I couldn't resist this book! I love oriental carpets, but of course they're expensive and require a lot of space. This way I can have the designs I love, in miniature. The rugs he chose are lovely, and the designs easy to follow, plus he provides the color numbers for the yarn if you want to use his colors. (This is particularly nice if you live overseas like I do and need to order the yarn.) I would have liked some hints on how to come up with designs for other rugs, but it's easy to figure out by looking at his designs. The book is obviously for a niche market, but if you like oriental carpets and needlepoint, I doubt there's anything out there quite like this.

This book is a wonderful introduction not just to making miniature rugs in needlepoint, but also to the subject of Oriental rugs. Each of the 24 rugs is well-photographed so that you can appreciate the detail of the original weaver's design. There is also a clear pattern for use in doing your design that will copy clearly, as well as suggested colors to authentically recreate the design. But the author also provides commentary on the history, themes and features in the rugs he included so that the reader also learns something about what makes these rugs repre- sentatives of the cultures of their makers. I really enjoyed this book!

I don't do needlepoint but used one of the Persian rug charts for a bead knit bag. The charts are big, no small projects here, but they are striking and wonderfully detailed. Really striking color photos.

This account of the first south-north crossing in Victorian times is incredible. A film of this story several years ago did little to change that situation. The story recounts the key attempts and the elaborate expeditions involved. The crux of the story really revolves around a series of many mishaps and oh so near misses. Tragedy was almost avoided numerous times but ultimately...well read the book. The fact that the story is known and accurately recorded is in itself an incredible sub-plot. It is hard to believe sometimes that this is a true story -- yet this is a case of real life being more amazing than one would dare write as fiction! The story is quite detailed but hang in there, the threads all come together in an incredible finale.

The book has wit, and some useful info, but in an attempt to make it too cool it is virtually impossible to really find what you are looking for, and harder even to look for stuff you don't already know it exists. Skip the book, get a reverent guide that will give you more info.

Having lived in Boston now for 2-1/2 years, I was looking for a guide that could provide both insights on what I've been missing and good perspectives on what touristy spots would be best for out-of-town friends.

While it's refreshing to read both pros and frank cons of various venues, I felt the Frommer's Irreverent content wasn't as broad as I'd expect from guides built up over several years: my favorite sushi joint, Jae's Cafe, was mentioned six times in 20 pages as a great spot for Terminally Hip, Vegging Out, Global Harmony, Same-Sex, Thai, and After-Hours dining experiences. Additionally, I felt it lacked the benefit of a local editor (the John Hancock tower is referenced not as being on the well-known Clarendon Street, but rather on a fictitious Claridence Street).

I would heartily recommended the Irreverent Guide as a complement to another book to give any recommended itinerary a reality-check, but I wouldn't exclusively depend on this guide to plan a multi-day visit.

I go to Boston at least twice a year and always am interested in the nightlife scene. This book hit all the hot spots in retstaurants and bars. My friends who lived there were going through the book and saying, "yep, that's in," "that's still hot" If you're into that sort of thing, this is a great guide to have, especially if you're only going for a short trip.