Guides and Directories Books

I was dismayed to discover many of my favorite little-known free campgrounds in this book. But not that many will use it anyway...It is terrific, a source material I wish I had years ago. The directions are especially good. I'd like maps with more detail, but you can always consult your free state travel map for this info.

This is the only book on this subject, and a comprehensiveguide. These days, it's tough to find a public campground space forless than $10 a night, and a private one for less than $20. So, finding a place to stay for free is a real treat, and great on the pocketbook. This book is helpful to all campers, whether traveling by RV or by car with a tent. -- Chuck Woodbury, editor, Free Campgrounds of the West

We spent 4 wks travelling across the west in our RV and only paid to camp 5 nights! This book helped save lots of money and got us to see places we never would have considered!

Definitely worth the money!

A 1998 pub (10th edition), with about 450 pages - 8.5x11" pages on newsprint stock. It starts with a brief rundown of general areas where one might find suitable overnight parking or free camping, and then launches into a state-by-state rundown. 45 states are represented (Alaska and Hawaii are two of the missing states). For each state, there is a map with markers showing where the BLM areas are. Following the map, there are brief sections entitled Rest Areas, State Parks, National Forests. Then come the bulk of the publication: the area-by-area listings - which are keyed back to the grid of the state map. To give you an idea of the quality of the listings, here is one for Cottonwood, Canyon de Chelly National Monument. "1 mi SE of Chinle on AZ 7, below visitor center. Free, but entry fee charged. All year; 14 day limit. 95 sites (RVs under 35 ft). Pull-thru spaces. Tbls, flush toilets, cfga, spigot drkg wtr, laundry, dump. Store, ice, food nearby. Campfire programs during summer. Hiking, picknicking, boating, fishing (Navajo Tribal Fishing Permit required) nearby. Motorbikes prohibited. No pets in canyon floor areas or on self-guiding White House trail; otherwise on leash. 3 group sites available by reservation. Reader says "a super free camp". TRAVEL TIP: Try the self-guided White House Overlook to the White House Ruins. Attend ranger campfire programs at campground on summer evenings." Continuing with the state of Arizona (as a representative state), there are 73 areas marked on the map, and within those areas there are 215 sites described. I have no independent way to assess reliability of the information, but it has the feel of being very well researched and maintained. All in all, this seems like an invaluable resource.

I drove from Berkeley to New York and used this book almost every night to find a place to sleep. This book tells you were to go, but it is very helpful to also have a map that shows more than major freeways because if you don't the directions can get hard to follow, will your driving around at 2am trying to find your campsite.

Written by students, this book distinguishes itself from other college guides in that you really get a good feel for the school, its social atmosphere, and its academics. Topics covered are: dorms and dining facilities, social life, alcohol, accessibility and friendliness of professors, the level of competition between students, extracurriculars, and much more. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking at colleges!

This book is very readable, and since it's for students by students, it has a little different perspective. I definitely recommend it. But, as an education counsellor, I would be remiss not to say what I have said about all the other college reference books. It doesn't tell you what the REAL purpose of education is. You need to UNDERSTAND why we have colleges in order to help you make the right decision and avoid making a big, life-changing mistake down the road. So, let me give you a heads up. Before you do anything, I recommend you first read the only book about understanding college and higher education in America. It's called "West Point", by Norman Thomas Remick. It's a book in which America's education guru Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers, through the founding of West Point (hence, the title), explain in simple language what is critical for colleges to accomplish for both you and America. It will bring the reasons for college into clear focus for you, as it did even for me as a professional, and help you make the right decision. Once you have read this book, which could have been called "Life's Most Important Questions, Answered", then go on and pour over the reference books. And, "The Insider's Guide To The Colleges" is certainly a five-star production.

This book is great! It reveals insider information such as student quotes and provides a true picture of each school. I am the author of The ABC's of College Life, a savvy street-smart guide, and I think the Insider's Guide to Colleges should be read by high schoolers as they conduct their college search.

