Half the enjoyment of Golf just seems to be about being outdoors in beautiful settings.

If you are in the mood to travel, these are some of the places you can travel to in your mind.

The Northeast: Regal Retreats
The South: Grand Tradition
The Midwest: Lakeside Links
the Northwest: Rugged Resorts
The Southwest: Sunwashed Escapes
Hawaii: Ancient Pleasures

Personally, I think playing golf might just be a good excuse to go to one of the resorts in this gorgeous book. Page after Page of beautiful scenery is sure to make you want to start packing your bags, whether you play golf or not.

I think my husband is dreaming of The Phoenician in Arizona.

"Those who visit the Phoenician year after year describe its ambiance in a single word: freedom. The spacious lobbies, tranquil guest rooms, and even the Arizona sky liberate visitors from their usual day-to-day concerns."

Frankly, I thought the resorts in Hawaii looked rather tempting. My husband can just drop me off at the Four Seasons Resort, Hualalai on the way to the course.

I bought this book for my father in law and he loves it!! it is a great book for anyone who loves golf! the pictures are awesome, they catch some good shots and it's got details on everything. I don't know much about golf, but I even liked the book! It is truly a great gift, and I recommend it to anyone interested in Golf!!!

One of my favorite vacations is to go to a top golf resort. Once I am there, my only discomfort is to wonder if I am missing a better one somewhere else out of habit. With this guide, I was able to check out many resorts that I had heard of but had never visited. I can see that I can skip many famous resorts that I had been considering, but should consider some others that I had never heard of. This book will add enormously to my planning of future golfing vacations!

The resort ratings are compiled by travel writers, and the ratings reflect all the aspects of the resort . . . not just the golf. The categories include golf challenge, beauty, lodging, food and amenities. Amenities aren't very important for me, so I can ignore that category. Food is fairly unimportant unless it is inedible, and local restaurants can usually solve that problem . . . so I discount that category as well. I am very sensitive to the golf, the beauty, and the lodging, so I can select on that basis. You can do a similar weighting of what's important for you.

I thought that the golf challenge rankings were much too similar. For example, Indian Wells in California was ranked much like La Quinta and for me there is no comparison. But you can read the slope and index, and look at sample holes and make your own judgments.

I suspect that resorts that are well known got a little overrated. I like Spanish Bay, but I wouldn't rate the course number two for golf challenge ahead of 98 other resorts, including nearby Pebble Beach.

But the best part of the book can be found in the spectacular two-page color spreads of views of the courses and natural beauty of the surroundings. It felt like a vacation just to see these lush scenes! I was impressed to see that many midwestern courses offer interesting challenges, which I would never have realized had I not seen this book. The overall top rated resort from the perspective of this book is The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. It definitely looks like a resort I would like to try, and I would never have considered it otherwise.

The main drawback of this book is that it only rates the golf resorts in the United States. Since golf resorts are expensive compared to air fare, it would have been better to rate the worldwide golf resorts. Many of the top resorts in Europe would easily nose out all but the top 20 or so on this list. A secondary drawback is that the rating is done as though the resort is always attractive to visit. Some of these places are only worth playing on for a few months of the year (such as Mount Washington in New Hampshire), while others are terrific for 12 months a year (such as the Hawaiian courses). So be careful when you plan to go!

After you finish examining these beautifully interesting choices, I suggest that you also consider what else can be done in the area. After all, you usually won't be playing 36 holes a day.

Have a well rounded vacation!

This book provides a concise historical perspective of the Indian Wars of the West with the second section providing sites of interest based on geographical location. There is a lot of detail on the different tribes, their geographic locations and differences, their relations with the "whites", lifestyles of Native Americans, lifestyle of the soldiers, weapons of each and a review of literature, movies and TV shows on the West. Reminds me of a lot of Robert Utley mixed in with Paul Hutton's Custer Reader.

The second part organizes points of historical interest geographically and by tribal history detailing what you will see (actual structures or replica and scenery) and a mini biography of the site. This book is a great companion for touring since you can organize what you want to see easily since the sites are organized by states and region. For example, if I were in Colorado, one of my goals would be to see Brent's Fort particularly if I was there during the annual rendezvous. How great to not only see Fort Apache if you are in Arizona but also to be able to detour to Cochise's Stronghold.

I just wish the text had pictures of the tour sites or a portion of them and an index. It's a modest book of 200 pages but a walloping amount of information. It's also a great reference for further reading.

This is more than just a Guide to Indian Wars, it is a well written and very informative and importent piece of literature for anyone interested in the history of Native Americans.

