Travel Books

I ordered this book with some skepticism as i did not want to be drawm into another dreary account of the significance of the temples. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book very readable and throught provoking. Granted that throughout the book you are subject to the author's bias in interpretation (which he is forthright about) but it is an excellent way to add depth to a visit to the temples and as a starting point for further research if one so desires. Personally for me being a hindu, it was fascinating to discover the similarities between ancient egypt and our own vedic past which I am ashamed to admit I was rather clueless about!!

I used this guide when I travelled to Egypt in '87 and it served me well. I would have missed so many interesting sites if I had to relie on most travel books and tour guides for information on what I could and should see. I continue to use the book for info in my continuing studies on Ancient Egypt. Thank you Anthony West for your tireless efforts to bring to new light the many wonders of this astonishing place.

Now in a updated and expanded new edition, John West's The Traveler's Key To Ancient Egypt continues to be the definitive guide to all of the sacred places of ancient Egypt. The ideal traveler's guidebook is enhanced with maps, diagrams, and photos to accompany the history and spiritual significance of Egypt's art, architecture, mythology, religion, and ritual practices. From the Pyramids of Giza to the Valley of the Kings, this traveler's guide reveals the hidden meaning of monuments, ancient city sites, as well as new research on the dating of the Sphinx. Travel tips include tour information, Nile cruises, what to bring and what to wear, shopping advice, as well as information on money, hotels, and restaurants. If you are planning a trip to the Land of the Pharaohs, beginning with a thorough perusal of John West's The Traveler's Key To Ancient Egypt!

This book is essential for any traveller to Egypt with a mind that is even slightly ajar, let alone open.

West gives an alternative account of the meaning of the monuments and antiquities to be seen in Egypt, more esoteric (though certainly not more difficult to understand) than that which is usually presented in guide books. He points out the details which brought him to the conclusion that the Giza Sphinx is in fact closer to 13,000 years old than the 4,500 years old that has been traditionally believed, and has a different viewpoint to the orthodox school in many cases. He presents both sides of the argument, and gives the information necessary to make up one's own mind based on observation of what is actually there to be seen.

On my first visit to Egypt, my companions and I felt rather sorry for tourists in groups with official guides, because they seemed to be missing out on at least half of the story, and in many cases the whole point.

I was particularly impressed with West's analysis of the architecture of the Temple of Luxor, based on the work of Schwaller de Lubicz, and once it was pointed out how the whole building maps onto a plan of the human skeleton, I found it very difficult to refute.

Whilst I did not always agree with his conclusions on every occasion, it cannot be disputed that West has raised thoroughly pertinent questions which conventional Egyptology has either glibly brushed under the carpet or failed to address at all.

If you want a guide book with more than the basic superficial run of the mill tourist info this book is for you.

Lots of maps, tips and explanations of the deeper meaning behind the sites you're visiting.

I'm bringing this book with me on my trip!

If you're going down this Trail or even part of it, you'll want to read this little gem and take it with you for interesting info, tidbits and route directions. Two other wonderful Trail books are: Walking the Trail, One Man's Jounrey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, in which the author WALKS the 900 mile route of the Trail of Tears (by Jerry Ellis) and On the Trail of the Pony Express (by Jerry Ellis.) Walking the Trail was nominated for a Pulitzer.

As others have noted, a well researched and well organized guide. There's now a competing publication endorsed by Stephen Ambrose, whose book "Undaunted Courage" sparked renewed national interest in Lewis and Clark. After browsing that one, published by Montana Magazine in a magazine format, I can report that 1) it has advertising, and 2) it omits details found in Julie Fanselow's book. Stick with Julie.

I do hope she has an updated edition in the works for the upcoming Lewis and Clark bicentennial. A few points of information need to be added or changed to keep pace with developments. For instance: starting in 2003, access to the Lolo Motorway, the L&C route from Montana to Idaho, will be by permit only.

Traveling The Lewis And Clark Trail served as our family "bible" for retracing the Lewis and Clark trail (July 2004). While we had several guidebooks, we constantly asked "What does Julie say ... ?" Her recommended itinerary was very useful and served as the starting point for our planning. Overall, we found it very clear and accurate. While the book does not focus on "roughing it," we were especially pleased with the coverage of camping and hiking options along the trail.

