Best Rail Travel
Paul Theroux, the author of the train travel classics The Great Railway Bazaar and The Old Patagonian Express, takes to the rails once again in this account of his epic journey through China. "[Theroux's] books have enriched the travel literature of this century...China, with its guard down, its buttons undone, and its fingers greasy, looks even more magical with a little of its mystery revealed." USA Today. "[A] very funny, beautifully written, wonderfully observant, and deeply insightful description of the vagaries of life and politics in China."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Theroux divulges a few personal theories as a result of his travel that I enjoyed."
"As good as the first time when reading this book again."
"I am content to read the wonderful descriptions the author gives of the people and the land without the hardships he endured."
"The book hasn't aged particularly well but it's still a classic because of the early 1980s time period covered when China was emerging from the Cultural Revolution and just starting the transition to capitalism."
"In the era of bullet trains and massive infrastructure build-out throughout China in anticipation of the 2008 Olympics and accordant tourism, my time riding trains in China in 2015 was very different than Theroux's, however I found this book to be an enjoyable counterpoint to my experiences."
"It would be interesting to see if train travel has improved in China, or if more people fly?"
"Awesome book, a must read!"
These travels offer a glimpse of the new Russia—a nation that boasts open elections and newfound prosperity but continues to endure oppression, corruption, a dwindling population, and stark inequality. And in Chelyabinsk, a hunt for space debris after a meteorite landing leads Greene to a young man orphaned as a teenager, forced into military service, and now figuring out if any of his dreams are possible. “[An] epic journey by rail.”. - Andrew McCarthy, New York Times Book Review “In this picaresque story of adventure, David Greene reaches beyond Putin’s Kremlin across Siberia to show us Russian life in the Raw―the gritty stoicism, surprising warmth and generosity, black humor, and resilience of the narod, the average people. His Russians are stolidly patriotic and, even now, drawn mostly to strong leaders, resigned to tough justice and preferring stability and harsh rule to the chaotic uncertainties of democracy, their personal lives ‘full of poetry, pain, and laughter.’”. - Hedrick Smith, author of The Russians and Who Stole the American Dream. In this role he is the primary substitute host for Morning Edition as well as Weekend Edition Saturday and Sunday .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The fact families make their own sausage is interesting but I don’t want to know what’s in it or I’ll never eat it."
"I read this book while on the Trans-Siberian Railway Express Trip that David Greene took & was writing about."
"Greene tells tales from 2 journeys plus stories from when he lived in Russia while working for NPR."
"About 60% of the way through the book, the author makes a comment that he has suffered through a score of hardships on his journey - unfortunately, he didn't seem to take the time to give the reader a good idea of what these were."
"Very interesting book which gives one a feel for Russian people."
"If the real people in the rural regions of Russia and the USA were in charge, there would be peace - no doubt."
"This is the first time I've been able to appreciate the ways Russians think about life."
"A carefully researched and well written novel that anyone who has the slightest interest in Russia and her people should read."
It’s not a secret than smoothies are made of natural ingredients like fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Such a rich combination of ingredients guarantees to provide a healthy dose of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and the most potent antioxidants. Loaded with essential nutrients, smoothies improve our body’s natural defense for the fight against harmful allergens, bacteria, and viruses. After reading this cookbook we think you’ll be convinced that developing the habit of making healthy smoothies at home and include them in your daily diet is an excellent investment of your time and health!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love how easy most of the recipes are and it’s very well written and easy to follow."
"I love this little book!"
"Im excited to take notes in the back on the pages provided in the back."
"We love smoothies so I needed recipes that were simple and my toddlers would approve."
"Has a lot of great tips on weight loss, which I need."
"These smoothie recipes are quick, easy and delicious."
"With this book, I hooked my family on smoothie!"
"Great, easy to follow recipes, nice colorful illustrations, the production quality is outstanding."
