This is, simply, the only guide you'll want or need for visiting the Berkshires. It seems to improve a little with each addition. I gave the last edition four stars. I'd give this one four and a half (if Amazon would let me.) Having travelled all over the world and found few spots to rival the Berkshres for quiet, unspoiled beauty, wonderful place to bike and hike and rich cultural offerings, I am glad to have found a guidebook worth of this worthy place.

This is easily the best guidebook available for the Berkshires (a remarkable region of natural and cultural beauty in Western Massachusetts.) Extensive, in-depth chapters not cover every attraction, restaurant, and type of lodging available in the region, but also provide a wealth of information on the history and culture of the region. If you're a day tripper visiting The Calarke Art Institute in the morning and the Norman Rockwell museum in the afternoon, you probably don't need this book, but if you're staying in the Berkshires for an extended time and long to really understand what makes this place so fascinating, you'll want a copy of The Berkshire Book in your suitcase.

Well, I think it's the only book ever written about the AMC's high huts in the White Mountains. And it is quite informative and useful if you plan to do a lot of hut hikes. The maps and short hike info definitely enhanced my hut trip.

But I would rather see something a little less blandly "official" and a little more "behind the scenes." I'd have appreciated more anecdotes about what goes on during those long summer days when the hut crews have spare time. I know that the crews famously play pranks on each other. And surely the advent of "co-ed" crews has resulted in some, eh, hanky panky? If there are such interesting stories, they are not in this book.

My dad and I love to go to AMC huts and this book is my bible. I read it all the time, and bring i t with me when going to huts. Just be warned, if you are hiking on the gulfside trail from Madison Springs Hut to Lakes of the Clouds hut, the book says 4.5 hours. WRONG. The correct time is 9.5 hours.

As are almost all lonely planet books, this is a great, GREAT book for covering the metro Boston area. I recommend it as THE book to use, especially if traveling to Boston. It goes into depth on all aspects of Boston culture, down to climate, money scams, and gay and lesbian tourists. Although the book doesn't explain every site on the walking tours, it does give an overall, helpful picture of the tours in general. It also tells about the hot clubs and places to go, with regular updates and good descriptions.

However, if you're looking for excursions outsiode of Boston, or are, like me, a new resident of Boston, you may not want to get this book, becauise it focuses on the Boston area. In that case, get Lonely Planet:New England, or a new resident's book. And for a shorter, cheaper version of this book, get Lonely Planet Boston:Condensed.

Hope it helps.

This is a great place to start if you don't know anything about Boston. It gives lots of interesting places and attractions to visit. Even thought most of the places mentioned by LP is concise and accurate, be warned that some of the "attractions" mentioned are over rated.

This is the only book I've seen that describes a rich variety of Native American sites in New England. They have received scant attention from most archaelogists without good reason. This book just gives an inkling of the ancient sites that exist in New England.
While many of the sites are remarkable, I do not always agree with the authors' conclusions. I also found it necessary to skim some of the lengthy, detailed descriptions of some sites.
I probably would only give this a 3 star ranking if there were other, better books on the subject. However, this is the only one that exists --- you should buy it if you are interested in this field.

A superbly illustrated, highly detailed and scholarly description of sacred sites in New England, most of which are ignored by the classical archeological community. The authors provide insight into the spiritual connections between native peoples and settlers. Good information for those interested in "seeing" the sacred landscape around them.

This book is a great start when you are looking for places to bike in New Hampshire. However, beware of the maps provided in this book, they are very general and WILL GET YOU LOST. I would advise using the book to select a ride then getting a topographical map of the area, or, obtaining a Forestry Service map. Either way, you are preparing yourself for a fun day of riding in a great state! Let's face it, getting lost riding is fun, right up until it's nighttime and getting cold.

This book is so perfect for family and for leisure riders! It is not the "carry-your-bike-up-the-legdge-and bushwhack-through-the-bushes" kind of book. Rather, you're biking on pine-needle covered trails a lot and having a chance to share in nature. It if perfect for starting a family tradition. The author does a super job of combining riding with your kids and doing other things (watching great blue herons fish, observing beavers building their lodges at a state reservoir, a visit to a science center on the Seacoast that's a part of a state park--Odiorne Point).

My kids look at this as such a family thing to do. I want to cultivate this kind of activity with my family so that video games and other sedentary activities take a back seat.

It's a gift to have all these state resources in the scenic state of New Hampshire readily available for the taking. Count me in! Let's go summer--load those bikes up. Don your helmets, kids. We're ready to roll. Ride softly!

Mr. Waldstein is a bargain-hunting angel. This book is well-organized and a fun read, though sometimes directions are sketchy and hours of operation or phone numbers are wrong. It is less like having access to a city's reference librarian than meeting a friendly person who's lived in the city for years and knows all the best places though not always the details.

This was the first book of the Mr. Cheap series and is now in a second edition. Organized into four main sections (shopping, entertainment, restaurants and lodging), reviews are informal and newsy, usually around 100 words. The index is adequate and an appendix lists restaurants (the most comprehensive section of the book) by food type/ethnicity.

