Vacations Books

This revised edition is very comprehensive, written with a sense of humor and candor. Looking forward to visiting the island with book in hand to "test out" the recommendations.

I found this book to give good recommendations for places to see on the island. Some were not as spectacular as described. Also it would have been helpful to have better overview maps. Those are obtainable for free in other publications such as rental car guides. Places to eat were good recommendations.

Whatever you need to know about the Big Island, it's in this book. Excellent info, updated and concise, in a very readable form.

First rate guide to the Big Island. I bought their Kauai book years ago when I visited, and this one is just as good. You truly feel like your getting insider tips, and not just a project for a travel writer on assignment. Don't hesitate on this one.

This is the most amazing guidebook. It's very detailed and gives excellent information and advice! I highly recommend it.

I truly believe this book made our vacation the BEST ever!!!! We never shood in line once!!!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend it!!!!

Traveling to Walt Disney World without reading this book is dangerous. Understanding the many facets and choices to be made is critical and this book provides all necessary info. I have been there many times and always obtain the latest edition of this book with fabulous results.

This is a comprehensive guide to the enormous vacation spot known as "Disney world." We were able to check out all the restaurants and make early reservations before our last trip. My principal concerns were the very small print and low color contrast in the print. Anyone with any reading problems (such as myself) would not find it convenient to use.

This book was such a great help! I purchased several other, but this was by far, the most comprehensive and best written!

I bought this book along with the PassPorter, and this book blows the other away by far! The thickness of the book may seem overwhelming, but you only have to read the sections that pertain to you and your trip. The information was extremely helpful, and delivered in an amusing voice. This book was certainly written for any reader - neither over nor under the majority of readers' heads. Also the reviews of rides and dining were just right - not too in-depth but certainly very helpful.

I highly recommend this book for anyone planning a trip to Disney!

Looking for a combination of Drives to get the best out of a Touring Holiday in the USA - you need this book! It is easy to link together many of the "120 Spectacular Road Trips" to form a fantastic itinerary to see the best scenery and sights the USA has to offer. It's better than the more specialised "Route 66" and "Lincoln Highway" drives for visitors to the USA who are wanting to experience a broader cross section of US history and its stunning geography. Maps are clear, colour photography whets the appetite and cultural and scenic highlights are picked out in the commentary. Combined with the use of a simple Tom Tom style GPS system the book would provide the solution for visitors planning a Touring experience of the USA - from the smallest local scale to an epic journey covering the best of the nation.

This book is a great help to make beautiful trips trough the country! Good descriptions and maps of the drives. You can search tours in all 50 states. Beautiful pictures!

I love to travel and this book will be a welcome reference for your road trips. Beautifully bound with gorgeous pictures, this book will please you for years to come.

This is a good and simple guide to the principle things to see and how to do it. Recommended for family travel

Wonderful, wonderful book. It gave me details about places that I have never seen but would like to someday. The details are great and they all sound like wonderful places to visit. I fantasize about the places when my day is going bad and transport myself to a better place. Definitely buy it.

What a visual feast this is! The summer porches, the relaxed living rooms, the arched windows featuring an ocean view or framing the forest. I wanted to move right into one of these second homes now.
Although it makes an effort at helping you with decision making (what's your style, crowds vs solitude, how near/how far?), it's strength is showing samples of individual homes. These vignettes tell how it's used, challenges they faced and show off the home's spaces and views in large colorful photos.
Great browsing if you just want to dream or inspiring ideas to copy in your own second home (or even the first one). Most of the decorating styles featured lean more to relaxed contemporary or touches of country and shabby chic.

I read every book about Interior Design, second homes, country homes and cottages. I have read and reread this beautiful book. It is absolutly wonderful! Enjoy!

Getting this book for Christmas was a blessing. Just opening it is like taking a vacation. Sumptuous photos are a delight. Practical information is included as well.

