A pair of professional photographers identified and photographed many of the key places where events mentioned in the Lewis and Clark journals took place. In the text, they recount the journey and use carefully-chosen quotations. This is an attractive book. It may not capture the whole of the journey, but, in part because it is pared down, it would serve as an excellent companion for the many families who will retrace at least parts of the journey in the next few years.

While the introduction and footnotes were very well edited, I did struggle through the actual journals themselves. This could be attributed to Nelson's writing style, my unfamiliarity with Lake Superior geography and/or the plethora of French nomenclature (which can generate confusion for some). Overall, the journals are insightful of survival strategies and day to day existence in the fur trade years of 1802-04 in northern Wisconsin. Nelson, who was only fifteen when joining the XY Company, was a keen observer of Ojibwa Indian customs, the interrelationships between company men and his immediate surroundings. If the writing of the journals had more continuity, it would have been an enjoyable read.

If there's a walkway, path, or trail in North Carolina, it's probably in this book. Perhaps more remarkably, the author has hiked every one and measured almost all of them. The descriptions are from his personal journals, augmented by some researched background information on many parks, forests, and important trails.

To convey this huge quantity of information in a relatively compact book, the author has adopted a shorthand style that's reminiscent of telegrams and classified ads. The only maps are two large foldouts that show the general locations of the trailheads. However, the lack of trail maps and the terse style make it difficult to understand how various trails interconnect (until you buy the topos). If that bothers you, try Randy Johnson's "Hiking North Carolina."

A nice coverage of the proud history of a local area. Written in a lively and altruistic prose, Martin carefully regards the many aspects of her hometown. However, she has a peculiar habit of occasionally trailing off in ellipsises. A must read if one is a resident of Dothan, AL.

Ostensibly, a book entitled "Quick Escapes Dallas/Ft. Worth" would emphasize the "quick"--that is, follow a general theme of time, suggest short-but-satisfying trips, give an approximation of travel time upfront, list trips from closest to farthest away, not require you to read the entire book to figure out which trips are the closest to Dallas etc (after all, you're trying to save time). However, a more appropriate and truthful title for this book would have instead conveyed that one should have good knowledge of Texas geography and roads...because that's how this book is laid out--not exactly friendly for the Texan newcomer! Counter to what I expected, this book does not suggest or organize "quick escapes" based upon the destination's distance from Dallas, but categorizes the different trips based on direction--do you want to go East, West, South, or North? (hmm, I thought I just wanted a "quick escape," I don't really care which direction I go in!) You'd better have a detailed Texas map handy too because otherwise you won't have a clue how much mileage is involved for each trip! And I'm sorry but 7 hours in the car is not my idea of a "quick escape," which is how long some of the suggested trips would take you if you actually compute the mileage. Some other gripes I have is that approximate prices are not included for suggested lodging and that some of the "escapes" cover redundant territory and/or don't give you a sense of how little (or much) there is to do once you are there. I took the trip to Caddo Lake and realized that I could complete the suggested itinerary for TWO other "escapes" (Jefferson and Mineola/Tyler) all in the same weekend--and no, I wasn't racing through towns just to say I had been there either, it was all at a leisurely pace. Leads me to believe that one should be retired, well-off, adept at cross-referencing this with other guidebooks, and not exhibit any ADD tendencies if you are to find this book truly helpful. But if you can ignore these details, and don't mind the misleading title of the book, the content is quite good...and I like how the author has included "pit stops" (cafes, bakeries, local restaurants and dives) into the itinerary. I have actually found "Official Guide to Texas State Parks," a book that I bought at the same time as "Quick Escapes," the more inspiring of the the two. Though it has similar faults (although it neither claims to be about quick escapes nor Dallas, so that isn't even a valid fault) it has gorgeous, compelling photography that give you a real sense of what the place is like. When used in conjunction with the Texas State Parks website, planning a trip is a snap...which is what I had hoped "Quick Escapes" would be.

