Travel Books

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Travel Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz

Published in Paperback by Rio Nuevo Publishers (1999-11)

Authors: Susan Lowell, Jim Hills, Michael Wisner, Jorge Quintana, Robin Stancliff, and James Hills

List price: $29.95

New price: $18.35
Used price: $12.78
Collectible price: $29.95

Average review score:

Perfect Title for the Book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-14

We just visited Mata Ortiz, and it is great to be able to connect all the faces and stories with the beautiful objects these humble artists create.

Want to know more about Mata Ortiz and its potters?

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-24

This is a great book for all that are curious about Mata Ortiz pottery and the people who make it. If you want to start collecting, it's a great book to have for a reference source. All artists mentioned in this book are of high caliber, as good, some even better than the Native American potters of the Southwest. At this time, these wares are also less expensive and affordable to most people. Hopefully they will be a good investment for the future.

Susan Moesch

Mata Ortiz Pottery

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-19

A wonderful collection of photographs combined with dialoge about this remote village in Mexico. It describes the journey to get there, then details the lives of the talented people who live there. The photogtaphy is outstanding. A must for any person collecting or thinking of collecting pottery from this village.

Treasure on Treasures

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-10

"The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz" is a treasure trove of information about the treasures that are the Mata Ortiz people and pottery. It is well laid-out, well written, and well...wonderful!! The only thing that would make my copy better are autographs by Juan Quezada himself and every other potter in the book.

Unfortunately for whatever reason, Juan's son Alvaro is not featured in the book. He is indeed an exceptional artist.

I was able to meet Alvaro and Juan Quezada in Nov 2006 in their family gallery in Mata Ortiz and found them and their entire family to be humble friendly and genuinely thrilled that people love their wonderful creations.

If you have not had the opportunity to visit Mata Ortiz, "The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz" will inspire you to go. If you have, it will make you pine for it and it's people.

The Next Best Thing To Owning A Pot

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-18

Almost 40 years ago Juan Quesada from the village of Mata Ortiz in Chihuahua singlehandedly revived Casa Grande style pottery. This book is a beautifully illustrated account of his success, along with the other artists of the village who learned from him. Becoming familiar with these artists should lay to rest the notion held by many Americans that Mexican imports are second class. These paper-thin pots are as beautiful as any you will ever see. This book has color photographs of many of the potters from Mata Ortiz as well as pictures of their pots. There is information on how the pots are made-- they are all built by hand from native materials, painted with brushes made from the artists' children's hair and fired over cow dung.

The book has a lot of interesting details-- for instance, when the Pope visited Mexico a few years ago, he was given three of these magnificent pots. Another fascinating tidbit is that one of every seven citizens of this village makes these pots. They have gone from doing manual labor to creating works of art.

Owning this book is the next best thing to owning a Mata Ortiz pot.

MapEasy's Guidemap to Rome

Published in Map by MapEasy, Inc. (2005-08-04)

Author: Inc. MapEasy

List price: $5.50

New price: $5.49
Used price: $2.97

Average review score:

Great map

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-01

This map is waterproof, wind resistant, easy to fold and easy to read. It probably has more tourist highlights on it than you'll be able to visit in one trip.

Durable maps

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-09

After four trips to Rome and being folded & folded & abused, there are still no rips in this map. I get a MapEasy's Guide anytime I can. Easy to read. And, no matter how long between visits, these places never move. Restaurants & hotels may change, but I mark where our favorite places to stay & eat were for future reference.
But mostly I just want to know where an attraction is and the shortest way to get there!!!!

Fun and Easy to Use

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-05

I have 8 of these maps, for cities from Rome to NY. They helped us around in Wash, DC, find the monuments, eating, and points of interest. They are well planned and informative. We just got back from NY and it was just perfect, once again. Having used the "traditional" ones in the past and being a constant traveller, I look forward to our next trips using MapEasy.They are also small enough to fit anywhere.

MapEasy Guide to Rome

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-27

I navigated my way through Rome for three months using this map. Worked splendidly! The waterproofing and heavy, foldable (and light-weight) construction is brilliant, as I was caught in more than a fair share of rain storms while using the map. Ideal for pedestrians.

Map-not so-Easy

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-22

My wife and I bought 2 maps for our trip to Rome this one, and the Streetwise Rome map. This one is helpful if you are trying to find places to eat that are inexpensive, but the locations aren't in the same location that it shows you. This happened to us a couple of times, also, some of the stores are closed that it has listed. It is very helpful because it has the Pantheon, Coliseum, and Piazza Navona blown up on the back side which proved to be helpful.

