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Eat Pray Love

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Elizabeth Gilbert

January 30, 2007
I am APPALLED by the fact that this book made it to the New York Times bestseller list and, apparently, will be made into a movie with....Julia Roberts (is this true?)

What does this tell us about North American culture and values??? Why should such a shallow piece of work written by such a self-absorbed narcissistic writer receive such fame and accolades? I am truly mystified. This book was all about HERSELF. Poor little me who received an ENORMOUS advance to write this book before she even left the States. Who whined and felt sorry for herself while in Italy, can you imagine??? She had no interest in visiting the fabulous museums, art galleries, churches, etc. but rather spend hundreds of Euros buying lingerie and eating ... Read More:

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Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Paul Theroux

2008-08
If you want a book about how to travel by train, skip this one.

If you want a book about what you'll discover about yourself if you revisit old haunts, you may find this book intriguing enough to propel you back to your former hangouts and to review your memories . . . both painful and pleasant.

If you enjoy literary pilgrimages, you'll enjoy several entertaining moments.

If you want keen insights into nations you haven't visited, you won't find enough to warrant reading the book.

If you want a book of great writing, you will probably be disappointed. Mr. Theroux will wow you now and then with brilliant passages . . . particularly in the beginning and end . . . but mostly it's plain vanilla writing. ... Read More:

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Into the Wild

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Jon Krakauer

January 20, 1997
I loved how this book was an eplenation of how things can go wrong and the wild is wild!!

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Unruly Appetites: Erotic Stories

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Hanne Blank

January 10, 2003
What a revelation this book is and speaking from a man's point of view it is an essetial education. The stories are so real and believable, it is almost as if you are taking part and are actively involved in the action. I have read quite a lot of erotic fiction over the years and this one stands out, even though I havent even finished reading it yet. So many others seem to give you the feeling that they are stopping short and not going all the way, this book goes all the way. Highly recomended. One of the best. For another highly erotic and very sexually explicit read, check out Suzie Van Aartman's, 100 Percent Erotica.

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One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey (Annivers

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Richard Proenneke, Sam Keith

June 01, 2003
Glad to see this great book getting attention again! I read it years ago during my time in Alaska. I know first hand the splendid wild beauty of the place. I pulled out my copy and reread it the other day and it was like going back to an old friend. Nowadays my time is spent in tropical waters, but this book brings back memories of the Alaskan Bush.

In the 1960's Dick Proenneke chucked his years of the 50 hour work week and headed off into the Alaskan bush. He learned to live off the land, build a cabin with his own hands and simple tools, but more importantly he discovers his true self in the rugged wild country. Sam Keith takes the Journals of Proenneke along with his photographs and turns out a wonderful book of life lived in the ... Read More:

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Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Jon Krakauer

October 19, 1999
I discovered this book after I read "Into the Wild", and quickly became a huge fan of Jon Krakauer. I am almost done reading "The Climb" by Anatoli Boukreev, another climber from the 1996 Everest tragedy, and much prefer Jon Krakauers book. Jon is very descriptive in "Into Thin Air", making constant sidenotes to explain mountaineering techniques and other information that readers may not understand. He is very thorough and honest when describing the events before, during, and after the Everest event...making the reader truly be able to picture themselves there. The book has photos as well...so we know what some of the climbers and guides look like...as where crucial events happened on the mountain. "The Climb" by Anatoli Boukreev seems to rush through ... Read More:

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Southeast Asia on a Shoestring

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: China Williams, Greg Bloom, Celeste Brash

March 01, 2008
This is indeed the classic SE Asia book and it keeps getting better. But I agree with the previous reviewer that Indonesia is virtually a different continent adding too much extra weight. However there is a 'mainland SE Asia' book which is very light and easy to carry: Trailblazer's Southeast Asia by Mark Elliott. It's a bit strange at first glance but is packed with maps and when you get used to all the icons (and discover just how easy it is to travel in SE Asia anyway) it may prove all you need. Best of all it's very portable. There are helpful reviews on Amazon.co.uk including mine! Worth thinking about if you want something different.

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Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Andrew Doughty

2007-09
Long passages written in a verbose authoritative style make this book hard to follow. I think it is badly in need of an editor.

They should sell it along with a cowbell because so many tourists have unknowingly bought into their shtick. This new edition almost word for word matches the previous edition.

I found the restaurant list needs updating. This guide just has all sorts of major errors that warrented the return.

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Lonely Planet Egypt

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Matthew D. Firestone, Zora O'Neill, Anthony Sattin

May 01, 2008
Thank goodness I read this book before going to Egypt. I feel it really kept me from being ripped off left and right while I was in Egypt. I can't imagine anyone going there without knowing all the good tips contained in this book. The book though should make a bigger point about how to go about negotiating prices and what to really watch out for. For example, there are seemingly nice people who will approach you in markets or near tourist sites asking to show you around. BE CAREFUL! These people are most likely out to swindle you. I ran into one guy who wanted to show me papyrus at Said's Delta Papyrus Center. Little did I know that this guy was getting a big commission for taking me there if I had agreed to pay exorbitant prices for poor quality papyrus paintings. ... Read More:

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Lonely Planet Australia

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Justine Vaisutis, Becca Blond, Lindsay Brown

October 24, 2007
Thank goodness I read this book before going to Egypt. I feel it really kept me from being ripped off left and right while I was in Egypt. I can't imagine anyone going there without knowing all the good tips contained in this book. The book though should make a bigger point about how to go about negotiating prices and what to really watch out for. For example, there are seemingly nice people who will approach you in markets or near tourist sites asking to show you around. BE CAREFUL! These people are most likely out to swindle you. I ran into one guy who wanted to show me papyrus at Said's Delta Papyrus Center. Little did I know that this guy was getting a big commission for taking me there if I had agreed to pay exorbitant prices for poor quality papyrus paintings. ... Read More: