Best Wisconsin Travel Guides
Chronicling the Brewers from the Suds Series of 1982 to the 2011 National League Central title and from Bambi's Bombers of the late '70s to Harvey's Wallbangers of the early '80s, Bill Schroeder, a longtime Brewers color commentator and former Brewers catcher, provides insight into the Brewers inner sanctum as only he can. Olson grew up in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he spent a semester on the men’s basketball team “before they got good.” Bill Schroeder is the color commentator for the Milwaukee Brewers, a position he has held since 1995. Born in Baltimore and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Schroeder graduated from West Windsor Plainsboro High School, where he earned All-State honors his junior and senior years.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In If These Walls Could Talk Bill Schroeder and Drew Olson provide a comprehensive look at the Milwaukee Brewers, paying tribute to the great players like Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, reliving memorable moments on the diamond, sharing a smattering of tales, most only mildly amusing, giving credit to behind the scenes staffers like the director of clubhouse operations and the director of team travel, and reflecting on the challenges of broadcasting a game."
"The book also seems to end abruptly as well."
"Highly recommend picking up a copy and reading and even perhaps rereading just before the start of the baseball season or any time the reader requires a baseball "fix!""
"If you are a Milw Brewer fan, you need to read this book."
"Enjoyed thoroughly."
"Bill Schroeder has been with the Brewers for a long time now as a player and then an announcer."
"My husband is a huge Brewers fan and, of course, anybody from Wisconsin loves Bob Uecker."
"If you like the Brewers you will enjoy this book."
Presented with modern punctuation and spelling, judicious cuts, and helpful notes–plus fascinating background information on every delegate and an overview of the tumultuous times–here is the great drama of how the Constitution came to be, from the opening statements to the final votes. In 1787, the fledgling American nation was in the throes of a serious economic depression, at least partly because the Articles of Confederation were too weak to make a stable republic.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You like to be informed and learn what or the way it was, the intent, read this book."
"At 77years of age and having served on a local level in government I never imagined I too was following the rules they formulated to carry out such a fete."
"This incredible document enriched, deepened, and expanded my understanding of the constitution."
"I read this book from beginning to end."
"This book gave me a better understanding of the constitutional convention."
"Good supplemental information for those interested in going deeper into the Constitution."
"This digital version skipped so many pages!"
A book featuring 101 adventures anyone can enjoy doing in Milwaukee. This will take you to the core of what Milwaukee has become. Barbara Ali is a native of Illinois, but spent the bulk of her adult life traveling the world as she served a career with the US Air Force.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"So many places I had never heard about!"
"Awesome!"
"My mother-in-law loved this book!"
Best General Wisconsin Travel Guides
For Darryl R. Beers and R. J. and Linda Miller, exploring their home state of Wisconsin is a continuing pleasure. Their images have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Audubon, Wisconsin Trails, Lake Superior Magazine, and Boundary Waters Journal.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Attractive book."
"I purchased this as a gift for a loved one who grew up hunting and fishing in Wisconsin and is no longer able to do so."
"Beautiful book."
"This was a gift for my dad who lives in a nursing home."
"Very nice book."
"Beautiful Book."
"I bought this book for a host family in MX."
"Gave to daughter as a wedding shower gift."
Best Madison Wisconsin Travel Books
Presented with modern punctuation and spelling, judicious cuts, and helpful notes–plus fascinating background information on every delegate and an overview of the tumultuous times–here is the great drama of how the Constitution came to be, from the opening statements to the final votes. In 1787, the fledgling American nation was in the throes of a serious economic depression, at least partly because the Articles of Confederation were too weak to make a stable republic.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You like to be informed and learn what or the way it was, the intent, read this book."
"At 77years of age and having served on a local level in government I never imagined I too was following the rules they formulated to carry out such a fete."
"This incredible document enriched, deepened, and expanded my understanding of the constitution."
"I read this book from beginning to end."
"This book gave me a better understanding of the constitutional convention."
"Good supplemental information for those interested in going deeper into the Constitution."
"This digital version skipped so many pages!"
Best Milwaukee Wisconsin Travel Books
Chronicling the Brewers from the Suds Series of 1982 to the 2011 National League Central title and from Bambi's Bombers of the late '70s to Harvey's Wallbangers of the early '80s, Bill Schroeder, a longtime Brewers color commentator and former Brewers catcher, provides insight into the Brewers inner sanctum as only he can. Olson grew up in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he spent a semester on the men’s basketball team “before they got good.” Bill Schroeder is the color commentator for the Milwaukee Brewers, a position he has held since 1995. Born in Baltimore and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Schroeder graduated from West Windsor Plainsboro High School, where he earned All-State honors his junior and senior years.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In If These Walls Could Talk Bill Schroeder and Drew Olson provide a comprehensive look at the Milwaukee Brewers, paying tribute to the great players like Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, reliving memorable moments on the diamond, sharing a smattering of tales, most only mildly amusing, giving credit to behind the scenes staffers like the director of clubhouse operations and the director of team travel, and reflecting on the challenges of broadcasting a game."
