Pacific Books

Although 13 years old, much of the info in this book is still relevant. Despite the youthfulness of Los Angeles, there are restaurants and markets that have managed to survive for decades. These places are invariably great and almost institutions in their community. Hence, many of the listings in Burum's book still survive in this megapolis. You'll have fun tracking down that obscure German sausage maker who has had his shop for some 30 years...as well as the occassional let down upon discovering that the old Japanese immigrant, who made fresh tofu daily at the back of his grocery store, decided to call it quits a few years ago.

This book is not only a guide to the ethnic markets in LA, but also serves as an introduction to the cuisine of LA's ethnic groups. Interspersed within the listings, you'll find glimpses into the history of LA's immigrant communities, and what they really eat that you don't get at the mainstream ethnic restaurants. If you're the type that prefers to eat where you're the only one not of the ethnic group the restaurant caters to, get this book. It lets you in on not just the basics of a people's cuisine, but makes you feel comfortable with the unfamiliar (and much more authentic] dishes.

The book is organized into the following chapters, which fairly represents the demographics of Los Angeles:
China; Japan; Korea; Thailand; Vietnam; Southeast Asian [Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines]; India; Mexico; Central/South America and Caribbean; Europe; Greece, the Middle East and Africa.

Overall, an indispensable introduction to LA's greatest asset: It's diversity of people and cuisine.

This is a fantastic compendium of ethnic food in LA. It gives you everything you'd ever want to know: best bakeries, best markets, best restaurants. It divides categories by geography (important in LA) & by ethnic cuisines.

While the 1992 printing will make some info out of date (restaurants for example), this book is one of a kind & the best in its genre.

This is the greatest book on the best ethnic restaurants in LA. Hopefully, the author will put out a new edition. I have it. It's about 10 years old, and I'm not going to sell it. It's better than any new guide out there. Even if you don't go to these places, it's an interesting read.

When this book first came out about 10 yrs. ago or more it was a revelation. In one collection it guided you through EVERY major ethnic community in the greater L.A. region and told you which were the best restaurants, bakeries, markets, etc. I don't know of any other book that comes to close to being this comprehensive & incisive.

If you ever spend any time in L.A. & you are interested in ethnic food, you must have this book.

There's lots of off road variety in this book. You can four wheel on easy dirt roads to rock hoppin heaven. This book is well laid out and the descriptions of the trails are accurate.

I'm a newbie off-roader, and have only driven one of the "easy" trails in my stock wrangler. It was a lot of fun, and the scenery was awesome, but I think I realized we weren't really off roading when we crossed paths with a brand new mustang convertible going in the other direction. At that point I figured I should take it out of 4wd-low.

So I think there's definitely something for everyone in this book. However, deciding on the right trail and actually driving to it are two different things. Some of my off roading plans fizzled out when I realized I had to drive 4 hours in each direction just to get to the trail I wanted! Living in the SF bay area, I was hoping to have more options within a reasonable day drive...but that's probably just naive of me.

I have had the opportunity to drive trails I know with Chuck Wells, and his books are well written and easy to follow. The trail rating he uses is juged on the roughest section of the trail, if a trail is moderate and has a difficult section that cannot be avoided it will receive a difficult rating. All the trails in his books have been driven by him and not judged by someone else.

I was a first time off-roader with my stock 06 Chevy truck. So far, I've driven 3 of the courses in the book, the descriptions are very accurate, the odometer settings are great and the GPS coordinates are very helpful. I won't be tackling any of the "Hard" courses and this guide spells out the difficulty level of each. Get this book!

Outstanding, useful guide to the coastal areas - greatly appreciate the tips on local conditions and access.

Outstanding, useful guide to the coastal areas - greatly appreciate the tips on local conditions and access.

If you like to paddle on the Calif coast, this is the book for you. My wife and I have paddled (we thought) most of the coast, this book brought us to places that we could only dream of. They way its laid out, you can plan for a part/full or overnight trip. Tips on where to go, what you might see, camping, lodging, ect are great. If you paddle the Calif coast, you will be happy to have this book.

Roger and Jan's book gives seakayakers invaluable information regarding some of the most beautiful paddling areas on the west coast. The maps included with the easily understood text allow the reader to easily visualize the targeted area. This guidebook will be of interest to paddlers of all skill levels since most of the featured paddles also include intermediate and advanced level alternative routes. The sidebars scattered throughout the book impart interesting information about the area. This book is a must have for those interested in exploring the coast of California.

Not only is Tilman's book brillantly written, but his chapter on "Two Mountains and a River," which focuses on the Swiss/British expedition to Rakaposhi and the Kukuay Glacier illustrates all the problems and hardships my uncle, Hans Gyr experienced during his quest for conquering the Rakaposhi in the Karakorum. Thanks to Tilman, I know now so much more about these few trying weeks in snow and ice. I recommend this book to all who like not only mountains, but solitude and the ultimate challenge.

