Travel Books

Bob Horn has obviously gone to every one of these areas, or gathered info from other climbers and detailed them well in this book. His line drawings and sketches are better then usual and are easy to find and follow.
My only gripe is that a lot of the southern front range bouldering classics are on private property and no directions are given to several areas. I think when a climber is accessing private property, a simple stop at the owners residence will often gain you legal access to these precious gems.
From and ex-greenhorn valley dweller, enjoy!

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

I just love Colorado history, and this book is put together so well with the photographs and explains the history of each town. Great Buy!

The book starts out with a nice section on Mr. Collier's great grandfather Joseph then moves on into a little section on Colorado history (I assume all of the old photos were done by Joseph Collier). That's interesting stuff, and it's followed by the bulk of the book which seems to be several sections covering, for the most part, several Colorado mining towns. For each town you get some history and at least one then (1870's-1880's)and one now (1990's-2000 or so) photo, each of these is captioned. The pictures are pretty clear and usually very well positioned matched (Grant Collier makes note of one where he couldn't get the right spot)which can be hard to do.
About the only complaint I can come up with is that I'd like to have had more town and scenic photos to look at, this is a nice book.

This is a great mix of old photos, new photos, and history. It makes a great companion piece to the more popular "Colorado 1870 - 2000" and in some ways it is superior to that book. For one thing, "Colorado Yesterday and Today" costs half as much as the Jackson/Fielder book. Also, Collier takes the time to talk about each and every place that is featured in his collection of photographs, something which is sorely missing in the other book.

Collier's re-shoots are right on the money, and when they are not, he tells us (access issues pop up from time to time). The connection to his great-great-grandfather is touching. Most importantly, this is a book that you can read and enjoy. It is not a ponderous 'picture book' that won't fit in your bookcase.

Grant Collier's 'Colorado, Yesterday and Today' is an exceptional work in an exceptional period of time. Not often have I seen such dedication to detail. This dedication is evident in Grant Collier's testamonial to his great grand-father Joseph. What a piece of work this book is! Not only are the photographs accurately re-taken, but Grant also provides short details that accompany each section. I find this attention to detail quite refeshing. Not like other related books on the market. I am recommending this book to all of my friends. I do not wish to bore you any further with my writing. Just buy Grant Collier's book(s) and let him show you what he is capable of.

This is an outstanding book for those of us who are fascinated with what time can do to buildings or even whole towns. I have already read this fascinating book 3 times and each time I find something interesting that I missed the first time. Buy this book,you won't be sorry.

This book is very well written. I can't wait to work on my gourds, trying out some of these techniques. You won't be sorry if you love to work with gourds and you purchase this book!

I'm new to gourd art and was looking for ideas and techniques to try. This book provides both. The artwork is fantastic and the pieces portrayed are inspirational. A dozen different techniques are showcased with photos of several completed pieces created with each technique and with various tools. Some of the artists tell how they created their pieces in a general way, while others explain in great detail. I love the mix of styles and methods. I would recommend this book to any gourd enthusiast. The Complete Book of Gourd Craft, by the same authors, is also a great book for beginning gourd artists.

My husband does the carving on the gourds - and he says the book
is very good!

One of the best books of Gourd designs I have seen in a long time. The designs caputure your imagination and put it to work in seeing gouds in a more sophisticated and modern genre.Congratulations to Jim Widess and Ginger Summit. Mary Schisler, Paradise CA.

Great how to carving book. Great photos. Not just for the beginner.

This was purchased as a birthday gift, and it was a big hit! My daughter liked it very much. She has done a lot of work looking into our family's history, and so this was very helpful to her.

A great resource to not only learn about the history and mechanics of heraldry, but also for inspiration for creating one's own coats of arms. I mainly picked this up to create heraldry for my strategy table top war game, but the historian in me enjoys it as well for scholarly purposes.

