It was difficult to wade through her tasteless anecdotes (mostly about her age) to find much substance. She seems more interested in trying to build a personal fan club than trying to give out great information on the truly wonderful shopping in Paris! Her "great deals" on hotel rooms are between US$200 - $300 a night, so beware that she's writing for those with beaucoup d'argent to burn.

I like books that I can carry with me for reference when I shop in Paris. It's nearly impossible to do that with this book because there is so much "chit-chat" included in the reviews of stores. It's very difficult to look up a specific area or kind of specialty store that you seek. You pretty much have to read the entire book to sift through her laborious writing to find what little helpful information actually exists. She includes one map of Paris which may be good for an overview of where shops are located, but a more detailed map is truly warranted.

This book is adequate if it's the only one to which you have access,... I'm sure Suzy has adequate experience of shopping in Paris, but her book needs some serious reorganization and brevity to make it more widely appealing to those who aren't as experienced as she is.

Bottom line: Not worth the effort to read it when there are far more informative books available. Sorry, Suzy.

I love this guide. If you love to shop, and you aren't planning a trip to Paris, you will be by the time you are 1/2 an hour into this! Some of the other reviews are so surprisingly hostile! My sisters, daughters and I make an annual pilgrimage to shop in Paris. We use her books as one resource for what looks interesting, then once we are in the area we find even more. She clearly has her black belt in shopping, and if the reader is also serious about shopping they will appreciate this content. We love to shop anything from Monoprix to Herves to Hermes. We find her guides to be so humorous and helpful. This is definately a Frommer's, not a "Let's Go" guidebook. One of the reviews says that Suzy is out of touch with the real Paris, but I think that she is correct in advising readers that Paris has a big problem with petty crime. It really pays to be alert to it and pay close attention to your belongings. Wallets and cell phones are frequently taken from backpacks, pockets and purses in the metro stations and on the streets! She does tease about the cultural differences (as does my family), but she obviously loves France (as do we!). I highly recommend this guide! I took one star off only because it is not possible to keep a guide like this completely current with the retail business changing so quickly.

Long live Suzy Gershman! This was the best, most helpful travel book I have ever bought and made this trip to Paris my most productive, happy and fun EVER. Every suggestion was right on target. Her taste is fabulous and her walking/shopping tours unbeatable. I will follow this woman anywhere.

I found this little number at the library, and I suggest that if your even remotely compelled to read this strange bit of fact/fiction/fantasy, you should get a free copy that can be returned also. I find plenty of these accounts plausible and probably just a groupie account of some wonderful events that meant more to her than anyone else. There is nothing wrong with that but it does'nt warrant a book. Perhaps Mike Keneally could offer some insight on this book. He did a great job at picking apart Ben Watson's self-indulgent/ highly laughable "Dialectics of Poodle Play".

Being Frank: My time With Frank Zappa
Expanded From The Original Classic

Since his untimely death from prostate cancer in 1993, the legend of iconoclastic musician Frank Zappa has continued to grow. The decade following his passing has seen the publication of a number of books, both sacred and profane, which examine his life and work, but the best, and only, up-close-and-personal account of the man and his music remains the original: Nigey Lennon's Being Frank: My Time with Frank Zappa. Musician/author Lennon maintained a personal and professional relationship with Zappa during the period which is generally agreed to have been the composer's most creative, and she invests her recollections with considerable musical and emotional insight.

"....Being Frank can be viewed as a cautionary tale, a cinema verite' rock-and-roll moral fable, an historically accurate emotional portrait of one of America's most enigmatic modern musicians during an important transitional period in his life when he was free of the emotional/financial baggage of the original Mothers of Invention and could do as he creatively wished...what makes Zappa such a quirky individual and his music so irresistible...is precisely what Nigey has patiently and passionately documented...between the two of our books is a valuable portrait of one of the more intriguing and enigmatic cultural figures of the Twentieth Century, god help us all.
--From the Introduction by David Walley, author of No Commercial Potential: The Saga of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

This edition is a reaffirmation of Being Frank's validity as a "must read" book and hell, even a "must re-read" book! Just like Frank's music, the deeper you get into this book, the more you will get out of it.
--From the Foreword by Greg Russo, author of Cosmik Debris: The Collected History and Improvisations of Frank Zappa

"irreplaceable...is the word to describe Being Frank...[Lennon's] memoir is both spiky and musically literate...Lennon's previous books were on Mark Twain and Alfred Jarry, which indicates the kind of cultural perspective required to get a grip on Zappa: something brighter than rock-journo pedantry."
-- Ben Watson, author of Frank Zappa: The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play

This book is an accurate, funny, and well-observed portrait of one of the most enigmatic figures on the American music scene.
It is most of all a portrait, warts and all, of a human being trying to deal with a human universe, something which Zappa held at a great distance from himself, and despite his protestations to the contrary had difficulty in dealing with. It will and has ticked off many members of Zappa Anonymous who've been fed a steady diet of well... publicity which Zappa in his lifetime encouraged and ironically and inevitably became its victim after his death. I highly recommend this book for those who are interested in historical and sometimes hysterical accuracy. She was there at a crucial time in Zappa's life as a confidant, a lover, and a working member of his band when he was recuperating from a grievious accident which nearly cost him his life. This book is part sociology, part auto-biography and describes her coming of age and the influence that one of America's great enigmatic figures had on her life. She writes well with a great sense of ironic detachment, which is as idiosyncratic as the person whose life for a time she shared.

