Editorial Review

Full of practical advice as well as invaluable guidance on how to understand American society (covering topics like political parties, privacy, family, work, and money), this handy book is an ideal reference for anyone new to the United States. ... Read more

Reviews

Funny and wise
Understanding the Americans is a delightful book, and I recommend it not only to recent immigrants, but also to Americans who work with immigrants, because it may help them see America through foreigners' eyes. While at the first read the book may seem simplistic and trivial to an American absorbing the American culture from birth, a more focused reader will immediately see that Richmond very succinctly, and with great humor explains hundreds of unwritten rules governing life in America, such as "Americans [...] may tell you much about their personal lives without considering you as a friend or even wanting to be your friend," or that "drop by some time" doesn't really mean you can do that because "such an action would be seen as an invasion of a person's privacy and a failure to plan ahead." The book is also full of American expressions such as "keeping up with the Joneses" "beating around the bush," or "soccer mom," which every American knows, but which puzzling to foreigners who most likely have never heard them. I agree with the reviewer who recommends that this book should be handed out to visitors at every border crossing.

My favorite quote:
"When meeting someone in America, as in most countries, there is usually a ritual greeting. You ask the other person "how are you?" and the answer is usually "Fine" unless that person is mortally ill and about to be transported to a hospital."

Finding your way in another culture
This is a different, and ultimately far more useful "travel guide" than we are used to. It is a day-to-day guide to our manners and mor�s, but is much more, providing background and insights to nearly all major features (and peculiarities) of American society. I can't think of a more useful and practical book. I--and I'm sure visitors--will appreciate the author's honesty about some of the less attractive aspects of our culture. The practice of highlighting common American terms (like doggie bag) makes the book even more user-friendly. By helping visitors to understand what to expect, and how to cope with the inevitable shocks and frustrations, this book should be handed out to visitors with every American visa. Every country should produce a book along the lines of this one.

So true, and so much fun
This book was written as a guide, but it is also structured nicely and the style makes it so funny. I've been in the States for 4 years and realizing how true all those points in the handbook are is just hilarious. I think it is a good reading material not only for international people but also for US citizens who want to learn how non-US people perceive them. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Food Network star Guy Fieri takes you on a tour of America's most colorful diners, drive-ins, and dives in this tie-in to his enormously popular television show, complete with recipes, photos, and memorabilia.

Packed with Guy's iconic personality, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives follows his hot-rod trips around the country, mapping out the best places most of us have never heard of. From digging in at legendary burger joint the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, California, baking Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia, or kicking back with Pete's "Rubbed and Almost Fried" Turkey Sandwich from Panini Pete's in Fairhope, Alabama, Guy showcases the amazing personalities, fascinating stories, and outrageously good food offered by these American treasures.

Reviews

A little disappointing ..., November 20, 2008

What fun!, October 22, 2008

Like diners and dives? Check this out!, November 6, 2008
I'm addicted to Guy Fieri's Food Network show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Whenever I have a chance, I tune in; normally, it's a cool one hour trip across the country. His enthusiasm comes right through the screen as he tries out different dishes at each establishment.

This book provides a sampling of some of those establishments across the country. The format is simple: a brief description of the diner or deli or dive, a photo of the place, and one or more illustrative recipes. In a sense, using one of his own terms, this is a trip to "Flavortown." One nice touch: his recognition of key players in his crew, as they work together as a team across the country.

Some examples of the places he looks at and the recipes that he spotlights. The "Blue Moon Cafe" in Baltimore, Maryland. I am looking forward, in the near future, to a long weekend in Baltimore; it's an enjoyable visit. This time, I may choose to try out this place. He focuses on breakfast in his two cafe examination of this cafe. The recipe given is intriguing--but not for me, Cap'n Crunch French Toast. I'm not going to ever make this, but it's fun to imagine making it and tasting it. Ingredients: heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, Cap'n Crunch, sugar, bread, sugar, berries. The 5 steps in the recipe sure look doable for amateur chefs. Interesting. . . .

Then, there is "Panini Pete's," located in Fairhope, Alabama. One interesting aspect: the head cook is a classically trained European chef. One recipe: Pete's Rubbed and Almost Fried Turkey Sandwich. Focaccia bread, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper, Dijon mustard, fried turkey (a menu provided for that, too), roasted red pepper, baby greens, mozzarella, and garlic mayo. Oooh. Read the recipe and imagine the tasty results!

Then, there is Joe's Farm Grill in Arizona. Much of the food is grown right there. One specialty is hamburgers, with all sorts of eye popping toppings (e.g., apple-cider smoked bacon, pepperoni, roasted red peppers, and so on). But this isn't just a burger joint. Witness the recipe provided--Asian Slaw with Spicy Thai Vinaigrette. Combine the vegetables, including green and red and napa cabbage, julienned green onion, julienned red bell pepper, shredded carrots, salt and pepper, topped with spicy Thai vinaigrette. Looks yummy.

Anyhow, this is worth the price of purchase simply for the description of the diners, delis, and dumps--and seeing the building where the establishment is located. The recipes are interesting, too, although I would not even think of making many of these (some may be great tasting, but they're awfully fatty and loaded with cholesterol). If you like Guy Fieri's show, you'll enjoy this book, I think.

crazy tasty, October 24, 2008

Okay, but not much of a cookbook..., October 30, 2008

Sadly, It Doesn't Live Up To Potential, November 9, 2008

A "Must Have" for DD&D Fans, November 1, 2008

What was the point of this?, June 24, 2009

I don't know what I was thinking here. I like the show, but what was I hoping for from this book? Perhaps, A bit more depth and behind the scenes info? Well, if you're looking for an overview of the show with even less information than the show supplied, buy this book. Even the recipes are weak, with nothing here that couldn't be found someplace else or figured out from watching the show (We're not talking haute cuisine.). Throughout the book there are even "Guys Asides," little comments attached to the main article, which seem strangely redundant in a book that he has "written." Hey, this is my fault, I bought it without checking. Unless you are a huge fan of the show or of Guy's odd coif and bling, this one will not be missed on your bookshelf.

money thrown away, January 27, 2009
While the show is interesting and entertaining the book is just the opposite. Not well organized, and receipes are disappointing. Would not recommed this book,if you want to visit the places he visits, just watch the show and make note of the names and locations and take the list when you travel to that area. Looked up several areas of interest we had seen on the show, and none of the resturnats are mentioned in the book.

Too little of everything, November 6, 2008
I have been a DDD fan from the beginning. I have seen every episode at least once, some thrice. I have wanted a book forever, and have long thought about what I wanted it to be. So maybe that is why I am disappointed so much.

I was hoping for a travel guide that I could use to seek out DDD favorites. But this guide does not cover everyplace he has been, just some of them. And it lacks a good index by state and city for the locations he does cover. You can flip thru the pages by part of the country, but it is tedious and not as easy as it could be. A national map with numbered locations would have been good too. The fact that the pictures of the people and locations are black and white keeps it from becoming exciting or make me want to visit. A black and white picture of a building sign is just a waste of book space. These places have character, and you get NONE of it in the pictures. The whole book feels boring and drab from the minute you pick it up.

The book tries to be part travel guide, part cookbook, and part show diary. IMHO, it fails at all three. It has a recipe from most of the selected locations, but no pictures of the food. That may be just as well, because black and white pictures of food would take the book to a new level of dullness. The narratives for each location are uninspired, and sound like they were written by a newly-graduated ghost writer rather than the inimitable Guy. Most of it reads more boringly than a small-town restaurant review. As a show diary, it lacks any funny stories or off-camera tidbits that might have brought some humor and interest to an otherwise exceedingly dull book.

Maybe i will feel better about this book once I make a few recipes. But I suspect that this one is going to end up on eBay or Amazon Used Books in a few weeks. ... Read more

Reviews

A "Consistently Good" Atlas, May 15, 2010
Rand McNally's 2011 Road Atlas is the highest quality paperback road atlas currently available.

The atlas's maps strike a perfect balance between detail and legibility; even though the maps are loaded with information, they are still, somehow, incredibly readable.

The atlas is also made by a company that values customer feedback. Last November, I wrote to Rand McNally asking how they decide which cities to "bold" in their atlases. (I had noticed in earlier editions that a number of cities with as few as 5,000 residents were labeled in large bold type, while other, much larger ones weren't given bold labels. It seemed inconsistent.) I suggested that the company, instead, use bold type to indicate a city's population.

Rand McNally appears to have acted on my suggestions. In this new edition, the boldness and size of a city's label now corresponds to its population. In addition, all cities with populations greater than 5,000 now appear in bold type; this wasn't the case before.

Other changes I've noticed in the 2011 edition:
- Many more cities have been added to the atlas's state maps, especially in and around major metropolitan areas.
- Unincorporated cities and towns are now given different city "dots" than incorporated communities.
- Interstate exit numbers are now in green boxes. (This makes them easier to read and harder to confuse with mileage numbers.)
- The inset boxes around major cities are now gray instead of yellow.
- Elevation values for major cities and bodies of water have been removed from the maps.
- Construction areas have been updated.

There are also five new "Best of the Road" routes, if you're into that sort of thing.

All in all, the 2011 edition is a great update to an already great atlas.

Good atlas, June 5, 2010
Good atlas, worth the cost. Even though they come out with a new one every year, it is definitely needed for all of the road changes and updates. Recommend this product.

I wish I'd gotten the large print one, June 26, 2010
Much cheaper and actually more useful than a GPS (sometimes you want to scope out where you might go, not just get directions), a road atlas is a staple in our cars. Updating annually gives access to proposed construction locations (although it was off in places despite being only a month old). We took this on a recent trip through PA and New England. Alas, the maps a re a bit hard to make out once you get off the main drags in the more populated areas, like Southern Maine. I missed my old DeLorme Maine Atlas. I think the solution for when you are traveling about in the more congested states is to buy the large print one.

Gigantic!, October 18, 2010
In this day of GPS, I still like to have a map as a back up and also enjoy looking at the map while my husband is driving. I've purchased the Rand McNally road atlas in the past but was way overdue for an update. My only complaint is the size. Where in your car do you store such a behemoth and still keep it handy?

Road Atlas, August 8, 2010
I bought this atlas as a gift for my father who has a knack for viewing maps. The details provided in this atlas is really amazing. My father can visualize almost all of these countries roadways sitting in yet another totally distant country.
This serves far better than a GPS provided you are used to following maps by yourselves than being guided by a voice. It is real fun.

Fine atlas, updated., July 31, 2010
We've used the Rand-McNally Road Atlas for years; our mid-90s edition was out of date. The 2011 edition is exactly what we need - covers all territory where we drive with good detail, yet is a manageable size for in the car. This provides great coverage, with much lower cost and complexity than a GPS unit. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in). ... Read more

Reviews

More than a hiking narative., May 10, 2000
This is much more than a travelogue of two neophyte hikers on the Appalachian Trail, and readers looking for a blow by blow account of the travails of Bill Bryson and his companion, Stephen Katz, will be disappointed. Hiking provides only a backdrop to a heartfelt discourse on the social condition of America, local history, the environment, and the complexities of friendship. The pretext for the book was Bryson's return to the United States after twenty years in Britain, and his interest in "rediscovering America" after such a lengthy absence.

The vast majority of the reviews of the book cite its hilarity (one reviewer called it "choke-on-your-coffee funny"), and indeed there are very many funny parts. However, the deeper I got into the book, I detected a strong shift in the author's sentiment from satire to deep introspection. His observations became more acute, more angry, and more individualized as his long hike constantly brings to his mind the fragile environment of the Trail, the insanity of bureacrats entrusted with the AT, and his own personal limitations.

This was my first encounter with Bill Bryson, and while I found him entertaining, a beautiful writer, and an astute observer, some readers will be put off my his sharp satiric wit. It is certain that he will offend somebody. A friend of mine, who also read the book, was very much upset by the fact that Bryson and Katz didn't hike all 2,200 miles of the Trail, and that somehow their "failure" should prevent the telling of the story. This is utter nonsense and just throws more manure onto the present dung heap that has accumulated from the participants involved in peak bagging, wilderness races, and experiential therapy groups.

Bryson and Katz at least tried to hike the entire AT, and they returned from their hike as changed men who learned many lessons about the wilderness and friendship. Towards the end of the book, the two men are talking about the hike. When Katz remarks that "we did it," Bryson reminds him that they didn't even see Mount Katahdin, much less climb it. Katz says, "Another mountain. How many do you need to see, Bryson?" I agree with Katz (and ultimately Bryson). They hiked the Appalachian Trail.

I strongly recommend it to anyone, February 7, 2000
A Walk in the Woods is a travel memoir on the Appalachian Trail, one of America's greatest hiking routes. The author, Bill Bryson lived in England for 20 years and came back to the United States with the urge to go on a long hike. Stephen Katz, an old college friend, and a former alcoholic accompanies him. Both men are out of shape, and beginners at hiking, so it is a wonder how they can endure such hardships along the trail. They had to carry a pack that contained their tents, food, water, clothes and other items. Katz and other interesting characters provide the book with much comic relief to keep the reader involved. At some points in the book I was laughing out loud. Along the journey they meet many people including Mary Ellen a slow-minded woman who follows them around, and Beulah, a fat woman with a very angry husband. The commentary about the long, rich history of the Appalachian Trail brings insight on the wilderness that we hardly know about. It also speaks for the preservation of the forestry and animals that we take for granted in the city. After reading this book I have more appreciation of the wilderness, and an interest in going hiking myself. One downside of the book was that some points in the book the author expanded the book with knowledge that made it a little less interesting, then the actual story. But I liked how Bryson went back and forth to discuss his journey and the history, creating a balance of interests. This book will offer something to any type of reader because it is funny, and contains a lot of historical information, and is interesting enough to keep the reader to keep going. But for someone who wishes to go on a hike, this is not a how to guide. It is also not an amazing adventure of two men and the great outdoors. What this book has to offer is an entertaining journey of two regular guys, who decide to go on a hike along one of the most difficult trails in the United States. I am highly recommending this book, and it will truly leave the reader entertained.

Interesting history of the trail, second half less compelling than the first., September 23, 2006
As both a Bill Bryson fan and a long distance hiker myself (although I have not done the Appalachian Trail yet) I really expected to love A Walk in the Woods. I was a little bit concerned, since when my partner handed it to me (he finished the book first) he said, "I don't think you're going to like it..." But still, I was really looking forward to reading it.

For the first half of the book, I also really did enjoy the book. I wasn't bothered by the fact that they were unprepared or out of shape. Nobody is really prepared for their first long distance hiking trip until they are a few weeks into the trail. I remember my own experience of staggering along under my overly ambitious pack. I also enjoyed that he talked honestly about the experience of hiking, and I liked the way that he interspersed history and facts about the trail with the travel writing.

The second half, however, got much less interesting. The day trips and the abortive Maine portion were actually kind of disheartening. The whole feel of the prose got sort of mean spirited. He didn't have to walk the whole trail to feel like he walked it, but I honestly would have preferred to see him expand the first half and leave the second half out completely.

There is still quite a bit of good stuff in here, particularly if you are interested in the southern part of the trail. There is also quite a bit of truth about the culture of the long distance hikers. I laughed quite a bit while I read. I guess that the complaints boiled down to not quite being as good as it could have been.

Laugh out loud funny!, January 8, 2000
Very seldom do I read anything that makes me laugh out loud. To do so more than once or twice in a single book almost never happens. With "Walk," I became almost hysterical over certain chapters - in an airport, no less, while waiting for my flight. People must have thought I was nuts! Anyway, this is the story of two middle-aged and out of shape men (Bryson and his buddy, Katz) who decide to hike the Appalachian Trail. The AT is the third longest nature trail in the US, stretching from Georgia to Maine, along some incredibly rough terrain. Not all of their journey is rustic, however, as they often take a break to spend a night in the closest little town off the trail to have a shower, sleep in a "real" bed, and wash the grime from their clothes. It is during one such trip to the laundromat that Katz has a rather interesting encounter with 300 lb. Beaulah, her extra-large-sized panties, and a washing machine. Aside from the comical adventures, Bryson also has a great deal to say about the AT itself, and in particular, how much the National Parks Service needs a giant kick in the pants to help preserve these Trails.

It's not only funny, it's educational., March 19, 2007
Bill Bryson has a great sense of humor and an excellent, precise way of expressing it. My husband had just had heart surgery when I started reading this book. I was concerned that my LOL while reading A Walk in the Woods might disturb him as I sat next to his hospital bed. However, on the other hand, I thought it might expedite the healing process. He told me later he heard me laughing and it made him feel better. So, there you go, Bill, your book is good for heart patients!!

Bill and buddy, Stephen Katz, the only person to take Bill up on the offer to join him as he hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1997?, began their odyssey on March 9 (this just happened to be the day I began reading the book...2007). The laughs came early and continued throughout, though parts of the book are more history and information than comedy. I took notes in these sections.

Both Bryson and Katz were out of shape when they hit the AT, but Bill noticed his body slimming and becoming more svelte right away (one thing I looked for, but never found, was word on how the adventure affected Katz's weight and figure. I would've been interested in knowing that). The men hiked the AT in two segments and, incidentally, did not hike the entire trail, which they decided was okay. I agree. At any rate, they hiked a few weeks in pre- and early spring and again in the heat of August. While they were off the trail, Bryson took day trips to walk parts of the AT between where he and Katz left off and the Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine they planned to hike in August. This book not only tells the tale of two men attempting to walk the 2,200 miles of the AT, but is full of history lessons, geological and geographical information, stories of lost/doomed hikers, and social intercourse (i.e., the more than rude, self-centered, and boorish hikers the boys meet on their next to last day on the trail the first time).

This book is a good companion so read it slowly, digest it thoroughly, and you will enjoy it immensely.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

Nature writing and a travelogue with "oomph"!, August 18, 2007
Perhaps it was a fit of angst dealing with his own personal version of a mid-life crisis that led Bill Bryson to tackle the challenge of hiking the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail! It was certainly a solid understanding of his own personality and clear recognition of his own physical and mental limitations that prompted him to invite his friend, Stephen Katz, an overweight and out of shape recovering alcoholic with an inordinate fondness for snack foods and cream soda to accompany him on this daunting challenge. The demands of the AT ultimately proved too much for Bryson and Katz who sensibly (and with an almost relieved sense of philosophical acceptance) decided to abandon the notion of a complete through hike. But the resulting story, drawn from Bryson's daily journal of the summer's efforts, is an overwhelming success and pure joy in the reading.

"A Walk in the Woods" is an extraordinary, entertaining travelogue on both the AT - the Appalachian Trail - and the people and places of small town America that dot the trail's path along the eastern seaboard from Georgia to Maine. At the same time, it is much, much more. Bryson is scathing in his political commentary and almost enraged criticism of the ongoing state of mismanagement and the sadly misguided policies of both the Parks and Forest Services of the US government. "A Walk in the Woods" is also a deeply moving introspective examination on the nature of friendship, family, perseverance, joy and despondency. As he and Katz amble along rock strewn trails dappled with sunlight broken by the leafy forest canopy, Bryson frequently, effortlessly and almost without our even noticing the change, wanders metaphorically off the main trail and onto a side path of lightweight but nonetheless informative and educational sidebars of nature writing on an amazingly wide variety of topics. Glaciation, bears, bugs, ecology, continental drift, hypothermia, hypoxia and weather are only a few examples of the topics which he elucidates for the lay reader with his clear, concise prose.

