This books lists almost 250 parks, forests and other natural areas throughout the state of NJ and describes the recreational activities and facilities at each. Activities include fishing, boating, hunting, picnicing, camping, swimming and more. Also included are phone numbers for administrative offices and town recreational departments. The book is nicely organized by county regions and although no maps are included, directions for each area from a major highway are outlined.

A book that had to be written. This book is a good and basic guide for people working or interested in environmental enrichment. Several aspects are covered by the book, from theoretical bases to the implications to use enrichment for the conservation and welfare of wild animals. However, although it gives a lots of examples on mammals and some on reptiles, it forgets birds.

This is a great look at the history of Yellowstone Park. It combine photographs from the early days of the park with modern photos. Also included are photos of a variety of souvenirs from Yellowstone. This book is worth owning just for the photographs that it contains.

I gave up halfway through Destiny, not because the writing isn't terrific-it is-and not because Parks has nothing to say-I find him to be a very astute commentator on a variety of issues (the trouble with marriage, national identity, etc.). But maybe that's the problem: Parks' is grappling with issues more than telling a story. Which is fine sometimes, but here it's heavy-handed and dull. Maybe I'm biased because I read Parks' last book, a book of essays called "Adultery and Other Diversions" which touches on the same issues with much more success. His narrative approach in non-fiction is superior to the tact he takes in Destiny (some of the essays in "Adultery" read like short stories). I might have forgiven all this if the book was funny. Which it isn't.

I'm a big Tim Parks fan, and I've read most of his previous books and enjoyed them thoroughly. Unfortunately, I think Destiny was written more for the critics than the average reader. The book is pretentiously written, with numerous plots intertwined throughout each paragraph. I almost gave up half way through, but I'm really glad I stuck it out till the end - it has a great finish. Yes, it does define national character in a unique way. I'm glad to have read it, but didn't enjoy reading it.

This is my kind of novel. The disenchanted, urban, pan-European middle-aged protagonist is the only type of character that interests me at the moment. This book goes deeper into the kind of philosophical yet entertaining writing that Parks' readers have come to expect of him. The novel captures its protagonist at the riveting crisis point after a son's suicide, as he contemplates the breakup of his marriage.

If so wonderful, then why not five stars? Too much back and forth in the narrator's head, time sequence confusion, the way we can't figure out if we're in the present or the immediate past or both sumultaneously. There are always at least two thoughts being conveyed simultaneously, because the narrative strategy aims to mimic the jumbled thought processes during the hero's crisis. The author succeeds in getting this effect across, but it makes for a roller coaster effect. One has to read passages over and over to get at the gems of insight, of which there are many. But I'm afraid many readers will simply not be willing to battle the rocky terrain. Too much of the writer's effort, and the reader's attention, are expended on this wild ride, when I longed for information that would make the auxiliary characters more real to me. I still don't have enough of a sense of the dead Marco before his schizophrenia descended to feel a real sense of loss on behalf of the narrator. And throughout most of the book, the wife Burton is determined to leave seems more a larger than life symbol of Italian national character than a flesh and blood woman. She only acquires a name, for example, in the last chapter.

It also seems a bit of a lame anti-climactic afterthought when, late in the book, Burton reveals, "I can't forgive my wife for growing old." When remarks like these are thrown out, almost out of context, and a past mistress surfaces but is only sketchily dealt with, I sometimes suspect that Parks uses these male fiction conventions not because they are true to character, but because they are simply male fiction convetions, a way of saying, "Yes, I'm a regular guy, a twentieth century adulturous man." The mistress of almost five years' standing seems tacked on -- if he loved the girl as he says he did, why don't we feel it? Such tricks do not sit well with the philosophical sweep of the rest of the book, seem lazy when the reader knows what depths the narrative is capable of plumbing. Some auxiliary characters, such as the wife's former lover, Gregory, earn their space, but too many appear as plot-driven, conscious creations.

Yet, these are rather minor faults. Parks offers something unavailable in mainstream literary fiction today, rising above the typical clever-clever postmodernist wordplay of most "leading" British authors, or the ponderous political correctness of their American counterparts. How many books these days seriously explore ideas without sinking into preaching?

I applaud this book for questioning the current culture's over-emphasis on blaming and explaining through simplistic pop psychology formulas. As in Martin Amis' Night Train, we have the aftermath of a suicide without apparent motive, people struggling to find meaning behind an apparently meaningless act. But the phenomenon is rendered both so much more personally and universally: " ... we all invent stories to explain these horrible things to ourselves. We invent the past. When perhaps there is no explanation." The central concept of destiny, rather than psychology, determining the course of people's lives also figures in some of Anita Brookner's novels. I wish the often too chaotic style of Parks' novel could have borrowed just a little of Brookner's calmness, in order to let such concepts breathe.

