Travel Books

Read cover to cover in Preparation for my very first cruise. This book has covered every detail. What to pack, what to expect from the ship and what to expect on the shore excursions even what the terminal looks like when we arrive at the port. Both shore excursions I have booked,(BEFORE BUYING THIS GUIDE) are rated very low...One even said don't bother. I'm hoping they were wrong about them. Excellent, Thourough book!

For family vacations which involve a certain investment ($$$) I like to know what to look for. This book does an excellent job of detailing the Disney Cruise ship and helped us plan our vacation from departure through the shore excursions and our return.

This is the best book on the market if you're planning a Disney Cruise in the future. There's more information offered than any of the other books I've purchased for our former cruises. It offers views from more than one person, including a child's point of view. I was so impressed by the information in this book I also bought the PassPorter's Field Guide to Walt Disney World. Both of these books will go with us on our trip in the near future. The only thing I didn't like was the photos, no color, so it's hard to tell just how beautiful the ship is if you haven't seen it before.

We recently went on the West Coast Disney Cruise in August and had a wonderful time. This was our first cruise, so we did not know much about cruising, Disney, etc. The book was well written and gave the pertinent information that was needed to make our trip successful and stress free. I highly recommend it and by reading it, it will make you excited for your trip!!

I was a bit sceptical since the author is a devoted Disney lover, but I have been quite impressed. We haven't gone on the cruise yet (we have another few months), but the book has been a wealth of information and a huge help in planning the other pieces to the cruise. Great investment if you've booked a Disney cruise!

My son is 5 and absolutely loves this book. It's a story about young boy and how he must help to care for his large Italian family that has come to America in hopes of having their dreams fulfilled. Disappointment of a father leads his young son to think his job is meager. But in the end one little boy does make a difference, for without his light the whole world is a dark place. The book just gives you a warm wonderful feeling when you finish reading it. The illustrations are beautifully drawn and give you the contact to really feel what Peppe and his family are feeling.

A young boy of modest means seeks a job to contribute to the needs of his family. Initially, his father is disappointed in the lowly responsibility that his son fulfills. The young man takes inspiration from his sister's admiration of him and finds that his job as a humble lamplighter blesses others beyond his understanding. The breath-taking illustrations span the entire two-page spread. This is a beautiful story of how everyone has their important role in life and can embrace it with excellence and passion.

I purchased this book for my husband for Father's Day (he's Italian American")--I didn't really think that our then 2.5 year old would really care for the book. But he loves it! It's a good story, although at times the messages can be a bit confusing for a very young child--but my son seems to enjoys the illustrations, the sounds of the Italian names, and of course the most elemental aspects of the story.

There's a whole genre of picture books that examine the working class members of American society throughout history. These stories are usually based on the lives of the relatives and ancestors of the authors. "Peppe the Lamplighter" is no exception. Loosely based on the grandfather of author Elisa Bartone, the book examines one boy's occupation and his struggle be accepted in the eyes of his father.

Peppe lives with his sick father and seven sisters (not including the one in Naples) in the section of New York known as Little Italy. Taking place in what looks to be the 1910s, Peppe moves from store to store, attempting to find work. His father, is too sick to work himself, and all the children in the family must strive to find some kind of money. One day, old Domenico the lamplighter asks Peppe if he would light the lamps for him while he returns to Italy to fetch his wife. Peppe agrees readily and is delighted with the prospect. Delight slowly sours to shame, however, when his father is horrified by the job. Says he, "Did I come to America for my son to light the streetlamps?". As time goes by, Peppe's disenchantment with the job grows until he doesn't light the lamps at all. Only through the discovery of how important his job is to others can Peppe find the strength to return to lighting the lamps of New York City.

The pictures in this book are wonderfully rendered. Here we find the New York City tenements in all their filthy glory. At the same time, we see the strength of the people living in them. The first painting in the book shows Peppe and his family staring at the viewer as if they were posing for a formal family photograph. The light from a single latern lights them all, and illustrator Ted Lewin shows off his talents. In many ways, the book is similar to Chris K. Soentpiet's style (of "Molly Bannaky" fame). Reading this book is to actually find yourself in early New York itself. Crowds come alive and individuals display a wide range of emotions. The best picture in the whole book, to my mind, is the image of Peppe lifting his little sister so that she can light the lamp on the street herself. The light is above them, illuminating their faces with incredibly intensity. The two stare up at it, entranced.

