It's small but its got it all. Rather than turn out another normal size book on Route 66 the publishers had the great idea of making it pocket size, four by six inches, landscape and with FOUR-HUNDRED all-color pages. I predict that this will be the standard book for those who want to make the trip. Each of the eight states that 66 goes through has a chapter, they start with a simple map, comments about landscape and climate, then the text details what to look for along the way, with the help of historical and contemporary photos, a linear map with places and mileage goes across the top of all of these pages.

Between all the route pages are some lovely spreads of Route 66 Americana which repeat themselves throughout the book, Route Food (pages 174-175 has Red-Hot BBQ Beef Ribs) Transport (168-169 has a 1936 Harley-Davidson) Music of the Road (Woody Guthrie on 156-157) and Famous Sites (Wigwam Village, Holbrook, AZ, on 294-295). The books production is excellent, good choice of photos, well laid out pages (a tip of the hat to designer Phillip Clucas) with colourful graphics behind the text on most of them. The back has a book list, useful resources guide (including websites) and index.

I recently reviewed 'The Final Cut Route 66' by German photographer Gerd Kittel. Eighty-three wonderful photographs of what he saw along 66 and I think it is the perfect book to complement Nick Freeth's travelogue. Kittel has the knack of producing really good color in his photos. Both books do justice to a unique and fascinating bit of America.

Don't let the size of this book fool you. Approximately the height & width of a post card, it is packed with vibrant full color pictures and information. Archive photos, current conditions of Route 66 icons and roads, and text that is very well written. Even regional culinary receipes from the Mother Road! What more could you ask? An excellent book for both actual and arm chair Route 66 travelers.

The Wisdom of John Paul II describes the Pope's innermost thoughts on subjects such as abortion, education, war, religion, and love. The book is well-written and interesting as well because it's made of quotes from speeches made by the Holy Father. The Pope's views on certain issues have often been controversial, but certainly there's a lot of wisdom in his words.

Nick Bakalar and Richard Balkin have scoured numerous encyclicals, speeches, and letters to assemble this wonderful treasury of Pope John Paul II's thoughts on many questions facing today's society. The result is a wealth of wisdom and insight from the most seen man in the world. This isn't a book of answers to life's vital questions; rather, it offers the Pope's and the Church's view on such issues and asks us to question our attitudes and feelings. The topics are far-ranging, both contemporary and timeless. Matters of love, family, death, women, work, and youth are addressed as well as subjects such as human rights and progress and the modern world. Bakalar and Balkin's greatest strength in composing this book is the wide spectrum they've selected from. These issues are universal, and you will find something that speaks to you. You'll probably discover much more.

"The Wisdom of John Paul II" is not only a great addition to your inspirational or religious library; it's also a great addition to any library. I suggest giving this book as a gift, especially if you're looking for something meaningful that can be read over and over (instead of being used as a dust-collector). Non-Catholics and even non-religious will find the Pope's words inspiring, and his message of universal love can be understood and appreciated by all. He does not viciously attack groups in conflict with Church teachings but graciously approaches controversy as does a leader of the faith. Wherever he acts as an apologetic, he does so with the patience and firmness that has guided the Church through more than two decades.

This book, in part, acts as an intimate autobiography as it his diary of his times and how he has confronted the Church and society he has been entrusted. What makes this papal journal stand out from the rest though is that it is more than a portrait of the Pope or a collection of his quotes. His words represent one man's thoughts, but it also gives us a strong picture of his vision for the Catholic Church of the new millennium. Every issue is one that immediately concerns contemporary society, and that makes this book such an enjoyable and necessary read.

This is a decent review of Ralph Stover as a climbing area. It covers all the standard climbs with decent information on the area and it's pretty easy to find the routes. However, there are areas not covered in the book (to the East and towards the river).

Being on a long term stay in New Zealand, we have received nearly all the travel guides as gifts. This on is by far and away the most functional. It is not merely a laundry list of sites and hotels, but includes rankings and other information to prioritize your visit. It helps enable you to get the most out of the time you have available. Strongly recomended

I read with intererst the story of the Del Buono family as they fought for services for their son/brother. Barbara obviously has tremendous faith courage and strength. Her husband and children, esp. Mary, are also amazing. As the mother of a brain injured son I also am caught in the maze of TBI--and it is not pretty. Barbara has done a good job describing nursing home situations. Even though Nick's nursing home experience was years ago conditions in these homes, at least in Indiana, for TBI survivors has not changed enough. Reading this book has helped give me the strength to continue to fight for services for my TBI son.

It is an excellent resource which can help us all to deal with the difficulties of life and use them to create a better world where the wounded are cared for with heart, not just hands.

This is an excellent dictionary in many respects; English words are clearly defined in English and the Chinese equivalent is given, and where there is no Chinese equivalent, an explanation in Chinese is given. Also useful are the multitude of examples and usage notes in both English and Chinese.

The appendices are also valuable: a table of irregular verbs, punctuation, numerical expressions, weights and measures, geographical names, common forenames guides with explanation both in English and Chinese. Also included is a detailed guide of the entries, covering pronunciation, grammar, verb patterns, and more.

An added bonus is that the traditional forms of the Chinese characters are used, and the pronunciations of headwords is the received pronunciation.

However, this dictionary is definitely not for learners of Chinese. The title is somewhat misleading in this respect. It is suitable only for Chinese learners of English, not for English speakers learning Chinese.

This book is a steal. for $15.00, you get an excellent english to chinese dictionary that not only gives you the chinese word, but defines it in chinese and english. chinese characters are in simplified chinese, wish there was the same version with traditional characters. nonetheless, this dictionary belongs on any shelf.

don't buy anything from a chinese bookstore when you can can it from amazon or local. I seen this book sell for $55.00 in a chinese bookstore in nyc.

This book is essential for the NJ/NYC climber. It details numerous climbing spots (of surprisingly good quality) that you never expected from the Garden State! It also is honest and accurate with area information and route grades. This way you know if you really want to drive that far for a 20ft wall. But at least you know its there and that the book left no stone unturned! If you're in the area, or visit often, this book is a must have.

New Jersey Crags is exactly what you need if you rock climb and live in N.J. It gives great directions to each destination, including a detailed description of the approach. This book lets you know what your getting into, as far as the actual routes go and whose property your climbing on. After climbing some of the areas in the book I was was not dissappointed by the accuracey of the ratings, and the discriptions of each climb. It is an essential for a climber in N.J., who does not have the time to drive to the Gunks every weekend.