Then there is the humour! It is perhaps an understatement to say that, in this regard, Bryson has a rare gift. He has treated his readers to laughs originating in every imaginable corner of the vast world of humour - wry sardonic wit; biting satire; slapstick; self effacement; sarcasm and insults; fear; and even extended comedy sketches worthy of stage or television. His description of the astonishingly stupid and entirely self-absorbed fellow hiker Mary Ellen who has the annoying habit of constantly clearing her sinuses with a grating honk is definitely laugh-out-loud material.

Pure entertainment and enjoyment from first page to last. I believe Bill Bryson would consider it a compliment if I suggested that "A Walk in the Woods" is the first book I've ever read with a smile on my face during every single moment of the reading. Highly recommended - even if you've never spent a single night under nylon in the woods.

Paul Weiss

Funny and informative., February 27, 2002
Bill Bryson's travel writing has influenced my personal life in no small way. His 1989 book "The Lost Continent" (which I first discovered in 1996 and have since revisited many times), documenting his (mis)adventures driving cross-country in the United States, played a significant role in my own decision to hit the road and see this fascinating nation for myself. (Coincidentally, I am currently writing this review from Iowa, Bryson's birthplace and frequent target of his signature dry wit.) Having spent the greater part of his adult life abroad in England, Bryson returned to the United States with his family several years ago, settling in a small town in New Hampshire, to rediscover the land he'd left as a youth. He has since written two books about his time spent in America, one of them being "A Walk in the Woods", Bryson's account of his experiences hiking the renowned Appalachian Trail.

Considered by many to be the Holy Grail of hiking trails in the United States, the Appalachian Trail runs approximately 2,100 miles long, stretching from Georgia to Maine and passing through 12 additional states along the way. Every year, hundreds of people attempt to walk the entire length of the trail from beginning to end, with only a small portion of them successfully completing the endeavor. Known as "thru-hikers", the majority of these aspiring individuals underestimate the sheer scope and arduousness of the undertaking. Most drop out well before the halfway point. Those who persevere are treated to extreme temperatures hot and cold, gruesomely harsh terrains, unrelenting winds and rainfall, a wide variety of wild predators, and some of the most awesomely scenic sights of natural beauty on earth.

Bryson begins his own trek along the Appalachian Trail admittedly inexperienced and somewhat out-of-shape. Accompanied by an oafish college buddy named Katz with whom he shares a decidedly odd love-hate relationship (it often feels like Katz's sole purpose in being there is so that Bryson will always have someone to make fun of), the two set off with full backpacks on what promises to be a journey filled with humor, wit, insight and adventure. Along the way they encounter other hikers (some highly eccentric in disposition), endure the hardships of bad weather, visit neighboring small towns, and cover more ground on foot in a scant few weeks than most of us will in an entire year. Eventually they end their first phase of the hike in northern Virginia and part separate ways. Bryson continues to investigate key points along the trail in short spurts over the next several months, embarking on daytrips and brief overnighters in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New England. In the last section of the book Bryson and Katz reunite to tackle the final hundred-mile stretch of the trail in Maine. Although Bryson never actually completes the entire length of the trail in true "thru-hike" fashion, he explores enough of it from enough different places to ensure that his description of the Appalachian Trial overall is valid and well-informed.

If you have read any of Bryson's previous books, you will be familiar with his penchant for digressing from the main line of action to muse on various tidbits of history, factoids and trivia. In one paragraph he'll be admiring the splendid view from a mountaintop; in the next he's providing an overview of the trail's origins. Some of this information, especially when it pertains to the ecological aspects of the Appalachian Trail, is genuinely fascinating. Bryson is also well-known for his wry and witty observations about virtually everything he encounters: from the exasperating science of shopping for hiking gear, to the shoddy upkeep of certain portions of the trail. Though not as laugh-out-loud funny as some of his other works, there are plenty of moments scattered throughout the book that will inspire a hearty chuckle. He also does an admirable job of conveying the beauty and grandeur, not to mention the less attractive elements, of the Appalachian Trail. Although you never obtain a true sense of actually "being there" from reading his descriptive passages, Bryson nevertheless provides an adequate depiction of what it must feel like to embark on this epic journey.

There is something agreeably comforting in reading a book by Bryson, who comes across as a friendly, educated, next-door-neighbor type of guy who would make a fine traveling companion. His informal, chatty writing style is ideally suited for a warm, lazy summer's afternoon sitting on the front porch with a glass of lemonade by your side. It's a pleasant, light reading experience that provides equal doses of laughter and insight. Although "A Walk in the Woods" is not particularly romantic, it is affectionate and sentimental in the right places, and may very well inspire me to someday throw on a pair of hiking boots and head off for a little 2,100-mile walk of my own.

You will LOVE this book!, November 18, 1999
Fair Warning -- do not read this book while commuting - you will be laughing so uncontrolably you will risk being committed by your fellow commuters. I have loaned this book to 3 friends - in each case, the spouse was so intrigued by the constant belly laughs that they also read the book before returning it. One friend bought copies for Christmas presents. The appeal is that universal. I dare say even those with no interest in backpacking or the Appalachian Trail would find the book highly entertaining.

Laughing out loud while I'm riding the train, April 7, 2007
I'm about 2/3 of the way through this amazing book and have to let everyone know that you need to read this one. I have been reading it during my train commute, grinning from ear to ear, and cackling out loud every few minutes.

The book alternates between a hilarous telling of a lengthy hike along the Appalachian Trail by the author and his out-of-shape buddy Stephen, and a well-researched description of the AT's construction, history, & ecology. The stories of their hiking-gear research, the author's deathly fear of bears, and their run-ins with neurotic fellow hiker Mary Ellen had me in tears.

This book ties with "Catch 22" as the funniest I've ever read, just ahead of Palahniuk's "Lullaby".

Half good read, half disappointment, August 30, 2004
If you are looking for a book that describes the experience of hiking the ENTIRE Applachian Trail (a.k.a. "the AT," per hiking lingo)in a year's time, then do NOT read this book.

Yep, you read that sentence correctly. This is NOT that kind of book.

Knowing this one important fact in advance (as the book jacket copy does not disclose this), then you won't be disappointed as I was when I hit the point, midway through the book, when Bryson and Katz, a friend from high school days who decides to accompany Bryson on the AT, make the decision to stop at Front Royal, Virginia, part ways for a few months, and then resume the hike later that same year in Maine's Hundred Miles Wilderness. (They don't even bother to hike the entire segment from the start of the AT to Front Royal, getting into a cab at one point to take them further along the trail.)

The first half of the book is incredibly funny and educational as Bryson prepares for the hike and begins to learn about the history of the AT. He also begins to face the truth of what it means to make this type of journey. Hiking the entire AT in a year is, after all, not your typical Sunday afternoon hike or 3-day backpacking holiday in the Sierra Mountain range. The piece on the dangers of bears is especially fine writing, and places the issue of bears in the larger context of the wilderness lands that surround us, even in large urban centers. Bryson skillfully weaves current events, history, and anecdotes about the AT.

However, the quality of the book suffers once Bryson and Katz finish the first part of their great adventure. Bryson's writing almost mirrors the disappointment he must have felt, knowing he wasn't going to finish the trail but still had to complete the writing of this book. The writing in the second half is sketchy and almost haphazard, seemingly written in bits and pieces that lack the loving flow, attention to detail, and story-telling that mark the first half of the book.

This is my first book by Bryson, and I may pick up another of his books, although I'll probably borrow it from the library rather than buy it. "A Walk in the Woods" is probably best saved for readers who already know Bryson's work from other books and are already-won fans of his writing style. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A one-of-a-kind trip planner, a superb on-the-road reference, and an album of 400 photographs. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, here are 120 outstanding drives that show the magnificence of America-each with detailed, easy-to-follow maps. ... Read more

Reviews

Inspiring for Family Trips, December 30, 2003
This is a fun book for vacationing families, college student roadtrippers, RV campers, and motorcycle travelers.

As an Illinois resident, I was pleased to see 18 stops the authors considered scenic. Having traveled through many of them, I can attest their taste is good. Seeing the majestic Shawnee National Forest is like seeing what Adam and Even might have enjoyed had Eden been located in southern Illinois.

With all of the 120 drives, there are roughly 10-20 stops, each with a descriptive paragraph. Decorating each drive are photos of special sites or animals. Maps with insets demonstrate the context of the drive inside each state.

Not every great site has a stop. Illinois' gorgeous Starved Rock Park is missing, but only because so much of America is beautiful. To include every place of beauty would cause this 400 page book to be 40,000 pages.

While it makes a nice coffee table book, there is plenty to read. It can help inspire deeper research for your next family adventure.

I fully recommend "The Most Scenic Drives in America (Most Scenic Drives in America): 120 Spectacular Road Trips" by Readers Digest. It is as enjoyable to read as it is to look at.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

The Most Scenic Drives in America, December 28, 1999
This book has numerous beautiful color photographs as well as colored area maps where the scenic drives are located. Each stopping point has a number and a description of what you will find. I like the fact that you get the length of the trip, best time to go, and nearby attractions. If one wants to go to a specific state, you now know where the best views are.

I like to do photography and this book will be helpful when planning my trips. The book also is a reminder of the beautiful drives within a day's drive of my home.

The only thing I don't like about the book is the size. It is a coffee table book and won't fit on my bookshelf without sticking way out. Well worth the money.

The siren song of the open road, April 10, 2006
It's that time of the year when I begin planning the annual vacation. Though my preference would be to hop a plane to the UK, of which I never become tired, my wife thinks I'm in a rut in that regard, so we're likely as not to spend 7-10 days traveling U.S. roads by flivver. THE MOST SCENIC DRIVES IN AMERICA is a reminder that there's a lot to see without the need for a passport and, for one as afflicted with insatiable wanderlust as myself, the book represents temptations akin to those in a Godiva shop for a chocoholic.

Unlike your standard coffee table book, THE MOST SCENIC DRIVES IN AMERICA is enormously useful. Its 120 scenic drives are divided among four regions: The Western States (24 drives), The Rocky Mountain States (29 drives), The Central States (26 drives), and The Eastern States (41 drives). The volume begins with one-page maps of each region with each drive numbered and drawn-in with a red squiggle in case you want to see their relative positions and combine more than one in a single road adventure.

Each numbered drive is sequentially described, 2-6 pages each, and supplemented with gorgeous color photographs - 400 total. Each description includes a route map on which the cities and towns and road numbers are shown and the main attractions along the way pinpointed. Each attraction is summarized. Finally, each drive has its own "Trip Tips": length in miles, when to go, "words to the wise", nearby attractions, and where to go for further information. As an example:

The Eastern States, Drive #96, Pennsylvania Dutch Country, 2 pages, 2 photos. Listed attractions: Intercourse (a town, tiger, with a quilt museum), Ephrata Cloister (another town, built by the Seventh-Day Baptists), Landis Valley Museum (focusing on the PA Dutch with 80,000 items), Lancaster (a city with an historic Central Market), Marietta (another town, with a preserved silk mill), Hans Herr House (a home dating from 1719), and Strasberg (another town, with the Railroad Museum of PA). Length - 80 miles. Popular year-round. Bring a cooler to store food purchased at roadside stands, which are mostly closed on Sunday. Chocolate World at Hershey is nearby. Address and phone number for the PA Dutch Visitors Bureau.

So, I might ask the little woman: "Honey, how about a spin along Cape Cod's Sandy Shores (#91), or through the Wisconsin North Woods (#58), or along Devil's Tower Loop (#35), or on the Loneliest Road in America (#16)?"

But, just between you and me, several days in London and a leisurely exploration of the Devon and Cornwall coasts is my E-ride.

Good tips, astounding photos, clear maps, great book !, June 23, 1998
Me and my wife were able to follow about a dozen out of the 120 sugested road trips, in very diferent locations of USA (Florida, New England and California/Nevada/Arizona). This book prove to be a great guide for us because it shows really wonderful places, the way to get there and good tips. It was our one month best friend; even now I love to review its pictures, showing the beautiful places we did see and the ones we couldn't. The quality of the photographs is simply outstanding. We considered ourselves very lucky to find this book in the beginning of our trip. The best of all the three we had.

Flying not an option? This book will drive your senses., November 1, 1998
As a young newly wed college student, sometimes flying is not an affordable option. With the help of The Most Senic Drives in America, driving trips are more enjoyable. My husband and I occasionally will plan a vacation and drive to our destination. This book gives helpful tips on the most senic routes, great places to visit and a lists the best times of year to visit each location. The book is divided into regions for easy referencing. The beautiful pictures are appealing and spark a sence of bliss in the reader. The comprehensive route maps are esy to follow and mark the nearby attractions. If you are planning a trip, forget about the airlines, read this book, and drive your senses to The Most Senic Drives in America.

A great planning tool, October 28, 2004
This was one of our best planning tools on our year long trip around the USA. Once we were on the road, we actually used it less. If you are planning shorter trips -- this is a great tool. If you are thinking of a looonnnggg road trip - this helps gets your ideas flowing - then also see "Live Your Road Trip Dream" to help with all the planning details. Get moving from the dreaming to the doing in no time at all!

Our Best Friend on Trips, May 11, 2005
This is such a great book, I have to take the time to write!

Despite its size, my husband and I have been bringing our 1997 edition of this book with us on road trips since we bought it. It has guided us along about twenty pleasant drives in the West, steering us to the terrific things along the road that we would have just driven by if we hadn't known, and it has saved us from wasting time on the not-so-great sites, or things that we didn't care to see. As we travel between each special place, I read the descriptions out loud so we are ready for the great adventure that is sure to come. I am now buying a copy for my parents and I am really surprised at the great price!

Most Scenic Drives in America, September 9, 2005
A most for those who are traveling throughout the USA. This book provides excellent maps, descriptions of routes, surrounding areas, and beautiful photos. For each suggested scenic trip it lists the miles, time of year to go, some suggestions, nearby attractions, visitor centers and additional addresses and phone numbers of resources in the area.

A portal to the possibilities, December 6, 1997
A sage once told me "A journey should be meticulously planned, yet organically executed". Truer advice I've never been given; serendipity SHOULD rule your travels. HOWEVER, you gotta start somewhere, and this wonderful book is the portal to possibilities. It'll bring out the wanderlust in anyone. I'm giving it to my parents for Christmas. My only quibble is that the thumbnail sketches are too, well, sketchy. I suppose further depth would have produced a book of unworkable size. P.S.: The Smithsonian puts out some awesome travel guides. Check 'em out.

Wonderful book!, October 14, 2006
I stumbled upon the 1997 edition of this book at a garage sale for $2. It makes me want to just quit my job and spend the rest of my life trying to check them off, one by one. The photos are so beautiful. The one thing I do wish they had though, was a trip completely mapped out for you based on how long it takes to drive and see everything. In other words, I wish it would say "First day, drive to this place, see this, this, and this. Stay overnight in this town. Second day, drive to this place..." etc. Because even though it tells you how far the drive is, it doesn't really say how long it would take you to visit the various places (obviously everyone is different, but a guideline would be really helpful) ... Read more

Editorial Review

Join New York Times bestselling author and Food Network star Guy Fieri for a second helping of the best diners, drive-ins, and dives across America!

Guy Fieri strikes again with More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, giving you a road map to road food that's earned its culinary citizenship in "Flavortown." Join Guy on a cross-country noshing parade, mapping out the best places you've never heard of—more than fifty establishments off the beaten path. Compete in a (no hands) apple-pie-eating contest at Bobo Drive-In in Topeka, Kansas, dip your taste buds in Sweet Spicy Love sauce at Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken in Memphis, Tennessee, and get a load of the killer four-cheese mac-and-cheese at Gorilla Barbeque in Pacifica, California. Filled with Guy's hilarious voice and rampant enthusiasm for these hidden culinary gems, More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is the perfect book for lovers of the American food scene and fans of Triple D.

Reviews

IMHO, April 15, 2010
I love 'Triple D' which is why I ordered both books. I was hoping to see a laundry list of places Guy has gone so I can back track him. I was not too happy to see a selected review on a few places, and really not happy to see food etc, in B&W. I still watch every show with drooling anticipation, but I wouldn't order either of these books if you anticipate the slightest imitation of the show...

More Triple D, November 6, 2009
Do you enjoy Guy Fieri's show on the Food Channel, "Diners, Drive0Ins, and Dives"? Did you get a kick out of his first book exploring the three Ds? If yes to either, you should enjoy this volume, too. If you want a lot of recipes, then this book isn't likely to engage you.

However, I do enjoy the author's televised Odyssey through diners, drive-ins, and dives throughout the country. Here, you get a brief sense of the uniqueness of a variety of joints--as well as an illustrative menu item or two from each. It all makes for a nice diversion. And there are always a few recipes that are a lot of fun to contemplate and to make.

As before, Fieri divides the country into regions--in this instance, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest, and West and Southwest. For each region, he selects a handful of places (between 10 to 18 per region). One of the charms, in the author's own words is (Page 3): I get to shine a light on a real group of people. . . . I get to bring out the kid and adventurer in all of us. . . . We're reminding people to get back to the basics: real food from real people."

Let's take a look at a couple representative D,D,or Ds.

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic: Kelly O's Diner in Pittsburgh. Fieri's visit boosted business quite a bit, according to the owner. The example from the menu: Haluski. Green cabbage, butter, julienned Spanish onions, garlic salt, sliced bacon, egg noodles, black pepper, and grated Romano cheese. Cook cabbage leaves in water; melt butter and add onions and half of the garlic salt stir in cabbage until onions and cabbage begin to caramelize; stir in other ingredients (except cheese) then plate and add cheese to the top of the dish. Down home cooking here!

West and Southwest: Pat's Barbecue in Salt Lake City. Nice, brief description of the place's operation. The dish? Smoked barbecue meatloaf. Ingredients: ground beef, eggs, seasoned bread crumbs, milk, barbecue sauce, dry onion soup mix, and grilled onions. Key to the recipe is smoking the meatloaf mix for 4 hours! Now that's a whole lot different than the way I make my meatloaf.

Once more, if you like the show, you'll probably enjoy the book. If not and if you are interested ikn a more traditional cookbook, this might not do the trick.

www.jennifervido.com, November 8, 2009
Guy Fieri, best-known as the bleach-blonde spiky hair chef on The Food Network channel, is at it again in his latest release MORE DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES. Winner of the second season of The Next Food Network Star, he took the network by storm with his vivacious personality and good-natured charm. What started out as a test drive has turned into stardom and fame for this fun-lovin' California guy.

As host of the three hit shows, Guy's Big Bite, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Guy serves up the right balance of know-how and charm to keep his fans coming back for more. His first book, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives made its way to the New York Times Bestseller List. In his follow-up release, he takes his readers on another tour around the country serving up some of the best dishes discovered on his culinary cruise.

With a foreword written by none other than the legendary chef Emeril Lagasse, MORE DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES gives the reader a backstage pass to the making of this popular television show.It also includes a Q&A section with Guy himself plus anecdotal recaps from some of the most memorable episodes. The most interesting part of the introduction is the section called "What It Takes to Pull Off the Show." Each member of the crew shares thoughts about Guy, his pranks, and other interesting facts and tidbits.

The many restaurants Guy has frequented are divided into four main sections of the country. With each establishment, he delivers some background information complete with photographs to make the reader feel right at home. The mouth-watering recipes make even the most finicky eater want to step out of the box and try something new. From Cheddar Cheese Burgers with Jezebel Sauce to Bar-B-Q Fried Chicken, Guy Fieri once again makes mealtime the best part of the day.