We enjoyed having Julie along. (She was voted honorary member of the family.)

With Julie and a copy of Lewis and Clark's journals, you'll be ready for your own Journey of Discovery.

This is an excellent book if you are planning to drive the trail. It lays out a daily schedule with places of interest, miles to next stop, and how long it should take you. I was very happy with the purchase.

Now in an expanded and updated bicentennial edition, Traveling The Lewis And Clark Trail by travel author Julie Fanselow is an invaluable and "user friendly" resource that modern-day enthusiasts can use to retrace the route of the two famous early American explorers commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson after acquiring the Louisiana Purchase from the French. Filled with from cover to cover with authoritative information concerning activities, attractions, recommended itineraries, maps, black-and-white photographs, and more, Traveling The Lewis And Clark Trail is a comprehensive and enthusiastically recommended guide for any vacationer seeking to retrace footsteps of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their companions.

Spellbinding. The introduction, written by a different author, presented a history of exploration in Ethiopia in relatively dry mountaineering terms -- typical "stiff upper lip" and all that. I was prepared to wade through a pedestrian account of a climber in a remote corner of the world. What I found, however, was the sheer joy and exuberance of a young climber rediscovering a forgotten gem. The climbing, though superbly photographed and described, takes a back seat to well-limned essays about Ethiopia itself, and the author's incredulity at the history, beauty and current state of the country and its people. Highly recommended for travelers and climbers alike.

This book is cool! Burhardt's photos and text capture the collage-like qualities of true adventure. Along with Burhardt and her intrepid companions, we get to feel our way through the colors, textures, people, and, of course, rock of Ethiopia. What a place, what a journey, what a story.

The incredible photography is what first grabs you - and indeed, it's published as a beautiful coffee-table style book. But once you start reading the text, it's hard to stop. Burhardt is a gifted storyteller and a poetic wordsmith. She shines an insightful light on a country that is so rich and complex - and so misunderstood. You will feel as if you are living the adventure with her - which is the sign of any great read.

I am neither a rock climber nor an adventurer so when a friend sent it to me, I wasn't sure it was my kind of thing... but wow! Its a great read! The pictures alone are well worth the cover price, but it is
Burkhardt's writing that is really fun and compelling, and often downright funny. Initially I wasn't aware that the intro was written by someone else and was a bit bored by mundane geography and geology facts, but within the first paragraph of Majka's writing she had me laughing out loud at her childhood impressions of Ethiopia via dinner table commands to finish her food due to African famines and singing all the verses of We are the World out loud with her friends. That was my first impression as well and I didn't know much else about the country today until I read this book. The rock climbing shots are amazing and the photos of the locals are truly beautiful. My favorite part of the story was a hair- raising tale of the climbers ascending some gnarly vertical spire only to get to the top where a bunch of village kids met them after scrambling up the back. I learned alot about Ethiopia and rock climbing, but mostly I enjoyed Majka's stories and Rogel's photos. I read it in one long sitting and leave it out on my coffee table to thumb through the pictures over and over...!

This is an amazing book. Both the writing and the photography are incredible - you get a real feel for the experience of climbing in a gorgeous and rugged landscape, and at the same time you learn a tremendous amount about Ethiopia and its people.

This is a wonderful book for those who have been to Charleston or are interested in the history of this beautiful city. The artwork is fantastic and the information is true and fun to read!

Good books with fast service!
Thanks, Sent right away~

Thanks,
Gloria

Well written and hightly entertaining.
This small book captures the remarkable
charm and southern sleekness of this
city. AND the recipes are wonderful.

I've been going to Charleston since I was a small child, and I learned a few things from this fun little book. I bought it for the illustrations- I love maps and "Did you know" kinds of books-and thought this was the perfect marriage of the two. Charleston is so interesting that I think there is more to tell, so I wish it were a little longer.