The story itself if good, if not overwhelming. Peppe's father has a somewhat unbelievable change of heart towards the end of the tale. For a man who has harbored so much bitterness towards his son's chosen profession, he seems to come around to it mighty fast when the mood calls for it. Otherwise, it's lovely. Peppe compares the lighting of the lamps to the lighting of candles at Mass, and even goes so far as to say a small prayer for each. Small details like this truly bring the story to life.

The book celebrates one small boy who can, in his sister Assunta's words, "scare the dark away". It is a book about how every human being, if they've a mind to, can bring light into the world in their own humble fashion. Peppe may only be a lamplighter, but even his father recognizes by the end that this honest job gives safety and comfort to others. We should all be so lucky as to have jobs that do half as much.

"Peppe the Lamplighter" combines a story by Elisa Bartone with illustrations by Ted Lewin. The story takes place "[a] long time ago when there was no electricity and the street lamps in Little Italy had to be lit by hand." The hero of the book is Peppe, who lives with his widowed father and sisters in a tenement. Peppe's decision to get a job as a lamplighter leads to conflict between Peppe and his father.

This is a good story that is greatly enhanced by Lewin's superb artwork. Most of the illustrations are two-page spreads that are packed full of energy and emotion. Lewin's realistic style is well-suited to capturing many colorful details: the sausages hanging in the butcher shop, a crowded street scene, the old-fashioned iron stove in Peppe's home, etc. Overall, a memorable celebration of Italian-American history.

This is a wonderful book. Mary Kingley was a typical Victorian woman in many ways, but what makes this book great is the way her character was not typical. She formed a relationship with the British Museum and collected fresh water fish to bring back to them, but the real point of her trip was to see things and feel things she could not experience in her drawing room. Her account of a meeting with a crocodile that nearly capsized her canoe (she merely remarks that the croc was "a pushing young creature") is worth the price of the book all by itself. She traveled with cannibals, climbed Mount Cameroon, and enjoyed herself, referring to any brush with fatality as "a knockabout farce with King Death". Her writing is lovely and straightforward. Watching an African sunset she says, "Providence saw that we had everything but beauty, and so gave us some." The tragedy is that she died at the age of 30, and that there were not many more books like this one.

Single and independent, with a small allowance after the death of her parents, Mary Kingsley decides to explore Africa. She sets off to the Congo, with no entourage nor special clothing and with no knowledge of the local lingo, knowing that this area was renowned for cannibals. Considering that Richard Burton set off to find the centre of Africa with an entourage of 600 bearers puts Ms.Kingsley's trip into perspective.
This is not just a wishful fantasy, she has an agenda to research the fetish cults of the natives and collect animal specimens, as well as fulfil the wanderlust that she had bottled up while looking after her parents.
She takes everything in her stride, beating off crocodiles - 'he was only a pushing young creature', wading through fetid swamps, falling into a staked animal trap and attributing her salvation to the benefits of a good thick woollen skirt!
She has a wonderful way with words; that dry, laconic humour that starts one into fits of giggling; the page-long description of 'Hubbards' sent out by well-meaning, misguided women in Europe for the use of the natives is absolutely wonderful.
She has excellent communication skills, getting what she wants from any native by offering him exactly what he wants - tobacco (reminding us of Xabicheh in 'Dead Man') - and if he doesn't want that, then he must need a hairpin to clean out his pipe!
I am awed by the determination, bravery, guts and chutzpah of this young woman; even more awed by her writing skills - which are definitely not in the Victorian mold, would that there were more of her books than the two she wrote (the other is 'West African Studies'), sadly this was not to be, as she died of typhoid in Capetown in 1900.
A book to savour - highly recommended! *****

In 1893 Mary Kingsley, a single Victorian woman, traveled alone to Africa. The sources of her interest in Africa are obscure. Possibly the tales her father brought back to England of his extensive travels lie at the root of her own interest. In any case her account of her travels in west and west-central Africa are a remarkable addition to our knowledge of the region during the early years of the colonial period. Kingsley wrote with a very outward focus. We hear little of her inner feelings, her comfort or lack thereof. Rather, she is consumed with a desire to know the land and its human and natural inhabitants.