I live in England so I doubt I will ever see most of the places mentioned in the book, but having read it, my knowledge has been increased, the little "potted" history of Army Life etc really made for interesting reading, a wonderful little book, but a big addition to my library of Native American literature.

John McDermott has done a fantastic job with this book. The first half is a wonderful in-depth look at life on the frontier during the 1800s that goes back and forth with comparisons of the living conditions, clothing, social beliefs, etc., of Native Americans and the whites who were moving through/into the West. The second half gives a good overview of sites of historic interest, museums, battlefields and more. The one thing I found frustrating (and I can't think of a good solution McDermott could have employed) is that the "guide" section of the book does include some good history information, too: It seems that these instances were included in the second half of the book to discuss localized events that might have seemed out of place in the more generalized first half of the book.

Herbalist Shatoiya de la Tour, her husband, Richard, along with a very talented photographer, Saxon Holt, have produced a treasure of a book! This book takes us on a journey to visit ten exceptional herb gardens in the United States. First stop - Richard and Shatoiya's own garden which she describes as "a garden to serve the community". She shares her story of how her garden, Dry Creek Herb Farm came into being and has evolved over the years to become a refuge for herb lovers and learners across the country. Next stop is Sage Mountain, the Vermont garden of the highly respected herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar. Also spend time at Deer Run Herb Sancuary, Plimoth Plantation, Evergreen Herb Garden, the city garden of Brian Fikes and Greg Howes, Dr. Dukes "Farmette", Ravenhill Farm, Caprilands, and Saso Herb gardens.
The photographs are exquisite, probably the best gardening photography I have ever seen. You will also get to meet these very interesting gardeners, get a glimpse into their own life stories to learn what first attracted them to herb gardening and how herbs have become the focus of thier lives. I LOVE this book and have turned to it for inspiration over and over again. I feel you will be very pleased with it. Buy it!

THE HERBALIST'S GARDEN is subtitled a "guided tour of 10 exceptional herb gardens" and it is just that. I don't think you could get much closer to the real thing unless you made the actual physical trip to each of these gardens. Perhaps the only drawback for me is that so many of them are on the West Coast because seeing them makes me want to SEE them.

The photographs by Saxon Holt are some of the best. In each picture, I can clearly distinguish one plant from another--no small feat since to capture one plant clearly often causes others to be distorted. For example in one shot the viewer can raise her eyes from lettuce in the first row to cabbage in the second row to onions in the third row. I guess this is "trick" photography, but it's great. Although the photos are not three dimensional, they remind me of old 3-D viewer I had when I was a kid or the holograms of today where you can hold the picture to your eye and feel as if you are "inside" the frame.

The de la Tours have done a fabulous job of compiling, writing, and editing their book. They are down to earth and friendly and the text is newsy and informative. The de la Tours own Dry Creek Farm and Learning Center in Auburn California--the first garden on the guided tour which features the gardens of several other herbalist/gardeners and writers. Each section shows a ground plan for the featured garden. There are plenty of shots of the gardens including entrances and paths, and unique features found at the various sites.

Dry Creek Farm features a children's garden, a medicine-wheel garden, and a moon garden. The medicine-wheel garden is festooned with multi-colored prayer ribbons--hung out by the de la Tour's students at the Spring Equinox--that will be burned at the Winter Solstice. Along the edge of the medicine-wheel garden are plants representing the Zodiac Signs--Lavender for the Gemini, Mint for Virgo, and Lemon Balm for Cancer.

The Moon Garden is composed of a Catalpa tree surrounded by a circle shaped garden. The garden surface is composed of white gravel chips and outlined with smooth river stones. Both the full moon and the cresent are delineated. The full moon is white pebbles sans plants, the crescent is set off by Artemesia, the ghostly white plant that bears the "other" name of Diana, queen of the Fairies, Queen of the Witches and Queen of the Moon. A statue of a coyote (Diana's hund?) sits below the mobile moons hanging from the Catalpa tree.

There are photos of garden layouts, photos of specific beds, photos of smiling owners/gardeners and plenty of close-ups of the herbs recommended by the 10 herbalists. The text is extremely informative and inspiring.

Enhanced with the color photography of Saxon Holt, Shatoiya and Richard de la Tour's The Herbalist's Garden provides the reader with an exception, fascinating, and informative guided tour through ten unique herb gardens, introducing the people who grew them and the plants that inspired those master gardeners. After an informative introduction (The Path of the Herb Gardener), we are treated to the Dry Creek Herb Farm & Learning Center (Auburn, CA); Rosemary Gladstar's Sage Mountain (East Barre, VT); Deer Run Herb Sanctuary (Napa, CA); Plimoth Plantation (Plymouth, MA); EverGreen Herb Garden (Placerville, CA); The City Garden (Sacramento, CA); Dr. Duke's "Farmette" (Fulton, MD); Ravenhill Farm (Vancouver Island, British Columbia); Caprilands (Coventry, CT); and Saso Herb Gardens (Saratoga, CA). A very highly recommended, inspiring, beautifully presented work, The Herbalist's Garden is enhanced with a concluding commentary (Manifesting Your Own Vision), a resources section, and an index.

