What's the best way to get people interested in history? Pictures, of course.

Ronald Christopher Zurek pieces together almost 200 vintage photographs into a regional history in "Sauk Rapids and Benton County."

Going back as far as the 1850s, the book explores the industries, businesses and the people that have contributed to the area's growth.

James J. Hill's influence on the railroads and the tiny saloon that was to become Coborn's Superstore are just some of the highlights. Group portraits dominate the book, capturing the lifestyles of granite workers, young men leaving for World War II and operators connecting telephone conversations at the turn of the century. And we can't forget the Prohibition era federal officers reveling in their moonshine bust.

The Ojibwe American Indians who originally lived in the Benton County area serve as a brief introduction to the rest of the book. One chapter focuses on Sauk Rapids' fatal 1886 cyclone, with photos of the destruction.

In "Images of America - Sauk Rapids and Benton County", Ronald Christopher Zurek has brought a collection of vintage photos and text into a cohesive history of the early years of that region of Minnesota. I have to admit that before reading this books I had no idea that sauerkraut was made in big wooden vats, but the photos from the Foley Pickle Factory certainly enlightened me. This book is a wonderful look into the past of a Midwestern small community. From the early Ojibwe and Sioux settlements to the daily life of the European settlers it fascinates us with high quality black and white photos.

The history of the railroads, the "Sauk Rapids Cyclone of 1886", the vintage family photos and all the other elements of this book should be a compass to the current residents of the Benton County proclaiming their heritage. The next time I pass through that region I shall have to spend time looking for the landmarks that still exist, and pondering the ones that have passed.

This book is "a keeper" and will be a welcome addition to my history collection.

I highly recommend this compelling story about a man's quest to find his niche in life, amid numerous trials and tribulations. Only the end of the story will tell you if our hero finds acceptance and love or if he climbs naked to the top of the factory and picks off his coworkers with a shotgun one by one! This story kept this reader engaged from Chapter One til the last word, a real page turner! I eagerly await the arrival of this author's next work!

I just love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when is the next one going to arive . this book should be made into a move, it would be a block buster !!!!!!!

Anyone looking to do business in St. Louis needs to get a copy of this book! Nothing will map the terrain better than St. Louis Currents. I have found it immensely useful for research and perspective on a host of critical topics.

A colleague described St. Louis Currents as an owner's manual for the St. Louis region. How true! It has proven to be very useful for me in my job as policy analyst and teacher. It has summaries of key issues facing the region, the current state of activity in each area, and valuable statistics. It was presented in an easy-to-read format. You would have to visit a hundred websites to get all of the information found in this one volume. The accompanying CD-ROM version makes it even more convenient. Policy wonks like myself will find it incredibly useful at work. It makes preparing lectures and presentations easy. There is really no other resource book like it. Other cities would be smart to produce a book like this.

I found myself reading this book through in two sittings. If you like history, personal stories, diaries or the like, you will enjoy this book. I compare it to Jimmy Carter's An Hour Before Daylight in that it gives a picture of rural life in the early part of the century. It is human, candid, and lean in its verbage. It captures all of the emotions and leaves you with mental images that will last a lifetime. Try it.

In an era of urban sprawl and corporate farming, this is a gentle reminder of a world of small towns and kind people. Jackie's experiences growing up on the dairy farm range from laugh-out-loud humorous to tears rolling. "The Round Barn" illustrates what family values truly were before the demogogues got hold of the term: integrity, caring and principles put before profit. The Dougans were--and are--intelligent, hard-working people who have a tremendous joy in living.

The stories are brief enough to read aloud---and deep enough to read again and again with pleasure.

I loved reading this book. It is an enjoyable, clearly-written introduction to a neighborhood that was "home" to thousands of Chicago's immigrants, including many of my ancestors. "Streets of the Near West Side" goes beyond those facts provided by such genealogical sources as Censuses. It can help family researchers develop a better understanding of their ancestor's "new neighborhood" in America. So, open the book, along with a map of Chicago, and learn how this neighborhood's history intertwines with the names of its streets.

Streets of the Near West Side is supposed to be a Chicago history book about one small neighborhood, but it's much more. It's about who the area's streets are named after, so it tells the stories of Presidents, Indians, Civil and Revolutionary War battles, and a lot of other quirky, odd, and fun information that you didn't learn about in high school history. At 117 pages, it can be read in one sitting. You can't put it down! You don't have to be a Chicagoan--just a lover of biography and history

This book is a must-read for Minnesota natives and tourists alike! Tabbert Long has written a book that honors Minnesota's unique culinary traditions. In so doing, she honors the state's inhabitants. Unlike a travel guide that offers no personal perspective, this book's author both loves and understands the place about which she writes. An added bonus: the book contains delicious recipes from Minnesota restaurants!