A.C.Fox-Davies:HERALDRY
I already had a great respect for Mr.Fox-Davies, having two of his great books:THE ART of HERALDRY and HERALDRY-the magnificent pictorial archive for artists and designers. And I expected to learn quite a lot from the HERALDRY book.Guess,I was right.
.The texts are very,very good,BUT,there are just too many unnecessary and detailed descriptions of British and Scotch Armory.Was it because Mr.Fox-Davies wanted to show off( with his long description of many personal Arms,which I doubt had any great interest for the general reader-mentioning only a few Im sure he could have got his point) or maybe,he was just carried away by his wish too make a good(fat)book?Nevertheless,Mr.Fox-Davies is among the VERY FEW experts who dared mention the painstakingly long and slow development of Armory,from Moses and the Scriptures onwards,explaining that it were first the personal signs and symbols which existed long before the Heraldry proper.And are still going strong,not as Arms,but LOGOTYPES of more or less famous brands.
There is no" Deus-ex-Machina "Heraldry for Mr.Fox-Davies .It was a slow and painful process influenced by both the traditions and technology,development of society , classes and unfortunately.warfare..And I guess,Mr.Fox-Davies leans too much on the Crusades Myth,closed HELMETS etc..
By the way,closed helmets existed long,long before the iron clad warriors ! Many of the drawings and other examples are very good,so that the small percentage of superfluous ones,do not play a significant role.All in all,for anyone willing to learn more,and think while reading the book,the number of lines and pages should not be tiring.It is satisfying to know that even in the days when the book first appeared,there was somebody who was NOT a stereotype,somebody who really loved the job and loved the knowledge he so willingly transferred to his readers.

Good book - just wish it explained more simply and clearly - in a concise way - the symbols.

I can not possibly imagine a more complete guide to Heraldry. This engaging book really brings you into the world of crests, family honor, and ancestry. It gives a comprehensive guide to all the symbols used, and their various meanings. If you are even remotely interested in Heraldry, pick this up today.

The map is terrific, but what sets this apart from an ordinary map is all the additional information and travel tips you receive along with it. It provides a wealth of "quick" reference information by identifying each location and then summarizing the different activities included in them. I haven't actually had the opportunity to use it on location yet, but it has been a tremendous aid in planning our travel and activities.

I just returned from Cozumel and this map was a great thing to have. It helped us a lot before going on our trip to kind of plan what we were going to do. It had great insider information that I trusted 100%. Every comment on the map was completely true. I highly recomend this to anyone planning a trip to Cozumel.

I was disappointed in the map, thought it was more, but that's not your fault. Service was excellant as always.
Thank you
Kathy Crone

Excellent coverage of Cozumel. ... Maps are available of Cancun, Cozumel, Riviera Maya, Playa de Carmen, and soon Isla Mujeres and Chichen Itza.

I buy new maps yearly, because the changes year to year are so drastic. Get one or all before you go!

We just returned from Cozumel, and used this map a lot. It had great advice, and was easy to read. There were lots of tips packed into a convenient package.

Award-winning travel author and newspaper columnist Barbara Hudgins has
produced a road map for fledging travel writers in her new book, 'Crafting the Travel Guide Book."
Succinct and savvy in style, HUDGINS' book furnishes the framework for the would-be travel author.
She helps the writer define concept, category and audience, and builds on basic topics such as organization, structure and general format.
Extremely well-organized , this book covers such details as "front matter"(as Hudgins terms them)---namely titles, sub-titles, copyright,
foreward, acknowledgments and table of contents.
The section on "What Goes In and What Stays Out" includes definitions of plagarism, copyright and "second-hand prose, or re-told stories from a wire service or other source.
Clear and concise, Hudgins' book takes the reader on a tour of the byways and highways of travel writing ---and makes it an easy ride.

The previous five, all five star, reviews are dead on. Crafting the Travel Guidebook is an indispensable resource for anyone wishing to or already writing in the ever-expanding, increasingly popular travel guidebook field. Crafting the Travel Guidebook was pure joy to read. It is not the same old outdated information rehashed yet again. The information is detailed yet concise. Norman Goldman's review (either above or below, just find it and read it) gives an excellent breakdown of the book and its benefits to you, the writer. I only want to add that Hudgins, to her great credit, unlike many journalists and authors, really knows what she is talking about in the self-publishing field and the differences between self, vanity, subsidiary, and POD publishing. Many are the unwary authors that did not know the difference and suffered the consequences. If the book has a drawback, it is that the reader will come up with ideas for many new books as they read along. Having a legitimate excuse to research and travel to an exciting new place is some drawback, huh? Bravo, Barbara Hudgins, as C.S. Potter so aptly wrote.

