This is a strange little book which offers no insight into the way Marconi thought about the technical aspects of radio or about many of the interesting issues associated with the early history of the Marconi Company. There are several photographs of early radio equipment but there is no discussion of what functions the devices have. There are no circuit diagrams. There are many pictures of Marconi and various notables; none of these are of archival value. If the reader wishes to learn more about how Marconi lost his eye, or about his extensive sexual adventures I recommend this book. If however the reader is a serious student of the history of radio I suggest the two volumes by Hugh G.J.Aitken or the History of the Marconi Company are much more valuable and interesting.

In the introduction, the authors advise that it is necessary to use a map to find the "natural wonders". The authors even tell the reader how to obtain a map. Question: Why isn't there a map in the book? Just a simple map of Ohio with dots numbered to match the places mentioned.

I'm planning a trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer. I read discription of this book and it sounded good,but it was trips off the Parkway not the Parkway. It said the book was 1.5 inches thick,but it was 1/2 inch thick. The pictures in the book were not very good. After reviewing the book I returned it and ordered another book.

I was expecting this to be a paperback book, but I was surprised when I received a pamphlet. A ($) pamphlet (including S/H). Albeit, it is a very nice pamphlet, complete with descriptions and pictures AND a map of the California coastline pinpointing the lighthouses. For preplanning your trip exploring lighthouses this would be good, but not for use in the car enroute to the lighthouses. It's huge!

The good news: it's a feminist version of the La Llorona story. The Bad news: it's BORING!! In order to make it more woman-friendly, the author took all the suspense and horror out of the story. The result is only slightly interesting. But, hey, at least the illustrations are good . . .

'Songs of Papa's Island' is a cute freshman outing for Barbara Kerley. In words it does capture the 'sights, sounds, and feelings of a unique and wonderful place,' as its inside cover states, though I can't help but feel that it would have benefited from more articulate illustrations. For their
individual merit, Katherine Tilllotson's images and cover are pleasant and incorporate a popular artistic style. (I feel like I've seen them passing souvenir shops, traveling down the southeastern coast - places like South Carolina, Florida and the Keys.) But I'm not sure how much they serve Barbara Kerley's 'songs' and ultimate story. They are far too simple in comparison to the narration. Admittedly designed for a younger audience, 'Where the Wild Things Are' is a masterful example of children's literature in which imagery heightens a story's words and lyricism and creates a vivid world. Twenty years later I can still conjure images of Maurice Sendak's intimidating, yet
approachable, wild-eyed monsters.

At the end of the day, Kerley's 'songs' don't resonate with me either and they lack the lyrical quality that the inside cover claims they have. Literarily her concept is clear. Emotively though it just doesn't connect. Songs by nature carry themes and Kerley's theme does not resonate. Her repetition - "Before you were born you lived on an island . . ." - seems dry and pallid. It lacks the kind of vibrancy that comes through good music or
poetry. On this note, there is also something strange, or let's say contradictory, about the work. When Kerley set out to write it, my impression is that she aimed to tell a story that nostalgically depicts a tropically idyllic place that teams with natural life. And for the most part, it's fair to say she accomplished this. But, in her stories to her daughter she
mentions things like a 'respirator,' 'throwing up,' 'fancy hotels,' and 'tourists'. Things of this nature seem to break with or detract from the intended tone and reality of the piece.

This book should NOT be sold as a new book - its information is obsolete.

I used this book several weeks ago and got into trouble because every I-75 exit number in the book is incorrect. This is the case on all the Georgia maps and coupons. Georgia changed its exit numbers last February (it announced this change 3 years ago) and removed all the old numbers. This book shows only the old numbers and was therefore no good to us.

I paid good money for this book and didn't expect out of date information.

You can read the other reviews and they are scathing, but accurate. I live in Georgia and use I-75 to go south to Florida and, yes, every exit number in Georgia is incorrect and with a publishing date of May 1999,and a three-year-old state announcement that in February 2000 all the exit numbers would be changed, this is a significant faux pas on the part of the author. And, with all the coupons and advertisements in this book, it does feel like one of those motel discount publications that you can pick up at truck stops and gas stations in every state. The print quality, paper and really small font size (pica 6!) are a significant distraction, but this is not all the author's fault, there was a publisher involved in this too, eh?

So what is there about this book that is redeeming. What does Christine Marks have that you can't find in a USA Guide, or State Guide? I was impressed by information on various locations, communities and counties. Christine Marks did a lot of digging to come up with some very interesting and provocative vignettes. County information, cultural insights, historic blurbs that were NOT in my other state travel guides. I am a Bar-B-Que afficionado and I did not know that in October, in Vienna, GA, there is The Georgia Barbecue Championship! Or that Fried Green Tomatoes are found at the Whistle Stop Café in Juliette, Ga. I like these tidbits of information and this, and this alone, makes the book valuable to keep. I also like the concept of the guide following a route, providing information with maps that break the journey down in bite size portions. These two aspects, especially the unique information, makes me keep this book. It is my hope that Christine Marks pushes this forward, gets the right exit numbers, larger readable fonts, better paper and printing, and dumps the blatant trashy advertising. With the number of cars that roam up and down this huge stretch of highway there is a market for good guides. Conditionally recommended.