"The book also seems to end abruptly as well."
"Highly recommend picking up a copy and reading and even perhaps rereading just before the start of the baseball season or any time the reader requires a baseball "fix!""
"If you are a Milw Brewer fan, you need to read this book."
"Enjoyed thoroughly."
"Bill Schroeder has been with the Brewers for a long time now as a player and then an announcer."
"If you like the Brewers you will enjoy this book."
"Sometimes I yell at Rock on a broadcast but this book helped me understand more of the game."
Best Washington Travel Guides
"Simply put, every local boater should have a dog-eared, well-thumbed copy [of this guide] as a permanent feature in the nautical library. A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands has earned an outstanding reputation for the accuracy of its piloting instructions, the clarity of its writing, and the high quality of its information. Approaches and anchorages for hundreds of bays, harbors, and inlets―many with annotated charts Weather, tides, currents, and commercial traffic patterns Local history and attractions 240 full-color photos 75 color chartlets Larger size and lay-flat binding for ease of use. For even those few boaters who think they know all Puget Sound has to offer, this invaluable reference guide will introduce them to hundreds of new places yet to explore. "An encyclopedic sailing guide to area waters, written with exhaustive first-hand research to almost every cove and inlet, and complemented with a remarkable series of maps, charts, and pictures. "A monumental book that gives minute details on every bay, waterway, and stretch of navigable salt water from Olympia to Port Angeles, including the San Juan Islands. A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands has earned an outstanding reputation for the accuracy of its piloting instructions, the clarity of its writing, and the high quality of its information. Approaches and anchorages for hundreds of bays, harbors, and inlets―many with annotated charts Weather, tides, currents, and commercial traffic patterns Local history and attractions 240 full-color photos 75 color chartlets Larger size and lay-flat binding for ease of use. For even those few boaters who think they know all Puget Sound has to offer, this invaluable reference guide will introduce them to hundreds of new places yet to explore. "An encyclopedic sailing guide to area waters, written with exhaustive first-hand research to almost every cove and inlet, and complemented with a remarkable series of maps, charts, and pictures.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Cruising up there can be very complex....considering ship traffic, reefs that are close to the water surface, floating logs that can separate an outdrive from the boat in a nanosecond, and private or shallow areas that it is a good idea to stay away from."
"A must have for cruising down sound or in the San Juan Islands."
"We constantly use this book for boating in the puget sound."
"the wire coil back is a pain to deal with."
"We've been sailing in the San Juans for over 30 years and still found this book helpful."
"The spiral binding is very nice which allows the pages to lay flat and the heavy cover tucks acound them when the book is closed to protect the page edges - a great touch. I expect this will be a book we will really use this season."
"Great book for cruising the Sound."
"The Waggoner book that was in our charter boat was much better but our favorite was San Juan Islands Cruise Guide: A Boaters Handbook for Camping the San Juan's and Surrounding Area by Cummins."
Best Wyoming Travel Guides
When Rick Lamplugh reports for work at the historic Lamar Buffalo Ranch on New Year's Eve, he has one goal: to learn as much as possible about the ecology of the Lamar Valley and how wolves fit in. A literary blend of facts and feelings, In the Temple of Wolves celebrates nature's stark beauty and the importance of wolves, while revealing Lamplugh's inner battles with his own human nature. Rick Lamplugh's love of the wild in Yellowstone shines brightly in these eloquent narratives, conceived while living in the park's Lamar Valley--prime wolf habitat. His stories pull the reader into adventures and mis-adventures of cold wind and blowing snow, the reality of life and death in nature, and the complexities of managing wildlife and human park visitors.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I tore greedily through the pages, my heart and mind captured by the stories of Rick's winter in the most beautiful place i have ever seen--the Lamar Valley--supporting the Yellowstone association and the Wolf Week programs."
"Rick's book offers compelling reasons for people to make Yellowstone their winter travel destination as well; I've always wanted to visit Yellowstone in the winter, and after reading this book I fully intend to do so within the next few years."
"This love story to Yellowstone and its wolves is a book that made me long to be back in the Lamar Valley, my happy place."
"I hope loves of nature and wild places discover this book, and open their minds and hearts to the role of this amazing animal in protecting and preserving our last great wildernesses."
"Rick made you feel like you were actually in the moment with him no matter if he was driving a tour bus of eager sightseers, stepping out of bed ready for the days activities or witnessing a wold pack cross the Lamar Valley.... you were standing right there with him. I felt his information and history on the bison, ravens, coyotes and wolves were so thorough, factual and complete and very interesting. I am ready for my journey to Yellowstone and I will carry with me the many things I learned from this book... and this time... Rick will be with ME."
Best Michigan Travel Guides
The information provided for each County includes: indexing for county roads, hydrology, and place names.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We bought it as a backup to the GPS for locating waterfalls in the U.P."
"Very detailed atlas."
"The brilliance of combining old cartography with current digital advances has certainly produced a new gold standard for evaluating all atlases from this point forward."
"This is a very good map and it tells how & when each county was started."
"Easy to read maps with a lot of detail."
