Editorial Review :

The Definitive Disney Handbook

On the heels of capturing eight national book awards, the best-selling Complete Walt Disney World series returns with The Complete Walt Disney World 2010. Now with more than 500 full-color photographs, this show-and-tell extravaganza rates and reviews nearly 700 attractions, restaurants, shops and hotels and offers hundreds of helpful tips.

New attraction coverage includes the refurbished Space Mountain, the revamped Hall of Presidents and the all-new American Idol Experience. As for planning your trip, illustrated articles make it easy to choose the right theme-park tickets, understand the Disney Dining Plan and save a lot of time and money. Young families in particular will find the book helpful, as the abundance of photos give children a way to read it with their parents. Eye-catching images show attractions, hotels, restaurants and more.

Award-Winning Advice

The only independent Disney guide ever honored by the Walt Disney Company, The Complete Walt Disney World is the winner of Disney's iParenting Media Award for Outstanding Family Product. Other honors include Travel Guide of the Year and Nonfiction Book of the Year.

Ten Features Found Only in The Complete Walt Disney World 2010:

1. What's New Learn everything that's new or different at Disney with a handy summary right at the front of the book.
2. Plan Perfect Theme Park Days New Planning Your Day sections let you learn the best days of the week to visit each park, the best rides for your unique children, and how long the lines will probably be at each attraction for every hour of the day.
3. Character Locators Love Tinker Bell? Cinderella? The Mad Hatter? These lists show exactly where to meet dozens of Disney stars at every theme park.
4. Become the Ultimate Disney World Gamer Insider tips help you rack up incredible scores at Disney's ride-through shooting arcades, including the new 3-D Toy Story Mania.
5. Lions, Tigers, Giraffes... Oh My! All-new Animal Kingdom wildlife guides feature fab photos and fascinating facts. Habitat maps make it easy to spot your favorite exotic creatures.
6. Dude Looks Like a Lady Interesting backstories, histories, science secrets, Fun Finds, Fun Facts (Tinker Bell is sometimes a man?) and Hidden Mickeys help make every attraction interesting for everyone in your group.
7. New Photo-Filled Shopping Guides See unique souvenirs sold at each theme park, know what they cost and where to find them. Learn which stores offer the best items for you.
8. Totally Awesome Water Park Tips Learn how to catch major air on Disney's water slides and win its downhill races. Helpful details about every pool, river and slide let you decide which ones are too wild--or mild--for your family.
9. See Your Room Before You Book It Don't just read about the Disney resort hotels, see what they look like! Over a hundred new hotel photos include landscapes, swimming pools and best of all, rooms. Expanded reviews include pool features such as slides and waterfalls and children's activities such as pirate-themed scavenger hunts. Comprehensive specs include when each hotel was last renovated and how far it is from each theme park. Learn about the three new Disney Vacation Club timeshares as well as non-Disney hotels such as the huge new Hilton next door and the rebuilt Holiday Inn at Downtown Disney.
10. Who Ya Gonna Call? Conveniently located on the book's last page, an expanded Walt Disney World telephone directory lists over 90 rarely published numbers, including those for medical and dental emergencies, Lost and Found, even Special Occasion Cakes.

Authors Julie and Mike Neal have been to Walt Disney World more than 1,400 times, and visit weekly. They live on Sanibel Island, Fla.

Customer Review :

Quite a good guide but some omissions

I have traveled to WDW often and have always bought the "official" guide. I bought this based on online reviews and overall am very happy with the guide's information. I felt this book gave more detailed info on the specific changes the parks are undergoing or will be undergoing this year. The "official" guide seems to omit this completely. The pictures are nice but not totally necessary for the repeat traveler. I would have liked more info on the restaurants and the dinner shows. How about a small chapter on Non-Disney attractions? I still felt I needed the info the "official" guide gave me but find that the information in this guide on the wait times and popularity of the attractions at each park will be invaluable for planning my days.

Rating :

Always the best Disney guide

This book always has a lot of good stuff in it, but this 2010 edition is better than ever. I will be using it a lot, not just for my family but for all the relatives who always seem to "drop in." A common thing here in Orlando! The descriptions of the rides and shows start off with a very handy list of specifications, such as the length of the ride and how scary it is for children. My sister says she wished she had looked at it before she took my niece on the Tower of Terror! I also liked the list of character locations they include for each theme park. So handy, especially when you have a child who MUST meet Lilo! Now I know where she is! Well to sum up you should know I have bought many Disney World guides over the years, but there isn't anything that compares to this new Complete Guide for helping you have fun and enjoy your visit. Better than ever this year, with new stuff like photos of the rooms at the Disney resorts and a great guide to the animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Rating :

So glad we have this for our Easter trip!