In this anthology Tilman's pioneering travels through central Asia are recounted in his wonderfully laconic voice. This is a great addition to any exploration or mountaineering collection, particularly because Tilman was the first European to visit many of the peaks and places described. The portrait of Nepal he presents I will always treasure.

An avid collector of Himalayan subject matter, I have also been lucky enough to have wandered around the upper Langtang Valley on several occasions in the last few years. Not only is Tilmans book still accurate in many respects, but it is also highly amusing at the same time. Fact, folklore and quotations are fantastically woven into a single, almost epic tale of discovery. It is, at times, laugh-out-loud funny, and yet one might feel a certain sense of guilt at particular comic moments. Where Tilman describes one of his porters as "slow in mind and weak in leg, and not, one suspects, long down from his tree", it is an hilarious turn of phrase, but in our modern standardised and easily-scandalised society one feels the need to look over one's shoulder to make sure the PC police aren't looking.
I would heartily recommend anyone to read the book, particularly if it is available, the Nepal Himalaya single edition, - great, great books for travelling minds (and soles..) so long as you can cope with the mountain of salt required to see some of Tilmans less emphatic points.

Tilman and Shipton were the first humans to enter the Nanda Devi sanctuary, a valley surrounded by some of the greatest Himalayan peaks. They were indelibly marked by the experience.

Learn about "things Hawaiian" while treating yourself to photos of Hawaiian models on every other page! ALOHA!

I travel to the Islands at least once a year and appreciate it when the locals open their hearts and offer an insightful glimpse of the life one can expect to see. In a way, this helps set expectations and guides one's unfoldment of that which makes the aloha experience so special. My only suggestion would be to offer a geographical gem to the enticing cover to complement the obvious human beauty. In truth, Hawaii is more beautiful in person than the pictures portray, which is a very welcome surprise, given how wonderful the pictures are.

I was impressed with the quality of the photos and the useful information about Hawaii ranging from the beaches to the history of Hawaiian icons, such as the Hawaiian shirt. I was especially intrigued by a description of a traditional Hawaiian instrument. I called a friend in Hawaii and he found one for me. Anyone looking for a good descriptive book about the modern Hawaiian culture will find this book helpful. The diversity of the Hawaiian people shows in the faces of the beautiful local girls pictured in this edition.

This piece is beautifully written with many photos that capture the essence of the Hawaiian Islands. The breathtaking photos really make this a wonderful keepsake for not only visitors to the islands but for the local people, as well. The interesting articles provided me with sufficient information and background that allowed me to visualize the uniqueness of Hawaii. I have enjoyed this book tremendously and recommend it to anyone that enjoys the Islands as much as I do.

I've used this book on countless trips up and down the California coast. It may have been an older version of this but years later now, other than price references, it's still a staple for me. The maps are great and much more detailed than you'd find in an atlas. I also used a Hidden Guide to the Pacific Northwest which I didn't find nearly as informative or easily used, but this California book is essential if you are going to be planning as you go, from the road, as I so often do.

"Hidden Coast of California" is a well written book-- very easy to read and divided into neat sections. The book goes from northern California to southern, from beginning to end, so it is especially helpful for those who are going on a "real" California roadtrip.

This book has been especially helpful with the planning of my future trip to California. Even though I haven't been able to test out the accuracy of the book, I feel as though I've lived there for years because of all the detailed information the book offers. Planning a trip down the coast of California isn't easy especially when you have a time limit, but this book has helped me sleep at night knowing that I have the knowledge to get the most out of my trip (and money).

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is planning a trip to California and those who want to see some little known hideaways.

"The Hidden Coast of California" by Ray Reigert was a godsend that allowed New Yorkers to see a side of the California Coast that the residents appreciate every day. Starting with the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon and Mr. Riegert's tips on lodgings, sights, and restaurants added up to a great vacation. Mr.Riegert's recommendations surpassed the two (2) other well known travel books. The tip to see the "La Purisima Mission" as the best of the twenty-one missions was pure gold and saved us valuable time that we alloted elsewhere. The recommendation on restaurants was absolutely priceless and the "Sojourner Coffeehouse" turned our dismal one night stay in Santa Barbara around. Our stays at both the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Parks cottages and The Asilomar Conference Center on the Monterey Peninsula were on the money and gave us the chance to combine our overnight stays with scenic views. I am now waiting for the release of the 1999 "Hidden Florida" before planning my next vacation.