Best Siberia Travel Guides
Against nearly insurmountable odds and relying on hunting and her own wits, Sarah Marquis survived the Mafia, drug dealers, thieves on horseback who harassed her tent every night for weeks, temperatures from subzero to scorching, life-threatening wildlife, a dengue fever delirium in the Laos jungle, tropic ringworm in northern Thailand, dehydration, and a life-threatening abscess. The descriptions of time and place are just detailed enough to become animated with life, and the author's courage is inspiring." “A National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2014 recounts her journey with the clear-eyed resolve and keen observational skills that make her a successful solo trekker.” ― Book Page.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Author walked a long way, but didn't describe as much as I would have liked to read about."
"One to let you know what literature is out there if you are just getting started with your own armchair adventuring; and two, to show that I have a fairly good grasp of what the literature looks like. The first thing I noticed was that you can tell that an American didn't write this book. The second thing I noticed, and which is of a lot more importance is that the book is not written like a diary or a reconstruction of a story based on a diary. For some reason men on horseback would show in the middle of the night at her camps no matter how hard she had tried to stay hidden. I'm used to reading the diaries of settlers so I'm comfortable with jumps in time in that format. But as I said this isn't a diary so the jumps are a little strange and unwelcome. One example is where she tells us her personal philosophy is to never stay in one spot for more than one night unless it is an absolute emergency. She then tells us that she plans to ask him why the Mongolians are behaving in such an unexplained fashion -- women taking off their tops when in her presence and the men appearing in the middle of the night."
"I had seen a prelude on a TV show and expected greater insight into the culture and people."
"A good read."
"The books is a wonderful testament to her ferocious perseverence and also has some very poignant and heart touching moments when you can feel her loneliness and sorrow at the loss of a beloved companion."
"Couldn't put it down."
"Heard an interview on radio, which peaked my interest."
Best Russian & Former Soviet Republics Travel
From the desperate fight to prevent a burning reactor core from irradiating eastern Europe, to the self-sacrifice of the heroic men who entered fields of radiation so strong that machines wouldn’t work, to the surprising truth about the legendary ‘Chernobyl divers’, all the way through to the USSR’s final show-trial. Andrew Leatherbarrow lives with his fiance and their two children in Lancashire, England.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great read and viewpoint on the Chernobly incident."
"(Not a whole bunch of scientific technical terms and info, but written for the average person) engrossing and verry interesting."
"Absolutely could not put this book down."
"Very interesting summary written by a Scottish fellow who was fascinated with how it happened, how it unfolded, who was involved, and the long-term consequences of the disaster, roughly equivalent to 440 nuclear weapons going off."
"Very well-written and interesting account of the Chernobyl accident, along with the author's account of his visit to Chernobyl, Pripyat and Kiev."
"The author really puts the actual "accident" in perspective and the fact he extensively sites his sources is impressive."
"I liked this book a lot."
"Loved hearing and following along with the book."
Best Cruise Travel
Tips From The Cruise Addict’s Wife by Deb Graham is loaded with tips and tricks to plan the best cruise ship vacation ever! Easy read, laced with humorous stories you’ll want to highlight, it’ll make you the most-informed passenger on any cruise ship. All you need to plan your once-in-a-lifetime cruise vacation is right here. port days, spa, foodies, lazy days at sea, the best way to plan any cruise vacation is with this book. Read several books on first time cruising, preparing for a cruise, packing for a cruise, etc., but not one had this much information. This highly-rated book is exactly what you need to plan your first cruise, or your 83rd cruise.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Though we've taken many, many cruises and are both highly "addicted" to it, I got a number of good ideas from Deb Graham's book."
"As a fairly frequent cruiser I did know many of the tips but definitely gained some new knowledge, I'll be taking magnet hooks with me on all future cruises."
"Some of my favorite tips will help me sleep in my stateroom, because she talks about how to keep hangers in the closet from rattling, and more."
"Easy read, read in a day and a half."
"Great read!"
"This book is easy to read."
"If you're new to cruising be sure to join Cruise Critics."
"If you are an adult with average intelligence, skip this book."
