For a small town, Branson, MO and its environs has so much you can't even begin to tap it with a full two weeks' vacation there. You'd be advised to have some help. "The Insiders' Guide to Branson" offers that help so you can make the best and most efficient use of your vacation money and time. Whether it's the shows and other entertainment, eating, shopping, daytrips, or investing in some local land buys, the "Guide" provides interesting, entertaining, and helpful information by two witty local insiders who live there. I can't imagaine anyone going to vacation to Branson without this book.

This book is absolutely fantastic! It is the most complete guide book on Branson I have ever read. I would highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Branson. The chapter about the Shows was very informative as well as entertaining. I loved the chapters on shopping and the lakes. I wouldn't plan a trip to Branson without first consulting my Insiders' Guide.

Last summer, I traveled to the Twin Cities to see my Twins play at the Metrodome for the first time (having only caught road games in the past). Taking a three day weekend from work, I wanted to take advatntage of being in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for more than just a couple of baseball games, and boy did this guide help!

I browsed over a couple of guides in the local bookstore before settling on the Insider's Guide. The information inside was as up to date as could be expected, and using it and a few web sites, I was able to work in two baseball games, the obligatory trip to the Mall of America, a Twins autograph session, trips to the Science Museum of Minnesota (to see the Questionable Medical Devices exhibit), a trip down the part of town featured in the Mary Tyler Moore show, and a quick tour of the Wabasha Street Caves, formerly the hideout of gangsters and the scene of a shootout featured on a History Channel program--all in less than 72 hours!

I even located restaurants near the attractions I wanted to see that served the kinds of food I was interested in--Japanese and Italian at the time--without any difficulty.

Take it from the Insiders when you make your trip to these wonderful cities in the upper Midwest. Minnesota is a hidden treasure that few in the US make it their goal to see--I went for baseball, and came back quite impressed, largely thanks to the Insider's Guide's information.

This book is definitely the most comprehensive guidebook to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, containing over 800 listings of local parks, attractions, accommodations and restaurants (both with price scales included). The kids'section is especially great, with much attention focused on how to get the most bang for your buck when taking the family out to play or dine. Also interesting are the interviews with local personalities featured in the book, including a television horror show host, the former mayor of St. Paul, the owner of Minnesota's Baseball Museum, and the director of St. Paul's Como Zoo.

As a longtime resident of the Twin Cities, I appreciate guidebooks such as these that take into consideration things that I personally have considered local "secret" treasures, such as the beautiful Swedish Museum, Minneapolis' Stone Arch Bridge and the adjacent parklands, the fossil beds in St. Paul's Lilydale Park, and just a ton of other things that there just isn't room to mention. The book makes for a fun read, too, with a great chapter on the history of the Twin Cities and information on the geological makeup of the region in general.

This is a beautiful book with many photographs which bring back special memories to those who have a connection with U of IL. It will be a special treasure for anyone who attended the university. Many different aspects of university life are covered by Don Hamerman's fabulous photographs. A great gift for alumni, current students or those who hold a special place for Urbana/Champaign and the University of Illinois in their memories.

This is an absolute must have for Univ. of Illinois alumni who appreciate good photography. In talking with other alumni who have seen and/or own this book, the images bring up memories from their time on campus. It also tweaks the curiosity, because Hamerman shows a penchant for finding new perspectives (close-ups, etc.) that can be overlooked in the rush of campus life. Compared to other photography of the UI campus I've seen, this is very original. And Ebert's introduction is a nice read -- it ties in wonderfully to the book. I highly recommend!

This book was given to me for Christmas...I loved it. The poem, Landscape-Iowa by James Hearst on page 45, is excellent. From the State Fair to the Madison County Bridges to the Field of Dreams...it's all there.

As a lifelong Iowan, I was delighted to find this beautiful little volume. It is profusely illustrated, mainly with artworks (but also a few well-chosed photographs,) of all things Iowan. The text lovingly describes our land, history, and culture, as well as art and literary endeavors, public works, and things that are uniquely Iowan. It ends with a perenial calendar of events and festivals, and a list of museums, attractions, gardents and other resources. Delightful to look at, it invites browsing throught it colorful pages. I use this as a perfect gift for out-of-state visitors.

An excellent guide for a road trip, or pilgrimage to Hibbing. It gives a lot of information on the history of Hibbing and its culture. Also quite a bit more info on Dylan's childhood and family history than I have seen anywhere else, including numerous photos. Picked it up on New year's Eve afternoon last year, devoured it overnight, and on New Year's Day--at 4a.m.--left for Hibbing and felt as if I had been there before when I got there and "watched the sun come rising from that little Minnesota town." Found all of the Dylan sites listed with the help of the book, but should have picked a better day. (Zimmy's was closed, the Dylan museum was closed, and it was rather chilly to be wandering around old Hibbing.)