This is the most useful guidebook to the Golden State that this native Californian ever has seen. Riegert packs an astonishing amount of information into this conveniently-sized paperback. This guidebook, now in its eighth edition, clearly reflects extensive exploration and research. The book begins with general material on the California coast including a brief history, weather, wildlife, outdoor adventures, camping, a calendar of events, tips on what to pack, and advice to senior travelers, women traveling alone, gay and lesbian travelers, even foreign travelers. Each region of the California coast is introduced with a brief overview and capsule history, followed by details about scenic wonders, parks, beaches, hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, sports, shopping and nightlife. The author manages to maintain a lively style throughout five hundred pages of text. Included are colored AAA-style road maps of the most important coastal areas, supplemented by black and white maps of many regions and towns. Michael Michaud, Vienna, Austria

My son and I spent a week fishing in the high sierra before buying this book. The fishing was good but sporadic. When I read this book, I was amazed at how well Van Loek was able to explain why we caught fish when we did and vice versa. The principals will be of value to spin fishermen as well as fly fishers. Add to that, the book is written in a colorful, simple, well thought out, engaging manner, and I have come to consider this one of my indespensible reference works for western trout fishing, the High Sierra and beyond.

I've only glanced through "High Sierra Fly Fishing: Basics to Advanced Tactics" but already I know ....this is a superb book. It's far more than its title implies. How many times have you started to read a book like this and discover that it's 80% fluff and maybe 20% content? Van Loek is certainly an authority on the subject of high alpine trout fishing in the Sierra, and I have already learned much from my short time in his book. The photos of both the unbelievable country and it's wonderful trout make me ache to be there. Actually they take me there even now! This publication goes beyond it's peers and I'm going to enjoy digesting every word!

The intro says this book is meant primarily for folks new to alpine fishing. What is especially good is the de-emphasis on gear and strong emphasis on the natural history of both the Sierra Nevada and trout. Many of the ideas are new and original, such as the "Angler's Caloric Law." The author's approach leads readers right to the concepts that explain why good anglers cast where they do. You just couldn' beat this up-to-date book if you want to know how to catch a lot of trout on a backpacking trip. In fact, the excellent photos will whet your appetite for a summer trip!

This book is an artful blend of practical how-to fishing advice and wonderfully lyrical descriptions of the high Sierra. There are plenty of photos that will make you hanker for a fishing trip just as surely as using one of the handtied flies the author describes should lure an elusive golden trout out from his hideaway. I have a much better idea now of how inexpertly I have been fishing all these years. The author knows his fish and walks the reader through such useful info as the science of how trout see through the refraction of water and their favorite hangouts.

Armed with such really specific advice, I'm looking forward to a chance to outsmart some fish this summmer!

Best Big Sur Hiking/Backpacking Book Out There! I'm a local, I try to get into the mountains whenever possible & this book is the bomb. I've checked out a few others & this is the best by far.


It has detailed topographic maps with trails drawn in & great descriptions of each trail including elevations @ points along each trail. Elevations are critical because the Sur is all about elevation 0-5150 ft.

Great book, if your considering a book about all Big Sur has to offer beyond Highway 1 this is the book.

This is a great book. A friend and I had a trip to Big Sur planned and the book came several days before so that I was able to study up and enjoy the area even more!

This book isn't great, but it is very good.

Pros
1. It is inspiring. I feel like I want to go do the hike after I read the description
2. Good pictures. Some have people in them and these are done very well.
3. Good descriptions. These aren't little one page jobs.

Cons
1. Pictures - The pictures are black and white, not color and I think color pictures can mean everything. But this does not detract that much from this fine book

The book was wonderful to have on our trip to the Central Coast. Objective information with enough opinion and subjective information to help us decide where, how, when for each hike. The back of the book with the top list organized by theme was very helpful. One way the book could have been better is with a cross-reference chart... so if you want both "ocean" and "redwoods" as themes you could look it up, instead of a bunch of page flipping. The author does a good job appealing to a wide range, level of hikers, rare in a guide book.

Purchased as a gift. If you want a book on hiking trails in Oregon, this is it.

I really enjoyed this book. I own all of his hiking books and have done about 50-60 different hikes (some many times) because of him. I have lived in Oregon all of my life and did not know many of these stories that William tells in this book. My favorite part is about Silver Creek Falls State Park and how they use to float cars over the South Falls for tourists to view for ten cents. I also like the story about the building of the lighthouse on an island of off Tillamook.
I highly recomend this book and I hope William Sullivan writes more history books, because he is very well researched and is a very good author with an easy to follow writing style.

My husband bought me this book because we're moving to Oregon; I'm thrilled with it, both the book and the move. Mr. Sullivan's writing style is wonderful. It is amazing what this guy knows about every nook and cranny of the state. I am eager to explore the terrain the author describes and look forward to reading his other books on hiking in Oregon. Every travel or hiking book should strive to be as informative and interesting as this one. Alas, its rarely the case. This is a special book.

