My rating - take it for what's it's worth - is based on the book's use to me, as a U.S. born Chicago newcomer. There are portions of this book, devoted to entertainment, dining, weather, and neighborhoods, that I found useful. Even the sociological aspects of America, as discussed in this book, were a bit of an eyeopener (seeing ourselves as others see us). Still, this is less of a Chicago guide and more "Welcome to America". For those of us who are already familiar with the logistics of opening a checking account, or the difference between a condo and an apartment, the definative published guide to Chicago culture remains to be found.

I've just relocated here from abroad and I can't praise this book enough for helping me to find my bearings and get on my feet in Chicago. The author knows and loves the city, and as a bonus, he has also provided many fascinating insights into urban Americans and how they interact with each other and with foreigners. I would recommend this book to anyone unreservedly who intends to make Chicago their home, whether for a month or for years.

disappointing to say the least - much of the book looked as if it had been recopied at kinko's. the maps were extremely hard to read - no color at all. i can't quite figure what's supposed to be irreverent in the book unless it's the fact that every so often the author says something less than favorable about a site or restaurant. save your money.

I spent my first 18 years around and in Chicago, so I was very curious to see what the Irreverent people suggested about my hometown of sorts. A word of warning... there is the usual quibble that applies to all of the irreverent books: they are more designed for reading a whole section at once, as the organization scatters litle info-nuggets about one particular place across a number of different sections. With that being said, the index in the back can guide you to the relevant pages for a specific place you are looking for.

All in all, I found this an incredibly fun and informative book that covers a large range of establishments and attractions in the few hundred pages it was given. It seems aimed at the younger or more adventurous traveler. Let's face it, almost everyone knows the Field Museum, the Art Institute, Brookfield Zoo, Sears Tower, etc. What this guide will help you do is find a great nightclub buried in the industrial district (Crobar), the surreal summer sports customs (16-inch softball!), the famous Frank Lloyd Wright architecture that is spattered around the city (Roble House), alternative shopping complexes (Belmont and Clark), where to grab a drink before a Cubs game (Cubby Bear), and famous local theater (Steppenwolf).

So if you are traveling to Chicago, and want to get a feel for the city that isn't completely upper-middle class and whitewashed (which the traditional Frommer's and such can fall prey to quite often), this book would be a great travel guide to help you out. It's even an interesting read for people living *in* Chicago, as there were a number of places in the book I was not familiar with which sound like quite a good time.

This is not a BOOK but a fold over, laminated pamplet. Contains a page on invertebrates pictures, 2 pages on fishes, 1 page on reptiles and amphibians, 3 on birds and 3 on mammals. The scientific name and the size of the animal is all the information that is listed. I was expecting some descripton that would help distinguish an organism from other similar ones. I was surprised that neither the carp nor the alewife was included.

all the animals in that book were overweight. it made me hungry.

I was disappointed. A large part of this book draws on the Indiana state park system. Granted, the parks have some wonderful trails, but trail maps are distributed when you enter the parks. This book gives you little of the adventurous or out-of-the-way.

Hiking Indiana is an organized guide to finding your way around on foot. When I opened Hiking Indiana, the first surprise was its "workbook" format - the pages are perforated on the edge to be torn out and packed. It's really a book to be used and become as worn out as a hiker after a good day on the trails. The first pages include a Trail Finder chart and a state map with numbers matching the table of contents that is organized by North, Central and South regions of the state. There are 45 parks or cities as chapters that include several Trail Sites and Trails. Park Facilities are shown by key icons, miles listed and Trail Difficulty Rating that is shown by 1 boot for easiest and 5 for most difficult trails. The chart also shows Terrain/Landscape with checkmarks for hills, prairie/grass, forest, lake, wetlands, overlook and river/stream. I was also surprised to see historic trails and city trails such as Madison's Historic District Walking Tour, Columbus' Architecture Walk, and Indianapolis' Canal Walk and Eagle Creek Bird Sanctuary Loop. There's even a canoe trail for those, as they said, with extra hour to give feet a rest. There are maps of parks and trails, but you'll need your atlas or state road map to get to the site. The narrative is an easy read and informative. Sally McKinney includes cautions, such as the trail goes through remote, forested hill country and to let park officials know when you leave and expect to return, to check back in or park officials may go looking for you. Another caution is when you have to walk through shallow water - a creek without a bridge, and which trails to watch for plenty of droppings from waterfowl. Hiking Indiana throws in tidbits on the state's history. Ouabache State Park has a Wildlife Exhibit Loop with bison, and 'Did you know that a bison image decorates the Indiana state seal?' This is a book to leaf through and explore. I really liked Hiking Indiana since it is a good read, lets you explore places to go, and made it all interesting. I am ready and motivated to go from wannabe hiker to getting out the hiking boots.

The descriptions and price estimates were helpful. The complete lack of color photos, except for the cover, was an extreme disapointment. The photos ranged from average to poor quality and were of limited value in indentifying artifacts. I feel the book description should have clearly noted the lack of color photos.

