Travel Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

From a former cruise staff member of the early 90's, Micha's stories are right on the money. I laughed so hard my head and stomach both hurt.
Awesome read for avid cruisers and novices too, to understand just what our lives are like living aboard, below decks.
Karen

This book was a quick read as it is very hard to put it down. It is told from the author's point of view of being an assistant cruise director for Carvinal Cruise Lines during the early 1990's. It goes through most aspects of the ship with funny stories. If you've ever cruise before or are thinking about working on a cruise ship, you should definitely read this book.

The author tells it like it is, without holding back. The aspect I like the best about the book is that Berman approaches the book as a way to tell his stories of being aboard, not trying to do too much with it and create more than what it is. While the cruise industry has evolved into the newer and bigger superliners, it is a great read.

if you have ever wanted to work on a cruise ship - this book is a Must Have as part of the hiring process! It is written in a fun way to tell you all about the life, but it has some good insight on the other things that go on. I had decided to pursue my dream to work on a cruise ship and this was a wonderful tool to help me get through it and to also know what to expect.

I now have that dream job and I recommend it to all of my friends on board, since I think we can all benefit from it; no matter how many years we have worked at sea.

Whether you are a passenger or a cruise ship employee - it is enjoyable for everyone to read!!

If you have ever watched and enjoyed television shows about the inside workings of crab-fishing boats in Alaskan waters, or any of the many other shows such as about what goes on behind the scenes at airports, you will love this book. The author has a wry sense of humor and takes you behind the scenes on an enormous cruise ship. He tells a personal story about his persistence in getting a job as an entertainment director on board, including a dramatic scene where he confronts one of the shakers and makers of the cruise line in a urinal.

At the end of the book, one wishes for more exposes. Strongly recommended.

Let me start by saying that I DID enjoy reading this book. I cruise several times a year, so I read anything I can get my hands on that has to do with cruising. I anxiously awaited this book to arrive and I started reading it immediately.

This book definitely had the potential to be extremely engrossing. What made it not engrossing, to the extent I thought it would, is the fact that it is so obviously written by someone who's not a writer. While that could be a plus, in this case it is not. While reading I would find that there were not many transitional areas from one topic to another. There was a lot of jumping around. Quite often the author repeats himself, as well. For example, He writes about something in chapter one, and you'll read that same thing over again in Chapters 3 and 5.

Another thing about this book that I found unnecesary, is the addition of the author's bowel habits (in the same waters that we swim in) and his zit popping escapades. Why, I ask you, is it necessary to include such details in a book such as this? I could have done without those details.

If you enjoy cruising and have wondered what it's like to live and work on a cruise ship...you'll probably enjoy this book. Don't expect it to be a well written book and don't expect to be drooling over each word, but expect to have a little fun with it. I don't regret reading it, but I won't read it again. Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Especially clever is his rendition of the Scots tongue.

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

Author: Peg Kehret

Ages: 9-12

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

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


About the Author

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We love this book. We borrowed it at the library and my 2 yr old son kept asking for it, so I eventually bought it. He loves to finish the last phrase on each page "how do you do" and always points out all the different vehicles, shapes, animals, etc. I've bought this book for friends as well and they love it too.

Great book, my 11 month old has loved this book since I started reading it to her a few months ago. It is colorful and the rhyming keeps her interested.

Perfect for the toddler set. My 2 year old always asks for "Boo baby." The illustrations are colorful and captivating for young readers and the story is sweet (and easily repeated 3-4 times per bedtime!)

This is a darling book with the cutest illustrated baby. The rhymes are simple, with the cute baby offering a sing-songy refrain that kids just love. I first started reading this book to my daughter when she was only a few months old. She's 3 now and it's her favorite book because the baby travels in a shoe, and what little girl doesn't love shoes? I highly recommend this book for someone looking for something unique and special. It's also a great gift because the chances of the recipient already having it are slim. I've given this book too many times now to count, and it is always cherished.

I originally stumbled upon this book at the library, but my son loved it so much (and I loved reading it to him), so we had to get a copy of our own. The artwork is mesmerizing, and the rhyme is clever and fun to read--and doesn't grate on me the way Green Eggs and Ham does after the fifth reading. I recommed this as a must-have for your baby's library.

