The best part of this book is the pictures. As with many TFH books the promise exceeds the delivery. There is very little information of use to the hobbiest included in this work. So basic a fact as the size the fish reach is missing. Many of the fish shown are never or very rarely available to the hobbiest. Years ago TFH published a book, I beileve the title was "The Fishes of Lake Karibi". This book had nothing to do with the aquarium hobby, but rather was a study of the commercial fishery on this lake. A hobby publisher should publish hobby books and leave text and science books to someone else. Or publish them under another name.

Contains some useful information, but TFH's "Cichlids From Central America" book, by Ad Konings, is MUCH better.

The book pictured is a large hard cover book.This book I would very much like to have several copies of,as well as the paperback that is being sold which is a different book.

I was eager to try this cookbook but have been very disappointed with the recipes I've tried. Most have had little flavor; some have been downright horrible. I don't know if I had the wrong technique, but I've had much better success with other books. I threw this one away.

I have had this book for several years and find the recipes interesting and healthy. As in any book, there are a few that we aren't using regularly, but as a whole, the book is filled with modern, up-dated casserole recipes that are easy to prepare and fun to eat. I especially like her vegetarian recipes and their creative use of ingredients. Don't be afraid of these recipes and enjoy them!

Great book that has France broken down by areas that one can easily tour in short 3-5 day trips. Lists major sites to see along suggested routes. Gives clear directions and small, well detailed maps. Highlights walks, special sites, and recommendations for children. No wineries, hotels, or restaurants.

This biography managed to make mundane and boring one of the most fascinating characters of the opening of the West. The fat-free, salt-free prose relentlessly rambles on with no distinction between events of monumental importance (Bear Flag Revolt, e.g. - one page) and tedious details of Carson's children. No explanatory detail is given about saddlery,horses,firearms,clothing,etc., nor is sufficient description given to the geography of the country in which he spent so much time. Most of all, the book suffers from a lack of detailed maps. On the bright side, the book seems well researched and documented and the sources are clearly indicated. Best of all, in this era of historical demonization, there is a genuine affection and sympathy for Kit Carson, quite convincing me that he was not only a fascinating pioneer but an exemplary character.

Although this account of the famous explorer's life and adventures contained well documented and interesting information, I found the presentation rambling and often outright confusing. The first chapters were arranged according to specific expeditions, but the purpose of each expedition was poorly explained and it was easy to loose track of the individuals present and the chronology of events. Occasionally, events referred to in early chapters were not actually described until later chapters (i.e. the Court Martial of Fremont). Unfortunately the disjointed narrative distracted significantly from the informative content of the book.

Much like the pulp-novel persona that sprung from the legends of Kit Carson, the real man was a master of life in the West. From his early days as a mountain man to his later life as an Indian agent, Guild and Carter do a good job of illustrating the life of Carson and his role in the opening of the West. Throughout the book, the authors keep the focus on Carson and do not let the wider events in which he was involved overshadow the man. On one level this approach diminishes the importance of those events and Carson's role in them, but it also seems to provide a good illustration of how Carson viewed those events.

This is the worst book I have ever read. The only enlightenment it brings is in its title. Its irrelevant illustrations, very large type, and slabs of UPPER-CASE text give the impression of a confused and average high school term-paper that has been specifically written for people who move their lips when they read. The book is a complete waste of money; and I found myself constantly checking the title page to reassure myself that it had not been "vanity published" by a some very rich business tycoon. The comments of David Litterick in his review of "The Mark of the Scots: Their Astonishing Contributions to History, Science, Democracy, Literature, and the Arts" are also strongly applicable to this appalling work -- and David Litterick has expressed himself far better than I could (and I would suggest you read his review). It would seem that Galvin, with his constant stress on the importance of American "big business", has tried to write a 21st century version of Hubbard's "A Message to Garcia".

The Scottish Enlightenment was a period when some of the greatest scholars from almost every field were concentrated in one area that allowed a free flow of thought and information between them. Basically they were concentrated in the university communities of Glasgow and Edinburgh between 1720 and 1780. This free thinking influence spread to the colonies where people such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were schooled by Scottish teachers. A Scottish teacher, Francis Allison, taught three signers of the Declaration of Independence.

The Scottish teachers realized that all nations of the time were founded or maintained by force. They suggested that a nation founded on commerce could be equally as powerful and influencial as those founded by force. This set the stage for the development of the philosophical underpinnings of the United States. All that was really needed now was a spark to set off the natural chain of events. During the time just prior to 1776 there was a multitude of writings from Scottish authors that proposed and defended the notion that oppressed people have a right to assert their independence. Between the strong writings calling for oppressed people to assert their independence and the belief that a country could be established based on commerce the scene was set for the establishment of the United States.

