris. This book really gives you a sense of what it is like to be there - colorful, vibrant, stately, modern, classic, young, old... Paris is all of these things and more at once. I went there seven years ago and I don't think I hit a single market. This book makes me feel incredibly well-equipped; I think that without it I would feel a bit intimidated. I plan to go back and I'm gonna bring this book with me!

I purchased this book for my first trip overseas. The information was accurate, easy to read and has become a great resource even after my trip for labelling my pictures etc. Rick's recommendations and advice for places to eat, sleep and visit were all without fault. I read the book from cover to cover before I left home and even on a couple of unplanned walks I was able to say "hang on a minute, these's something we need to see near here, I've read about it in the book". Sure enough we were one block away from about 4 sights and we saw them all.

Rick's museum tours were made so much easier with photos of works of art worth seeing and the descriptions were perfect for my previous lack of art appreciation. I would recommended the book to anyone planning a trip to London. The information was so reliable that I wouldn't hesitate to buy the current edition on a return trip to London so I knew I had up-to-date info at my fingertips.

Rick Steves gives excellent advice on what are the best sites to see, which are not worth your money, and secrets to make your tour of the city enjoyable. His advice on places to stay are very accurate too. If you are going to London and want a heads-up on the city then I highly recommend you get this book.

I am in London right now delighted with how helpful this book is. Many guide books try to give too much information and end up more like phone books. This book is perfect in that it gives you the most important information about what is worth seeing. His tips on saving time and money are right on. This is the best book you will find for a visit to London.

I loved this book. I used it to help plan my trip beforehand and it helped me re-evaluate the plan when I couldn't cover all the stops I wanted.
The information was very accurate with great tips.

My wife and I went to London for a week and this book was excellent for time management to see what we could actually pack in and what was worth checking out. Additionally, Rick's writing style is great and we often found ourselves laughing at his commentary that was right on the mark.

This was my first introduction to Kent Nerburn and I was fascinated by this fellow Minnesotan who calls himself a guerilla theologian. Unlike some of Nerburn's work, this is a direct narrative. Yet it touches on profound issues for those of us who grew up in the 'Fifties and came of age in the 'Sixties. The paradox is that one must leave home to find Home, and this can only be found within the depths of one's soul. Nerburn's account of his California quest makes this point in a good story well told.

A great read -- one of those one sitting books.

Nerburn lives in Minnesota but in mid-life gets a hankering to re-explore the west coast he remembers from his college years.

Some similarities to "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".

Makes me want to read some of the other things he's written.

Kent Nerburn's latest book is not only a road trip but a mind trip. It was a genuine pleasure to join Kent on his trek of re-discovery, and such are his descriptive and narrative talents, that the reader feels like a traveling companion -- as if Kent were telling you the story while you rode along in his car, or hoofed a trail beside him. His insights into American culture, human nature, and spirituality are keen and rewarding. This is a well-crafted book by an author who knows readers.

I read this book twice. It is either very confused or very brilliant. On the second reading I decided it was brilliant. This is a very penetrating analysis of some very big issues about what it means to be an American. Very poetic, too. Elusive and hard to categorize. Kind of travel, kind of cultural criticism. Weird religious overtones. This is a good writer, maybe a great one.

I just heard this author read in Ashland, Oregon. I did not know of him but his intelligence intrigued me so I bought the book. I think anyone who has ever relocated or contemplated a change in life should read this book. It is not only a wonderful read but a very profound examination of home and place. I will definitely recommend it to my most discriminating friends.

What a wonderful opportunity to "journey" to the Goddess sites all over the world! Karen's book provides an opportunity for each of us to begin to recognize those immages of the Goddess "hiding in plain site" in our own churches and public buildings.

This book is fabulous. With lots of historical sites to visit and worship the goddess. I learned of sites within hours of my hometown and plan to make a trip soon. It is uplifting and creates a sense of integrity of the feminine.

A wonderful and thorough look at the abundance of Goddess sites around the globe. This book leaves you wanting to journey and experience the sacred dwellings of the Goddess! Right on time!

After reading this book, I understand why people hole up in living room recliners with travel books. You feel like you have a friend named Karen leading you by the hand around the world to the Goddess. You actually feel you're inside Hina's Cave in Hawaii, or inside the Temple of Hera on the Island of Samos, or gazing at the Labyrinth in Britain's Glastonbury Tor. This book is dense with fascinating female-deity facts and blocks of solid info backed up by a 12-page bibliography. It's also packed with photos, drawings and maps, too - at least one to every page spread. I'm keeping this book handy as a reference source as well as a source of travel ideas.

~ Jeri Studebaker, author of Switching to Goddess: Humanity's Ticket to the Future

This book can be used by writers and adventurers the way some people use the bible. Flip it open randomly and read the page where you land. That page will provide you some insight into `herstory'-images and ideas to fuel your daydreams, your night visions, your literary adventures as well as your travel plans. It's a travel guide as well as an authoritative text. It is an opportunity to reach across time and continents and connect with the goddess-either by visiting in your physical aspect-or just making a spiritual pilgrimage from your altar.

With each of my daughters, when they hit 8th grade, I am planning to homeschool for a year-steeping them in goddess knowledge and understanding themselves before they are assaulted by all the `challenges' of high school. Your book could be our guiding text.

This is a great book. I couldnt put it down! - riotously funny in places but very poignant in others. Dont let the title put you off - this is a very memorable book and you will be glad you took the time to read it!