This is a very good book on Walt Disney World. It is far superior to the 20th Anniversary Book "Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years". Although, many of the pictures are the same, there are alot more in Since the World Began.

In addition, this book provides much more information on the creation of the park. Still the best book on the creation of the Disney theme parks is "Disneyland: Inside Story" by Randy Bright. Since this is out of print, Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years is a good choice.

Walt Disney lives.

No, I'm not talking about the urban legend about him being cryogenically sealed and stashed below the Pirates of the Caribbean exhibition. Nor is this some soft New Ageism about spirits inhabiting the celestial plane.

He's alive down on a plot of land outside of Orlando, Florida, a boom city that was a dumpy little crossroad when Walt began buying what became a 30,000-acre spread there is the late 1960s.

Walt's gone, but his vision and energy lives on, and once you start dipping into "Since the World Began," you'll see that the scope of his vision is nothing short of awesome.

There are many faces of Disney, the producer of family-friendly and highly profitable movies, the creator of family-friendly theme parks, but also a visionary who thought that, as one associate put it, "bad information was responsible for all the evil in the world." Who tried to change people's attitudes within the confines of an amusement park, the man whose idealism spawned the Epcot center, and under Michael Eisner, the Disney Institute, where education and learning are on a par with entertainment.

What the book won't tell you -- this is published by Hyperion, Disney's publishing arm, and written by Jeff Kurtti, a longtime Disney employee -- is just what hell Walt went through to realize his vision. You won't hear of Disney's fundamentalist upbringing, his retreat into fantasy to escape a brutal father and life in poverty, his endless hard work to make animated movies, his multiple nervous breakdowns. His brother Roy is idealized as the business brain behind Walt's success, but you won't hear that Roy constantly opposed Disney's ideas as a waste of money. When Kurtti writes that Disney founded the design firm Walt Disney Imagineering in 1952 "because he realized that he wouldn't be able to create Disneyland within the boundaries of the studio system," he doesn't mention that it was also because Roy and the Disney board refused to advance Walt the money to design Disneyland, fearing that it would be a failure.

There was plenty of reason for Roy to be worried, too. Disney's ideas constantly threw the company perilously close to bankruptcy, generally on the order of every 18 months, until Disney's deal with ABC in 1955 made him very wealthy and put the company on a firm financial footing. Walt Disney was an idealist and a visionary, and if it wasn't for his tenacity, the company would not be the worldwide giant it is today.

Even while ignoring those shadings, there is still plenty of story left to make "Since the World Began" an awe-inspiring overview of Walt Disney World. It's probably the single largest and most complex construction project this side of the space shuttle. Its statistics are jaw-dropping: 55 miles of canals and levees were built to control the water levels, nine acres of underground corridors thread through the park, housing sewer lines, pipes and cables, and a pneumatic system for hauling trash, 60,000 plants and 800 varieties of trees acquired, moved and transplanted to build the park, 100,000 pounds of linen had to be washed every day.

As befitting its creator, the theme park was ahead of its time in its use of innovative technology. WDW was also the first area to implement 911 service in Florida, the first commercial venture to use fiber optic cables, the first telephone system using underground cable instead of overhead wires.

But the park was also a reflection of Walt Disney's vision of a global coming together of different peoples and cultures, learning about each other and attempting to find and enjoy peace as a result. It's globalization with a human face, to borrow someone else's phrase, and even if it seems outdated or even impossible in this post-9/11 world, Walt's beliefs is a hopeful and sustaining vision, and as American as the culture from which it sprang.

The author dives into the nuts and bolts of Disney history, including the formation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and Disney's unique infrastructure. Yet the book isn't bogged down with technical, intricate details. Any Disney fan should enjoy reading about the Imagineering behind all four Florida parks' concepts, the hidden meanings of the names on Main Street's second floor windows, the transformation of Tomorrowland, ad infinitum. I received the book as a gift in 1996 and I've enjoyed reading through it several times.

Wow, wow, wow what a great book depicting the history of the number one vacation spot on the planet. I actually bought this book when it came out about 5 years ago. After reading it, I decided I'm going back to Dinsey World to celebrate its 25th birthday. Needless, to say it was a great trip. This is the book for all you wanting to know about Dinsey World History. For Dinseyland I would reccommend Disneyland: Inside Story, but getting on of those under... is a hard task.... What are you waiting for, buy this book! Get ready to experience the magic!

