Our Texas Hill Country is indeed a little-known source of beauty to outsiders. Because of its depressed condition for decades in the past it was overlook even by Texans. Today, however, we are able to see this area for what it is: rolling hills, tumbling streams and rivers, and a great view around so many curves in its small secondary roads. Though West Texas is well-known for Big Bend, the sheer area of this part of our State, combined with sparse population, means all of us can enjoy peace and solitude--this is where the South turns into the Southwest.

Mr. Ford's book reflects a love of the area, combined with excellent directions and documentation of sights. The book is divided into geographic areas, and within those areas, into tours of a day or longer. He has also done an excellent job of rating the difficulty of the tours, and why he has come to those conclusions.

Though I have only cycled a small amount of this area, I would also recommend this book for those who would like to tour by car. I've traveled almost this entire area by car and wish I'd had this guide then. Additionally, I found the photography very well-done--particularly in view of the price of the book.

This book is a valuable resource, and a terrific buy for the price!

I have cycled only a few of the book's listed road rides in the Hill Country but I am familiar with portions of several other roads in the Hill Country and West Texas via automobile. These are truly great rides with well-thought directions and information. It's so good that when Mr. Ford says you will have to "shoo" sheep and livestock from the road, it really must be done! I eagerly await even more rides with the next edition of the book.

A recent resident of Venice, California, I looked out to the Santa Monica mountains from my second story window and wondered where the running trails were. I've bounced around LA over the past few years, running in Griffith Park, Fryman Canyon, Porter Ranch, among other routes, but these new mountains drew me to them.

How to find my way? I ran one morning at Will Rogers Park and asked someone about the trails that lured me away from the traffic and the people. The runner said: "Get Stan Swartz' book!" Thus armed, I searched a book store and found it quickly. It was exactly what I was searching for, similar in style to the wonderful book I had purchased years earlier which depicted all the trail running possibilities within New York City.

Now, eight weeks after placing third in my ritualistic 10K at Descanso Gardens, I leaf through the book almost every morning, wondering which route I will take on the weekend, building up my confidence with each page turn.What I find fascinating is that the descriptions of the routes, the distances, and benchmarks, the terrain, ALL MATCH THE REALITY. I know I am on the right trail; I know when I am half way through; I know when to turn left or right; the topographical maps give me an idea of the ups and downs. Now that I have completed several of the runs alone among this spectacular landscape, I inhale the spiritual aspect of running imbued by George Sheehan and combine it with the practical information provided by this book.

I look forward to trying out as many of the runs as I can, venturing out even to the longest ones at 13 miles. When I can, I will join the other runners on Sunday mornings. The three authors have given me a great gift: the ability to explore historical terrain with the eyes of a contemporary "critter"...a trail runner who feels at one with the wondrous varieties of Nature described so completely by those who have gone before me. Thank you.

This book has excellent information for the novice or seasoned trail runner. With it's topography of the trails, the newest runner can pick a trail that is not too difficult. Beautiful photographs.

Has excellent photos, maps, directions and places that I was not able to find on other books for this part of the state.

We've been exploring this area for 20 yrs, but this book has led us to some new places. Directions and descriptions are very good. So far, Dusty Lake is my favorite- see it online.

If you want to see wild Alaska, don't skip over Southcentral just because you see cars and tall buildings in Anchorage. The hikes detailed in this book start on or near the road system. But you're far more likely to see moose, bear, dall sheep, and other wildlife on these trails than in the remote bush. Some of the trails are crowded (by Alaska standards--perhaps six hikers per mile) in the sunny season, but others see very little traffic. And, even on the most crowded trails such as McHugh and Bird Ridge, you escape most other hikers after about a thousand feet. By the time you work your way into the high valleys, you're usually the only one up there. The views are astounding, and the weather far, far nicer than SE or SW Alaska. Worth a look, even if you're only in Anchorage for a few days.

First, I should say that "for hikes in the vicinity of Anchorage" is a little misleading. Southcentral Alaska includes thousands of square miles worth of gorgeous trails and hikeable terrain, and this book is probably the best one to help you get out there. It includes maps for all hikes, as well as vital statistics like distance, estimated hiking time (take with a grain of salt!), total elevation gain, and seasons that it's open. Indexes in the back help you look for a hike by season, area, length, or children-suitability.

After 17 years in Alaska, ten with the same dog-eared copy of 55 Ways, I haven't been disappointed yet.

With "Abolitionists Abroad," Lamin Sanneh has produced another great piece of scholarship, one of the best books on West Africa ever written. Sanneh examines antislavery not as an intellectual exercise by Western elites but as a movement of former slaves and former captives who went to West Africa to fight slavery and the slave trade. Crucial to Sanneh's book is the concept of "antistructure," which is the framework used by Sanneh to signal the opposition to chieftain authority structures that became the foundation of antislavery in Sierra Leone. These former slaves and former captives sought to undermine the chieftain values of birth, rank, and patronage and replace them with enlightened values--informed by American Christianity and republicanism--such as freedom and inclusiveness. The proliferation of evangelical Christianity taught ex-slaves the idea that everyone is equal in God's eyes, and these blacks soon began to find its "earthly counterpart in liberty without prejudice." Former American slaves and recaptives alike insisted on equal rights under the law, and opposed official British attempts to meddle with their religious practices. They found prosperity in the growth of legitimate trading enterprises, which served as an alternative model to the economic system of the chiefs, which was closely tied to the slave trade. The final result was the creation of a new kind of society in which chiefly authority was contested, Christanity was tranformed, and former slaves were able to use their "second chance" to pursue dignified and productive lives.