Crafting the Travel Guidebook had some good information in it, mainly of the inspirational nature. However, it also had a lot of typos, strange formatting, omitted words, and other errors that made it seem unprofessional. Furthermore, some of the advice in the book - such as writing your own [[...] reviews and sending them to friends in other states to post for you, to drive up your ratings - were borderline unethical. Some tips were repeated over and over again, while other areas were very thin on content.

The good stuff included inspiration about famous travel guides who started out small, a good overview of self publishing, and a good overview of the different types of travel guides that you can write. Overall, what was good was great, but the book would have benefited from better editing and more solid content in several key areas. It was definitely worth reading, but I wish I'd borrowed this book from a library instead of buying it new.

My husband and I have been traveling for over forty years and we keep a journal of the places we have visited, from a cruise through the Panama Canal, renting a villa in Italy with friends, various hiking trips in Europe, and a three week visit to New Zealand, as well as drinking our way through Napa and Sonoma several times.

I've considered combining my journals into a book, but had no idea how to begin. When I discovered Crafting the Travel Guidebook, I knew I had found the tools to make that a reality. Honing in on a concept, figuring out your format and your parameters, finding a voice and constructing chapters that follow one another in a logical way--it makes everything so much easier.

There is also information on the construction of a book, particularly a travel book---from writing the disclaimer on the copyright page to listing what goes into the appendix. I also liked the information on how to approach a publisher and the rundown on the variety of self-publishers and subsidy publishers. All in all, a great buy for anyone who even comtemplates the writing of a travel book.

Travel writing in general, and the writing of travel guides in particular, is a very specialized genre for aspiring authors and is perhaps one of the most complicated areas in which to seek publication. Therefore it is especially satisfying to read travel writing expert Barbara Hudgins' practical, real-world, comprehensive compendium of sound advice and information on writing guidebooks, directories, travelogues, travel memoirs, in "Crafting The Travel Guidebook: How To Write, Publishing & Sell Your Travel Book". In addition to providing a wealth of useable information on traditional publishing, self-publishing, POD publishing, and subsidy publishing as it applies to travel oriented books, there are invaluable travel writing tips, advice on writing the book proposal, key information concerning publicity and promotion, and a list of publishers who specialize in producing travel books. More specifically to the advantage of the novice author seeking to write a travel guide or a travelogue is what "Crafting The Travel Guidebook" has to offer about finding a category to write about, creating a format, constructing the framework of the guidebook, finding an audience, and finding a 'voice' that will stand out from all the other travel books in competition for the traveler's attention. Simply indispensable reading for any beginning travel author, whether they are writing annotated directories, road guides, memoirs, outdoor recreation guides, destination and regional guidebooks, restaurant and winter guides, specialized audience guides, luxury or budget travel guides, guidebooks for the business traveler, or for the vacationer, "Crafting The Travel Guidebook" is also very highly recommended to seasoned travel journalists seeking to compile their magazine or newspaper travel columns into a travel book.

As an American living in Rome I came across this book last year. It is entertaining and practical and I have recommended it to several friends, family and business associates who visit. Packing light is hard to do but Mr Shearer shows how to do it. But I dont know anyone who can get to his 11 pound limit. That seems pretty tough but is a good goal to work on; I also liked his advice on crime. This is a growing problem here in Europe, it has definitely gotten worse in the 90s. He definitely has a handle on good advice and what to do. Very current and practical. Another problem here is the level of service in stores. It is unbelievable how they can treat you. I enjoyed Mr Shearers fun store adventures and stories. Great attitude and spirit. This book is real world stuff. It is entertaining and pretty darn useful too. Thanks!

I find myself in Europe 3-6 months a year since 1991, and can say I know the European scene very well. Came across this book late last year and must commend Mr. Shearer for a fun read, as well as a comprehensive guide on how to get around. I see from the book notes that he is British and so it is no wonder that he knows his stuff. He also has that great "tongue in cheek" British sense of humor and this is the most amusing book of its kind on the market. I have recommended it to several family members and friends. It is really useful, with chapters on just about everything you need to know about, including on the pick pockets and thieves. By the way, anyone who thinks this is not a problem has not been to Europe for a while as the flood of immigrants has really made this into an issue. However Mr. Shearer is on top of it and gives really great practical solutions. Altogether a great read and a lot of good humor.