My daughter had this book with her when we visited Charleston for the 2nd time. After reading it (couldn't put it down), we found more reasons to return to this wonderful area; learned more interesting facts about already viewed streets, homes and history. It is a light read with beautiful watercolor pictures throughout the book. Don't pass it up!

It is rare to have someone write their personal adventure book well enough to really be interesting but Helen Thayer reaches that goal admirably. Walking the Gobi if a fascinating read as she details her and her husband's experiences arranging and then completing this trip. One of the things that makes the book so interesting is her ability to write in a style that draws the reader into the experience as a friend. Likewise, her stories of interaction with nomads and border agents are at times very personal and at other times scary. Through her writing you feel her compassion as well as her fears. Walking the Gobi is a fascinating trip and one not to be missed by those with an inquisitive personality.

Excellent! Just an Excellent read. I had read Helen's first book of her solo trek to the Polar North Pole and at that time was in awe of her determination and ability to overcome difficult and dangerous odds. I found this adventure tale even more impressive. Helen starts this trek out with an injured hip and knee from an accident she has just before the trip, but was determined to go ahead with the journey anyway. How this woman walked across the entire length of the Gobi with this injury still amazes me. The pain and suffering she must have endured is beyond unthinkable. I found this story very interesting in so many ways. I learned so much about the ecosystem, the climate, the animals and of the wonderful Mongolian people they encountered along the way. The Mongolian culture was fascinating, the people delightfully friendly and hospitable to both Helen and her husband. The desert trek was grueling but in many ways gorgeous, peaceful, serene and yes ..scary too. If you are a fan of adventure travel narratives, and have read Helen's other books, you will love this and will find you cant put it down as you follow her up, down, and over each sand dune, mile after mile after mile. You will fall in love with the crazy and often persnickety camels that lead their way, you will find yourself extremely thirsty when the two travelers encounter unbearable days of intense heat, you will feel cold when they experience frost in the evenings, and you will at times wonder as you turn each page if they will survive, feeling their fear of death as they walk forward day after day, week after week, feeling every grain of sand invading their pores to the point of suffocation. If you have read Michael Asher's book on his trek across the Sahara, or Charles Blackmore's riveting account of his crossing of the Taklamakan desert of China, then this story is right up your alley.

Walking the Gobi by Helen Thayer

This book is an enthralling account of the fulfilling of a lifelong dream to cross the Gobi desert.

This book relates the various stories of the adventure, however it was the introduction that compelled me to read the entire book. I had selected this book by accident not sure I wanted to read about the activities of a 63 year old woman and her 74 year old husband. After reading the introduction, I was hooked and needed to read on. I thought how incredible the rest of the book must be if their 1500 mile trek through Death Valley and 4000 mile trek across the Sahara were mentioned in a single paragraph under the title of "Preparations", and then knowing that their accident 9 months before their planned departure, which needed two paragraphs to barely mention their various torn ligaments and muscles, ruptures and bruises, didn't keep keep them from their attempt.

Helen Thayer helps us feel the pain, the thirst, and the emotional highs and lows of their journey not only to complete the trek, but even to just survive it. However I think she is at her best when she is describing the many encounters they have with the Mongolian people, from officials to nomads. My favorite passage is when she describes an interrogation when they are imprisoned as suspected smugglers. She becomes irritated after being threatened with being shot and this leads to her chastising the officials with being disrespectful to their elders and shaming them for their rudeness. This description filled me with wonder and admiration for the sheer spunk and determination of this amazing woman.

Read this book if you want to read about an incredible adventure. Be prepared if this book leads you to dream bigger dreams, and leads you also to question any misconceptions you have about the life you can choose to live in your senior years.

I want to invite Helen Thayer over to dinner. Mainly I want to hear her stories again, and more of them. As soon as I closed Walking the Gobi and set it down on my kitchen table, I felt at the same time winded and awed, but hungry for more.

If you're reading this review, I'm sure you've read the synopsis: two people over age 60 decide to walk across 1500 miles of one of the least-studied deserts in the world. And they do it in the summer.