"This is an amazing book of maps and a whole lot more."
"This is so much more than an atlas."
Best Oregon Travel Guides
The new cartography is about much more than just land! David Banis has managed the Center for Spatial Analysis and Research in the Geography Department at Portland State University since 2006, working with a wide variety of partners at the federal, state, and local levels.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It documents the most absurd things, from house color by neighborhood to noise level in Providence Park by minute in a Timbers game."
"This book is PACKED full of interesting maps, facts, history, images, and impressions of Portland past and present."
"Got this for my best friend's birthday after she moved to Portland and she's loved it as fun way to get to know her new city even better."
"Fun way to explore Portland from many different perspectives."
"this is a great book written by Portland State University professors and their students."
"A creative and smart approach to visualizing the culture of a city."
"I bought this as a gift."
"If you thought you knew about Portland you're wrong!"
Best Missouri Travel Guides
With new hikes and updated text and maps, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis points hikers to the best outdoor trails and rambles within easy reach of the city. Trail Descriptions allow you to assess each trail before you hike it. Detailed Trail Maps provide you with accurate trail information. Trail Profiles help you visualize altitude gain and loss. Directions and GPS coordinates lead you to the trailheads. Whether you live in St. Louis, St. Peters, Washington, or Sullivan, "60 Hikes within 60 Miles: St. Louis" provides you with the information you need to choose the perfect day hike in your area, including trail lengths, hiking times, and trail difficulty.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I like how the trails are organized and separated with categories and that some trails can fall into several categories."
"Directions listed to get to the trailheads, parks, natural areas and conservation areas are accurate. I like to make notes after I hike a trail or an area, so I do wish there was a blank page or two included with each chapter so that trail and area notes could be made. In addition, when the book is updated, it would be great to have a website or something online linked to the book."
"We have used the older version of this book many times over the years."
"Fun book to find places to hike."
"All of the important facts that would keep you on the trail are true, but the trails were a lot easier to follow than suggested, and some of the scenery points did not exist?"
"We go hiking all over missouri, and this book has shown us several new and cool places."
"I read the write-up on the hike I've been doing for 16 years."
"The author does a good job outlining the difficulty of trails and things to look out for."
Best Ohio Travel Guides
Mouthwatering treats from Hough Bakery and traditional ethnic flavors from the local market. Join in as dozens of Northeast Ohioans share their personal stories of Christmas past; includes recollections of people who made Christmas happen, too: former Santas, retail window dressers, entertainers, and of course parents. Every year that passes, the Christmas memories of our youth grow sweeter and more perfect. A 1965 photograph of holiday shopping at Higbee's or an original Atari 2600 box can momentarily transport us to times as treasured as they are impossible to revisit. That's the emotional territory author Gail Ghetia Bellamy covers in Cleveland Christmas Memories. The photo-heavy, 120-page book not only documents the city's bygone retail traditions, but also steps inside our homes to look at how we celebrated the holidays. What resonates are the photographs of artifacts from Christmases past, be it a kid's shopping bag from the Higbee's Twigbee Shop, a WMMS advertisment with the FM rock station's iconic buzzard pulling the sleigh or Frankie Yankovic's 1964 album Christmas Party. I would recommend each CLE-lover have a copy on hand for those nights sitting around the fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa and holiday tunes in the air .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Mostly people aged 60 and older will appreciate this more - I am younger but still remember some of these things - either personally or from family members reminiscing. For example I had no idea the stores hired off duty policemen to play Santa."
"Had some great reminders of Growing up in Cleveland."
"But it's also a huge gift for me, being able to sit on the couch with them and watch them get so excited when they remember a place from the book and then tell me stories about them."
"Anything about Cleveland is fun."
"So many of the photos in the book looked just like photos we had of our chilhhood! I gave one book each to my mom and my sister and they couldn't stop reading it--everything else stopped while they kept saying ."
"We loved seeing the department stores at Christmas time when we were kids, especially the animated windows, so just had to have this book."
"one of the best books about Cleveland history that I ever bought."
"Great collection piece for all Clevelanders, but i think it's great for all that love Christmas season and nostalgia in general..."
Best Kansas Travel Guides
An invaluable companion for exploring new trails or learning about accustomed routes, this comprehensive guide will tell you all you need to know (as well as what it might surprise you to learn) about the trails that crisscross Kansas—history and geography, wildlife and scenery, park locations and cultural possibilities, and, now and then, even a bit of geology and botany. This book is a great starting place for people wanting to explore some of the adventurous and recreational trails our beautiful state has to offer. "— Lyle Riedy , President of the Kansas Trails Council "Grab your binoculars, camera and lunch, pack up the family, and let the Conards lead you on an adventure. "— Bob Gress , Director emeritus of Great Plains Nature Center "With photos, maps, and detailed descriptions, this book will take you down trails that you’ll never forget. This book is a great starting place for people wanting to explore some of the adventurous and recreational trails our beautiful state has to offer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Although there are other trail guides for Kansas trails, most are sport-specific (i.e., focusing on mountain bike trails or hiking trails) and none are as comprehensive as this."