Overall the Streetwise is a better map because it has the names of all the blocks whereas this one misses some of the alleys (which there are a lot of). The Streetwise does have a smaller font but not terribly small like one of the other reviews states.

Also, this map would be much more helpful if it had an index of the streets and piazza's/largos which the Streetwise map does have.

Overall this map is worth the 6 bucks that I paid for it, but the 9 that I paid for the streetwise was better (more flipping the map over because it's two-sided, but better).

Memories of an Eastern Sky

Published in Kindle Edition by Aberdeen Bay (2008-01-18)

Author: Andy Zhang

List price: $9.95

New price: $7.96

Average review score:

Memories of an Eastern Sky

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-21

Mr. Zhang's book contains layers of messages. First there is the one that depicts a society and culture deprived of the freedom that is cherished by ours, but even now under attack by a paranoid government. Then there is the uplifting one where the greatness of the human spirit shines through in adversity and chaos. It is a story that should be included in all high school literature classes. Thank you.

Thought provoking page-turner!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-23

It was hard to put the book down! It certainly makes one appreciate the fragility of life, freedom, and the God-given blessings we take for granted. I pray the USA will never encounter the atrocities so many others have experienced.

Memories of an Eastern Sky

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-23

I loved this book. The book was so powerful and touching. I cried for Andy Zhang's family. I am the parent of an adopted girl from China. I can never read enough about China and it's culture. The struggle and sacrifices that the author's family had to endure is remarkable. This book captures the true meaning of the human spirit. I highly recommend this book.

Tremendously moving and educational at the same time.

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-31

(Posted on behalf of B. Murray)
The natives of Harbin, China, were no strangers to struggle, but their resourcefulness and community spirit managed to pull them through--until the Cultural Revolution ruptured their lives and destroyed the fabric of their society. This powerfully moving story of the harrowing impacts on the Wang family and their neighbors, based on the experiences of the author's own family and village, brings home in a highly accessible way the damage done; the tortures and summary executions, the shocking ease with which powerful bullies could wreck the lives of their neighbors, the enslavement of a generation of children as farm laborers, and, most powerfully to me, the aftermath as the children who grew up in this chaos try to come to terms with their own experiences. Andy Zhang manages to convey all of this with an almost-deceptive simplicity of language and a fast-moving story line that makes it impossible to put the book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Chinese history and culture, the triumph of individual moral courage and kindness in a topsy-turvy world of chaos and thuggishness, or simply a good read
--B. Murray

Memories of an Eastern Sky is a Story to Love

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-18

Andy Zhang's novel is really his own story of growing up in Communist China. From the very first chapter, Zhang boldly carries the reader into the lives of Mama who is about to give birth, Baba who is accused of being a counterrevolutionary by the government, older brother Biao, and little brothers Ming and Dong. Eventually we are introduced to Baby Hai, sister Meili who belongs to the Sent Down Generation, and little Hui, our charming narrator.

The story is an achingly honest account of the Wang family's trials under the Mao regime, including Baby Hai's uncertain future, Baba's imprisonment and Mama's arrest. It is also a personal and touching coming-of-age story during which Zhang reveals small triumphs and great joys hidden in the cruelties of Communism. As Hui grows up and is presented with opportunities and tough choices, we learn that pain and humanity can carry equal weight inside the temptation of revenge. Through Zhang's tender characterization and fresh voice, readers will find themselves endeared by Hui's vulnerabilities and willingness to bear witness to a complicated time in Chinese history.

Also recommended: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Mind the Gap

Published in Hardcover by HarperCollins Illustrated (2001-08-01)

Author: Simon James

List price: $27.50

New price: $205.26
Used price: $45.64

Average review score:

Fascinating!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-09

Such a charming, descriptive book with off-beat, revelatory photos, that I bought copies for a grandson who lives in London and uses the tube, and for several American friends who used it this summer. History and lots of entertaining comment. I've used the subway in Washington, Berlin, and Moscow but never in London. Now I can hardly wait to wide to the end of the various lines James tells about so winningly. Great gift for anyone visiting London or anyone who lives there.