I read several books, all of which were helpful to me recently when I lost someone I loved. This book, however, stayed with me. I couldn't put it down and read it all within two nights, actually three, because I saved the last few pages until the third night (didn't want it to end). I had taken it out at the library, but after reading it decided to buy it from Amazon. Brehony incorporates all types of religious themes/spiritual themes into this book and really gave me a wonderful introduction to Budhism - which I have begun to practice after reading some of the stories and quotes in her book. She does not push any of the religions or spiritual teachings she uses, however, but she presents them in such a way that the reader is helped. I am still grieving and I plan on re-reading her book once I get it from Amazon. I have realized that nothing can truly take away the pain I have from my loss, but Kathleen's book has helped me to see that the best thing I can do is to feel how I feel, instead of figuring out how to run away from it. I recommend this book highly and if you are very open, you might try reading Walking in the Garden of Souls, by George Anderson, which also helped comfort me during this time (although some people may not be open to some of his ideas). At the very least, read Kathleen's book, I felt as if she was sitting next to me helping me through this difficult period of time. It helps because grieving can feel very lonely at times.

I stumbled upon this book when I needed to read it most, proving "of course", that there are no "coincidences!" Don't even open the cover until you have a highlighter in hand, as you will want to go back and read again - and again - and again...

Easy to read, very well organized, thought provoking. This is NOT a sad book, in spite of the title. Communicates a great understanding - makes sense of suffering - allows the reader to move on, and begin the "journey to wisdom."

Many of my books find their way, ultimately, to a second hand bookshop. Not this one... it has found a place on my permanent collection shelf. Thanks, Kathleen. Well done.

With this book, Kathleen Brehony has eloquently reminded us that through our suffering, we are sometimes given our most precious gifts. How we choose to deal with our grief makes all the difference; will we choose love over hate, wisdom over ignorance, compassion over bitterness, or life over death? Which will you choose? Read this book & share it with someone you love!

A work of love. Major Kudos. Thanks very much.

The opportunities to make an important American history connection that are contained in this book are inspirational.

I just got back from the Delta (there's only one, isn't there?) last month (12/01) and had the opportunity to visit 8 sites. I drove a small car with my 15 year old son, and the information this book and my experience with the blues provided, prevented the mayhem one frequently associates with excessive exposure between generations from the same family.

We started in Leland and went to Clarksdale and came down to Greenwood and back to Leland.

While I expect to continue to use this book for years to come as my family and I go back to annually visit the in-laws, my sole complaint is the directions. I've driven from Guatemala to Vancouver and been in 26 countries, so I have a well seasoned sense of direction. Perhaps I'm overly pedantic but some of the directions did not anticipate some of the predictable confusion I experienced.

While the directions to Zion Church in Greenwood were good, confirmation such as a green roof or easily visible from a mile away just after the curve to the right would be helpful. It was a lovely church but I was a somewhat self conscious about parking in the driveway. Fortunately there wasn't anyone else there at the time.

The graveyard for Mississippi John Hurt was fascinating but the directions could have been a bit better. When a turn is called out and the driver makes it, I'd prefer to see right away that one should park right after 1.0 miles. By the time my son read the preceding information, before the distance,to me, I wasn't sure how many tenths of a mile we'd gone. So, do we turn around to the mail boxes or try to guess? We tried the latter and should have tried the former (it was getting late in the day). It was well worth it since the graveyard was fascinating in how natural, secluded and private the sites were. Thanks for the tip about wearing bright clothing due to hunters, but I wish that had been in a section in the front: Preparing for Your Journey. That section could include common sense photographic suggestions such as extra film, batteries, a flash and a tripod.

I'd suggest adding to the Sonny Boy Williamson grave directions to make the first right after 2nd street (instead of turn at the gas meter, not all gas meters in the country are the same) on the named street, I'm going to guess Bruister (starts with a B anyway) Street. The locals walking that road saw me 4 times in a half hour, probably livened up their day.

I'm sure I expect too much, but I would have liked some idea about the driving time between sites with a line item complete itinerary in the back with the driving time between the site you're looking at and the site on the line above. That way if you wanted to skip some of the less interesting (varies from person to person) sites, you can plan your day more efficiently.

