1. ISBN13: 9781843539193
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

The Rough Guide to Japan provides invaluable advice on everything from getting there (including overland routes) to tracking down the latest and best places to sleep, eat, drink and shop. There is comprehensive coverage of all the major sights – and many off the beaten track - from the northern tip of Hokkaido down to the islands of Okinawa, closer to Taiwan than Tokyo. Full-colour sections introduce manga and anime, arguably Japan’s most successful cultural export, its rich variety of festivals and its stunning traditional gardens. All this is accompanied by in-depth coverage of Japan’s history, religions, arts, movies and music plus a discussion of environmental issues. There are maps of all the main towns and tourist destinations, together with separate colour maps of the Tokyo subway system and the rail network in Osaka.

Customer Review :

Don't Leave for Japan Without This Guide

I used this guide to plan our 2-week vacation in Japan. It provides useful historic information of locals that we were interested. What I found the most useful was the transportation guides to the locals. We never got lost. The hotel and dining info was a bit limited, but it was a good start. I highly recommend this book to people who are traveling to Japan. If you're doing a self-tour for more than a week, make sure that you get the JR Rail Pass before you head to Japan. I'll now get the rough guides for Australia and New Zealand.

Rating :

Excellent, detailed guide for Japan

I purchased the Rough Guide for Japan based on the reviews and was not disappointed. It offers detailed information on all aspects of travelling, including local transportation, air/train/sea/ground ticket purchase and travel, customs, rules and regulations, etc, as well as great information on sites and eating. We spent 9 days in Japan and used the Rough Guide's recommendations on restaurants for every meal and were only disappointed 1 time (and that was likely due to our speaking very little Japanese). The information provided on how to get around and sightseeing attractions is very good and very detailed. There are several pictures and overall, I found it to be the best travel guide I have ever used. So much so that I bought Rough Guides for my next two trips. I would say that for a complete guide that covers everything from the beginning of your trip and buying tickets and packing, to getting around, seeing the sights, eating and culture, books, movies and art in Japan, this is your book.

Rating :

Excellent guide overall, although with a few significant omissions

Just came back from a memorable 6-day stay in Kyoto, and also used the book for an earlier trip to Tokyo which is far less interesting. Like most Rough Guides (I own more than 30), this book is excellent overall, with detailed descriptions, background information, and clear maps (unlike Lonely Planet, whose maps are a pain to read). Thought it was almost perfect until I researched the excellent japan-guide.com and Kyoto's official web site and realized how many sites were missing from this book. Kyoto has 17 World Heritage Sites, but 6 of them are not mentioned at all. The most glaring omission is probably the beautiful Ninna-Ji, which can be easily visited after the famous Kinkaku-Ji and Ryoan-Ji, the latter only a 10-minute walk away. Ninna-Ji is historically the favorite temple of Japanese emperors and is famous for a dense grove of late-blossoming cherry trees, so it's a must see if you've just missed the peak sakura season. Also missing is Daigo-Ji, which is easily reached on the subway and can be combined with a visit to Uji. With over 1000 cherry trees, it's probably the best temple to view cherry blossoms in Kyoto and very popular with the Japanese. The four other World Heritage Sites missing are the two Kamo shrines, Kozan-Ji and Ujigami Shrine near the Byodo-in.

Also missing from the book is Kiyamachi Street in the heart of Kyoto, probably the most beautiful street in Kyoto, at least during the sakura season. It runs along a small canal which is lined with cherry trees and crossed with little bridges, prettier and less crowded than the famous Philosopher's Path, and it's only a 1-minute walk west of the Pontocho restaurant street. The book also neglects to mention that during the sakura season, many sites (including the Kiyomizu Temple and the Nijo Castle) are open at night, which is a great time to revisit the sites as the buildings and flowering trees are beautifully lit. The Maruyama Park and the neighboring Yasaka Jinja are also open at night during this time and together host a lively night market, with lots of Japanese having hanami parties under the blossoming cherry trees. The Hirano Jinja is yet another excellent flower-viewing location that's not mentioned.