We're headed down to Disney World this Easter so I bought this book. So glad I did! It is PER-FECT!!! It has exactly this information I was hoping it would have about Springtime at Disney. For example, it has photos and descriptions of the special Easter events, like the Trail Maids at Magic Kingdom. It has OUTSTANDING tips on how to use Disney's Fastpass system, and hour-by-hour wait times for every ride and show... things that are very important to us since we will be there during a very busy period. And it has the best hotel room information I have ever seen! I've learned Disney Resort rooms can be tough to come by during the spring, so you really need to know what the differences are. This book lays it all out, with details and especially photographs that make what would be a headache of a chore relatively easy.

Rating :

The best of the Disney World guides - bar none!

I grew up in Orlando and was a Disney Cast Member for more than two years, so I know Disney, and I've read every guide book there is. I can tell you that this is by far the best book out there for planning a trip to WDW, whether you are a first timer, a family, or traveling with a flock of teenagers.

This book is brilliantly illustrated with photographs of nearly every attraction. The authors have thought of every key detail needed to create an easy to use guide book. Color coded borders at the top of every page make finding the section you're looking for simple. The book itself isn't too bulky and will easily stash away in any backpack. Average wait times are listed for every attraction, by the hour.

The reviews are honestly written (Country Bear Jamboree is "way past its prime"), comprehensive, and packed with trivia. I was blown away with the number of "fun facts" that I didn't even know. Hidden Mickeys are detailed throughout the book as well.

If there's any point of criticism, it's that the book occasionally reveals its authors' ages. Two full pages are devoted to the Hall of Presidents, the stereotypical Disney snooze fest. The movie in Epcot's France Pavilion gets four stars - I challenge you to find anyone under the age of 30 who would agree. But these are the most minor of infractions.

Every Disney World visitor who reads this book cover to cover will have a fantastic trip!

Rating :

Accurate, detailed, clear... and fun to read

I was born and raised here in Central Florida, so I've been to Walt Disney World more than a few times, and can tell a good travel guide from a bad one. This book is the best one of all. The advice is very helpful, the information is way more up to date and it is written in a clean and well organized way. Covers it all, does it well. A bonus: In my experience, children love to look through it with you.

-- John, Orlando

Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9780786706211
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3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Editorial Review :

The astonishing saga of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton's survival for over a year on the ice-bound Antarctic seas, as "Time" magazine put it, "defined heroism". Alfred Lansing's scrupulously researched and brilliantly narrated book--with over 200,000 copies sold--has long been acknowledged as the definitive account of the "Endurance's" fateful trip. of photos and maps. Nationwide traveling museum exhibition.

Customer Review :

Endurance

Definitely non-fiction, but written in an easily read manner. Even knowing how it all turns out, it was a great adventure.

Rating :

They wore wool

An earlier reviewer, with experience of frigid conditions in Alaska, cast some doubt on the ability of these men survive while wet in below zero temperatures and howling wind chill factors. It does sound incredible, especially when they were in the boats with no source of heat. But I note that they wore mostly wool undergarments, trousers and sweaters, with gabardine overcoats. Also fur-lined boots. Gabardine, at least back then, was made of worsted wool. Their sleeping bags, often soaked as well, were made from reindeer hides. Fur-lined, that is. I also note Allan Frey's excellent survival book, based on 40 years of living in the Yukon territory, often in a teepee. He prefers wool as well -- and I have cashed in some of my outdoor gear for wool pants and parka. It retains insulating qualities even while soaked and compressed. How else do you think the critters who originally wore it survived outdoors without tents or roofs over their horned heads?

Had these men slept in and been garbed in what most outdoorsmen wear today -- down shrouded in nylon or polyester -- we wouldn't be reading this phenomenal book because they would all have perished in the first year. Even the newest miracle fillings -- Hollofil and the like -- would have blown out of their shredded shells like that down wafting from weeds in the Spring. I don't think they had duct tape for patching such shells back then -- a common site among modern outdoorsmen in their Michelin-man coats.

Yes, in a long, dire emergency -- give me Shackleton every time. And I had btter be clad in leather and wool.

Rating :

Required Reading

There are a few books we can consider required reading of a modern educated person. Anne Frank's diary would be one, and I think this version of the Shackleton drama would be another. I have a friend who reads it every year.

Because there are so many strong reviews of this book, I'll speak briefly of something that might be overlooked.

