1. ISBN13: 9780156031561
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Customer Review :

Clueless boy walks into Afghanistan, now considered world expert

This kid is a total sham. He walked into Afghanistan and that's his claim to authority. He is very well-spoken--great Oxford accent--but he is not well-thought. He is a modern day clone of Neville Chamberlain who had no clue the danger that Hitler posed. Just as Chamberlain (same accent, same fuzzy thinking) apologized for Hitler, Stewart is a total apologist for our aggression in Iraq.

This boy walked into Afghanistan, he does tell many cute vignettes of the people he met, but he's clueless about the big picture. "We have an obligation to Afghanistan, but that doesn't mean a blank check...We'd like to see it more stable than today...but Afghanistan is not the only country we need to deal with..." DUH!!! Save your money!!

This little emperor has no clothes! Get someone like Greg Mortenson. No lovely Oxford accent, but FAR MORE experience and FAR MORE BRAINS.

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A beautifully written account...

A gorgeously written book about a man who walked across Afghanastan. Wow, I'm amazed by what people do with their lives. The face of war is ugly. America, Russia, and internal factions have torn the very fiber of this Colorful nation. Stephen's account is boldly honest. I would recommend this book to those who want to see/enrich themselves with the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Afghanistan, without judgement. While it's not overly heavy, it might be slightly too heavy if you are looking for happy, light reading.

It was interesting to see the progression of his understanding of the people and culture. It was fascinating to see the importance of "chiefs" and "leaders" in societies where power and might rule. The opinions of Afghans had of the Taliban, Al Queda, and Americans, while not necessarily surprising is incredibly insightful. The importance of the Koran and religion without any time or resources for education is telling.

This book is perfect for those who are looking for the casual read or want to understand better a country that sits prominently in foreign relations. Stewart's account is human, and understanding the country from this vantage is imperative to broadening one's horizon. The lack of information, the confusion, the hardness of the people is often juxtapose with the humanity of a kind face or act.

He sees the nation through his eyes, though. While I suspect his reaction is how most would feel, if one already has strong opinions about this country, I would suspect this book could be a tougher read. That said, it would be an equally wonderful piece for understanding how foreigners react to a broken nation.

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Audio makes this even richer

There are already many fine reviews of this book here, so I'll restrict my comments to the Audiobook. Despite my preference for something I can hold and makes notes on, I decided to listen to an excerpt of this audio prior to purchase. I was immediately taken. The reader (if not the writer himself) does an amazing job with tone and pacing. I wasn't just listening, I was THERE with him, walking side by side. I lent the audiobook to one friend and soon had three others knocking on my office door, forming a queue! That has never happened before. This is an extraordinary listen where the total is not just more than the sum of the parts, but something mesmerizing and unforgettable. Worth considering.

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A Country Divided

I originally read this book in 2005 and while it is not the best written book, it clearly paints the picture of the struggles our military faces. I bought it this time to explain to a friend the difficulties with pacifying a nation that is often not unified. With villages so isolated they barely know about the outside world, you begin to see the issues with this country. I completely recommend this book for anyone interested in wanting to better understand the current situation in Afghanistan.

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A Worthwhile Read

Scotsman Rory Stewart tells the story of his walk across Afghanistan a few months after the fall of the Taliban. He takes the less travelled route through the mountains, in the wintertime, passing through a number of small villages. Some of the villagers are kind, other are nasty, and some are plain disinterested. Stewart speaks enough of the local language, and with quite a bit of perseverance and luck, he makes it safely to Kabul.

This book is pretty standard travel fare. Stewart tells his story, without too much in the way of commentary, politics or history. He does tell us a little about the Emperor Barbur who made the same trip, also in winter, about 500 years earlier. And, of course, it is impossible not to get a bit of an anthropology lesson on such a trip, but Stewart does not preach or put his views up front. Rather, he tells story of his interesting walk -- the places he sees and the people he meets -- in plain language. Overall, it is a good read.

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1. ISBN13: 9780307378798
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

great read in so may ways

I was intrigued with the book after hearing the author on NPR, then I was actually reading it when I saw his interview on the Daily Show. Although it is a great read regarding some solved and unsolved cases and the life of a crime-beat reporter, it also gives you a constant interesting diet of japanese culture as snacks. It also is the wrenching honesty at times of the author's insights that keep one captivated. I don't know if I could ever be that candid in my opinions and inner thoughts for posterity in writing but I can't put the book down. it is very fulfilling in many aspets you don't expect when you start to read it.

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Remarkable story, imperfect book

Japan is not entirely the land of Zen gardens and precision cameras as most Americans born after WWII tend to believe. It is a nation with a major dark side, openly racist and sexist, with a wide public tolerance of perversions such as child pornography. Japanese 'salarymen' in suits stand on their lunch hour reading comic books about teenage schoolgirls. This is also the country that was equalled only by Nazi Germany in their wartime cruelties against civilians and prisoners. These black parts of human behavior are regarded by the Japanese as inevitable, so why not provide for them in a socially integrated way? Perhaps of all the advanced countries in the world, Japan is the most openly accepting of human perversion. Thus it is not surprising that organized crime is considered just another part of daily life, with office buildings and business cards (!) for the so-called yakuza.

