My finace and I are planning our Weddingmoon in Antigua. This book is packed with useful infomation and facts about the island. It tells you everything from island customs, what local cusine to expect, what to pack, interest points, the best beaches and much more. I would recommend it to anyone traveling, or considering to travel to Antigua. It will definetly accompany us on our trip!

This fact-filled guide is an excellent choice as a stand-alone reference book or a companion to other guide books on the Virgin Islands. In addition to providing all the need-to-know facts about hotels, dining out, transportation, shopping, etc., this book offers fascinating historical and geographical insights that other guide books lack.

It's a soft cover, quality bound book that's easy to pack and will hold up well through dozens of vacations to the Caribbean. It's easy reading, and has an easy-to-find "Fact File" for quick reference while you're on the go.

I love this little book!

We just moved to Sacramento. Although we are California natives, we needed more information about our new area. We found that this book is particularly helpful to people planning to move here. Neighborhoods, schools, history, and demographic facts are useful, easy to find, and well indexed. We found this book very useful for the questions you need answered about a large metropolital community with diverse housing choices, commuting issues, safety concerns, health insurance questions, and other concerns. This is not meant to be an detailed book, but rather a relatively small book, easily carried with you, as you learn more about your new environment. Our real estate agent gave it to us. We are very thankful for her thoughtful gesture.

I found this guide, like the others in the series, is an invaluable resource when considering relocation to a new area.

Once again, the ability to get a convenient single source of details regarding schools, housing, and many other aspects of a community has been a great help.

I have moved to a variety of places in the US and whenever possible I have used these guides as a starting point for helping me decide where to live.

This was a great guide to the Arizona scenic highways. there were alot of choices and depending on which part of Arizona you were traveling, this book gives you a less "touristic" option. I myself did the Apache trail. This book gave an accurate description on how "hazardous" this trip would be. I wish I would've paid more attention to the recommended time for travel. As usual, I assumed I could travel "faster" and missed some sights by minutes. Anyway, I highly recommend this book. Wish they would come up with others. Arizona is a beautiful state and has plenty to offer in rgs to scenic highways.

The two biggest swipes on White Noise seem to be: (1) there is no plot and; (2) the characters (esp. the children) don`t ring true.

The first challenge is simply outlandish. If we define plot in the simpilist way, then its easy to say what this book is about. Its about death, first and foremost. But on a more superficial, back cover blurb basis, its about a chemical spill and how the average disfunctional american family deals with it. Yes, along the way, Delillo turns the focus towards pop culture. Yes, he writes about things in an interesting manner. But this is literature. Just because a book is deeply symbolic and attempts to approach a reading of the zeitgeist doesn`t make it plotless.

Second, the characters. Yes, the children are the wisecracking, insight driven creatures who seem to outsmart their parents half the time. Some reviewers have claimed that this is cliched. I would argue that it is no more cliched than presenting children as mindless drones whose worries and aspirations must be filtered through adult experiences. Moreover, the children react in entirely childlike ways to the main events of the book. Denise gets sick and Stephie follows suit. Heinrich, like many young boys, is seduced by the chaos. While I understand more acutely the roots of this line of criticism, I have to argue it too is misplaced. Delillo portrays with remarkable precision the cognomen of the adolescent in a hyper consumer, hyper wise society.

Perhaps I spend a lot of time reading plotless books, but White Noise has the momentum of an airport bookstore thriller. And for my money, Don Delillo is the most interesting writer in America right now. His descriptive prowess is unprecedented and his language is perfect. And White Noise is his best book.