In the eyes of most readers, the most astonishing thing about this adventure is that not a single life was lost. And that truly is amazing. Obviously, things could have gone much worse with just a tiny bit more bad luck. But I'd note something that might be just as strange. In all of the grueling and painful twists in this adventure, Shackleton seems never to have lost the trust and respect of his men. Think of that. Every little decision he made was potentially fatal for the whole crew, and he often had to make decisions that had every chance of being lethally wrong. And yet his men stood stoutly behind "the old man" and were prepared to die with that kind of total trust.

Anyone who wants to be a leader should read this book annually and think about what qualities were present in Shackleton that allowed him to be such an effective leader under such wretched circumstances.

Sometimes our minds can be our worst enemies. Rational thought can save the life of an explorer caught in a life-threatening crisis. But when the situation we are in is apparently hopeless, rational thought is our potential enemy. There were many times during the Shackleton adventure when a rational person would have to conclude that the story had no chance of getting a happy ending. That is when "endurance" becomes a queer virtue, when you put one foot in front of the other in spite of the fact that you are suffering hugely in an effort that is "surely" doomed to fail.

I am not a great fan of adventure literature, and yet the best of it is utterly captivating. In a sense, extreme adventures can be like laboratories that experiment with human nature, testing the limits of what it can do. Nobody would ever get permission to put humans in such grim and painful circumstances as they chose to put themselves in for these grand adventures. Since they do volunteer to do dangerous and painful things, we can take advantage of the chance to see how the human spirit fares when exposed to the worst possible tests.

And that is the particular gift of this book. Without blinking in its description of the hell these men experienced, the author shows us how magnificently they were led and how courageously they fought to keep alive. In the end, they proved that the human spirit can soar above threats and challenges that seem perfectly invincible. The salvation these men ultimately earned was bought at a terrible price, and yet we can thrill with them when we see them prevail when it was surely "impossible" that they would.

Rating :

Top ten of all time

This is one of the very best "adventure" stories of all time. You can not possibly go wrong buying this book if you have any interest at all in adventure books. I have read several books on this subject. This one, in my opinion, is the best.

Rating :

Brilliant and breath-taking

An absolutely fantastic account of an ordeal almost beyond belief. The reading was wonderful, because the writing was impeccable. Granted, one can't really go wrong with a subject this fascinating; Shackleton's voyage (actually several voyages in one, or so it seemed) is something that is hard to fathom. How he actually accomplished what he did in those conditions is something I don't think we'll ever really understand, unless you believe in miracles. And Lansing's account of it is flawless.

Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9780981461014
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3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Editorial Review :

The finest guidebook ever written for Kauai and the only one written by a writer who anonymously reviews the island. He visits every beach, restaurant, activity and trail on the island. The result is this comprehensive, humorous and easy-to-read full color guide that will lead you to more adventures than any other book. A must for travelers.

Customer Review :

Very complete book

This book gives very complete details of the Island. Maps, trails, sights, seasons and local knowledge of areas. Some of this information may concern local customs and some many be of important safety issues. It also gives information about the weather. An easy to read guidebook.

Rating :

Excellent Maps but the info was a little dated

The maps in this guide book are invaluable to the Kauai traveler. The written sightseeing, activity and dining information was not as accurate as the Lonely Planet guide (which we also purchased.) The book has a website with "updates" but there are still errors and omissions in this book. We ate at a restaurant that this book "panned" and had an excellent experience; we thoroughly enjoyed a Na'pali coast sunset sail with Kauai Sea Tours (this books last choice) et cetera. We used both books to create our own experience - not blindly following the recommendations of one guide.

My overall recommendation - buy the book for the maps but follow your own instincts when exploring Kauai, form your own opinions, make your own choices and have a wonderful experience.

Rating :

Best Travel Guide on Kauai

Reading this book before we arrived in Kauai was the best thing we could have done to enjoy our vacation to the max. Full of information, it has no advertising, and the author has paid to take all the sightseeing tours & meals in restaurants himself, so he is not obligated to anyone when writing his opinions. The maps are very helpful. I highly recommend this book to all tourists to Kauai, you will be glad you did!

Rating :

Our Bible on vacation

This guidebook has the best information and we took it everywhere on our vacation. It was our Bible to Kauai!

Rating :

Don't Leave Home Without It!

We would never go to any island in Hawaii without these guys' books. They are well-researched, honest and easy to use. We have found little out-of-the-way perfect beaches that we'd have missed otherwise. They are fabulous!

