Book Description

A book of photographs that shows the beauty of the Phillippines as seen through the eyes of a highly-acclaimed photographer. Contains more than 250 photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Book
this book gives a lot of useful information and eye view of the philippines 7,107 wonderful islands... Hope to see more books of this quality and usability.

Rediscovered and ready to go again.
After visiting the Philippines a few years ago I could find enough words to tell all of the experience. This book brings the words to life. The friendliness of the people, the outstanding views. Time to plan a second trip. Watch out Caribbean here come the Philippines.

The Philippines Rediscovered : I N D E E D !
Being an expat, and for somebody who hasnt visited my homeland in almost 6 years, I was most curious in getting an updated coffeetable book about the Philippines. Stuart Naval Dee's THE PHILIPPINES REDISCOVERED (published Jan 99) is a work of love coming from a native himself, though now living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The gorgeous pictures and some are stunning, especially an unlabeled shoot of a beach scene on page 120 wherein a very slim strip of white sand cuts diagonally along the azure sea. Simply stunning and worth a thousand words. Other pictures tell of the vivacity of the Filipino people in work and play, particularly the festival or fiesta scenes. The author and photographer wasnt afraid of showing day-to-day scenes like small fishes in a metal container fresh from a day's catch, succulent roasted pigs (lechon) on bamboo skewers, children enjoying a birthday party with messy spaghetti remnants strewn all over the table, an overloaded jeepney (the main mode of land transportation) as it prepares for its daily route, as well as the scenic vistas (the white sand beaches would make the Carribean pale in comparison) that has made the Philippines truly, The Pearl of the Orient Seas. Most dont know the true wonders of my home country and this book will lure you to visit one of Asia's bargain and truly delightful travel experience. As soon as you land in Manila, escape the hustle and bustle of the megalopolis capital (home to 11 million people) and immediately discover the islands and its friendly people. This book has truly made me homesick. Mabuhay! (Welcome and long live!)

Val Suan, Houston,TX, svaljr@ix.netcom.com ... Read more

Book Description

Spectacular settings and authentic style—forty new Hip Hotels will make your beach experience unique.

Glittering turquoise waters lapping onto pure white sand, sea birds riding the breeze ...give or take surf, the perfect beach is pretty much the same the world over. But that is certainly not true of the perfect beach hotel.

On the shores of six continents, each of these Hip Hotels expresses the uniqueness of its setting. Cable Beach Club in Broome, Western Australia, combines corrugated iron with oriental antiques and silks in an exquisite Asia-meets-Outback style—perfect in this quintessential Australian destination, the former pearl-diving capital of the world. On the volcanic island of Santorini, rising spectacularly from the Greek Aegean, the sparkling white domed cottages of Hotel Tsitouras cling to the cliffside, their interiors adorned with ancient amphorae, Byzantine icons, and antique porcelain from the owner's outstanding art collection. Off the shores of East Africa, the private atoll of Mnemba hosts a collection of luxuriously simple beach huts made from hand-woven palm matting traditional to neighboring Zanzibar. On Mexico's Pacific Coast, the luxury ecological reserve of Hotelito Desconocido invites you to witness the annual scramble of newly hatched sea turtles as they make their first intrepid journey to the ocean. And it's not all about Robinson Crusoe-style minimalism: the Shore Club in Miami's South Beach is a chic five-acre seafront complex, complete with gorgeous tropical gardens, Nobu restaurant, top-class boutiques, and A-list clientele.

So grab your sunscreen and your straw hat and join photographer Herbert Ypma in visiting the latest collection of Highly Individual Places. 500 illustrations, 350 in color. ... Read more

Book Description

Ideal for the jaunt or the journey, Gutsy Women is a complete guide for the traveling woman. Now in a larger format with a striking design, it offers fresh ideas on how to travel safely and comfortably, within a budget, on one's own or with others. Written by an award-winning travel writer, it's useful for novice and experienced travelers alike, informing them how to combat loneliness, thwart unwelcome advances, and avoid getting ripped off. A resource section and informative sidebars make this a perfect travel companion. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Useful Tips at your Fingertips
While this book contains plenty of travel advice that I already know, it is quite handy for acting as a reminder to things I may forget along the way. The bulleted lists are helpful. I don't have to search paragraph after paragraph to find something I want to know. Armed with this book, I shall fearlessly begin my pan-Pacific adventure!

