I have taken many of the trails listed in this book and was impressed with the accurate trail maps which include mileage markers, geologic features, and elevations of mountain peaks. Trail descriptions include the distance, estimated time required, start and end elevations, and technical ratings. The book is useful for both mountain bikers and hikers. About fifty pages are devoted solely to trails in the Santa Ana Mountains. Unfortunately, recent development has eliminated some of the trailheads, especially in Aliso & Wood Canyons Park.

I love the book, and refer to it every weekend

We are so disappointed that Ms. Fujii has not updated this book, as we had purchased two editions and used them each time we went to Hawaii! Her suggestions were wonderful, and we were able to plan our trips within our budget and interests. We are now planning another trip after several years have passed, and will use the old edition, with hopes, however, that she will write another!!!

We go to Hawaii 5 times a year, and we love this book. A little outdated for the hotels, but food and stores and sights are awesome. A must have. Jocelyn should write an update to this book, instead of writing for Frommer's.

A companion book to the popular television series of the same name, John Sarich's Best Of Taste: Flavors Of The Pacific Coast showcases more than one hundred creative recipes enhanced with beautiful color photographs, a food and wine pairing chart, and wine recommendations. From Seared Sea Scallops with Wasabi Cream; Quick Mussel Pasta; and Kobe-Style Ribs; to Tuscan Steak; Potato Lasagna; and Raspberry-Lemon Sorbet, Best Of Taste is an elegant and welcome addition to any cookbook collection.

I've followed Best of Taste's cooking show on television and have been a fan for some time. This cook book seems to be a compilation of many of the television recipes plus others that I have never seen before. All of the recipes I have tried so far have been great, and the preparation instructions are all easy to follow, so you don't have to be a master chef to make these tasty dishes. A definite must buy for anybody who likes "Northwest" style food.

I was also 18 years old when I was sent to the Pacific and found everything that Sy Kahn wrote. Now at 71 years old I never thougth I was to find so realistic book and brought back so painful and glorius memories. This is my first war book I read and I do not regreted. I did realy enjoy it.

I am the daughter of one of the book's character's (Rafael "Sancho" Sanchez). It was so interesting to read about not only my father's exploits, but the others in the company as well. It brought back many memories of the many stories my father use to tell me about his war experiences. It also brought a real perspective of the trials of war to someone who was born eleven years after it ended. Thank you Sy for bringing me and my family a part of my father we never would have known if you had not told your story.

I have reviewed the 5th Edition of "Bicycle Rides in Orange County," published January 2001, by Don and Sharron Brundidge. I can't think of a better guide for all types of riders. There is a complete description of each ride along with maps and contour plots. Rides are rated by many criteria: difficulty, scenery, distance workout, elevation workout, bike route quality (exclusive bike trail, separated striped bike lane, signed non-separated bike lane, and none of the above), sight-seeing attractions, and nature trails. This guide added 16 rides to the 1988 edition, making a total of 58. The guides also indicate parks, restrooms, water, special points of interest, and occasional eateries. I did all but the Orange County Century in the 1988 edition and so far have done 10 of the 16 new rides in the 2001 edition. Also I noticed that some of the original 42 rides have had revisions that I want to try also.

I have checked the distances and elevation gains with my own GPS and Avocet vertical gain watch and found the guides to be quite accurate. Options are described for shortening certain rides. Another feature I liked was the description of the connectivity between near-by rides for those riders who want to do multiple rides in a day's outing. I can't think of a more complete guide. When I finish the 16 added rides in Orange County, I want to start on the additional rides in the latest revision to "Bicycle Rides in Los Angeles County."

The book provides 51 on-road trip descriptions (58 total rides) in Orange County. Rides vary from those for short-length family trips on separated bike paths, many longer exploratory and workout trips for more experienced riders on various quality bike routes, and a few "gut-buster" tours for the most physically fit and motivated bikers. There are over 800 one-way miles of biking described. Included are the Orange County "Grandaddy" and a county century ride. Trip domains include cities, beaches, parks, canyons, valleys, mountains, rivers, harbors and lakes.
Included is a master map to show ride locations within the county and a master matrix that identifies ride location, level of difficulty, route composition (percentage of route on bike trail, signed bike lanes or open roadway) and a general trip characterization (i.e., Is the trip scenic? Is it in a natural setting? Are there landmarks and/or sightseeing attractions along the way? Is this a mileage and/or elevation workout?).
Each trip description contains a detailed trip map and elevation-distance profile and scenic or character-interest photographs are scattered throughout the book. The route maps note the location of water sources, landmarks, sightseeing attractions and campsites among other points of interest.
Condensed Table of Contents:
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Trip Organization
Trip Description/Terminology
General Biking Considerations
Orange County Trips
-- The Coast (16 trips)

-- River Trails (Rivers/Creeks) (4 trips)
-- Inland (12 trips)
-- The "Big Guys" (Long-distance Rides) (3 trips)
-- New Trips (16 Trips)
Index

Having managed to track down a copy of Big Fish and Blue Water on the internet - my hopes were dashed when I was told "Will not ship internationally" - one of the problems of living in England I suppose!