This book was a disappointment. Gershman mainly suggests the stores that fit her style which is, in her words, non-trendy and older. She omits many of the one-of-a-kind boutiques that make New York a truly unique shopping experience...a time to savor and discover the new styles that one only reads about in magazines and sees on the E! channel. Instead, she leads shoppers to chain stores and common mall fixtures, which would be ok...I do want to know where the Gap is located. But, she mentions the same stores over and over...pointing out each location all over the city. If purchasing a shopping guide, consider Fodor's CityGuide New York. It contained every single bit of information as Born to Shop plus much more.

This pithy, unrelentingly cheerful guide book is quite useful. Even if you aren't a power shopper the book gives you a clear picture of NYC and what's fun to do there. It gave me the most up to date answers about taxis fare, the subway and how much a limo from the airport will cost(don't bother). As for Suzy's reccomendations. Well, her taste may be different than yours. As far as she is concerned there are only certain places in NYC worth shopping in so if you are curious as to the best place to have lunch in Harlem this aint the book for you.
I haven't been to NYC since I was a kid and had forgotten everything I knew about getting around. Suzy's book was a big help.

This book appears to teacher numbers but I did not find this to be the case. Throughout the entire book the phrase "how many" appears without a clear indication of how many there really are. I did not think this would be helpful to a child learning their numbers if they didn't know how many should be there. After analyzing the book, I realized a little movable wheel that turns with a picture matching one of the pages in the book. On this wheel a number was shown. This is the answer to "how many" on each page. I found this to be a confusing book and would not recommend this to the beginning number learner. This book may prove useful to one who is knows how to count well and is in need of a challenge and reinforcement.

This small and attractive board book attempts to present young children with an understanding of basic numberals (1-10). Each page depicts a different number by using illustrations and asking the reader to count the number of items present. For example, the number "3" is represented with three butterflies. The uniqueness of this book lies in in a turnable "wheel" flap that provides the answer to each page. To use the previous example, a child can turn the flap until he or she finds the picture of the butterfly; this picture will have the number "3" next to it. The drawback is that most young children probably won't understand the concept of the book at first, at least not without some guidance from an older person. The rotating flap, although sturdy, appears to be prone to damage if the book were to be heavily circulated in a public library. It is therefore recommended for single families with children ages 2-5.

I, too, was fascinated with the author's journey and disturbed by her relationships with others. She is judgemental and critical of those upon whom she relies. And she relies on them very, very much. Obviously she comes from wealth and means,never struggling with the pain and difficulties that come from financial ruin, dealing with Social Security Disability, poverty and working, even while very sick, when your very survival depends upon it. Not all of us have Wealthy Doctor Daddy to rescue us whenever we are in trouble. Having said that, I relate to and admire her chutzpah in dealing with her doctors, her efforts to be informed and educated about her illness and her willingness to take responsibility for managing her illness. Her story is most useful in showing persons with chronic illness how to manage their care and advocate for themselves. It is a compelling story, nonetheless!

Ms. Szasz' journey with lupus is decidedly atypical, and could unduly alarm many who suffer from lupus. Yet, her pluckiness and approach to her illness can help the faint of heart advocate for themselves in dealing with their illness and with their physicians. Although I often felt that her relational functionings left something to be desired, and felt this was a book I wouldn't want to own, in the end, I had formed an affection for her. I often remember and savor the lessons I learned and her wry wit. Finishing the book was like saying goodbye to an enigmatic friend who has lived life with bravery and zest, and who taught you a few flourishes along the way..

This is not a book which details symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of lupus, but rather, as the author states, a book about what it is like to live daily with a chronic illness whose effects are not readily apparent nor understood by those who surround its target.

I think it took a lot of courage for Ms. Szasz to write this book. It really delves into her past personal life and shows a person how to try and deal with life on a day to day basis. Having a chronic illness is no piece of cake and to me when I read about her getting up and going to work everyday and trying to live as normal a life as possible, it encouraged me to do the same. Some may say that it gives readers a sense that they will go through exactly what the author has, but if the patient has been properly educated by their physician that shouldn't happen. By the time I finished her book, like one other stated I felt that I just said goodbye to a close friend and also 'Thank You'. Thank you, not only for showing me that you can live a normal life, but in all honesty, you should without ever lowering your expectations or changing your dreams.