"I bought this for my boy and his wife."
"A great resource for all outdoorsy types!"
"Excellent written book!"
"Great family effort!"
"I bought this book in anticipation of a trip to Kansas next Spring."
"Very well written and indexed."
"I really liked this because it explained the various trails enough to get you started on them effectively."
Best Montana Travel Guides
Glacier National Park and the Great Northern Railway became synonymous in the early 20th century. C. W. Guthrie is a freelance writer who lives in the Ninemile Valley west of Missoula, Montana.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Bought this book for my husband for Christmas."
"great read about a beautiful place."
"All Aboard for Glacier is a we done book about the Great Northern RY and Glacier NP."
"Good coffee table book."
"Very well researched & interesting read."
"Wonderful illustrations and delightful writing."
"This was a nicely done book about the history of Great Northern in general in addition to highlighting how important the development of the U.S. was on the railroads."
Best Western US Travel Guides
Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her. “Strayed’s language is so vivid, sharp and compelling that you feel the heat of the desert, the frigid ice of the High Sierra, and the breathtaking power of one remarkable woman finding her way—and herself—one brave step at a time.” — People (4 stars). — The Boston Globe "One of the most original, heartbreaking, and beautiful American memoirs in years. The cumulative welling up I experienced during Wild was partly a response to that too infrequent sight: that of a writer finding her voice, and sustaining it, right in front of your eyes.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times. Strayed’s journey is exceptional.” — San Francisco Chronicle “One of the best books I’ve read in the last five or ten years. Wild is angry, brave, sad, self-knowing, redemptive, raw, compelling, and brilliantly written, and I think it’s destined to be loved by a lot of people, men and women, for a very long time.” —Nick Hornby. By laying bare a great unspoken truth of adulthood—that many things in life don’t turn out the way you want them to, and that you can and must live through them anyway— Wild feels real in many ways that many books about ‘finding oneself’ . [Strayed] has the ineffable gift every writer longs for of saying exactly what she means in lines that are both succinct and poetic. an inborn talent for articulating angst and the gratefulness that comes when we overcome it.” — The Washington Post “Vivid, touching and ultimately inspiring account of a life unraveling and of the journey that put it back together.” — The Wall Street Journal “Strayed . with a raw emotional power that makes the book difficult to put down. In walking, and finally, years later, in writing, Strayed finds her way again. And her path is as dazzlingly beautiful as it is tragic.” — Los Angeles Times “A fearless story, told in honest prose that is wildly lyrical as often as it is dirtily physical.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune. “This isn’t Cinderella in hiking boots, it’s a woman coming out of heartbreak, darkness and bad decisions with a clear view of where she has been. There are adventures and characters aplenty, from heartwarming to dangerous, but Strayed resists the temptation to overplay or sweeten such moments. Her pacing is impeccable as she captures her impressive journey.” — The Seattle Times “Strayed’s journey was at least as transcendent as it was turbulent. She faced down hunger, thirst, injury, fatigue, boredom, loss, bad weather, and wild animals. Yet she also reached new levels of joy, accomplishment, courage, peace, and found extraordinary companionship.” — The Christian Science Monitor “Strayed writes a crisp scene; her sentences hum with energy. Cheryl Strayed emerges from her grief-stricken journey as a practitioner of a rare and vital vocation. She has become an intrepid cartographer of the human heart.” — Houston Chronicle “A deeply honest memoir about mother and daughter, solitude and courage, and regaining footing one step at a time.” — Vogue “This is a big, brave, break-your-heart-and-put-it-back-together-again kind of book. I snorted with laughter, I wept uncontrollably; I don’t even want to know the person who isn’t going to love Wild. This is a beautifully made, utterly realized book.” —Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted and Cowboys are My Weakness.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Although I did not hike the PCT I did backpack in Yosemite."
"Cheryl Strayed's memoir of an 1100 miles trek on the Pacific Crest trail is an astonishing story of a spectacular and breathtaking adventure of coming to terms with grief and survival during a difficult trek through snow_clad mountains and thick forests for two months beginning in the Mojave desert and hiking through California and Oregon to the Bridge of Gods in Washington."
"This book is not for everyone, you either seem to love it or hate it, but I loved it."
"The author tells her personal story which includes a lot of her flaws and mistakes. I'm grateful for the author's willingness to share this with enough detail to make the reader understand her state of mind and her experience of events."
"Having hiked, during my long life, on four continents, along trails of varying degrees of intensity, I empathised with every painful step this young, intelligent and courageous woman endured on the extremely challenging Pacific Crest Hiking Trail on the North American continent."
"But this book is really less about the PCT and more about the emotional journey which apparently was a good deal more strenuous than the trail. This book documents with chilling honesty the route she took emotionally to deal with that upbringing."
"I am an experienced hiker and Cheryl Strayed was an outdoor person but not a hiker of the type who usually attempts an extreme hike. Her writing is so good that I could envision each part of the trail as she hiked along the PCT."