Best Auto & RV Travel
There are two main reasons you might buy a book on living in a vehicle: 1) You're being forced into it by a bad economy, divorce, or unemployment, or 2) The "American Dream" has become a nightmare for you and you are dropping out of the rat race. We'll cover details like: which vehicle to live in and how to find it, where to park, staying clean, going to the bathroom, how to cook in a van, get out of debt, survive any bad economy, travel on a budget, how to get your mail, how to stay comfortable in the heat and cold, how to get electrical power, and so much more I can't list it all here. I love my Kindle, but I have to admit that I've bought some books that I read in a short afternoon and thought "Where's the beef?" What I am is a guy with a huge passion for vandwelling and a strong sense of empathy for anyone trapped in our society who wants to break out.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My wife and I have been considering living the van life for a while and this book has a lot of great information on things to think about before taking the dive."
"This ia an absolute must for anyone not happy with their current lifestyle or living arrangement."
"Thank you so much Bob Wells!"
"Great information."
"When you are through reading the book you feel like you have been friends with Bob your whole life."
"Should be required reading in high school."
"Enjoyed reading the book."
"Great book for references about living a life of travel no freedom!"
Best Air Travel Reference
How planes fly, and a revealing look at the men and women who fly them. Straight talk on turbulence, pilot training, and safety. The real story on congestion, delays, and the dysfunction of the modern airport. The myths and misconceptions of cabin air and cockpit automation. Terrorism in perspective, and a provocative look at security. Airfares, seating woes, and the pitfalls of airline customer service. The colors and cultures of the airlines we love to hate. “Patrick Smith is extraordinarily knowledgeable about modern aviation, and communicates beautifully in English, not in pilot-ese. “A brilliant writer, Patrick Smith provides a laugh-a-page tour of a misunderstood industry -- a journey into the world of aviation, stripped of the mumbo-jumbo and filled with humor and insight.”. -- Christine Negroni, aviation correspondent and author of Flying Lessons. "Patrick Smith doesn’t just know everything about air travel, he possesses a rare knack for explaining it in lucid and witty prose." “Patrick Smith manages to demystify the experience and remind us of the magic of aviation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Are you someone who doesn't get excited looking at the lights of planes as they line up in the night sky outside a busy airport, coming in for a landing, one after the other? Smith has been been a pilot and in love with all forms of air travel since, as a child living in Boston, he'd sit on the Revere beach and watch in awe as planes landed at nearby Logan Airport. He grew up to make a living as first a pilot for a commuter carrier - flying up and down the Atlantic seaboard and all around New England - and then he "graduated" to flying cargo jets for a freight airline. We're also fascinated by the arcane of the airline industry - old tickets from the 1940's and clips from newsreels of passengers boarding a plane in the 1950's outfitted in suits and ties and hats. Looking at the September 11th terrorist attacks in particular, he talks about how the TSA and other government groups reacted by imposing the wrong "rules" in the hopes of making airplane travel "safer". Smith recounts the many terror attacks and hijackings of airplanes and airports in the 1970's and 1980's that we've seem to have forgotten. Good lord, it's half the battle of flying today just getting through TSA security."
"You'll learn the author's personal grades for major carriers' aesthetics, his take on UFOs, a straightforward assessment of flight safety, and "the horror and absurdity of history's worst plane crash" that few have heard of."