In response to the "un-generous" comments previously written about this book, I would like to submit a counter argument that the book isn't all that horrific. And how can one with any common sense compare a new author with Dave Hunter who has been around for several years. Also, I honestly doubt his first book was of the quality that he offers currently....did you ever hear of giving someone a chance?

signed, Frustrated in Windsor

A real disappointment. I have looked over the "Quadrant" series by Eckart and it was much better. I would recommend a book search for the "Gems and Minerals of America" by Jay Ellis Ransom, it has much more comprehensive information and a lot more than even the "Quadrant" series contains. But of course local "collecting guides" are even better. Contact the clubs in the area you are going to visit and see if they will let you go on one of their field trips or suggest a location. I'm VP of the Montgomery Gem and Mineral Society, we would love to take you on a trip.

This book is loaded with useless information. If your looking for someplace to mine gold or gems. This book will not tell you. It does however provide you with guide services contact information.So if your looking for a river or area in your state where you can pan some gold. Don't look in this book! I didn't see anything you can't see in the yellow pages of your local phone book.

Very few sites listed, and mostly out-of-date info. Of no use in planning a trip. Save your money.

This book contains bad writing and has absolutely no focus, The Manchurian Candidate is an important film and the BFI film classics should be the highpoint of film criticism. This book wanders all over the place and cannot focus on the film. Coupled with some of third rate writing and muddled thinking, the book should only be bought if you must have all the books in the series. Don't buy it.

The BFI editors should be embarassed for having released it.

What a waste. Whoever thought Griel Marcus had anything of value or merit to add to the lexicon of film artistry - much less one of the great works of film artistry - completely missed the boat - or doesn't care to see this film get the passionate discussion it deserves. BFI Film Classics have issued an incredible set of books devoted to individually worthy films - such as this one. But this must be the worst book in a truly great series. Honestly, this must be a joke. It's got to be. I don't care if Griel Marcus is a professor, esteemed or respected, outré-hip or passé-hip. This guy has no business talking about, reflecting on or wasting anybody's time with his useless commentary on film. He was the wrong man for the job. This is a book about film as cultural signifier - and little else. Kennedy and Oswald. Columbine and George Bush. Kennedy and Sinatra. Who cares. The book, the film, and ultimately, the meaning of "The Manchurian Candidate" has nothing whatsoever to do with Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin or any of the endless quotes Marcus pulls from a library trip's worth of newspaper articles that refer back to the film. If you had no other point of reference other than this book, Marcus may convince you that this film is more symbolic than meaningful - and even hollowly symbolic. This is not a book about film, the art of film, the art of this particularly magnificent film or the artists who had anything to do with this film. It's about Marcus and the way he views the world - or the way he views the world through the lens of this film. Again, who the hell cares? This film is far too important to be left to someone whose trite aphorisms are as meaningless as those of Griel Marcus - an alleged writer who seems awfully damned confident to write his subject off so easily. Proof that you just can't hide behind other people's quotes - or your own cleverly-worded turns of phrase that have little to do with the subject at hand.

Griel Marcus is so out-of-sync with "The Manchurian Candidate" that he has absolutely nothing interesting or informative to say but manages to make his fifty-five page essay sound like one long run-on sentence. Each chapter is further padded with desperate introductory quotes -anything vaguely referencing the film- as Marcus belaboredly tries to build a case for - What? He has no point of view other than "The Manchurian Candidate" is the single best film between "Citizen Kane" and "The Godfather"; though is knowledge of film is questionable. He wildly overpraises the casting of a black actor as a psychiatrist, a professional, and asks, "How many other American movies use a black actor to play what audiences expect to be a white character without patting themselves on the back to congratulate themselves?" I guess he never saw Sam Fuller's 1951 film "The Steel Helmet".

This book isn't so much a commentary as it is a rant. Rob White, the series editor, seems to have let this slip into print with no concern for it's complete lack of content and deleriously circuitous writing "style". It's a shame because, as usual, the book is generously illustrated with stunning B&W stills from the film.

I have over two dozen commentaries from the BFI Modern Classics Series, each filed along side the DVD or VHS of the film itself. This book has no place in anyone's library. The definitive analysis of this classic has yet to be written, and but Marcus and BFI have misfired with this one.

SC without Myrtle Beach? NC without Ocracoke or Hatteras? VA and MD, but no Washington DC? This book is useless! There are Area Attactions, but no indication how far they are from the airport. There is a Transporation section, but it leaves out important mass transit options. Most of what is in this book is in my A/FD (and it covers EVERY airport). My (free) AOPA Airport Directory does a better job. I'm sending my copy back for a refund.

poor information, for instance only 6 airports in AZ (GCN,PHX(2x!),DVD,IWA,TUS,RYN). baja not covered at all. CO, KA, OK, TX are not really in the southwest, a current A/FD is a better buy,

Two problems exist with this book. First, the title misrepresents the content as no information exists in the book on Baja. Second, the information on Southwestern airports is sketchy and incomplete. The book is a dud.