Despite all these shortcomings, I still give this book 5 stars because it does provide excellent coverage overall and there's simply no better English guidebook available. I hope the authors will read my comments and make improvements in the next edition. For those who read Japanese or Chinese characters, there's a brilliant "Kyoto Walking Map & Note" which I found at a 7-11 and was indispensable during my trip.

Rating :

difficult to read

The print in the book is faint and small which makes it difficult to read. Otherwise, the information in the book is helpful.

Rating :

AN EXCELLENT SOURCE TO ACCOMPANY THE TRAVELER



This very handy guide may be called 'rough' but at 1056 pages it is not exactly lacking pages or information. It provides 'invaluable' advice on A-Z for an enjoyable stay in Japan. And organization is one of this volume's strongest points. Anyone encountering Japan for the first time, if unorganized, will be in for not only a cultural shock but a practical time one as well. And time is money, but in Japan loss of time means you might not get to see all that you want to see. A guide such as this, with preplanning can and will make all the difference leading to an effective visit.

Living in Japan during the years 1962 through 1964, I have come to rely on the best guides to keep me up to day with contemporary Japan. This guide will be a boon and reward to any who use it. I also rely on the Insight Guide from Discovery but believe this volume, The Rough Guide to Japan, to be equally useful to the traveler. Offering information on sleeping, eating, and shopping it also helps with maps of major towns together with color maps of the Tokyo subway system. As anyone knows whose been there, help getting around Tokyo is always welcome.

That much used phrase "don't leave home without it" might be applied here to this very useful guide. Plus from my initial stay at Kamiseya, the best view you might ever have of Mount Fujiyama (Mt. Fuji) may be the cover photo on this travel guide!

Semper Fi.

Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9780446696937
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Review :

A Journey You Won't Forget!

Back before the internet, cellphones, and 24 hour CNN made the world a much smaller place, two young women embarked on a grand world tour starting with post-Mao China. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman is the author's memorable tale of an unforgettable adventure.

In 1986, when Gilman and her friend "Claire Van Houten" toured the People's Republic of China little was known of the region in the western world. With little to sustain them apart from enthusiasm, the pair embark on a journey of a lifetime. As Gilman declares, "deciding to travel the world together didn't strike either of us as unreasonable. We were at that age when we still believed that genius arrived in blots of lightening and shrieks of `Eureka!" We still believed in love at first sight, not just with people, but with ideas - that in a single instant, you could just know."

Unfortunately, the pair's sense of adventure is tested by physical and emotional adversity. And the dream turns into a nightmare. Still the pair soldier on. And at the end of the tunnel, Gilman confesses "I would not be living my life the way I am today if it wasn't for her. Claire Van Houten unleashed something in me; she set me off on a path far beyond anything I ever imagined for myself or believed I was capable of doing. In this way, back in China in 1986, she saved my life, too."

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven ranks as one of the best books I have read this year! I literally could not put it down and had to keep reading until the conclusion. I enjoyed this book on several levels: the relationship between Gilman and Van Houten; the pair's interactions with their fellow backpackers and the local Chinese (including communist operatives); and the depictions of a newly post-Mao China.

Page after riveting page, Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven is a story that will make you laugh and cry and sorry when the journey is over!



Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (February 8, 2010), 320 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

Rating :

Not for everyone but I liked it

My travel experience is not as extreme as Gilman's. I traveled with a group of people in Western Europe for 8 months in the mid-70s, when I was fresh out of college. One of my travel companions was "difficult." It was a life-changing experience and I will always be grateful that I did it.

I totally identify with the sense of trepidation and isolation of being in a new place, needing to depend on others to get what you need, with the additional stress of a communication barrier. Making it through is such a triumph. The memories last forever, and they change you on such a gut level.

