Travel Books

That's what Helen Thayer said when the natives told her she needed a dog team for protection against polar bears. They said you won't hear the bears when they sneak up on your tent at night. She said she'd take just one and that one was Charlie. And, wow what a dog...not used to humans...not a pet, but a bear dog. Luckily they bonded quickly and he not only saved her life more than once, he also became her beloved friend.

All of her books are great reads and this one is at the top of the list.

I have not actually read this book, but today I listened to the author present the story in person while showing some of the pictures that she took during the journey. It is nothing short of remarkable to witness the sheer determination that made her success possible.

Of course, determination was less than half the battle. Thayer explained that it took her two years of meticulous planning and rigorous training to prepare for every possible contingency she might encounter on the journey. Clearly she could not have hoped to succeed without such detailed and thoughtful preparation.

This story certainly inspired my respect and admiration, not only for the power of the mind to carry us beyond perceived limitations, but also in response to the human-canine connection which was pivotal to the successful completion of the journey. It is heartwarming to hear of the bond that developed between Thayer and Charlie as one sustained the other through the various hardships they encountered.

A great book! It is so exciting that it is very difficult to put it down! After reading it, I ordered a total of 10 copies as presents for relatives and friends.

Great book. Helen Thayer set off in her 50s to walk to the magnetic North Pole. She did it only with Charlie, the polar bear wonder dog, given (sold) to her by the Inuit who were sure she wouldn't survive without a dog team who knew how to fend off polar bears. She finally agreed to taking one dog, who became her true partner in the journey (and afterward). The story is an outstanding tale of what she learned about herself and how she and Charlie so totally bonded, mutually dependent on each other. Helen prepared well and clearly fully respects Nature in all senses. It is also a wonderful tale about Charlie--about the intelligence of dogs we people would see more often if we just give them a chance to be themselves. This is an outstanding book for anyone of any age and hopefully will help more people understand the criticality and fragility of Nature, and the importance of treating animals (in this case, dogs) with true respect, care, compassion, and love. The book clearly shows the intelligence not just of Charlie, but also of the various polar bears Helena encountered (and successfully avoided attack from, without killing them). It also is an excellent book to get people thinking about themselves and their thoughts. Some of the lessons Helen learned, for example, included early on learning to say "no" as well as the importance of remaining positive and in control even when Nature seemed to be in control via a strong storm whirling around her for several days at a time. She includes photos from her journey, which also are amazing. An exciting, excellent book. I highly recommend this for everyone.

I am a big fan of stories of artic adventure, and this is one of the best. In this day of snow mobiles and ATVs, we have a woman at 50 -- author Helen Thayer -- setting out to walk to the magnectic north pole, pulling her own sled and accompanied by an Inuit dog she had only known for a couple of days. On her first day out, she suffers such terrible frostbite of her fingers they become almost useless. (I would have called it quits right there.) Then come polar bears -- one the world's most deadliest creatures. And they keep on coming. Some curious, some life-threatening. But, she continues on her amazing journey, not for fame or fortune, but for scientific information for her program Adventure Classroom. There are some fantastic photos included and very helpful maps. Her writing style is breezy and compelling. It's trimph of the human spirit and the bonding of a dog and companion. What a terrific book.

I first read this book when I was eight or nine years old, in the late 1950s. Sounds corney, but I think it changed my life. I hated where I was growing up (Las Vegas), and the stories and pictures in the Book of Marvels transported me to faraway places, taught me that there was a big beautiful world out there, and encouraged me to travel myself when I was able to do so. (I've spent years working and exploring other countries and continents.) I was surprised to read later in life that Richard Haliburton was gay, but whatever. That didn't stress me out nearly as much as the brief epilogue of the book, which noted that he disappeared on his final journey aboard a Chinese junk. It broke my heart. I hope there are kids today who can find and read the book.