As a parent of a high school senior, it is easy to get inundated with college-related literature. The whole college search process can be overwhelming. The information sent by the colleges themselves will, naturally, tell you why their college is THE ONE for you! This book is a nice balance to the "dry" information (which is very important!) since it has the real experience perspective of the students. When we are interested in a college, we check the information already received with the information in the "Insiders Guide..."

The final test will be when my high-school senior is a college freshman and we find out in the real world if the information in this book was accurate. (I"ll get back to you then!) So far - it is a help. Good Luck in your search!

The Insiders guide is a very incomplete and inaccurate view of America's college campuses. Many schools are missing and many basic facts are wrong. The authors probably talked to one or two students per campus or maybe none at all. As a director of a private high school, I would not recommend any of our students read this dribble.

If you plan on purchasing Directory Services Passport book I would recommend using this book as a quick overview before taking the 70-217 exam because that is the way it is setup. If you follow the MCSE track and the 70-217 exam is your 5th or later test in the track, this book will really become a redundancy of the information you have already learned. The information in it is very easy to read, almost too easy. To save yourself some money when you want a good starting foundation of Active Directory (in my opinion) is purchasing Mastering Windows 2000 Server by Sybex/Mark Minasi. You will get the same information with all aspects of Windows 2000 covered and a more enjoyable read.

This was an extremely helpful book -- easy, concise reading! Meyers knows how to get the point across and includes some useful graphics. A must-buy book by a computer guru!

Like the other books in the series, it covers topics very lightly and should be used as a last second quick study guide rather than a primary one. The CD-ROM includes a decent exam prep with questions tougher than those in the book.

Material and subject overview rated 5. Test preparation rated 1. Get Transcender.

I have attended SMS Security seminars by Mr. Kaczmarek which were very informative and presented in an enjoyable learning matter. This book was my main source of study material for the 70-217 exam which I passed on my 1st try. I have since bought many of the other Mike Meyers books, hoping they are organized and read as easy as this one. Kudos & Cheers!

It's finally great to see the weapons that they've been talking about in the books.!!!!!

This book is good. There are plenty of pictures, sourcing for items and where the surface in the universe, even a fairly decent description of most of them. But it didn't have the technical specifications that you would expect from a Star Wars Manual. It was lacking in a lot of fine details, and seemed ti have been made just to gloss over everything and make it look good. Ok, but not great.

Nice Diagrams, a few VERY good light saber comparison pages, nice description of companies that make the weaponry but mostly underwhelming with little information or obvious information on the actually weapons as well as very poor renders of the few that were rendered. I never got the original of this book but I did have the original Essential guide to vehicle's and vessels and it was MUCH better with no render only black and white artist sketches as well as more interesting diagrams.

I bought this as a Christmas present for my nephew. He is 9yrs old. He absolutely loved it. He can barely put it down. What a great purchase! I will definitely be ordering him the other Essential Guide Star Wars books too.

I was extremely pleased with what I got when I purchased this guide. It gives a detailed description of the anatomy, history, and use of every item in Star Wars. This guide is broken into sections. These are ranged weapons, melee weapons, starship and planetary weapons, superweapons, defenses and armor, security, and other equitment. The ranged weapons section covers everything from the simple dart shooter to the lethal disruptor rifle. Melee is similar, and it gives many descriptions of Yuuzhan Vong melee weapons(ugh). Starship and planetary weapons section covers many things, and the superweapons section is a very interesting section. I value this guide over the Vehicles and Vessels guide. Its setup is more structured and organized. In the beginning of this guide you can find a Major Manufacterers guide. Ian Fullwood has done an excellent job illistrating this guide. You can see everything. I strongly reccomend this guide to anyone who likes Star Wars, and it really helped me get into Star Wars. A must-have.

This book is a wonderful tool for anyone interested in going to a Catholic college. It thoroughly explains the role and responsibility of Catholic colleges in our society and also the importance of philosophy and theology as part of a college curriculum.

This Guide introduces 21 very different institutions from across the country (and even one in Canada) that represent the best of Catholic higher education, each in their own ways. I read this book from cover to cover, and now I have a much better idea of what I want to get out of my own college experience.