I read a lot of memoirs, and usually my major criterion is the voice of the author, i.e., would I like this person if I met him/her. Obviously some of the other reviewers were turned off by Susan Jane Gilman. Maybe because I identified with some of the underlying emotions and experiences, it basically neutralized my feelings about the people on this book. Susan did seem a little whiny in the early days of the trip, but ultimately this book ended up being more about plot for me. Mostly it is about finding a way to get through a horrible experience - and she did, and she ultimately triumphed over what happened, with help from others, and to me this is a great book.

The writing is fine. In this situation I think it is more important to tell the story and not get wrapped up in how well-written it is. (Of course, if it were poorly written, then the quality of the writing would be a major issue.)

One thing I always find about traveling is that, whenever a situation seems desperate, something or someone comes to your rescue. Luckily for Susan and Claire, they did have their saviors. I loved-loved-loved the ending, which I did NOT see coming, and I just want to say to Susan Jane Gilman, good for you.

Rating :

"unputdownable"

On the cover (of the trade paperback edition) is a quote from O Magazine calling Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven "unputdownable." That's absolutely true. I stayed up far too late reading this book because I had to know what happened with Gilman's traveling partner, Claire. I knew I wouldn't be able to go to sleep anyway since the question would be bugging me. One of my favorite parts is when they decide to escape even though Claire's passport has been taken. Gilman's descriptions of the race to the airplane and then the process of getting a temporary passport are great.

Rating :

Great story-telling

Great story-telling and an amazing book. Hope to read more of Ms. Susan Gilman's writing.

Rating :

Couldn't Put it Down

Like I have said before, I have been on a huge memoir kick lately. This book appealed to me because it takes place in China and there's traveling as well. I have become a HUGE fan of the Travel channel lately so I've been reading a lot of books that have to do with travel as it's something I can't do right now except in books. This book really captured my attention and I could not put it down while I was reading.

There were times of the book when I wanted to scream at both Claire and Susan. I know this book takes place in the 80s when not much was known about mental illness as it we do now. Therefore I could understand why Susan thought Claire was just being annoying at first. However, when things started getting worse, instead of thinking about getting help, Susan still thought that Claire was just acting up and acting like a spoiled brat. I guess I really shouldn't be annoyed with Claire because it's obvious that she went through a mental breakdown. I honestly think that she should have never even left for the trip in the first place. It was obvious that her whole life she had been pampered and sheltered and never exposed to the real world before. Going to China and seeing what life was really like was a complete shock and she just couldn't handle it. I was tad disappointed that we don't know what happens to Claire at the end of the story. I can accept the explanation given but all the same it's still a letdown. Also of note, the author says in the beginning of the book that she had changed and hidden the identity of Claire so much, she was almost unrecognizable.

As I said, the book takes place in the 80s before even Tienanmen Square or the Beijing Olympics. A lot has changed in China since then so I think it would be interesting to see Gilman take another trip back to the country and discuss the differences. The book doesn't make China seem like a backwater dangerous country because you have to remember that the country is being seen by two college students who are young and vulnerable. If you are expecting a travelogue type book, you're not going to find it in this book. It's a memoir and not a travel guide. Don't expect to read about sweeping adventures across China or tight focus on Susan's travels. It's more about her experiences in the country, both the physical and psychological adventures than it is a tour guide.

Personally I think this book would make a wonderful movie. Gilman does a really good job at making her story come alive and I really felt like I was there with her and feeling her emotions. This book was a page turner and I never once got bored while reading. Gilman hints that if she feels the urge, she would write a book about the rest of the travels she took while on that trip. I really hope she does because it would definitely be a book I would love to read. The book was a joy to read and I had a lot of fun traveling along with Susan. If you have wanted to discover China or a looking for a really good memoir, this book is perfect for you. HIGHLY recommended.



Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9781741790429
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
4. Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Editorial Review :

Nobody knows Japan like Lonely Planet. With more maps and language content than any other guidebook, this 11th edition unveils the very best of shopping in Tokyo, skiing in the Japan Alps, soaking in idyllic onsen (hot springs), trekking to Kansai's feudal castles, slurping soba at Kyushu food stalls, and so much more.