Armchair traveling

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-27

The cover of the book draws the eye immediately because of it's unique (to me) design, and the title attracted me because it repeats the phrase heard over the loud-speaker in the "tube" as the doors begin to close. The photographs are excellent because they give a hint of mystery, solitude, history and loneliness -- all at the same time. The text just adds to the information in the photographs and shows James' thoroughness in presenting his subject to the readers.

Remember the Underground

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-25

This book was like a trip back to London. The charming photos captured many quintessential aspects of the Tube and its stations that I instantly recognized and recalled but hadn't remembered. The articles explain many interesting aspects of the Underground with humor (without getting into a dry historical recitation). Very enjoyable and a classic.

Fascinating Images and Archeology

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-04

A wonderful and humorous history of the London Underground. However, this is more than just history, James' photographs create a sense of time and place for the viewer, regardless of whether or not you are familiar with London and it's underground transportation system or not. Perhaps, what struck me most is the how full of color these Underground stations are -- quite unlike anything I've seen in the United States.

Not What You Might Expect

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-27

A surprising success. Though the appeal may be quite narrow, this book does a surprisingly good job at what it attempts to do. For anyone who has enjoyed a ride on the Underground, or who has marveled and the (mostly) clean, efficient, and occasionally spectacular Underground stations, Mind the Gap provides a new, fun, and provocative perspective. James takes his camera to all (literally all) those stations that those of us who spend our time in "Zone 1" see at the fringes of the Underground map but never visit. There he captures simple, carefully composed almost documentary images that give us unique view of the history, health, and scope of the Underground system. Though the photographs are individually nothing special (I really could have taken most of them myself, and done better in many cases) the collective effect is balanced and enjoyable.

Certainly a worthy addition any collection of Underground books, and a nice alternative for one that already includes the other fine books of photographs of the Underground and its stations.

Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles Through Baja California, the Other Mexico

Published in Paperback by Milkweed Editions (2007-04-05)

Author: C. M. Mayo

List price: $15.00

New price: $6.94
Used price: $6.25

Average review score:

journey of a thousand milesin baja

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-09

good, worth reading.the book" one hell of a ride " the life and times of Lou Federico " A FANTASTIC READ . COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN SAY ALL READERS .NONFICTION on Baja and many more true stories.
you should promote this book more.No one will be dissapointed .

Wonderful!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-30

I loved this book. It will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to go to this amazing peninsula asap. Or go there again. (What else is a Baja Buff to do?)

The best book ever written on "the Other Mexico"

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-18

Miraculous Air was very enjoyable to read. It has lots of historical & political information but it's a "page-turner" all the way to end, which was a quite a surprise.

A Wonderful Book

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-06

This book is a series of real-life stories as experienced by the author over the course of about 5 years travel throughout Baja California. The stories paint a fascinating picture of many facets of life in Baja, both contemporary and historical. Ms. Mayo's writing style is also painterly - the words are pared to only the essential needed to convey the picture. The result is an extremely well-crafted book that is pure pleasure to read. Read this book if you are interested in Baja, or plan to travel there - it's one of the very best.

Don't go to Baja until you've read this book

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-17

God, what a read! Like a novel, almost, full of surprises and little historical bits that will enrich your visit to Baja beyond measure... it was my first visit to Mexico, in 1957, and reading this book takes me back to my childhood visions of a place where the air is miraculous, the sand clean and white, the people like brothers and sisters. Read this book in the teeth of winter, to survive the snowbound months. And if you want to give someone a gift when they're Baja-bound, give them this book. Truly a miraculous treasure.

Motorcycle Journeys Through the Appalachians

Published in Paperback by Whitehorse Press (1995-11-01)

Author: Dale Coyner

List price: $19.95

Used price: $13.58

Average review score:

A "Must" for anyone traveling the Appalachians

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-03

I just finished a ride of a little over 1000 miles from my home in NJ to and through WV and VA. I used this book to guide me on some really terrific roads and through some truly beautiful areas. This was the first long, extended ride I've ever taken and it was in large measure due to the "encouragement" expressed through this well written resource. If you're thinking of traveling through the Appalachians then I would recommend that you purchase and pour through this well written book before you go.

Invaluable!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-10

I just got back from a near-1000 mile trip through the Appalachians. I used this book to guide me through some thoroughly fascinating and beautiful areas -- the author, Dale Coyner, has create a terrific resource! I am not exaggerating when I say that VA Route 39 has changed my view of the eastern United States (I lived in the West -- Alaska, Utah, and Arizona -- until 2000). I'm sure I won't be the first, but I've set a goal to do all 36 rides in the book.