The author provides substantial and convincing background information on exactly how all of this worked together the help create the Unites States. Details on what the Enlightenment was, how it came about and exactly how it influenced the actions of our forefathers and all there for the reader to learn and consider. An excellent treatise on the often overlooked contributions of the Scottish people to the formation of the United States, I found it a very informative book.

This book was first published in 1928. Since that time our understanding of ancient Mesoamerica has changed dramatically. This is a verbatim reprint of the original book, with a new introduction that sets Spinden and the book into historical context. If one is interested in the development of ideas about Mesoamerica in the early 20th century, this is a useful book. If one wants to find out about those civilizations, however, this is NOT the book to read. Many of Spinden's ideas were proven wrong in the 1930s; by 2000, the number of errors in the book is enormous. There has been much fieldwork, decipherment, and other research on these cultures in recent decades. Look for one of the many recent books about the Aztecs, Mayas, and other Mesoamerican civilizations. Dover should continue reprinting codices (the Codex Borgia and Codex Nuttall are great reprints!), and stay away from outdated textbooks.

Ancient Civilizations of Mexico and Central America is written by a curator expert on the topic and provides a concise, excellent history of the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. Any interested in early anthropology works will relish this fine survey of pre-Columbian life, essential to a beginning study of the region and its history.

I've just returned from a visit to the Twin Cities. My wife and I picked this book up because it was the cheapest guide on the shelf. You get what you pay for. This edition, at least, is out of date - many of the places of interest noted in the book have closed down or changed significantly. The maps in the book are limited to a very small area of downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis - yet the book recommends plenty of places that are off the maps provided. Finally, having gotten used to Lonely Planet guides, it's hard to fathom how this author could make his topic as dull as he does. That's my two cents - I'd recommend against buying the book.

Small paperback contains all the necessary information to make the most out of any visit or long-term stay in the Twin Cities!

Fodor's excels as a business person's guide. The Capitols and the key cities in these three states get the lion’s share of ink (GA: Atlanta, Savannah, NC: Charlotte, The Triad Area, The Triangle Area, SC: Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Columbia). IF you are going to be in JUST these cities, this would be a VERY GOOD guide to have. The rest of the areas in each state get a quick ‘once over’.

Fodor’s dining and lodging recommendations are very good and are the best each city has to offer. You won’t be disappointed by any of these listings. However, they tend to be for affluent travelers and, though the South excels in great bed and breakfasts, none are listed. The nightlife and the arts recommendations are very good. Sports and shopping sections are also reliable and comprehensive. Also, very helpful, Fodor has various “Great Itineraries” for each state broken down into 3 days, 7 days and 10 days.

What is obviously lacking are a lodging index and a restaurant index. Thus, if you have a recommended restaurant you want to look up, you have to go through all the restaurant pages 'til you stumble across the name you seek or miss seeing it completely. Another significant short coming, especially considering the 2001 title of this guide, is the lack of website addresses or email addresses for any of the listed hotels. This penalizes you if you want to check out the hotel rooms, interior and/or exterior photos and then ask questions about special rates via email.

I am a firm believer that any guide book worth its salt has to guide you with both words and support those words with quality maps. This guide has excellent dining and lodging maps but just for Atlanta and Charleston! What a shame to short change the other cities. Also the guide encourages ‘walking tours’ but gives no ‘walking maps’, you have to use the city map to figure it out. The pull-out color three state map is a great addition. And, the few regional or city maps that are included are very helpful, and the maps clearly show you sites to visit, but with maps, more is better, and this guide begs for MORE specific area maps.

Finally, and this is true of all Fodor’s guides, is the insertion of irritating and unwanted hard page advertisement for banks and calling cards. The purchase price ... is more than enough for Fodor's to make a profit, but it chooses to afflict its readers with protruding advertising to increase its profits. NOT!

For those traveling to the cities noted above, this guide would be very good and highly recommended, BUT for those who want to tour these states at large there are better State guides (see my reviews of Georgia Handbook: Moon Travel or Hidden Georgia: Ulysses Press). Recommended 3 1/2 stars

Fodor's excels as a business person's guide. The Capitols and the key cities in these three States get the lion’s share of ink (GA: Atlanta, Savannah, NC: Charlotte, The Triad Area, The Triangle Area, SC: Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Columbia). IF you are going to be in JUST these cities, this would be a VERY GOOD guide to have. The rest of the areas in each state get a quick ‘once over’.