We begin to taste the real flavor of Kingsley's experience in Chapter 2 in her account of the island of Fernando Po and its prominent people group, the Bubis. She then voyages down the coast, describing the lonely beauty of the great mangrove swamps that border the Bight of Benin.

Kingsley developed great respect, admiration, and even affection for the traders, black and white, whom she met in her journey. She traveled in their company and relied on them in what would otherwise have been impossible circumstances. Her views of other white colonials were less sanguine. She expressed mixed feelings about white missionaries, acknowledging the uplifting effects of their moral teaching while disdaining their confusion of cultural with spiritual messages.

One of Kingsley's central adventures was her trip from the Ogowe River to the Rembwe River. On this journey, she visited a series of villages each of which was reputed to be more dangerous and depraved than the one before. Her accounts of her lodging in these places are priceless. The difficulties of traveling through swamps and jungles, and across the great rivers of this region, were daunting. Kingsley's accounts of her determination to master the piloting of the native canoes are both funny and insightful. It took a lot for anyone to travel overland, and her perseverance marked her grit, her commitment to finish what she started.

The last third of the book consists of three long chapters on fetish customs. Although she lacks a systematic view of the role of fetishes and other spiritual tokens in the cultures she met, her depiction of their impact on everyday life and on funeral customs is enlightening. She delves into the afterlife beliefs of the peoples she encountered; in many of these cultures today, the beliefs she relates are still expressed in a form of syncretistic Christianity.

This edition of Kingsley's travel accounts is an abridgement of a much longer, multi-volume original that does not seem to be in print today. Since Kingsley herself prepared the abridgement, we can read it with confidence that it expresses both the details as she recorded them and the priority events or images that best characterize her travel experiences.

Gabon, Cameroon, and the areas around them continue today to rank among the wildest, best preserved areas of Africa, both naturally and anthropologically. Whether you visit these regions or not, there is no better introduction to them than these accounts by a Victorian original.

Mary Kingsley's "Travels in West Africa" has become a classic, and deservedly so. Her story is remarkable. In the 1890s, unmarried and no longer having to care for her parents, Kingsley decides she should travel in "the tropics" and sets off for "West Africa" (i.e., the West coast of Central Africa). She travels as a scientist, collecting fish specimens, and finances her travels by trading along the way--but mostly she travels for the love of adventure and to satisfy an appetite for the unknown.

Kingsley's book is a treasure trove of information about Atlantic-coast Central Africa in the late 1800s. But beyond its historic and sociological value, the book is just wonderful. Her descriptions are vivid, her insights interesting, and her understated humor is a joy. Anyone with a love of exploration and a good story would enjoy this book. Unabridged versions are highly recommended.

Readers with a particular interest in Gabon should also see the works of Robert Nassau, an American missionary who was in Gabon when Kingsley traveled there. Evidently they met and discussed all things African at length, though Kingsley makes little mention of him. Nassau wrote "Fetichism in West Africa", "In an Elephant Corral" and "My Ogowe", but doesn't get the credit he deserves. Also of interest is "One Dry Season: In the Footsteps of Mary Kingsley" by Caroline Alexander. Alexander visited Gabon in the 1980s and compared what she saw then to what Kingsley had seen a century earlier.

I bought this book because it was supposed to be one of the 100 greatest adventure books of all time. While it does have narrow escapes and Mary Kingsley was very brave, there is too much discussion of "the African mind". I found the constant reference to the superiority of the European colonists very offputting. Of course it was written in the 1890's!

This is a delightful gem which captures the spiritual inspiration of the pilgrimage both historically and in the modern context. It is a marvelous book for those who intend their journey to be more than just a long cultural hike.

For my recent comiplation of pilgrimage quotations ("Ultreia! Onward! Progress of the Pilgrim") I read all 40 or so contemporary English journal accounts available about the various routes. Rudolph's is clearly within the first grouping of 8 or so best such books (i.e. largely those written by established authors and/or academics). He is able to convey in a fraction of the pages of other volumes many interesting and important aspects of undertaking such a pilgrimage. Though not the most quotable of sources (i.e. 7 such extracted for the review volume Ultreia! Onward!) Rudopplh nevertheless is particularly good at writing about the process of pilgrimage.