3 of the best D's, November 5, 2009
What more could a food lover want than diners, drive-ins and dives with a top down to drive. Guy Fieri has a sequel to his first book and it is enjoyable and definitely covers this all-American food.
The book covers how the program 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' is made and who the crew is that creates this popular show. There are many black and white pictures of the people and places and Guy's top 5 pranks, how to eat in 'the hunch'. (The position to avoid grease and spills from covering your shirt.)
The Northeast and Mid Atlantic, the South, Midwest, West and Southwest are covered, giving spots to get some of the great 3 D food. I do wish there were more states covered, only 22 are represented here, some states having several food places covered.
Some history for each location is given, their address, telephone number and web site - if available. There are one or two recipes from each place. Guy also includes many side spots `Guy Aside' giving his personal thoughts.
An index covers recipes by breakfast, burgers and sandwiches, condiments and sauces, starters, dinner mains, sides and sweets. There is also a list of all the restaurants that have been featured on the show, ones in red are in this book, those with an asterisk were in the first book and then the others that have been on the show; addresses, telephone numbers and web sites are given - a great resource.
If you enjoy the show, or enjoy diners and drive-in, dive food- this is a book for you.

Another great DDD book, January 31, 2010
I love Guy Fieri and this book is great. I have made a couple of the recipes and they were pretty easy and yummy. The writing style in this book is just like watching the show. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of DDD and Guy Fieri.

more diners drive-ins and dives, January 10, 2010
I really enjoyed Guy Fieri's firstr book and was excited to get his second book, which unfortunately I found somewhat of a let down. I feel this srcond book is to wordy and places seem to established. There are so many places on his TV program that have much more appeal.

More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives pbk, February 6, 2010
Fun book! Along with Fieri's TV show, it makes you want to jump in your car and start exploring these fun places to eat! Recommend it for anyone who likes driving trips and eating.

Diner, Drive-ins, and Dives # 2, February 1, 2010
I'm a current watcher of triple D, and enjoy the shows very much. I'm using Guy's books as my personal "BUCKET LIST" places to be try when I travel. And as long as you have a good GPS system it makes the food treasure hunt most enjoyable. I plan on trying some of the recipies, in my spare time at home. My only wish is that in Guy's next book (and I'm sure there will be one) he'll give us a small map for location, and hours that the D,D,and D's are open. some of them have irregular schedules, but all in all I think there worth the effort. Best of luck Guy. You have the job I know I'd enjoy the best

Off The Hook!, January 30, 2010
Have two of Guy's books, been to some of the places he reviewed and they were all he said they were. This guy (no pun intended)is for real! What a personality! Love his shows, makes me want to eat even after I have eaten!

great book, January 27, 2010
I love reading about all the diners, drive-ins and dives even though I've seen mostly all the shows. This book has even more to offer. THere are stories from the crew and stories about guy, as well as owners telling you what happened at the show was aired. ... Read more

Editorial Review

• In 2008, combined Walt Disney World Resort theme park attendance reached over 51 million, with the Magic Kingdom alone drawing over 17 million visitors. (Orlando Convention and Visitor Bureau)
• Despite signifcant downturns in the economy Disney theme parks have maintained attendance rates and made gains in attendance at some parks.
• Walt Disney World Resort theme parks are rated best in the world. earning high marks for things outside of the traditional theme park experience. Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival, which takes place for six weeks every fall and showcases food from twenty-five countries, was rated by Forbes Traveler as one of the Best U.S. Food and Wine Festivals.
• Unofficial Guides field tested touring plans can save as much as four hours of standing in line in a single day.

Reviews

Best Guide to WDW, September 5, 2010
This is the best guide book to Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL that I have found.
This is the second edition I purchased.
Has the most information in one book I can find.
Tells the good and the bad.
Can be complex. They give you schedules and plans to see the most, which may seem like a military drill, but you can read these guides and use the pieces you like.

Third version I've purchased ... Don't go to WDW without it, November 4, 2010
My family and I are planning to go to Walt Disney World in a couple of months, so I ordered the 2011 Version of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (WDW). I first went to WDW in the late 90's, and as I wanted to make sure I enjoyed everything there was to enjoy, I bought three or four books on WDW and the surrounding area. I found that the Unofficial Guide had pretty much everything the other books had, and more, so for my next trip in 2004, I only bought the Unofficial Guide.

After receiving the 2011 version and heavily perusing it, I find that, if anything, it's even better than the previous versions. If nothing else, its a LOT larger than the first one I bought in the 90's. It gives ratings and reviews of hotels and dining establishments in the area (both on and off Disney World), covers all of the parks and attractions on Disney in tremendous detail, and the parks and attractions off of Disney in lesser detail (primarily Universal Studios and Seaworld). Additionally, the book provides information on how Disney prices their tickets, how to save money on meals, when to visit Disney, and of course, at the end of the book, their recommended touring plans for each park in order to see as much of the parks as possible in the least amount of time.

The touring plans themselves are almost worth the price of the books. If you've never been to WDW, the parks are HUGE ... and if you just start wandering around and getting on whichever attraction catches your eye, you're going to be spending a lot more time in lines (and less time enjoying the attractions) than you should. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with just going where you want to, when you want to, but you could spend literally hours more waiting in lines than you need to. The guide has several plans for each park ... bascially with and without children, along with a few variations for some parks. As this is my first trip to Disney with small children, I was particularly interested to get these touring plans.

There is also an affiliated Unofficial Guide to WDW website that you have to pay a suscription to get to some of the site's exclusive content for a year. If you've bought the book, you get about one-third off of the price of the subscription (when claiming discount, you have to identify the correct word from a page of the guide). While the web site does have some interesting things and the very latest information, all that you need when visiting WDW is in the book, so don't feel as if you're being cheated if you don't choose to subscribe to the web site.

Disney changes a lot every year. Given that it's been six years since I last visited, I'm glad I bought the book, to read about new things to do. I also learned some things that I wouldn't have discovered without the guide. For example, you can rent a pontoon boat and captain and watch the fireworks at Magic Kingdom and Illuminations at Epcot from the lakes, rather than being packed on the sidewalks. You will also be dropped off at a water-adjoining resort of your choice afterwards so you can beat the rush out of the park. It's not cheap, but I made a reservation and am looking forward to enjoying the fireworks without 10,000 of my closest friends close at hand. :-)

Overall, I give this book 5 stars. If you're looking to visit additional places in the Orlando area other than Disney (and perhaps Sea World and Universal Studios), you may want to buy a second book, but I'd wait to buy it until after I read this guide, as it may have all that you need.

Best WDW guidebook, September 7, 2010
I have purchased the Unofficial Guide to WDW for five years. Each edition is updated with the newest information, and has so many tips for saving time and money that it is well worth reading more than once. The touring plans included in the back of the book save so much time that we usually see everything we want, and we get an afternoon break (nap and/or pool time) as well. This book is the essential trip-planning tool. I won't go back to WDW without it!

Excellent Guide to WDW!, September 29, 2010
I recently discovered the art of planning a Walt Disney World vacation two years ago, and "The Unofficial Guide" has helped every step of the way. It clearly outlines suggested touring plans and tips, and by buying this book you get a significant discount on their excellent, very well recommended website [...]. I bought the 2011 Edition (I also have the 2009 and 2010 Editions) and I absolutely love it! More of the pages are in color and there is even a section on the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.
Now, for all of you people who aren't exactly sure whether you need this book or not: BUY IT. YOU NEED IT, EVEN IF YOU DON'T REALIZE YOU DO RIGHT NOW. Are you planning a WDW Vacation? Then you should definitely buy this book. Sure, it's $15 out of your pocket, but this book will SAVE you HUNDREDS of dollars.
Have I convinced you yet? Good. If I haven't, get ready to face the crowds and turmoil of Walt Disney World without any expert advice. Have fun!

Everything you need to know and much more, September 21, 2010
It has been a number of years since I purchased my last edition of this book and, wow, has it grown. The 2011 version is 854 pages of detail only a Disney fan like myself could love. I am sure some people will say it is far too detailed, as almost every question or issue you could have is answered by the authors who have truly examined their subject from every angle. For example, they took the time to use decible meters in the hotel rooms to report on which rooms are the quietest. Too much detail? Not for me. Rather, a true credit to the authors.
If there was a disappointment it was in the attempt to include information about Universal Studios and Sea World, which I thought might be as thorough as the Disney information, but, as you might expect in a book devoted to Disney, is really given short shrift. I'm not sure why the authors felt a need to go beyond Disney in the first place as they already offer a separate book for non-Disney Orlando attractions.

Fantastic Companion To All Unofficial WDW Guides, November 4, 2010
This guide is great. I have enjoyed every page and have used it extensively to help me make plans for an up and coming return trip to Walt Disney World. I have used the Unofficial Color Companion, also purchased through Amazon and found both guides invaluable in the planning process from beginning to WDW departure!

Highly recommend these guides to any first time WDW, Universal travelers, or returnees. Always something new to learn and look forward to!

Great., October 26, 2010
This is truly the best Disney World book on the market.

It has reviews of every restaurant, hotel and theme park attraction as well as strategies for approaching your touring day, or, to make it really easy, touring plans already made up for you.

THe book is well written and informed, it's an absolute must for anyone planning their first trip to Disney World.

A great resource with lots of helpful tips!, December 7, 2010
This "unofficial guide" is well written and easy to read. The authors seem to have done the due dilligence in researching, they know Disney inside and out. There are lots of useful time and money saving suggestions. All in all a very useful resource. I would definately recommend this book.

Great Resource, December 2, 2010
This book has great descriptions of every ride in Disney World and Universal Studios. The touring plans for Disney World are numerous and complete, while only one touring plan is provided for each of the Universal Studios theme parks. I found it a great resource to plan my day, although we rarely stuck to the plan since we didn't visit during peak season. I don't recommend reading all the information about the thrill rides though - I got myself too freaked out to go on a few of the rollercoasters by reading about how fast they go, how far they drop, and the insane g-forces.

full of info!!!, November 26, 2010
even though we have been to disney world several times-this book was packed with information we did not know about! ... Read more

Editorial Review

From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the 1950s

Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century—1951—in the middle of the United States—Des Moines, Iowa—in the middle of the largest generation in American history—the baby boomers. As one of the best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around his house and neighborhood with an old football jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel about his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing awful evildoers (and morons)—in his head—as "The Thunderbolt Kid."

Using this persona as a springboard, Bill Bryson re-creates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality—a life at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy. It was, he reminds us, a happy time, when automobiles and televisions and appliances (not to mention nuclear weapons) grew larger and more numerous with each passing year, and DDT, cigarettes, and the fallout from atmospheric testing were considered harmless or even good for you. He brings us into the life of his loving but eccentric family, including affectionate portraits of his father, a gifted sportswriter for the local paper and dedicated practitioner of isometric exercises, and OF his mother, whose job as the home furnishing editor for the same paper left her little time for practicing the domestic arts at home. The many readers of Bill Bryson’s earlier classic, A Walk in the Woods, will greet the reappearance in these pages of the immortal Stephen Katz, seen hijacking literally boxcar loads of beer. He is joined in the Bryson gallery of immortal characters by the demonically clever Willoughby brothers, who apply their scientific skills and can-do attitude to gleefully destructive ends.

Warm and laugh-out-loud funny, and full of his inimitable, pitch-perfect observations, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is as wondrous a book as Bill Bryson has ever written.It will enchant anyone who has ever been young. ... Read more

Reviews

I was literally sent downstairs for laughing too loud.
Seriously. I was up past bedtime, and I was reading Bryson's description of lame 1950's toys. I won't give it away, but imagine what he can do with the topic of "electric football". After a particularly vigorous episode of chortling, my wife trudged out of bed to decree that, if I insisted on continuing to read, I'd have to take it downstairs.

And that's what this book is, a laugh-out-loud remembrance of a simpler, sillier time. Bryson's travelogues are what made him famous, and he never would have made it without a fantastic memory for detail and an ability to convey a vivid mental picture of the topics he chooses. His descriptions of 1950's Des Moines are consistently evocative. It's like a travelogue unearthed from a 50 year old time capsule. I feel like I have visited there.

Still, readers of Bryson known that what truly sets him apart is his uncanny ability to attract and describe morons, as well as all manner of idiotic situations (generally self-inflicted). For a man who can do this on, say, a simple trip to Australia, imagine how much comedy gold can be mined from a childhood in the Midwest of the 50's. It is, as they say, a target-rich environment. His remembrances include family, friends, school, Des Moines, lame childhood toys, nuclear bombs, and more. Even things like TV dinners, which we have all heard mocked before, are skewered in new and amusing ways.

For all of that, though, the memoir is not mean spirited. I think that the ridicule works so well because it is easy to sense Bryson's real affection for his subjects (well, at least the ones who aren't carbonized by the x-ray vision of the Thunderbolt Kid). He's poking fun, but in a way that family and friends might poke fun at each other over old childhood foibles at a Thanksgiving dinner. It's the humor that you get when your wife knows that you're ridiculous, but loves you just the same. This book belongs with such classic tributes to youth as The Wonder Years, Stand By Me, and A Christmas Story. Buy it, and enjoy it. Just try not to read it next to someone's bedroom.

The FUNNIEST book I have read in years!!!
This is a wonderful, funny, and ultimately very human book, which reminds us all, no matter who we are or where we live (I'm Australian) of the total joys of a happy childhood.

Bill Bryson is the first to confess that his was a normal, uneventful and by the standards of today, relatively bland childhood. But thankfully this has been rendered into a book that will have you laughing aloud, as we hear of his evolution into the fearless Thunderbolt Kid, complete with super hero talents; the list of alien (now commonplace) foods that never graced the family table, and the unique and gruesome ways he managed to hurt himself whilst playing (I was particularly fond of the tale where he hit his head on a rock and his friends bought pieces of his "brain" to his house - kids can be so thoughtful).

This is a ray of sunshine in the literary world. It is truly the most delightful thing that I have read in a very long time, and I am a voracious devourer of books. I enjoy Bill's travel books, as he is a talented and observant writer, but this is a cut above - I think his very best to date.

Do yourselves a favour. Buy yourself a couple of hours of happiness and read this book. Buy it for your friends and relatives, and relive your happy and normal childhood all over again. You will all treasure that moment where you remembered how you were a super-hero/alien/king or queen, and then get back to your normal, uneventful, adult lives.

Made in America's Heartland
"Getting into the strippers' tent would become the principal preoccupation of my pubescent years." - Bill Bryson in THUNDERBOLT KID

"Essentially matinees were an invitation to four thousand children to riot for four hours in a large darkened space." - Bill Bryson in THUNDERBOLT KID

As I mature gracefully, reading the coming-of-age reminiscences of others that grew up about the same time I did - the 1950s - becomes an absorbing leisure activity. Perhaps I just need to supplement my failing memory with theirs. In any case, several fine volumes of the genre come to mind: Blooming: A Small-Town Girlhood by Susan Allen Toth, Sleeping Arrangements by Laura Shaine Cunningham, When All the World Was Young: A Memoir by Barbara Holland, and Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir by Doris Kearns Goodwin. As you may have noticed, all four of these are by female authors who are recalling their girlhood. On the other hand, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID, by Bill Bryson, is all about boyhood. And, as I think you'll agree, boys are an entirely different species from girls. I should know as I used to be one of the former. For example, boys have a propensity for shenanigans that would elicit an "Eeeuw!" from the gentler sex, as the following passage on Lincoln Logs, of which I myself had a set, illustrates:

"What Buddy Doberman and I discovered was that if you peed on Lincoln Logs you bleached them white. As a result we created, over a period of weeks, the world's first albino Lincoln Log cabin, which we took to school as part of a project on Abraham Lincoln's early years."

Or this regarding the elementary school's space heaters:

"The most infamous radiator-based activity was of course to pee on the radiator in one of the boys' bathrooms. This created an enormous sour stink that permeated whole wings of the school for days on end and could not be got rid of through any amount of scrubbing or airing."

I'm virtually certain that Susan, Laura, Barbara and Doris never did either.

Bill's recollections otherwise ran the gamut of those of any kid of either sex from that era: family vacations, the first televisions, favorite TV shows, the nature of contemporary comic books, toys, soda pop and candies, parents' occupations and eccentricities, Mom's cooking, the specter of The Bomb and Godless Communism, drop and cover drills, Saturday afternoons at the movie matinees, the National Pastime (major league baseball), the State Fair, Dick and Jane books, visits to Grandpa's farm, paper routes, strange relatives, and Best Friends. Oddly, there's no mention anywhere of a family pet. Is it that he never had one? How is this possible?

Then, of course, there's the budding fascination with sex that includes the discovery of Ol' Dad's secret stash of girlie mags and the unfulfilled, feverish desire to see play pal Mary O'Leary nekkid.

As in the author's other books, his ability to tell the story with a wry and self-deprecating wit is unmatched by any contemporary writer that I've read with the exception of Barbara Holland. Both are national treasures.

Bryson's young adventures took place in Des Moines, Iowa, a much different environment than the Southern California in which I had mine. But, there's a degree of similarity that transcends region so long as that region lies in the U.S. of A. One of Bill's nostalgias in particular that I wouldn't have recalled in a million years but is oh, so true was:

"Of all the tragic losses since the 1950s, mimeograph paper may be the greatest. With its rapturously fragrant, sweetly aromatic pale blue ink, mimeograph paper was literally intoxicating."

It's in the nature of the aging human to recall previous times as so much better. Nowadays, as we're inundated with rampant political correctness, discredited heroes, and the pathetic likes of Paris, Britney and Lindsay, I can look back and say about many things, as Bill does:

"... I saw the last of something really special. It's something I seem to say a lot these days."

Laugh out loud funny
Any Baby Boomer who thinks fondly on a childhood in the 1950s will enjoy this book immensely. Born in 1951 and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Bryson had what we might consider the average middle-class life in the geographic center of America. As such, it's easy for us to nod in agreement at many of the details he recalls: spider-web-like strands of airplane glue that stuck to everything except small plastic model pieces; the confusion of having two different actors play the Lone Ranger on TV; the stilted and unrealistic conversations we read in our Dick and Jane textbooks; and the fact that we all spent our free time outside, making up our own games. Bryson additionally got into a few unusual scrapes with some of his neighborhood buddies, and the distance of time makes each one of their escapades a real hoot. Those post-war days were indeed the best of times and the worst of times. The nation grew wealthy and happier and stronger, and technological advances like television made us feel more powerful. Simultaneously the Cold War intensified, and we grew ever more fearful of a nuclear attack from Russia. It was a unique and great time to be a kid.

"Happily," Bryson writes, "we were indestructible. We didn't need seat belts, air bags, smoke detectors, bottled water, or the Heimlich maneuver. We didn't require child-safety caps on our medicines. We didn't need helmets when we rode our bikes or pads for our knees and elbows when we went skating. We knew without a written reminder that bleach was not a refreshing drink and that gasoline when exposed to a match had a tendency to combust. We didn't have to worry about what we ate because nearly all foods were good for us: sugar gave us energy, red meat made us strong, ice cream gave us healthy bones, coffee kept us alert and purring productively." (pages 69-70)

To his own experiences, Bryson adds historical tidbits that now seem unbelievable, except that we suddenly remember when they were true. Everyone smoked. TV dinners were invented and enjoyed, even though each of the food components had an aluminum taste. The civil rights movement hadn't yet taken full form. No one knew or cared about the dangers of DDT or witnessing a nuclear test from a ridge a hundred miles away. And yet, most of us survived the decade.

Reading this memoir will make you wistful for those days of atomic toilets, comic book Kiddie Corrals, unrated movies, and grape Nehi bubbles up your nose. It'll also have you laughing right out of your chaise longue and Capri pants.

Amazing that this wild child grew up to be Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson was born in 1951 in Des Moines, Iowa. Talk about lucky! "I can't imagine there has ever been a more gratifying time or place to be alive than America in the 1950s," he writes. "We became the richest country in the world without needing the rest of the world."