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Editorial Review :

An unabridged, illustrated edition of 'Walking' with an introduction by Ralph Waldo Emerson and the essay 'Night and Moonlight,' at book's end

Customer Review :

The appreciation of nature

Short little essay by Henry David Thoreau about nature. Writer teaches us that simple walking can awake awareness about animals, trees and flowers around us. It is meditation on connection between wildlife and men, development of civilization from nurture thru nature and men's appreciation of the world outside of human villages and societies. It is amazing to read this piece that was created by a writer who died in 1862. With environmentlist movement of today, it is refreshing to find a piece by one of the early nature writers that teaches us to appreciate world we are born into. Thoreau teaches us to surrender to the world that has been in existance long before humans came to occupy it. While he is aware of limited ability of older men to sustain themselves in widerness, to him it is incomprehensible how women can live in confinment of the domestic life. I became interested in this writer after watching the film "Into the Wild", Now that I read this little piece, I understand how someone young and impressionable can fall under the spell of Thoreau's words about nature and the beauty of it, especially on the west side of the hemisphere.

Rating :

Wisdom you cannot afford to overlook.

Thoreau is always amazing regardless of which work I read. Walking is a great short read with numerous valuable ideas which aid in one's thinking. Whether you agree or disagree with Thoreau, you will be conditioned to think for yourself and decide what is best for you, making life all that much better. I highly recommend this book to any "Outdoor Philosopher".

Josh

Rating :

Moby-Dick Walks

When I was in a hospital for 6 months, all I did was read this book by Henry David Thoreau. I longed to get outside and walk in the forest and smell the fresh dung of deer, stings of arachnoids and odor of skunks.

I couldn't figure out the cryptic meaning the book posits at all. It's my own belief that nature might be a "woman" and Walking might be copulation but he also mentions porcupines in it, so at times I am left clueless. Most of the animals he mentions are now extinct, he was writing in 1825 after Charles Robert Darwin (English naturalist) dropped him off in Maine. I'm not sure if Thoreau was 'lost' and couldn't get back to NYC or if he was just going around in circles.

If you're a zoologist, it might be worth your while to try to guess what animals he writes about. Most of the forests he mentions are now developed or industrial swathes of land, forming bland suburban zones and polluting factories.

Henry David Thoreau lived on the largest island of Elba where he was killed by the USA government for not paying his taxes on rum.

A good read for people of any weight.

Moby-Dick or, The Whale (Penguin Classics)

Rating :

Walking

It took a little longer than expected for the book to arrive, but it was in excellent condition.

Rating :

great !!!

ok it's old english, but it's classical masterpiece.
i recommend it to anyone that enjoy and dream of nature and the wild.

Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9781598802863
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Customer Review :

Advice, Not Just Information

We are still planning our trip to Italy, but are finding this book to be the most valuable resource we have. It goes beyond lists of hotels and lists of restaurants. This book truly gives tips, advice, and 'how to'. It's given us the confidence to attempt this trip on our own.

Rating :

the best guide book ever

Rick Steves is specific about what to see, where to stay and what you actually get, what not to miss and how to get to everything. Oh, and how much it will cost. I have used other Steves' guidebooks, and he is right on the money.

Rating :

Rick Steves knows Europe!

I mostly rely on various websites when I travel but I found Spain to be just too large to handle on my own; so last year, I decided to get Steves' Spain book. Now that I'm getting ready to explore Italy, I've once more turned to Steves' guide book. He offers the most valuable practical information at the fingertips of the ordinary traveler. I know now what to expect and I can't ask for more.

Rating :

Every American in Italy has this book!

We went to Italy in 2007 and had the corresponding Steve's guidebook...as did every other touron in Italy that fall. Don't get me wrong the guidebook was great but I sure felt like a dork sitting in a restaurant with 20 other people who all had the same guidebook. "Oh what does Rick say I should eat here?" Guidebooks are good for a general plan...but we used it a little too much "to the letter" and frankly the experience lost it's luster. "Oh, Rick says we should go look at this but gee... I'm not quite as thrilled as he said I should be!"

So in that sense maybe it was user error on my part. Travel should be about adventure, not canned experience IMHO, a guidebook should be bare bones or used as such. On our next trip I'll probably use a guidebook to lay out the general itinerary and leave it at home to add a little adventure.

With all that said it's a good book. The maps are accurate, the hotel advice was great as was the restaurant info and recommendation.

Rating :

Rick Steves Italy 2010

I have traveled to Italy many times. Every other year I purchase Rick's book on Italy, I always learn many new things. March will be my 33 trip so I know what I am talking about. experiment a little take a chance and travel if you can.

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