Bill Watkins' second book is at least as good as the first('A Celtic Childhood'), and continues the 'History of Bill' through his young adulthood with great adventure in Scotland('Course, he has to get there first). I rated this book five out of fibe stars only because that is the limit. It's easily a 10!

Bill,
Delighted to purchase Scotland is not for the squeamish. I'm buying a celtic childhood again to give as a gift, what a riot reading this book on the plane,with the headphones on and "Laughing out loud."well, its that sort of funny book

Watkins has only got better. This second of a trilogy has it all.To quote " a smile that would free anyone's soul from gravity. " Read on.

This continues Bill Watkins's autobiography through his time at sea, and in the Scotland of the late 60's and ealy seventies.

As well as the humour, you'll love the evocative prose, which with a surprisingly few words summons up as vivid a picture as any I've ever read.

Especially clever is his rendition of the Scots tongue.

His stories of the start of the Celtic music revival, of living "on the broo" in Edinburgh and the start of the "Silly Wizard" folk group will make anyone smile.

Author: Peg Kehret

Ages: 9-12

The secret journey is a great story about a girl named Emma. Emma is a twelve-year-old girl living in London. Her mother and father are journeying to France because of her mother becoming ill. Emma's parents think it is better if Emma does not come along. Emma was supposed to stay at her aunt's house with her cousin. Now Emma will do anything to get away from her aunt and annoying cousin Odolf. So she pretends to be a boy named William and sneaks on a ship that she thinks is going to France. But she is misled and ends up getting on an illegal ship that's going to Africa trading slaves! Then a horrible storm blows-in and wrecks the ship. Will Emma (or William) ever make it to shore? Will she survive?

It is very easy to relate to this book. I give the book 5/5 stars! This fast paced book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I used to not like reading because a lot of the books I read were boring, slow and had no plot to them. But occasionally there was a really good book I heard about and decided to read it. This book was one of those. My teacher told me about it and ever since I read it, it has been one of my favorite books.


About the Author

Peg Kehret has been awarded the "Children's Choice" award in 14 different states. Along with the Kite Award given by the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators and the PEN Center West Award for children's literature. The American Library Association, the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council normally recommend Peg Kehret's books.

How far would you go to be with your parents? 12 year old Emma went all the way to Africa and back to be with her parents.

This story took place on a ship but not just any ship. The Black Lighting was the most notorious slave ship afloat. Emma was told that this ship was the Wayfer. Now Emma is known as ship's boy Willam. Poor Emma landed on the coast of Africa with no supplies. What will happen to this courageous girl? Well I guess I'll tell you part of what happens to this daring girl. She rummages through the forest and... gets attacked by a bull! Then she finds fwigs. Well believe it or not I like it when she gets attacked by the bull because she finds food. Poor Emma from Liverpool to Africa. What could be worse?

I won't tell you anymore but I will tell you that I recommend this book to all my friends and family because of all the description made me make a picture in my mind. Yesiree Peg Kehret did a phenomenal job on this book.

The Secret Journey is a good book. It is about twelve-year-old Emma Bolton, who lives in England in 1834. Her mother is sick and she and Emma's father are going to France and leaving Emma with Aunt Martha and her hated cousin Odolf. In a desperate attempt to get away from the evil Odolf and go to France with her parents, Emma runs away to the docks of Liverpool and gets onto a ship that she is told is the one her parents are on. Too late, Emma realizes that she is on the wrong boat. She has stowed away on the Black Lightning, a slave ship. She is going to have to go all the way to South Africa and back, disguised as "William", the ship's boy. However, about halfway there, the ship sinks in a huge storm. Emma is the only survivor. She is stranded in the jungle of Africa with only chimps to keep her company. Will someone find Emma? Or will she be stuck here forever?

The Secret Journey is a fantastic book. It starts out when Emma's mother is sick and has to move to warmer climates. The only problem is that Emma's father won't let Emma go. That means she has to stay with her horrible cousin Odolf. Emma will do any thing not stay with Ololf. So Emma disguises herself as a boy. She sneaks on to a ship which she thinks is the ship with her parents on it. It turns out that she is on the worst slave ship afloat! Then a storm comes and Emma gets marooned on the coast of Africa. There she only has her wits to keep her alive. The theme of this book is don't give up.
Anyone who likes adventure would love this book.

The Secret Journey was very interesting to read! It is about a twelve-year old girl named Emma Bolton whose mother is deathly sick. The doctor advises Mr. Bolton that the only way to save his wife is to have her have lots of fresh air and complete rest by sailing to France. Emma's father arranges the trip on the ship Wayfarer...but decides to leave Emma with Aunt Matha and her Cousin Odolf, who she really hates. Emma is determined to go with her parents rather than to endure living with Odolf for months.

She then decides to sneak aboard Wayfarer and to stay with her sick mother. So she disguises herself as a boy and rushes on Monday midnight to the dock. There, when she asks which ship was Wayfarer, a man purposely instructs her to the wrong ship. The ship was Black Lightning, the most dangerous and worst ship anybody could ever go on.

Emma realizes too late that she was on the wrong ship and she is discovered. She then decides to keep acting as "William", ship's boy for the Captain Issac Bacon. Suddenly, a storm causes a shipreck and she is the only survivor as she is marooned on the coast of Africa.

She learns how to survive and it is very interesting for I like 'shipwreck stories'.

I'm sure anybody would like this exciting book! It's very fast paced and very enjoyable to read!