And Billy Bryson --- white, Protestant, son of a brilliant sportswriter and the home furnishings editor of the Des Moines Register --- was in just the right place to take full advantage.

As many of you know, Bryson grew up to live in England and write first class travel books --- A Walk in the Woods, his account of walking the Appalachian Trail with his out-of-shape friend, Steve Katz, is both informative and hilarious --- and serious studies of language, like Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words. But as a kid, he was a pure doofus. He had no interest in school, his city's cultural institutions or its many opportunities for youth athletics.

By the testimony of this memoir, Billy Bryson had only one childhood obsession: trouble. Namely, how much damage to property and civility could one fresh-faced boy --- and, of course, his posse of equally privileged homies --- do each and every day.

And because kids roamed free in those days and time stretched to the horizon, Billy had all of Des Moines as his target.

Exhibit A: He liked to hide on the top floor of an office building with a central atrium. Seven stories below was a restaurant: "A peanut M&M that falls seventy feet into a bowl of tomato soup makes one heck of a splash, I can tell you."

Exhibit B: He delighted in using a magnifying glass to focus a beam of sunlight on the bald head of his napping Uncle Dick to see what would happen: "What happened was that you burned an amazingly swift, deep hole that would leave Dick and a team of specialists at Iowa Lutheran Hospital puzzled for weeks."

Exhibit C: He once peed on brown Lincoln Logs to turn them white --- and then watched, deadpan, as a teacher licked the toy logs to prove they'd been bleached with lemon juice.

Weird characters abound. Like Bill's mother, who wrote about the home, but was derelict in the domestic arts: "As a rule you knew it was time to eat when you could hear potatoes exploding in the oven." Like Bill's father, who was so cheap that when the Brysons finally drove out to Disneyland, Bill asked his mother, "Have I got leukemia?" Like another kid's dad, doing a swan dive from the high board, changing his mind in mid-air and landing flat: "At such a speed water effectively becomes a solid." And like Uncle Dee, who had a surgically-made hole in his neck: "Whatever he ate turned into a light spray from his throat hole."

Are you laughing yet? Methinks you should be. There is funny, and then there is Bill Bryson, who makes you howl with laughter and fight for breath. "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" is not a book for the seriously ill, the commuter who uses public transportation or even the easily grossed-out. But for everyone over 50 who grew up in a house and had parents who owned a car, health and circumstances matter not --- this is the story of at least part of your youth.

It was a time of flattop haircuts ("landing spots for some very small experimental aircraft"). Cigarettes. Cocktails. Cars with no seat belts, drinks thick with sugar, medicine with no child-proofing. Televisions everywhere. Electric football games. Misbehave, and you get sent to "the cloakroom." Paper routes.

Every once in a while, Bryson sprinkles the pages with seriousness that is all the more powerful for its scarcity. Did you know that Lewis Strauss, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, started his career as a shoe salesman? Did you know that, at the peak of the Red Scare, "thirty-two of the forty-eight states had loyalty oaths"? Did you know about Lamar Smith, an African American, who successfully voted in Mississippi --- only to be shot dead on the courthouse steps?

Books that are nostalgic and funny and have seriousness just under the surface tend to have sad, "those were the days" endings. The first mall is built, and right there we know the central business district is doomed. Graduation is like a break shot in pool --- the old gang scatters and never reunites. And so on.

Bryson avoids the gooey emotions by saving his best crimes and his zaniest characters --- Steve Katz, co-star of "A Walk in the Woods" --- for last. Fake drivers' licenses. Beer robberies. And nobility, for in Des Moines, at least, there was, for one gang of kids, honor among thieves.

"I was," Bryson says, "enormously stupid." Yes. He was, and this book is the proof.

But he also says that his book is "about not very much, about being small and getting larger slowly." Wrong. "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" is about being wide-awake and seeing everything and getting every last weird detail down exactly right.

And that makes his memoir almost surely the most enjoyable book you'll read this year.

Vintage Bryson
This is classic Bryson. Full of the trademark gentle humour, charming observations, quirky asides and laugh out loud moments.
I'm a convert to Bryson and so pleased that I discovered this wonderful writer. It started after I read 'Shakespeare My B*tt!' by the UK based author John Donoghue who was described in a review as 'Bill Bryson with a bayonet' (see his work at www.marsupialelvis.com).....curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try the 'real thing'. What a discovery!
As a result I now have the full library of Bryson books and love each one. And this one is just as funny as all those that came before. He manages to capture some of all our childhoods in his writing.If you like Bryson, you'll love this. Vintage Bryson

A wonderful memoir for baby boomers
I always enjoy Bill Bryson's travel books (NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, A WALK IN THE WOODS) and his books on language (THE MOTHER TONGUE).

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID is a memoir, and since Bryson and I grew up in the same decades, I found a lot to like in this book. His writing is always funniest when it's personal and self-deprecating, and his stories of himself as a child are vastly entertaining.

But this book is more than memoir or a string of funny stories about his childhood. Bryson captures the time and place -- 50's small-town America -- and serves those "simpler times" up with affection. In those pre-minivan days a bicycle was a kid's ticket to ride; the movies were a gateway to the world; and a costume, whether the Thunderbolt Kid or Annie Oakley (am I saying too much?), was the passport to bravery and adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE THUNDERBOLT KID, and probably would have enjoyed it no matter which decades were mine. Maybe it's a book of particular interest to the first wave of Baby Boomers, but the humor and whimsy of its presentation are wonderful counterpoint to its well-researched social context.

You're bound to laugh out loud at this book. If you like laughing out loud, then by all means read THE THUNDERBOLT KID.

High school freshmen in 2006 or 1956, you'll love this!
I've read Bill Bryson before and usually I'm left wanting after a couple of chapters. Not this time! I was laughing so much my jaded 14-year-old stopped reading Stephen King, and actually took the book out of my hands. She laughed too, because she has an 8-year-old brother. I don't usually buy books for friends and family at the holidays -- tastes are too subjective -- but this one I probably will.

One warning: it is a TV-14 book, with an occasional f-bomb and some graphic descriptions of body parts (as told from a boy's perspective) so, although I recommend it, keep in mind that fundamentalist relatives and 10-year-olds are not the intended audience.

Both informative and entertaining
I have read two other books by Bryson and enjoyed them but wasn't sure I'd like this, probably because it was about being a child in the fifties (my childhood experiences were in the seventies) in Iowa America (I'm in Yorkshire, England) however I shouldn't have doubted his talent for relating life experiences to just about everyone.

I laughed out loud at his father's out of character taking the family to Disneyland as well as the motley crew of childhood relatives and friends he describes.
He could actually be describing any of our childhoods, from teenage crushes, the hierarchy of a gang of mates, Saturday morning cinema, comics and school. Which ever western country you grew up in you no doubt learnt to read from a book where 'Father' always wore a suit and 'Mother' a frilly apron and everyone said "look" at the beginning of each sentence!!

As well as being informative about 1950's America, it's a really entertaining read for those who like to look back happily on their childhood.
... Read more

Editorial Review

To live in a pristine land ... to roam the wilderness ... to choose a site, cut trees, and build a home ... Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. Here is a tribute to a man in tune with his surroundings who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond. ... Read more

Reviews

To Do a Thing to Completion
This has to be one of my very favorite books. I have read it front to back at least 7 times! It is written with the true adventurer in mind. Every detail of his experience makes the reader wish it were he/she that was there with him. If you have ever wished you could just go off into the woods, build a cabin and be self-sufficiant, This is the book for you. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The finest guidebook ever written for Maui and the only one written by Maui residents who anonymously review the island. They visit every beach, restaurant, activity and trail on the island. The result is this comprehensive, humorous and easy-to-read full color guide that will lead you to more adventures than any other book. A must for travelers. ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent Guidebook, May 30, 2002
Just returned from a week in Maui and really enjoyed having this book as a guide to the island. I also had several other books like Fodor's, etc, but in my opinion this book is the best of the bunch. I have often wondered why guidebooks are of two varieties; either a drab sanitized book full of text and no color and pictures, or a book full of pictures with minimal written substance. This book seems to combine the best of both, authoritative in depth text based on the experiences of someone who lives on the island as well as nice color maps and pictures of notable sights. For the most part my experiences jived with the authors commentary.

Some of my own observations. The most exclusive areas on the island are around Kapalua and Wialea. These areas are beautiful but they are also somewhat remote from the "action". If your idea of a good holiday is to stay on a resort than these areas are great, but if you want some local culture/flavor, good restaurants, shopping and nightlife, and proximity, than I would recommend staying in the Kaanapali area which has nice resorts and is also close to Lahaina, the town where all the action is.

Using this book I visited some of what I thought were the most beautiful beaches on the island, Big Beach on the south side and black sand beach, red sand beach, Koki Beach and Hamoa beach near Hana. Enjoyed the drive to Hana, but unlike the author of this book I actually thought the beaches were more of a highlight than the waterfalls, which I didn't think were all that spectacular. Koki Beach and Hamoa Beach were incredible and the drive around Haneoo Rd. was breathtaking.

If your going to Maui and want an informative book this is the best bet in my opinion.

Maui from the inside, January 7, 2001
We have traveled to Maui enough times to think that we knew the island well. This book reveals many hidden secrets on Maui that even the seasoned visitor will find it of value.

Over the course of our visits to the Island, we have had an opportunity to take part in a large number of activities with many of the different companies that serve the tourist trade on Maui. Doughty and Friedman's evaluation of the different activities and their providers is fair and accurate. They give accurate, and often funny evaluation of restaurants and locations (my favorite being the Mexican restaurant about which they state "...we now know what hospital food must taste like in Mexico."

You often wonder if travel writers are paid off to say what they do about mediocre activities and hotels. These writes call it like it is. My only regret is that they have revealed many of the places that took us years to find (and are relatively hidden), meaning that they will probably be more crowded in the future. If you want to avoid tour rip-off's and enjoy your time while on The Valley Isle, make sure you add this book to your luggage.

Best for discovering the forest, not the trees, September 24, 2004
My husband and I decided to honeymoon in Maui; neither of us had ever been to a tropical island and the destination was highly recommended to us. Two of our friends had gone to Maui a month before we did and brought this book with them--they raved about it so much that we all passed an enjoyable evening together before we left during which they sticky-noted the MUST SEE places in our copy of the book. (For the record, the waterfalls they recommended on the road to Hana were spectacular.)

I read the book cover to cover before we left and it gave me a great overview of the island's geography, attractions, and unique qualities. I am just back from the vacation and ready to return, and I will probably get a copy of their book for another island because of the "big picture" they so superbly provide. What regions are best for this or that, how far different locales are from each other, the general lay of the land, that sort of thing--I've never read a guidebook that gave me that kind of information before.

The drawback to this book is on the specifics. Maybe I'm too much of a "city gal" (I never really considered San Diego that cosmopolitan) but their recommendations for food and cultural experiences were a little too provincial. For example, the authors write that the "odd and bizarre add color to Pa'ia like no other Maui town" and recommend people watching as a main attraction. Now, I think that Pa'ia has the best shopping on the island (far more interesting than Lahaina, which is junk shops interspersed with fine art galleries) but a few guys with long braids and girls with ankle bracelets do not a people-watching location make. Nor is putting fish on pita bread culinary cleverness (tasty though it might be).

The real problem with Maui Revealed, however, is its overexposure. Even the guy sitting next to me on the plane had the book. At one point during our vacation, a local volunteer at one of their carefully described snorkeling spots stopped us at the trailhead just to explain how the ecology of the region has suffered in the past five years because of the sudden increase of foot traffic and swimming in what was once a sheltered cove. It was ten in the morning and we were persons number 40 and 41 to start on that trail. On a weekday, off season. He convinced us not to go (we were numbers 12 and 13 not to go after he talked to us--he was collecting data) and gave us a recommendation of where to go instead. I can't compare it to the Aquarium (a Maui Revealed spot) but the snorkeling where we went was amazing--we went back to it on another day, too.

Besides overpopularity, the other drawback I found were vague directions that could have gotten us into a lot of trouble. There were two hikes we followed at the authors' recommendation, both of which resulted in us getting quite lost and me somewhat afraid (my husband says he didn't think we were really that lost). The first was a trek up the hill of Pu'u O'lai in Makena. They said something like you have to traipse about a 100 feet through the forest until you find the trail. We never found it. The other was a hike to a quadruple waterfall path on the road to Hana (across government land no less--my guilty conscience flared up when I heard the helicopters overhead!). Maybe we are incompetent woodsmen but we actually lost the path three times on our way to the second waterfall (this in a bamboo forest so dark that our flash photos just look like black shapes) and I came out of there filthy with mud and sporting some rash on all four appendages! (Trust me, it's no heat rash either.) I don't think I'll go on anymore revealed adventures.

Yes, the book is great for newcomers to the island of Maui who want background information about this destination, especially when they are deciding what neighborhood to stay in and what kinds of attractions to see there. I do not recommend using this book to set your specific itinerary. ALthough we started out with this plan, we had fabulous luck actually talking to locals once we got there, like Ephraim at Onelui Beach, Sai the waiter at Pupu Something Restaurant, the girl at the snorkel shop, Hyper Miqe at the trail to the Aquarium, and Tasia the hitchhiker, and Sheldon the four-year-old who instructed us not to put flippers on our ears--not one of these folks steered us wrong. We could not have planned a better vacation.

Maui Wowie, July 14, 2001
This book is fantastic. I have just recently returned from a trip to Maui and had to tell anyone else that has planned a trip to Maui that this book is a must have!! I went to Maui a couple of years ago (without reading this book) and was able to see some of the fabulous sites that Maui has to offer - there are many - but using 'Maui Revealed' during my second trip, I was able to discover so many things that I missed the first time because I didn't know where everything was. Specifically the information on the 'Road to Hana' and the 'Road around the West Maui' mountains. The book calls out mile markers to stop at on these roads and it's pretty easy to follow. Trust me, without reading this book, you will drive right past all of the beautful hidden waterfalls and fresh water pools. Local pamphlets do a good job of informing visitors of major sites, like the Haleakala Crater and the Seven Sacred Pools - but not one mentioned the Olivine Pools located on the North side of the West Maui Mountains. Thanks to this book I was swimming in them!!! The only faults that I had with the book was the authors threw in some opinions which I didn't always share - like 'the Windjammer Dinner Cruise' is just that - people jammed on a boat. I have taken the Windjammer Dinner Cruise and we weren't crammed into it and the food was delicious. Also the authors made a remark about the 'Lahaina Divers' Scuba Diving Co, putting 50 people on their boat for every dive. Again, I have dived with Lahaina Divers and there has been anywhere from 10 to 30 people on board. My recommendation is to use this book for exploring Maui's land, but don't take to heart their statements on activities.

Mahalo,

HoagieBlossom

Some good, some bad, September 3, 2005
I found this guide useful for planning my trip before I left home, mostly because it includes several pictures and fairly good maps. I used it to make a prioritized itinerary for the road to Hana---which stops to make, which hikes to go on, etc. We only had one day for the road to Hana, so we could not make every stop. I thought the guide did a pretty decent job of sorting out the mundane sites from the must see. The maps for the road to Hana are also very useful. We returned from Hana via the South road at night. It was no problem at all. It was certainly more fun than turning around and going back the way we came. The road is a lot less winding, which was nice. It does go up and down a lot, though. There was nothing wrong with the road at all, but you do need to watch out for the cows. There are signs warning you when you get to cattle country. The cow crossings are kind of a give away too. FYI, we made the trip in an economy car.

I am in debt to Maui Revealed for its recommendation to see Warren & Annabelle's, which was great. I would recommend, however, that anyone going to see this hilarious show should go late. An hour and a half killing time and eating snacks before the show was a drag. I suppose the wait might be more entertaining if you plan to get drunk.

When we actually got to Maui, we used Lonely Planet's guide almost exclusively. We started with Maui Revealed, but then we found that Lonely Planet's instructions were considerably more useful than those in Maui Revealed. In fact, with the exception of the road to Hana, the Lonely Planet guide was far superior for everything.

I would recommend getting both guides if you have never been to Maui before. If this is not your first trip and you do not plan to go to Hana, skip Maui Revealed entirely. It simply does not have enough substance to be worth the time reading it. The "revelations" in the book are all regular tourist destinations that appear to have been visited for at least a hundres years. You will never be alone. Everyone has Maui Revealed on their back seat or in their hand. The recommended restaurants are over priced. I had to laugh when I saw long lines of people waiting to get into a hamburger joint or a local dive for lunch. I would suggest trying the restaurants NOT listed in Maui Revealed. I think you will get food that is just as good and avoid rediculous lines. Best meal we had on Maui? Maui Tacos on our Lanai at sunset. Cheap, great food, and our lanai had a better view than any restaurant we saw! Perhaps Maui Revealed mentions Maui Tacos. I wouldn't know. I got the tip from Lonely Planet.

About the 3rd edition of Maui Revealed, I checked out the 2nd edition from the library and read it cover to cover. I then ordered the 3rd edition online from Amazon. After a page-by-page comparison, I was shocked to find that the only difference seems to be that a couple of pictures were changed. This is the saddest "update" I have ever seen in a travel guide. Buy the 2nd edition if you can get it cheap.

Lastly, we saw several signs with messages like, "Contrary to Maui Revealed,please respect our rights. This is private property."

Finally Some Facts...., September 17, 2000
My first trip to Maui was in 1973 and I've been every year since then. This is one of the better guide books I have read due to its fresh approach and basic honesty. Let's face it, some places aren't all that great and others are pretty fantastic. They try to "tell it like it is" in Maui Revealed. If anything, I believe they are a little too gentle with some of the reports (e.g., they give a restaurant "ono" when it might not be consistent, etc.). Beach descriptions are excellent. On the other hand, they are right on when they describe milepost 14 as a lousy snorkeling location....

Obviously, you are tempting fate when you take on the establishment in Maui. Overall it is a good guide book with accurate information (especially for first time visitors). Any visitor (or local) will find something they didn't know it this guide.

Definitely worth the read!

The best guidebook for Maui!, December 30, 2000
Simply put, this is the best guidebook there is for Maui. My wife and I spent a week in Maui a few months ago, and in preparation for the trip, she bought a number of travel books about Maui/Hawaii. The difference between the other travel books and this one is that the authors of "Maui Revealed" actually present opinions -- positive AND negative -- with explanations of their opinions. If a place has bad service, the authors say so. If a place is bad for lunch but good for dinner, they say so. You may not end up agreeing with all of their opinions, but at least they attempt to help guide you throughout the island. Not only that, it comes across that the authors had fun writing the book, and there are parts that are pretty funny.

The book also tells you a lot about parts of Maui that you wouldn't get from other travel books or from airport leaflets -- for example, on the famous road to Hana, there are a number of waterfalls. You can see many of them from the road, and people stop to take pictures. But the book also tells you about a number of hidden waterfalls -- including one underneath a bridge that makes for a fantastic picture of the top of a waterfall.

I have to disagree with the reviewer below who felt that this book offered nothing more than what was contained in the airport hand-outs.

The best Maui book, October 4, 2000
This is the best book out on Maui. The authors lived on the island while writing the book, and they know there stuff. The maps are excellent and the hidden spots (even on the touristy west side) are well worth the price. This book is great to have if your are planning to travel the famous HANA ROAD. We got to see a waterfall no one else new about. You should have seen the looks on the other drivers when the drove past us, wondering why we were stopped (if they only knew what they were missing).