I find myself in Europe 3-6 months a year since 1991, and can say I know the European scene very well. Came across this book late last year and must commend Mr. Shearer for a fun read, as well as a comprehensive guide on how to get around. I see from the book notes that he is British and so it is no wonder that he knows his stuff. He also has that great "tongue in cheek" British sense of humor and this is the most amusing book of its kind on the market. I have recommended it to several family members and friends. It is really useful, with chapters on just about everything you need to know about, including on the pick pockets and thieves. By the way, anyone who thinks this is not a problem has not been to Europe for a while as the flood of immigrants has really made this into an issue. However Mr. Shearer is on top of it and gives really great practical solutions. Altogether a great read and a lot of good humor.

Without a doubt, the most valuable printed material I have ever read on the subject! This book is very user-friendly and packed with "essential and practical" day-to-day, country -to-country information. It is as though you have your own tour guide condensed into 300+ pages. It answers questions you didn't know to ask! Don't leave home without it!

Although this book contains a wealth of interesting and useful information dealing with people traveling independently, I was amazed that Mr. Shearer traveled to Europe so many times when he constantly warns of the pickpockets and thieves at every turn. He was also paranoid about the rooms in hotels, taxi drivers, and included a 10 page section on the various ways you can be robbed on the street. Then later when talking about shopping---he is clearly bitter in a two page diatribe about some people in a Denmark train station shop who refused to give him his money back. This is no way to encourage people to travel anywhere by telling nasty little tales. He was also very upset when some Germans would not give him a grocery bag... Get over it already.... I found the details of the transportation interesting, but I really felt that Mr. Shearer was sort of a paranoid man traveling with his little 11 pound pack, miserly in his dealings with other, and suspicious of others. When I went to Europe, I found none of this kind of behavior in London, France (south and east), Italy, Switzerland and Germany... I think how you are treated is a direct reflection of the attitude you bring to any interaction. So-- be nice--and remember the Golden Rule. And that is why I think Rick Steves is a far better ambassador and I bet he has a lot more fun than Clive.

This is a beautiful book with gorgeous photos of Cuban architecture and furniture of the Cuba I left behind many, many years ago. I gave it to all of my siblings for Christmas and it was an instant hit! Its ovely pictures bring both smiles and tears. A must for those of us who want to keep a collection of what once was our life in Cuba before our exile.

Cuban Elegance is a great book, has wonderful photography and dipicts the elegant decore of Cuba and its architecture as well.

This is a great coffee table book of good quality. The colour photographs are excellent, accompanied by descriptive text. I bought it out of a sense of curiosity of how the more affluent Cubans might live. Unfortunately, as it turns out, I don't generally share their taste in design or dark furniture, but don't let that put you off an excellent and informative book.

THIS IS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BOOK. THE PICTURES ARE BEAUTIFUL, THE TEXT REGARDING EACH ONE IS VERY CLEAR. IT HAS A GOOD FLOW AND MAY I DARE SAY IT IS A SEXY BOOK? IF THERE IS SUCH A THING. I WOULD RECOMMEND EVERYONE AND ANYONE TO GET IT. WHEATHER YOU'RE CUBAN OR NOT.

IT HELPS POINT OUT ALL THE BEATY THAT ONCE USED TO BE AS WELL AS THE ONE LEFT NOW AMIDST ALL THE DECAY AND ABANDONEMENT CURRENTLY AFFECTING THE ISLAND COUNTRY. I LOVED IT.

I recently bought this book and despite that I had never being in Cuba before this is better than the real thing. Cuba was one the biggest economies in the region and such growth gave the possibility to create one of the most selected elites in the Caribbean islands. That prestige and class is all what you can find in this book full of excellent pictures. The reading of the book is pleasant, accurate and, full of details. I was amaze by the work around Cuban furniture which reflects the passion of the author in the topic. It's worth 5 out 5 starts with any doubts.

I've never been to Hungary or had much experience with anyone from Hungary, however I've recently become very interested in this lovely country. This book sounded like a fun and interesting introduction into the social aspect of Hungary (as opposed to architecture and history). The author has a lively and easy-to-read writing style. I would recommend this book and will seek out other books from the "Culture Shock" series.