My father bought this book for me when I was 6, back in the middle 50s. While my other friends were boringly reading "run, spot, run," I was being introduced to places I could only wonder about. I was entranced by his chapter on Chichen Itza and that chapter alone was THE push that allowed me to become an archaeologist many years later. Richard Halliburton will always be a hero of mine, as he gave me a love of travel, other cultures, reading, and learning. I think there is a small pocket of people across the world who have been touched by this author in the same way I have.
katwas (Juneau, Alaska)

Wonderful book that although long out of print is still a certain treasure to people who have had the luck to discover its dusty editions in libraries.

When I was 13, I was given this book. It stirred a desire to travel and see the things written about therein. Today, in my 50's, I just visited the Panama Canal written about in Chapter 13. My plan is to see all if not most marvels before I die. This book should be manadatory reading for all teen-aged children to give them a unadulterated perspective of the world and to entice them to travel. Truly a life changer and highly recommended reading.

I loved reading Book of marvels.The Author Richard Halliburton's words made me feel as if I was along with him while he traveled.
This would be the ideal book to read to your little dreamers.

An excellent book for cartographers and those interested in maps of transit systems around the world. Comprehensive would be an understatement, as the book truly lives up to its promise of including every transit map in the world. A bit more information on the systems themselves would have been nice, but I guess that's not what this book is about as much as the history of the maps of the systems. All in all, definitely worthwhile if you've got a passion for transit maps!

Got this book last night, started reading it, and when I got to the description of NYC 1972 map by Vignelli, giving it a modernistic feel of the times, was pretty excited, because I knew I own a paper map. Went looking for it, and upon reading from the book that users of the map were confused by the fact that the station of "50th St - Bdway" was positioned west of 8th avenue, went to check on my map this fact. Unfortunately, the station was positioned correctly, i.e., east of 8th Ave, and noticed that the map was slightly different from the one illustrated in the book. Then I saw the date of print on my map, 1976, and realized it must have been a revision from the earlier map in response to the users's complaints. Great book.

This book is fun for armchair travel buffs, map buffs, history lovers and those that have the cities included on their lists to visit. Great background and historic information, especially on the evolution of the system maps. I loved it!

This book fulfills one of my top dreams -- to be more exact, I could not have dreamed of such a book! Reading maps and riding subways have been two of my favorite hobbies, and it is definitely awesome to see more than 200 cities' urban transit maps juxtaposed and compared in one book. Even better, the author gives detailed introduction to the history and includes many interesting anecdotes of those storied urban transit systems such as Berlin, Chicago, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, and Tokyo. I use this book to remind my boy about the cities and places we ever visited, and teach him how to use a transit map to quickly find a route to any destination. We have been enjoying it so far, and I believe lots of fun will continue to flow out from it.

This is one of those books that you didn't know that you needed, much less would enjoy. But it excels on both fronts. As the title suggests, Transit Maps of the World: The World's First Collection of Every Urban Train Map on Earth, by Mark Ovenden, is just that; As far I know, every city that has an urban train is represented in this wonderful book. Whether you are a fan of maps or mass transit, a frequent traveller, or want to know the history of some of the world's greatest (and lesser known) subway systems, this book will take you on an amazing tour of the world, by public transportation.

Contents:
Acknowledgements
How to use this book
Foreword
Introduction: Early railroads
Introduction: Urban rail transit
Introduction: Early railroad maps
Introduction: From maps to diagrams
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Zone 5
Zone 6
Appendix

As you can tell from the contents, the bulk of the book is divided into "zones," much like a real transit system. Zone 1 contains eight transit systems, dedicating about 4 pages for each. Zone 1 contains the systems with the greatest historical documentation and also are among the world's greatest urban transit systems. These include Berlin, Chicago, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, and Tokyo. These are the "heavyweights" of the public transportation systems. Zone 2 has some of the newer systems, for example Washington DC, Seoul, Boston, and Munich. Zone 2 dedicates two pages per city. As you move through the remaining Zones (or chapters), there is less and less historical documentation and you also learn about the lesser known systems (some with only five stations). The early Zones provide you with various iterations of their route maps, culminating in the current version (as of 2007).

