Review of Central Italy: The Collected Traveler: Tuscany and Umbria (Paperback)

A guidebook without maps?A guidebook you can curl up and read cover-to-cover?Yes, this is it.As one who has vacationed in Tuscany for a total of 36 weeks in the past 11 years, I found this book not only evocative of fond memories but instructive by pointing me to places, eateries, and certain facts of Italian life of which I was unaware.The early sections covering tipping, car rental, trains, etc. are of particular help to the first time traveler.There's even a little Frances Mayes in there for the 1% of the people interested in Italy who have not read her books on Tuscany.But after reading this book, you'll have to get a map or two anyway...because you'll have booked a flight to bella Italia.

Product Description
Each edition of this unique series marries a collection of previously published essays with detailed practical information, creating a colorful and deeply absorbing pastiche of opinions and advice. Each book is a valuable resource -- a compass of sorts -- pointing vacationers, business travelers, and readers in many directions. Going abroad with a Collected Traveler edition is like being accompanied by a group of savvy and observant friends who are intimately familiar with your destination.

This edition on central Italy -- tuscany & umbria features:

Distinguished writers, such as Muriel Spark, Gerald Asher, Erica Jong, Jason Epstein, Pope Brock, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, and David Downie, who share seductive pieces about the side roads of Tuscany, wines of Montepulciano, renting houses in Tuscany and Umbria, cooking schools, outdoor markets, and the Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio.

Annotated bibliographies for each section with recommendations for related readings.

An A-Z "informazioni pratiche" (practical information) section covering everything from accommodations, hiking, and pazienza (patience) to the Italian yellow pages.

Whether it's your first trip or your tenth, the Collected Traveler books are indispensable, and meant to be the first volumes you turn to when planning your journeys.

From the Inside Flap
Each edition of this unique series marries a collection of previously published essays with detailed practical information, creating a colorful and deeply absorbing pastiche of opinions and advice. Each book is a valuable resource -- a compass of sorts -- pointing vacationers, business travelers, and readers in many directions. Going abroad with a Collected Traveler edition is like being accompanied by a group of savvy and observant friends who are intimately familiar with your destination.

This edition on central Italy -- tuscany & umbria features:

Distinguished writers, such as Muriel Spark, Gerald Asher, Erica Jong, Jason Epstein, Pope Brock, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, and David Downie, who share seductive pieces about the side roads of Tuscany, wines of Montepulciano, renting houses in Tuscany and Umbria, cooking schools, outdoor markets, and the Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio.

Annotated bibliographies for each section with recommendations for related readings.

An A-Z "informazioni pratiche" (practical information) section covering everything from accommodations, hiking, and pazienza (patience) to the Italian yellow pages.

Whether it's your first trip or your tenth, the Collected Traveler books are indispensable, and meant to be the first volumes you turn to when planning your journeys.

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Review of Moon Texas (Moon Handbooks) (Paperback)

As a mom with a family who loves to travel, I will use this book over and over. Need a weekend getaway suggestion? Visiting Aunt Pearl in East Texas? Wanting some ideas for a girl's trip? This guide has it all. These Moon Guides are a nice mix of history, enlightened comment, and useful information.

Product Description
As a longtime Austin resident and writer for the Texas Historical Commission, Andrew Rhodes knows the best ways to experience the Lone Star State. As the saying goes, "everything is bigger in Texas," and Rhodes includes a colossal amount of sights and activities, from catching up-and-coming indie bands at Austin's South by Southwest music festival to taking in the rugged beauty of Big Bend National Park. Andy also offers unique trip strategies that help travelers plan trips according to their interests, such as Texas Food - an exploration of Southern cooking and Tex-Mex - and the Overlooked Natural Wonders tour. With detailed information on surfing and fishing on the Gulf Coast, exploring museums in Dallas, and checking out Cadillac Ranch, Moon Texas gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

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Review of In a Sunburned Country (Paperback)

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 thepoint in their Australian episode.Finally, someone has managed to capturea bit of the character of this great country.He releases it from theshackles of the Paul Hogan stereotype.

This is a terrific read.Brysonhas, mercifully, gone well and truly off the beaten track to explore manydifferent parts of Australia - the cities, the outback, the tropics, andeverything else in between.But as ever with a Bill Bryson book, more thanthe destination itself, the pleasure is in getting there.Laugh-out-loudmoments abound, though perhaps more in the restrained way of "A Walkin the Woods", as opposed to the guffaw-fest that is "NeitherHere Nor There".

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

Bryson once again recounts numerous historicaland 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 isperhaps that he likes Australia a little too much.God knows, I'm sopleased that he does.However, he is, I believe, at his best whendistressed.Dull and drab places, and stupid, mindless people bring outthe devil in Bill Bryson, and have always proven to be useful comic fair. There are elements of that here - his body boarding experience, his viewson Canberra, and his trials and tribulations with hotel receptionists inDarwin - but at the end of the day, opportunities to vent his sarcastic witare somewhat limited.

Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan of the greatStephen Katz, I would also have loved to have seen him deal with thehardships of outback Australia.He would have absolutely LOATHEDit.

Read this book.It is a treat.



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