I showed this to the clerk at the bookstore at the Peaks of Otter wayside on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She's a rider, so she took the name of the book down with considerable enthusiasm and pledged to talk to the manager about stocking the book in the store. It seems strange NOT to have your book on the shelves in such a rider's paradise!

excellent book for motorcyle enthusiasts

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-18

great book detailing not just roads, but local custom and color for the mid-atlantic area from PA down to the Carolinas and eastern Tennessee.

numerouse routes from a central point in each region are detailed and the local dining, lodging, and other points of interest are detailed in an interesting style of writing.

useful for anyone who wants to tour the mid-atlantic region and take their time doing it...

Lookout mountains here we come!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-10

I worked in the motorcycle industry for over 10 years as a service manager and still ride with all my old co-workers.

We thought we knew all the best roads in our neck of the woods but we were wrong.

We pick a route, get into the middle of nowhere and then get lost.

This book has filled in the blanks for us.

A must have if you're a real rider.

Practical Guide Accompanied By Measured Humor

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-11

For me there are three parts to a good trip - the preparation, the adventure itself, and then the memories. This book has helped me a long way in achieving all these pleasure points. The maps and text are wonderful; the crafty photo's with tasty captions peppered appropriately throughout this guide left my partner (who does not accompany me) recommending more sights than I could handle. A keeper, if not just for that.

Mountains and Rivers Without End

Published in Hardcover by Counterpoint (1996-10)

Author: Gary Snyder

List price: $20.00

New price: $34.99
Used price: $0.18
Collectible price: $20.00

Average review score:

A profound retrospective in which one man speaks for all

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-26

Written over forty years, MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS WITHOUT END is poet Gary Snyder's highest achievment. Here he has presented a perception of the world that has taken four decades of experience to put into words. The collection moves chronologically from Snyder's glimpse in the 50's of a Japanese scroll that gave the book its name, though his wanderings in the American West, and into senescene.

Decades of travel have exposure Snyder to so much of our planet, and this experience forms a major part of MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS WITHOUT END. Mixing ecological perspective with Buddhist metaphysics, these poems are a powerful description of Man's relationship with the planet. Snyder is supremely aware of how attached mankind is to the Earth, and how its ever-surrounding landscape influences peoples.

The final poem "Finding the Space in the Heart" is a moving retrospective of Gary Snyder's forty years as a writer, from his Beat poet days in the 1950's to the older man that he is now, using elements of Buddhism's Prajnaparamita-sutra, the so called "Heart Sutra."

While Snyder's poems sometimes do not succeed due to clumsy meter, a lacking that makes me give this work only four stars, they often move the reader with their sincerity and signifance. MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS WITHOUT END is certainly worth a read.

And Rivers End Without Mountains

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-07

I have some ambivalence about giving Snyder 5 stars for this work. I come to this collection of poems after reading "Turtle Island", which I liked better overall. It had a bit more of the wide-eyed innocence that makes the poetry more heart-felt to me, even with that whole section at the end dedicated to prose on how to make the world a better place.

I found several poems in "Mountains..." that I like better than the ones in "Turtle Island" - particularly pieces like "Ma", which takes the form of a letter from a mother to son. What I didn't like so much was the pervasive use of East Indian and Oriental terms, much of which had little meaning to me. Recognizing a certain desire on Snyder's part to "disorient" a traveller through the literature helped somewhat. But often I felt Snyder was abusing his "superstar" status to make these foreign phrases seem more important than they actually are. How difficult can it be to just say what you want to say without resorting to another language? Snyder certainly has many tools at his disposal - the sum of which comes under the heading of "Poetic License".

Admittedly, languages are not solid, and new words creep in all the time. Perhaps Snyder feels he is just doing his part to force the issue with regard to some patterns of thought he wants insinnuated into western english. But I don't think it comes off that way all the time. Many times it just sounds like: "Aren't I clever to come up with this deep-meaning foreign phrase that you don't understand". This detracted some from the total effect in the book.

Ultimately, that's just me of course. One must do one's own thinking on these matters. And since I gave the thing 4 stars, it obviously still comes highly recomended from my viewpoint.

A man's world-vision made true through communion with Nature

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-01

In this work of poetry, Snyder has presented a perception of the world that has taken four decades of experience to put into words. But, this is more than a simple philosophical oratory, because Snyder came to write this due to the influence of Nature. This is a powerful description of Man's relationship with the planet.