The book is geared more towards parents than students, but it is a great aid for anyone who is interested in Catholic higher education.

I only wish the Newman Society would compile a database of reviews covering all U.S. Catholic colleges and universities in order to better inform us about those colleges that didn't make the cut.

Fr. Kenneth Baker, Editor of Homiletic and Pastoral Review magazine said this about The Newman Guide - "This book is good news for parents who want to send their children to a Catholic college that is truly Catholic. I recommend the book highly for priests and counselors who deal with high school graduates who are looking for a Catholic college."
I read the entire book and found it to be a straight-shooting, candid look at what goes on in truly authentic Catholic schools. It is refreshing!
We sent our daughter to one of those 21 colleges it recommends. Her Catholic faith has been nurtured there and she has grown intellectually as well. I couldn't be happier with the "consistency" between
- what she learned at home
- what is reinforced at this Catholic College
(Benedictine in Atchison, KS)
- what The Newman Guide said about this college
I liked the book so much I bought a 2nd copy and donated it to our local Catholic high school, where it is visible in the counselor's office. For anyone who takes choosing a Catholic college seriously(and wants the inside scoop) this is a most valuable book.

Most colleges are places who's goal through their environment and teaching is to make young people question their faith til they lose it. They do not need this at this time in their life. If nothing is more important to you than your soul go to one of these 21 colleges. There is a good Catholic college for every type of student. The book explains all aspects of the schools it lists.

Anyone looking for colleges that wholeheartedly embrace the maturity, beauty, meaningfulness, incomparable treasure of living the Catholic faith, must consult this book. Mom and Dad, Your children may lose their Faith in these schools, but it will take a lot of work on the part of the Devil to accomplish it.

I am becoming more and more frustrated with an attitude among certain sectors of conservative Catholics (with whom I strongly identify, to be sure), that in order to be truly Catholic you have to be just like them in all of your beliefs and practices. I teach at a high school with many committed Catholic families, so I heard about this book from parents and students. What I heard was that my particular university was relegated to an appendix, and they wondered why this was so. Although in the broader culture Notre Dame is so often held up as the pinnacle of Catholic higher education, in conservative circles it is fashionably derided as a haven for "heretics." The fact of the matter is that Richard McBrien is not the only professor of theology, and that even he is still a teacher in good standing with the Church... he's no Roger Haight (Weston Jesuit), Charles Curran (formerly CUA), or Hans Kung (Tubingen). There are MANY wonderful Catholic professors at Notre Dame (and at other colleges not in this book) who are quite devout personally besides being excellent scholars. In a large and vibrant theology department there should be scholars of different approaches who are willing to consider controversial questions. If we cease to do that, quite simply, we cease to be "Catholic."

But this review is not just about the fact that they excluded my university from consideration. I do have tons of anecdotal evidence about all of the amazing Catholic people at ND; it was not and is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it by all means should be given full respect in a book like this. The deeper issue, and the reason for this review, concerns the nature of the Catholic university. Nowadays, it seems that kids aren't grown up by the time they are 18, and parents are looking for places where their kids can go and be inculturated in a Catholic environment. That sounds great. But that is NOT a university. A university is a place of education, a place of dialogue and inquiry. It is not an indoctrination center or a holding tank where kids can hang out in an insulated setting for four years. The term "university" connotes the range of pursuits of a scholarly community, while "college" can refer to residences where students live. The very word derives from a shared set of rules (con+lege (with+law) = college). The anecdotal evidence I have heard is that some colleges strongly recommended in this book are intellectually and culturally stifling, as many kids have a homogenized and authoritarian worldview. To be sure, secular universities have tremendous problems of their own, but the solution is not to retreat into a Catholic ghetto. There is also a selection about what parts of the magisterium need to be held to with unswerving obedience. I have met graduates of these universities with decidedly un-Catholic understandings of the interpretation of Scripture (Divino Afflante Spiritu / Dei Verbum never happened), the role of Mary (Marian excess), the nature of Christ (abundant crypto-monophysitism) and the nature of the Church (sacramental gas-station), for example.