I have to admit that this book was fascinating. You may think that route maps (or diagrams) would be boring, but Ovenden does a remarkable job showing that these are works of art. It also helps that, by using the systems in Zone 1, you come to appreciate the problems associated with representing a large system map on small media (folder maps, in-car diagrams, and the like). With that background, it is easy to admire the current look and feel of route diagrams. This book is not meant to be used as a guide for any system, as they continually add service, but more as a snapshot into the transit systems around 2007. My only issue with the book is that some of the maps are way too small to comprehend, especially in the latter Zones. The same can be said of some of the historical maps, especially when Ovenden points out specific details. Overall, this book is a gem. It's topic is one that you probably take for granted but it is given its full due in this book. It is a fun, educational, and interesting look at transit maps worthy of anyone that has even a passing interest in maps, diagrams, travel, or urban transit.

PJ presented his trip at an REI store and I was really impressed. I ordered the book the next day and wasn't disappointed at all. He details his experiences traveling all across the globe and a keen eye able to pick out small cultural details that are often overlooked.

If you've ever wanted to do a long trip, this book will definitely help you plan from getting from point A to B and on to Z.

Great book! Highly recommended!

as a public school teacher, i'm grateful to finally have an insightful and unique text to get my kids excited about geography. the author's sense of adventure and reckless approach to conquering geography is just the key to unlock 7th grade boredom. i've already begun planning my trip to siberia.

Mr. Parmar's book is an excellent guide for those who see the world from a very human point of view. His narrative is easy to place into a context of not just travel, but travel through cultures, personalities, lives, and life. There is a real sense of adventure that seems to be missing in most fiction, but also an element of curiosity and facination that some other travel writing lacks.

On a more practical level, this book has great value to would-be travellers (though seasoned travellers will certainly be rewarded with the text). By examining the small realities of world travel, those for whom attempting trips outside of comfort zones seemed unimaginable can see the potential of exploration of humanity through real travel.

Traveling for business all the time, I read a lot on Planes. Granted I don't get out of the country much, but this book made me feel like leaving work to see the world. It made flight time pass wishing I was on board for a few more hours to finish it in one flight... needless to say this book was awesome. Read it and then pass it on to your kids to give them some inspiration.

Being an avid reader of just about anything I can lay my hands on, I stumbled on this book quite by accident. And what a pleasure I found within! This book not only opened my eyes to parts of the world that I had never really given much thought but also revealed an inner strength and motivation of the primary cast - specifically PJ - prompting a desire for the opportunity to meet him some day.
If I was a grammar teacher, I would of course make some changes within the text, but that is certainly not the point of this book and actually lends to its charm. As I moved from chapter to chapter, I couldn't wait to see where he would go next, what his next challenge would be, and who he would encounter at his next oasis. It is the people and the cultures described within the places that makes this an excellent read and the fact that Mr. Parmar does such an exemplary job at making you feel that you are right by his side during the journey.

PJ, Where are we going next?

Looking for a real life sailing adventure? Then this is the book. This is such a gem of a book. It is exciting to read the real life adventures of Peter's family and their adorable little seafaring dog. There is thrilling drama and excitement in every chapter. Peter's description of marine life is lovely. My family and I had the distinct pleasure of sailing with Peter one day in the waters off St. John's in December 2007. It is a day we will never forget. Don't miss the opportunity to read his lovely book.

I picked up Peter's book during my most recent trip to St John. I found it in a quaint shop in Coral Bay, and although I did not start it until I had returned home, I feel like I had not left the West Indies until I mournfully turned the last page. Peter's honest, soulful and beautiful writing will take you from the peaceful shores of St John to the turbulent waters surrounding Africa, all the while giving you a rare and crytsal clear glimpse into the beauties his world has to offer all of us. Grab a cold beer, turn off your phone and sail with Peter and his family, at least for a day. That is as long as it will take you to finish this book.

