Although I haven't road-tested this book, I can tell you that it came second overall in The Observer (UK) Guidebook of the Year Award. High praise indeed

A Letter That I Wrote to The Traveler's Companion Publishers......

Dear Reader

Hi my name is Brian Cliette; I'm a Hospitality and Tourism major at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. Firstly I would like to express my love and admiration for your Traveler's Companion books, personally I own close to Fifthteen of them. During High school and College my interest sparked by your books has allowed me to travel to many parts of the world. Never the less yours books have led me to the best sites, restaurants, night clubs and places of interest that these countries had to offer. In less than a month on July 19th, I will embark on yet another adventure abroad, to the land of Castro, great rum, cigars, the land of a beautiful people and unique culture. "Cuba" . But because funding (educational cuts in North Carolina) my school wont be able to furnish the Traveler's Cuba Companion for my fellow students. Which I feel with really enhance their travel abroad experience. So I was wondering if they're any charitable books available for educational endeavors such as this. Doing so would spark interest in your other great products. Any help that u may be able to offer would so greatly be appreciated. And if unable to furnish books or other learning tools that would aid are experience, your books are still great.

Sincerely,

Brian A. Cliette

There arent too many good travel books on Cuba. I liked this book and found the information to be accurate and insightful. I definately would take it with you if you are planning a trip to Havana. Its probabaly the best one out there and I have read them all. Best

Despite the time elapsed since this book was published, with all the changes that occurred in Cuba during these years, Medea Benjamin's conversations with Juan Antonio Blanco remain extremely topical, even in the discussion of present-day Cuba. Juan Antonio Blanco, very possibly Cuba's best historian, has always been someone passionately 'inside' the Cuban Revolution: in fact, for many years he has been struggling and fighting in order to keep 'inside' that Revolution, endeavouring to push and squeeze his own thoughts and views into the boiling pot of the Revolution's changing view of itself. Even today, from his self-imposed semi-exiled in Canada, Blanco remains a faithful revolutionary servant, attempting to change what may be wrong with the Revolution, rather than ever dissenting from it. That makes him a 'dissident' inside the system, let's say a potential Gorbachev or Havel. As we read this fantastic book, and even more so as we read it backwards, we discover more of Juan Antonio Blanco's thoughts, concerns, criticisms, passions, concerns, views for the future. We read what he said and criticized of the Revolution at the time, we read his predictions, and thus we find to what extent his ideas were or were not incorporated into the new revolutionary thinking, to what extent his concerns were listened to and implemented. Overall, we can assess to what extent Blanco may really maintain his claim to have remained 'inside' the Revolution. But of course, this is not only a book about the great mind of Juan Antonio Blanco. Author Medea Benjamin provokes Blanco on a lot of points, giving rise to passionate conversations on so many aspects of Cuba's life, from the most theoretic issues of thought, to practical matters of the everyday life of Cuba's citizens. An impressive amount of topics and issues are covered, ranging from philosophy to health system, from economic crisis to nutrition and international relations. All these are discussed in a way that make it easy to read for everyone - for the scholar of Cuba and the student alike, as well as anyone interested in Cuba, without requiring any academic knowledge. The prose is excellent, and the contents very well edited. Overall, it is one of the books that should not be missing from anyone's Cuba library.

This is the one! learn about the history, the ideals and the future of the revolution. Medea Benjamin asked the questions I wanted answered. And the answers were sometimes surprising. Juan Antonio Blanco is an incredibly intelligent and articulate person. If you are curious at all about Cuba... begin here. It is a short fast read.... perfect spring break or weekend material.

Medea Benjamin's interviews with Juan Antonio Blanco are a fair and nuanced portrayal of the struggles of the island's people during the economic crisis brought about by the collapse of the USSR. The book is a must read for those visiting or revisiting Cuba. If there is a "dissident" on the island with a sense of both the country's human suffering and potential, it is clearly Blanco.

Overall, very well done.

This a delightful book. David Muench's ability to use light and contrast to capture the varied landscapes of Arizona is unsurpassed. He truly has a gift.

This is a wonderful coffee table book packed with a wide variety of spectacular photos of Arizona. It is a stunning display of the tremendous variety found in Arizona's natural habitat. Muench focuses on different aspects of the landscape including light, form, life and ecology. Captions tell where the photograph was taken with some brief commentary. A short essay by the photographer leads off each section with some of his personal thoughts and insights.