Best Illinois Travel Guides
Produced in cooperation with the Chicago Public Art Group, Urban Art Chicago effectively conveys the vibrancy of community public art (now a national phenomenon) and how it alters the relationship of artist to audience. This terrific guide opens the doors of Chicago's public art to the caring tourist.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"good photos and details about the murals."
"Quick shipping."
"Also adding to the book's usefulness is a bibliography and a collection of capsule biographies of major artists in the mural movement. But my favorites include the following: William Walker's "Childhood Is Without Prejudice," with its interlocking faces of many races; Christopher Tavares Silva's "Soaring Toward Excellence," a symbolic, energetic celebration of books and education; Aurelio Diaz' "Latino Youth, Inc." mural, with its stunning pre-Columbian imagery; and Jeff Zimmerman's "Paid Programming," a visual satire in which the United States flag is morphed into a bar-code."
"Urban Art Chicago is a beautifully produced guide to many of Chicago's murals and would be an excellent gift for any school teacher."
Best Maine Travel Guides
Maine: A Portrait is the result of Lucian Niemeyer's desire to explore the Maine viewed by his inspiration, Eliot Porter.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A beautiful rendering of Main."
"Mr. Neimeyer shot this book plain, not fancy: he apparently did not use a digital camera and states he did not use filters or image manipulation tools."
"This book contains two sections of photos: the coast and the woods."
"I bought this book sight unseen as a birthday gift for a friend."
"..great pics I love Maine..gave it as a gift..I hope the recipient is worthy of it!"
Best Virginia Travel Guides
Detailed, waterproof navigational chart book of the entire Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Chesapeake bay chart."
"I found it to be what I expected."
"Received on time and was exactly what was expected."
"As expected."
"The charts are very informative & detailed."
"The format is the same but the quality of the binding is just OK."
"Just what I needed to supplement my Lowrance HDS unit for planning my fishing trips."
"I bought this as a gift for a new boat owner."
Best Arizona Travel Guides
In full-color throughout, Fodor's Arizona and the Grand Canyon helps travelers take advantage of the state's myriad pleasures, including outstanding museums and galleries, Navajo and Hopi cultural experiences, top-notch golf, three national parks, and excellent Mexican food and tequila. “Fodor’s is pitched a few notches higher….aimed at a fairly discerning traveler with an appetite for background and the occasional surprise.” – New York Times.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Got this for a friend who was moving to Arizona."
"Helpful book."
"My first solo trip was all guided by this book."
"Very detailed and informative."
"Nice quick reference guide if you are traveling to Arizona."
"Easy to use and priced right."
"Great book, happy with the information provided."
"Fodors is my go to travel guide always!"
Best Louisiana Travel Guides
The next day he began to photograph, house by house: "All the places I went in, the doors were just open. Amidst all this, Polidori has found something worth saving, has created mementos for those who could not return, documenting the paradoxically beautiful wreckage. Oversize photos capture the stark reality: whole neighborhoods under water and later in shambles, and close-ups of sodden bedrooms, mud-scoured kitchens and painterly mold spores.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is as if his books on Havana and Chernobyl were mere foretastes to this exceptional and moving work, and certainly anyone who has seen these two books came away with a feeling of the power and storytelling that Polidori's images can convey. In "After the Flood", he presents us with an almost encyclopedic presentation of the aftermath of the hurricane, flooding, wind, water and mud damage showing the fragility of our cities and the power of nature. The first images show parts of the city still under water and the receding water. Succeeding groups of images show the effects of mud, water and wind on buildings and cars that have been tossed around at random like toys."
"Ridiculous amazing amount of detail from this 8x10 photographer."
"These high quality photos come without captions."
"There are likely a thousand awesome photos in the book, but not the one I remember from the exhibition."
"This book captured the aftermath of the storm to its precise destruction."
"The best photographic essay of New Orleans after the flood."
"I bought this book as a gift for my sister-in-law."
Best Iowa Travel Guides
Taken by a true insider who has lived in Iowa his entire life, Frazier’s photographs are rich in emotion and give expression to the hopes and desires of the people who remain, whose needs and wants are complicated by the economic realities remaking rural America. Years of working, walking, photographing, carefully making notes, names, places. Inhabitants: Farmers, Migrant Workers, their families, Hunters, Churches, Trailers, Storms, Open Fields, Sunday Night. “I wanted to explore the lives of the people who stay, who are casualties of the growing economic divide that separates America’s rural and metropolitan classes. Having lived in Iowa all my life, these forgotten communities are part of my own history.”—Danny Wilcox Frazier.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Driftless: Photographs from Iowa. fantastic book, great illustrations, excellent quality."