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:

Architecture chapter leading you from ancient temples to modern towers
Reliable advice from resident and specialist authors - and locals!
Japanese script in text and on maps makes navigation easy

Customer Review :

Don't waste your time/money/vacation

This book was only marginally useful.
- The maps were ambiguous at best, and completely wrong at worst (on multiple instances in multiple cities).
- Descriptions of sights were often wrong or misleading (don't bother with the "Pentax Forum" in tokyo. the address is wrong, and once you find it, it's completely lame (old cameras, and you can't even play with stuff, contrary to the book)
- Does NOT have the actual cheapest budget hostels in Kyoto or Tokyo.
- I didn't really like the writing style, but that's preference
- the eating establishments they suggest are completely random and often not the best/cheapest/or most interesting.

everyone i met traveling that had the rough guide was happy with it. in 20/20 hindsight i wish I had bought that book. everyone I met that had this book was equally disappointed.

Rating :

Very helpful

I bought this guide to Japan as I was going to be traveling around for about two months. The guide, although not indispensible, provided good information about cheap accommodation, perfect for my budget, and other measures to conserve my budget and things to do. Following suggestions from the guidebook I had some of my most favourable experiences in Japan, including going to a free outdoor hot spring, where there were no other people.

However, in many places the local tourist information offices are defenitely worth paying a visit, especially for maps, as the maps provided are not very clear nor detailed. I also found some of the places listed in the guide to have shut down.

The guide provides some useful background information about the culture of Japan, different types of foods to try out, and various etiquette notices on hot springs and other essential activities.

To conclude, the guide is a worthwhile buy, although in general it stays quite close to the tourist trail, and for the truly unique Japanese experiences off the beaten trail, very little is offered.

Rating :

Alert -- there is a newer edition of this book!

On my most recent trip to Japan I used brought the Lonely Planet Guide and the Rough Guide. The Lonely Planet Guide is better across the board. It provides better recommendations for hotels and restaurants, better and more detailed advice on sights, and far better information on logistics (how to get places, whether to take the train or a bus, etc.). The Lonely Planet Guide is easier to use and, most importantly more likely to be accurate. The Rough Guide is ok; if that is all you have, you will be fine. On the other hand, given that you have a choice, I'd go with Lonely Planet.

All that said, the Lonely Planet Guide could use improvement. The section on Hokkaido is particularly thin -- not much information. On the other hand, there does not seem to be a guidebook for Hokkaido written in English. If you hear of one, please let me know.

Rating :

A Great Way to Get Unexcited About Your Trip to Japan

This Lonely Planet Guide is another copy of all the previous Japan guides with all the same disappointments.

Coverage of areas outside of Tokyo and Kyoto is honestly rather shoddy, and they've kept the obnoxious negativity that makes an exciting trip to Japan seem like a waste of time. While other Lonely Planet guides are lively, with authors that seem to enjoy the travelling, Lonely Planet Japan's authors write as though they really don't like Japan. It is questionable whether or not the writers even visited the cities they are reviewing.

This guide is probably most useful as a reference of places to look up on your own in another source.



Rating :

Excellent Book

Although I haven't still been to Japan, I like the book and feel that it supplies a lot of info - maybe even too much. The book also has Japanese writings for every place. It tries to give you info about accomodations for different budget. Again, as usually (but few exceptions) Lonely Planet is a good book to go.

Rating :

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1. ISBN13: 9781741048667
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Nobody knows China like Lonely Planet. Whether you want to sip cocktails in Shanghai, trek Tibet's holy Mt Kailash or contemplate history at Xu'an's Army of Terracotta Warriors, our 11th edition will guide you through the best of this jaw-dropping destination - and reveal more of it than any other guide.

In This Guide:

All-new color chapters feature treks, iconic sights and culinary delights
Comprehensive activities coverage, including new cycling trips and unforgettable river tours
Expert trustworthy knowledge from resident and specialist authors

Customer Review :

Fire the writers and start over.