A ValuableTool
The author has written a book packed so full of valuable information and wisdom that every woman who travels anywhere should read it over and over again. Many of the tips are just as valid when applied to domestic travel as to travel in foreign lands.

Some of the topics are safety and security (TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS is her mantra), women traveling together, health and hygiene, keeping in touch, bargaining, tipping, packing.

I especially appreciated these tips:when to purchase plane tickets (Wednesdays) and when not to do so (Saturdays); to carry a combination lock -- you never know when it might come in handy; always carry enough money in your shoe to get you out of a tight spot----these are things I probably could have thought of but hadn't.

Bond leads the traveler-to-be through all she should do to adequately prepare: reading guidebooks, making an itinerary (and leaving a copy of it at home with family and friends), getting information from other travelers, doing research, learning a few words in the language of the countries you are visiting, and making checklists.

This book is wonderfully organized and is a MUST for every woman who wants to travel and feel both safe and well-prepared.

Good, but better books exist
This book is a nice place for women travelers to start, but the book Travel Tips for the Sophisticated Woman by Lara Vestanen has far more depth and really useful tips.

Thanks for another great book.
Marybeth Bond is one of my favorite travel writers. Whether she is compiling stories about women's travel: "A Woman's Passion for Travel," "A Woman's World" or "A Mother's World" or providing us with sound travel advise through the Gutsy Women's series, Marybeth is a source of sound advice, untempered passion for adventure and an umitigated belief in the strength of women. Read her books and you will be inspired, touched and ready for adventure.

Marybeth reminded me that I too am a gutsy woman!
Marybeth Bond has packed a tremendous amount of relevant and heart-felt information in this short book. Not only is this book practical and informative, but it is also sensitive to women's particular concerns and needs while traveling. As a young, single, aspiring traveler, I am concerned about possible obstacles and risks that I may encounter while traveling alone. This book addressed every aspect I had thought of and more - from the all important safety issues, to health and hygeiene to romance on the road and tips for staying in touch with loved ones while gone. I also appreciated the new chapters on volunteering abroad, special interest programs and traveling with other women (be they your friends, mother, or children).

This book inspired me, gave me courage, and set my worried mind more at ease. She gives straightforward, womanly advice on virtually everything that may come up for the solo woman traveler and, through her own experiences and the experiences she conveys of other women travelers, proves that women can and should travel safely, confidently, and joyfully. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Just when we desparately need this book
THESE UNITED STATES, with a brief and tender and appropriate two page forward by Walter Cronkite, is a breathtakingly beautiful panorama of everything that is beautiful about America. Beleaguered though this country may be in the eyes of its citizens and the eyes of the world beyond our shores, take respite and restoration in the large color photographs of the magnificent landscapes from Atlantic through the Midwest to the Pacific, from every season in our woods and forests, the snow-capped towers, the buildings and monuments, and the little town celebrations and very personal gifts that remind us of how magical is America the Beautiful. Photographer Jakes Rajs is highly regarded for his photography from all the major magazines in the country and it seems he has culled the finest examples of his vision for this moving, tender, majestic portrait of The United Stetes. Given its Limited Edition status I would urge all gift givers of art books to consider this very special volume both for your own home and for those you love. ... Read more

Book Description

Any first-time visitor to Japan will be struck by that most beautiful symbol of its ancient culture: the kimono. This book contains a selection of the numerous encounters photographer Paul van Riel had with people wearing kimono all over Japan. Although its popularity has dwindled somewhat over the last 25 years, the national garment of Japan is still deeply rooted in Japanese culture, as these photographs testify. Liza Dalby describes the kimono's transformation from daily clothing to formal wear over the course of the 20th century. Her personal experiences give us a glimpse of the meanings the kimono has for the geisha. Introduction and captions by Liza Dalby, photographs and text by Paul van Riel. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderful suprise
... The ... suprise was the book itself. I have to be honest I bought it because Liza Dalby wrote the introduction and because Arthur Golden was quoted saying it was a good book. Having read the books by Liza Dalby and Arthur Golden I wanted to see some pictures of kimono and geisha that were more than just snapshots. And that's exactly what this book does, it gives you 120 beautiful pictures and a lot of information. A wonderful suprise.