I have now read more than 5 of Lamin Sanneh's books and many of his published article's. Being a student of his at Yale, I was fortunate enough to learn side by side with a legend in the field of African history. Abolitionists Abroad is one that everyone must read. Sanneh writes in a clear and easy to comprehend manner that every book lover will appreciate. I highly recommend this book and others written by Lamin Sanneh including Translating the message and West African Christianity. I was fortunate enough to learn in the classroom with this brilliant mind, here is your chance to learn in your home. Five stars.

Having read lots of "guidebooks" about cities both in the states and in other countries, I can confidently recommend this book as one of the most comprehensive and usable! As residents of the Twin Cities, our household brings out this book everytime we want to know more about a building we've seen, when we want to know how late the zoo is open, or when we can't decide where to have a great dinner out. It is fun to read, very well organized by areas of the cities, and includes great information, such as history of neighborhoods and buildings, menu recommendations for restaurants, and where to find "hidden" locales. Excellent!

Unlike all the other Minneapolis guide books i saw. this one has an entire chapter about the mall of america (which is the whole reason for our trip to minneapolis), but it lists and describes many of the stores (especially the unusual and unique ones), and it has interesting facts about the mall. The book also has great maps. And the best part is, it color codes it's entries. Parks and outdoor activities are printed in green, hotels are in blue, resturaunts in red, etc. This book was a huge help in planning what to do and how long to stay.

This is as good as a guidebook can get.

It is concise- it is not a encylopedia volume to lug around town; It is informative- with history of the city and its surroundings, the book is very thorough and written very very well; It is well illustrated- restaurants, hotels, attractions are color-coded differently and there are a ton of great illustrations that really do justice to the charm of the city.

Despite having grown up in Seattle, this book opened my eyes to a whole new world of places to go and restaurants to check out that I previously didn't see.

I would like to shake the hand of the man who put together such a fine guidebook- I have one for the Washington DC area as well!

I really liked how well Seattle was described, though in a very general manner. Small glimpses of the city were given and well critiqued. Very helpful, even for relocation.

The ACCESS guides are so smartly organized by neighborhoods that you'll be lurking like a local in no time. The color coding for attractions, restaurants, hotels and shopping make skimming for your favorites a breeze. More often than not, their sly 'insider' comments are right on the money. I used ACCESS Washington, DC to acclimate myself to my new home, and I still use it whenever company comes to town. Like any travel guide, the latest edition is a must (but even that won't compensate for fickle diners and undercapitalized restauranteurs) and it's certainly time for a newer version than the 2000 edition. But having said that, I still purchase an ACCESS guide if I'm going to spend any time in a city I haven't fully explored.

Once again a jewel of a guide. Comprehensive, lively, logical and coherent. Like so many other city guides by Richard Saul Wurman, this book combines an architectural overview with historical, anecdotal and practical aspects of the city in such a way that makes it a great companion to have before during and after the visit. As a matter of fact even if you don't go, you get the pleasure of intimate knowledge of the place.

An excellent job of narrating the recovery of lost material from existing documentation. The footnotes are well researched. The topic is fascinating, and the insights of the editors very useful. However, I would have liked to see an additional index with entry using English terms as well as the existing index of Taino words.

In addition, in analysis of a culture so intimately linked and so knowledgeable of nature as the Tainos, one should also take into account biological reality. For instance, it seems clear to a biologist that Mácocael, "he of the lidless eyes:' page 6 of the text may well be the great rainbow boa, Epicrates spp., Ma-ja, the great snake, since this serpent, like most boas, has lidless eyes.

An excellent job of narrating the recovery of lost material from existing documentation. The footnotes are well researched. The topic is fascinating, and the insights of the editors very useful. However, I would have liked to see an additional index with entry using English terms as well as the existing index of Taino words.

In addition, in analysis of a culture so intimately linked and so knowledgeable of nature as the Tainos, one should also take into account biological reality. For instance, it seems clear to a biologist that Mácocael, "he of the lidless eyes:' page 6 of the text may well be the great rainbow boa, Epicrates spp., Ma-ja, the great snake, since this serpent, like most boas, has lidless eyes.

"Recommended for visitors who want to research a trip ahead of time and take the book along for repeated reference. Outdoor activities in Bermuda, from coral island hideaways to touring the parishes. Also exhaustive information on hotels and restaurants. An excellent guide." The Bookwatch

"These useful guides are highly recommended... " Library Journal "[Adventure Guides] direct you away from the theme parks and into the great outdoors... the information on trekking routes, canoeing, wildlife refuges - even golf courses - is well researched." The Sunday Telegraph "...intended for the adventure-minded travelers with special affection for the outdoors and nature. Each Adventure Guide packs in outdoor-oriented activities set in different regions. There's something for nearly everyone." Midwest Book Review