An epic poem from a master.

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1998-01-09

Gary Snyder's epic poem "Mountains and Rivers Without End" is an epic work from an American Zen Buddhist pioneer. From Kerouac to the millenium, it is all there. His history is our history. Read it and get wiser.

Golden nugget

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-09

Golden nugget from Sierra streams. Gold never rusts.

Mr. Lunch Takes a Plane Ride

Published in Hardcover by Demco Media (1997-02)

Author: J.otto Seibold

List price:

Average review score:

Whimsy for Children and Adults

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-04

While not as explicitly enjoyable as "Free Lunch" or my personal favorite "Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe," this book still holds a great deal of charm. All of the Mr. Lunch book s-- and the "Olive" books for that matter -- are illustrated in such a funky, eclectic manner and written in a hip, endearing style, that adults will enjoy reading them as much as children.

Funny Pet Tricks: Mr Lunch!

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-10

We thoroughly enjoyed this book, from the wonderfully implausible story to the extraordinary Matisse/Braques-like pictues. The story concerns a dog's flight for a television appearance--to demonstrate his bird-chasing skills. (No animals were injured in the writing of this book.) The pictures are very detailed and a bit abstract, but not unrecognizable or too cluttered for our 4 year old.

A very unique and funny book, it's great for children between about four and nine. It's a lot of fun for adults to read as well: Highly recommended!

Wonderful for all ages!!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-25

This is a wonderful and imaginative book. Children will enjoy the sweet simple story of Mr. Lunch (a dog who loves to chase birds, but not catch them)and the adults will certainly not mind reading the story again and again. The illustrations alone are fabulous, I would highly recomend the entire Mr. Lunch series. This is the first in a series of three books starring the "professional" dog. I would also check out, "Olive, the Other Reindeer" and "Monkey Buisness" if you want books both you and your child can enjoy together! I also think they are just fine to have in your collection, if you don't have any children, you'll enjoy them just the same.

Picasso for the preschool set

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-26

I just love the style of this illustrator. The surrealist style is fun to look at and the detailed drawings are sharp and colorful. This is a double edged sword, however. Little kids are going to have a very hard time recognizing familiar objects. For instance, my 3 year old couldn't even tell that Mr. Lunch was a dog.

This book is rated for ages 4-8 but I think it would be wise to veer to the upper end of the scale. The pictures are very complex and the story and vocab is more sophisticated than you usually find in books aimed at the preschoolers.

Quirky, Goofy Fun with Great Lessons for Kids

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-13

This is without a doubt one of my favorite children's books. The book is for 4-8 year-olds, but most 4-5 year-olds might not understand the artwork's quirky, abstract nature.

Mr. Lunch is a dog, but a very intelligent dog who gets invited to appear on television for his bird-chasing abilities. Mr. Lunch and his bird-pal Ambrose have many great and goofy adventures along the way (especially on the plane) to the television appearance...which doesn't go exactly as planned...

`Mr. Lunch' gives kids a whole cargo plane full of wonderful learning opportunities in: aviation, identifying animals, how to say "goodbye" in several languages, city and country life, airport procedures, music, science, cooking...you name it! A very imaginative, wacky, fun book!

Ages 4-8
30 pgs.

My Renaissance: A Widow's Healing Pilgrimage to Tuscany

Published in Hardcover by Capital Books (2002-11-05)

Author: Rose Marie Curteman

List price: $18.95

New price: $1.85
Used price: $0.04

Average review score:

As beautiful a journey as the beauty of Tuscany

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-01

Rose Marie Curteman's My Renaissance: A Widow's Healing Pilgrimage to Tuscany is as beautiful as the journey on which beauty was her guide. I haven't read many books all the way through lately and I did hers. Even when one knows the outcome, one wants to keep reading. She told the story with such gentle depth with just the right touch of humor. We know as we read that even in grief, we will laugh again. Great characterization and wonderful pacing. Well done, well done. I hope it sells tons. I mean to buy a few copies as gifts.

Wisdom and optimism.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-06

"Brevity is the soul of wit." And this book is a marvel of compressed wisdom and optimism. A unique read.

Engaging and inspirational

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-02

One of the better first person accounts I have ever read. The
experiences of Ms. Curteman move along without side meanderings. Significant life issues are presented in a positive, life affirming manner. I was constantly going into my own insights regarding life, death and selfless service. The book left a vivid impression and I am looking at my life more carefully now.
I read the introduction first. Later I read the entire book in one sitting. It was too engaging and uplifting to set aside. A great primer on making one's life "new" again.