Since this book is new, the hidden spots are really hidden. When on Kauai, we kept meeting people at the hidden spots (listed in the equally excellent Kauai guidebook published by the same authors). The common phrase was "you must have the blue book". We didn't meet anyone at the hidden spots on Maui, since this book is so new.

We also purchased the Moon guidebook. This book is much better. If you are going to Maui, by this book.

Good Book but Causes Problems in Hawaii, February 10, 2008
This was the first of the Revealed guidebooks that we've owned back in 2002. And from that first usage of the book, we were blown away by how candid its reviews were and how it seemed to present every nook and cranny of the island.

We consulted it for local restaurants, dinner splurges, and most (if not all) of Maui's reasonably accessible waterfalls (including the Blue Pool, Waihe'e Valley, 'Ohe'o Gulch, etc).

We liked this book so much that we bought all the other Revealed guidebooks for each of the other main Hawaiian Islands.

Fast forward 5 years (and several trips to all the Hawaiian Islands)...

The Blue Pool - closed due to unhappy residents lamenting the traffic; Upper Puohokamoa Falls - access closed due owner's fear of slip-and-fall lawsuit; Venus Pool - kapu due to trespassing; Waihe'e Valley - closed to public except for Eco-Maui tours; Proliferation of No Trespassing signs everywhere...

That's when we realized that while this book tells you everything you want to hear with the attitude and spunk that we can appreciate, it's problematic in that it has resulted in (thanks to its popularity) increased cases of trespassing, closures from frivolous slip-and-fall lawsuits, deaths from following their "Adventures", a tourism economy dependent on reviews from this book (e.g. you can expect higher prices if they got an Ono rating and closures if they got bad reviews), and overexposure/high impacts to fragile and endangered habitats.

I think it's sad that more and more parts of Maui (as well as other islands) have lost their spirit of Aloha, and I suspect this book's well-deserved popularity has something to do with it.

But even with all that said, my wife and I still consult this book because we feel we're getting good advice from a kama'aina (long time resident). It just shows how useful this book is despite the problems it's causing. But I sense it's starting to become a victim of its own success and the island is becoming a far different place than the paradise that was originally envisioned and communicated by the book when we first used it.

This is the book to buy for Maui!, September 3, 2003
I was extremely impressed with this book! Great maps to use while on the island (maps are on the inside covers and also in side the book - won't easily tear or get lost). Great aerial photographs of their top picks for best beaches, along with great detailed descriptions of them (all the info you need on the beaches: snorkeling, wind, sand, people, facilities, accessibility, etc.). Fantastic descriptions of the things to do and see in each area of the island, describing your drives & stops on the highway down to the tenth of the mile! Wonderfully descriptive explanations of all the available island activities: snorkeling, boat tours, parasailing, helicopter, submarine, etc. - This really helped us decide which activities we wanted to do, and more specifically, which activity company to go with (Example, the snorkel on Molokini boats are described to a "T", which boats stop in the best spots, who offers the best lunches, etc...very good detail!) Buying the book gives you a password code to their website, which offers more information on lodging, since they couldn't fit every hotel's review in the compact book size. I wish there was more information on dining choices, but as they mention in the book, it just changes too much and there are just too many. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Featuring 375 color photos and 80 full-color detailed maps—more than any other park guidebook—this is the most comprehensive, up-to-the-minute book of its kind on the market today. A perennial favorite with more than a million copies sold in previous editions, it reflects National Geographic’s century-long association with America’s national parks system and its peerless reputation for travel expertise and cartographic excellence.

The guide opens with an essay by Yellowstone authority Paul Schullery, a section on how to use the guide, and a national locator map. The parks are presented alphabetically region by region, with individual maps and geographical profiles. Colorfully illustrated descriptions offer tours tailored to the time available, whether it’s an hour or a week, and tell visitors the best spots to enjoy hikes, spectacular vistas, wildlife, and more. An Information & Activities page provides practical advice on visiting—park contact information, camping and lodging, accessibility, pet restrictions, things to do, and special advisories. Excursions to nearby wildlife refuges, monuments, forests, and other areas of exceptional interest follow many of the park entries.

From planning a trip to making the most of every minute, here’s all the information anyone could want on the scenic national parks—the crown jewels of the park system—plus invaluable advice from National Geographic writers who know them well. ... Read more

Reviews

An Excellent Book about National PARKS!, October 1, 2009
This is an excellent guide to the fifty-eight national parks. It doesn't matter whether you are interested in week-long back-country hikes, overnight camping, a long hike in the woods, sight-seeing, or just driving through: this book is an in-depth guide to the parks, their history, their features, and what you need to see, bring, and know. The one-star review entitled "Not A Resource" is completely off-base. This book correctly notes that it is a guide to the national PARKS--not national historic sites or national lakeshores. My son and I visited Harper's Ferry this summer while we were biking the C&O Canal. I enjoyed Harper's Ferry, but it is a national historic site and NOT a national PARK. Isaiah and I also stopped at Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home in southern Indiana on our way from Saint Louis; I would recommend this site, too, but it is NOT a national PARK. Frankly, the author of that review should remove her post AND apologize to the National Geographic staff. This book is now in its sixth edition because it is that good. Buy it and pack it with you.

great travel companion, September 13, 2009
This is the best guide to the US national parks. It is decriptive and accurate and thorough. I wish they had a spiral version so one could take out the park pages that you need for travel without having to take the whole book. I actually have 2 copies, one I keep intact and the second one I rip out the park pages that I am traveling to, and take along. These pages are a great guide while touring the parks.

One of the best take-along totes or lending books on the topic, June 16, 2009
Preserves of nearly unspoiled nature rest all across the country. Now in a fully updated and expanded sixth edition, "National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States" is a guide to exploring the best of America's national parks. With stories from famed travel writers who offer much advice in experiencing these parks, full color photographs to give readers a sample of what they can see, and countless maps, "National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States" is a must for any traveling nature enthusiast.

Great Book, November 24, 2009
This National Geographic product functions well as a short, concise overview of the National Parks in the United States. (That is not to say that the book is short, just that the individual reviews on each park are short.) Each park gets a map, some beautiful color pictures, and a several pages of description. You find out good times to visit, places to stay, and sights to see. Also included are nearby attractions that you can also visit when you are in the area. The book is well put together, has great photos, and just feels like a high quality product.

Now so you won't be disappointed, let me note what it isn't. It isn't a book covering the entire park system. It doesn't cover monuments, forests, or other national park attractions other than the NATIONAL PARKS themselves. It isn't all inclusive on each park. If you want to know all of the trails, a complete list of attractions for each park, or other specifics to each park, you should buy park specific books. They are on Amazon and you can easily find one for whatever you need.

But this book does get you started if you are trying to decide what parks to visit or if you just want a very nice book to summarize all of the great National Parks.

Awesome Companion, October 27, 2009
I purchased this after watching the National Parks documentary, and I was not disappointed.

This is not related at all to the documentary other than the subject matter.

The pictures are impressive and the detail by the writers is extensive. It contains a ton of good information about each of the National Parks and information on other places.

It is a very detailed guide as they walk you through what you should do and how long the trip will take.

I plan on using this is a guide whenever I go to any of the National Parks in the U.S. (first up is the Grand Canyon).

Love it!, October 28, 2009
I prefer this book over Foder's. It elaborates on the parks a little bit better.

Brilliant Travel Planner, April 21, 2010
Bought this as an accompaniment to the State parks book also from National Geographic. It's quite similar, with massive amounts of detail (best times to visit, things to do, outside resources) and some stunning photos as well. I can heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in seeing the more natural side of the States.

A Must Have For Visiting NPs, August 23, 2010
While on vacation this summer at Glacier National Park, I came across this book in the bookstore. I started thumbing through the pages and saw all the information contained about each park. We had already spent the morning just stopping at the usual tourist turnoffs in the park, but after purchasing the book, we followed the step by step recommendations on what to see and what to do in the park. The book lists the specific amount of time each activity should take as well as additional background information about the activitiy (how the geological formations were created, what the wildlife behaviors are, etc). Not only did it guide us to the best locations, it gave us a lot more information about the locations that the typical park visitor wouldn't have. After Glacier NP, we were headed to 3 more national parks before the end of vacation, and I kept this book by my side the entire time. I never received incorrect information or wished I had not taken the advice the book gave. It was perfect, and I can't wait to use it on our next vacation to a National Park. On a side note, I did pay full sticker price for it at Glacier (since I didn't have the luxury of ordering it off Amazon right then), but it was definitely worth it...even at that price!

A Fitting Replacement, August 22, 2010
For years I relied on the Rand McNally National Park Guides by Dr. Michael Frome, PhD. This was a guy that actually went to the Parks and gave firsthand guidance on what to see, when to see it, how to approach the parks and where to stay. When he retired and stopped developing National Park Guides (the last were for Frommer), I felt a great disconnection because there was no one replacing him as the park system expanded and changed.

Then I found the National Geographic Guide to the National Parks at a NPS visitor center. In the spirit of Michael Frome, it tells you how to get there, how to visit, what to see, how to see it, when to see it, how much time to dedicate to a park based on your interests and what excursions from the park are worthwhile. These guides improve on the Frome guides by providing better pictures and maps but fall short by not providing information for National Monuments.

Although the National Parks are spectacular, National Monuments, in my estimation, are equally worth your time because they are generally more accessible. You can absorb a National Monument more completely than a National Park because they are smaller, less daunting, and less crowded. In fact, Rangers are more available to you at National Monuments since there is less of a crush of visitors. In any case, perhaps I'm recommending to National Geographic that they develop a National Monuments companion guide to go along with their lovely Guide to the National Parks.

National Parks Book, March 24, 2010
This National Park book is great. It explains about the parks and gives suggestions on activities while you are visiting the parks. It doesn't matter if you can't take the long hikes, it gives suggestions for the non-hikers also. It also gives accomadations near or in the park. We are really enjoying the book and it is helping us plan our vacations. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out.His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods.In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place:Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet.The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path.Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book.Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide. ... Read more

Reviews

Stereotype-free...fair dinkum, June 7, 2000
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bill. As a proud Australian, it has been a never-ending source of irritation that Australia is forever portrayed as a land of beer-swilling "yobbos" who say "cobber" and "fair dinkum" rather a lot. For instance, 'The Simpsons' - usually such a witty, clever and insightful show - completely missed the point in their Australian episode. Finally, someone has managed to capture a bit of the character of this great country. He releases it from the shackles of the Paul Hogan stereotype.

This is a terrific read. Bryson has, mercifully, gone well and truly off the beaten track to explore many different parts of Australia - the cities, the outback, the tropics, and everything else in between. But as ever with a Bill Bryson book, more than the destination itself, the pleasure is in getting there. Laugh-out-loud moments abound, though perhaps more in the restrained way of "A Walk in the Woods", as opposed to the guffaw-fest that is "Neither Here Nor There".

You don't have to be at all familiar with Australia to appreciate and enjoy this book. I am, sadly, one of those Australians to which Bryson refers that has never seen Ayers Rock / Uluru myself. In fact, I have never been to the majority of places Bryson visits. It was a revelation for me, too.

Bryson once again recounts numerous historical and trivial anecdotes which, together with his unique view of the world, elevate this book well above the mere travel genre. This is insightful, this is informative, this is FUNNY.

Perversely, my only criticism is perhaps that he likes Australia a little too much. God knows, I'm so pleased that he does. However, he is, I believe, at his best when distressed. Dull and drab places, and stupid, mindless people bring out the devil in Bill Bryson, and have always proven to be useful comic fair. There are elements of that here - his body boarding experience, his views on Canberra, and his trials and tribulations with hotel receptionists in Darwin - but at the end of the day, opportunities to vent his sarcastic wit are somewhat limited.

Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan of the great Stephen Katz, I would also have loved to have seen him deal with the hardships of outback Australia. He would have absolutely LOATHED it.

Read this book. It is a treat.

Another Bryson winner, June 14, 2000
I am an unreserved Bryson fan. I love "Made In America" about the English language, and, as an Australian living in England for an extended time, thought he captured perfectly both the expat experience, and the endearing and irritating qualities of the Brits in "Notes from a small island" . This book is factually correct. That might sound inane, but there is nothing more irritating than reading about your own place and finding it tritely stereotypical or factually incorrect. Bill scores well on both counts.

Bill's take on the Australian Prime Minister of the day (a small, invisible and colourless entity) is a reasonably brave thing to say in a sense - an outsider commenting on a political identity invites derision, but he captures the essence of the man so well.

The other special moment for me is his discovery of cricket on the radio...when all other stations fade out to static, there is the mighty game. Somehow or other, despite writing nonsense words, he captures the rhythm and cadences of radio cricket commentary PERFECTLY. To me, cricket on the radio is as much about summer as cicadas, running under the sprinkler and crackling heat. Beautifully pulled off!

A good read, and for the first time since leaving school I actually engaged with some of the stories of explorers! A wry but never cynical tone makes for an entertaining read. I am glad he pays "homage" to that other good 'outsider's book' - "Sydney" by Jan Morris.

Bill Bryson covers much of the same terrain as the other great US travel writer, Paul Theroux, and seems to meet as many odd or intersting characters. Bill's disposition, however, makes him far more open to LIKING a place, and enormously less self-absorbed.

Recommended.

Very informative and quite funny, July 24, 2000
Bill Bryson has an excellent way with words, especially with his descriptive writing. For a travel writer, I suppose this is a must. He's also a humorist, and I laughed out loud on at least a half a dozen occasions while enjoying his adventures down under. Particularly amusing were his descriptions of a Cricket match, of a particularly bad hotel in Darwin and and of a drunken night in the Outback. He also gives a fine overall view of Austrailia, of which he covered much, but alas not nearly as much as he wanted. Though some might gripe that he spends too much time ruminating over the poisonous wildlife and looking for a cold beer, overall this is an exceptionally fun book to read. He includes many historical facts about Australia and even devotes some space to the unfortunate condition of the Aborigines. But not too much to spoil the fun. Bryson's travel writings remind me of an apolitical P.J. O'Rourke, and for that he's worth a read.

Very informative, telling you many things no ordinary travel book does, August 19, 2006
Bill Bryson is best known for writing very humorous travel books, and "In a Sunburned Country" is indeed a funny account of his travels in Australia. Those who love Bill Bryson's books for their humor won't be disappointed.

But unlike most people, I like Bill Bryson best when he's NOT trying to be funny, and my appreciation of this book is mostly due to the great amount of very interesting information presented.

Bill Bryson amazes you with loads of information about the geology, the animal life, the plants and insects, the history, the statistics, the folklore, etc., etc. The many dangers: poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, poisonous jellyfish, crocodiles, sharks, and rip currents - they're all out to get you. The inhospitable deserts, the beautiful beaches, the huge distances; Bill Bryson gives you a feeling of what it's all like.

The book goes into detail about many aspects of Australian life that are fairly unknown, including the discovery (and re-discovery) of Australia, the settlement by British prisoners, the early expeditions to explore the interior, the gold rushes, the outlaws, and the devastation caused by rabbits and other imported animals and plants. Bill Bryson talks about the many unusual animal species found only in Australia, including giant earthworms that grow up to 1 meter (and can be stretched to 4 meters) and the platypus, a cross between a reptile and a mammal. He talks about Australians and the Australian society, and the situation regarding the native people, the aboriginals.

Bill Bryson doesn't cover all of Australia from the geographical point of view, and the parts he does cover are somewhat random. But that doesn't matter because he captures the spirit of the whole country based on the parts he does visit and the general information he includes.

A very positive aspect is that Bill Bryson makes it clear that he loves Australia. The feeling is infectious, and it makes you want to pack your bags and head "down under" for a long leisurely trip so you can do your own exploring.

If I were to mention two things I was less happy about, it would be the occasional excessive attempts to be funny and the lack of contact with Australians. One of the best parts of the book is about his traveling together with an Australian couple for 3-4 days, but other than this passage Bill Bryson is mostly playing the typical tourist, with little or no contact with Australians. And despite a fairly long discussion about the aboriginal situation he does not ever get into contact with any aboriginals. Why not?

A final note regarding the unabridged audio version of the book, read by Bill Bryson himself: Most authors are poor readers, but Mr. Bryson does a very good job here, almost on a par with a professional reader. Recommended.

Rennie Petersen

PS. "In a Sunburned Country" has also been published under the title "Down Under". It is exactly the same book.

A Travel Writer for Smart People, September 19, 2001
Born and raised in Iowa, Bill Bryson spent 20 years in England before moving back to the United States to live in the perfect college town, Hanover, New Hampshire. A syndicated columnist, many of his columns about life in Hanover have been collected and published in "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," an enjoyable book, but because of the nature of its source material (syndicated columns) also a simple and highly sanitized one. At no point is the reader confronted by complex intellectual concepts or any obscenities.

"In a Sunburned Country" is a different matter. Written as an integrated book, it is a wonderful introduction to the more intellectually complex aspects of Australia, as well as the funnier ones, providing fascinating anthropological, botanical, geological, historical, political and sociological insights about our friends Down Under. Prior to reading it, I had dismissed Australia as being little more than a very dull version of America in the Fifties; Like Bryson, I now view it as the most fascinating place on earth. Similarly, I had viewed Mr. Bryson as being a male Erma Bombeck; I now view him as one of the more intelligent writers I have encountered.

The Australian Tourism Authority should consider licensing this book and either giving it away to prospective visitors or otherwise using it to promote the country. It is that good.

Mixed reviews from this reader, July 20, 2000
When Bill Bryson's newest book was published, I had been home from my 5 month semester abroad in Australia for almost as long. Still achingly missing a country I had come to love and feel at home in, I eagerly ran to the bookstore to buy Bryson's book.

Yes, the book is overall entertaining and pretty much witty; it's easy to read and a little hard to put down. But for the most part, i was disappointed. Occasionally, I would even find myself thinking, "I could have written this book and done Australia more justice!"

Australia is a spectacular, wonderful, welcoming, enchanting country. As if anyone could have any doubt about that after listening to Bryson effuse for 300 pages. Perhaps some will find the fact that he sings the Lucky Country's praises page after page grating; for me, I felt I had found someone with whom I could sympathize about missing the place!

However, for all his accolades, Bryson seems to only brush the surface of a country rich in history, landscape, and experiences waiting to be had. He spends only ONE DAY at one of Australia's most recognizable landmarks, Uluru, the giant monolith; he is too much of a sissy to even GO UNDER WATER at the Great Barrier Reef; he misses out on the beauty and home-i-ness of Adelaide (my home away from home!); he doesn't see an opera at the world famous Opera House; and he doesn't even VISIT Tasmania, a place almost too beautiful and wild to put into words.

Having lived in Australia for those 5 months, and having traveled extensively, I was looking for something to aleviate the sadness of having had to come "home" from a place I had become so attached to. I wanted something to evoke a vivid trip down memory lane. What I found did not live up to those expectations, and I suspect for those like me, the feeling will be the same. And for those of you who have yet to visit Australia, there's more out there than Bryson relays; it's better than the book.

It's a big country...*somebody* has to travel it, September 8, 2000
I have a great deal of affection for Bill Bryson's writings. I'm a long-time fan of travel essays, but I always cringe at those that take their subjects too seriously...reflecting solely on the majesty, history, culture, and tradition of a place. I want to shout at these writers: C'mon! You're looking for a clean public toilet too, just like the rest of us!

Bill Bryson isn't the only humorous travel writer, but he's one of the most effective at taking the p*ss out of travel as a holy grail. He's well informed and read on his subjects, but not afraid to say he's forgotten the name of Australia's Prime Minister (and reflect that that says a lot about the rest of the world's focus on Australia in the global stage). He's curious and willing to try new things like body surfing, but not too proud to let you know he's dead rotten at it. He'll seek out exotic wildlife, and then retreat quickly to safety if it's venomous. He loves to try out the local cuisine, but spends much of his time looking for a cold beer. In short, he's someone *I'd* like to travel with--informed, funny, and personable. He's less grumpy than usual (then again, these travels are less physical arduous than hiking the Appalachian Trail in "A Walk Through the Woods").

