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The Oxford Project

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Stephen G. Bloom

September 16, 2008
What a fantastic concept! I love all the people, the stories and the pictures. This is a great look at small town life.

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The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Sarah Lyall

August 24, 2009
As an American married to an English man, I found myself laughing out loud repeatedly while reading this book and seeing a lot of myself in the author's view points. Case in point: when I first moved to England I was horrified to note that no one rinsed their dishes after washing them. As the author noted, for the British rinsing the soap off is "optional". I think anyone wishing to learn more about the cultural differences of the UK and US will enjoy this book, but those of us who have experienced living in the UK first-hand will probably appreciate it a bit more. A really fun book.

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Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2009 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
from: Disney Editions

September 30, 2008
THE BEST BOOK YOU CAN GET FOR DISNEY WORLD. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S YOUR 1ST TIME OR YOUR 20TH TIME. THIS BOOK IS ALWAYS HELPFUL BECAUSE THERE ARE ALWAYS NEW THINGS AT DISNEY WORLD.

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

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Jon Krakauer

April 06, 1998
I enjoyed the actual book much more than the audiobook, mainly because Krakauer reads the text so fast that he takes a lot of the emotion out of the story.

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Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Laurence Gonzales

October 30, 2004
This book is not only extremely well written, but offers much scientific insight. The stories of survival provide flavor for his text and illustrate well his concepts. What I found most surprising is the applications of survival stories to everyday life. Gonzales concludes by offering practical advice for surviving in business and personal daily life. This book far exceeded what I expected.

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I Never Knew That About Ireland

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Christopher Winn

March 16, 2006
Another interesting relatively(pun intended)unknown fact, except to Irish and Polish is that: More Irish marry Polish, and more Polish marry the Irish more than any other peoples - outside of Poland and Ireland, of course. There is a better than 50% chance that every Irish name you hear or see, probably has some Polish uncle or connection, as is the same with any Irish name you see or hear has some Polish aunt or connection. The Polish Trivia Book and Irish Trivia..

The connection seems to stem from a Catholic people who have both been to hell and back in their histories. Both the Irish and Polish tend to not sit around and, will always, fight back when needed,i.e., both very proud Catholic cultures. Both Irish and Polish are very proud ... Read More:

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In a Sunburned Country

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Bill Bryson

May 15, 2001
I read this book right before a trip to Australia, finished on the first leg of the flight. The whole time traveling around the country (great place by the way), I found myself seeing and hearing things right off the pages. My wife got so tired of listening to my chuckle and me trying to explain what was so funny that she read it on a train trip we did in our second week of the trip. If you've got a trip to Oz in your future, get the usual travel guides but also get this book.

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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

August 18, 2008
Considering the number of trips on marginal trains through poor 3rd world countries Paul Theroux has taken it seems to me a tribute to his cast-iron gut that he has even survived this long, and miraculous that he has the stamina to continue going on these journeys. I really thought "Dark Star Safari" would be his last trip, although I'm glad it was not, because I've enjoyed his travel writing through the years. I enjoyed this book, although the original "Great Railway Bazaar" is in some places more amusing because the younger Paul Theroux wasn't as rich or well-connected as he is now so he had to settle for very lowly conditions sometimes, which he always wrote about entertainingly. Also the U.S.S.R. was there when he took his first trip, and that dismal place ... Read More:

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World Atlas of Wine

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
by: Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson

October 01, 2008
The editorial notes for this listing refer to the 5th edition, but the listing itself is actually for the new, 6th edition. I own the 5th and have gone through the 6th in some detail. It is worth buying the newer edition if you have an earlier edition. The authors have not only added a couple dozen entirely new maps, but the format itself is nicer, in my opinion, and of course, the contents have been comprehensively updated. New editions of this book are not as frequent as the annual pocket guides (co-author Hugh Johnson's is excellent - Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2009: 32nd Edition (Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book). The 5th was published in 2001, and I would not expect the 7th edition for several years.

This is a favorite wine book, and, unlike ... Read More:

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Zagat 2009 New York City Restaurants (Zagatsurvey: New York City Restaurants)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Travel
from: Zagat Survey

October 07, 2008
The Zagat guide is as important as a map in New York City, where there is a restaurant in almost every storefront or building (and it includes a very nice map as well although I could not get it to tear out). The information is very accurate and up to date, although I did find there were some errors in credit card acceptance. The food quality and price ratings are very helpful. I usually look for around a 20 in food and a less than 40 in food, and figure that is a pretty good combination for me. Some of the great features are the organization by neighborhood, most popular, and highest ratings. I find the most popular more helpful than the highest ratings, because i cannot afford the highest ratings every night.