"Typically, the photographs show the lower classes, but a few of the images depict well-dressed people practicing their religion, or engaging in a civic activity. Other examples of this genre include: (1) IN THE AMERICAN WEST (1996) by Richard Avedon; (2) PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ONE YEAR (1983) by Nicholas Nixon; (3) SOCIAL GRACES (1984) by Larry Fink; (4) APPALACHIAN PORTRAITS (1993) by Shelby Lee Adams; and. (5) GRIMM STREET (2005) by Mark Cohen. I saw an exhibit of IN THE AMERICAN WEST in the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. APPLACHIAN PORTRAITS is excellent in terms of composition, uniqueness, and image quality, but some of the images in APPALACHIAN PORTRAITS are so bizarre that a typical person would find no solace in looking at them (we find snake handlers, and hillbillies looking like escapees from a mental institution). To conclude, DRIFTLESS:PHOTOGRAPHS FROM IOWA features sharp-focus images, with excellent contrast (ranging from bright whites to jet blacks), and plenty of variety. Variety takes the form of inhabitants of trailer homes, hunters toting rifles, tawdry scenes in taverns, and straightforward landscapes."
"They are depressing pictures."
"The sugar-coated, romanticized, or one dimensional view of "Middle-America" would have us believe that Iowa is only a land of covered bridges, fields of dreams, or over weight mall moms casting their red state ballots."
"The idea has merit: to capture the feel of a changing Iowa, with the relentless agri business taking over the individual farms, small towns built up over decades on many of the State's crossroads now disappearing, their inhabitants, having either worked on the land or in local industries but now drifting away. They clearly have a sense of place and tell a story which I felt was more or less missing from Frazier's contemporary look at Iowa because his photos are too personal and subjective (and I wonder if he takes them quickly, too)."
"Danny Wilcox Frazier's book of photographs, Driftless, is just that."
Best Indiana Travel Guides
In an era dominated by huge railroad corporations, Indianapolis Union and Belt Railroads reveals the important role two small railroad companies had on development and progress in the Hoosier State. An interesting history not only of these two railroads but how they ultimately served as a model for the many other belt railroads . This is a great history book, neatly telling the value of railroads in the development of the United States as well as in Indianapolis.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I worked in Indianapolis for over seven years and was fascinated by Union Station and the railroads."
Best Georgia Travel Guides
Whether you're headed to downtown or to the ethnic mecca that is Buford Highway, you’ll find Atlanta’s best chefs innovating and continuing to redefine the culinary food scene in the big Peach. Part-cookbook and part-tour guide, Atlanta Chef’s Table. manages to capture the complexity and breadth of Atlanta’s modern restaurant landscape, and serve as a resource for those interested in emulating the flavors of this pivotal time in Atlanta food, at home. Atlanta Chef's Table. is more of a food-focused narration of where Atlanta came from and where it's going. Atlanta Chef's Table is a stunning book worthy of your kitchen counter or your coffee table." Atlanta Chef's Table. highlights that authentic zeal, the focused precision and the gastronomic excitement that Atlanta restaurants have been working on for the last decade and it is a stunning collection of recipes to behold.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm generally not a fan of traditional cookbooks as you can find virtually any recipe online and they take up a lot of space in the kitchen cabinets."
"I found just the perfect item in Kate Kordsmeier’s book “Atlanta Chef’s Table.” This is the kind of book you like to sit out on the porch to read, pen in hand, so you can take notes of where you want to dine or what dish will be the main focus at your next dinner party."
"Great book for foodies who not only love new recipes but also like to have a little knowledge about the history of Atlanta's best restaurants."
"The benefits of this book are two fold - It allows you to get to know the wonderful chefs and restaurants in your city and allows you the ability to create their dishes right in your own home!"
"Wonderful book and I love the photography as well."
"This book is a nice resource for the culinary happenings in Atlanta."
"Not only does it provide some great recipes, but also gives a great overview of some of the best restaurants/chefs in the ATL."
"Just received this cookbook as an early Mother's Day gift from my daughters."
Best Vermont Travel Guides
Complete map coverage for all of Vermont including Burlington, Rutland, Montpelier, Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Manchester, Woodstock, Middlebury, White River Junction, St. Albans, Ludlow, St. Johnsbury, and Newport as well as all other communities.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read a review for the Rand McNally Vermont Road Atlas wherein the reviewer dumped the Rand McNally mid-trip and picked up the JIMAPCO Vermont Road Atlas and recommended it above the former."
"It keeps me from going in circles and helps me find covered bridges, wildlife management areas, hiking trails and other interesting things along the ways."
"NIce maps, good detail."
"The spiral binding allows you. to lay it flat on your lap or desk."
"Just what we needed to replace our original Vermont Road Atlas which had been well used, and had seen better days."
"Timely delivery good product."
"This atlas has amazing detail on every road and the spiral binding makes it real easy to use."
"The spiral binding is great, the index is mostly useful; however, it uses town road numbers which makes it very hard to figure out what the road is because many of the ones we were looking for did not have a number on the sign or we were not sure what the number was until we had already driven past the road."
Best Hawaii Travel Guides
The finest guidebook ever written for Maui. Wizard guidebooks take over a year to compile and the writers are residents who personally and anonymously review every facet of the island.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After reading this guide from cover to cover, making all kinds of notes, and cross referencing it with information from internet sources such as Trip Adviser, it's easy to see why it has such high reviews. But after making that decision, this guide devoted to Maui offered FAR more specific insight about things to do and see, where to stay and eat, and all kinds of great details. I generally consider travel guides to be completely useless when it comes to lodging and dining because the information is always so generic, and it is often there because the business paid to have it included. This is the first guide book I've ever used that actually has useful information about lodging and dining."
"We have used Andrew Doughty's Big Island version in the past."
"Mr. Doughty and his team really do get to every nook and cranny on the island and give very honest reviews of simply anything you can imagine."
"Given the nature of the road system and the traffic, it's absolutely necessary to have a guide book that lists more than just the sights to see."
"The best guide book, period..they really have great restaurant recommendactions which we follow and are never disappointed."
"Many of the top picks for activities and so forth have been seconded by my friends who have traveled to Maui therefore I have confidence in the recommendations found in the book. This makes for a very long table of contents to scroll through and I have found it to be overwhelming to read through this section in general. Don't get me wrong, there is some method to the madness as far as the organization of the restaurants (by cuisine and some region), I just don't see the need to list them all in the contents. If I'm really interested in one particular restaurant I've seen along the way then I can search through the book in the Kindle, and I imagine in the paper version there's an index? There are links in the writing to other parts of the Kindle book for things such as photos, maps, or more detailed information on a given topic."
"This is a really great book, but a lot of the pages are blank on my devise."
Best Texas Travel Guides
Author and Cowboys employee Nick Eatman, through interviews with current and past players, provides fans with a one-of-a-kind, insider's look into the great moments and the lowlights throughout the team's history. Nick Eatman writes for DallasCowboys.com as the featured columnist and has been with the Dallas Cowboys organization since 1999.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I pride myself on knowing random tid bits of knowledge or facts that people rarely know."
"There were a few, but not a lot."
"Pick it up for the Cowboys fan in your family, I know they'll enjoy it."
"I really enjoy reading Nick's articles and finally got around to ordering his book; great book, brought back some memories and hit some things I had forgotten about."
"Christmas gift that I already gave a little early."
"Very informative."
"The author is also a gifted journalist, a knowledgeable and witty talk show host on The Cowboys Break streaming online."
"If you are a big fan of the Cowboys, and grew up watching the glory days of 90s and loved the Parcells era, this book is for you."
Best Minnesota Travel Guides
The stories of these grand houses are, above all else, the stories of those who built and lived in them—from the fantastic saga of Marion Savage to the continent-spanning conquests of James J. Hill, to the all-but-forgotten tragedy of Olaf Searle, a poor immigrant turned millionaire who found and lost a dream in the middle of Lake Minnetonka. The first book to take an in-depth look at the history of the Twin Cities’ mansions, Once There Were Castles presents ninety lost mansions and estates, organized by neighborhood and illustrated with photographs and drawings. Larry Millett is an architectural historian and the author of Lost Twin Cities, Twin Cities Then and Now, and AIA Guide to the Twin Cities.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a preservationist I feel this book should be sitting on the desk of city planners nationwide as an example of how we haphazardly destroy the very elements of our cities that make them unique."
"This is a lovely book and a must-have for coffee tables across the Twin Cities."
"If you have any interest in the history of the Twin Cities, Historic Architecture, Victorian Homes, or the 19th century, this book is definitely a worthwhile purchase!"
"My brother in law saw an article about this book in our local news paper."
"We open the gifts one by one so everyone can see who got what...this book was the hit of the party...everyone was jealous of the person who received the book."
"This is a beautiful book with many memories for my parents and a few for me, too."
"The book is well laid out, and has great pictures."
Best Idaho Travel Guides
In her new book Rusch to Glory: Adventure, Risk & Triumph on the Path Less Traveled , Rusch weaves her fascinating life's story among the exotic locales and extreme conditions that forged an extraordinary athlete from ordinary roots. Rusch has run the gauntlet of endurance sports over her career as a professional athlete-- climbing, adventure racing, whitewater rafting, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking--racking up world championships along the way. “ Rusch to Glory tells the story of Rebecca Rusch, a 38-year-old whose sporting career has had more twists and turns than the singletrack upon which she currently dominates the sport of ultra-endurance mountain biking. “ Rusch to Glory is an easy read about the rise of Rebecca Rusch from an average Chicago kid to one of the best known female cyclists in the country and the determination it took to get there.” ― Outside. “Rebecca Rusch turned to the bike to cement her position as one of the best endurance athletes in the world.” ― VeloNews. “You name it, Rebecca Rusch has tried it―get inspired by her adventures mountain biking, white-water rafting and climbing in exotic locations around the world.” ― Triathlete.com. “Written by multi-world and national champion mountain bike racer Rebecca Rusch (with Bicycling’s Selene Yeager), Rusch to Glory contains plenty of tales of riding and racing. “You name it, Rebecca Rusch has tried it―get inspired by her adventures mountain biking, white-water rafting and climbing in exotic locations around the world.” ― Triathlete magazine. “Rebecca Rusch of Ketchum is among the best endurance athletes on the planet, and how that happened is a fascinating story and a great read. She got a taste for adventure as a rock climber, then spun that into an adventure racer and mountain bike racing with lots of detours on the route to becoming a world champion. “Rebecca Rusch [was] not just one of the top female racers out there, she [was] flat-out one of the best all-around [adventure] racers of either sex.” ― Jacques Boutet, professional adventure racer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Rebecca Rusch is a world-class endurance athlete who reached that status by facing her fears, taking calculated risks, working hard and not giving up. She is honest about the issues she has struggled with, which include an eating disorder and the death of her father in the Vietnam War. I've put sticky notes in the book so I can quickly find helpful passages when my running isn't going well or I need a boost."