"Expect more of these…. On a flight from London to New York, I noticed that our 747 was flying almost parallel with, and very close to, a Lufthansa plane. The tracks are 60 miles apart, however, so you were likely on the same track as the Lufthansa jet, a thousand feet higher or lower, and slightly offset horizontally. A plane one or two miles away horizontally and only a thousand feet lower or higher will basically appear parallel to you. The tracks go west-to-east in the evening, when the vast majority of planes depart North America for Europe, and east-to-west in the mornings and afternoons, when most flights are headed the other way. Track “A” on Tuesday might consist of a totally different string of latitude/longitude fixes than Wednesday’s track “A.”. Separate from ATC communications, there’s an open radio frequency (VHF 123.45) used on the track system that allows crews to talk to each other. The landing gear produces quite a bit of drag and occasionally we’ll lower it sooner, as a way of increasing the rate of descent or helping us slow down, when necessary. Then, as we began our descent, he indicated that the landing gear would be lowered earlier than usual in order to use up excess fuel. It sounds as though your shortcut left the plane with so much fuel that it would have been above its maximum landing weight for the runway (perhaps, because of wind or weather-related reasons, the only available runway was a short one?). The increase in drag produced by the landing gear would result in considerably more fuel burn, helping get the plane within limits. We were above landing weight, however, and the dispatchers recommended that instead of landing heavy, which would entail a time-consuming inspection, that we should descend to a lower altitude and deploy the gear for the last half-hour or so of flight. You’ve got green lights, red lights, white lights; steady lights and flashing lights. Mind you there are variations, but here’s a generic rundown: Navigation lights (wingtips and tail): Colored lights that show a plane’s orientation: red on the left, green on the right, white in the back. Anti-collision lights (on the wingtips and sometimes the upper or lower fuselage as well): Very bright, white flashing lights that basically mean “look out, here we are!” Used night and day. Turned on just prior to the takeoff roll; turned off again just after landing. Rotating beacon (upper or lower fuselage): A red flashing light used any time aircraft is moving. Means, “stay clear!”. Landing lights (most commonly wing-mounted and/or mounted on the nose gear strut): Very bright, white, forward facing beams. Taxi lights (normally on nose gear strut): White, forward facing beams. Runway turnoff lights (if installed, wing-mounted): Bright white lights aimed slightly askew, to aid in high-speed turns when exiting the runway."
Best Dining Travel Reference
From the New York Times bestselling author of My Paris Kitchen, a deliciously funny, offbeat, and irreverent look at the city of lights, cheese, chocolate, and other confections. Like so many others, David Lebovitz dreamed about living in Paris ever since he first visited the city and after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and cookbook author, he finally moved to Paris to start a new life. Writing with the same cheeky tone that has made his blog one of the most popular food sites on the Internet, Lebovitz presents an eclectic collection of vignettes illustrating his experiences living as an expatriate in Paris. After reading accounts of perpetually out-of-service public toilets and hospitals that require patients to BYOB (bring your own bandages), one begins to question what, exactly, Lebovitz finds so intoxicating about the City of Lights. This is not to say Lebovitz's legions of sweet-toothed fans will be disappointed—many of the 50 recipes are made with plenty of butter and sugar; a flawless rendition of dulce de leche brownies is sure to become the home baker's equivalent of that très chic little black dress, returned to again and again.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While some might find Lebovitz's description of Paris a bit (well a LOT) cheeky, I enjoyed it tremendously because I have the same sense of humor. Renting a new apartment, shopping for everyday objects, dealing with crowds and a foreign language."
"Thank you for sharing the up close & personal details of your new life in Paris and the adjustment it takes in a different society from one into which you are born."
"Chocolate!"
"I loeve the way he tells how the people of Paris eat and dress, how they hold their eatng utensils!"
"love it, great text and wonderful recipes."
"great condition and item as promised."
"Hilarious and entertaining with the occasional drool worthy recipe thrown in there."
"I enjoyed the authors humour about the many difficulties that moving to a foreign country would present."
Best Motorcycle Travel Reference
Peter Egan's writing invites you to pull up a chair, pour a little scotch, and relax while he shares with you his tales from the road, his motorcycling philosophy, and his keen observations about the two-wheeled life. Peter Egan is one of the most readable writers in the motorcycle enthusiast world.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am a regular reader of Peter Egans columns but I find having the collected columns together like this better."
"When you finish reading a page, your hair is actually wind blown, and you can smell the pine trees and corn fields as you have been riding along with him."
"Articles by Peter Egan and Kevin Cameron were the sole remaining reasons why I continued to subscribe to Cycle World."
"A wonderful read, I miss his regular columns both here and in Road & Track."
"The last of the series of articles that Peter wrote."
"I own and have read volumes 1 and 3 and the stories capture the excitement, wonder, camaraderie, craziness, perverse logic, and sometimes pain that is motorcycling."