Wonderful! Not only has Mrs. Long compiled an exceptional resource of the supremely underrated food-gifts that Minnesota generously offers its denizens and travellers, but she has done so with superb writing and wit. I hope there are many more books on the way from Mrs. Long!

Another great travel book from the British Time Out people, in the tried and true Time Out format: Not alot on history or architecture, like you get with the Eyewitness or Knopf guides, but a straight to the point attitude in a easy to research portable book up-to-date and very helpful. The Time Out viewpoint is that partaking of the life of the city is as important as looking at the sights, so there is always great information on what to do after the museum closes, how to enjoy the city. There are 75 pages on sightseeing, a 114 pages on Arts & Entertainment, plus sections on bars, restaurants, and shopping. Each section is broken down by location, so the restaurants in Soho are listed togther, as are the bars in Midtown, which is the right way to do it.
Great for research before the trip to get an idea of what you plan to do &when, with websites for the individual places listed along with phone numbers and hours of operation. The maps are good; there are some pictures (nothing like Eyewitness). This is a good book to get before you go to help plan your trip to get the most enjoyment out of it, especially for nightlife.

The Time Out Guide to New York is, in my opinion, the best general guidebook you can buy to the city. It's updated annually, so the material is fresh, but best of all it brings the Time Out attitude and style to the guide book series. It's filled with full color photos (similar to the Knopf guides) and the listings contain not only the usual sights, stores and attractions, but also some of the more funky, out of the way places.

Plusses:

-Comprehensive coverage of most areas (see restaurant note below) -Lots of photos -Web site addresses for most listings -Content is also on their web site (www.timeout.com and www.timeoutny.com ) and updated regularly. -Not just the usual "everything is great" attitude that you get with Frommers or Fodors. -Contains ads for shows, hotels, restaurants (I like this as it gives more of a picture of the item. NOTE: There's big disclaimer in the front stating that even though they accept ads, their reviewers are independent)

-Small enough to fit in purse or (larger) back pocket. -Good cross referencing between sections

Minuses:

-Restaurant section not comprehensive. It's still very good, but selective. This may be due to the fact that they also publish a very comprehensive restaurant guide to NY. -Portions of the museum section are a bit skimpy. For example, the Knopf guides have 3 or 4 pages on the Metropolitan Museum, including floor plans and highlights of each collection, whereas this guide has about two column-inches of text on the Met. -No web site listings for restaurants.

As I said, this is the best guide to New York I've found (and I have them all). Highly recommended.

This book not only gives advice on places to go in Indiana and Illinois -- it tells you so engagingly that it's fun to read! Well written, and unusually enlightening.

loved the book! a must-have! riveting! esp. glad to see mention of Rancool, IL 61866.

...such a handsome photo of the authors.

can't wait for the next edition!

I never thought a travel book could be so literate and engaging. It's almost as if the author grew up on the border of Iowa and Nebraska, possibly on the Iowa side. He paints a festive atmosphere about all the visited locales, and he does it with such interest that you can actually SEE the diamond so big it's gonna make you puke at the Iowa State Fair, TASTE the cup-o-pizza they sell at the Grotto of the Redemption, HEAR the townsfolk of Kearney, Nebraska singing "Picking Out a Thermos for You" in the Bandshell on Sunday nights after church, SMELL the perfumed dancers on the private disco floors of Scottsbluff, FEEL the ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, this magazine and the chair at the Iowa Great Lakes.

There was a special on VH1 where a former roommate of Munson was telling a story about living in their apartment, Munson's first. "I just really remember after I'd lived there a while, the guy from U.S. West came with the phone books. Kyle picks it up and starts, like, freaking out about it. He's all, 'The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity I need! My name in print! That really makes somebody! Things are going to start happening to me now.' And I was all, 'Chill dude.'"

Well, all I can say is that the new Iowa/Nebraska TravelSmart book is here. Buy it if you plan on going to either of those places, or, as the previous reviewer so insightfully stated, buy it if you're going to both.

WHAT A GREAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON BOTH IOWA AND NEBRASKA. IT TRULY IS A BLOCKBUSTER OF A READ! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT FOR ANYONE TRAVELING TO EITHER IOWA OR NEBRASKA - OR BOTH. IN FACT IF I DIDN'T ALREADY LIVE IN IOWA - AFTER READING THIS BOOK - I'D CERTAINLY CONSIDER A VISIT. I MAY EVEN GO OVER TO NEBRASKA.

Author, Alice Vollmar has live in Minnesota for the past 28 years. Who better to write a book about the area? Divided by region, this book offers information on dining, recreation, lodging, camping, and rates each using a four star system. It takes the guess work out of planning a trip to the area. A great guide for visitor and resident alike.

In addition, "101 Things To Do on the Wisconsin Great River Road", is a great gift idea.

This travel guide book is one that you'll actually keep in the front seat of the car and use. It's a nice size and contains lots of extra resource information, too.