Fodor’s dining and lodging recommendations are very good and are the best each city has to offer. You won’t be disappointed by any of these listings. However, they tend to be for affluent travelers and, though the South excels in great bed and breakfasts, none are listed. The nightlife and the arts recommendations are very good. Sports and shopping sections are also reliable and comprehensive. Also, very helpful, Fodor has various “Great Itineraries” for each state broken down into 3 days, 7 days and 10 days.

What is obviously lacking are a lodging index and a restaurant index. Thus, if you have a recommended restaurant you want to look up, you have to go through all the restaurant pages 'til you stumble across the name you seek or miss seeing it completely. Another significant short coming, especially considering the 2001 title of this guide, is the lack of website addresses or email addresses for any of the listed hotels. This penalizes you if you want to check out the hotel rooms, interior and/or exterior photos and then ask questions about special rates via email.

I am a firm believer that any guide book worth its salt has to guide you with both words and support those words with quality maps. This guide has excellent dining and lodging maps but just for Atlanta and Charleston! What a shame to short change the other cities. Also the guide encourages ‘walking tours’ but gives no ‘walking maps’, you have to use the city map to figure it out. The pull-out color three state map is a great addition. And, the few regional or city maps that are included are very helpful, and the maps clearly show you sites to visit, but with maps, more is better, and this guide begs for MORE specific area maps.

Finally, and this is true of all Fodor’s guides, is the insertion of irritating and unwanted hard page advertisement for banks and calling cards. The purchase price of ... is more than enough for Fodor's to make a profit, but it chooses to afflict its readers with protruding advertising to increase its profits. NOT!

For those traveling to the cities noted above, this guide would be very good and highly recommended, BUT for those who want to tour these states at large there are better State guides (see my reviews of Georgia Handbook: Moon Travel or Hidden Georgia: Ulysses Press). Recommended 3 1/2 stars.

Other than the little mention of Colter in the Lewis and Clark Expedition journals, there is no verifiable material for this biography. His life is a mystery and remains so, inspite of considerable effort by Burton Harris. If you are interested in the life of J Colter, sorry, its just not known and this book is a waste of time.

Yellowstone...Colter's Hell...geysers...Indians.... I found this book a total pleasure to read. Couldn't put it down! Although it is true that Colter's life was somewhat obscure by a lack of more historical documentation, Harris does an exemplary piece of work with what there is to work with. Citing such references as William Clark, Thomas James, Brackenridge, Bradbury and others, Harris does make a justifiable attempt to back up his story. Required reading for those into this time period of the early American West when mountain men roamed the wide open spaces, high mountain valleys and peaks. It must have been a tough, but very rewarding way of life...if you survived the perils and hardships of that day.

I bought this map/book because I was looking for a detailed map of the city. It's a good map of downtown , but it doesn't get down to complete street level, and it cuts off a good part of the outlying neighborhoods that Chicago encompasses.
If you're going to make a map of Chicago, you should really include the whole thing. Let's Go, Inc. cuts off parts of wicker park, ukrainian village, and logan square, and parts of the north side. It concentrates too much on the near downtown area, and forgets about some worthwhile neighborhoods that people might want to visit or look for homes in.

I like this pocket guide because it folds easily, won't rip after staying in your back pocket during the long El ride from Downtown to O'Hare, and is small enough to hide for those times when you want to blend in like a Chicagoan.

The catch is, it's more of a handy map than a traveller's guidebook. I wish the maps had scales (guides to indicate, for example, that 1 inch equals a mile). Other than that, I'm happy with the book.

Joseph's book is interesting, but only as a piece of fantasy. His jumps in logic are enormous and difficult to believe as a serious work of science. Certainly, there are more intelligent and reasonable explanations for pyramids in Rock Lake, that could be answered by scientific investigation. Linking civilizations of the New World with the Canary Islands and Egypt are yet another attempt to trivialize the important and complex communities that have existed in North America for centuries. This book definately has entertainment value, but that is all it has to offer and should not be taken for more.

Ancient Civilizations are a mystery almost as deep as the mystery of what tomorrow will bring, and almost as deep as Rock Lake. In this narrative the Author takes you scuba diving in search of ruins in the heart of America. From pyramid builders to Ancient Mariners hoarding copper, this book answers many questions but leaves the reader dangling by the thin thread that ties us to an unknown past.