Theme Parks Books

Thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous photography of my childhood haunts- I went to grammar school in the Cook Forest area and not long ago when a friend was planning to visit for the first time I handed her this book (I work in a library) as a preview-she was hooked. Mr. Cook has captured all the untouched magic of Pennsylvania forests and packaged it up so we can all carry about a bit of solitude in our busy lives.

You'd never guess from reading this bookthat Anthony Cook was not a professional author or photographer. As a long time visitor to the cook forest, I can testify that the author has beautifully captured the spirit and history of these magnificent woods.

This beautiful book of photographs is begun with a fascinating description of the forest's history. I didn't realize that Pennsylvania had such a dramatic history involving the early timber industry and later with conservationists. This book quickly makes you realize how lucky we are to have old-growth forests in America.

This is a marvellous compendium of useful facts about the world's largest theme park. I found it highly illuminating - it has profoundly altered the way I percieve Walt Disney World and its manifold attractions. Since I first tried it a few years ago, I've been using this book to guide my various trips to Disney World ever since.

I had a great vacation with this book

Since the choices in the field of Disney-related guides are vast, I was amazed that one should rise so far to the top of the class. The work is informative and wittily written. Fenster's humor will keep you rolling and his completeness smokes the competition. This ought to be the bible for any family or individual planning a Central Florida vacation. A really fabulous resource which directed my family's vacation and will do so again.

I bought this for my husband the year we MULED down the Grand Canyon (I don't recommend that BTW) and it was so beautiful we bought it for my brother-in-law for Christmas

Take this wonderful guide to the Grand Canyon. Not only is it informative and visually beautiful it enhances your spiritual understanding and love for the natural beauty of this magical place. Robert Hutchinson's text takes you on an awesome adventure.

Wow! This is not just your normal big photo book to set on the coffee table for an occasional browse through. This is a book to savor, page by page, slowly and with thoughtful contemplation of the stunning images presented both by the photographers and the author. From the first paragraphs of the introduction, I realized this book offers an unusual journey, as the author explains, in elegant prose, his reasoning for taking the reader UP the Colorado River rather than down. Here is a book worthy of being used as a reference in any historical geography or geology class, yet read from cover to cover for its literary appeal. Even those who have not visited the Grand Canyon in person will gain an awesome appreciation for this wonder of nature by traveling with the author and photographers through the pages of this masterpiece.

For Animal Kingdom fans, there isn't a lot of published information that focuses on the theme park. Malmberg's book is a rare gem for several reasons: it is an in-depth look at the creation of the park; a thorough look at the team, the political process and environmental issues; and most importantly, it is one of the few resources that looks at the step-by-step development of a Disney theme park--how it grew from a small team led by Joe Rohde to a cast of thousands.

This book reflects the Animal Kingdom in so many ways. The park was shepherded by Imagineer Joe Rohde, who had the vision and the desire to keep the project moving forward. Ms. Malmberg was able to collect the stories of the Imagineers, follow their progress and take us behind the scenes of the park. She interviewed key people that were there from the beginning: Joe Rohde, Rick Barongi and Zofia Kostyrko. You get the feeling that you were there, day-by-day, watching as they create the park.

You learn, early on, that the Imagineers knew they needed one thing to make the park a success; their rallying cry was Proximity Equals Excitement! During one budget and planning meeting, the Imagineers, unbeknown even to Marty Sklar, brought in a 400 pound female Bengal tiger that walked around the conference room while Rohde spoke. The executives got the point and let the group move forward (p. 25). They were able to try and develop new means of getting the guests closer to the animals--safely, of course.

You get a detailed look at how the art (re: buildings, details, interiors, roofs, painting) was constructed using as many local and foreign talents as available. Sculptors, thatchers and artisans were brought in from all over the world. Malmberg spends a lot of time looking at the backstage care and living areas. Since Disney was creating a park that would, inevitably, be compared to zoos, there is a focus on how Disney treats the animals. The first two animals to arrive, the giraffes Miles and Zari, were greeted with tears and cheers. Malmberg goes into great detail explaining how the animals were procured, transported and acclimated to the park.