Tokyo Vice is the autobiographical story of Jake Adelstein, a middle-class boy from the American Midwest who grew up attracted to Japanese culture and language, and how he learned about all this first hand. Adelstein relocated to Japan in his teens to study Buddhism and go to college, and stayed. Amazingly, he eventually managed to be hired as a reporter for the largest Japanese daily newspaper, writing and working entirely in the Japanese language for twelve years. He served on the crime beat, becoming an expert on the seamy underside of Japanese life.

Eventually however, Adelstein went beyond his objective reporter role and became an advocate and crusader, especially on behalf of foreign women whom he discovered being trafficked into sexual slavery in Japan. He was appalled to find that these crimes were ignored by the Japanese establishment; the victims were women, prostitutes and foreigners and therefore triply of no importance. This also led him to understand how organized crime works in Japan, including evidence of corruption at high levels in the government.

His crusade has had some effect; through investigative journalism and contacts with the US government he eventually shamed Japan into beginning to respond to these problems. Also Adelstein uncovered the story of top yakuza who found ways to receive needed liver transplants at American hospitals ahead of long waiting lists - an investigation which led to him and his family receiving serious death threats.

It's not a pretty story. The most upsetting episode concerns a beautiful Australian woman working as a prostitute in Tokyo who became a close friend of Adelstein. When she attempted to help him investigate the trafficking, she disappeared - with credible evidence she was tortured to death by the yakusa. The book is about fairly recent events so we cannot expect the full story. Nevertheless it concerned me that Adelstein seems not to fully accept that this was the direct result of his association with her.

A riveting story but not very well written. There are tedious dialogs, off sentences, many cliches. Odd because Adelstein is a professional writer; in May of 2008 he published a nice straightforward essay in the Washington Post (still on the Internet) summarizing the story succintly. But this book length version has been turned into something like a Mickey Spillane novel-noir, with way too many boring conversations with Japanese cops smoking way too many cigarettes. Perhaps the author received some bad advice from his publisher and editors, who wanted him to jazz up his account with more 'vivid' personalities? I also would have appreciated more in the way of third party context - quotes from the Japanese newspaper articles or government documentation which would show some reality besides the author's.

Also, Adelstein has a strange attitude in writing about one key element - himself. Even though his personal life is intertwined with the story at every level, he leaves out more than he tells. He marries a Japanese woman but does not talk about her or how they met. He becomes personally involved with his informants but explains only a little. It is understandable for him to protect his sources, but he very much protects himself.

Bottom line: A gripping insight into contemporary Japan. One must admire Adelstein for his courage in acting on his outrage and for his ongoing campaign to shine a light on abuses in Japanese society. But the book could have been better written and the author could have been more upfront about his personal saga.

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One Very Revealing Book on Japan

Jake Adelstein is a very gifted writer who sheds light on Japan's darker side. Adelstein goes about describing an array of suicides and murders within Japan, eventually describing how the Yakuza is almighty and basically controls that country.
After reading this book I am left feeling frustrated at Japan's attitude towards 'Gaijin', and the whole competency of the police force is laughable. I do hope, however, that the country itself can overcome prejudices against foreigners, and help stop the human-trafficking that's been taking place right under their nose.

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great read - couldn't put it down!

This is a fascinating book - it reads like action-packed fiction, though it is non-fiction. I felt (as another reviewer wrote) like I was sitting next to someone in a bar - like a really interesting Forest Gump... in Japan. My husband, mother, step-father, and I all loved this book - and couldn't put it down until we'd finished it. How many books can you say that about? (The title and cover aren't the greatest, but don't let them turn you off, the book is a great read!)

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Could not put it down!

Fascinating read and after spending time in japan it explained so many slight issues and comments I missed. Highly recommended. Saddening how much Japanese business people and culture overall are held hostage by these thugs- reading through the lines it also explains why japan may never be able to recover economically due to the unending mob factor at every level of society, biz and politics.

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1. ISBN13: 9781741791570
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Nobody knows Thailand like Lonely Planet. Our 13th edition will have you soaking up the sun on the island paradises of the south, trekking among the hill tribes and riding elephants in Chiang Mai, discovering the ancient temples of Sukhothai and snapping up bargains or being pampered in a spa in Bangkok.

Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.

In This Guide:

Detailed advice on everything from food & drink to transport & health
Special 'Thailand & You' chapter with tips on culture and etiquette
Extensive Deep South coverage eases your travels in the conflicted region

Customer Review :

Surprisingly mediocre

I really expected more from this book. It had basic info about lodging and food, but really quite basic and obvious stuff. I was frustrated many times looking for places to eat. The section on Koh Samui was almost totally useless. There was nothing here to make it worth the price.

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LP provide the best guide to exploring a country

Lonely Planet guides consistently provide accurate information. It is great especially for people who budget travel, travel light (backpack) and want some adventure.