While the stories captivated me and Muilenberg's pacing kept me turning page after page to find out what happens next, the passages that gripped me the most were his descriptions of the natural beauty of the Caribbean. His astonishment at the colors and awesomeness and the astounding beauty of the natural world resonated with my own experience, although I could not have described it as poetically as he has. I read this book in St. John and so could observe directly some of the sights he describes; reading his stories deepened my own pleasure in being in that special part of the world. A superbly enjoyable read.

I found Peter's writing wonderful, and enjoyed his sailing stories. My reason for three stars is that more than half the stories center around his dog, saving his dog, his dog's bark, etc. etc.

While enjoying a full day sailing aboard Breath as paying customers some years ago, the author/captain/owner/builder of the vessel, his wife Dorothy, and their neighbors, who had come along to enjoy a sail and act as crew, talked about a book that Peter would some day publish.

After returning to the relative safety of Northern Virginia, I visited their website from time to time in order to do nothing more than copy the URL so that I could send it to friends and recommend a sail aboard Breath if they intended to visit St. John. On one of these website visits, I noticed that the book "had been realized" and was available.

This collection of stories permits the reader to read one, put the book down, and hours, days, or weeks later pick it up again with no loss in continuity. However, I almost dare you to try not to read this from cover to cover. I found each story compelling, intriguing, and well written. In fact, certain phrases caused me to search the internet to determine just why that particular phrase was used. In such searches, it became clear to me that Peter's education--the greater portion of which I am sure is self-taught--was much more extensive than mine. And as for putting the book down, I was moved to tears aboard a crowded Metro car while reading the story about a tinsmith. I thought to myself that I should put the book away for the remainder of my commute that day. But thinking and doing are two different things. I read on into the next story and the tears welled up in my eyes all over again as Peter related the sweeping overboard of their dog Santos on the Gambia River in the midst of circumstances not many of us will ever face.

Not every story is a sailing adventure. Some are about stops that Breath had made along the way to certain destinations or the destinations themselves. But this is no travelogue. It is about people, compassion, self-reliance, a love shared between a wonderful couple, and the uncertainty of life itself. I urge you to buy it, read it, and give it as a gift to others.

My wife and I are planning a trip to DW with our 2 kids, her sister, brother-in-law and 2 nieces. As a gift, we bought 2 copies of this book for the kids. One for their family and one for ours. Both families really like the book and find the information helpful, but not enough pictures of everything spoken about for the kids to get really excited about.

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.

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 read "Cache Lake Country" in 1968. I was delighted to find it in print again...like meeting an old friend.
Thank you.

I have read a lot of outdoor books over the last 40 years, and this is one of the best. I am going to research the author, John J. Rowlands, because he was obviously a fascinating man who lead a very interesting life. This book tells about 12 months living in a cabin on a lake in Northern Onatario. At the time Rowlands was working as a timber cruiser, evaluating forests for use as lumber. He happened upon his ideal lake and was lucky enough to get stationed there by his company. He was also very lucky to have two great friends living within miles (within signaling distance via the various drums, horns etc. they engineered), on other little lakes. Together the three lived every outdoor boy's dream life of independence and adventure. This book has stuff about canoes, wild animals, sled dogs, snowshoes, knives, axes, the history of the lumber camps, and many boy-scout like craft projects. I just wish it was a lot longer.

A good book but I didn't think it was as easy to read as friends lead me to believe. A tremendous amount of reference material, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found the book enlightening and informative. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy and learn from this book.

I'm going to be a little less enthusiastic, but only a little, than some of the other reviewers here. I really did like this book, but for some reason it just didn't quite pull me into the time, place, space the way it did some others- although it didn't miss by much.

This is a very unique book-probably reminding me of my old Boy Scout Fieldbook (a little more detailed and survival-oriented than the handbook) more than a typical non-fiction work. The illustrations are great as well as occasionally light-hearted, and if you are at all handy or have an engineering or for that matter, culinary bent, you will find plenty of recipes and blueprints for food, tools, gadgets- even crystal radio sets or birch bark canoes. While some of these you'd probably have to find some supplemental information to make, most come so well described and diagrammed that you could probably build them or bake them directly from the book.