You will find an awesome view looking up through the trees to the sky, and the beautiful azure color of the Colorado River contrasting against white and rust colored rocks. Views of waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, autumn leaves and desert sands will take your breath away. Natural rock formations and cactus plants are seen in a new light as they become elegant sculptures. Endless, brilliant blue skies are captured against fields, mountains and red rock formations. Close-up of photos vibrant pink cactus flowers and sunny yellow poppies will brighten your day. You also get an occasional glimpse of lush green trees and plants.

As with all of Muench's books this one is printed on quality glossy paper with the highest of production values doing justice to the photography. As a Muench fan this is a treasured addition to my library.

David Muench's photographs show the incredible beauty and variety of Arizona's scenery. The book is a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Arizona or color photography. We received it as a gift and have purchased two more copies since then to give to others.

Recently, I visited Monongahela on vacation with my wife. What a truly fabulous place, rich in flora and fauna. And we used this book to guide us through. Each trail description (choose from 30 day hikes and 10 overnight) offers commentary on scenery, trail condition, difficulty, accessibility for children and solitude.

West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest is the mid-Atlantic's best kept secret. Sure, there are a few popular destinations, like the Dolly Sods, but there are so many other places to go in the "Mon". But with over a million acres of land, it's hard to figure out exactly where to go. That's where Mr. Molloy's new book comes in. It has there and back day hikes and overnight loops. It rates each hike and then gives a running narrative of the trail you are on. What is really nice, in my opinion are the concise directions to each trailhead, saving time and getting me to where I really want to be, and that is on the trail.

I just got back from a hiking/camping experience I'll never forget. I'd never been to the Monongahela, or "Mon," as it is known, but when I saw this new hiking book I thought I would give it a try. The first hike, to Rohrbaugh Overlook, in the Dolly Sods, stunned me. Have you ever just known you were in the right place at the right time? That's how I felt, while looking over the Red Creek Valley surrounded by rock outcrops jutting from green forests. After a little national forest camping, I headed down to the Cranberry Wilderness, enjoying Molloy's Middle Fork overnight backpacking loop. The Middle Fork Cranberry River flowed clear beneath stately yellow birch trees and when I got up to the highcountry, the scent of spruce trees provided an aromatic backdrop for a night beneath the stars. Unfortunately the work bell rang and I had to return to Pittsburgh, but with 31 other day hikes and nine overnight backpacking loops in this book I shall return to the "Mon" many more times. This is a very useful and interesting book... perfect for anyone considering hiking in this area!

They say write about what you know...LeMonds knows the soul of the past and modern logger and writes with as unpretentious style as I've seen in a long time. He uses the language (always loggers...never lumberjacks) and shares with the reader the language and techniques of everything from falling, bucking, setting chokers, to trucking the logs. Furthermore, he does it based upon the real-life experiences of his family. You learn how they used to rig a spar tree and what went through the climbers mind as he accomplished this task 150-200 feet in the air. LeMonds also shares the future of forestry (hand-seeding, herbicides, fertilizer & thinning) to move the life span of high-productive crops like Douglas Firs from hundreds of years to perhaps as little as 35 years as well as what the modern equipment does now and probably into the future.. Perhaps you might find the short chronology of the work history of each of his family members in the logging business too detailed but it's more than worth the wonderful stories and perspectives that go with them. LeMonds acknowledges the scars on the landscape of the past but also the enduring scars on these tremendous men who contributed so much to this Country's development of the 20th century. I don't think one could ask for a more balanced view of this industry and have it written with such class. This is the best book I ever expect to read about this subject, which is so dear to my heart having been raised in a nearly identical community in Southern Oregon. Today I ordered a second copy to send to a dear friend still working in the woods.

James Lemonds peels away the Bunyonesque macho image that has been falsely hung on the loggers of the Northwest and shown them as they are; broken down, disabled and discarded by the industry that exacted a terrible toll on both the workers and the forests.
Anyone wanting to research the human cost the industry extracted should start with this book. Death and disabilty rates beyond the range of nightmares were considered standard and acceptable, simply because the carnage took place outside the public view.
The hard work, honest efforts and caring that the workers brought to the job were repaid with lack of respect and now, lowering wages, no job security and disdain from the general public.
As bad as it is in Lemonds description, the list at the end of the book does not include all the co-workers of any current or former loggers that I have talked to who have read this book, nor co-workers of mine, who were killed on the job. The toll suffered by the workforce was at least equal to that suffered by the forests.
Lemonds tells the story in an even-handed, personal way through his extended family and community. This is a must-read book by any student of Northwest culture of the past century.