The book reads as if you were sitting in an art history lecture -- the author writes using simple, direct, yet descriptive language. While the narrative is framed around the St James trail, it is really a book about inner transformation, not a description of the external world and the landmarks one sees during the pilgrimage. In all, the book has helped me prepare my frame of mind for the bike pilgrimage I am about to embark. The best part -- it's a short and quick read!

Conrad Rudolph, a professor of medieval art,has made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Campostela and knows enough about the history of the pilgrimage and the art and architecture to be seen along the way to write a book that tells not only how to prepare for the long hike and what to take but also what is to be seen and what it all means from a historical perspective.

As I write this review, I'm wearing the boots I plan to use on my own Camino pilgrimage next week. In addition to breaking them in, I've been preparing my body, mind, and heart for the long walk to Santiago. Reading "Pilgrimage to the End of the World" was an enjoyable and necessary part of that process.

Conrad Rudolph's book on the Camino de Santiago has four parts: 1) some historical background, 2) an account of his trek, 3) a series of black-and-white personal photographs with explanations that range from a paragraph to a page or so long, and 4) a practical guide (what to wear, how to pack, etc.). Despite its brevity (only 131 pages), Mr. Rudolph's memoir is packed with useful and interesting information. The surprising revelation that the author is a rationalist only serves to make his tale more compelling, especially considering the profound effect a pilgrimage usually done for spiritual reasons had upon him.

Indeed, the Camino began as an important medieval religious pilgrimage to Santiago, alleged burial place of St. James. But it has grown to accommodate folks on quests of many kinds. What's ironic about Mr. Rudolph's journey is that despite his rationalist mindset, he walked the farthest distance of any pilgrim, faith-based or otherwise, I've read about so far. He began in Le Puy, France, went through Santiago, and concluded in Finisterre - the "End of the World" on the Spanish west coast. That's about double the walking distance from the usual starting point of St. Jean Pied de Port, a French town on the Spanish border. And I thought we religious folk were supposed to be the crazy ones...

Despite his excellent account and helpful information, I part ways with the author in one key area: his firm recommendation of an external-frame pack. He's correct about the increased ventilation it offers, since the external frame holds the pack away from one's back. But according to another pilgrim's memoir, you'll sweat no matter what kind of pack you carry. Also, there are far more sizes and types of internal-frame packs to choose from. At REI I found only one model of external frame pack for sale among the plethora of internal packs - a forlorn Kelty similar to the one the author used. Bottom line, I'd say that an internal-frame pack is a better choice (I'm taking a 4,300 cubic-inch Gregory Baltoro).

At any rate, "Pilgrimage to the End of the World" is a must-read for anyone contemplating, or actually preparing for, the Camino pilgrimage. Other helpful and inspirational books I used to get ready include: "Buen Camino," by Jim & Eleanor Clem, "Camino Chronicle" by Susan Alcorn, and "Fumbling," by Kerry Egan (also, check the Confraternity of St. James' website for lots of good info and up-to-date Camino guidebooks). If you choose to go, let me be the first you wish you a Buen Camino!

UPDATE 9/7/07: On 7/14/07 I stepped off in St. Jean Pied-de-Port (France), and on 8/24/07 I walked into Santiago, Spain. Turned out that the boots I mentioned in the first paragraph were too heavy, so I bought a lighter Spanish pair in Logrono that served me well. My internal-frame pack was the Camino standard (although the model I had was too large and initially weighted down with unnecessary stuff) - out of the hundreds of pilgrims I saw, only a couple had external frame packs. At any rate, I recommend this book as necessary reading for anyone planning to walk the Way.

I was searching Amazon for some Joe Simpson books and this one popped up. I thought it was one I missed but then saw that Simpson wrote the introduction to it. It seemed pretty entertaining so I bought a copy.

Greg Child's Postcards from the Ledge is hilarious and touching and informative at the same time. I couldn't stop laughing after reading the essay about him showing his elderly mum just how "safe" mountaineering is. In the end he hobbled away like the hurt little boy his mother knew him to be. I enjoyed learning about the nitty gritty facts of mountaineering, from where and how to use the toilet to stinking to high heaven after being on the mountain for so many weeks.

All joking aside, the mountains can be a dangerous place to be. An example of this is when Childs and his group come across a teenage girl who has fallen to her death into a crevasse. There are also some good essays about Alison Hargreaves' death and the world's reaction to a mother's "selfish" need to climb mountains.