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Type is ridiculously small - DO NOT BUY

This book appears to contain the compendium of knowledge regarding Thailand. Too bad the font is so small that even my teenage daughter says it hurts her eyes. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK unless you want to use a magnifying glass to read it. Very disappointed.

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The Travel Bible, a bit dated

Known as "The Book", this is the standard for any travel guide to Thailand. I'm glad they are coming out with a new edition, though. On my recent trip, more than half of the restaurants we tried to find in Chiang Mai had either moved across town or shut down since The Book was last published. If you are in the market, pre-order the new edition instead, which will hopefully sport updated information.

By the way, I highly recommend the Chiang Dao Nest - bungalows set in the beautiful forests and mountains north of Chiang Mai, and amazing food despite the remote location.

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Just short...

When I travel, I swear by Lonely Planet, so I'm used to a certain standard of content and clarity. Although I only used about a quarter of this book's total content on my last journey, there were certain instances where more information would have been certainly preferred; and had me and my partner not been as savvy as we were, whole days could've been compromised. However this guide was still extremely helpful, overall.

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1. ISBN13: 9781741791518
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

Good quantitative info, not so good on the qualitative part

I was going to India on my honeymoon and I bought both the Lonely Planet and Fodor's for the planing.

Came back from India about a month ago and ended taking the Fodor's for the trip, not the Lonely Planet. Why?

LP has a lot of very detailed info -mostly quantitative: prices, time tables, etc- that is very useful for planing your trip and is geared to users that travel without an itinerary. This is very good for travelers that are very price conscious, unstructured travelers, backpackers and doitallyourselfers that make decisions on the fly and hence need all of this very detailed info, missed the train to Agra, should I take a bus? Where? How much? The only bus stops at Shimla, should I stay? What is there to see/do?

On the other hand, Fodor's has info of a more quantitative nature, that is more useful when you have a more structured trip. What restaurants to visit, what hotel to stay at, etc. There is a big emphasis on the epicurean traveler, costs be dammed, you see it the way the book is organized, were LP talks about the eateries by zone, Fodor's talks about types of food, no matter were the place is, it is assumed that visiting the place is more important that going to the other side of town to do so.

Whenever I stuck to the Fodor's Choice or the Fodor's Recommends, I was gladly surprised by the quality of the service/place that was recommended, the best restaurants, best bars, best experiences, best hotels in every town, they are all there, I even surprised some locals.

At the end, you have to decide what type of travel you'll be doing and buy accordingly.




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Why Lonely Planet?

I've been using the Lonely Planet guides to India since 1989. There's enough historical information about each place to give me an idea of what I'm looking at, and the hotel and restaurant guides are helpful. The maps always could use some improving, but at least I know if I'm going in the right direction.

My major dislike is that the books have become too big. The current volume weighs in at 36 ounces, which is a considerable amount of paper to carry; in contrast, the 1989 book was 21 ounces.





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Going on leave there in a few weeks

I have been doing alot of information collecting for my trip to India, and this book has been on the money with all other information that I have collected. Also I know a few others that have been and they all say this is the book to use while in India. I will update comments once I am back!

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Difficult to navigate on Kindle; maps useless

I was pretty excited to get this on my kindle and finally leave behind the days of bulky travel guides, but this was a waste. The chapters are long and difficult to navigate (you have to page through all of each state to get to the city or area you're interested in) and the maps are unreadable-- only one corner of each map is on each page, and the guides and keys on another page, so they're 100% useless. Get the guide in paper, or just look on the LP website for each part you need, but don't bother getting this on Kindle.

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INFINITESMAL TYPEFACE ( HEFTY BOOK )

Found the book nearly impossible to read due to the tiny, tiny font which is employed. I wear 2.25 reading glasses. NEVER HAVE I HAD SUCH DIFFICULTY READING A BOOK BEFORE.

THE BOOK IS PONDEROUSLY HEAVY AND CUMBERSOME. Not "fit" for backpacking.

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1. ISBN13: 9780756628772
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

Interesting book

A must read for those who are interested in learning about Jerusalem and Israel in general.

Rating :

Good Job for the Holy Land

"Jerusalem" and the Holy Land" was a great help to me while on my recent Sabbatical. It was small enough to carry and yet informative enough to be worth carrying. However, since I was visiting 5 countries, I made a habit of leaving each guide book to lighten my load as I was picking up other items along the way. I bought this one to replace the original and couldn't have been happier to receive it on time and in great condition. It helped me remember places and stories and, more importantly, label my photos.

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Jerusalem and the Holy Land

A great travel guide full of beautiful pictures. The most informative I have found for the Holy Land. Includes great details about Petra.

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Planning a trip

As other similar books from this collection, this one helps me a lot to plan and to get more from my trips abroad.

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Good Guide

Have used Eyewitness guide books before and always happy with them. It has concise information that is easy to follow. Not in great depth, but that wasn't what I was looking for. This is the book I prefer. I, too, was a little put off with their reluctance to refer to Israel. They usually just default to "the Holy Land".

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