I didn't like what I saw when I found this map in the bookstore. This map is very basic, containing 5 maps of lower manhattan up to 8th st. Each map is basically a colorful barebones street grid with not much else. There is a separate nyc subway mini map, and an index of major landmarks listed. The pros of this map is that it is laminated on heavy cardstock, and it folds up quickly. You can do better by printing your own map of Manhattan with what you want on it rather than staring at a barebones map with almost nothing on it. It is recommended you go with Berndtson & Berndtson manhattan map. It is similar, laminated, but containg much more info.

Being one who visits the Golden Road almost yearly, I purchased the book with enthusiasm. My experience was mostly positive.

Gould demonstrates vast knowledge about the area. He describes: the realities of the Maine woods experience, personalities of the inhabitants, varieties of visitors, wildlife, history and industry.

One area of disappointment was Gould's frequent choice of vocabulary and references. While reading, a dictionary had to be at my side. Also, frequently used french, latin and some historical references made reading more difficult and not fun.

Mr. Gould did at times poke fun at his intellectual perspective. However, his choice of words does not seem suited for most.

All in all, the book is a positive experience. One can take a trip to Maine's Golden Road, from their favorite arm chair.

This book contains great artistic pictures from the greatest city of the world. I used this book in my first trip to NY and it gives a good image of the city main touristic places. Pictures are, as I said, very good, but some do not have good quality. Pictures are sometimes too artistic. However, it is the perfect book for tourist and people who admire great buildings and big cities. Do not consider this book a complete tour guide, because it's not. If you're a tourist, this book helps you decide what places to visit, but it does not contain a classified list of restaurants, etc. If you buy this book, you'll be happy to see beautiful images of the places you've seen on TV. I hope you enjoy this book.

I actually bought the book as a X-mas gift for my father and was pleasantly surprised when after opening the book I couldn't put it down. Growing up in Millville, NJ it was interesting to look in the book and actually see the history of my hometown. The book is filled with facts about how Millville started out. It was also interesting to recognize some of the names of families that still live in town. Overall the book is filled with a colorfull history that is entertaining to read.

As a Trail guide I think it definately needs more description of the trail and put trail names on the maps. It's nice to go by a map once you are on a trail, but these maps leave out a lot of important trail markers and was very hard to follow. Usually on any given trail there are a lot of loops you can take, nothing was specified on these maps. The description on what is on the trail is pretty nice, but using the maps turned out effortless. You need to concentrate more on the trail so people don't get lost.

More than 1,500 museums are included; I've never seen such an complete listing in one place. A remarkable feat of thoroughness. Each museum is given a brief overview along with practical information for potential visitors (directions, where to eat, what's nearby). The descriptions were solicited from the museums themselves, thus vary between very brief and overly verbose. A heavier hand by the editors would have benefited the readers of this book. If only to reduce the shear bulk of it -- because it is, after all, a book to be taken along when you travel. I find the printing and binding to be pretty mediocre as well. It's not likely to stand up well to many miles of travel. Since much of the information will be out-of-date in a few short years, though, perhaps that's intentional.

There are many wonderful things about this book: the maps are beautifully designed and easy to read; the drawings are lovely and truly capture the spirit of the neighborhoods; and the food glossary is very good. But the content vastly oversimplifies the neighborhoods - and thus shortchanges the reader - and in some cases the suggested walking routes seem dubious. Since I also write about food and have led bicycle and walking tours in the neighborhoods since 1983, I am perhaps hypercritical about this type of information, but I feel that readers are entitled to accuracy and, for those intrepid enough to do the tours the author lays out, the best possible experience. Frankly, I had to wonder how thoroughly the author actually cased out the areas she wrote about; she often writes as if she is in a huge hurry! In some instances, she lists a few food items you'll find in a restaurant or market, but I was curious about whether she'd actually tried the items she mentioned! (No, it's not necessary to try everything - but it would be nice to have some anecdotes about the eating experience.) Her portrayal of Astoria, Queens, as a Greek neighborhood overlooks the fact that Astoria is much more ethnically complex (including south Asian, Eastern European and Latin American), and has several blocks of Egyptian cafes and markets - unique in NYC. Her recommended walking tour of Harlem includes two blocks of 124th Street - an ugly stretch in an otherwise landmarked area - and some wrong information, i.e. Apollo Theater is incorrectly marked. I don't know how much editorial oversight the author had on the maps, but these errors are misleading. Books like these are hard to do well - information changes even as the books are being written and are in production. But misinformation or inadequate information reflects less than thorough research.

This is an excellent guide to the best NY restaurants and to some of the more interesting neighborhood restaurants. I wish there were a bit more information about the size and setting, smoking areas and so on. But by far the greatest drawback of this book is its execrable binding. After only limited use, my copy began to disintegrate, not exactly what one desires in a reference book that one hopes to carry around. This is inexcusable. Back to the Michelin Guides for me! I have a 39 Michelin France Guide that is still hanging together. Planned obsolescence!!!

This is a well written narative of the first men to cross the continent by canoe through the elusive "Northwest Passage". It's strange that this is such an obscure event. One would think that this could well rank up there with many of the great adventuresome firsts of history. It's certainly easy to read, though I felt a little thin on the character development. If you like outdoor adventure travel stories, this one is worth your while.

This book encompasses many Northeast Fisheries, and while I find myself sticking to the section specific to my locale, it has some great info on tools and tactics for all types of NE saltwater fishing.