This is a very good book on Walt Disney World. It is far superior to the 20th Anniversary Book "Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years". Although, many of the pictures are the same, there are alot more in Since the World Began.

In addition, this book provides much more information on the creation of the park. Still the best book on the creation of the Disney theme parks is "Disneyland: Inside Story" by Randy Bright. Since this is out of print, Walt Disney World 20 Magical Years is a good choice.

Wow... I just started reading this book two days ago and I'm completely engrossed... wished i had started reading it on a weekend, in order to read it faster!!!
Having been in China just a couple of months ago, I wish I had read this before my trip. Seth Faison provides lots of information about China society, culture, history and politics without sounding too judgemental. This is one book I'm sure I'll come back to. Essential reading for these times!

Faison brings us closer to the people of China and gives us an honest view of himself and how his own personal uncertainties influenced his choice of going to China and his life there. He dates a woman, who like China, has deep secrets, and he dates another who's personal choices help him understand himself. He visits the sauna massage to have a human touch and someone to talk with.

I like this sort of armchair "travel" book because it skips the tourist sites, hotel/restaurant reviews and encyclopediac history in favor of narratives about the people and the times. You will not read about the Great Wall nor Summer Palace here, and the Xian soldiers are only here because they are part of a story about real, everyday people.

These narratives are rich and memorable: the emmigrants and their familes of Fujian, a bootlegger, a sadly compromised government guide in Tibet, the slow build up to and the ensuing confusion of Tienamen Square. The sky burial, haunts me now, a day after finishing the book.

I'm sure that with technology, there are no secrets. I give it four stars instead of three stars because people who take issue with his contradictions will want to read this. Break out the highlighter pens. I laughed when he acknowledges for the first time (and then frequently throughout the book) that Chinese women are fodder because I've heard the lengthy and boring explanations by those who refuse to admit that about themselves. Use a different color to highlight the many times he feels that Chinese have developed an "obsession for money" and that Chinese women use him to get magazines, currency exchange and see him as marriage material while they cannot afford his expat coffee or sundae. (The kinds of things he was asked for, many people would have no problem giving without the burden of the economic and racial differences between the giver and the receiver. Obtaining magazines are a big deal FOR EXPATS in China. There have been some socially retarded incidents of too much asking but I think the Chinese are better at showing when that's been inappropriate of Chinese so I think he could have been clearer about that.)

Then use a third color highlighter for the many times that he is reliant on the generosity not just material but the generosity of Chinese attention that helps him acclimate and get his job done. People and perhaps especially Chinese fail to draw the comparison that the percentage of Chinese immigrants who enjoy that thorough a level of generosity overseas is much less than the percentage of nonChinese who are helped by Chinese in China. I bear him no rancor though I can't imagine he would appreciate this review. I haven't laughed so much READING in a while. The pungent motives and unspoken assessments are not a shock and I think he's very clever and remembers that many Chinese know this so he presents them for consumption. It's his admissions that save him just as when Kip Fulbeck's narrator admitted that he wouldn't want his daughter dating someone like him. LOL. I wonder if M. Faison (French Huguenot! LOL) has ever been frustrated that Chinese don't realize how clever he is. This book is not about "dating." It's about world politics and its instruments. And his cleverness is not in his confessions of eliciting confidences but in the entire book.

A good companion to this book is Thailand Fever written from both Western and Thai perspectives (as interpreted by a Westerner apparently) with tips on how to successfully navigate the cultural misunderstandings to forge successful romantic relationships. The tone of Thailand Fever is different because the goal for the Westerner is different. I don't think that the authors of either books speak for all Westerners although Thailand Fever tends to generalize. Some expats may welcome South of the Clouds and refer to it to reinforce their criticisms; however, this book fails to explain that Asians and notably the Chinese are very good at ignoring other people and becoming invisible when they are not being appreciated or well-regarded sincerely so there is something to be said when they help you.

I'm fed up with the lack of Asian male faces in American media while Asian women are left exposed and devalued so that this kind of reporting is part of the mainstream depiction instead of just a blip. I'm calling quits on going to the movies and closely considering every American media purchase I make (including magazines) from now on. I've had it!