When Helen Thayer sat down to write this real-life adventure story, she must have known that she had something good. After all, the idea itself is impressive; it tugs at the ear and challenges the imagination. But Thayer does much more in Walking the Gobi than recount a long trek in a string of stories or patronize the reader by giving only summary and analysis of the journey's meaning.

Thayer's descriptions are careful and organized, educated and intuitive. She gives us the gift of recreating each day so we can experience them with her. Each day is numbered and recorded with useful detail- pointing out the unique moments that set it apart from the rest and reinforcing the monotonous heat, wind, and regional dangers that made the journey long and at times overwhelming.

Helen Thayer accomplished a truly great feat when she crossed the Gobi, but what's even better is that she wrote a book about it.

Happy adventuring!

Modern day adventurers do exist. This is the first thing the reader will realize wehn reading "Walking the Gobi" by Helen Thayer. Ms. Thayer brings the reader with us as she traverses one of the most dangerous places on earth, the Gobi desert. It details a journey she and her husband made across the Gobi desert. From page one, I could not really put the book down. With her we meet Mongolian tribesman, smugglers along the Chinease border, rare Gobi bears, desert scorpions and the occasional Mongolian bureaucrat. Throughout, Ms. Thayer never lets the reader forget how truly amazing and beautiful this part of the world is. Any expedition like this would be a challenge for any healthy individual, but Ms. Thayer manages her journey with an injured leg throghout most of the book. Through sheer mental fortitude Ms. Thayer wills herself to complete her journey across one of the most hostile environments on earth, on step at a time. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys the spirit of adventure.

Jennifer Leigh Sauer has created a masterwork of words and photography that transcends the local tea culture in the San Francisco Bay Area and brings tea culture to a larger audience. By focusing on the Bay Area, she brings the centuries old concept of tea culture to a larger American audience. Her personal adventure in mastering this subject has created more than a local guidebook. Ms. Sauer's loving attention to detail has produced a beautiful book.

The Way to Tea has lured me into exploring the diverse world of tea and savoring its pleasures. The book's captivating pictures and thoughtful text are steeped with the author's spirit of adventure and appreciation for the world hidden behind cups of tea. The book inspires an awakening of the senses and intellect --an alluring antidote to the world of stressful living and mindless consumption. The Way to Tea is a beautiful way to celebrate the New Year as a gift to oneself or a friend.

What a delightful and well thought out book for Tea House Lovers, The Way To Tea. think the photos are beautifully done and I love the way the book reads. It is a perfect size for living room tables and friends have already picked it up at bookstores as well.I was surprised at how many quality places there are to go in San Fran. A great book for visitors and locals alike! Have already given two as gifts... many thanks

Few photographers can match Jennifer's eye for photographing tea. Her guide to tea in San Francisco is as complete a snapshot as you will find for this city that embraces both European and Asian tea traditions. The Way of Tea is a delicious feast for the eyes!

This is an excellent book with wonderful photographs and extremely well written. After reading this book I definitely want to visit San Francisco and visit some of the tea houses. Anyone would miss a great opportunity to learn more about tea and tea houses and history of tea if they do not buy this book.

this book will move you. i have viewed many photo books and exhibits and have found many to be interesting and technically proficient. this book easily jumps those hurdles, but more importantly, the images on these pages reach out of their simple wood pulp shelter to touch your heart.

white, black, or blue; gospel lover or country western, you owe it to yourself to spend time with this group of deeply felt images.

buy two copies.

We've Come This Far is an insider's inside look at a pillar of African American Christianity, Abyssinian Baptist Church. Bob Gore's skill as a photographer and his commitment to his faith are evident on each page of this lovingly crafted work. In some cultures in the world, taking a photograph of a person is looked at with trepidation because it is believed to be an attempt to capture the subject's soul. And that's exactly what Mr. Gore has done in this book and there is no need for fear. The pictures and accompanying essays capture real life/real time moments in the broad scope of the life and spirit of this historic church.

I've never been to New York, and I've never been to a black Baptist church. But the spirit of this institution- its leaders and worshippers- absolutely radiate off the pages of this book. It is unbelievably inspiring. It would make an excellent gift for any liberal Christian activist you know, for a pastor or clergy member working hard to integrate the church into the community, or for yourself. The text is also beautifully formatted, and the history and descriptions are very accessible. The primary focus is always on the black and white photos found on almost every page. Beautiful.