Well worth its cost though not the only reference you'll need.

Cheap internet cafes, public library lectures, poetry readings,kayak trips, jazz music...... Retail sections also form a large part of the book: infomation on second hand musical information is available; if you want to bring in your instruments to trade in. Similary, second hand bookstores offer the same service. A wide range of CDs, books and furnishings and electronic equipment for the bargain hunter with also locations of fabric stores for designing clothes as well as dress patterns. Besides listing the locations of more unusual supplies like where to get portfolios, there are address guides of the chains of larger stores. A good supplement to Mr Cheap's Guide is Romantic Days and Nighs in Boston by Patricia Harris & David Lyon. It gives great ideas for strolls in the parks, cycling, afternoon teas,picnics and brunches for two. Mr Cheap's guide does not provide maps or comprehensive transportation information and is ideally used as a supplement to a travel guide with location guides. Instead of a travel guide, a travel map is also ideal: hightlight the spots of the map of interest and then plan where to go and stay. Most of the information should ideally be used as early as possible; for bookings of hotels as well as current information on talks and free concerts. It is recommended that internet research is done with the book at hand: for the university lectures, performances, concerts and symphony sessions, current information is needed so read the book over and highlight places of interest and check up for more information. Some organizations also require that you write to them so do armchair travelling in advance.

"New England" by Vermont chef Molly Stevens is part of a series of six American regional cookbooks published by Williams-Sonoma. (Others are "Pacific Northwest," "California," "The Southwest," "The Heartland," and "The South." Beautiful color photos of the prepared dishes accompany most recipes. What I like most about this cookbook is the emphasis on classic New England cooking: New England Boiled Dinner; Red Flannel Hash; Yankee Pot Roast; Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onion; Lobster Rolls; Steamer Clams with Broth and Drawn Butter; New England Clam Chowder; Baked Beans with Molasses; Blackberry Slump; and Gooseberry Fool.

Chef Stevens updates the traditional Harvard Beets recipe and offers her take on others such as Salt Cod and Potato Cakes (offered with tomato salsa as a starter); and Roast Cod Fillets with Horseradish Dill Sauce (based on a Kennedy family favorite dish). Also, I like these: Shaker Herb Salad and Seafood Grill with Nasturtium Butter.

Nutritional analysis is given, per serving, and there is a food glossary. Some ingredients may be hard-to-find outside of New England though, and no mail-order sources are given. I would also have liked some menus included. However, this cookbook has recipes for year round, and I recommend it for its authenticity and appeal.

Williams Sonoma is perhaps my favorite food store, and I was pleased to see that they came out with a series of books based on the United States regions' cooking and food. I was very interested in the New England book because of that region's specialties. The book looks great and has some very good recepies as well. I was interested in Molly Stevens's treatment of the fishing industry (particularly with codfish), and she does a good (albeit not deep) overview. For those interested in a deeper examination of codfish I recommend Mark Kurlansky's Cod. But I recommend this book for anyone interested in being introduced to the region's food.

A pretty book, but I didn't find the content very insightful -- it reads more like a glossy, extended brochure. Also, I don't know why they chose those particular projects. Oh well. I returned my copy.

The wait for this book has been well worth it. Not only is the book very educational but offers beautiful quilt projects as well. It is obvious that a lot of effort and planning went into this publication. Definitely a valuable addition to any quilter's library!

Entertaining a move to Boston, I bought this book on a whim. It's a nice guide and will give you a general overview, but I wanted more meat. I suppose I'd be in a better position to judge had I actually moved at this point. It does give some nice information by neighborhood, so you could theoretically find a dry cleaner/coffee shop/hardware store your first week in town if you needed to. A little too much of the book (for my taste) was devoted to moving basics...like a packing timeline, etc. I already know this stuff or would consult UHaul if I didn't...I would rather have had more Boston info in the book. The writer clearly loves the city and is proud to share it, and isn't afraid to discuss the city's foibles (traffic, parking and high -- really high -- cost of living). If you're looking to move to Boston, I'd buy this in tandem with another book or two -- just to make sure you're getting everything you need.

An excellent book. In the tradition of Mr. Gaffin's reknown website Bostone Online, the book is enlightening for those of us from far off lands on the true culture and language of Boston. A true guide to bean town. Well recommended.

The book is useful, and provides good insights into the rides described if you happen to live close to a number of rides. There are two considerations that make the book less useful than it should be.

First, the rides, as the title suggests, are short - some are less than 10 miles. Second, since Connecticut is a large state, you can expect to be a very substantial distance from any particular ride. While it might be worth it to drive 50-100 miles to participate in a bike trip of 50 miles, if the bike trip is only 10 miles, then the drive doesn't necessarily seem worth it.

This book is great for anyone who wants to go out for a short Bike ride in the morning or evening or anytime. The instructions to get to a riding route are easy enough to follow that a person can usually find the route without a map, Although it is always good to have one. The book gives sites to see along the routes, as well as difficulty, Safety, and a detailed map with text describing what to do with all 36 routes. All in all a good book for any one who wants to go for a short, scenic bike ride in Connecticut.