The idea of going deeper into a marriage, into an experience, rather than starting over is explored in this novel. Likewise, in the writing itself, Parks goes deeper into his own style -- deeper into the workings of a human mind, deeper into faith, into philosophy, deeper into meaning, or the mystery of its lack: " ... And it occurs to me now that the brighter the light, the more evident it is that revelation is denied. The more clearly one sees, the more inescapable enigma becomes ... Whereas in a shady room ... It is just possible to imagine that mysteries will one day be revealed." Wonderful stuff.

i think this book was really bad because it had none of the good stuff of the real book by Micheal Chrigton . So in conclusion i only gave this book one star because it was the lowest .

This book is based on the movie "The Lost World." The book lets the reader make different choices throughout the book. I think this book is alright, because you are involved with the story but it can be a little confusing,but I thought the book was alright.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The details kept the book flowing easily and kept my interset. The way he wrote the book really made it hard to put it down. There was a lot of action and suspense in the novel that added to the feel of the book. I would say that the book is really close to another of the authors novels Jurassic Park. It was really similar but I would have to say that Jurassic Park was alittle better.

The book was little more than a list. The hand drawn maps were amaturish in this day and age. It was lacking in information. Maybe I was spoiled by the "100 Best And All The Rest" book I had just purchased on Colorado campgrounds. Camping Wyoming was a waste of money.

I was searching for a book that would tell me the information that would be most useful in searching for just the right camp site... This book has it... very informative and easy to understand without a lot of useless drivel... I wish it were available for Idaho!

This is a high-quality book with gorgeous photos ... but not much else. The chosen parks are obscure (the only mention of Disney is Walt Disney World's Dixie Landings Resort) with very little text. It could've greatly benefited from some background information, design philosophy, even exact locations. This book would be a great addition to a coffee table, but the serious theme-park enthusiast will probably be disappointed.

This book, with its site layouts of international theme parks and color photographs of various details of each park, is a visual treat. Accompanying the pictures is text that outlines the premise behind the design, and provides a very brief piece on the designer(s).

I most liked the international focus. Several of the theme parks were new to me, in particular the artificial Ski Dome in Japan, and the Port Aventura in Spain, which addresses multinational themes on a smaller scale than Disney.

In addition to the traditional theme/amusement park, museums, waterparks, and game preserves (Ibaraki Park, Myombe Reserve) are also featured. This expands the definition of "amusement" to include natural resources and athletic facilities as a source of pleasure and relaxation.

I would have preferred more text to accompany the photographs and scale drawings, elevations and site plans, if only to provide a deeper appreciation of the planning process that goes into this type of project. However, the information is beautifully presented, and this book demonstrates a good range of projects within its specialized subject matter. I would consider this an excellent reference for the design library, and for anyone who has enjoyed the uniqueness of theme parks and wants to understand more fully their designs.

I love the topic: the sculpture of Ursula von Rydingsvard, so I had to give this book at least 3 stars. I am less than satisfied with the way the author continually refers to elements of Ms. von Rydingsvard's remarkable history rather than art history. I wonder how many readers would be interested to know more of the artist's interest Giotto. This is only touched on in the interview-not at all in the analytical essay. Maybe a little scholarship could be directed here, and leave out some of the tabloid sensationalism. The connections to Giotto or any of her other artistic influences would certainly broaden the means of interpreting her work, whereas the references Brenson makes to von Rydingsvard's childhood serve to limit our understanding leading us to believe that this sort of knowledge is the essential key to it's meaning. I don't believe this to be so. Even though there are too many black and white plates, I confess to buying this book for the pictures. If you can't see von Rydingsvard's sculpture in person, you will find this an economical introduction to her work.

I had anxiously awaited receiving "Another Time, Another World: Coney Island Memories", and I am bitterly disappointed. It is a "vanity press" style of publication, nothing more than a photocopy on quality paper with a generic hard cover. Illustrations are few and far between and are copies of copies. The text is primarily a transcript of an interview about what it was like to work at Coney Island. For $45.00 I was expecting a well-done book portraying the history of Coney Island. Instead it is a grouping of interviews and a few newspaper photocopies. This is one example where I would never have bought the book had I seen it in person.

This book is for readers who have a serious interest in Coney Island history. It contains telling interviews with Coney insiders who describe in great detail how Coney Island was run during the final days of Steeplechase Park, the last of the great Victorian amusement parks. The author's father managed the park, and his story is informative and poignant and reveals the real reason for the the decline of Coney Island. If you are looking for a thoughtful history, and not just pretty pictures, then this is the book to read.

After watching this film, I was depressed. I expected a great informational yet entertaining movie. Instead, I get these still images of roller coasters with a guy in a monotonous voice talking about how high and fast the coaster is. That's about all that's in this movie. It's something I would definately not call entertainment!

I am 7 years old and really liked this book. I love roller coasters and get eveerything I can on them. I learned about the speeds and designs of many coasters. You will like it!