The rich and vibrant history of Abysinnian Church and the Harlem community is revealed in this work by Bob Gore. The photos are of such superior quality that you can feel the message conveyed in the picture without using the text. With the additon of text there is a wonderful account of the Harlem experience, chock full of information about the history and the individual personal expressions of those who were there when it happened. This photographic journal is vibrant and colorful in both word and image. There are real accounts of Abysinnian Baptist Church's history, including it's spiritual, political, social and economic relationships with the communities that it serves. I urge you to consider this book not just for reading but also as an important addition to your library.

I've been to Abyssinian only twice, but was almost overwhelmed each time with the power of commitment and community. Bob Gore's book captures with warmth and intimacy the spirit of this special place and its people. It is the only church I've been to where I felt that power of love which Christianity must have carried through the centuries.

I've never read a book with so much substance, creativity, imagination, innocence and passion; so much so that I found my self re-reading some passages because I had to, to absorb it all -- the passion, the leaps of imagination, the super creativity of a genius grade brain, and the innovation of metaphors. The photographs play the same role as a nice bottle of wine accompanying a wonderful cuisine, it make it all flow even smoother.

I could not believe how good and hilarious was I was reading. Kalpanik made me not only feel, but also think and smile. Kalpanik has a curious mix of making complex concepts simple and make us live his life and experiences, make us laugh and yet be inspirational.

This book is a collection of three stories, accompanied with lot of professional grade photographs and covers three places--Davis (a small town near Sacramento), San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. it also covers three different phases in his life.

He is able to sprinkle the description of these places and phases with a lot of humor, making you smile, laugh, guffaw, chuckle, snicker, giggle and crackup.

The First part is at University of California at Davis, which captures the unique experiences of a young man first time in a new country where he is a foreigner and falls in love, written when the author was 21.

The second part is fast forward to 12-15 years later by which time the author has firmly established in the Technology industry and is a Vice President of Technology in a Silicon Valley startup .He is lot more confident and self assured by then. The story humorously covers the life of a technology leader leading a team working at the cutting edge of innovation.

The third part is another 5-8 years later when the author has moved to San Diego and covers his family, including two lovely daughters. They get caught in the infamous wild fires of San Diego.

In all three parts, the author skillfully combines the colorful, vivid words with equally vivid photographs.

His journey is one of hopes and ambitions, of hard work and courage required to realizing those ambitions and tremendous power and insight. It is thoughtful, and yet he is able to infuse it with his humor very naturally!

A good read! Extremely well written and very thoughtful.

Kalpanik's style is fresh, unique, funny (in a dignified way), vivid and clever. For example, the author successfully anthropomorphizes the state of California! While I have not read another of his other books - I look forward to discovering them in the near future

Being an immigrant myself, I read it with the occasional tear in the eye and several bouts of goosebumps. Words are not enough to describe the feelings of transcendence, enlightenment and plain joy I experienced read this narrative.

Definitely a Must Read!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R333AIEHUTY4IO Writer is a risk taker, who is able to overcome being a foreign born, accented and is still able to assimilate at different places and befriend natives.

The book starts as a sweet story of a foreign born student who is struggling to adapt to a new culture, missing home and trying to find a balance between the demands of his academic life, and who falls in love. This part of the book shows us Kalpanik as a vulnerable foreign born student, a young person. This beginning provides a good background, and serves as a contrast to the rest of the book, wher we see Kalpanik as an confident executive with a carefree attitude.

Kalpanik is an amazing writer with extraordinarily talent for combining simplicity with complexity and sophistication, writing thoughtful and meaningful material into a book which still comes out as light reading!

Each one of us has had (or wished we had) while growing up, someone who told great stories. It could have been a parent, and uncle, an aunt. It could have been a preacher, old hunting buddy or an old real-life Indian chief. In any event this was someone close enough to put you under his spell: to fill your young mind with tales that compelled frequent laughter, occasional flights of wonderment, and (often undetected) your first inklings of the depths of the human predicament before you could even pronounce, much less define, "predicament".