"As opposed to Jens Voigt's autobiography, which was my first attempt at a cycling based book, this book is written in a smooth,professional style."
"This is certainly not a 'Christian' book - but it is a great book about a wonderful young woman (young to me:) who doesn't give up - who is a model of the word persevere and who is giving back to her community and to many others (including me) who want to live life to the end with purpose."
"I am an active 46 year old mom who loves to try all sorts of athletic activities, including mountain biking (which I find few women on the trails). Now I know where to look for some fellow biking women."
"If you want to read about someone who is a go-getter and truly lives life to the fullest read this book!"
"She was the featured speaker at a Women's Intersport Network Awards Luncheon in Columbia, Missouri."
"Ms Rusch is a true champion athlete that comes across real and approachable."
"Amazing, that's what this book is."
Best Arkansas Travel Guides
Original Disfarmer Photographs is the first publication to present these vintage prints, made by Disfarmer's own hand at the time the pictures were taken--at once family mementos and the original work of one of America's greatest portraitists.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Had just watched a documentary on this man and was so fascinated by him, his life and mostly his amazingly stark, raw portraits that I needed to buy the book to always have those photos with me."
"A nice companion piece to the other Disfarmer book of photos."
"And you really have to be grateful to Mr. Albright for having bought and preserved all this stuff for feeling something in common with the man and his work."
"There is another book called "Vintage Prints" which came out around the same time as this and there is no overlap so if you are a collector you should get both of the books."
Best Florida Travel Guides
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2018 explains how Walt Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. And because they've found that "spontaneity and self-discovery work about as well at Walt Disney World as they do on your tax return," The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is packed full of essential advice for anyone braving the frontiers of the mother of all theme parks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you’re lookin for info about making a trip to Disney World, this book is absolutely amazing!"
"You don't want a rained on Kindle (God forbid ) It seemed as thought there was a lot of "filler" in this book, I understand this is a subjective book , but just my opinion."
"If you get it, go ahead and spend the $10 for their online access (touringplans.com) - it's an essential piece to customize travel plans in the parks for what you want to see and when."
"However, many rides in WDW have been closed (Maelstrom, Backlot Tour, Pirates of the Caribbean, the sorcerers hat in DHS, etc) that are so significant they need to urgently put out a revised edition."
"This book was very valuable in planning our Disney World trip in March."
"So informative, it's insightful, and it's the go-to book for how to successfully navigate Disneyworld."
"I have used this book every time to help plan my trip. I have learned that if you do not plan a WDW trip as a "type A" personality, you will lose out not only on time, but money, and in the case of Walt Disney World....time equals your money spent."
Best California Travel Guides
* Muir is perhaps the nation's greatest conservationist. Other places named in his honor are Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great quality book that is perfect to add to our top shelf of the books."
"Really nice book that I bought as a gift for my boyfriend."
"In those days (1951) we could camp on the valley floor and watch as the rangers pushed the entire large fire over besides the falls in the dark of the summer evening."
"Anything regarding John Muir is a great read."
"Nice, thick book."
"The inside of the book looks great however the cover is dirty and sticky."
"A must read for outdoors enthusiast."
Best West Virginia Travel Guides
From Shenandoah National Park to New River Gorge National River, from the Monongahela National Forest to the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, this book has a waterfall to fit any readers mood or sense of adventure. Directions on photography, including how to set up the best shot - from time of day to angle and direction - makes this book indispensable to professional and amateur photographers.From Shenandoah National Park to New River Gorge National River, from the Monongahela National Forest to the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, this book has a waterfall to fit any readers mood or sense of adventure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent book by Kevin Adams describing the waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia."
"He should have an image at least to those falls that he gives photo ratings, but many falls described in the book has no image."
"Get out there & USE this book (& his other book "North Carolina Waterfalls A Hiking & Photography Guide") to go & explore some of the most beautiful places around."
"I use with book in conjunction with the SNP maps of hiking trails and waterfalls, and do use the Gazetteer that is referenced."
"We have Kevin Adams' Waterfall guide to North Carolina and decided to pick up this one since we planned to travel through West Virginia and Virginia."
"good book on waterfalls but not as good as the North Carolina one."
"My boyfriend is a "waterfall" buff and has been to every fall in NC..I gave him this book for Xmas and he loved it..It gave info on all the waterfalls in our area and the info on how to get to them..This was a great gift for him..I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the outdoors and loves to hike..Now we can explore the Virginia area this summer..He loved the book and I always go to Amazon for all my books anymore...They are great!"
"This book has taken us to some pretty remarkable places."