For me the best part is the author's midwest and at times almost cowboy way of describing life. His time around rough loggers in the days when horses and two man saws were still the order of the day especially captured my imagination. Like many readers, I'm a lot hermit, and the thought of life in a cabin in the north woods with nothing but snow, bear, moose, and wind has a certain charm, and I'm grateful to Rowlands for giving enough of a story to enjoy a bit of that charm vicariously. An excellent and unique book, and for some it will probably become a treasured possession.

We've tried several recipes. So far we haven't been disappointed. It's amazing how much flavor is packed in a healthy meal!

Some cookbooks just give recipes. Others give advice that transcends recipes. This book does both. For example, the broiled salmon with miso glaze is so often made it opens to the page by itself. But the guide to fish -- which species/fisheries are endangered, which have mercury, which have omega threes -- the advice on what to look for at the fish store (etc.) are at least as useful as the recipe. The guide to roasting vegetables is another treasure: I grow asparagus because I love it; my wife makes faces when I steam it. But when I roast it (per instructions), she loves it as much as I do. Thank you for this book.

I've had this book for nearly a month and have prepared several of the recipes since I received it. Not only have the ideas I've found in the book kept me on track with my diet plan, but my family has enjoyed the food as well. My husband and two teenage children have all been very positive, and have commented that it doesn't seem like "diet food."

The book contains ideas for every meal, and several handy charts, such as a guide to roasting vegetables and a guide to cooking whole grains. The book contains lots of great ideas for cooking fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and grains. For those who enjoy cooking from scratch, it is a great book.

This is such a great cookbook. There are a few recipes that call for ingrediants that you have to get at a specialty store but most you can get at a normal supermarket. The recipes are full of flavor and easy to prepare for the most part. Just looking through the book I get excited about cooking!

Overall, I really like this cookbook. I was looking for new, exciting dishes that didn't pile on the calories. This certainly delivers. I've only made a handful of recipes but have yet to be disappointed.

A.A. literature and independent research make clear the relevance of this little book to the A.A., 12-Step, Recovery picture. See Dr. Bob's Library, 3rd ed.[[ASIN:1885803257 ; DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers ; The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth [[ASIN:1885803265 ]; The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous[[ASIN:1885803176 ; and Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.'s Spiritual Roots and Successes.[[ASIN:1885803079. A.A.'s co-founder Dr. Bob said hundreds of time that 1 Corinthians 13 was an absolutely essential part of the early A.A. program. He thought so much of this Drummond study that he circulated The Greatest Thing in the World widely among the A.A. pioneers. It was part of his library. It was part of his expression of the meaning of love. For that's what the Corinthians chapter and the Drummond book are about.

I heard Larry Burkett highly praise this book years ago so I got one. I agree, this is an awesome book. read just a few pages and it will change your heart to love others more, no matter how grouchy you are at the time. I prefer the older editions of this book, they fit in my purse better

My brother sent me a copy. He liked it so much he brought fifty copies to share with friends. I in turn have purchased copies to give away. It is the Sermon on the Mount, The Gospel of John, and First John all in one by way of expounding upon Paul's great love expose. Gary Trawick.

This book by Henry Drummond is a much-neglected meditation on I Corinthians 13. With kindness and gentle encouragement, Drummond walks the reader through the characteristics of love we all fail so miserably to exhibit in our own lives. Well-written and short, this book should be on the shelf of anyone who is trying to live Scripture.

Hadn't read Henry Drummond's book in years, but I recently picked it up again and re-read it and found it had lost none of its power for me. This book can be read in twenty minutes, but it's a twenty minutes that can change your perception of life and love.

Drummond, who was an inspiring liberal-thinking Christian of the 1800's, divides Paul's chapter on love in First Corinthians into three parts: "love contrasted," "love analyzed," and "love defended." He shows us what love isn't, shows us what it is, and defends it as the "greatest thing in the world." He helps us understand that it is not a burden to love - it's the easiest thing in the world!