This book is a decent resource for a person furnishing their first or second home, but it's not a good manual for creating your second home. The photograph angles capture walls, windows, and furnishings, but fail to show the quality of the living space. There are very few exterior photographs and many of them appear to be from the 3/4 angle. There are no floor plans or building details. If you're looking for interior decorating ideas, this is a decent reference. If you're looking for creative planning ideas for building your first or second home, you'll want a more comprehensive reference.

The homes and interiors all look ordinary, in simple, few decorations. I didn't get any interesting new ideas from most of these photos. I mainly saw different building styles and wood colors. At least 50% of them look just like first homes, I just couldn't tell any difference.

I bought this book for a Christmas present for my then 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 daughters to get them ready for our trip to Disney World. They really enjoyed having me read them this book cover to cover. They still look at this book now. While I know it's geared towards the older crowd (8+), the younger ones can still enjoy it but with adult interaction.

Birnbaum Guides "Walt Disney World For Kids" should be your #1 book at Disney.
I went to Walt Disney World with my three grandchildren and two books. Fodor's "Walt Disney World With Kids" was the other book.Birnbaum's was by far the better one.It was more concise, had better tips, it was easy to carry and refer to.
I bought Birnbaum's book for the grandchildren and ended up using it myself.

This book has all the answre's to questions on disney world. It's a fabulous book . It has every thing in it we need to know. We will definitely be taking this book to disney world with us, when we go in june.

Very enjoyable book for my son. We read a little each night so that when we go on our trip to Disney, he will know what to expect. Also, there is a ton of pages in the back for Autograph's with a place to put a picture next to it.

My daughter and son both LOVE this book. It gets them excited and shows them a little of what to expect. There are real kids' opinions and reviews of rides and attractions. My daughter very much enjoys reading all about Disney! She'll definitely be prepared when we set off for our trip!! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!

I love the whole Nephilim concept, and when I read it, from the first few pages I was hooked. I hope she will continue this series, because Renee has a way of bringing her mind to life.

Such a well written book with a captivating storyline.
I can never sit for more than a few minutes but I sat for hours at a time reading this book.
She does an excellent job creating and illustrating the characters. I could easily visualize every scene and was quickly absorbed by her story.
Thanks for giving the world such an entertaining book.

I work with Renee and initially read the book simply because I was curious. Having read the cover, I wasn't expecting it to be the sort of book I usually read. However, I was amazed at the immediate visual image she was able to create, at least for me. I was instantly driven to complete the book quickly and to ask her when the sequel would be written. The subject matter was presented well, the characters came alive and it left me wanting to read more. For me, that is the essence of a good book. I eagerly await the next episode! Note: Those that review without reading, show their lack of intelligence and integrity to smear others.

Renee Pawlish has written a great book. It's suspenseful, exciting and creepy all at once. Her attention to detail and her ability to put those details into words brings this novel to life. You only THINK you know what will happen next! I hope to read more of Ms. Pawlish's work.

I do not usually read this type of book, but I found that I could not put it down! The author has done a great job of keeping the story moving as well as mounting the suspense. Her characters are described in such a way that I could easily visualize them, and in some cases - even smell them! I loved her picturesque descriptions of the Colorado mountains and the sunset. The "what if" premise of the story is quite intriguing and well presented. I eagerly await a sequel. I think Hollywood could do a great job with this novel. I hope this lady keeps writing.

My 10 year old daughter loves all four of the Melanie Martin books. She cannot put them down. Not only is she entertained, but also has learned a few things about other countries. As a teacher, I highly recommend the Melanie Martin books. I sure hope Mrs. Weston keeps adding more to this series.
Melissa Lombardo

The Diary Of Melanie Martin is a book about a young girl called Melanie. She flies to Italy with her family on an airplane when she had never been out of the U.S.A. She loved the thought going to a foreign country, but things didn't turn out how she expected... I liked this book and all the characters in it. My favorite part of the book was when Melanie just went back home to the U.S.A. She had realized a lot about her family and learned some important values. Melanie inspired me to be nicer to my sibling, as she did in the book. I definitely recommend this book to anybody who has a sibling, or who has never been out of his or her country. In this book, she gives the lesson about trying new things and taking risks. I am sure that anybody who reads this book will learn some useful information about life! Enjoy!