The book is neatly divided into sections: - The use of kimono in festivals, - Kimono you see in the street, - Tradition in its manufacture (weaving,spinning, dyeing), - The commercial side of kimono (fitting, kimono shops), - Maiko and Geisha (including some wonderful pictures made at the Nyokoba Geisha Training school on Kyoto), - Men wearing kimono (storytellers, sumo referees, tea ushers, monks) - Kabuki (this is my favorite. You see a kabuki player getting dressed for a female role) - Work (the kimono as a uniform) - Footwear (an interesting detail) Apart from the beautiful pictures this book has an informative introduction by Liza Dalby and with each picture you get a caption that gives you some little piece of insight that changes the way you look at the picture. Having been to Japan this book to me is a souvenir of some of the things I've seen, the people wearing kimono in the street, the festivals. But it also showed me some things I could never see (the behind the stage kabuki pictures and the manufacturing of the kimono). If you have been to Japan you too will recognize some of these pictures. If you have not been to Japan this book gives you a great impression of what to expect (kimono wise that is). Last but not least the book has a beautiful design, it's a great coffee table book. ... Read more

Book Description

Above Las Vegas, aerial photographs by Robert Cameron and text by Jack Sheehan. The Luxor pyramid,next to the Excallibur kingdom, across the street from the New York New York and the MGM Grand theme park. There's no logic to how this hyperbolic architecture, all work together, but somehow it does. Then get out of town and revel in the rose and crimson of Red Rock Canyon, explore the white peaks of Mt Charleston, the Colorado River, and the Hoover Dam, or go east to the cathedral spires of Bryce Canyon and Zion. The wonders were formed over 50 million years, and yet the Strip is just 50 years old. Geologist fear not; mankind has bearly made a dent in any of it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stunning, crystal-clear aerial tour
This review is really a review of all of Robert Cameron's books of aerial photography. He has many, including books of New York City, San Diego, L.A., Chicago, etc., and every one is packed with huge, colorful, full-page aerial photos. Cameron also knows a lot about the history of the cities he photographs, writing insightful captions, and many times including old aerial photos for side-by-side comparisons.

Cameron doesn't just shoot random shots - he focuses in on landmarks, buildings, neighborhoods, parks, events, etc. The shots are so clear that, if you've been to the city, you'll be able to pick out details you remember, like a park bench you sat on or a statue you admired.

As far as the Las Vegas book goes, well, this city changes so much that now, in 2004, some of the photos are a little out of date. For example, the Bellagio was not even dreamed up yet, and the New York New York is shown under construction. Still, the wide variety of shots, from the Strip and Downtown to the sprawling suburbs to the Hoover Dam, canyons and deserts from the California line to the Arizona line, make this book exceptional. You can spend quite some time just taking in the details on a single page.

Best Photos Ever Of A Fantastic City
I've always been a fan of photography from the air and have taken many myself. Robert Cameron has shown the beautiful city of Las Vegas in a way that most other books on Vegas (and there's a lot)lack.

The photos are crystal clear and have captions that explain the photo. Probably the most intriging of the photos are the ones of the Hotel and Casinos. The Luxor, MGM Grand, and the Stratosphere are all excellently photoed.

A great soverniger for anybody wanting to go or have been to Vegas. ... Read more

Book Description

Himalayan Quest offers an unforgettable glimpse into the remarkable world of Ed Viesturs, America’s best-known high altitude climber, and the breathtaking landscape in which he works. It is an unparalleled showcase of both the heartbreaking tragedy and the ineffable joy Viesturs has experienced while striving at the limits of human endurance. Written with Peter Potterfield, an award-winning mountaineering journalist, Viesturs narrates his quest to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world—those peaks above 8,000 meters in height. To date, Viesturs has succeeded in summiting 12 of the peaks, including five separate ascents of Mount Everest. For these ascents he has been profiled in Outside and Sports Illustrated, People, Newsweek, the New York Times Sunday Magazine, and has appeared on NBC’s Today. As a spokesman for Microsoft, he is often positioned at the top of the company?s Web site.

At the center of this extraordinary account of his mountaineering adventures are Viesturs’s own awe-inspiring photographs from the top of the world. This collection of images will show readers, like never before, the deadly beauty and haunting menace of the Himalaya. A unique, inspiring, and spine-tingling glimpse into the rarified world of the extreme climber, Himalayan Quest will appeal not only to Viesturs?s significant fan base (fondly known as Edophiles or Edheads), but to outdoor aficionados and armchair adventurers everywhere.