The book is filled with photos, artwork, and concept drawings. One of the final sections looks at the next few years of the Animal Kingdom. Asia is the next land planned with the river ride and the Maharajah Jungle Trek opening first. The possibility of a new hotel called the Animal Kingdom Lodge, with savanna views, is even mentioned! The very last section is a listing of all the Imagineers that worked on the Animal Kingdom. Eight pages of names.

The park has come a long way in 10 years.

Bottom Line: This is a one-of-a-kind resource for Disney fans. There is not another work that takes such a detailed look at the making of the Animal Kingdom or a Disney theme park. There is a lot of discussion about conservation and animal care--this is not a negative, but the whole work is a balanced look at the creation of the park. There are chapters dedicated to the creation of the attractions and lands, but equal attention is paid to the zoological needs of the park. There is a lot less of the geeky stuff and more a look at the animals and their care. Ms. Malmberg is able to capture the passion of those involved and it translates very well to the written word. You will enjoy this work for the vast detail dedicated to the creation of a Disney theme park.

This is a wonderful look behind the scenes at a truly magical park. I had the priviledge of working for Walt Disney Imagineering from 1996 through 2000. My main assignment was supporting the engineers' computers during the construction of Animal Kingdom. As I recall Melody was all over the place and now I know why. She has done a spectacular job of documenting how the park was put together. From the drawings and sketches to the actual construction photos, this book gives names to the many talents that were brought together to create this masterpiece.

This is the first book that takes a look at *how* Disney designs and builds its theme parks. This information was once only available to those who work for Walt Disney Imagineering and others in the Walt Disney Company. Now, we all get to go behind the scenes to learn how it's done--from the experts themselves. This book is a must-have for any fans of Walt Disney Imagineering

Mara-Serengeti captures the essence of living in the Mara-Serengeti region in a way that you would not experience in a dozen safaris to Africa. The images of predators, prey, wildlife migrations, and the Masai bring you close up during moments of blazing color in the sky and dramatic action in the grasslands. The images are improved by thoughtful essays that draw on the photographers' many years of experience with these subjects.

The animal photographs are mostly grouped by subject and include lions, leopards, zebras, wart hogs, impalas, cheetahs, wildebeest, hyenas, crocodiles, vultures, and wild dogs. The subjects are usually of animal families, migration, killing, and eating in often symbolic settings for these activities. The Masai images come at the book's end, sort of completing the evolutionary progression of the food chain.

You probably have heard of the Serengeti. It's a vast grassland in Tanzania, and is now protected as the Serengeti National Park there. The Masai Mara National Reserve is in neighboring Kenya, and the two lands are connected geographically, if not politically. A map in the book will display all of this for you. This site is the area where humans probably first walked the face of the Earth, and the dwindling of these remarkable spaces marks the potential for us to lose our ability to visualize our roots.

The name, Serengeti, in Masai means "land of endless space." The closest we have to this habitat in the United States that I have seen is the brief enclosure in the wild animal park that the San Diego zoo maintains near Escondido, California.

The action photographs impressed me the most. These show predators literally flying and spinning in the air just before they land while the terrorized prey wheels desperately away. The action is captured almost like a key play in a sporting event. That's pretty typical of the photography here. The images emphasize action and perspectives that you do not yet have, and this book will add wonderfully to your sense of the special nature of the grasslands of Africa.

After you have finished expanding your vision of natural selection, I suggest that you think about the ways that our lives are enhanced by understanding our origins and how our lives are not. How can we draw inspiration from nature and stand in our most meaningful role?

Look for what few have seen . . . always! Truth will emerge from your trial.

This book was more than I had hoped for. The moments captured are extrordinary, some of the best photos of African Wildlife I have ever seen. I haven't read the text yet, but the captions by the photos are very informative and contain little interesting tidbits I didn't know. I have a lot of coffee table books and this is definitely a favorite.

Having been to this area of Africa three times, twice in the Masi Mara and once to the Serengeti this book brings me back over and over again to this heaven on earth. The combination of drawings, photographs, and writing of Jonathan and Angela Scott are outstanding. This is my all time favorite book. The love these authors feel for this area and the animals and people who live there comes through on every page. For anyone who has the slightest interest in wild animals, ecology, photography, art, travel or Africa this book is a must have. Awesome!