Like a warm, engaging talk with a friend

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-06

I'm 32 years old with a young marriage and a new baby. Why would I pick up a book about grieving? Ahh--because I love Italy (especially Florence) and since I'm a new mom, I must do all my travel through books at the moment. Also, I'm no stranger to loss myself having lost my first love to a terrible accident 15 years ago. I know first-hand about Alzheimers as I was once a nurse's aid in my last two years of high school. This is a book for anyone--not just an older woman or a presently grieving woman--but anyone who is simply sensitive and interested in other people's stories. Although, I would highly recommend this book to someone recently widowed as it's a very positive touchstone and written without psychobabble. I vicariously relished going back to a university class in Florence with Rose--I miss those epiphonies of knowledge and a life in which the "river always flows to [you]" (wink wink).

the transforming power of the beautiful

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-02

For the reader who has encountered tragic loss, Rose Marie Curteman in MY RENAISSANCE: A WIDOW'S HEALING PILGRAMAGE TO TUSCANY presents a genuine alternative to the talking cure of psychoanalysis or the silence of the Zen monastery. We follow her mid-life journey into Tuscany and are awakened to the transforming power of the beautiful to be found, for instance, in the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Florentine Renaissance, or in the lush and haunting autumn landscapes of Chianti, or in the exuberant celebration of life in Florentine kitchens and dining rooms, or in the expressive tunings and turnings of the Italian language. In a style which is remarably lucid and engaging, Rose Marie Curteman charts a path through memory and mourning into wonder and joy. In this incisive work it is death which comes to stand impotently before life, and not the other way around. The vibrant, playful, refreshing and healing energies of the beautiful as portrayed in Rose Marie Curteman's journey exert their transforming effect also on the reader. This book does not belong in the inflated genre of popular literature on visits to Italy. It is in a class of its own, marking a profound mid-life search for self after the tragic loss of a beloved spouse.

Naked Places, A Guide for Gay Men to Nude Recreation and Travel

Published in Paperback by Mercury Productions (1998-08-30)

Author: Michael Boyd

List price: $18.95

Used price: $13.09

Average review score:

Wonderful Guide for Gay Naturists!

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-21

Excellent book. I use this book to plan all my vacations. Have discovered many great naked resorts and beaches. If you're queer and like to go naked, ya just gotta have it!

A great resource for nude travel!

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-27

Being a world traveler as well as a nudist, I am always looking for resources to help me with my travel planning. This book is now the only one I use when planning a trip. Michael Boyd has collected and organized some of the most accurate listings of nude accomodations that I have found. In addition, he's compiled breathtaking photos from some well-known "nude" photographers including NAKEDTONY and many others. Highly recommended!

Wonderful, essential book for men who like social nudism

Helpful Votes: 23 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-07

I now own all three editions of Naked Places, having started with the first edition when it came out several years ago. This book is truly outstanding. I continue to be impressed with each new edition. The photos of nude men outdoors are, of course, beautiful, but it is the incredible amount of information as well as the level of detail that makes this book well worth owning. You need only look through a few pages of the book to realize that this book must have been a monumental research project. As someone who travels extensively across North America on business, I have had the opportunity to visit many of the places in the book (both beaches and resorts). I can report that the author's directions and descriptions are right on target. Had it not been for this book, I would never have known about a good number of these places. As I am writing this, I have had the 3rd edition for just a few days and haven't had a chance to put it to use, but I'm looking forward to checking out some of the new places. This book is absolutely a must-have item for any gay man who enjoys social nudity.

GREAT NAKED PLACES GUIDE

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-02

As most people know, Dr. Leisure's speciality is nude recreation with an emphasis on nude beaches. Michael Boyd's characterization of nude beaches of which Dr. Leisure is personally familiar (That's more than a couple!) was right on target. He gives good directions and a good sense of the current situation. If the rest of the book's content is as on target, which I believe it is, then this is a must for the male nude recreationist traveler. Nice job Michael, Aloha Dr. Leisure at DrLeisure.com

Outstanding Book, A Must for Gay Men

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-21

This incredible book is truly an asset to the gay naturist community. This book is very descriptive and covers tons of unexpected places. (Or should I say UNcovers?!) Any gay man who likes to let it all hang out should most definitely own a copy of this book.