I have used several LP guides, Ireland, Amsterdam, South Africa, Cambodia and Vietnam etc. All were good and useful to have. I just returned from a two month trip to China. I was frustrated with this book so many times I was ready to throw it in a trash can. There are errors and omissions all over the place. For a book that is only two years old is feels quite out of date. It is better that nothing, almost, but I would buy something else.









Rating :

Great friend!

Traveling trough China we had a great friend and translater with us: The Lonely planet!

Rating :

2009 edition gets more wrong than right ... and "ever-changing country" is no excuse.

Like many people, I read the mixed reviews for prior editions to this guide, but didn't see a better alternative, so got it, hoping that the kinks had been worked out. They hadn't.

No travel guide to the largest and fastest-changing country in the world can get everything right, but this guide gets a lot more wrong than it has any excuse to. I first encountered this in Macau, when, after wasting a fair bit of time following its maps, I was assured that the official "Tourist Map" had full bus information. It in fact has no bus information, which was not a pleasant thing to learn at night, far from my Hong Kong hotel room. But things only got worse from there.

One problem is that the hours posted in Lonely Planet are very often wrong, but, even more so, misleading. Thus, when the guide indicates that the Forbidden City closes at 5:00, what it doesn't tell you is that the officials close all buildings and start kicking you out at 4:30, which can be a huge disappointment if you waited to see a particular exhibition that has closed. Contrast this with the Old Summer Palace, where no one cares if you stay well after closing, making it the perfect cap to a late afternoon. These two places also illustrate a huge problem with the maps in the book: They don't tell you where the entrances and exits are. Thus, you could walk an extra mile than you need to get to the only listed entrance in the Old Summer Palace, and another extra mile to get to the ruins therein. Or, you could waste lots of time in the Forbidden City because Lonely Planet doesn't deem it important to distinguish doors from walls.

Costs and cost structures are often far off or ill-explained, and I checked with locals who insisted this wasn't because of any recent changes. There are no subway maps, which is especially bad in Beijing, which is famously stingy with having such maps. Scam warnings are far, far too specific; scams warned about for Beijing also take place in Shanghai, so if you go to the latter first, you'll be unprepared. The best warning would be that anyone from anywhere China approaching you in a tourist locale speaking English wants to shake you down, not to practice their English, so be careful if you follow them anywhere, even somewhere official-looking. Sad but true. And the pages of Chinese words in the mini-phrasebook somehow neglect food-related ones like "hot," "cold," "water," or "rice." These basics would be especially useful when being served a spicy, salty meal with warm water in the midst of the summer heat.

It's also clear that this book hasn't really been updated, even on the most important things. One tell-tale sign is talking about "targets" for 2008 rather than actual statistics. A more worrying sign is the lack of knowledge of the fact that the east side of the Bund, the main Shanghai tourist site, is closed due to construction for Expo 2010. This is not a brief closure, but a huge project that will likely take about a year. The biggest tourist site in the biggest city of the country and Lonely Planet makes no mention of this? Sadly, that's what I came to expect of Lonely Planet China. I can't give it fewer stars, because I don't have a better alternative and at least there is some Chinese (albeit inconsistently) on the maps and site lists. But I'd certainly wouldn't recommend it.


Rating :

Not updated enough!

I traveled for 3 month through China and pretty much gave up on this guide (latest edition) after the first 1.5 mth. There is a LOT of outdated information in this book. Granted, china is changing VERY fast, but there were things that were in this guide that I have been told have been shut down over 3 years (and it wasn't just by the touts)!! I encountered some outdated information practically every city I went to in China, from closed down things to see, restaurants that have long moved and hotels that were no longer in operation. Come on lonely planet! If you expect to be the leader in this field, you need to do a better job overhauling your new editions and checking your facts.

Rating :

Chief Buzzard

Have traveled and backpacked in China for 3 weeks for the past 3 years and will be leaving for another adventure with these wonderful people in December. This is the third edition of this book I have used. Wouldn't travel overseas ANYWHERE without a Lonely Planet guide book. This edition with the additional maps is outstanding.