A biting, satirical look at the hyper-consumerist,wave-radiating, static-filled, information overloaded, chemically suffused predicament of American family life, where even something as elemental as the fear of death has been reduced to a drug treatable medical condition. A society so benumbed by plastic technology that reality - a noxius chemical cloud billowing over the city - is treated as a simulated "airborne toxic event"! Here children are desensitised to childhood wonders and fight for larger causes, while adults live in constant dread of the bogeyman of mortality. In such a world some, like college lecturer Murray, invert the natural order of things: they find existential meaning and deep spirituality in the icons of American pop-culture and brand consumerism. DeLillo's post-modernist take on contemperory living makes the whole novel run very much like a television show. Background radio noise, product-placement ads, sports commentary, sit-com dialogue all intrude into the narrative at awkward moments, leaving a subliminal buzz in the reader. This, I suppose, is the white noise of the title, but DeLillo has made some kind of music out of it.

This book was introduced a few months ago to me in an American Lit class and I've been looking for Delillo books ever since. The title points to the mass media bombardment that this family goes through as they try to live their consumer driven lives. Jack teaches Hitler Studies and as the preeminent scholar in the field (he pretty much built it as a discipline) he is haunted by his own inadequacies as both a family figure and a teacher. The fact that he doesn't know German becomes a huge insecurity.

His family is completely disfunctional--A wife that combats her own morbid fears, a daughter that searches for some way to experience things by repeatedly burning her morning toast, and a nihilist pre-pubescent son who contrives ways of disbelieving everything the family structure tells him. Delillo shows how media has become the standard by which this family lives its life through a terrible tragedy and how the community feeds off of its own fears. I love this book and have found Delillo, along with others such as Stephen Wright, to be hitting the nail directly on the head when it comes to what life has become for most people in America.

I bought this book several years to help me prepare for the State Department's Foreign Service written exam. I was pretty confident in my knowledge of foreign affairs and European history, but less so about the events that had occurred right here in my own backyard for the past 200+ years. Well, it really helped! I particularly remember questions on the exam about the Monroe Doctrine, the Missouri Compromise, and Marbury v. Madison that I could not have answered had I not read this book. I passed the exam, which is one of the most draining tests I have ever taken. It's like a super-SAT for adults.

Recently, I picked up this book again and thumbed through it. My one criticism is Davis's "anti-Manifest Destiny" rhetoric, which is true, I suppose, of most modern historians, with the exception, perhaps, of the incomparable Stephen E. Ambrose. General George A. Custer described as "probably deranged" is pure hokum revisionism! It's straight out of "Little Big Man," the 1968 movie with Dustin Hoffman. Anyhow, that's my one beef in an otherwise fun and engaging read.

First off, let me address the sentiment reflected in the other reviews regarding a preceived "bias" in the presentation of the facts. Ask yourself just where are you supposed to obtain written history completely void of interpretation? If you find one, please drop me an email. History is more than just flat facts and anyone who studies history knows that you must & should read numerous sources to draw a conclusion that is satisfactory to you.
For the individual interested in gaining a thumbnail look and American History, Davis nails it. He hits upon all the major events - the events a K-12 student would expect to cover. Davis' writing style is lively and even humorous at times.
If you're already well versed in American History then you might find this book a bit on the freshmen side of the tracks - however, I find myself referring to it on occasion to refresh my self on topics that I've forgotten (Boss Tweed who?).
Bottom line. This book is a great place to start and good quick reference book. If you looking for history in the nooks and crannies, I'd suggest anything by the brilliant H.W.Brands.

Davis is very opinionated in his writing of history and furthermore, I happen to be politically conservative and he is very liberal. However, I nontheless really liked the book. Opinons are OK if the author does not let them detract from the presentaion of the facts. I have read several good histories of the United States and I am satisfied that Davis presents the essentials and then some. I think that if a high school student were to use this as a review book before the final examination, he/she would get the essential information and do well on the exam. Obviously, this book is not as comprehensive as, say, Paul Johnson's "History of the American People," however, it does what it sets out to do. That is to provide a reasonably comprehensive history of the United States for people who are not well versed in the subject. The facts are presented in a well organized and easy to follow question and answer format. The opinions drove me crazy at times but, then again, perhaps they kept me interested. All in all, a good book.