Logging in America's Northwest, an industry and occupation which arouses strong passions and polarizing viewpoints.

Jim LeMonds, though not neglecting the emotional and substantive areas of contention, focuses primarily on the human contribution and in some cases sacrifices of the loggers themselves.

This book should be read by anyone with even the vaguest interest in forest management and environmental issues. Although he is from a logging family, I feel that the author has been exceedingly fair in his description of todays industry and what the future holds for this industry and more importantly for logging communities.

To me the efforts and accomplishments of the people featured in this book, and the many thousands like them, are what has made our country great. It is ironic that their contibutions and in some cases sacrifices have not received the recognition that they are rightfully due.

Buy this book, regardless of your political viewpoint on the logging industry, and celebrate the spirit that has enabled all of us to enjoy the many privledges of being Americans.

When I became vegetarian I worried about missing out on some of my favorite flavors like jamaican jerk. This book has a number of terrific recipes for doing jerk potatoes, jerk vegetables and even jerk tofu (I haven't tried that yet but certainly will). It has all the classics in here - pepperpot soup, plantains, etc.I've only scratched the surface in terms of making my way through the recipes but so far so good.

We bought this book last year before leaving for a vacation in Jamaica. In Jamaica we had rented a house that had a cook. She was a wonderful Jamaican woman unfamiliar with vegetarian cooking. We showed her this book. She was familiar with many of the dishes in this book, but in non-vegetarian forms. With this book she was able to adapt her recipes and we had a wonderful week of home-cooked Jamaican, vegetarian meals. At the end of our vacation she was delighted when we left her our copy of this book.

I had the pleasure of meeting and dining in the home of Yvonne Mc Calla Sobers of Kingston, Jamaica in July 1997. It was indeed memorable, to sit and rest after the long drive from the northcoast, in the hot midday, and enjoy the quiet breezy veranda of the Lingunea Mansion gifted to her by her childhood friend, Prime Minister Hon. Michael Manley, Chatting in depth about Jamaica, Food and Life, with her Sons and Herself, and reminesing of a childhood in Jamaica when "Bustamante Backbone" was a treat.

The Ben Johnson Vegetable Stew, made of all the great leftovers and pieces of vegetable in the fridge made for an adventurous treat on a hot afternoon, when shopping was out of the question. Sweet, Flavorful, Rich, Filling, Heaven in a bowl.

Yvonne treated us to her Fried Breadfruit, and some creamy vegeterian Solomon Gundy, which I have yet to locate outside Jamaica, namely in Kingston. Her conversations about the 38 different Mango's that were introduced to Jamaica and the West Indies, assures you that this isn't just some Local Cook.

We brought with us 2 bunches of country Gynip to the dinner party, and that was the payment for the truly fabulous country delicacies. approximatly $1.00 u.s. Unbelievable.

Indeed Mrs Sobers, is an internationally known consultant, responsible for bringing many international development projects closer to the people of Jamaica, instead of just the Tourist Regions. Hearing Her name mentioned daily on the radio stations in Jamaica, and seeing her Photograph in the Newspapers Islandwide, makes one know this is a Very Special Lady, and to be invited to sit on her special part of the earth and enjoy the treat of her hand is truly a dream come true for this aspiring cookbook writer.

I Advise, if you are looking for a Great New concept in Vegeterian Healthy Cooking Buy This Book and Share it With someone You Love.

My Recommendations - Hot and Spicy Shepards Pie, Ben Johnson Stew, Cashew and Gungo Loaf, Jamdown Curry, JamaicanStyle Veggy Burgers, Maro! ons, Callalalu - in all the styles; and of course Breadfruit, Tropical Gingerbread, Number 11 Mango Chutney named for one of the 38 types of Mango found in Jamaica; and Chef Yvonnes' Special Ital Rasta Pasta; (much better than that place on the hill in ochi.) This book is recommended for Senior Citizens, Dieters, Fat Free and Low FatDiets, Diabetics, Children, and Fussy Folks. The food is so delicious they will never know how healthy it really is. Guaranteed.

This book was easy to read and provides a great historical overview of the mountain, what equipment you need and a detailed step by step guide to the West Buttress route with Maps from Brad Washburn. Although I would say this book is merely a warm up in the research you need to do and understand to climb Denali. A very practical guide.

Required preparatory text for anyone planning the climb. Gives a clear understanding of the route and what is involved in attempting it. Written in concise, clear language by Denali authorities with emphasis on safety and sanitation. Of special interest is a chapter on women's concerns. Also, good reading for non-climbers wanting an inside view to what climbers experience enroute to the summit.