And many things can be learned about other countries and cultures from the small details of his visits to these places.

I'd recommend this book to any mountaineering fans. I'm glad I bought it for my collection.

Postcards From The Ledge has something for everyone. From artful and hilarious descriptions of the most unpleasant of bodily functions and living conditions, to thoughtful reflection on the beauty and thrill of an epic climb, Greg Child gives you an insiders view of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of climbing. A must read even if you are not a climber.

I spent most of last weekend reading this book and loving it. I was late for the bus today cause the first thing I did this morning was catch up where I left off. Funnier than hell, descriptive, intelligent, good stuff...

I just recently discovered Greg Child's books and must confess to now being completely addicted. After being in love with THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE, the classic [but ancient - i.e. 1950s] mountain humor classic, I thought there could be no rival. Thank God I was wrong and thanks to Greg's mum for whatever she did to contribute to his comic genes. Last week I took this book on a camping trip and each night by the fire would read aloud a few essays to my companions, who looked forward all day to the next hysterically humorous missives the evening campfire would bring from the funniest climber/writer in the world. It makes a person jealous to know that one person can be this fabulously talented, both as climber and writer. Damn, he's good! You will not be able to put this book down. PS Warning: this book often produces side effects of laughing out loud.

This is a great book of short 'stories' about mountaineering that Child has edited from his articles published in magazines. Each of these stories is a well-written perspective on the art of climbing; they cover a wide range of his experiences ranging from sea-level (island cliffs in the Gulf of Tonkin) to the top of the world in the Himalayas. Each of the stories reflects to Child's own experiences over the last 10-20 years and the philosophy of climbing that he has developed in this time.

Many of these stories are written with a dry sense of humor (eg, the 10 rules of bivouacs) that reflect Child's personal experiences. Of course, this humor leavens the drama and tragedy that are described in several of the pieces. With the variety of stories that are included in this book, it is distinctly different from 'Thin Air' which covers three different Himalayan expeditions in depth. I'd recommend both highly; the difference in voice shows the range of perspective that Child can generate with his passion for this sport.

We have been hiking the National Parks in the West for almost 20 years and this is the most valuable trail book I own. The information on each trail is completely accurate with respect to distances, maps, directions, etc., and the naturalist notes are very informational. We have completed 75% of the hikes in this book and have enjoyed every single one - some have even been done two or more times. The book is small enough to carry in a fanny pack. I have thrown away all of my other Yellowstone hiking books as this has become affectionately known as "The Bible".

We bought this book before a trip to Yellowstone with our family. The book was very helpful in helping us find trails that our whole family could do. The pictures and discriptions were very helpful in the planning and telling our kids what to look for.

This is an excellent guide to relatively short day hikes in Yellowstone. Provides good descriptions on what you will see on the trails and it's small enough to take along on your hike.

Very thorough description of trails. Chart of easy, moderate and strenuouos trails is helpful.

As a veteran of more than 35 years of wilderness backpacking in all kinds of weather and every season of the year my brother-in-law and I decided to shoot HD video in Yellowstone.

We did not want to do a wilderness trek on the first time out with all new video gear so decided day hikes were best. We did 20 of 29 of the hikes in "A Ranger's Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes" in 7 days and covered 70 miles on foot.

This is a great book, one of the best I have seen in my years of hiking and backpacking. Each trail is unique and amazing. Some are tough but even the steepest trail was not so bad for a 54 year old with 35 pounds of video gear on his back. Trail ratings are true, so you will NOT be surprised by a gargantuan climb that is rated as moderate. Strenuous ratings wisely reflect both length and elevation change.

If you have room for only one day hike book in your travel gear this IS the book. If you are a seasoned backcountry expert or a beginner you will not be dissapointed.

Before I read this book I thought it would be completly depressing and not a very good story. After I started reading the book I realized that it is an amazing story about love and lost. The main character, Sophie, goes through many challenges but she learns to cope extremly well for someone so young. She learns many lessons that I think everybody needs to learn sometime in there life.