Book Description

Above Chicago. This broad-shouldered metropolis, Carl Sandburg's "Hog butcher of the world," is a city of the plains clutching the lake to its heart. It tells the story of Chicago from the Loop to the Stockyards, from its incomparable golf courses to some of the tallest pinnacles in the world.Here is the most exciting architectural displays of all time, the famed boulevards, the sports town, the beaches and the backwaters viewed as never before. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Just the Best!!!
This book is just wonderful. If you love Chicago, it shows everything. I love how they have old photos next to the modern ones to see the comparisons. This is truly the best book for any Chicago collection.

Above Chicago GREAT!
We purchased this book to give to a German exchange student who is about to return home. She absolutely loved it and I would recommend it for any visitor to our city . . . as well as to Chicago people.

Architecturally beautiful!
This book just confirms how beautiful this city really is! Architecturally pleasing to the eye, laid out wonderfully, this book shows us aspects of buildings we may never see again. I do not believe commercial planes fly down close enought over the city to enjoy the buildings, so one may never get a chance to view this city's splendor. The layout of the book is facsinating, with old and new pictures side by side. I especially enjoyed picking out which buildings are still standing and are here to stay!!!

breathtaking new look
i have looked through this book several times and it has given me a magnificent bird's eye view of the city in which i am living. i'm into architecture and city photos, which made "Above Chicago' such a fulfilling book.

Great aerial photography!!
I looked at this book in a bookstore a couple times before I decided that I wanted to buy it. It's a great book--it covers Chicago well, both in pictures and in text. The text is at times funny, at times sad, but always enlightening. I talked my wife into letting me buy this book, even though most coffee table books like this usually end up collecting dust. Not true with this one! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent pictures, very helpful, but WRONG phone numbers!
My fiancee and I have purchased and used many different books that have places to get married in the bay area. The thing that this book had over all the others is that a picture is worth a 1000 words. You can look at the picture, and instantly determine if it is the right decor for your wedding. This book provides a great description of the place in flowery grandiose language, but lacks on the details needed to choose the site. That would be fine, because you can always call the provided phone number to get that info, right? Not in this case. Of the ten places I decided to call this morning, only one phone number was correct! So, now I have to hunt for the phone numbers, which will be difficult for the places like the Rose Garden in Golden Gate Park, do I call the City's Parks and Recreation?

Nothing like pictures...
The best thing about this book is that it has actual photos of the locations. It's much easier to make a judgment based on this than just words or a hand drawing, as in some cases. The descriptions were pretty accurate as well.

Serves as a guide and also an excellent pictorialtravelogue
This is an outstanding pictorial guide and an iIn addition it also a wonderfultravelogue ofthe bay area highlighted by mportant source of information for weddingsand a wonderful travelogue. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is dedicated to all those who shared in the Vietnam War experience, especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in that conflict.It's our hope that this volume will open gates that have been too long closed, and offer a bridge to better understanding and goodwill between Americans and Vietnamese.

For right or wrong, some three million Americans went off to serve in Vietnam; 58,000 of them were killed and another 153,000 were injured or crippled by bullets, shrapnel, or disease.But there were no parades for those who came home.Instead, they were rejected, pushed under the rug along with the unpopular and divisive war they served in.Vietname veterans became bitter, angry, truly the lost Americans.

This book is about letting go of the past, see Vietnam as it really is today - as a country, not a conflict. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Work.
The author provides us with beautiful photographs of Vietnam, a thousand year old country. Pictures of mountains, seas, paddy fields, towns and villages alternated with those of children afflicted with war induced deformities and a veteran amputee receving treatment. What makes the book interesting is the juxtaposition of black photographs of the war and colored images of the present.

For the past is interwined with the present. The horrors of the war have left indelible marks on the people and country alike as Raymer has shown us in his book.