The proximate cause of this review is that I read an article last night on the strange ignorance/avoidance of serious modern Christian philosophy even among even Catholic scholars. It just so happened that half of the names this author furnished (Alvin Plantinga & Peter van Inwagen) as philosophers who do this teach at Notre Dame. Benedict Groeschel and Peter Kreeft, apparently involved in the writing of this book, are wonderful and intelligent Catholics, but they are writers of popular books and not academics (well, Kreeft is a professor but concentrates on popularizing). Their missions of all these men are important--we need the rigorous inquiry in the university and also those who take their insights to the people.

The interface between Church authority and the academy is complex and has been for a long time. One interesting thing that I have learned is that Thomas Aquinas, whom many of these schools look to as patron, described not one magisterium but two magisteria--that of the pastoral office of the Church and the teaching office of the university. The cutting edge of theology is almost always viewed with suspicion, and there is no better example than Aquinas himself, who was condemned by so many in his time for his teachings. Yet, look at the reverence accorded him today. Would these same critics assail his institution as insufficiently Catholic?

There is a sage piece of advice in their brief, agonized write-up on Notre Dame: that parents should make sure that their children are well-formed before they send them there. What I would prefer would be to see that same caveat applied to ALL Catholic colleges and universities, and for more universities to be included that are making an earnest effort to be both Catholic and a University. The crisis in Catholic education has much more to do with widespread, insufficient catechesis on the parish level rather than a few dissenting professors at universities that take their mission as such seriously.

I used the 2nd edition of this book when I was an undergraduate searching for a good grad school. I found the information to be clear, and, for the most part, accurate. Of course, teachers and institutions can change rapidly, so a student would be wise to consult a university's website or recruiting materials for the most up-to-date information, but I found the print guide to be a good starting point. I am now a university music teacher and recently had one of my students use the 3rd edition while searching for a grad school.

Yes, this book is primarily intended for high school students. However, a graduate student may also find it to be of use...I did!

I bought this guide to help me decide on a dance program, particularly between two in Arizona. Unfortunately there are lots of typos in the book, it seems as if it hasn't been edited (at least the dance section). Some of the mistakes are the following:

1-The schools such as Temple University, Texas Christian University and Towson State University appeared under the "recommended" and "noteworthy" categories for dance. However, in the full description of each school the Author's Comment states all three as " recommended" for dance.

2- The University of Arizona, Tucson is listed in the "noteworthy" category for dance, but later in the full description the Author's Comment reads, "highly recommended" for dance.

I was very confused as to which to believe; the list of schools by category or the Author's Comment. Over all, for me these mistakes are misleading and detract from the credibility of the guide.

On the good side the guide provides you with a lot of information on what to expect from the auditions, and even show you examples of evaluation sheets the teachers use in schools such as Julliard.
It is mostly geared to High school students so if you are an adult seeking to study dance, most of the information will not be helpful.

You might think that this is a guide for students already in college, but beware. Though it has some good advice, it is supposed to be written for high school students wanting to major in drama, dance, or music in college.

A second warning: This book is dated, five year-old material.

After a long and grueling search, I was coming up empty handed on a really thorough resource to satisfy what I was truly looking for to speed up my college choice. This is what I was REALLY looking for to give me the substantial and real answers I desperately sought after for all my college questions. Finding this book was by far the best thing to help me along in my difficult college search.

I have the second edition of this guide and it is loaded with not only a listing of schools and programs in schools for every type of preforming art but also gives hints on how to audition for these schools, what monologues to do,what to wear at an audition , types of careers a performing arts majore can go into after completion of a preforming arts training or education plus a slew of periododicles(sp?)on the performing arts and sources where they can be bought or ordered. So I can only imagine what is included in this newer 4th edition of this valuable guide now I think with an additional 34 more pages than before. I highly reccomend this Guide.

I'm a very fair person, and try to give things a chance, but this book was just absolutely terrible.