Seldom does a book that is written for a narrow readership, in this case tourists and businessmen, become a success beyond its intended audience. What elevates "CULTURE SHOCK! HUNGARY" above the level of a Traveller's Guide Series is both the quality of the writing and the intimate knowledge of what overdrives this nation of 10 million restless souls. It is like a firmly held mirror, an unflinching but affectionate insight into the character of a nation.
If you are lucky enough to witness Zsuzsanna Ardo's meticulous undressing of Hungarians and their culture, you realize that she leaves very little mystery for any self-respecting Magyar to hide behind. To the embarrassment, or if you will to the delight of a native, who believes that he or she is comfortable with all the intricate layers of social interactions, the language and the "unpredictable excitement and character building" Hungarian history, even for them the "CULTURE SHOCK! HUNGARY" is full of fresh and original information that provokes conventional wisdom. With her warm satire she is experiencing life head-on in Budapest and the relentless and unavoidable hospitality of the countryside and its people. Whether it be a late evening stroll on the banks of the Danube or on the Margit bridge, challenging snow and ice on the hills of Rozsadomb, or a hot summer swim in Lake Balaton, her eye is always sharp and correct.
"...while surfers get hooked on the gentle waves and brisk breeze in the glaringly corny sunset, complete with golden-red reflections across the calm waters of the lake. No picture postcard of Lake Balaton can be such perfect kitsch as reality itself.."
Most enjoyable are her repeated journeys into the Hungarian psyche which explain and become the basis for all the advice and experiences she provides so abundantly. Her street wise comments on the personal and impersonal ways of greeting someone, the telltale handshakes, the persistent eye contact, the formality of kisses wherever they may land, the invitations and/or the un-invitations to a visit... are like a hilarious anthropological study.
"Some argue that laboring on building and nurturing and consensus-based love relationship with a Hungarian is, overall, like teaching a raven to fly underwater. This is grossly unfair... to the ravens. There is consensus all right as long as you consent to whatever your hero desires..."
"...status markers in social relations (are) a rather sophisticated system for keeping and reducing psychological distance, imposing and refusing hierarchy or intimacy."
Obviously she is afflicted by the same genes of passion, humor and unbridled need to inform and/or set things straight, as the people she is writing about.
"Whenever it is momentarily blue, manic, or depressive, the admirable lack of self-irony with which some Hungarian egos indulge themselves by fits and starts guarantee the heavy-duty nature of their state of mind. ...their oscillations between euphoric drives to get ahead and melodramatic soul-tearing driven by paranoid fatalism are sizzling and spectacular."
Ouch! She exposes universally and correctly the Hungarian nerve; it is up to the reader to differentiate among the joys and obstacles and to decide if he or she is adventurous enough to visit or even to stay in this very hospitable country, better yet, to befriend a "demonstratively woe-stricken... mega-sensitive" Hungarian! Her view is compassionate but sobering of a society where fantasies of even the possibility of grandeur, sentimentality and "an intensely vague discomfort or inarticulate ethnocentricity", is the norm; as if she would say, "I love the place and all of you guys, but you are so..." It is a well deserved roasting. And when she is in her more somber mood, a well deserved warning. Noticing the heavy drinking and smoking and a "decidedly non PC diet" she muses: "Traditionally, many Hungarians embrace premature death with gusto."
"Hungarians eat just about everything that you are not supposed to, prepared in the way it shouldn't be, and consumed in deadly quantities. Naturally, they enjoy it tremendously. And they want to make it sure their visitors enjoy it too."
But her satire is not just idle remarks of society's shortcomings and idiosyncrasies. She admirably provides a long list of agencies and social services where Hungarians, visiting businessmen and tourists can turn to, to redeem themselves.
With her academic background in Linguistics and Literature, Ardo's casual introduction to the Hungarian language, that is difficult by any standard, is like a friendly persuasion. Her unusual but well researched approach is a very convincing short course in Etymology. Surprisingly revealing even for those who think they can speak Hungarian.
Page after page Zsuzsanna Ardo, who was born in Hungary but presently is a British citizen, proves an important point, that only from a safe distance, preferably from as far as possible, can one truly look at his or her homeland objectively.
I would recommend the book to anyone who wishes to have a less bumpy ride through this little country in the Danube basin. It is unfortunate that the book is available only in English, because "CULTURE SHOCK! HUNGARY" should be a must, a specially required and liberating reading for all Hungarians too.
Kid from Pataj, Steven Domonkos.