A thoughtful compendium of useful knowledge: for the neophyte, as well as the experienced. Practical advice on "leave only your footsteps"; interesting historical background; lucid prose makes it an easy read

I recently purchased DISCOVER! Volume 3 and I want more! Please send Volumes 2 and 3!

Having traveled and lived in the areas described in Vol.3, The Lower Mississippi, from St. Louis, Missouri to Memphis, Tennessee, and descended from a family of river rats, I can say that I've "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt."

Reading Pat's book is like traveling along with her as she explores the Great River Road along the mighty Mississippi River. I was especially impressed with the with the book's scope and readability. Pat has included personal insights from area inhabitants, collected geographical, historical and societal information and spread it all liberally throughout the travelogue. This is one hard book to put down, and if you ever decide to visit the area you'll have plenty of reference material to use. You will feel like you know the place already, and have gotten your own t-shirt.

Jim Pankey USN (Ret.)

Rolling on the River.......... In a few weeks, it'll be road-trip weather, and we have some of the nation's prettiest highways at our fingertips--US Hwy 61 and several other state and county highways form the parkway known as AMERICA's Great River Road. Making that drive even easier is a new guide: "DISCOVER! AMERICA'S GREAT RIVER ROAD, Volume 1." This 240-page guide highlights the heritage, natural history and recreational activities available along the Mississippi River from St. Paul, Mn., to Dubuque, Iowa. It includes maps, historical and geological points of interest, bike trails, bird watching spots and short features on small towns, parks, and villages. ----STAR TRIBUNE, Minneapolis, Mn. April 1997

I live in Austin, TX and wanted to find out where I could take my dogs and let them really run. Well, not only did this guidebook tell me what areas allow leash-free dogs (and it turns out the Austin area has a lot more than I ever knew!), but it gave great anecdotal descriptions of the various trails, facilities, etc. I've taken the pups on four walks so far (I've had the book a month) based on recommendations in this book and the descriptions were dead on accurate.

Dogs, Larry D. Hodge has concluded, are like American Express Cards. "Some people won't leave home without them," says the Mason free-lance writer. That's the idea behind Hodge's new book, "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" (Foghorn Press, $20.95). Hodge has "the inside scoop on where to take your dog" in the Lone Star State. It's the seventh "Dog Lover's Companion" volume from the California publisher. Hodge, who writes about travel and the outdoors for a number of Texas publications, including the San Antonio Express-News, says a guide for dog lovers didn't initially set his tail to wagging. He writes in the book's introduction: "Traveling dogs are a common sight in Texas ... What's the big deal? In Texas we just tell the dog to get in the back of the truck with the kids." Editors at Foghorn Press pressed him. They wanted listings of Rover-friendly restaurants, festivals, hotels and motels. They wanted to know where pet owners can walk a dog without a leash. Hodge approaches the subject matter with humor and humility. To conduct research, Hodge traveled mostly with Sport, a Rhodesian Ridgeback/handsome stranger mix, and sometimes with Samantha, an Australian blue heeler mix. The author, who confesses to sneaking both dogs into a Corpus Christi motel that doesn't allow pets ("We spent the entire time keeping them quiet"), was "surprised at how many motels openly welcome dogs." At more than 600 pages, "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" is well-researched. You can bet Hodge did his homework, ranking park areas by a system of paws - four paws being the, er, cat's meow. The lowest rating is a fire hydrant, or as Hodge writes, "That means the park is just worth a squat." Two parks in San Antonio got 31/2 paws - Martin Luther King Park and Southside Lions Park. The latter "is as good as it gets for a dog in Texas," Hodge says. Another South Texas favorite is Dwight D. Eisenhower Park. "It has great walking trails and great views of the San Antonio skyline," Hodge says. The biggest surprise in researching the book was "how many closet dog people are out there who keep a dog at their place of business all day ... everything from book stores to dress shops to restaurants to motels. "The minute I said something about doing a guide book for dogs they would turn and get real friendly," Hodge says. In all, the book lists more than 400 places to chow down, hundreds of places to stay the night and nearly 500 parks, beaches, forests and wildlife areas, as well as doggy do's and don'ts, safety tips, rules of dining etiquette and hints on avoiding pooper- scooper faux "paws." Plus, "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" is illustrated with delightful cartoons by Phil Frank.