Having traveled to Italy with my family when I was twelve, The Diary of Melanie Martin called back dozens of similar memories of all the museums which were endured with the promise of gelato and of the delicious food which Weston describes to mouth-watering perfection. Reading this book, I kept on wishing it had been around for my family vacation so that my brother and I could have played "Point out the Naked People" during our museum tours; now I can only wholeheartedly recommend it to every member of a family planning a trip to Italy or just looking for a funny and truthfully-written book too perfetto to be missed.

I read melanie martin, and it was sensational!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I wanted to learn about Italy, and she helped me learn about it. Read this book, and you'll wanna read the other three book too.

A must read with the monalisa, sistin chapel, and boots the cat. Also it has ton of poetry. The book makes your mouth water for more.

This book gives a dipicton of WWII that you do not get in most books. I have meet this man and heard him give many presentations on his book and experiance. I would recomend this book to anyone that is interest in WWII and what happend over there from someone that experianced it.

I too was fascinated with Mr. Van der Geest's book even though it sounded too good to be true. I am a student of WWII and of the Battle of the Bulge in particular as I had an uncle who was killed outside of Champs on Christmas morning. I question Mr. Van der Geest being there as he said he was. I have researched the events of December 22nd, 1944 in great detail and in no account (A Time for Tumpets; The Battered Bastards of Bastogne, The Bitter Woods, etc.)can I find any mention of Mr. Van der Geest being there and interpreting anything and these books go into great detail in naming names of those who were involved with the surrender proposal. I wonder if he was even attached to the 101st airborne as he talks about them fighting their way out of Holland on the way to Bastogne where they were going to meet up with Patton. The battle hadn't even started yet; Patton hadn't made his proposal to relieve the 101st and besides the 101st was going to Mourmelon to rest and refit. He writes about going to Bastogne the first week in December, but the 101st didn't leave Mourmelon until Dec. 18th.
I have found other errors in the book as well and it makes me wonder if perhaps Mr. Van der Geest took accounts of the war and made them his own.

I just finished this book. It is an amazing story that proves fact is better than fiction. What an amazing life this man lead. His courage and fierce determination to survive brought him through the key places and major events of WWII. Buy this book and pass it around. I was fortunate enough to have this book passed to me.

Mr. Van Der Geest spoke at my school and I have never heard a more amazing story of courage and faith. This book captures his story of his survival during WW2 and all he accomplished after he escaped the death camp. I would recommend this book to any person young or old because we cannot forget what happened to this man and the thousands of others like him - especially those who were not so blessed as to survive. We cannot forget our history and we must learn from it. This should be a mandatory book to read in highschools everywhere, because it carries a far more important, interesting, heartbreaking, and yet hopegiving story than any other book I certainly ever read. I'm so glad this man had the courage to tell his story.

My father recently sent me this book as a present. It was probably the best book that I have read this past year. This story, of Jack Van Der Geest, life...really hit home for me. Recently, I became very sensitive to racism. Specifically, my fiances son was beaten by a group who believed him to be a white supremist.

I plan to buy this book on a regular basis and give it as a gift to those other parents that need it...to educate our youth on the tragic events of World War II.

Jack Van Der Geest...is an inspiration...

Rob Johnson

This book could easily have been titled "Everything you ever needed to know about rural land sales but didn't know who to ask, or even that you should ask." The Schers give detailed explanations of very complex real estate issues that you just aren't going to be familiar with if you've only bought urban housing or have never bought property at all. I personally know people who have experienced some of the real estate and legal horrors that Les describes in this book. I'm so glad someone finally put all this information together in one somewhat easy-to-read reference... now I know how to keep myself out of the same jams! Even the things that don't specifically apply to my location are good to understand since, in some way, they might still affect me in the long run. Lots of great pointers to additional references and government/legal agencies that I've been trying to pin down.