Laura Resau writes the kind of books I loved to read when I was a teen, and still do. She takes us to new places with characters who are both loveable and flawed. In her latest book, Red Glass, she introduces us to a colorful cast of characters who quickly become so endearing we are happy to follow them to Mexico and beyond. Her main character, Sophie, is a girl doing what so many of us hope to do, pushing her own boundaries. Through Sophie's adventures helping return an orphaned Mexican boy to his village, Resau teaches us a little about tolerance, a little about bravery, a little about humanity and a lot about love. Her settings are so wonderfully drawn that we can easily imagine ourselves along for Sophie's ride. I've been happily sharing this book with the young girls in my life and they've been telling me that they, too, love it!

Contains all the ingredients for a good story: tragedy, comedy, love, and danger. I'm using it in my book club for adult ESL learners who are from various world cultures. They love it! It treats modern issues of immigration, alienation, and human rights with sensitivity. Hispanic culture is beautifully interwoven as are the lives of common people who come to know and respect each other accross vast landscapes and invisible borders.

Sophie has been afraid of just about everything: cancer, gems, car wrecks, and becoming an orphan. Then one day her stepfather Juan gets a phone call from the hospital. Pablo, a six-year-old Mexican boy is recovering from a trip across the Border. The same trip that killed both of his parents. Pablo comes to Sophie's home. She grows to love this little boy who she calls-her Principito, Little Prince. After a year Sophie's parents are able to contact Pablo's extended family in Mexico. Sophie, her Aunt Dika, and Dika's new boyfriend and son must travel with Pablo so he can make a heartwrenching decision.

On the way down Sophie feels a strong connection to Angel, her Aunt's boyfriend's son. But she fears she'll lose him. A tragic accident forces Sophie to make a dangerous journey where she must learn to face her fears. Will she always be delicate Sophie? Or will her difficult choice make her become fuerte--strong?

I enjoyed this story of a young girl who must face her fears in order to grow stronger. The road trip into Mexico was very vivid and I remembered similar things on my own trip many years ago. The contrast between Mexico and Guatemala are striking. I don't know if I'd be as strong as Sophie to travel down there alone. But what really stands out about this book is how Sophie learns to reach out to those around her. Dika, the eccentric aunt who survived the Bosnia war. Mr Lorenzo who survived beatings from the Guatemalan police. And little Paco, who watched his parents die while crossing the Border. They all learn from each other even when one of them makes a heartwrenching decision.

Laura Resau's beautifully written RED GLASS is one of those books that lingers in memory. It's the story of not-so-brave Sophie, who goes on the adventure of her life, in Mexico, and later Guatemala, an unstable and dangerous country, finding her courage and love along the way.

For teens, and adventurous middle schoolers, who realize the world is wide open to them!

What a great read, just a pleasure to read the works of Sigurd. His stories give a real feel for what it is like in nature and gives a desire to enjoy the outdoors! His writing style is inviting and detailed, Truly a classic!

Every small story in this book seems to bring us peace & serenity. Sigurd brings out the part of a person that is called to nature and is connected with the earth. Every time we read from the book it seems to recenter us and put us back on track for better more fulfilling living.
The only semi-negative comment would be that his writing is very male dominated. This is not totally surprising since it is written in the early to mid 1900's.

This book consists of 28 essays, each a few pages long. The essays discuss general themes related to the outdoors, with reference to the North Country from Minnesota to Alaska. Olson is a marvelous writer, and the essays are captivating.

The book is divided into three parts: "Primal Heritage," "Search for Meaning," and "The Imponderables." The first group of essays ruminate on themes such as nomads, hunter-gatherers, silence in the woods, and the implications of these themes for modern life. The second group on meaning concerns one-word themes such as harmony, aliveness, beauty, and simplicity. These essays would provide an excellent basis for discussion in a book group or a classroom setting.

The third group is the least successful, and moves to a poorly-developed religious climax. In earlier essays in the book, Olson revealed himself as a Christian who sees the beauty of God's creation in the great outdoors. In the third part he moves toward a more synthetic position, finding common ground among many religions. That's fine, but it leads him to two essays on an "emergent God," which don't really work. He is a nature writer, not a theologian, and it shows.

Though many of his themes are timeless, such as the need for people to discover their true nature away from their urban lives, Olson discusses many anachronistic practices. When he would arrive in camp, his chores might include cutting pine boughs for a mattress, chopping down a tree for firewood and tent poles, and other destructive practices. Those are no longer possible.