Examples of the websites they have under clothes:
Brooksbrothers.com
AbercrombieandFitch.com
T-Shirts.com
BananaRepublic.com

Adding a ".com" to a popular brand is not very helpful at all. More than half of these website I could have found on my own without using a search engine. There are a few highlights such as Karmaloop.com (although this website is really not that hard to find either), but the brunt of these entries were the figurative surface of the ocean.

If you are looking for some cool t-shirts try a search engine and some good sites such as coolhunting.com

After buying the PURPLEBOOK last year and finding it so helpful, I had to buy the 2005 edition of THEPURPLEBOOK. It is superb! I do not like to shop and am idea challenged, so this is the perfect answer. I love the way the book is so easy to use. Its' wealth of information about online shopping sites is unsurpassed. I am able to go to a category and find a source with great ease. It is also a wonderful tool to get great ideas by looking through the book, reading the detailed information and then going to the designated sources. The information is reliable and up to date. What a wonderful treasure and now I can truly "let my fingers do the walking." A BEST BUY!

I got last year's Purple Book just in time for holiday shopping and it was unbelievably helpful. But the new 2005 edition is so much BETTER! I am a shopaholic but without time to hit the malls so I'm addicted to online shopping. For me, the Purple Book makes it easy and safe. I can research best buys, hard-to-find, one-of-a-kind items, etc. They have very specific categories so you don't waste time looking at sites that don't fit your needs - or your wallet! Descriptions are VERY detailed so you know just what to expect at each site. Plus they rate the sites for you. The whole book is really comprehensive, but laid out in an easy-to-read style so you don't feel overwhelmed. With Christmas just around the corner, The Purple Book is exactly what us hardcore shoppers need!

I bought the purple book 2005 looking for information on the best sites for 2005. It's easy
to read and you can find same sites under different catagories. The
really neat thing about this book is there is a list of keywords at the beginning
of each chapter. Best way to find a site is under keywords right?
The book is laid out with a lot most well known sites but I did find a few I had
never heard of under catagories I do alot of research in.
Still there are a few that I couldn't see why they were listed, but to each
their own I guess.
After I looked over the sites online I can see why they are listed.
They also list the real good parts about a site as well as something items they feel
needs correcting, like why a site is wildly
popular but still finding anything on it is a test in patience!
They listed one site that I knew was like hunting for buried
treasure while trying to find anything!
If just looking for a list of sites for shopping in a book form
without having to hunt all over the web this then this
book for you.

The purplebook 2005 is a good internet shopping guide which includes a large selection of items available for online sale. It also includes information related to websites that offer to send you goods from online shops that do not deliver internationally as well as charities for those who want to give.
It is a well presented reference book. I was disappointed when I realized that I purchased the 2005 version less than one month before the publication of the 2006 edition. The 2005 edition did not provide a free subscription to access the guide's website with the updated information. In others books I purchased through Amazon, each edition had access to some kind of an online update.
It may be worth considering a subscription to the site instead of buying the book in case the book is available in a public library.

This is a fantastic guide to MBA programs for non-geographically challenged Americans. The first part of the book discusses admission requirements, the objectives of an MBA and the results of a global survey with academics, students and alumni. The second part provides listings of over 100 schools, including the biggest and best in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

In addition, they have just launched a website alongside the print guide...

This book gives a lot of usefull information about a lot of MBA programs, but I found a lack of top ten U.S. schools. Some of them are missing, there is a huge gap between the best schools and those ranked below. (Some of them are ranked below #100).

I prefer this book than browsing the net because at a glance you can have interesting information of many, many MBA's and the information is well organized. GMAT means, ratio applications/accepted, strong subjects, deadlines, number or students, main features, % of student body, all the basic information to get to know what an MBA may you offer and wheter it's appealing depending on your targets.

The europen chapter is better than anyone. The U.S. chapter is not wide enough, but not bad.

If you are deciding to which MBA you should apply, this book will help you to shorten your starting list and focus on 10 to 12 MBA programs. Then which one to choose it's up to you

This series used to contain "raw comments" from students which I found very interesting. Now, Business Week is the only one that publishes them.

Interesting statistics, good summaries. But pretty duplicative of any other book, web site, WSJ, BW, etc.