The author gives a review of the Monaco & Grand Hotel in Venice. To quote her, "I found this hotel around the corner from the Danieli." The Monaco & Grand Hotel is completely across the San Marco Sq. from the Danieli. She also talks about eating on the rooftop restaurant. There is no roof top restaurant at the Monaco. The restaurant is either on the terrace or in the building. If ,as she says, she is eating Croque monsieur at lunch at Harry's Bar she would have discovered that the Monaco is four steps from Harry's. By the way Harry does not serve croque monsieur at lunch! Only as a snack during off dining hours.
If the shops she reviews are as poorly done as these hotels and reatuarants I don't think I will take the trouble to find them.

Most of the guidebooks for countries include portions on shopping but they don't tell you what TO buy and what NOT to buy, as well as Where to buy it--SUZY DOES! She has shopped Italy backwards and forwards and knows the ins and outs and nooks and crannies. Having never been to Italy, I was unsure of the special things to buy while I was there. If you are going to Italy and want to know how to best spend your $ on souveniers, get this book. Tips like avoiding Piazza San Marco if you don't want to pay the highest prices for Venetian goodies are invaluable. Also,if you want to be a bit more spendy she gives you those highlights as well--Venezia Stadium is one of the most gorgeous stores in the shopping universe. She includes tips on stores both in the major cities and the rural countryside--including designer outlets. If you are interested in hotels and food she includes those as well, although her hotel budget is a little higher than the average person.
Most of all Suzy is hilarious! Buy this book if you plan to shop at all while visiting Italy.

Also Recommend: Born to shop France (Had a section on Provence region which was helpful)

Suzy's Hong-Kong only book was wonderful. It recommended specific shops, not just neighborhoods, for every type of good imaginable. It also gave fantastic hints like where not to bother looking if you wear a size on the upper end of the spectrum.

The new book including Shanghai and Beijing is next to worthless. All of the shop recommendations for HK have been ommited. Some of my favorites from "Born to Shop Hong Kong", like Gemsland in the Mandarin Hotel, deserve to be mentioned as providing amazing service, great quality and reasonable prices to every visitor planning on coming to HK.

I purchased the book in preparation for an upcoming trip to Shanghai. With the exception of the overview of the markets, very little else was of use. There are almost no local shop (non-department store) recommendations and suggestions for totally random (and useless?) things like wedding photos. In fact it only gives shopping suggestions for 9 categories- and included in that 9 are things like Drugstores. How are you going to Shop til You Drop in a drugstore?

Additionally, the index is horrible. There is a whole paragraph on the Hoabao Building in the Yu Gardens, but good luck finding any reference to it in the index. This is just one example, there are many more.

I was so disappointed in this book. Entirely way too much time spent on travel logistics. Anyone going to China is not going to purchase this book as their sole resource guide. Leave the logistics to those who do it best, and spend more time on where to shop!

The author hasn't a clue as to how to negotiate with the Chinese and does not give the correct warnings or prices. She is a "princess". I just returned from my 31st trip to China. There is almost no silk or original merchandise at the Silk Market. However, it is a lot of fun. There is not a shirt or blouse there that cannot be bought for 30 yuan ($3.60). North Face knockoffs can be bought for 130 yuan ($15.60) for their most expensive long jacket. Pearls at the Hong Qiao (Pearl) Market are of very low quality. Most strands cost about 100 yuan ($12). Learn the difference between salt water and fresh water pearls and how to tell the quality difference. Know how to tell if the pearls are fake before you go there. The fourth floor stores are just a different form of marketing pearls so don't be fooled by their nicer western look. Remember that only the store knows their price - and they will only sell to you if they can make a profit. Always walk away after making an what you may consider an absurd offer and after you let them know that you really want to buy the item. Make them make at least two offers before you make your absurd offer. There is not relationship between their initial offfer and what the item is worth. All this takes a lot of time so be prepared. Comparison shop before buying. All stores carry the same items.

I purchased Suzy's last edition on Hong Kong, to guide me around this great shopping city. It was very helpful. She tells you the places to forget, and the places not to be missed. When I heard that she was releasing a new edition with Shanghai & Beijing, I purchased it also, for an upcoming trip to Beijing. I was a little disapointed to find that she had trimmed alot off of the Hong Kong section to make room for the mainland cities. But it's still a must have if shopping is on your "to do" list. Suzy seemed to list all the things I wanted to buy on my trip, she does have impecable taste.