One week ago I went to do some house hunting and found something I wasn't looking for. While going through the house I came upon a large collection of Indian Artifacts. I knew almost nothing about them but susspected they were highly valuable. The next day an estate auction was held and I purchased the collection. Upon searching the internet for some information it became obvious what the best source was for identification of my midwest collection, Lar Hothem's book "Indian Artifacts of the Midwest." I purchased the book and was able to quickly identify many of the pieces that I knew nothing about. The book was written so a "layman" like myself could easily understand and identify many of the the basic artifacts. The quality photographs added to the pleasure of my learning. I was very pleased to realize the age, almost 10,000 years, and value of my collection. Thanks to such a thorough and readable source I now find myself hooked on the collecting and identifying of very interesting artfacts left in my area so long ago.

Growing up in southern Illinois, the stomping grounds of Charlie Birger, I always heard the stories of gangsters. For anyone who has lived in southern Illinois, it is hard to imagine gangsters, bootlegging, etc. going on in this rural part of the state. Being curious about what was fact and what was fiction regarding Birger, I found this book.

It is a really good read, covering all aspects of Birger, as well as some background information on southern Illinois and the Prohibition period there. It is especially interesting to read about areas you know really well, and soak in the history that took place there. I would recommend this book to anyone from the southern Illinois area.

If Paul Angle's BLOODY WILLIAMSON got your attention, you might consider DeNeal's portrait of Birger and his violent life as a natural companion piece. His exhaustive examination of the gangster's persona and the spectacle of his death is well-written and enjoyable. For those not so interested in the particulars of Birger's life, this study offers a solid snapshot of southern Illinois culture during the years just before the Depression. Ballowe's smart, albeit brief, introduction is also nicely done.

I just returned from the trip through Germany for which I bought this map. I suppose if you are traveling far off the beaten path, the enormous detail might be helpful. But if you are planning on using major highways, such as the Autobahn, this is a very hard map to follow. The highway numbers appear as tiny, unhighlighted print next to the roads, and you could kill yourself trying to figure out where you are. The free maps my cousin got me from the German auto club (ADAC) were infinitely more useful.

If you want the 5 minute summary, don't buy the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Likewise, if you plan to stick to the Autobahn, this map is overkill.

Michelin maps come in different levels of detail, and this happens to be the most detailed one for this region. Michelin maps are universally accurate and I find them easy to read. I particularly like to follow the routes marked in Green because they are always worth the detour.

For safety reasons, I recommend that you use this, or any map to plan your route prior to driving, unless you have a passenger available to navigate.

The book gives a good overview of the areas with many addresses. Anyhow I found it a bit too black and white. It gives useful maps, but no coloured pictures from the areas, which would make it a bit more pleasant to read.

I highly recommend this guide to anyone who will be traveling in the Northeast as well as Canada. This guide gives you everything from upcoming events for the year to where to stay & eat. The maps are easy to read and follow. I have been a reader of the Mobil Guide for many years and it is continuing to give the most accurate, up-to-date travel information. This is the MUST-HAVE for the Northeast traveler.

I hope Wright researched other cities better than he did mine, because he lists a restaurant that closed in 1998, an inn that closed in 1998, industry that has 'recently sprouted' (but has been here since 1966), a park at an address that does not exist, and a golf tournament at the wrong course. I'd be afraid to
use this guide for other cities!!!

"Moon Handbooks Ohio" is one of the best tourbooks available for the state of Ohio. It is written in a breezy style with a sense of humor. In addition to the major tourist destinations, many less well known attractions are included, some of which won't be found in other tourbooks. So, for examle, there are locations for off-road bicycling and a guitar camp run by a former Jefferson Airplane band member. But this book is much more than a collection of attractions: there are historical overviews and asides on popular culture. Many annual local festivals are mentioned. At the end of the book, there are suggestions for further reading and a list of websites. This book is fun to read and provides many good ideas for places to go and things to do in Ohio.

"What is any artist but the dregs of his work?" the author William Gaddis said, and one wishes Jon Hassler had remembered that before publishing "My Staggerford Journal," the tearings from his diary he kept in 1975 when he took a sabbatical from his English professorship to write his first novel. While the book is only 100 pages long, there is very little that is of interest to anyone but fans of his work.

Those interested in the artistic process will find little here of interest. Hassler recounts the decisions underlying the writing of "Staggerford" in the fashion of a carpenter building a chair ("Coach Gibbon will talk about sports. Stella about the press box and her dentist. Imogene? Knowledge.").

The best parts of the book are things that have nothing to do with writing. He visits Emily Dickenson's home in New England, and spends three weeks in Great Britain and Ireland. He recounts a vacuous committee meeting at the community college where he taught. After a week writing alone, he goes out into the Minnesota snow seeking any kind of social connection. When he book is accepted by Atheneum, he worries that he doesn't know how to pronounce the name. But overall, the best part of Hassler is found in his novels.

'Loved reading this book; 100-pages that are worthy of gifting to others who love to read and write. With great clarity, Hassler expresses his joy as well as his struggle in capturing thoughts for the reader's enjoyment. And he sprinkles the copy with his down home, chuckle-invoking humor. His Staggerford Journal is as enjoyable as Staggerford itself. Thank you for yet another gift, Jon Hassler!