I am a sophmore in high school, and we are currently using this book for our European Civilazation Class. The book itself is very informative, and it gives excellent insight to the world of Ancient Greece and Rome in particular, with analysis of philosiphers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. However, the way the book is written is difficult to follow, and it does not always lay things out in an easy-to-understand format. Nevertheless, a good textbook for High School and College Humanities classes.

This book is loaded with interesting information on the history, and were to find the evidence of that history for middle Tennessee. Easy reading and enjoyable, even if you never take one of the suggested tours. The author makes the reader feel like they are listening to an old friend tell them how to enjoy a Sunday drive.

This compact format of the "Unofficial Guide" is handy to carry compared to its larger counterpart "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2000; Bob Sehlinger" but the information is basically the same. Tips to help with the Kids for are cut, as are some of the more lengthy reviews of hotels/attractions/restaurants.

This book aims and hits the mark with helpful hints for the Grown-up (are we ever grown-up?) visitor. However, to keep the book more compact there is a great deal of rich material left out that is useful for the first time visitor. The information is provided in a well-organized format that most will find useful. Common questions are answered, and the book provides resource lists, Web sites, and e-mail addresses.

Timesavers are included regarding attractions that are more along the adult taste, but who is to say that the author knows everyone's taste. One of the "Don't Bother" items for the Magic Kingdom is Mickey's ToonTown. For the more whimsical adult this can be a fun place and a hot spot to meet characters unclose and personal. After all what would a trip to WDW be without that old standard photo of you and "the Mouse" himself.

Where this book shines is pointing you towards the more "adult" attractions and events. With so much to do and experience at WDW a good guide is extremely helpful.

Using the planning tips in this and other guides hundreds of dollars can be saved. The How to Cut Costs section offers many ways to save money both in the planning stages as well as during the visit. While money may be no object to some, most people would rather with a little knowledge save some cash to happily spend it on all the souvenirs we must bring back to those not heading for the "World".

Overall as a handy guide easy to carry I would recommend this book for the "adult" traveler. Another handy to carry guide is "PassPorter Walt Disney World: The unique travel guide, planner, organizer, journal, and keepsake!" For serious planning a meatier guidebook is needed. I have found that the "Unofficial" guides offer the off the cuff, straight shooting opinions and have relied on them for years.

If this is your first trip to WDW then buy the more comprehensive guide and if you want a handy to carry reference then The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World for Grown-Ups is a great choice. If you are a repeat visitor you should be able to skip the larger version and go straight for the Grown-Ups guide. As WDW evolves so do the attractions but the goal is the same, HAVE FUN!

While this is an interesting sidebar to that era shortly after the Mexican Revolution of l910 and prior to WWII, it is a somewhat overcooked tale centering around a remote airstrip in what is now the Big Bend National Park. I interviewed some of the cowboys that worked in that area and in fact talked with one that worked for Elmo Johnson. The tales they had to tell about life there was just fascinating. If the author had put a little more of that in the book in contrast to constantly citing airplanes that come and go...that we never see it would have been much more interesting. I'm not trashing the book, its just that it got difficult to read. At times you wanted to be right there with them because between the lines you can tell what's going on but then at times you are mired in stuff that doesn't paint any picture for anybody.

Ian Manning's safari memoir would have benefitted greatly from a better editing job. While many of the anecdotes are entertaining, the book is nothing more than a string of them in roughly chronological order. There is no theme, no pacing, and every event is treated with equal weight, whether it is a drunken prank or a tragic death. The book reads like a virtually unedited journal, except that Manning is fuzzy on so many details that he obviously isn't working from a complete contemporaneous diary. But Manning isn't a professional writer, and perhaps he shouldn't be held to too high a standard; his ediitors have no such excuse. If you like safari yarns, and you already have a shelf full of Selous, Baker, Finaughty, Ruark and Capstick, you might want to add this one to your collection, but all the above are much better writers.