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Editorial Review :

Customer Review :

Weaker Than Other Rick Steves Books

I love Rick Steves books. His travel philosophy matches mine, and I find his books incredibly useful. His Istanbul guide has a wealth of useful info - but also many weaknesses compared to his other books... Sights and walking tours are great; history information and trivia is great and entertaining; many restaurant recommendations are also good. However, the hotels recommended are all way more expensive than what I managed to find. Many restaurants recommended were dissappointing. Also, there is practically no info on Asian part of Istanbul - which is surprising knowing Rick's philosophy of travelling as 'temporary local'... In the Old Town one can never feel like temporary local - only like a moving target... while in the Asian part of Istanbul I and my family felt way more pleasant, and in a way easier to blend...
This book is still better than the other books offered - just some areas are not up to the standards of other Rick's books, in my opinion.

Rating :

Rick Steve's Istanbul

Are the maps visible? I've looked at the sample, but no maps are included. Just learning to use my Kindle, and am having difficulty with guidebooks.I find it difficult to navigate Let's Go Turkey, and impossible to read its maps. Can maps be enlarged on Kindle as on a computer? If not, I don't see much use in guidebooks on Kindle.
PS I know this is not a review, but how else can I get help?

Rating :

Excellent overall guidebook of Istanbul

Rick Steve made an excellent decision to have guides Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran write this book. They clearly know and love their city, know what is helpful and interesting to tourists, and wrote a very thorough, informative, and user-friendly guide.

I appreciated the format of the concise Sights and Experiences sections, followed by chapters offering more in-depth information on the self-guided walks and tours. This format was extremely useful as I planned my days and then toured the city. Simple, useful maps are included in each walk and tour section.

I would like to have seen the chapters on Turkish History and Culture and Understanding Islam at the beginning of the book rather than the end, as I think they are of great importance to westerners visiting this amazing city.

Another book I highly recommend to supplement this book is Istanbul's Bazaar Quarter: Backstreet Walking Tours. This book is written in the same spirit as the Old Town Back Streets Walk chapter in Rick Steve's book, but offers four separate walking tours, and goes into much more detail about the bazaar quarter and the people you will meet there. Istanbul's Bazaar Quarter: Backstreet Walking Tours

Rick Steve's Istanbul was my first Rick Steve guidebook, and overall I was very pleased. I highly recommend Istanbul, and I highly recommend this book.

Rating :

Istanbul

We recieved the Book 3 days before we left and did an intense study, found that the book allowed us not to waste time seeking. We were there for one week and had the book at all times .It guided us to begin and from there we could adjust our trip accordingly.I would recomend as A must have if You are going to Istanbul

Rating :

Good, But ...

I have used Rick Steves' guides for Portugal, Spain, and Italy (including his specialty city books for Venice, Rome, and Florence). I typically read in advance of our visits abroad Rick's guides as well as other materials, usually a DK guide and novels and histories involving the locale, and whatever I can find on-line. I have always found that Rick's guides to be invaluable re: practical tips, walking tours and solid explanations of major sights. This review is written prior to our trip to Istanbul. The guide is in the same format (a good thing). I note, however, that this guide is written by a husband & wife who apparently are local tour guides. I mention this because Rick's guides typically include a few recommendations of guides, ranging from companies that are staffed by academics (like Context Travel whom we used in Rome) & expensive to moderate or even cheap for quick highlight tours. The R. Steves' Guide of Istanbul ONLY RECOMMENDS the company owned by the husband & wife who really authored Rick's city guide book of Istanbul. It mentions no other companies. This is doubly disappointing and seems very self-serving. I say doubly because when one checks out the company on-line it's website does not appear to have been recently updated and does not list any prices for its standard menu of tours. That aside, the guide otherwise appears to be Rick's standard fare of advice (a good thing, in my opinion). This is why I rate this book as "Good, But ...."

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