Vietnam is not just another name for war
The authors do an excellent job of transposing the "American Image" of Vietnam into the beautiful and complex country that it really is. It draws from that "American Image" rooted in the drama of the war years, and gradually leads us to a clearer understanding of just what the country is today (and what it was before the intensity of the U.S. involvement)and where it may go in the future. It is encouraging, and very hopeful, to see the country and its people re-anchored in their traditional values--in spite of the current relic of communism--and to appreciate the renewed emphasis on education, family, business, and integration into the world economy. Clearly, it has been a long hard row to hoe, but it is moving in the right direction. Jack Smith's introduction lays this out, and it is reenforced by the text and Mr. Raymer's revealing photographs. The result is a far better sense of place and people.

A five-star effort by all three guys!
Jack Smith's introduction says it all -- Vietnam is a beautiful, peaceful land that is going places. Doing this book brought back a lot of memories and was a tonic for the soul. Enjoy it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Through vivid descriptions of restaurants and barbecue joints around the country, stirred together with legends and bits and pieces of barbecue history, Lolis Eric Elie profiles the largely American pastime of barbecuing. Traveling from Texas to the Carolinas, the author chronicles the lore and traditions of the barbecue belt and collects recipes, descriptions and photographs of everything from barbecued cows' faces to pigs' snouts, on his quest to determine barbecue's role in American culture. ... Read more

Book Description

This is photographer and journalist Larry Towell's documentary account of the Palestinians. It reveals the landscape of a scarred and battered "no man's land"-neither fully Palestinian nor Israeli-and the daily life of the people who live there. Photographed over 10 years and completed with the support of the prestigious Henri Cartier-Bresson Award (with Towell its first recipient, in 2003), this is Towell's most important body of work to date and a landmark of photographic art and journalism. Towell describes the physical and psychological walls that divide Palestinians from Israelis and a land divided against itself in black and white photographs-many of them epic panoramas-that are simultaneously sad, haunting, breathtaking and beautiful.

Larry Towell lives in rural Ontario, Canada, where he was born in 1953. He studied visual arts at York University in Toronto before beginning to use photography while working as a volunteer in Calcutta in 1976. Concentrating on long, intimate photo essays that combine historical and social concerns with sublime visual poetry, his series on El Salvador, the Mennonites and his own family are widely regarded as the best of contemporary photojournalism. His work on the Palestinians is his fourth major body of work. Towell has exhibited widely throughout the world, and his honors are a roll call of the world's leading photography awards, including World Press Photo of the Year, the POY Picture of the Year, the W. Eugene Smith Award, the Oskar Barnak, the Roloff Beny and the Eisie Award. His photographs have been published in books and magazines throughout the world, and he is a member of Magnum Photos.

Amazon.com

All across Asia, the rickshaw reigns--as trusty public transportation, tourist attraction, or both. Tony Wheeler and Richard l'Anson traipsed thousands of miles, from China to Indonesia, to ride, photograph, and otherwise investigate this inveterate Asian taxicab. They visited 12 cities in all, traveling through Agra, Calcutta, Hanoi, Macau, Penang, Singapore, Beijing, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Manila, Rangoon, and Yogykarta, following the wheel ruts of the rickshaw--or trishaw, sidecar, pedicab, cyclo, or becak--depending on which city they were in. The result, other than some callused posteriors, is a splendid homage to a transportation tradition. Wheeler explains the history of the cycle-rickshaw, why it remains such a popular and omnipresent form of Asian transport, and how it varies from country to country. The book is studded with glossy photographs of the various riders (the people who pedal, as opposed to the passengers), and rickshaws put to all sorts of uses. Pictures show rickshaws laden with freight (11 metal containers), or children (10 school-bound kids), as well as a close-up of Mohan, an Agra fellow who, at 65, has been riding rickshaws for 40 years and typically makes one to three dollars a day. We see Beijing rickshaw riders, enthused about their jobs, pleased with the freedom of movement, the decent pay, and the healthy exercise--and the rickshaw men of Calcutta, who are pullers rather than riders. Hand-pulled on wooden wheels, Calcutta rickshaws haven't changed much in a century of use, and they own the streets during monsoons, when the more advanced machinery of the auto bogs down. And Dhaka, the world's rickshaw capital, is populated by more than 300,000 rickshaws. Elaborately decorated and often jammed in downtown rickshaw snarls, they dominate local traffic. And so the stories unfold across the continent. Rickshaws provide more than a focus for the book--they allow for an unusual, educational, and intimate portrait of Asia. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Chasing Rickshaws" documents a long and colorful history.
"Chasing Rickshaws" documents the long and colorful history of the rickshaw. From the early rickshaws to the more recent pedicabs, Wheeler remarks on the humble beginnings and changes surrounding this most common form of transportation. The surprising variations and ingenuity of the rickshaw designs combined with the hard work and hardship endured by the drivers or pullers makes for an interesting mixture of culture and history. The photos are vivid and portray more than an image of a somewhat outmoded vehicle, they show a unique insight into what makes this very common people-hauler, grocery-getter such an integral part of many countries daily routines. With rising interest in tourist pedicabs, this book is a must read for anyone about to embark on a rickshaw adventure.