Olson also reveals himself as a man living in a patriarchal time. He would disappear into the woods for weeks or months at a time, leaving his family behind. In this book, he mentions his son Sig several times but never mentions his wife, who presumably raised Sig and managed other household chores. Olson also sings the praises of his canoe-makers, and the joys of simple food in the backcountry such as rice, beans, and meats, but he does not raise any of that food himself. This reveals him as being connected to a wider economy and to people such as farmers who cannot disappear into the woods as he can.

Would Olson have been able to live his life in the woods without his wife, farmers, canoe-makers, and others living their lives in a house? The thought never crosses his mind, but we should ponder it.

This is the best book ever written on wilderness.

This book compiles some of Olson's best writings. In it, his last book, Olson further explores the concept of self-reflection and self-discovery through wilderness solace. His writing will be of interest to anyone who enjoys the outdoors (especially canoeing), but also readers who enjoy general contemporary philosophy.

My wife and I went to Croatia and Slovenia in September 2007. This was an excellent guide. We loved the fact that it was completely up to date

I was in Montenegro for business and took a 3-day trip to see Dubrovnik. This guidebook was excellent for seeing the town. You don't need any other guidebook. Additionally, it was perfect for touring the "Bay of Kotor" area of Montenegro, which is a popular day-trip from Dubrovnik.

I have used several guide books for each international trip and Rick Steves always has the most useful information for someone looking for a fun but affordable trip. He picks the best values for the money, and always knows where the locals go. The best was a little cafe in Aix en Provence where we went for lunch, and as we were sitting, Rick Steves walked by with his film crew, so we all ran out and had him sign our Rick Steves' Provence books!

Rick Steves knows Europe and how to convey his insightful comments in an entertaining way. I read the book cover to cover without being bored or inundated with any useless data....everything was relevant. Highly recommended.

I used Rick Steve's throughout Germany and Belgium and his tips and recommendations were spot on. We are now planning a trip to Italy and Croatia and I am once again, using his money & time saving tips, and recommendations on where to stay.

If you want to be simply a tourist, then Rick Steve's is not for you. If you want to truly experience a culture and have a great time then use his book.

We went to Ireland last year for the first time and loved it so much, we are going again this year. We purchased this book as well as another guidebook. This one is fabulous -- very well thought out and organized - you can tell he really knows what he is talking about -- this is the one that we will bring with us -- he even tells you when and how to drive the Dingle Peninsula to avoid the tourist buses -- does not give you too much information. He has a very honest and down to earth approach which makes for an informative and interesting read!

Rick Steve's book is a down-to-earth book that gives so much information to which you can relate. It's a wonderful guide.

Rick Steves' Ireland 2008 is like your brother (your very detailed and analytical exploring brother) writing home with the in's and out's of each city and stop in Ireland. Hitting highlights and lowlights, Rick leaves no Irish pebble unturned for the common traveler. If you have a question about Ireland, it is most likely answered in this book; if not, then Rick has made himself available through his websites if you need further information. It is very helpful to not walk into a new situation unprepared and Rick's Ireland 2008 has proved most helpful!

Ireland offers visitors a diversity of memorable places to visit, memorable people to encounter, and memorable opportunities for recreation. Rick Steves is a seasoned and experienced travel writer and in collaboration with Ireland specialist Pat O'Connor has authored the "Rick Steves' Ireland 2008", a compact, 425-page travel guide that is packed from first page to last with informed and informative information for tourists and business travelers to the villages, towns, and countryside of the Republic of Ireland in the south, as well as the cities and counties of Northern Ireland. Of special note is the introductory chapter dedicated to the best use of this outstanding guide for planning a trip whether of short or extended duration, practicalities when traveling, money, sightseeing, sleeping, eating, 'Traveling as a Temporary Local', and 'Back Door Travel Philosophy'. Another special section is devoted to Irish history, art, literature, language, and an Irish-Yankee Vocabulary. Enhanced with appendices on resources; money matters; telephones, emails, and postal mails; transportation; holidays and festivals; conversions and climate; an essential packing checklist; and a sample hotel reservation form, "Rick Steves' Ireland 2008" is an ideal and enthusiastically recommended guide for anyone anticipating a trip to the Emerald Isle.

We have used Rick Steaves books in Italy, Germany, England and Holland and have not been disappointed.