I recently re-read Seth Faison's marvellous book on a return trip through China. I was in Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai and then Hong Kong all in the space of a week. Faison's book was like a becalmed harbor that I could return to -- every time I got on a plane or settled down to bed. His crackling prose and incisive view of China and the gentleness with which he explained what is a tangled and complex place were something I looked forward to each day. It's a great book and deserves the widest possible attention.

I've spent over 8 years in Asia with much of it in China and have always enjoyed reading books about China. Many though, do not come close to capturing the modern thoughts of China as it changes from an agricultural to industrial power as this book does.

If you are looking for a deeper understanding of how many Chinese feel on the street, with threads of intrigue, history and current events I heartily recommend this book.

A friend recently loaned us a copy of "Spirit of the Open Road". This book is an absolute "Must Read" for anyone who has any kind of recreational vehicle or anyone who thinks he may want one. We are reasonably seasoned RVers (we have graduated over a period of 20 years from a pup tent on the back of a motorcycle all the way up to a Class A motorhome), and we don't know how we ever survived without this book. Peggy McDonald has done a masterful and entertaining job of really telling it like it is. "Spirit" is chock full of timely tips and suggestions that have been gleaned from on-the-road experience and is presented in a style that anyone can enjoy. It is particularly appropriate for Canadians who want to be winter snowbirds. I agree with another reviewer who wrote that every RVer should have two copies - one to keep and one to loan out to your friends!

Whether you are new to RVing or have been RVing for years, Spirit of the Open Road is in fact Essential and the only Reference Guide RVers will need. When we started RVing a friend recommended this book and I am sure glad we purchased it. Spirit of the Open Road is always at my finger tips and is full of helpful Facts and tips; everything from saftey to what you should look for when purchasing a new or new to you Rig; budgeting for Full-Time RVers; important information to know when travelling across the border; and, the list goes on. The selling feature for me is the fact that the author, Peggi McDonald, writes about her and her husband John's personal RVing experiences. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work, Peggi & John!

My wife and I are new Rvers & were looking for a good book or two to help us learn and avoid beginner mistakes. If you are in the same boat, this is the book for you! While the book is subtitled "The Essential Reference for Canadian RVers", it is almost completely irrelevant whether you live in Canada or the USA (as we do). This book is about the RV experience - period. Jam-packed with tips, it teaches you the basics and much, much more. This book, written from years of experience & suggestions from other RVers, is very complete and informative. If you're not a novice, you still just might find some great ideas that you had not occurred to you before.

The book is easily read, fun, and well laid out. You'll find information on maximizing your space, towing/driving, dealing with pets, budgeting for your RV lifestyle, finding a good campground, buying or selling your RV, and much more.

I bought 5 different RV related books, but "Spirit of the Open Road" was far and away the best of the bunch.

At last, practical advice for both before and after you have bought that dream RV. I have read a lot of RV advice and how to's but this is the one I'll take with me. Peggi delivers an organized and extremely helpful book divided into logical sections so you can read the whole thing ( I recommend this approach so you don't miss anything) or just what you need to know when you need it. I have owned an RV for 6 years and I wish I'd had this book when I bought my first one. This is the best book I have seen for novices - strong on how to and practical tips culled from years of experience and chats with RVers all over. This is also a great book for those thinking of beginning in RV's. If you think you know it all read Peggi and you'll learn a lot more! Hope she brings out another one soon.

SPIRIT OF THE OPEN ROAD is subtitled, "The Essential Reference Guide for Canadian RVers," but in fact it holds a wealth of how-to advice for American travelers as well. Most RVing basics are the same everywhere: selecting the type of RV that suits your needs, dealing with limited storage space, safe driving techniques, ways of keeping in touch with family and friends back home, selecting campgrounds from the many types out there, securing your home on wheels from the dangers of burglars, fire, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Peggi McDonald covers all these topics and more, in a clear, easy-to-read style with occasional cartoon drawings and shaded boxes for key points. As an American RVer, I especially appreciated the many practical tips in the book -- including clever fixes for plumbing problems, an entire chapter of hints on "Extending Your Living Space," and "Weighing Your RV," a section that explains the alphabet-soup mysteries of GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight). RVing wannabees of any nationality should find this a useful guide to getting started in life on the road.