His anecdotes are entertaining and informative. I read this book the weekend before the airing of the PBS mega-series on Australia, and learned much more (and laughed a whole lot more too) from Bryson than from Robert Hughes. From the big cities to the Outback Bryson travels (sometimes in a good nature, sometimes in a humorous grumpiness), talking to the people we wish we'd meet on our travels, doing the things we'd like to do, and asking the questions only a man with the outspokenness of an American but the politeness of an Englishman could ask.

Which is not to say the whole book is a laugh riot. He's remarkably effective discussing the treatment of Australia's Aborigine tribes by modern culture, and the self-fulfilling prophecy of the country's educational failure in teaching the Aborigines' next generation. That's the mark of the best travel writer, in my view: he makes you laugh, he makes you think, he teaches you something, and best of all, he makes you long to visit and experience the country for yourself.

Who knew a travel book could be so fun?, September 29, 2005
Bryson combines a compelling case for a trip to Australia with a terrific sense of humor. Who else could make the driest, most remote, and deadliest country in the world a must for any traveler. I couldn't put this down.

Thanks Bill!, June 10, 2000
A new Bill Bryson book is always a treat of the highest magnitude. I preordered this book and counted down the days until its arrival. This book was as wonderful as his previous efforts, in fact, maybe even more so because it hit so close to home. As a former Sydney gal, I miss my homeland and Mr. Bryson reminded me of why. He takes the reader on a journey that most people (including most Aussies) would never go on; Australians tend to travel abroad before exploring their own country. I think anyone who reads this book will want to actually travel to this beautiful country and explore its riches. The reader will discover that there's more to Australia than Kangaroos and Foster's Beer (which no self-respecting Aussie would ever drink.) The author introduces us to the colorful locals and explains in painful, yet hilarious detail, how he gets from place to place. He has toned down the sarcasm for this book, and one almost gets the impression that he just likes the place too darn much. This book will not disappoint fans of his previous books. Thank you, Mr. Bryson, for writing a humorous, yet flattering book about the most under-appreciated country on the planet!

Another Bryson success, September 2, 2000
Bill Bryson, a travel-writer with a difference, in a league of his own. Bill Bryson could be you or me; an endearingly incompetent traveler who often gets lost, brings the wrong map, whose nerve sometimes fails when faced with steely service staff, who is not a great conversationalist (unless drunk), who likes good food and drink, and who, when hiring a car and bravely setting forth to some distant destination, more often than not spends half a day extricating himself from the suburbs.

I'm British and have read all Bryson's books, except "A Walk in the Woods". In this book, his 6th travel book, he visits Australia, which he imagines as a sort of cross between Britain and the US, "Baywatch with cricket"; however, the reality turns out to be much more fascinating and complex than that.

Bill Bryson is an honest man who gives his spontaneous, personal responses to what he encounters - Ayers Rock (now called Uluru) evokes from him a genuine awe, whereas some of the souvenir shops he sees are full of "overpriced shit".

A knowledgeable man (Bryson was a journalist in the UK for 10 years, and has written 2 books on the English language) who clearly does his homework both before and after his trips, as attested by frequent references to writers on Australia, the wealth of background information, and the 3 pages of bibliography. He comes prepared, and knows what to look for, and plans his route accordingly. However, he is interested in the wacky and weird as well as the conventional cultural icons, and is often ready with an interesting anecdote about the people involved. The opening page of this book contains "the startling fact that in 1967 the Prime Minister, Harold Holt, was strolling along a beach in Victoria when he plunged into the surf and vanished." A little further on he tells of Sir Eugene Goossens, head of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, whose goading led to the Sydney Opera House being built, but who failed to see his dream realized: "In 1956�che was found to be carrying a large and diversified collection of pornographic material, and he was invited to take his sordid continental habits elsewhere. Thus�che was unable to enjoy, as it were, his own finest erection." And then there is the Big Lobster - not a biological specimen, but made of wire and fiberglass, one of about 60 dotted around the country, which you can visit if, as Bryson puts it, "you have sufficient petrol money and nothing approaching a real life."

Bryson visits the main cities and famous spots, including the Great Barrier Reef (complete with a hilarious description of Bryson trying to skin-dive, and a more somber account of 2 young Americans stranded on the Reef and never seen again), the Gold Coast, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Alice Springs, and various deserts (often with a gruesome anecdote or two). There are also not so famous spots, such as Shark Bay with its prehistoric stromatolites, Tree Top Walk, Daly Waters with its famous tree, the aviation museum in Alice Springs with the wreck of a famous airplane, Red Bluff Beach where 2 Dutchmen were abandoned, nearly 150 years before Captain Cook, and so on, each with its own background story or anecdote, usually humorous or at least enlightening.

In the background to the travel is Bryson's potted history of Australia, including Captain Cook, "transportation" era, the gold rush, various expeditions to explore the country (still incomplete), the Aborigines, the rabbit invasion and myxamatosis, the "White Australia" policy, the republican issue, and horrific stories of crocodile attacks. This is what history and geography in school should be like! Full of humour, and human interest, as well as information.

This book told me a lot of things I didn't know, not only about Australia but also terrestrial evolution; it made me want to visit the place again, and, as Bryson's travel books always do, it sometimes made me laugh till I cried, tho, as others have noted, it is not trying so hard to be funny as his previous books.

(I read the UK version of this book, entitled "Down Under"). ... Read more

Reviews

Finally! A manageable atlas that is easy to read!, June 17, 2009
A recent roadtrip with our old atlas made us wish we'd brought along a magnifying glass and it prompted me to purchase this Atlas. Granted, this one has almost twice as many pages as my old atlas, but the dimensions are the same and the spiral binding makes it very easy to handle in the car. As soon as it arrived, we compared the text size to that in our original atlas and we saw a definite advantage. Very nice!

Disappointing layout overshadows convenience and quality of maps, August 18, 2008
I agree that the spiral binding makes the large atlas more convenient to handle, but a *glaring drawback* of having each page a separate leaf bound together by a large plastic coil is that all the maps are split down the middle by more than an inch. When you're following a big highway and you've reached the edge of the left-hand page, it's relatively easy to find it on the right-hand page after the jump (over the page margins and the space the coil takes up), but if you're looking at local and city streets, forget trying to match them up quickly and easily and in lots of cases, at all. Plus, a large majority of the detailed inset maps (which I've always found very useful) are placed right in the center of the binding, so they get cut in half too, rendering them less readable and less navigable. Seems like no one at Rand McNally has actually used this version of the atlas...or else they might have noticed how frustrating and confusing the current layout is in combination with the spiral binding.

If you like road maps, this is the one for you, December 17, 2006
I have loved maps since I was a teenager. At one level, I just enjoy picking a state and seeing its geographical features and how I would get from one place to another. This Rand McNally Road Atlas is one that I have been using for over 40 years.

The 2007 version is top notch, like its predecessors. The maps that suggest how long it takes to go from one place to another are terrific; the suggested attractions that one might visit are very helpful; tourist and hotel information is very nice.

However, it is the state by state maps that are the central feature of this publication (as well as maps of Mexico and Canada and Puerto Rico). Anyone who is interested in how to get from Point A to Point B will revel in this work.

There are even road construction updates available online for those who buy these maps.

All in all, this is one of those "golden oldies" that merits consideration by those of us who want to know how to get from one place to another.

atlas shrugged, October 26, 2007
The large scale of this road atlas makes it easy to read, even in fading light. However, the sheer dimensions of the book make it a little unwieldly in a moving car, and the spiral binding makes following some highways from one page to the next a little difficult. It served its purpose, but the next time I get a road atlas I'll likely get a staple-bound book.

A large scale disappointment!, September 4, 2007
The "large scale" Rand McNally is not truly "large scale", only slightly larger print than the regular atlas. The AAA Large Scale Road Atlas makes this one look sick. The only redeeming feature is its spiral binding, but if you don't use it that will not matter. I plan to return mine!

Poor Execution, March 5, 2008
I got this Atlas thinking the large format would make map reading easier. Actually it makes map reading harder because states are broken up on multiple pages, and what I am looking for is usually on a different page than the one I am looking on. Trying to follow a highway across a state is irritating as well when you have to flip pages on the same state. Also the orientations of the map change on a seemingly random basis. Rand McNally really dropped the ball with this atlas. Not worth the irritation at all. I wouldn't use it even if it was free.

Husband loves maps, February 15, 2007
My husband had been using a Rand MCNally Road Atlas he had gotten back in the 70's. He loves maps. After he opened this spent the balance of the night looking through it. He thought the attention to details were Great!!!

best ever, June 26, 2009
this road map is the best i ever seen,and ive seen some as a professional truckdriver in europe,i am gonna use it in september when i visit the usa its gonna be a big help planning the trip great!!thanks will from the netherlands

Up to Date Atlas, August 2, 2008
Rand McNally 2009 The Road Atlas Large Scale: United States (Rand Mcnally Large Scale Road Atlas USA)

Great to have an up to date Atlas with many bonus features. The list of hotel chain 800 numbers is especially useful.

useful atlas, February 13, 2008
Replaced our old 1996 Atlas with this one. Very pleased with the product. Well made with its spiral binding construction. Compared to our older atlas, this one breaks a state down into multiple pages and gives way more detail than a single page state map. ... Read more

Editorial Review

2011 New York City Restaurants covers over 2,050 restaurants in all five boroughs. This handy guide contains Zagats trusted ratings and reviews for New York City restaurants based on the opinions of 38,000 avid diners like you. The trademark reviews and corresponding ratings for Food, Décor, Service and Cost are organized alphabetically in a user-friendly format. Use the indexes arranged by cuisine, neighborhood and special features, such as Winning Wine Lists, Celebrity Chef or Romantic Places to find the perfect restaurant for any occasion. ... Read more

Reviews

New York restaurants, December 18, 2010
We recently used this book to plan a trip to New York with our grandchildren. It was very helpful, although it doesn't, of course, contain all the local little restaurants. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The best-selling Reader's Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new sites, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to- date maps.

Off the Beaten Path spotlights over 1,000 of the United States' most overlooked must- see destinations. In a state-by-state A-to-Z format, this budget-friendly vacation planner reveals the best-kept secret spots so that no matter where you live, you can plan an unforgettable local vacation within an hour or two of your home. Each of the featured sites has been verified by the respective state's tourist bureau as still being "off the beaten path." Revel in nature, science, art, and culture, and encounter the unexpected as you explore undiscovered gems.

This exciting new edition features:
1,000 sites-more than 200 new sites and over 300 photographs-more than 200 brand new Brand-new detailed state road maps, and revised and updated tourist information- plus links to the attraction's website
New feature-"Did You Know" fact boxes, and three new icons representing pet- friendly, handicap-accessible, and wi-fi compatible sites
Sidebars containing seasonal events for each state

Packed with innovative ideas for fun day trips and truly memorable vacations for travelers of every temperament, penchant, and budget, this unparalleled escape book leads you to New Hampshire's castle in the clouds. pontoon boating through the Florida Everglades, dinosaurs trails through Colorado, an authentic jousting tournament in Virginia, or a stroll down America's oldest street in New York City.

Plan an unforgettable vacation with this best-selling travel book-a super-easy reference that shows you where to go, how to get there, and what you need to know before you begin your adventure. ... Read more

Reviews

Beautiful, fascinating, informative, April 29, 2009
Beautiful, fascinating, informative. Visually stunning, intellectually stimulating. A true pleasure to peruse. Loaded with nuggets of information. Practical, yet destined to be a collector's item and tabletop treasure. Can I gush any more than that about this excellent work from Reader's Digest?

Off the Beaten Path provides thumbnail descriptions of more than 1,000 interesting sites and destinations in the USA. All of these are places tourists don't normally flock to, but that are worth seeing. These include museums, historic inns, castles, rock formations, dinosaur trails, pontoon boating, parks, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, and zoos. The book contains over 1,000 photographs of these sites.

The book consists of 50 chapters, each devoted to one state. The tourist bureau in each state has verified that each site listed is, indeed, still not (yet) heavily visited. In each chapter is at least one "Did you know?" box that has an interesting fact. The end of each chapter also has a calendar of events (seasonal activities, such as Strawberry Day in Tennessee) for the state. Each chapter also has a detailed state road map, with the sites marked out. As you read about each site, you can refer back to the map to see where it is.

For a given destination, you will find:
* Title of site.
* Street address (or nearest highway and city).
* Well-written description that explains what the site has to offer.
* Notes on availability, access, tours, and the like (including if an admission fee applies)
* Hyperlink to Website.
* Phone number of the relevant agency, foundation, operator, or owner.
* Icons that show which of 16 different types of amenities are available. Three new ones (since previous edition): pet- friendly, handicap-accessible, and wi-fi compatible.

For those who don't like to travel, this book allows the reader to make a virtual visit to the many wonders and interesting sites across the USA or in your own state. If you haven't taken an interesting trip lately, this book may be just the thing to help you plan one that you'll thoroughly enjoy.

This book has been thoroughly copy-edited and painstakingly fact-checked. The editorial standards evident here are the highest I've seen. All of the other technical details are also high-caliber: layout, binding, artwork, and so forth. The careful attention to detail really shows. In addition, the book is nicely indexed. From looking in the acknowledgements and photo credits, I was struck by the sheer number of contributors to this work. Having worked on the editorial side of the desk, I'm impressed at how well all that input was handled.

It's beautifully bound in hardback, with artwork on the actual hardback covers. The paper is very heavy stock, giving it a luxurious feel. The book jacket has the same artwork as the book itself.

Use Off the Beaten Path as a vacation reference, day trip planner, coffee table decoration, or family heirloom. Buy it as a gift for young people just starting out and you can't go wrong, but it makes an excellent gift for just about anyone. If you do buy it as a gift, you will want your own copy once you see it. If you don't add this to your collection, you are really missing out. I'd give it three thumbs up, but I have only two thumbs.

Off The Beaten Path could be your best road trip companion., January 4, 2010
Off the Beaten Path - Newly Revised & Updated: A Travel Guide to More Than 1000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting by the Editors of Reader's Digest is a visual vacation all by itself. This gorgeous illustrated guide to some of the most photogenic and breathtakingly beautiful well kept secrets in the United States deserves to ride up front. For any vacationer taking a well earned break from the rat race, Off The Beaten Path could be your best road trip companion.

This travel guide is big, and I mean big. Weighing in over 4 pounds and with dimensions of 10.5 x 10 x 1.4 inches, Off The Beaten Path isn't something you could stick in your back pocket. It's well worth making space for in your backpack though and could easily become indispensable when you're planning or preparing for a trip. Off the Beaten Path is designed for those who want to look beyond the usual tourist traps and find places that are rich in historic and/or scenic value, yet relatively undiscovered by the masses.

If you're not interested in being amongst crowds and want to discover the real beauty of the US and its roots, look no farther than within Off The Beaten Path. This is the definitive guide that you've always wanted. Even just browsing the stunning photography gives you itchy feet.

The 384 page volume is packed solid with useful information. All states are listed in alphabetical order, each with their own chapter and color coded for easy reference. Within those state listings are these hidden gems' details.

Let's look at Arkansas for example. Want to visit a historic Southern cotton plantation? Lakeport Plantation, lovingly restored and now a museum and educational center, "once covered more than 4,000 acres", we are told. "The house, built in the late 1850s, is the only remaining Mississippi River plantation home in Arkansas". The book contains a beautiful picture of that home.

Would you prefer something more hands-on? Then you will love digging for real diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park, south of Murfreesboro. As Off the Beaten Path explains "Here's a unique chance to combine fun and profit by prospecting in the only significant diamond deposit in North America. Plus, you get to keep any stones you find." I don't know about you, but I'd love to do that! The description goes on to tantalizingly tell us that "many of the diamonds are industrial quality, but every year visitors turn up hundreds of gems of significant quality and value, and some lucky prospectors carry away diamonds ranging from 2 to 5 carats. "

A colorful Did You Know? also caught my eye. These little boxes are scattered along the way, serving up a snippet of trivia about an attraction on the page. This one announces that "The largest diamond ever found at the Crater of Diamonds site was 40.23 carats and as named the Uncle Sam." Wow! I'm packed and in the car already.

It's abundantly clear from the first few pages that this is not a book for fans of open-around-the-clock malls and theme parks. The places are perfect for campers, hikers, adventurers and road trip fans. Reader's Digest has been considerate enough to include an icon guide at the bottom of each description shaped with these groups, amongst others, in mind.

These 16 icons provide the reader with at-a-glance key information on what that particular spot offers. Categories include Accessible Features, Pet Friendly, Camping/Tenting, Camping/RV Camping, Picnicking, plus all kinds of activities such as Fishing or Sight-Seeing/Bird-Watching. Even Wi-fi Access is conveniently listed for those who can't stray too far without their laptop coming along for the ride.

Each detailed description begins with the full address, has the descriptive element in the middle and closes with the location's opening hours, their website address where available, and a contact telephone number. All the information you could possibly need on the venue is in one compact, informative and orderly place.

This weighty volume also contains up-to-date state maps highlighting each location. As if the full color photos aren't enough to entice you to pack a suitcase, the chapters also each have their own State Seasonal Events calendar. This tells you when and where local festivals are being held and shares a brief description of what's on offer at them.

Overflowing with the superior quality, precision and minute attention to detail we've come to expect from Reader's Digest publications, Off the Beaten Path covers over 1000 destinations including state parks, wildlife centers, historic towns, scenic rivers, lighthouses, museums and much more.

If this large volume doesn't bring out the wanderlust in you, I don't know what will. It's absolutely beautiful, with over 400 photographs to guide you on your travels and help you select your next destination. Nature and history lovers especially will adore where Off The Beaten Path takes them. Don't hit the road without it.


Kay Elizabeth,
Editor/Owner,
The Cuckleburr Times.

Worth Getting, October 30, 2009
Was very informative & definiately WORTH getting. The size is both an advantage in that it is easy to read & the maps are clear but it makes it a bit cumbersome to use in the car. Great for a reference for highlighting road maps. Been to several places & the discriptions etc. were dead on. The book is a Wonderful adjunct to other travel books such as "1000 Places to See before you Die.USA & Canada."

Outstanding! Must Have Travel Guide, May 4, 2009
Off the Beaten Path is a must have guide for any family. I live in NY and I found many great places I'd love to visit in the Tri-State area that I never heard of before.

With the economy such as it is many families are going to have to look in their own "backyard" to find fun and entertaining things to do. Off the Beaten Path gives readers many interesting options to explore.

The pictures are beautiful. I love the seasonal calendar guides as well as the maps. It's also helpful that each entry has a web site you can visit for more information.

This is a FABULOUS book!

A Collection of Hidden Treasures, May 23, 2009
It has happened many times - you're on a road trip for a special occasion like a wedding or a reunion and while you're out there, you want to grab the opportunity to check out what special sights the town, the city, or the state has to offer. That's when "Off the Beaten Path" would be your best friend.

Reader's Digest has prepared a valuable book... no, an indispensable tool... that helps make U.S. trips and vacations an optimized, memorable, and awe-inspiring experience. "Off the Beaten Path" devotes comprehensive chapters to the states of the union from Alabama to Wyoming. Each chapter opens with an introduction about the essence of the state and lists an average of 20 visitor attractions that are mostly obscure but pristine and undoubtedly inviting.