What a beautiful book! Covering all of our nation's National Parks, David Muench's photography is incredible. From the Great Sand Dunes to Canyonlands, from Carlsbad to Glacier, he's captured our nation's most beautiful land. Great quality book--I immediately wanted to hike up a mountain.

Another stunning book of American Landscape!!
He never cease to amaze me after so many years.
Bob Kim

After seeing these photos, I'm further inspired to visit all the national parks!
The essays were unnecessary and took space away from additional photos.

The bottom line here is absolutely incredible photography. Of course that's the only way to try to present the sheer beauty of the national parks to the reader. Although the name is National Parks and Wildlife Refuges it also includes seven state park areas in Indiana, South Dakota, and Minnesota. With parks as diverse as the Badlands, Great Smoky Mountains, White Sands, and Yellowstone, the color, light, and patterns are diverse and spectacular. There is little information provided about the parks but it does include maps of where the state parks are located and information on each of the photographs. This is a beautiful book just to spend time looking through and a wonderful introduction to the scenic beauty of our national parks. Our National Parks and Wildlife Refuges is a highly recommended book.

Our National Parks And Wildlife Refuges: Capturing The Rhythms Of Light And Land is a truly breathtaking compendium of natural photography of scenes from America's national parks and wildlife refuges, from Custer State Park to Indiana Dunes, Yellowstone, and much more. Captivating views of sunrise, wild animals, untamed forest and much more dominate this colelction, which offers a brief text embellishment to its genuinely captivating images.

On par with the great photographers of our time. Stunning photos of our parks and natural heritage.

I am a big fan of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and vacation there every summer! I thought this book was excellent since it captured all of the Boardwalk history and displayed lots of excellent photos. I bought this book for my 10 year old nephew and he loved it! He and grandpa keep thumbling thru it together.

Having been born and raised and still living in Santa Cruz, this book brings back so many memories. It is a beautifully illustrated book with so many wonderful colored pictures. A wonderful souvineer book for anyone to have of a very unique place.

The pictures make this book! It would have been great if there were a few more pictures of the various rides.. but thats not what this book is about. From 1800s to 2007, it's all in here!

We just returned today from our Universal Orlando adventure. We found the book very helpful since we had never visited Universal before. The summaries of each attraction and food/shopping in each park were great. We used it to plan our daily schedule and even to choose our seats on each ride to maximize our enjoyment!

For anyone planning a vacation to Universal Studios Orlando, this book is a must! With so many guide books on the Orlando attractions, USO gets only a brief mention. So when I found this book, I was thrilled. It covers everything you need to know when planning - when to go, where to stay, where to eat. It lists each attraction and show in great detail. There is a section on each hotel on the property, which is very detailed and very helpful, as well as a section just on City Walk, the entertainment area of USO. Even if you've been to USO in the past, I think this is a great book to keep you up-to-date on the parks and hotels. Very well written by Kelly Monaghan!

This is such a great book if your trip to Orlando is going to feature a trip to the Universal Parks. It is so hard to find a book that has quality input on any park other than Walt Disney World. For the families who are planning to venture beyond that park and into the world of Universal Studios, this guide book is a must. It has exciting descriptions of all of the rides, great input on dining and lodging, and will get you pumped up and ready to go!!

Really great photos of mounatin scapes in and about Yosimite. Waterfalls, forests, mountains and sky. Typical Ansel, most flawless.

This is a beautiful book. I suspect the pints are as high in quality as Ansel would have wished them.
I'm glad I bought this book and will enjoy the pictures contained within it for many years.

Ansel Adams is SO, like, awesome!!!

These photographs are simply breathtaking! Ansel Adams had this uncanny knack for taking the beautiful mountains, trees, clouds and waterways of the High Sierras, and making them look beautiful. It's so amazing contemplating an Ansel Adams photograph: How he took something only visually stunning and transforming it into something so visually stunning is simply astounding!

How DID he do that?