I wish I had unlimited capital and could pay the author to try to find out who else is buried in these various graveyards. Were they family or neighbors? I wish there were money to pay someone to go to these graveyards annually to spruce them up a little, secure lopsided gravestones etc. I'd want to see all the individuals in the graveyard get equal treatment.

Go slowly and make notes in the book in case you ever want to redo the trip or take another blues enthusiast on the trip of their life that wouldn't be available if it weren't for this excellent book.

Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites Of Delta Blues by Steve Cheseborough (an independent music scholar and a performer of blues music) showcases the contributions of John Hurt, Jimmie Rodgers, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, Fred McDowel, Howlin's Wolf, B. B. King, Little Milton, Elvis Presley, Bobby Rush, Junior Kimbrough, R. L. Burnside and other notables essential to a proper understanding and appreciation of this authentically American music tradition. Blues Traveling is a literary and historical excursion through the Mississippi delta taking the reader on a kind of pilgrimage to juke joints and churches, birthplaces and graveyards, dusty roads and levees, where down-home blues music was born, nourished, and evolved. Blues Traveling is a unique guidebook enhanced with photographs, maps, easy-to-follow directions. If you are a fan of the blues and will be finding yourself in the delta country, the begin your trip planning by a serious perusal of Steve Cheseborough's Blues Traveling!

I thoroughly enjoyed 'Blues Traveling'. It came along just as I was planning my trip to the Delta this summer, so I constitute a sort of 'road test'. The book contains a wealth of information on little-known historic buildings and the like, and it's conveniently arranged by a very logical itinerary. With lots of little-known facts (did you know that the Great Wall of China is *not* the largest man-made structure in the world?), it's a great read whether or not you're actually traveling to the Delta. FWIW, I'm not in any way related to the author. :)

Each foldout page in this book was designed by a different person. Sometimes they're disappointing as pop-ups, but there are some bright moments. The cover by Maurice Sendak allows you to see behind it into how the movements are made. The brownstones page is silly, with stupid bug cartoons everywhere. The library is really disappointing, with no real focus and no real view of what the building looks like. The art museum is just lovely, and is probably the best -- but then, it's by Sabuda (my favorite pop-up artist)! The botanic garden could have been the most colorful and beautiful page -- instead, it's childish and dull. The carousel is fun, with horses popping out at you. The Brooklyn Bridge is nice, but the flavors of Brooklyn are worthless. Coney Island is fun, with a rotating Ferris wheel. The book comes in a handy-dandy re-sealable plastic cover. So if you're fond of Brooklyn this will be a really nice memento. But I do NOT recommend it for reading out loud to children.

An excellent, albeit silliy, addition to the library or coffee table of Brooklynites of any age. Granted, it isn't "all-inclusive," but what pop-up book (or any book on Brooklyn, for that matter) is?

It is really nice to see a resurgence of such childhood favorites as the "pop-up" book. Truly the first multimedia toys, these books add a new dimension (pun most certainly intended) to the written word.

What a wonderful way to introduce children and adults alike to the cultural Mecca that is Brooklyn. I loved this book so much, not only did I buy it for my library's children's collection, but I also bought a copy for myself.

Highly, highly recommended!

A beautiful, well written book! I enjoyed it a lot. It also contains good historic information.

Haunted Holidays contains dozens of color photographs and some very interesting line art. The New England section includes information on, among other things, the Salem Witch Trials and haunted lighthouses. The section on Chicago concentrates on gangsters (e.g., John Dillinger), haunted cemeteries, etc. There are also chapters on the ghosts of New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Williamsburg, Va., Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga., New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hawaii; and an entire section is devoted to Civil War Ghosts. In addition to describing the various haunts, each section includes "Travel Tips" regarding the best time to visit, transportation, haunted restaurants and hotels, ghost tour groups, etc., all with street addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. I highly recommend this book.

I thought that this book was very well put together. It's packed with interesting facts and information and it has great colorful pictures that make it fun to just browse. Also the quailty of the paper/binding is really nice for a paperback book of this price. The book does try to cover a lot of territory in just over 200 pages, but it is basically just a travel guide after all. It includes maps and loging info and travel tips for each state which I thought was great. If you enjoy The Discovery Channel's "haunted" videos, you will also enjoy this book.

In this book, Jenkins describes his choice of the thousand best churches in England. Churches range from tiny, rural chapels notable for their remote, dramatic settings, to grand and majestic churches. (Cathedrals, however, are not covered, only parish churches.) He also rates the churches from one star through 5 stars.
The descriptions are generally full and compelling. However, I took off one star from my rating, because, for the armchair traveller, more pictures would have been welcome. (How frustrating to read about glorious stained glass windows, and have no idea what they actually look like!) Only about one in 10 churches is illustrated with either an interior or exterior photo.