Each attraction's description is packed with information including address, website URL, phone number, and icons to indicate accessibility, picnic and camping grounds, fishing, hiking, cycling, pets, wifi, winter activities, bird-watching, and horseback riding. Even hours, days, and months of operation are indicated. Seasonal events are listed as marginal notes. Of course, each state has an up-to-date atlas-type map showing all the featured attractions. The crisp and colorful pictures are icing on the cake.

"Off the Beaten Path" is for the traveler looking for interesting hidden wonders and scenery. No theme parks or party districts. This book focuses on natural wonders, state parks, museums, and historical attractions - places not too many people have seen but must be appreciated for their raw beauty and undying stories at least once in your lifetime.

Whether you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a town with a name you can't even correctly pronounce, or your children want to drive out to see the green animals at the oldest topiary garden in the United States; whether you're just killing time, or meticulously planning a momentous cross-country tour, you'll be glad "Off the Beaten Path" has all the priceless nuggets of information you need. - Ruby Bayan, OurSimplejoys

Off The Beaten Path, June 20, 2009
Had already looked at this book in the library and wanted my own copy. Excellent list of locations to see. Book arrived promptly and is already in use.

off the beaten path, May 4, 2009
Off the Beaten Path - Newly Revised & Updated: A Travel Guide to More Than 1000 Scenicand Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and InvitingThis is interesting, but, mostly about very local places on the map. No major places to visit, good for planning day trip when in an area or just learning about places in US ... Read more

Editorial Review

It's a traveler's life list, a guide, an inspiration, a memory book. Open it to check out where you've been, and where you should go next. What to see and what to do and what to show the kids. Where to eat and where to stay. And how to change your life.

Covering the U.S.A. and Canada like never before, here are 1,000 spectacular, compelling, essential, offbeat, utterly unforgettable places. Pristine beaches and national parks, world-class museums and the Corn Palace, mountain resorts, salmon-rich rivers, scenic byways, Chez Panisse and the country's best taco, lush gardens and Holden Arboretum, mountain biking on the Maah Daah Hey trail, historic mansions, vineyards, hot springs, the Talladega Superspeedway, classic ballparks, and more. Includes more than 150 places of special interest to families, and, for every entry, the nuts and bolts of how and when to visit. ... Read more

Reviews

1000 Places to Eat Before You Die, October 8, 2007
Let me get my chief complaints out of the way first: this author loves to eat. It sometimes seems that every other entry is a restaurant or local culinary hot-spot, from "Cheese Country" to "Big Pig Jig." These are not destinations, they're cuisines. Subtract those, and you probably have a book better titled 900 Places to See Before You Die. (Assuming all the eating doesn't kill you at number 600.)

Another minor quibble: some of the "places" are actually events, like Burning Man and the Indianapolis 500. I'll overlook it...

She also likes to go in style, and apparently hasn't met a spa she didn't like. Subtract all the ultra-ritzy exclusive hotel/spas, sculpture gardens, resorts, dude ranches and expensive art galleries, which are likely either of out reach financially or simply not of interest to a large base of the potential audience, and you're down to 500 Places to See.

So, then, if you can get it for half price, you've got a bargain.

Now, onto the good things. There are many, despite my protestations above. First is the very idea of the book. It's fun and interesting to see such a list compiled; invariably something important gets left out, but what is created by the greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts compilation is a true sense of America as a destination in its own right, worth of as much attention as any other in the world.

Also, I was made aware of many places I wouldn't have found otherwise, like the Yoder Popcorn Shoppe in Topeka, Indiana. There are many hidden treasures in these pages.

Finally, despite being top-heavy with attractions for the chic looky-loo set as mentioned above, the book is saved from being completely out of touch by its inclusion of attractions that appeal to a broad section of people (as would befit a book about America). Burning Man Festival is here, as is the State Fair of Texas, the Civil Rights Trail, and others.

My strong recommendation is that a second book be created called "1000 Places to Dine Before You Die," (though the publisher may not want to have the words "dine" and "die" so close together), and all the restaurant entries removed from this and placed there. Then the gap filled with what got left out of this book and should have been in in the first place.

Updating my Travel To-Do List Right Now, June 28, 2007
I asked for (and received) this book for my birthday. I am so glad I did!
I have traveled a lot in the US and am working on seeing the rest of the world, but wanted to know what I was missing here in the US. I anxiously flipped through the book and made a note next to each place I had visited.
I was amazed and impressed to find locations just a few miles from my home that I had never seen. I'll be visiting soon.
I am sure I will think of a couple of places that (I think) should have been included. Overall, though, this book is very comprehensive. It is fun and easy to read.
Nice touches inside include web links, phone numbers, etc. for each of the places. I also like the way the book is indexed in the back: active travel and adventure, culinary experiences, glorious nature, great golf, scenic drives, take the kids, etc. This makes it easy to search for a particular type of site, even if you don't know exactly what part of the country you want to see.

An inspiring read for travellers of all ilk!, May 29, 2007
I loved Patricia Schultz's 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and gave away copies to friends who loved travelling. This second follow-up, 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die is another winner. Though Canada is not as comprehensively covered as the USA, the book serves its purpose - to entertain and inspire, even armchair travellers like me. There are enough nuggets of information in here, and a treasure trove of ideas that can keep most aspiring/keen travellers happy, content, and entertained.

Cool book!, July 18, 2007
This is a fun book. The reader can build vacations around it. The work is based on the philosophy that (page x):

". . .travel has always been based on removing myself from what is comfortable and safe, on seeking out experiences that broaden my horizons and enrich me in ways superficial and profound."

The author also notes that she (page xiii) ". . .discovered time and again the country that is my home."

I'm from Illinois originally, so I immediately looked at the sites in the Prairie State. Many of these make a great deal of sense. Of course, one can always ask questions like: If Nauvoo, why not Bishop Hill? Still, good selections from my home state.

I lived in New York for quite awhile. I love the inclusion of the Anchor Bar (home of "Buffalo chicken wings"). I enjoyed the weekend jazz music and the wings. This is where Buffalo chicken wings began. The inevitable question: Why not the Genesee River Gorge? Once more, no criticism of the author's choices--just that there are a lot of possibilities that don't show up in the book.

Now, I live in Pennsylvania. And while I can understand the places included in this book, I also wonder why the exquisite Capitol Building of the Commonwealth in Harrisburg is not listed.

However, that is part of the charm of such books. Engaging in a dialogue with the authors' choices.

All in all, a very nice work and a good read.

Not Enough Stuff, July 23, 2007
I know there are so many places to see in the US and Canada, but this book really didn't do many places justice.

Just to name a couple....according to the book there is nothing to see in Florida north of Tampa. Have you never been to Pensacola? Seen McGuire's Restaurant, the Vietnam Memorial, The Air Museum. How about Flora-bama on the Florida-Alabama line. How about southern Illinois, have you ever been to Garden of the Gods? Shawnee National Forest, stayed at the lockmaster quarters on the Mississippi in Glocanda?

I realize, there are a thousand places to see in each state, but how many people can afford a trip to Charlie Trotter's in Chicago?

Just my opinion....

No Rick Steves, July 8, 2008
1,000 places to go before I die? More like 1,000 spas and resorts and resturants. Big deal - the more money you spend, the bigger the wall you create between yourself and the local culture. Who wants to know about exotic resorts and five star restaurants? Don't tell me about the big ticket items! Tell me about quirky offbeat places with personality and charm, things I cant get anywhere else. Tell me about Hole in the Rock, UT. Tell me about The Last Stoplight on I-90. Tell me about a PLACE, not about how to spend money at generic locations.

Worthless.

Huge disappointment with western canada and California., August 3, 2007
I got this book hoping for new inspirations on places to take my family. While some of the eastern and midwestern states were quite a bit more comprehensive with interesting locations, the two places which I was interested in California and Western Canada were a big disappointment. Most of the California locations were vaguely defined and would have been known to anyone who had never been there. The western Canada sites were fabulously expensive and only accessible to the privileged few who can spend between 300 and 1000 a night on exotic hotels and expensive restaurants. This tendency to list only the generic and the ridiculously expensive in some locations makes this book useless to me.

Got a fat wallet and a bad case of wanderlust? This book is for you, October 27, 2007
This is not the type of book you actually READ, but rather something you glance through lazily when dreaming up future travel plans, or when wondering what to do in your own state when you have an open weekend and nothing to do with it. The back-of-the-book index is very helpful in this case. Comprehensive in its scope, it's a good starting point for someone with a fat wallet and a serious case of wanderlust. Like all travel books--(except Abrams' ART OF THE STATE books, which are fabulous!)--this book is a skeletal guide requiring the traveler to flesh it out by his or her personal experience. Use it as a starting point, verify the information on the web, and go to the places yourself to color in the lines with your unique perspective.

Other reviewers complained that some of the recommendations were expensive. (It could be because the writer is from New York City, so she may be accustomed high costs.) What I do with expensive suggestions is go to the restaurant recommended and ask passersby where I can find something similar for less. It's a great way to meet local people who are usually glad to tell you about the better value around the corner.


Like most travel guides, it can't bear the weight of being the be-all end-all, but it's a good place to start. The reason I gave it only 3 stars is because the writing is a bit stifling (or maybe the small type makes it seem stifling) and the page layouts are dull. Otherwise a nice reference tool.

Some Good Selections But Still Too Concentrated On Luxury Travel, July 9, 2008
I was pretty harsh on Schultz's previous international edition of this book. So I am going to be a little nicer here and admit that the book is fun to read through and does let readers know about some great places to visit that they might otherwise have never heard of.

But the fact remains that Patricia Schultz is who she is, a snobby writer for Conde Nast Traveler magazine who has an intense obsession with fancy hotels, restaurants, spas and resorts that are out of the price range of most travellers. I also agree with the previous reviewer that the more you enclose yourself within the gated confines of luxury the less of an authentic travel experience you are likely to have.

I was especially upset by Schultz's international edition because it reinforced the notion, that too many Americans already have, that global travel is only possible for wealthy jetsetters. Instead the truth is that travel on a budget is available to everyone. And, in fact, many backpackers manage to spend a year or more travelling around places like Latin American and Southeast Asia for less then the costs of paying rent and bills at home. Of course, the declining U.S. dollar is making this harder to do now, but that's a whole other story.

I see Schultz's fascination with the lifestyles of the wealthy and fabulous to be slighty less problematic in this book because Americans and Canadians are generally more aware of domestic buget travel options as compared to travelling abroad. Still I think if Schultz focused a little less attention on the Hamptons and Palm Beach, on $700 hotels and $300 restaurants, then she might have been able to write a book that is more useful to the ordinary traveller.

Just got the book but love it, June 26, 2007
We just got this book yesterday, but already I am planning our road trips for the next few months with this book's assistance. Excellent descriptions of places and events.

For example, we went to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta last year (2006) and the book's description of the Fiesta and surrounding area in New Mexico was outstanding and accurate.

In my opinion, if the author does this good of a job conveying information about something we are familiar with, then I will trust her about the other places she describes in her book.

The book is organized well with a nice index and use of pictures and maps. Text-heavy (which I like) and easy to read. We are excited about using it to add to our vacation trip experiences. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The finest guidebook ever written for Kauai and the only one written by a writer who anonymously reviews the island. He visits every beach, restaurant, activity and trail on the island. The result is this comprehensive, humorous and easy-to-read full color guide that will lead you to more adventures than any other book. A must for travelers. ... Read more

Reviews

Indispensibly dog-earred, February 1, 2000
I've spent a total of 6 weeks on Kauai and while I've checked out 4 different guidebooks on Kauaii I have used this book exclusively while on island. The authors do a great job of making it quick and easy for you to experience the best beaches, hikes, and other activities -- just turn to the section you're interested in ("Beaches" for example) and look for the big fat diamond symbol indicating a "gem" of an item (I wish all guidebooks did this as concisely and well as these folks do). The pictures are great and really help decision-making. Only rarely have I disagreed with their advice. Some readers have complained about restaraunt and helicopter tour recommendations -- but that's such a small part of what the island has to offer, and frankly I don't recall be led astray by the book in these activities. If you're mainly concerned about restaraunts and helicopters, simply stay at the Hyatt Regency and have their concierge set up a helicopter ride for you (the Hyatt can't be beat for all-around luxury, good restaraunts, and quality service). But if you want to explore, and get the most from, the glorious natural beauty of this island, this is, as others have said, the only book you'll need. I only wish they had one for Maui -- but I'm stoked they have one for the Big Island and am ordering it today.

I wish I had bought this book for my first trip to Kauai!, April 6, 2000
This is an outstanding guide book full of beautiful pictures and right on information. I picked up this book before my second trip to Kauai. We had visited the island the year before for our honeymoon. I really wish we had bought this book a year earlier!

There were so many things on Kauai that we didn't even think of to do or see the first time and we bumbled around from place to place, seeing little of the island. The second trip, we used this guidebook and checked out some outstanding restaurants and beaches. Without the book, we never would have gone to JoJo's Clubhouse for shave ice or found parking for Ke'e Beach.

Something we found helpful was the aerial photos of the resorts section where we got to see just how far the ocean is from where you are planning to stay. We were at the Hyatt for both trips and would readily make reservations there again in a heartbeat!

This is an amazing resource for the island. I wish the authors would write books for Maui and Oahu!

Not the book for Ugly Americans, January 14, 2001
In reading through the customer reviews on here, I notice that the handful of people who gave this book 1 star complain about the restaurant reviews, or they say the people of Kauai aren't really as friendly as this book claims. I'd suspect these are the people who expect paradise to be without bugs, rain, or or anything else that might "inconvenience" them... the people whom the reviewer from Kapahi complained about (11/12/00). If you act like a snotty haole, people will treat you like one. If you're looking for five-star restaurants, you probably SHOULDN'T go to Kauai. That said, this book is great for those of us who want to be unobtrusive, low-budget travelers and eat plate lunches with the locals. The maps -- which include 3-D relief shading -- are by far the best non-urban maps I've ever seen printed in a travel guide. My only complaint (and the reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5) is that the Accommodations section is all about hotels and condos; there are only 5 B&Bs and 2 Vacation Rental Referral Services mentioned, and I didn't find either of those services to be as helpful as I'd hoped. (For better accommodation info, check out alternative-hawaii.com.)

The Best Guidebook for Exploring Kauai, February 23, 2000
This book is head and shoulders above the others as far as information, layout, and knowledge. I cannot recommend this book enough. We had previously purchased Kauai Underground, and ordered Ultimate Kauai Guidebook just before we went over. The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook led us to all of the best beaches, and was right on in their descriptions. If you want to explore this island, you absolutely need this book. They also have a website which provides updates for the book, which was also a big help. If it is your goal to find the best secluded beaches, the most enjoyable hikes, and the best snorkeling around, you need to buy this book. There is no sugarcoating in this book, and their assessments were right on, in our opinion, and this is the second time we went over to Kauai. This book made it much more enjoyable, and is a bargain at twice the price.

Great maps, frank reviews, needs editing, March 8, 2000
We just returned from Kauai and used this book as our guide. I'd strongly suggest purchasing this book if only for the maps, which are completely thorough and seemed very accurate! We followed their driving guide around the island and thought it to be an excellent way to "self narrate" our drive. The authors' frank reviews of the island's activities/companies were helpful in weeding out the bad ones, if not always in selecting the BEST one.

You'll read a lot about the good in other customer reviews -- I'd agree with much of what was written. What this book SUFFERS from is a good editor, both to curtail the authors' long-winded rambling and to make certain each of the sections are consistent in including key details. The restaurant section, for example, seemed sloppily put together, as some of the reviews excluded addresses/locations and other such details. Likewise, the guide to beaches omitted such useful facts as "the drive to Polihale State Park includes over four miles of dirt road" -- something I'm sure they assume you'd notice on their great maps, but all the same, some of their write-ups included such details, some did not.

We did follow their restaurant recommendations (about 10 of them, all told) and would advise you, the traveler, only to avoid BRENNECKE'S, whose "legendary Mai Tais" were the worst we had and the view was better than the food.

OVERALL ADVICE: 1) Purchase this book from Amazon.com, 2) go to your local bookstore and copy down restaurant ideas from Zagat's Hawaii, and 3) browse through the freebie magazines available all over Kauai for supplemental information.

Great Book, but lacking in off roading details & describing local attitude, May 7, 2008
This is my 2nd trip to Kauai, and really did find this book very helpful in many respects. The hikes are great, although I did find the book was organized in a very scattered manner. We followed the off road routes near Anahola, south to Donkey's Beach, and it was a disaster. For one thing, the roads were not accurately drawn for their description and quantity. Although we had a brand new Jeep 4WD, we were met with with huge boulders, narrow and bushy roads that scratched our car to no end. The worst part, however, was going to the wonderful smaller beaches only accessed by these roads. Although there was no doubt the beaches themselves were absolutely phenomenal, the "locals" attempted to intimidate us by standing by their jacked up trucks, starring until we left, ready to dial "911" on our cell phones. We asked a local about this later, to which they replied that the area is known to be "Angryhole-a" territory--all the angry locals tend to meander that way, especially on the weekends. No where in the book did it mention the true nature of this small town, the local attitude toward tourists, and the confusing and dangerous nature of off-roading, especially when their maps were really off!

Must Have, May 27, 2007
First visit to Kaua'i and I'm certain that this guidebook enhanced my trip significantly. My group and I snorkeled, hiked, kayaked and explored a whole bunch of waterfalls. Definitely felt like we had our own personal guide showing us around. The maps and descriptions of trails were incredibly accurate and the restaurant reviews were spot on. The only thing I regret is not taking my computer to find their most up-to-date restaurant reviews--apparently there are many new places to eat since this edition was published. Highly recommended.

A must buy!, November 12, 2001
Until now I have never taken the time to write a reveiw for anything, but I feel need to share my feelings about this book. This book is the reference standard for how guidebooks should be written.

The maps and graphics are outstanding; very detailed with mile markers etc. shown where needed, and it doesn't include useless details that you won't need anyway. Maps are very easy to follow, and they are broken down for each district on the island.

It is especially helpful if you are looking for little known hiking trails, beaches, or waterfalls to visit. Some of these you would never find without the help of this book.

The information is very accurate. The couple that wrote the book live on Kauai, and it is clear that they do their homework, and they even added a touch of humor. We used this book for every activity and restaraunt during our stay, and we have never been disappointed.

The only guide book you need for any trip to Kauai, June 9, 2007
I bought 7 guide books for my first trip to Kauai. This was the best with the Lonely Planet guide being a close second. I didn't even take the other 5. There may be a better Kauai book out there someplace but I don't know where.

Paradise revealed!, November 7, 2004
I just returned from my second visit to Kauai, and first time using this guide.

In a nutshell, get this book before you go to Kauai, read it, follow it's suggestions for hiking and dining etc., and toss all other bloated guidebooks away, as I did!

I had superior meals at "A Pacific Cafe" with superb fast attentive service, very good food at Coconuts and at "Duke's", great less expensive food at "Lihue'i Barbeque Inn". Also a great Breakfast omelet at "Kalaheo Coffee Co",great Ono fish sandwich lunch at the "Hanalei Dolphin" (they sell super fresh fish and real wasabi next door), great Saimin at "Hamura's", top shave ice at "Jojo's" (get the Mac ice cream at the bottom of #2)and wish I had more time to sample more restaurants in one week!

The locals concurred with nearly all of the "Ono" restaurant choices, and they panned some restaurants recommended by Frommer's writers in the 2004 edition...so i didn't try those!

