I had used the Insider guide to New Orleans and loved it. So when an opportunity for a trip to Lake Tahoe came up I jumped at the chance to use another book from this publisher.

Unfortunately this book disappoints. Lake Tahoe is a big body of water, right? And bodies of water have beaches. Perhaps you might want to sit on the shore of one of those beaches and relax, read, watch the sun set? Not if you're using this book. I found better guides to the beaches around the lake in the giveway newspaper I picked up ata 7-11 than this book.

Or maybe you'd like to take a hike? Look at that beautiful lake, the georgeous hills, and so on? Again, not from this book. The hiking entries were so skimpy I went down to the chamber of commerce booth in I50 and got handouts for free that were more informative.

I could go on and on, but this book was a real disappointment to me, especially after the New Orleans book that showed me neighborhoods and places I was delighted to find. My advice: if you're going to Tahoe, pick another book!

well, as far as a listing of hotels and properties, okay, this book will do that .. but for "insider" information, you'd do better to ask anyone you meet on the street .. there is no help as far as "what's best" or good deals .. the supposedly "inside" secrets tell visitors to be sure to register for casino slot clubs, but not which one is best. It gives buffet prices, but doesn't direct visitors to the best one.

there's little information about what to expect as far a snowfall goes at the lake, nothing to tell you about driving conditions .. there really is just nothing more than a list of properties. And the photographs aren't even original or helpful, they're all provided by outside sources, such as the visitors bureau or even the resorts themselves. The maps are even less helpful .. c'mon, at least pretend like you care!

I bought this book because I had used other Insiders' guides before and this was by far one of the best. I found that this guide had more Insider info than the two others I had purchased. The authors give readers places to go off the beaten path. I especially liked the Kidstuff chapter since I vacationed with my entire family. This guide is well worth the money.

This book being the only book in print covering specifically Nevada ghosts, I figured it would be a good read. Oh was I wrong. The book is overpriced and is not detailed enough in each chapter. Each chapter just skims the surface and leaves the reader wanting more detail... a lot more. Felt very disappointed after reading. Very poor photo quality of supposed ghost photos taken by author. One has to question the author's true experience with the paranormal and her ability to write. I would strongly advise anyone and everyone interested in ghosts and/or the old west to stay away from this book- far away. This book is just a waste of time and money. It is an insult to Nevada and her silver legacy.

This little book has a promising title and it does tell of places reputed to be haunted. However, most, if not all, of the stories are told in other volumes and in better depth. The author only briefly mentions some haunted places that could have been better researched. She tends to throw out little "teasers" and leaves the reader wanting to know more information than is given.

As a student of the paranormal, I was disappointed in the quality of several of the photos. One would expect them to be a little more clear. She included some in the back that are purported to be "ghosts" They are very blurry and one cannot see much. I tried to see the "ghosts" she was saying are in the photographs but to be honest, I couldn't.

This booklet may find an audience in teenagers.

This author has a way of telling a ghost story that makes you carefully read each gripping page of this book cover to cover. I couldn't put this one down! Janice Oberding is an expert writer and story teller. This book is very well written and I would highly recommend it to everyone, you won't be sorry you bought it. Even if you don't believe in ghosts this book is very entertaining and rich in Nevada history, it keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next exciting ghostly tale.

After waiting several years for its release, the new edition of Mike Carville's guidebook to rock climbing in the Tahoe area was finally released in 1999. This book was long over-due; and though happy that it's finally out, I am rather disappointed with it. This guide is rather exhaustive in covering the climbing areas in the Reno/Tahoe area, but it falls far short of other guide books, such as the "Climber's Guide to Smith Rock" by Alan Watts, in its overall quality.

This guidebook lacks a "star" rating system, which many climbers are familiar with and find useful. The new hand-drawn topos by Mike Clelland are a nice addition since the original edition (1991), but their detail makes distinguishing route-lines on some topos difficult. The book is seriously lacking in the number of actual photos of cliffs, and those included only show select route-lines. Most critical to any rock climbing guidebook are its route ratings, and many of those given in this guide are disputable.