Definitely a MUST HAVE for any modern homesteader... enthusiastic two thumbs up!!!

I read the book, it cover a lot of the things that I haven't even think about for owning land. Anyone who is looking to buy land to invest, this book is a must read.

My husband and I are considering buying some undeveloped land. While we own a house, we know nothing about rural land purchases and didn't even know what questions we should be asking. This brook provided a good overview of issues to consider, and the checklist at the back of things to inspect/ask about for each property was especially helpful.

This guide has everything I could imagine and alot I couldn't....which is of course the point.

If comprehensive is what you want, this should make you happy. The problem is that if you follow every bit of advice in this book you will have to quit your job and make finding your place a full time endeavor (or spend years part time). The advice is all good, but it almost makes the task seem more daunting, not less. Still great for learning all the issues and things to look out for, then you decide how much effort to put into footwork before buying your piece in the country

I love Gordon Korman's books. They are clean, fun and thrillingly funny. This, however is one of my favorites. I especially recommend it for all my neices and nephews who are just getting into reading. I still read it about once every year or so. Trust me and buy the thing, you won't regret it

Gordon Korman has delivered to us an astounding amount of unforgettable books which I will reread forever, I Want to Go Home!, Who is Bugs Potter?, and the Bruno and Boots series really do stick in your mind after you read them, they are classics. However, No Coins, Please, falls of short of the line I've expected him to meet. First of all, the counsellors are unbearable dull. Even though we spend much more time with them than with the counsellors in "I Want to Go Home!" they are much more boring and predictable than even the minor counsellors in "I Want to Go Home!". Similarly, the other children just aren't as interesting or noteworthy. The humour isn't really there, and as for the schemes, well, the extra prank Korman put on his website as a joke is more noteworthy.

So what's my point? If you want to read a great Korman book, get a MacDonald Hall book, I Want to Go Home, or Who is Bugs Potter?, and leave this one until you don't have any left.

This book is great. It's funny and very very intresting. It's very specific, and describes the characters very well. You should read this book!!!

This book was a favorite of mine while growing up. I first read it in grade school and continued to read through middle school and high school. It's one of the childhood books I've kept as an adult!

The "Ambulance" gang is great -- going from city to city ... a summer camp on wheels! Artie, the main character, is a true shyster, but you absolutely love him.

As a kid, I was intrigued by and a bit envious of the Canadian kid who could sell people attack jelly, open a club called the "Pretzel" in Denver and still manage to elude the FBI.

Get a copy of this book -- you won't be disappointed!

I first read this book years ago when I was a kid and totally fell in love with it. I remember having to take care not to read it in public because I kept laughing too loudly! I have since read it many times and still enjoy it just as much, even as an adult. Gordon Korman creates a world and characters so real that you wish his books were ten times as long.

The story is about Artie Geller an 11 year with a very special talent - he is the world's best entrepreneur. He joins five other 11 year olds and tour counsellors Rob and Dennis on a road trip from Canada to Los Angeles. Along the way he comes up with numerous highly successful (and highly hilarious) money making schemes and before long has his whole tour bus (the "Ambulance") involved. The characters are so likeable and the adventures so much fun, you'll wish there really was a "juniortours" and that you could go along on the ride!

In my honest opinion Gordon Korman's "No Coins, Please", "I want to Go Home", "Don't Care High", "Semester in the life of a Garbage Bag" and the two "Bugs Potter" books are MUST reads for anyone (young or old, boy or girl) who loves a good laugh and a book you can't put down. The Bruno and Boots series are also definitely worth a read if you can get hold of them.

I highly recommend "No Coins, Please" - you will not regret buying it!