After moving to Oregon a few months ago, I discovered this gem of a book. While most hiking books will have plenty of information about where to go and what to see, I've never seen one that's just plain fun to read before. The book is full of interesting and amusing stories that will keep you turning pages late into the night. And, even better, the places that are described--you can hike them! One "hike" described is through downtown Portland that describes the flood of 1894 (among other things). Sullivan writes, "Chinese locals staged a gala boat race from the New Market Theater up Second Street to Stark and back on First. Winning time for the eight-block course was five minutes flat, a record that is likely to stand for some time." Last weekend I did the Tillamook Head hike (#11). If you haven't heard the story behind Tillamook Lighthouse located a mile offshore, pick up this book and read about it. You won't be disappointed! It's the best darned hiking book I've ever read in my life!

Finer's triumphant work of comparative government history is a rare gem. It is not often that a historical study is both deeply informative and perspective changing. This book is both. Finer does not simply outline the devolopment of government, but constructs an entirely new intellectual system for viewing, interpreting, and discussing government. From there he moves on to trace the evolution of government from Sumer to the Industrial Revolution. Every major development is explored, and many minor ones are also included.

Finer shows a mastery of every time and place in history. It is amazing that he can conver accurately and informatively Han civilization and then switch to an excellent discussion of Roman civilization. The same skill with which he reconstructs the governments of Sumer and Egypt is applied later to the constitutional monarchies and revolutionary governments in modern Europe.

Finer's masterpiece ought to be read by anyone interested in an objective study in how societies orgzanize themselves. It is a highly useful reference that should be owned by anyone who works with history on a regular basis.

This book is one of those rare works that is so very good, that you cannot really describe it: language is not rich enough to do it justice. I can do little more than quote from the review of the prestigious The Economist:

"If there were a Nobel prize for political science, Sammy Finer would deserve to win one for this extraordinary trilogy--a work of scholarship so broad in its sympathies, so ambitious in scope and so elegantly crafted that it leaves the reader gasping, literally, with astonishment and delight...[L]ikely to be read as long as Aristotle. No finer work of political science...has been published in this century."--The Economist

This three-volume set constitutes the most stimulating and thought-provoking item I've read so far this century, and it is likely to remain so. I stumbled on it by chance in the Bookshop at the British Museum in early 2001. I read it in the United States later that spring and since then a day doesn't go by but what I remember some insight that I gleaned from it. It is history in the grand style, but with a message that is simple and powerful: people are pack animals. They will be governed -- sometimes in a haphazard or mediocre manner, often appallingly, once in a while really well. Not least among its many virtues, the set shows better than a thousand stumps speeches just what is so distinctive about the tradition of liberal democracy, and how it came into being (for more detail, pop over to the separate Amazon page for Volume 2 of this set and read the instructive comments of "Amazon Customer").

A motivational message to prospective readers who are dismayed by the prospect of a three-volume set. You don't need to read all of it to get value for your money. You don't even need to read it in sequence (I did not). Perhaps the most accessible parts are in Volume III, especially Books IV ("The Re-creation of the State in Europe) and Book V ("Pathways to the Modern State"). From there you might want to go back to Volume II, specifically Part III of Book III, more precisely still Chapter 7 on "The Republican Alternatie: Florence and Venice," followed by Chapter 8 and its magisterial discussion of "Representative Assemblies." From there a natural course is back to Volume I and its discussion of Athens and Jerusalem (Finer is particularly good on the distinctive contribution to governance from the tradition of the prophets). This is a Western-centered view, and should not be read to distrct attention from Finer's extraordinary treatment of the Chinese, the Indians and the societies of the Middle East. But these are in some sense self-contained units and can be addressed on their own terms.

This backwards progression would leave for last the stuff that Finer put first: the "Conceptual Prologue," which is perhaps better understood as a summary and analysis. But whatever route you take, surely there is no end of riches in this extraordinary capstone to a great scholarly life, well lived.

Ever so often you find a book that not only deepens your insight on the topics you expect it to cover, but also gives you a wholly different perspective in a much wider field. This is such a book. This book covers the whole field of development of government. The first part gives a referencemodel for descibing government, its most important uses and the powers limiting it. This part would be a satisfying book in itself. The most fascinating parts come later. The rest of the book discusses all the governmental systems that where in some way innovative.All you ever wanted to know about goverment and but never knew that it could be so interesting. But it als gives insight in the mechanisms of power. The description of the signifcance of access to an chinese emperor and the importance that gives to humble titles as royal cupbearer etc. lets you see patterns you can see in everyday life and more important lets you enjoy them. I found the book to be full of these gems, and at the same time it maintains a clearity of focus that is amazing. The only drawback is it's size and the time it takes to think about what you have read.