Zsuzsanna Ardó's well written guide to the customs and etiquette of Hungarian people holds relevant information for anyone traveling or doing business there.
I assist English teachers at a primary school in Hungary and am looking forward to incorporating the many tips provided on business and general communication when speaking with my colleagues at school.
I also appreciated the abundance of Hungarian proverbs and sayings written out in both languages. These are fun to bring up with Hungarian friends and since they often don't translate literally, I'd not have been able to sort them out just using my translation dictionary. The insight into history's role in modern Hungarian thinking was fascinating for me as well.
A "cultural quiz" rounds out the book. It was a fun
and, I thought, a perfect way to tie the information together. The author's sense of humor throughout made it a most enjoyable read!
As Hungary's entry into the EU should spur an increase in business and tourism--I noticed some new billboards promoting travel to Hungary when I was changing planes in Frankfurt last week--the relevance and importance of this book should likewise
increase!
--written May, 2004

"Culture Shock! Hungary" is a golden child in the Culture Shock! family of books. Ardo's text is extremely readable and functional. Part history and language lesson, part culinary and travel guide, and more, "Culture Shock! Hungary" is chock full of interesting trivia and applicable knowledge. Ardo's work is highly recommended to anyone hoping or planning on visiting Hungary. The book is compact and would also be well worth rereading on one's trip to Budapest, Balaton or the Hortobagy. This mini-masterpiece of hints and humor would also be useful for someone interested in better understanding the burning minds, yo-yo moods and often mysterious ways of Hungarian friends, colleagues or even love interests. And of course, this text is an especially good read for anyone, in the U.S. or Canada with Magyar ancestry who is trying to learn more, or read commentary on Hungarian heritage. "Culture Shock! Hungary" is a thoroughly relevant and entertaining read.

In preparing for my initial vacation trip to Hungary in August 2003, I read the usual travel guides, Frommer's, The Green Guide, Lonely Planet and best of all, Andras Torok's "Budapest-A Critical Guide". While these books describe the where, Culture Shock-Hungary supplies the who, what, why and how of the magnificent Magyars.

The 2003 New Expanded edition is a joy to read. It's fast paced and lively- a real page turner. It made me laugh out loud several times. The last time I laughed so much while reading a book was when I read "Confederacy of Dunces" some twenty years ago. If this book wasn't part of the Culture Shock series, it may well have been called A Confederacy of Magyars. Read and delight in the sections on Traditions and Values and Image and Self Image to find out.

For a foreigner, the part on the Hungarian language, Magyarul, is especially interesting. Having studied Hungarian for a year when I was in the Army and let it slip away because of non-use, the language section rekindled old memories. The study of the enigmatic Hungarian language could well prove to be a lifelong task although it is said that Sissi(emperor Franz Joseph's wife) learned it in no time flat and became the darling of the Hungarians. This book should be a favorite of Magyarphiles everywhere.

If you are planning a vacation trip to Hungary or do business there ( there is a whole section devoted to business etiquette and customs), read this book to understand what makes Hungary tick.

If you read Dario Castagno's first book, Too Much Tuscan Sun, this one may come as a surprise. It's a fanciful but thoughtful "day in the life" as compared to his previous tour guide stories, which were funny but occasionally very unflattering regarding some of his clients. This time we see another side of life in the Chianti countryside, with endearing tales both old and new, of the inhabitants. A lovely bit of writing and remembrances by this proud member of the Bruco contrada.

Dario has once again weaved a great story about his village and his deep passion and affection for his village, tradition and for Italy. This is a great read to complement his other books.

A very enjoyable read that informs and entertains. It feels as if our upcoming trip to Tuscany has already begun.

This is a great read. Short, funny and I loved the way he wrote the book. Passed it on to friends and they loved it also.

I dearly loved this book. I vacationed in Vagliagli, the tiny Italian hamlet and recognized the sites and people the author talks about. When he describes the sights and sounds (the rooster, hunting dogs barking) upon waking, I find myself back at our villa down the way from Cignano. Everyone who appreciates the solitude and the true Italy needs to read this book. Thank you for sharing, Dario. I am a fan of your books.