For those interested in knowing more about England's wonderful parish churches, this book is a must. Organized by county, the book should prove useful for travellers like me who fall victim to every village spire. I appreciated both his wit and knowledge about the subject.

The history presented, and the wonderful photographs, are a panorama of architectural beauty and fascination topped only by Jenkins' insightful and witty comments. This is a perfect "coffee table volume" for anyone interested in the Church, the arts, or history, and for others who plan travel to areas of England they have not previously explored. An added bonus is that those passionate about any one of the topics will, as I have found, have the further entertainment of arguing whether Simon's choices actually were of the 1,000 best, and which of their own favourites would have topped them.

Besides being very well-written and witty, this book is one of the best-researched "graving guides" I have seen on the market. I believe this is because Masek lives in the area, and is a regular visitor to these sites. Many other books have been written by people who either don't know the subject matter personally, or who have relied heavily on other, usually erroenous, sources. These mistakes are repeated over and over in guide after guide, but not in this one. Masek has clearly done all the leg work himself, and it shows.

Besides giving directions, the book also contains some very witty anecdotes about the people and the places they are buried. Although a bit large to sneak into the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn, this book really needs to be at your side for any excursion out there into the increasingly-popular world of celebrity grave-hunting.

I concur with the two previous reader reviews. This is an extremely well written book that is virtually impossible to put down. It provides the novice as well as the professional celebrity grave hunter with juicy little tidbits regarding their favorite dead celebs. It also provides accurate information regarding grave locations and precise directions as to how to find each one. Oddly enough, no other book on this subject has managed to do that.
The author also includes background information about each burial ground. I found that not only interesting, but in one specific case actually humorous.
I didn't want the book to end. I definitely will buy subsequent books by this author. In fact, I ended up buying three copies of this book as xmas gifts and the recipients enjoyed this book as much as I did.

If you are interested in exploring and visiting celebrity graves, this is a great resource. The information provided for each celebrity will give even the youngest graver in your group an idea of who the celebrity was.
This would also be an excellent guide for those of you who are not residents to the area. Visitors to Los Angeles will find this book to be helpful because it breaks down each cemetery into managable sections for touring.
Buy this book!

Holy Places is a visual delight, filled with gorgeous color photographs of 10 sacred sites around the world. It is a book about saints, prayer, miracles and recovery, art and religious history and architecture. The reader is transported to ancient Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Mexico and New Mexico. The book is a pilgrimmage into Catholic history and devotion. I gave a copy to my elderly aunt who called me to say that she had just been to Italy and Mexico and was about to travel through Spain -- that reading the book was as good as being there (and by the way, she would try to make it to Chimayo, New Mexico).

It is a concise and richly crafted book on some of the most famous holy places in the world.

Who might like this book?
Travellers
Spiritual seekers
Pilgrims
Artists & art lovers
Children
Historians
Lovers of religious relics
People who like pictures

I highly recommend this wonderful book.

Holy Places is a visual delight, filled with gorgeous color photographs of 10 sacred sites around the world. It is a book about saints, prayer, miracles and recovery, art and religious history and architecture. The reader is transported to ancient Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Mexico and New Mexico. The book is a pilgrimmage into Catholic history and devotion. I gave a copy to my elderly aunt who called me to say that she had just been to Italy and Mexico and was about to travel through Spain -- that reading the book was as good as being there (and by the way, she would try to make it to Chimayo, New Mexico).

If you are a world traveller and like to visit art and historical sites, this is a definite must see. It is a concise and richly crafted book on some of the most famous holy places in the world.

Who might like this book?
Travellers
Spiritual seekers
Pilgrims
Art buffs
Children
Historians
Lovers of religious relics
People who like pictures

I highly recommend this wonderful book.

Holy Places is a visual delight, lavished with gorgeous color photographs of 10 sacred sites around the world. It is a book about saints, prayer, miracles and recovery, art and religious history and architecture. The reader is transported to ancient Ireland, Italy, Spain, France, Mexico and New Mexico. The book is a pilgrimmage into Catholic history and devotion. I gave a copy to my elderly aunt who called me to say that she had just been to Italy and Mexico and was about to travel through Spain -- that reading the book was as good as being there (and by the way, she would try to make it to Chimayo, New Mexico).

If you are a world traveller and like to visit art and historical sites, this is a definite must see. It is a concise and richly crafted book on some of the most beautiful holy places in the world.

I highly recommend this wonderful book.