The carpet in the back of my sport utility vehicle is still full of coarse, reddish hair, and I'm in no hurry to clean it out. That's where Rosie, our six-year-old Golden Retriever, used to ride. We took her to parks and beaches when we could, which in retrospect was not anywhere near often enough. Rosie was part of our family. She was our first "child" and later, Deputy Mom and Big Sister to our daughter Hallie. Like all good dogs, for her the term "unconditional love" was redundant. Last summer, as Hallie played in our front yard, someone driving a blue pickup truck ran over Rosie when she ran out in the street. The person who did it--Hallie says it was a man (only in the sense of his gender)--kept driving. Rosie was left writhing on the pavement with a broken back. Using a blanket, Linda and I got her into my truck and rushed her to an emergency veterinary clinic. After looking at an X-ray, the vet said there was nothing we could do for her but put her down. So, with the wisdom that only sad hindsight brings, if you have a beloved family pet, do things with it as frequently as you can, while you can. And buy a copy of a book funny enough to dry the tears from my eyes when I think about Rosie and the kind of person who would hit a 75-pound dog and not stop, while a little girl watched: "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" by Larry D. Hodge (Foghorn Press, 656 pages, $20.95). The book is the first-ever Texas travel guide for people with dogs. It lists places where dogs are welcome, rating them on a scale of a fireplug (suitable only for "dewatering" your dog) to one to four paws, depending on the dog-friendliness factor. A good book offers more than its title suggests, and "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion" is a good book. What makes it good is that Hodge has personalized it, crafting it as something of a Texas-only version of "Travels with Charlie." Unlike John Steinbeck, whose faithful canine companion was Charlie, Hodge traveled with two dogs, Sport and Samantha.

Hodge could have written a simple, to-the-point guidebook, but his Steinbeck-like opus is full of observation and insight into Texas as well as the human and canine condition. Writing about a park in Houston, for instance, he mentions that he went to a nearby branch library to re-read a passage from the classic novel, "Old Yeller," by the late Mason writer Fred Gipson. Hodge and his two dogs put 25,000 miles on his sport utility vehicle (Hodge says his Sport appreciates the fact that Detroit bestowed her name on a whole vehicular genre) in researching "The Texas Dog Lover's Companion." Following a 20-page, philosophy-filled introductory overview on traveling with dogs (and in which Sport and Samantha are brought on stage), Hodge covers the state region by region. He and his co-researchers sniffed their way across the state, checking parks, places to eat and sleep and even places where you can take your pet shopping. Hodge found most of Texas pretty accommodating when it comes to dogs, but it's clear that he didn't mind leaving Lubbock in his rearview mirror. "Unfortunately, for dogs there are few positives," Hodge writes of Lubbock. "Dogs must be leashed everywhere, and we could find few places that actually welcomed them. For dogs, anyway, Lubbock seems destined to remain a stop on the way to someplace better." One "someplace better," he wrote, is Amarillo. Hodge likes its climate and friendliness -- to people and their pooches. Hodge's guidebook is a sometimes funny and always entertaining and useful travel reference even if you aren't traveling with Rover. If a hotel, eating place or park won't accept dogs, who would want to go there anyway? As Hodge writes, "Texas is going to the dogs. And it's about time." Hodge's book is a delightful salute to Texas and to dogs, from Old Yeller to Sport, Samantha and -- in sentiment, to Rosie. "It's the land that brings out what's inside us," Hodge quotes one savvy Big Bend resident as saying about her corner of Texas. "There's a beauty and clarity I believe you find only in open spaces." And, Hodge adds, "in the eyes of a dog."

An excellent book for anybody curious about Dominican history and politics. I was particularly interested in how Moya Pons shed light on regional politics/rivalries, caudillo politics, and the never ending battle between pure democracy and military backed political factions. I was also amazed at the political instability that existed in the pre-trujillo era and how this instability devastated the Dominican economy. Moya Pons' interpretation of Dominican history is both accurate and informative. I highly recommend this book.

This book is an excelent example of clear and concise writing about a country.I must say that the English version is lighter, easier to read. The Spanish version is a must but the author knew best and improved the book by making it more fun to read in English. I highly recommend this book for anybody who wishes a clear understanding of the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic, A National History, by Dominican prominent historian Frank Moya Pons is the best history of the Dominican Republic available in English today. Based on the 10th edition of the widely acclaimed Manual de Historia Dominicana, by the same author, this is an entirely new book intended for English speaking audiences. It contains maps, index, and a thorough, commentated bibliography of more than 750 items. It is also the first general academic history of the Dominican Republic published in the United States since Sumner Welles's Naboth Vineyard, in 1928. A must read to understand the contemporary events in that country.