One day this source of merriment and adventure is gone and you are left with an emptiness - certainly with a lifelong gratefulness for the experience, but also a sense of loss when it is gone.

Sam McLeod is just such a storyteller. His trilogy, Welcome to Walla Walla, Bottled Walla, and Blue Walla, fills one with laughter and tears that can come only from a well-tended memory, keen observation from childhood through parenthood, and an ebullient sense of humor all joined with a storytelling style that is down-home simple yet filled with genius.

Alas the trilogy is finished. The storyteller has moved on. While these books are in your hands: read them and laugh; while you finish up the final chapters: read them and weep.


Ellie B.
Richmond, VA

This book made me homesick for Walla Walla! I could picture myself walking down Main Street with Sam and having a cup of coffee at Merchants. After trying to pick a favorite part, I realized that there are too many! A comment on the single Walla: My friends and I refer to it as Wa2 (Wa3 for Walla Walla, Washington) which is significantly faster than typing Walla Walla in emails.

Can't wait to read Bottled Walla!

Sam McLeod takes the reader along with him on a memorable journey into the joy and wonderful eccentricies of small town and country living. The reader feels as if he has made new friends, visted new places and been welcomed to Walla Walla. I can't wait to visit.

We enjoyed this book so much we recommended it to a couple of others. They have read the book and enjoyed it, too.

I find that Steve's ...oh sorry Sam's book to be an interesting cross betwwen the writings of Bill Bryson and Peter Mayle (try to figure that one out!). Since I do know the town, somewhat, and have been to many of the places on Sam's book, I find Sam's (and Annie's) experience to be wonderful! A great celebration of the discovery of small town America. I should know as I spent 4 years in a similar place.
BRAVO! BUY THIS BOOK!

Oh, my! I bought this as a gift and find I had to have one for myself!
A WONDERFUL early childhood book! As an adult, I appreciate the beauty of the photos that cover the entire page and the story of seeing faraway places with a companion toy going along for the ride. Gorgeous book that makes me smile every time I read my own copy to a child or to myself! Thank you, Sloane Tanen for another great book!!

The actual words in this book are few, however, the artwork and the stimulation it offers for children's imaginations is outstanding. Visually, it's one of the best children's books I've ever seen. Coco the chick starts out on her trek by hopping a taxi outside her suburban house. To get to her destination she rides a train, a skateboard, pliots her own plane, bikes through Paris, crosses the Sahara with a camel caravan, goes under the sea, rides a pegasus, goes to outer space and finally arrives in a parachute. Where is she going? To grandma's house, and it looks just like the landscape where she started out. The words are few here, the pictures tell the story, and they are fantastic. The bottom line is that no sea is too deep, no planet too far, no terrain too treacherous or no vehicle too scary to keep a little chick from reaching the warmth and love of her grandma's house. I would recommend this book not only for it's beauty but because it's bound to spark a child's sense of adventure.

The author and "chenile chicken rancher" of the somewhat R-rated Bitter with Baggage has done it again; this time, it's a funny and meticulously executed children's book. Sloane Tanen once more uses her leading character, Coco the chicken (she's all of 1" tall), and takes her on a playful romp to Grandma's house. Coco makes use of many different forms of transportation, from a car to a unicorn - traversing deserts, forests, seas...even Paris! Hagen's photos are vivid and engaging, the reader can't help but become an active participant in the story. The story line is simple enough for very young children, yet might be used with the older grades in helping them create story lines for books and/or classroom-produced movies. While it's easy to give this a call number, this is a book that defies shelving as it will be very popular with all ages

I picked this book up on a whim for my 17 month old daughter. She absolutely loves it and insists that we read and reread it many times in one sitting - unusual for her. Although short on text there is much going on visually and lots to talk about with your little one. Enjoy!

'Bitter with Baggage' the first book by this author was a cute concept--step in the right direction, 'Coco' is the arrival of the right direction. An entirely cute story of the chicks I always loved to get in my Easter Basket. A friend of mine and I sat in a book store and read it, it is just far too cute.