Except for international. Very highly recommended if you're looking at international schools off the beaten path.

Getting long in the tooth.

While this book covers North American b-schools, it is particularly valuable if you are interested in a European business school. We particularly like the primary source research from the surveys. While we would have liked to have seen even more quotes from the purported 4,500 survey respondents, this is certainly the most authoritative source we have found for European, particularly British, MBA programs. Additionally, we have received nothing but positive feedback Which MBA? (both the current and previous editions) from our clients.

Where American business schools are concerned, this book says really nothing new: it gives basic stats for admission, salaries, ; it describes the nuts-and-bolts of the curriculum, etc. There is really nothing in the way of editorial comments from students, faculty, recruiters, or for that matter from the authors. It's just the facts, mam.

The approach for European schools is the same, but I know of no other book that mentions more than even, say, half a dozen European schools. This book has about 100 pages of info on British schools (which is almost as much as they have for the U.S.) and almost as much again for "continental" Europe. So if you are interested in schools in Europe beyond the top six or so, you will actually need this book. It will be handy (but incomplete, since it lacks much qualitative information).

If you are a U.S. student (or intend to be), the basic Business Week guide gives the same basic information and adds a lot of qualitative info to. Buy it instead for this country.

I refer to the 8th edition, available since 1996. A really useful guide. I strongly recommend it to each and every potential taker for the expensive MBA studies.

The best book I have seen in one year searching and investigating about MBAs,GMAT, European vs American programs,etc. If you are planning to buy this book, wait for the 2001 edition which should have recent data.

Don't waste your time looking up for another book, this is THE MBA BOOK.

Do not expect some key information about Harvard, Wharton or NYU. This book just lists about 200 MBA with a quick overview (2 pages) on each. If you want to apply to an MBA in Australia or in China, this book can give you all the basic information you need to know.

"WHICH MBA?" is a valuable source of information for understanding the student composition and curriculums of MBA programmes all over the world. I appreciated Bickerstaffe's focus on European programmes. Often it is very difficult to find information on programmes outside the U.S. "WHICH MBA?" does not attempt to rank MBA programmes or assess thier reputation. It merely provides facts.

This book is a godsend to anyone contemplating one of the many top-notch MBA programs outside of the US. Bickerstaffe doesn't attempt to "rank" the schools, which seems to be the only way anymore that the US programs are described in the guidebooks. Instead, he provides factual information often difficult to locate anywhere else. I was surprised to find a book like this existed. Great find.

Added this to my toolbelt - it's well used already. I highly recommend this for all writers.

I have been a widely published writer since 1982 and used WM every year. The 2009 edition is a joke and appropriate only if you are a writer in Canada or Australia. There new entries are mostly in those two countries and not practical for US writers. They have not been "honest" about their new entries.

The Writer's Market 2009 Deluxe Edition is vastly updated from the 2007 edition, which I had. There are at least 100 new Literary Agents catalogued in the text, which is what I was looking for. Also, the online resources may prove to be very useful.

After publishing over 20 books (Banned Plays: Censorship Histories of 125 Stage Dramas (Facts on File Library of World Literature),Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work (Critical Companion to ...),Encyclopedia of Mistresses,Writing Clearly: A Self-Teaching Guide,Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds (Banned Books),How to Write Articles for Newspapers & Magazines, 2/e (Step By Step (Thomson Learning (Firm)).),Agatha Christie A to Z: The Essential Reference to Her Life & Writings (The Literary a to Z Series),Edgar Allan Poe A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work (Literary A to Z),Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds (Banned Books)) and numerous magazines articles, I still turn to the Writers' Market for new ideas and information on magazine markets. The Deluxe Edition online feature is excellent in saving me time and in providing up-to-the-minute name and policy changes -- well worth it.

This book is great if you're a freelance writer looking for gigs, or love writing in general....if you are more specifically inclined to short stories or novels, I do not recommend this one...go for the short stoty/novel edition- it will contain more information on your particular interests...this is so big and tries to do so much, it covers little in depth