"Cant get enough of this scibes scribblings."
"His wit and self-deprecating humor, along with his background and knowledge of man and machine, add up to a collection of yarns that make you love motorcycling, or wish you could."
Best Hotels & Inns Travel Reference
You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Amsterdam. Connect with Rick: facebook: Rick Steves. twitter: @RickSteves. instagram: ricksteveseurope.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We are mid-budget travelers; meaning we can splurge on certain things (nice dinner, personal tour, etc.). In particular, the Paris guide was very helpful for the metro system, walking tours, history lessons, and restaurant suggestions."
"In fact, you will have a great trip that is well-planned, without having to hire your own private tour guide, or waste time with the big tour groups if you have limited time or would like to just go about at your own leisure."
"First, the bad: many of the important maps are on two page spreads, which means they're useless."
"Rick Steven books are always top notch."
"I highly recommend this book if you are planning a vacation to London."
"The warnings about scams and pickpockets might be a bit overdone, but they're the kind of thing you can and should prepare for, so I don't regret listening to Rick's advice."
"I followed his previous guide last year in London... and am going back."
"I usually like Rick Steves books, but I was disappointed in this one."
Best Bed & Breakfast Travel Reference
Like hundreds of thousands of people, you can boost your rental profits by 2 to 3 times with the most well known vacation rentals marketplace in the world: Airbnb. His advice on how to make money with Airbnb has been indispensable and helped me go from beginner to expert host in a very short time.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I had Jasper on my podcast, The Entrepreneurs Library, to give a deep dive of Get Paid For Your Pad."
"This book provided a lot of actionable advice for improving my Airbnb listing."
"Jasper is the MAN!!"
"I read GPFYP on Kindle plus I heard the audio book as I drove to work hoping to learn enough to take the "dive" into hosting."
"Great value."
"Let me start with this: Get Paid For Your Pad is the best book, by FAR, on Airbnb hosting."
"The background knowledge I received from this book makes me feel like I'm a level above other hosts before I even list my place."
"This awesome book by Jasper Ribbers will come in very handy when I travel the world a bit more so I can maximize profit from my Airbnb listing and get paid well for my pad."
Best Parks & Campgrounds Travel Reference
Dear Bob and Sue is the story of our (Matt and Karen Smith) journey to all 59 U.S. National Parks. Still, another quotes Karen as saying that men who use a laptop while it sits directly on their lap expose themselves to the risk of “cooking their testicles.” For the sake of full disclosure, Karen’s testicle comment offends Matt as well. We also talk about drinking beer and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Matt and Karen have been married for over 34 years and live in the Seattle, Washington area.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It would have been great to include the photos in the book but I'm guessing that would have been cost prohibitive."
"I loved this book!"
"St. Helens, the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast, Redwood National & State Parks, and Great Basin National Park. I laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes as I would read aloud excerpts to my husband."
"I could so relate with some of the experiences they had and look forward to the parks we haven't seen yet."
"I loved this account of Matt and Karen's national park adventures."
"The emphasis upon alcohol consumption and even getting drunk, was puzzling because it - and the childish behavior in hotels, restaurants, out in the parks - conflicted with the authors' claim that they are middle aged adults who have raised a family and are turning 50. I kept reading beyond the point of finding the book somewhat repetitive, and rather annoying in the way that the couple began racing to parks just long enough to get the park stamp, take a quick hike, then mark that park "done" because I wanted to read about their experiences in two of my favorite parks: Acadia National Park in Maine and Badlands in South Dakota. The project was a worthy one but it occurred to me that it was a race, not a journey, done just to turn out a book, or to travel and be able to deduct the cost on their taxes. (I'm thinking I might be wrong about that, but the book gives one that impression: that it's all about getting the passports stamped and to be able to say they did it.)."
"There are a lot of honest and funny descriptions of those kinds of irritations one has to endure when they spend so much time together. The idea that thousands of people are reading about how it seems to be ok to touch things and otherwise think the rules are there for other people is pretty much my last straw."