This isn't a bad book, but the information is very broad, with not as many specifics as one might believe - or want. For exapmle, the book does not contain directions on how to obtain a work card to get a job in casinos, or what a work card is. Other info has nothing to do with Nevada but is still useful, like how to write a cover letter. The best info is the geographic info and the descriptions of the towns and real estate. The book's shortcomings deal with jobs and money issues (save real estate)Also, the book's writing style is very informal, to the point of dumbing down the material. Still, it's a pretty good place to start, but you'll want more specific info later.

This book is very insightful for those who wonder what Nevada has to offer other than tourism and casinos. A must read if you are thinking about moving to this state!

My husband and I recently bought a home in Prescott, AZ and I purchased this book as a resource for the local economy, job info etc. as we plan to move to the area in a year or so. The section of the book on "job seekers" seems to contain mostly outdated information and refers to statistics between 1985 and 1995 only.

I have been to Arizona about 6 times and I skimmed through the book in search of additional information about the state I plan to live in, but didn't find much of anything I didn't already know. Most of the historical and cultural information is trivial; the climate, economy and travel information is no more detailed than what one could find over the internet by visting a city's chamber of commerce.

The information is also very general as the book covers the entire state of Arizona, so it is not a recommended read for someone looking for specific information about a certain city. This book might be good for someone looking for retirement community information and/or travel information if one intended to take a motor home tour through the state...otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.

I first started with the a book entitled, Moving to Arizona, published in 1991, then picked up this title, Arizona in Your Future, published in 1998, and writted by the same duo. The two books are the same! Minimal, very minimal updates, same use of tiny, completely undetailed maps and very bland reading. The "Top 10" reviewer who rated this book 5 stars obviously didn't read this book, just rated it. Please, make better use of your time and don't throw other readers off to heighten your standings as to the amount of books you review.

I live in Arizona. I moved here in March of 2000, and before I moved in, I got a copy of this book, after having researched all the options in a bookstore. The good thing about the book is that it's an extremely valuable resource BEFORE you move in, and even if you're only considering whether to move to AZ. It gives you tons of figures and tips, ranging from how to deal with the desert weather, to how the state's "lemon law" works, just to name a couple of them.

The downside to the book, though, is the date in which it was edited: 1998. Since then (it's been three years now) lots of things have changed: area codes, population, some laws, etc. If you're looking for a state guide to use for tourism purposes, or as a daily reference guide, look elsewhere (I'd recommend Frommer's guide -it's truly complete and up-to-date).

i bought this book because i read the review that gave this five stars. as a resident of washington state, i was very disappointed with the restaurant and hotel suggestions provided. since when should the space needle restaurant be a 'recommended restaurant?' it's pricey and noisy, and the food is ok - exactly what you'd expect from a touristy place. you are better off having a GREAT takeout meal at the buffalo deli on 1st avenue - which has the best sandwiches downtown - and taking your lunch to pike market to watch the ferries.

what about great, out of the way places to stay, like pensione nichols, which is inexpensive and charming?

you are better off buying the fodor's gold guide, or frommer's guide to washington state if you are looking for 'local color.'

Too much information is packed into this book with not as much detail. Its alright if you want just an overview of the attractions / activities.
For a more detailed and more personal view of Oregon / Washington, I would recommend "Hidden Pacific NorthWest". And no, I've not been paid to publicize this book. hehe. Speaking from my own experience.

Most people are aware that the Space Needle is in Seattle and that the Columbia River Gorge is a must-see on any trip to the Northwest. But where should you turn for information about watching the killer whales (orcas) among Washington's gorgeous San Juan Islands? Fishing along the rugged Oregon coast? Hiking in country said to be frequented by Bigfoot himself? Parasailing over Puget Sound? Engaging some llamas to carry your gear on a camping trip to the high country? And much, much more. "Adventure Guide to the Pacific Northwest" will take you where you want to go.