Think of it as a highly detailed tour guide to Dylan's Hibbing, whether or not the reader actually goes. Adds a lot of weight to references in songs like North Country Blues, etc.

I grew up on the Mesabi Range within 25 miles of Hibbing, Dylan's boyhood home. I've been a fan of his for 26 years. This is the definitive book on his early years. Full of photographs, some never before published, this book covers all aspects of his youth...his faith, his family, his town, his friends, and how he grew into who he became. Delightful reading for the true Dylan freak!

As a classroom teacher of a high school level field biology/ecology/limnology class I just purchased this book as a classroom text to use! As someone else said, it has some beautiful, awe-inspiring pictures, but the content is what sets it apart. The pictures allow you to feel the moment, but the word allow you to smell it, touch it and feel it.

After reading Lake Superior: Story and Spirit.., we visited and interviewed the authors and publishers John and Ann Mahan and were overwhelmed with the research behind the development and eventual publishing of this outstanding book on the greatest of the great lakes! We rec. this book to anyone who seriously wants a dynamic combination of beauty AND content. The romance and reality of Lake Superior are wonderfully combined and shared with the reader.

Jessie Grearson and Lauren Smith have written a fine companion to their earlier book SWAYING, which was a compendium of writings by people in international, interracial, and intercultural marriages. This time, in LOVE IN A GLOBAL VILLAGE, Smith and Grearson are the authors, telling the stories of fifteen intermarried couples they have interviewed. Cynics (such as the anonymous author of an unfortunate review in Publisher's Weekly) may wish to see conflict, dysfunction, anger, poverty, and misery in intercultural families. To suggest, as that review does, that such negativities are the usual lot of intermarriages is a racist mistake. Grearson and Smith eschew such unthinking racism. Instead, they show us families as they are. The families they interviewed sometimes suffered the effects of racism and poverty. But the message here is ultimately one of confidence and hope. That is because these families basically work. As one who has interviewed thousands of intermarried couples and their children (author of Mixed Blood: Intermarriage and Ethnic Identity in 20th-Century America), I found Grearson and Smith's account rang true. The book is also beautifully produced by the University of Iowa Press. I recommend it heartily.

...it was, for me, like a book of travelers' tales, about a land I myself am about to enter. Instead of dry academic posturing, "Love In A Global Village" led me on a dozen journeys taken, before me, by people with whom I could relate. I had actually met one of them, I found, a woman in Evanston, Shirlee Taraki, who married a man from Kabul and moved to Afghanistan. I knew something of her story, but I found out a lot more by reading Jessie Grearson and Lauren Smith's book. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to know about the day-to-day adventures and difficulties in an intercultural relatrionship.

This is a really well written, and well thought out biography of Matt Kenseth. Every Matt Kenseth fan should enjoy this book. The only thing I could possibly complain about would be that it ended too soon, hopefully there's a sequel in a few years telling us about his "Cup Championship"...

The author of this book is Kelley Maruszewski, Matt Kenseth's sister (and also Matt Kenseth Fan Club head honcho). This easy to read book is packed with pictures and stories of Matt's career from his earliest days in Wisconsin to his most recent Winston Cup victory in Las Vegas. It's lovingly written from the perspective only a close family member could share. It's a worthy addition to the library of any Matt Kenseth or Nascar fan!

My family and I enjoy camping and visiting the State parks all over Michigan. I have found this book to be very accurate, and helpful. There are easy-to-read descriptions of the parks, and great maps included. Color photographs would have been a nice feature to the book, but the loads of information inside make up for it. I highly recommend this book!

This book carefully explains each park, allowing for the advantages and disadvantages. I found it extremely helpful in planning our camping adventures in Michigan. I only wish Ohio's parks were as nice. This book is a must have for picking a place to camp anywhere in Michigan.

Now in an updated and expanded seventh edition, Michigan Vacation Guide: Cottages, Chalets, Condos, B&B's presents updated information on rental properties, regional attractions, tours, wineries, casinos, and a whole lot more that would make any vacation or business trip in Michigan simply unforgettable. The collaborative, painstaking effort of Kathy Tedsen and Bev Rydel, the Michigan Travel Guide is enhanced with black-and-white photographs and offers the traveler a wealth of information about various featured sites. The Michigan Vacation Guide a truly first-rate and highly recommended resource planning out an itinerary whether it be for a day-trip, getaway weekend, or an extended vacation.

I have an older version of this book and love it! Have just ordered the new edition and will be waiting for it to arrive. You will not be led astray!