When I picked up this book, I thought "cool! A mystery." I turned out that this wasnt a mystery. It had parts of indivitual mysterys and plus it was bad. I would recomend the book for a 1-2 grader not to a 3rd grader!

As I mentioned, I've an advance copy of this, so I don't know whether it was ever released to the general public. The fact sheet said Disney had already optioned it for film. It might have actually made a good one; as a novel, it pretty much stinks.

Sherry Estabrook is a Harvard-educated journalist working for a large newspaper in Miami. She meets Manuel Velo, a sixteen-year-old high school student who claims to have been the triggerman for eighteen unsolved murders connected to the Lopez cocaine ring. Sherry, and her superiors, start seeing Pulitzer Prize nominations everywhere they go, and Sherry gets drawn far too deep into the case when she realizes Manuel is in love with her.

Okay, so far so good. Or would be, if any of the characters whatsoever were believable. (This is why I think it'd make a good movie-- Hollywood doesn't care about movtiation.) This is another in the seeming series of books I've been reading (all first novels, not surprisingly) where the characters change emotions like underwear, allow themselves to be convinced that something is correct when it's obviously not at least once per page, blah blah blah. There wasn't a single believable, likable character anywhere in this book. (I had some hopes for one of the police officers, but he blew it in the end.)

So why did I allow myself to finish turning the four hundred fifty-two pages? Because it's actually a pretty good storyline. Despite the fact that you know where this is going by the time you hit page 200, Wetlaufer manages to keep adding niggling little details that keep the reader wondering what's going on right up until the last chapter. Of course, you can't have two hundred fifty-two pages of niggling little details, and there's certainly a lot of filler to get mired in. But they're paced quite well, and the muck never gets too deep under the shoes before something intereting pops up.

If you think of it as a story being told you by the drunk on the next stool, who's attractive enough that you're willing to listen, it's kind of readable. If you're looking for the next John Grisham potboiler... well, you could do a whole lot better.

First of all, I don't agree with a lot of their "don't miss", "don't overlook", and "don't knock yourself out" lists (having already been twice in years past (once as an adult) helps). Of course, the "thrill" rides are "don't miss". Not all adults can handle thrill rides, and not always because they're pregnant or have pacemakers (motion sickness and a fear of thrill rides occur in all ages). And the "Country Bear Jamboree", which is just an elaborate "Chuck E Cheeze" without the pizza, arcade, and ball pit, a "don't miss" (no offense to those who like it) and "Cinderella's Golden Carousel" a "don't knock yourself out" (carousel's aren't just for kids, and can be romantic)? I was also appaled at their thinly-veiled discouragement for staying in a cheaper resort hotel (mostly because families with kids frequent those). Even without kids, not everyone has that kind of money (most of us are lucky we can even afford admission, plane tickets, etc.). And there's really nothing else to speak of. No very detailed information, no real recomendations, no nothing! And yet Birnbaum's guide for families has much more information, something I find a little odd...

Anyway, if you're planning a Disney vacation without kids, try "Walt Disney World For Couples". It has better information, and their reccomedations go beyond the "E-ticket" attractions.

As a regular visitor to WDW, I have been extolling the virtues of Birnbaum's guides to my friends for years. I am currently helping some friends plan their trip to WDW without kids, and recommended this guide; after they bought it, I went out and got one myself. Now I am so embarrassed I don't know what to say to them - this guide is terrible, nothing like the normal Birnbaum's guides, or the previous editions of this book.

There are many problems with this guide: just one example is the recommended tour of Epcot. They stress that "not to be missed" attractions in the World Showcase are Canada, France, the American Adventure; other countries' showcases are "not to be overlooked." I suppose if you assume that most purchasers of this book will be Americans with absolutely no sense of curiousity and adventure, and will only enjoy what they will feel "comfortable" with, then this is a good recommendation; however, most adults I know enjoy the many other countries represented in the World Showcase much more than these three "must sees," as they are more interesting and exotic. Also, they recommend making dinner reservations at Les Chefs de France, which is a perfectly good restaurant, but you can get French food in almost any city - why not the Moroccan or Norwegian restaurants? LCDF is also one of the most popular restaurants in Epcot, and difficult to get into - why set people up for disappointment?

This guide is also seriously lacking in graphics. Personally, I like a guide that shows me a photo of what they're trying to tell me about - and this guide has few. Just because it's a guide for adults doesn't mean that it has to be a novel. I could go on and on about what's wrong with this guide.

All in all, I have to give this book a big thumbs down. I will be purchasing another guide for my friends and delivering it post haste, as this one is just plain bad.

This book did not provide any information that was useful in making a decision. It breifly described the resorts, restraunts, and theme parks, but never made a recommendation. I am planning a trip to Disney World in 2003. We do not have kids, and wanted to plan a trip geared towards adults without kids. This book did not give a single recommendation to help with the planning.