This book is one of the most inspiring pieces of Christian literature I've ever read.

I bought this book based upon the previous rave reviews. I guess I wasn't ready
to entirely believe what I read in them, but they are true. Usually, when
I buy a "travel book," I think of Fodor's or something from AAA. But this
is a work of fine literature. It has the stamp of a warrior poet, not just
a travel maven. Mr. Stanley delivers crafted lectures in this book, and I
feel he is sitting right next to me as I read it. Now, I know he wants me to
actually go to these islands myself, but he does such a masterful job of
discussing the experience and preparing the traveler intellectually and
emotionally for the trip that sometimes as I read it I feel as if I really
don't have to get on the plane,that I've been there! Of course, I do plan to
go, but with this book I feel as if I am extremely well-equipped to
make the journey. The discussions of historical geology, culture, and
the extremely thorough descriptions of the islands and their people make
this book a genuinely living thing. Sometimes books are titled "The thus-and-
such "COMPANION."" This book should be called "Your South Pacific Traveling
Companion." It is a living thing.

South Seas Photography always uses the Moon South Pacific handbook for all the extreme travel and not so extreme adventures.
Our Surf and photography schedule demands the best and we always find Moons South Pacific Handbook the perfect book in which to explore various locations in Polynesia. It even has Surf locations listed as well! Honest and comprehensive. As the largest beach lifestyle imaging company in the Pacific, David Stanley's book is the perfect guide for all aspects of South Pacific travel. We never travel without it.

Aloha - Karl Meinhardt
www.SouthSeasPhotography.com

Moon Handbooks South Pacific is the ultimate overview for traveling on any of the island groups of the South Pacific. This 1091 paged book is full of detailed travel information but is still practical sized to tuck in a daypack for easy reference. Furthermore, this book has plenty of fairly detailed maps, complete with accurate distance scales, for easy travel planning or reference while you travel.

There are eighteen chapters in Moon Handbooks South Pacific: Introduction; Exploring the Islands; French Polynesia; Pitcairn Islands; Easter Islands; Cook Islands; Niue; Kingdom of Tonga; American Samoa; Samoa; Tokelau; Wallis and Futuna, Tuvalu; Fiji Islands; New Caledonia; Vanuatu; Solomon Islands, and Resources. The introduction chapter contains an overview on the South Pacific area. This detailed information includes geology, climate, flora, fauna, history, economy, and the government of these islands. The next chapter, Exploring the Islands, contains general information on sports and recreation; entertainment; public holidays and festivals; arts and crafts; accommodations; and food as well as contacts for information and services; health; getting there; and getting around while in the south pacific. This chapter also includes a what to take section. The Resources chapter contains further information on suggested readings and internet resources.

The rest of the chapters in Moon Handbooks South Pacific focus on particular geographical regions, islands, or groups of islands within the South Pacific island groups. The first paragraph or page of each regional section describes a little about the region. After this overview, individual sights, recreation areas, special events, accommodations, food services, information services, and transportation services are depicted in detail. Depending on the size and general amount of facilities in a given region, there may be only one or two entries per category or over a dozen. Each entry contains the location, contacts, costs, and a short paragraph description of the facility or event featured. Several black and white maps and photographs accompany each section, clearly marked with the various facilities described in that particular section.

Moon Handbooks South Pacific is a helpful guide for anyone planning on traveling to any of the islands of the South Pacific island groups. Very complete key information is provided for easy reference while planning or while travel. However, this book may also be just as interesting for the armchair traveler as this book contains ample information about the natural environment, history, and culture on these beautiful islands.

A great value to anyone planning a trip to the South Pacific! Detailed, informative, educational...what more could anyone want.

As one of the editors of Travelers' Tales 30 Days in the South Pacific, I found David Stanley's Moon Handbook, South Pacific to be an indispensible guide during a recent trip through the South Pacific

Sean O'Reilly
Editor-at-Large
Travelers' Tales