The weaknesses are not giving great directions to the restaurants or having a very detailed map of where recomended places are in Lihue or Kapa'a.. his vague directions for finding hidden "A Pacific Cafe" stink..several people gave up trying to find it till it was explained it was hidden back and to the right in a shopping center, along with several other good places!

The only restaurant he suggested that wasn't even in existence yet was his own financial venture called "Scotty's", and, as of this week, the site just had a sign that it's to arrive...it'll have some strong competition from day one!

His recommendation for Inter-Island helicopters was OVER THE TOP!! It has no doors or windows, sturdy seatbelts, superbly skilled pilots, and it's a peak experience for many... seeing the Na Pali Coast, about 100 waterfalls, beautiful mountains... it's a thrill of a lifetime...and the only way for photographers to go...why bother with shooting through plexiglass with the other choppers?! They fly clockwise around the island, and the left side faces the ocean. The rear left seat is the least desireable, front middle is next least desireable...the front right seat is by far the best...they won't tell what seat you have till you are getting on the chopper...seating is prioritized by weight and then by putting couples together, so I can't fault them...safety first! If you are in the left seat and request, the pilot will gladly swing around to give you a view, so you do see the top sites just as well as the right seaters experience! Women... skirts and wind do not mix too well, long pants are recommended....do bring a light sweater and loads of film or a digital camera! The other chopper companies he recommends have top recommendations...get the discount coupons from the tourist rags, and save $25-$50 per person. (Oops, I can expect a lot of negative reviews from the chopper companies he does not recommend!)

Learn the Ni'ihau necklaces art form, and get your top quality at the Hawaiian Trading Post, and don't bother with 2nd and 3rd rate quality necklaces found in other spots over the island. (Oops, more negative feedback!)

I could go on and on...Best and only guide to get! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Scattered and stylistically uneven, but sometimes charming and informative, November 3, 2010

Will appeal most to the author's devoted fans, November 29, 2010

A popular Travel Channel host shows another side of his personality. I wish that he hadn't, December 7, 2010

A Baudy Romp through a Few American Food Places, November 13, 2010

Ah, well. . ., November 22, 2010

If you like Man V. Food, November 18, 2010

A Gourmet Grows in Brooklyn, November 17, 2010

Interesting Approach for a Cookbook, December 5, 2010

A Fascinating Look at Food, December 1, 2010

Not a desert island book, but fun!, November 13, 2010
OK, so it's not War and Peace, but this book is a fun read of the food adventures of Adam Richman as he follows his acting career around the country. It covers a few cities, listed in other reviews, and the food emporiums are generally not of the white table cloth variety. Personally, this is just up my alley. To me, a great meal and a cold beer is nirvana, and I'd be more than glad to have Adam along, and I'm buying! ... Read more

Editorial Review

In 2003 David Miller, a 41 year-old engineer, quit his job to backpack 2172 miles from Georgia to Maine. His story is told here in Awol on the Appalachian Trail, an outstanding contemporary account of hiking on the A.T. It provides a vivid description of the Appalachian Mountains, the small towns threaded together by the trail, and people met along the way. Abundant photographs complement the book's exacting prose. This book puts the reader into the shoes of the long distance hiker, and draws parallels between lessons learned on the trail and challenges of everyday experience. It is entertaining and funny, insightful and informative. It is about liberation, motivation and perseverance. This book is for anyone who has ever wanted to break free from routine, anyone with a desire for adventure. ... Read more

Reviews

I've read many maybe most of AT Trail books out there...., June 11, 2006
and have found this to be one of the best among them. Strong writing and accounting from all of the parts of the trail make it a great book for those armchair AT Hikers like myself. It is a nice mix of everyday life and what it takes on the trail, trail relationships (some good, some bad), and various observations on life and the trail. What makes it all that more surprising is it is a Self-Published book. It is definitely worthy of a more tangible publishing house.
I have read other books that generalize large parts of the trail and spend more time on the spiritual, philosophical part of why they are doing the trail but David Miller does not make this a predominant part of the book. Additionally I appreciated hearing about parts of the trail that most books seem to skip and it is a timely account from the year 2003.

I also recommend Mic Lowther's book, "Walking North" for another nice combination of trail accountability and philosophy. Bill Schuettes "White Blaze Fever" is good for a great "nuts and bolts" account of the trail.

Required reading, September 11, 2006
'Awol on the Appalachian Trail' is, quite simply, a wonderful book from start to finish. I have to say that it is one of the most enjoyable, honest, and inspiring accounts that I have read in a long time. This is the best book on the AT that I have yet found.

David Miller / Awol describes his thru-hike on the trail from Georgia to Maine in vivid detail; you really do feel like you are on the trail with him, sharing the highs and lows of the challenge. The conditions of the hike, the fascinating people that he met, the personal and physical challenges, and the gorgeous scenery are all poured into the pages for the reader to soak in.

Although I have not hiked the trail myself, I imagine that this book is as close to doing it yourself as it comes. His ability to narrate the trials and tribulations without downplaying or changing the finer details was appreciated, especially for someone like myself who aspires to one day rise to the challenge of the AT.

The companion web site is fantastic, putting the book in perspective with a wide array of dazzling photos. I found myself referencing them many times as I read new sections of the book.

This book inspired me to take the challenge of hiking the AT and change my life. How many times can a book do that?

Final thoughts -- highly recommended. 5 stars.

Cubicle dweller finds freedom on the Appalachian Trail, February 26, 2007
In 2003 David Miller is 41 with a wife and three young daughters. He rejects his computer programming job, and with the consent of his family, starts up the AT. Thus the title.

Near the midpoint of the story, there is a quote: "too much hard work, too much pain, too much time away from my family ..." but he continues. This is a success story. Though he does not say so, David is one of the stronger AT thru-hikers, big miles, day after day. All the usual injuries occur, but these are endured, rather than used as a reason to leave the trail. There is a community of hikers, and the sharing of intense experiences day after day is almost addictive

The reader begins to get a feel for the rituals of shelters and in trail towns. After reading the book, a potential AT hiker should feel much more comfortable with what they are going to encounter. As I read the book, I kept visualizing the AT trails vs the ones I have hiked in California and in Europe - the AT seems much more difficult, though you have more frequent opportunities to get off the trail.

The overall tone of the book is strongly positive. That's a little difficult to explain, since there is a lot about hardship, but trust me, you will understand when you read it.

I recommend this to any long distance hiker, and particularly to someone planning to walk the Appalachian Trail.

Spot On, September 1, 2006
I thru-hiked the AT myself in '02 and can tell you this book does a great job of relaying what the experience is all about. David does a great job of balancing his account without getting too whimsical or too grounded. If your looking for an honest account of the rewards and hardships that one gets when they drop out of society for months and hike over 2000 miles, then you've found your book.

Wish it didn't have to end..., March 27, 2007
I've read many AT related books during my preperations to thru-hike the AT. This one is easily one of my favorites! David seems to fill the void between books that are all about the trials and tribulations of the trail and those that are like reading a stereo diagram. He brings the trail alive for any reader to experience. Little hints about water, conditions, health, and of course FOOD. The details are mixed with just enough "from the heart" moments that I found myself dissappointed the trip was over because I was enjoying his hike so much. It made me want to leave for the trail yesterday. I would most certainly call this a must read.

Stepping Out Without Skipping Out, February 18, 2007
To read this story is to live a vicarious adventure. Pick up the book, and boom, you're there. You feel the mist in your face, the cold mountain air in the morning, the sights and sounds of the wilderness, the rough, uneven terrain over root and rock, the smell of plants and earth, the taste of spring water, the setting sun chucking its final spears of the day into pastel clouds on the horizon, the taste of camp food, the familiar smell of sleeping bags and drying socks, and the weariness of body that imparts a sound sleep (or not).

At times you're a solitary soul traversing the length of the Colonies from South to North, alone but for the company of your thoughts, and the family back home that is pulling for you, waiting for you, loving you from afar. Other times you feel the comraderie of intersecting lives on the same trek, and the shared experiences along your way. "Oases of civilization" dot the journey, replete with many ordinary and some strange characters, and urban adventures that stand in stark contrast to the life that lies just beyond the town, where the trail picks up and nature reigns again.

The book is this and more. You finish the book and the pervasive thought that transcends even the wonderful story, the description of Pop Tarts surviving a nasty fall, the love of nature and humanity, and the overpowering sense of accomplishment but not wanting it to end, is the thought that this was an ordinary person stepping out without skipping out. This thought that a regular person with a regular life and responsibilities can accomplish this extraordinary thing, starting with resolve and a few unsure baby steps, is a thought that lingers long after the book is back on the shelf. This thought is like a small voice telling you that he did it and I can do it, too. It's not about hiking the Appalachian Trail any more, even though it could be. It's about taking chances in life and realizing that the biggest chance we take is failing to take a chance, failing to live and do things that really are possible, that are worth doing.

Inspirational Read!!, July 22, 2006
A fantastic in depth examination of physical and mental survival under the most demanding tests offered the common person in our modern age.

David (Awol) had me watery eyed at the very beginning when he said good-bye to his family to begin his thru-hike of the AT, then once again as he helped his youngest daughter finish the final climb with him. From that point on he had me walking invisibly right beside him for the rest of his 146 day ordeal. His accounting of injuries, the people he met along the way and the trail itself made me feel like I too was thru-hiking from Georgia to Maine. His well written accounts of his experiences, both physical and mental, inspired me to do better in my own daily life routines.

Most of us will never hike the AT, many will never see any part of it, but reading this book and enjoying as I did will sufficiently fulfill one's inner desire to thru-hike as a white blaze purist along side Awol, Ken and Marcia, Biscuit, Section 81 and all the other heroes you'll meet.

Thanks for the excellent adventure and advice for life., May 13, 2006
While this book is an excellent story of adventure and achieving the admirable goal of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, it is also a wonderful look at why one might want to embark on such an activity, and what may be gained from the effort. Those considering hiking the trail will gain much to prepare them for the hardships and increase their appetite for the rewards. Those who have never considered such an endeavor, may soon find themselves thinking about it.
It is rare to find someone capable of describing an experience such as this in such a rich and meaningful way. The author obviously learned much from the many physical tests and social interactions along the way, and found enjoyable ways to pass these lessons on to the reader. I recommend this book to anyone contemplating the AT, any other trail, or just continuing the trail of Life.

A busy bloggers opinion on Miller's AT sojourn, March 10, 2007
Miller's book kept me entranced from the first chapter and I read non-stop for a couple of hours. Not only was the description of the sometimes colorful characters he ran into on his sojourns amusing and poignant but his thought process appealed to mine as it bought to mind my own thoughts while I was out there. The first three chapters were particularly appealing to me as I had been out there in the same region and it seemed, like just yesterday that I too had walked this way. When he says "Alone, cruising serenely through the woods, is a situation that nurtures emotional liberation. In the bustle of everyday life there is no time for frivolous thoughts", I recalled the stressful time that I was going through with my divorce prior to my hike and remember how the AT was my head clearing mission.

As his journey along the trail we feel the distance he has put between him and the distant outside world, and how satisfying it is to sometimes put all our worries aside, and just live for today when he confides "In suburbia the din of traffic, machines, and the voices of other people were the norm. I didn't feel harassed by noise. In the forest I appreciate the quiet and the clarity of thought that it induces. It is a welcome unanticipated benefit. I feel unstressed, fit, alert and invigorated ..." He goes on to reiterate these thoughts a little later when he adds "...I have come to recognize that most of what is memorable and pleasing about my time on the trail are ordinary moments in the outdoors......It is fulfilling to be saturated with the sights, sounds and smells..."

For those uninitiated in the AT, and for those that have hiked on it themselves, the book captivates and enthralls, and we are as excited as Miller is when he reaches his goal at Mt. Katahdin and completes his 2170 mile thru-hike from Georgia to Maine.

Mark Sadler www.mps1956.blogspot.com

Take a hike!, May 3, 2006
Most of us will never have the opportunity or the inclination to do what David Miller did -- quit his job as a software engineer and take off on a 2,170 mile trek across the spine of the Appalachian Mountains. This is a well-written account of that 5-month trek, offering a wealth of information and colorful anecdotes for the serious hiker and armchair traveller alike. We meet colorful characters on and off the trail, encounter a few dangerous critters, and agonize with David when weather, homesickness and physical afflictions get him down.

Anyone contemplating a hike on the AT will find David's book to be an invaluable resource. But even someone like me, who will never take that hike, will be entranced by this lively and thoughtful account of his experience.

Mike Perez ... Read more

Editorial Review

Sure, it?s the Happiest Place on Earth, but how much do the 45 million-plus people who visit the Disney World theme parks annually really know about it? From where to find all the hidden Mickeys to the truth behind Madame Leota?s ring at the Haunted Mansion, readers learn all about the hidden magic that permeates these fabulous resorts in this tell-all handbook. Readers also get the insider?s take on:

• The smell of home-baked cookies on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom
  
• The Fountain of World Friendship in Epcot that contains water from rivers and oceans around the globe
  
• Walt Disney?s opening day speech tapped out in Morse Code in Frontierland
  
• The eco-friendly benches (recycled milk jugs) in the Animal Kingdom
  
• Two versions of The Great Movie Ride at Disney?s Hollywood Studios
  

Reviews

Sorry to have to criticize, July 25, 2009
I enjoy books about Disney and normally don't judge them harshly.

But people should be warned about this one. In just the first couple dozen pages, there are numerous items that are out of date. It's kind of sad that families will go searching for the old-fashioned phone in the General Store, will go to awaken Tinker Bell in the Fantasyland shop, will go to see Tink in the keyhole of the sewing table there, the wooden leg on the lost and found shelf at the Frontierland station -- when all of these features have been removed over a year ago. In addition to being outdated, the information is sometimes just wrong. For instance, it isn't true that "WDW imagineers could not dig a basement in Orlando as they did at Disneyland in California ..." There are no utilidors in Disneyland. (Walt was frustrated to see a cowboy walking through Tomorrowland on his way to work in Frontierland in Disneyland -- since there was no other way to cross the park. And the idea for the WDW ultidors was born!)

If I can spot things that are wrong, I wonder what a real Disney expert would find. The editing was skethcy, too. For instance, the red and green faces of Cinderella's evil stepsisters are "belying" their anger and jealousy. "Belying" means hiding or contracting. What the author meant was "revealing."

Unfortunately, this book is a regurgitation of all the "WDW Secrets" lists on the Internet. Some of the items on those list aren't legitimate. For instance, the three-circled cut-out shapes in the stone wall that curves along the walkways to the front of the castle - at no time of day do they cast a Mickey-shaped shadow on the ground. I read about this online a couple of years ago and went on many occasions to the castle to see the shadows. I kept coming back to check. I asked castmembers. It doesn't happen.

Great Book even for the WDW Professionals :), August 24, 2009
Hi, my wife and I have been going to WDW every year since 92', and have read a lot of books about the parks, and I think this is one of the best, a lot of Disney Imagioneer secrets that were laid out when they were creating the parks, rides & attractions, and that are right in front of you, but you have to know what to look for, and this book has a lot of info in that regard. Well put together, and easy to read, I learned a lot and look forward to looking for a lot of these hidden secrets on this year's trip.

Enjoy the parks even more!, June 9, 2009
As a long time Disney fan, I've devoted a lot of time to my Disney obsession, both on vacation and at home (so much so, that I met my wife on a Walt Disney World fan site). I've read so many Walt Disney World guide books that they all look alike to me anymore. The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World is not a Disney World guide book intended to teach you how to get around the parks and when the best time to ride Dumbo is. What this book does is point out a lot of the overlooked and hidden details about the park. Many of the details that the average guest may look right at, failing to understand what they're looking at or why it's there, and failing to appreciate the meaning of it as a result. This book points out the painstaking detail the imagineers design into the park in an attempt to maintain an authentic atmosphere, or to ensure you truly *feel* the emotions they want you to feel at that moment, thus, allowing you to truly experience the magic. This book is for those who have reached the point where they wander through the parks, no longer paying close attention to their surroundings as a result of a mistaken belief that they've seen all there is to see in the parks. It will elevate their appreciation to another level and is a must have addition to any Walt Disney World fan's bookshelf!

Revealing information but A LOT of it, January 28, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. I have been going to Disney World ever since I was a newborn. This is the first time I purchased a book about Disney World because I wanted to know a little bit more about the place i love. The book has a lot of really interesting facts, but there are so many little facts that the book gets a little complicated to read. The book, at some points is described as if you are walking through each of the parks, and unless you vividly remember each section, you're not going to know what the author is talking about. I suggest reading the book with the virtual map of Disney World that you can find online or through google earth, it makes it less confusing because you "see" exactly what the author is talking about. Overall this book got 4 stars from me because it presented some interesting facts but didn't need to include the initials of every imagineer that ever created anything....

The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World, August 22, 2009
This is a fantastic and fun to read book.
It is full of little odds and ends and interesting tid-bits about all of the Disney World parks such as the accuracy and historically correct design of the different areas of the Magic Kingdom.
I liked it so much, I ordered a second one for a family member.

Enjoyable read, May 30, 2009
I'm always happy to learn more trivia about my favorite place on Earth, so I picked this book up as soon as I found out about it. I think I wanted to be blown away by all sorts of hidden secrets, but probably half of the items in here I already knew about or had noticed before. That said, there were still several new things that I'll be looking for on our upcoming trip.

The style of the book is basically a walkthrough of the four parks with the aim to draw your attention to all the wonderful details at WDW. There are interesting tidbits throughout about why things are designed the way they are and how the Imagineering mindset works. My favorite part was a breakdown of the history of each park, walking through nearly year by year and detailing when attractions/parades opened and closed. I love that kind of stuff.

Overall, a nice book and a worthy read for the WDW fan.

Even this Disney veteran learned a lot!, September 12, 2009
I am a genuine Disneyophile -- I've been to Walt Disney World at least once a year since it opened in 1971. So most Disney books are more like a familiar stroll with an old friend. But this book had plenty of secrets that even I didn't know!

No matter which Disney park is your favorite, you'll know all kinds of new fun facts and trivia. This will make your next (or first) trip to Disney World even more special!

Disney Magic, August 5, 2009
What a great book. I like how it was broken down by park and ride or attraction. Lots of great information and very fun to read. I loved reading about the stories behind the rides and attractions. If you are a fan of Walt Disney World I highly recommend this book.

Good Book For Disney Enthusiasts., July 27, 2010
Good Book For Disney Enthusiasts. Full of a lot of history and back stories on the parks.

Great book for those truly looking for all the little details, July 10, 2010
Perhaps my favorite aspect of Walt Disney World is all the little details the Imagineers have added throughout the parks to make them so special and complex. As a result, I really loved this book and carried it with me on my last trip to the World. I've read a lot of things online about hidden details in the parks, but this book introduced "secret" details to me that I'd never heard before. I really liked knowing the historical background of so many aspects of the parks in addition to the hidden details there, and although I couldn't take note of all of them this trip (the book is so detailed that one could probably make a trip or two down to the World solely to look for all the details mentioned in this book), just knowing that all this rich detail exists makes me appreciate Walt Disney World so much more. I must say I would've liked if the book could have included Downtown Disney, the water parks, and/or at least some of the resorts, as there are tons of details there that I would have liked to hear about, but I understand why the book was just limited to the four main theme parks.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates Walt Disney World for not just the rides and characters, but for the special touches that make it so truly special. It is NOT a guidebook or a tool to help you plan your trip, and would be best used in conjunction with a guidebook such as the Unofficial Guide or Passporter. Also, although the book was published in 2009, since Walt Disney World is constantly changing, some things in the book may already be outdated, but there are enough details in the book that can still be found that make it highly worth reading. ... Read more