All told, it must be remembered that this book is only a 'guide' and is not the absolute authority on what one will find at each crag. Your mileage will vary! If you are unfamiliar to the area, be sure to check with local climbers, who are generally more that willing to give advice. Also, Bob Sutton's "Select Rock Climbs of Tahoe" is available locally and is a very nice compliment to Carville's guide. HAPPY CLIMBING!

If you're over 40, I'd be surprised if you could make out the tiny print on the topos in this book. The text is very small and very difficult to read. There also is no ***** system recommending quality routes. Try to search out the old guide book with larger and more readable topos.

After a few years of delays, it's good to see the new edition of Mike Carville's guide to Tahoe climbing come out (the first edition was called "Climbing Tahoe Rock"). I had been working off tatty photocopies of the 1991 edition for quite a while, so having a sturdy, well-bound book finally to hand is a relief.

The major new feature of this guidebook is a set of excellent topos hand-drawn by Mike Clelland. These are among the best topos I have seen in any climbing guidebook. Unfortunately, about 20% of the topos remain the vague and confusing outlines last seen in the 1991 edition.

Directions to crags are generally good, but route descriptions rarely extend beyond names and approximate indications of the lines of ascent. Carville's alternative to the star ratings common in other guidebooks is a "recommended routes" section at the beginning of each description of an area, which makes navigation back and forth through the book an annoying necessity; this also makes it less easy to decide which routes might best be skipped by climbers unfamiliar with the area.

As far as new routes go, this version doesn't seem to add a lot of material over what was in the 1991 edition. There is now a section on ice and mixed routes, which I don't recall seeing in the earlier edition (but I wasn't interested in ice climbing then).

Carville has clearly put a lot of work into the new edition of this book, and while it's not the best guide I've seen, it is certainly good enough to get you to some crag where you'll find whatever challenges you please.

Gabriela Zim's editors did her a disservice by allowing this DRAFT to be released as a final book. Reading between the lines the chapters' concepts are apparent, but they are not brought to fruition, and after a few chapters I was parched for some substance. I sensed a talented writer. But, really, I read this book and felt like I was reading Beverly Johnson's daytimer. Places and people are not well developed.

A glowing, praise-filled biography of someone everybody seems to have loved, probably with good cause. If you were looking for details about Johnson's stellar climbing career, however, you will be disappointed: the author is clearly not a climber and seems to have little interest in that aspect of her subject's life. Also, the editing job on this book is terrible; it's full of misspellings and grammatical errors. I'd get it from the library.

I thought this was a very well written book. The grammatical/spelling errors aside, I like the style of the book. The author uses mostly Beverly's letters to her parents to tell her story. Beverly wrote some truly amazing letters. Her sense of humor, fun and outlook toward life comes thorough. Some interviews with friends after her death are also included. The author only touches on Beverly's life as a climber; after reading this book you can see was only one aspect of her life. Beverly comes across as a amazing woman someone whos lifestyle many can admire. I think a must read for any woman in a male dominating sport or activity.

I just received Volume's 1 and 2 today (Washington/Oregon and California/Nevada today, and am returning them tomorrow. They are the worst camping resources I have ever seen. Literally they are nothing more than alpha lists of public campgrounds organized by state with a handful of low res JPEG images thrown in, all in a Word document. The two that I bought were two megabits and four megabits respectively in total size. They could have put all ten volumes on a single CD and had room left over for a listing of every retaurant, gas station, and parts store in America. Amazing that someone else rated this five stars; I can only assume it was the author or a friend of the author.