This is the definitive book on this subject by an author with wide-ranging first hand knowledge. Extremely well researched, with many years of interviews covering historical fishing in the Pacific. The photographs are spectacular!!

Even though I thought I knew everything about Disneyland and the rest of the Resort, I found new and interesting things in this book. And now I know so much more, then I did, before I read this book.
Also I think this book is very helpful to a person who has never visited Disneyland, and to the person who visited the park 20 times or more. (Like I have) I do have to say I did find some mistakes in the book, but they were minor. Overall this book is very helpful and is very informitive.

Birnbaum's Disneyland is the ultimate guide book full of all the information you must know, more than any other guide book. Inside the book, you have your own "Disney Trip Planner" where you can write down and take it with you, your vacation information and notes. Already printd for you are the Disney phone numbers you need. This book starts you with "When To Go": The Most Crowded days, Average Attendance, and when the Least Crowded days are to go to Walt Disney's Disneyland Park. They tell you the truth. Also the times for everyday of the year when Disneyland and California Adventure opens for the day and closes to go to sleep. Also the average temperature, high and low and average rainfall for each month is given. Holidays and special events at the Disneyland Resort all year long, Magical Milestones, Weddings & Honeymoons information, Disney Reservations & Travel Packages are also in this book. What to Pack?, making a budget, cost-cutting tips, variety of theme park tickets available, how to get there by car, on freeways, California driving laws, auto clubs, how to get the best airfare, airport transportation and shuttle buses, car rental, traveling in by bus or train. Detailed information on all the Disney Resort Hotels and Hotels/Motels across the street from the Disneyland Park is here too. Every amusement ride or event (included the Disney version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? game show is in California Adventure), store and restaurant in the Disneyland Park and California Adventure and Downtown Disney are precisely detailed so you can make a choice of what you would like to do next. In regards to the rides and attractions, the book will also let you know which rides you should not go on if you have back problems, heart problems, pregnant, respiratory problems, etc, so you can make a wise decision for yourself which rides you should not go on before you go to the park. Also some rides are just for children only. And some adult rides do have height restrictions for children. Basically, the Disney Resorts would like you to be safe and the information in this book is valuable to you. Whether you are with family, someone special, a stranger, someone new, or just want to experience Disneyland with yourself (alot of people do!), you're going to love Walt Disney's Disneyland and Birnbaum's Disney Resort Guide Book. It will be a big help to you. The book even has discount coupons for you to use. Birnbaum's Disneyland Resort Guide Book is updated and published every year. So every October, be sure to purchase this book on Amazon.com for the new year.

I was at the Anchorage International Airport on my way back from Kotzebue, Alaska and I saw this book. The cover caught my eye; the contents were impressive. This book gives a lot of useful hints and details for building log homes. I liked it so much I bought one and sent a friend a copy. Thanks for a well-written book!

I have read at least a dozen of the latest log cabin building books. Unfortunately, most of them do not go into enough detail on the scribe-fit building technique. This one, however, is the first that really does. This book includes many USEFUL pictures and doesn't ramble on about unimportant subjects. This book is focused, to-the-point, and in the amount of detail that is necessary. As a result, this is a good companion to any other log cabin building books that you may already have, since it fills in the missing details that the other books seem to overlook. I definitely recommend it.

Frank Chin's collection of essays is magnificent. The book is a course in itself on the authenticity of the Chinese-American experience in American culture. Chin's ideas are well researched, even scholarly in origin, but they are presented in ways that are eminently accessible. Each of the essays is provocative of the reader's thinking. I loved the essay on "Lowe Hoy & the 3 Legged Toad", for its exposition of strategy in Chinese social experience, and for its use of authentic Cantonese colloquialisms in his interviewees' speech.

There is no question that when it comes to specific, focused cultural criticism, Frank Chin has the task nailed down. I don't know the time frame spanned by these essays, but in terms of content they cover all the bases. Any student of Asian-American history and culture can profit from Chin's sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes frightfully serious analysis of several aspects of the Asian-American experience. Chin deals with immigration/migration; gang subcultures; folk history and mythology; and others. But the thing that makes this book so impressive, beyond its coverage, is Chin's writing style -- fast and loose, comfortable and razor-sharp. The jacket describes him as a "literary gangster" -- never have I heard a more apt description of an author. He wrangles words from the oral histories he obtains and makes them work for him. But he is a respectful gangster -- the subjects of his interviews seem open, warm to him and to his neverending questions. The text can get heavy at times, but this is a function of the content it taps. A very, very powerful book.

California by Train is a very informative and helpful guide to travel in the state of California. It lists points of interest served by public transit and detailed route-by-route information of all buses, trains, and ferries serving the Golden State. In addition, there are fare summaries, phone numbers, and information on intercity carriers like Amtrak and Greyhound. Much of the information is out of date now and a fifth edition is definitely needed.

This book makes it easy to travel around California without a car.

Contrary to popular (ignorant) belief, you can get around California by transit. Schneider's book makes the ride just a bit easier.

The book contains frequency information on buses, trains, ferries, and even intercity (Amtrak, Greyhound, etc.) information. It also has phone numbers for the transit agencies to get information. Best of all, the book also contains popular California attractions and what is the nearest transit service available.