As a CD ROM, I naturally assumed that this would be an interactive version of a book. Not a chance, it's just text, and the pages scroll down the screen with two pages per screen, except that it's not even formatted to fit a normal screen, so you have to scroll down to finish a page, and then scroll back up to start the opposing page. The information contained therein is just publicly available facts that could be obtained from numerous government websites, all without editorial comment or useful descriptions. I don't know why Amazon would even carry this product, or if they feel they have to carry everything, they should at least give you a warning.

Comprehensive is right, tells you things the others don't, user friendly, not a lot of coded abbreviations to look up. Pop the CD in the lap top, search the city and you are there. All you need now is a road map and a cell phone Book has lots of handy phone numbers and all the information you'll need about where you are going. Don't have a lap top, then get the book its a must have!

I was a great fan of this author's 1992 book titled 'All Right,OK, You Win,' which was an insightful and well-written overview of theStrip. When I saw this book, 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome,' I hoped for an update of all that has happened on the Strip since 1992. Imagine my dismay when I discovered it's the exact same book as 'All Right, OK, You Win,' with a different cover and a different title. END

Although I patronize neither casinos nor brothels, Spanier's book was fascinating reading for me. He takes his reader inside the back rooms of casinos, explaining how they can afford to give away freebies to their best customers, how they draw new families, and the future of Las Vegas. He puts the story of the Nevada city into a historical context, explaining how it blossomed from a railroad outpost a few decades ago into the major destination it is today. He concludes by speculating about the effect of competition, including nearby Laughlin, state lotteries, and Atlantic City. This book will not disappoint.

Here is a somewhat fanciful look at the life of Warren Nelson. Mr. Nelson had a superb career in the Nevada gaming industry, and his life story is fun, easy reading. His account of his experiences as a partner at the Club Cal Neva and Palace Club are good reading.

It's a smallish book with not quite the usual photos that we normally see and are familiar with. I love Las Vegas and love Las Vegas books. This one is just one of the bunch. Not really a stand out but all together not bad. Its a good to average read, photos interesting but not that memorable. Keep looking I think, there are better books out there.

"Cougar Chase" stresses the life of a boy, and many adventures he finds himself in with a good friend named Ashley Deaton. It also focuses on him fitting in to his new home in the high Sierra Mountains. Josh has always been moving with his family consistently, so friends are not easily made or kept for Josh. He has however found a home he likes and has made, a great friend with Ashley Deaton, a girl that lives next door to him. However Josh and Ashley always are going into adventures, because Josh's dad works for the Forestry Ranger Service. One of the most interesting adventures that Josh and Ashley become involved in is the Cougar Chase.

The author is trying to stress three main topics in this book. The first is how hard it is for a twelve year old boy, to fit into a town that is entirely new to him. The second point that is focused upon is friendship. The book spends a great deal of time evolving around Josh and Ashley's dedicated friendship with one another. The third main issue is the overall fitting in of Josh, and his attitude toward it. Josh has a step dad which he really doesn't except at first, but then after really going through some tough times, Josh realizes that his step dad, Mark, really loves both him and his mom. Overall, the author was trying to stress the importance of friends, love for your family, and bonding are all important factors you must have to be a family.

In his brief life, Jim Jenkins mapped out much of the Southern Sierra, including the Pacific Crest Trail in the region, and wrote two detailed guidebooks. Since his death in 1979 at the age of 27 his mother, Ruby Jenkins, has continued his work and updated his books on the region.

This book is loaded with information on the geology, flora and fauna of the Southern Sierra. It also includes an excellent map of the region which is almost worth the price of the book. But the heart of the book is the descriptions of 150 trips in the Southern Sierra, and it is this part that is difficult to use. Unlike most guidebooks, trail descriptions and directions to the trailhead are in separate parts of the book. This necessitates a lot of flipping through the book. And, while the trips described by the book are broken down geographically, they are not separated by type. I would prefer to see climbs, drives, and bike routes in a separate section of the book than hikes. Still, this is the most comprehensive guide to the area, and very informative. Hopefully ease of use will improve in the next edition.