Great photos!
As one who is devoted to seeing pedicabs everywhere, this book was a great inspiration. This study of pedicab businesses in many major Asian cities gives insights into the vital economic niche that this enterprise fills. Great reading for those interested in sustainable enterprises and economies. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gorgeous!
I love the whites and blues of the hillside villages overlooking the Mediterranean. This book is an inspiration for a quality of life that we simply don't have in the US. Simplicity is an art in these wonderful villages and homes we are allowed to explore in this wonderful book. Flowers abound. Life is wonderful. This book is something to treasure until you get your chance to see it for yourself. And in response to that silly editorial review....not everyone is watching that Raymond TV show!

simply marvelous
Breathtaking photographs that would convince anyone to travel to these villages. Excellent source of information pertaining to the photos as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Celebrating this beloved city, New Orleans Then and Now offers a unique combination of historic interest and contemporary beauty. This book features dozens of fascinating archival photographs contrasted with specially commissioned, full-color images of the same scene today. Each work is a visual lesson in the historic changes of one of our greatest urban landscapes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

BEAUTIFULLY DONE!
I found this book to be one of the best gifts I have ever received.Being from New Orleans and looking back at our past and what we have evolved into was simply nothing short of fantastic .It was well composed and the photography was exceptionally well done.Compared to similar books done slightly earlier ,this is a WINNER!I bought these as gifts for Christmas after I received mine.Everyone who got it raved.This author has proven to me, more than once, he is dedicated to authenticity and has the respect for New Orleans that New Orleans deserves.My hats off to you Mr.Sullivan.Great job.Keep up the good work.

This book is a plagarized disaster.
As a French Quarter resident in New Orleans who is concerned about our City's historic preservation, I have an active interest in books that capture the evolution of this City. Upon seeing Mr. Sullivan's book at a local shop, I was shocked to see the degree to which pictures and captions were copied outright from the original and more comprehensive book by the SAME TITLE from 1999 by Richard and Marina Campanella. Don't buy this book. It is a shabby mimic of the original masterpiece and buying it supports the act of plagarism. ... Read more

Book Description

For several years, Thai women have been well on their way to becoming international celebrities.The cheerful attitude, the graceful movement, the charming smile, the gentle nature, the lovely figure, the total lack of self-pity.All this and more seems to have combined into a Siamese bewitchment captivating men of almost every nationality.For many, the mention of Thai women conjures up the stereotype of unbridled sensuality in the lush Tropics.But in pictures and in text, Thailand: Land of Beautiful Women attempts to delve deeper into the reasons for their phenomenal popularity.

The author concludes that, from classical dancers to construction workers, from go-go dancers to rice farmers, their charm is far more than merely physical.Thai cultural values and the teachings of the Buddhist religion have endowed the women of Thailand with confidence, grace and intelligence.

Their attraction involves a vivaciousness, a well-developed sense of humor, and, perhaps, above all, the intelligence to deal with life’s problems while maintaining an almost childlike ability to delight in living.In other words, an attitude toward life which understands that life is meant to be enjoyed. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A Long Overdue Book
This is a long overdue book that tells it like it is. The author is interested in probing as to why men from around the world in particular love Thai women. He does a fine job of answering the question both in photographs and in text. He discusses their personalities and how they love to laugh. You want to sit around and babble mindlessly about "relationships" stay in the West. You want a woman to have some fun with and one who knows how to enjoy life, go to Thailand. The girls are great and the text is very informative. Glad I spotted this on-line. For men tired of the BS in America, this book is a wake-up call, and as such you can be sure feminazis will hate it and try to put both Thai women and men who love them down. Let them do their worst, I'll be back in LOS (Land of Smiles) soon!

Countryside Women the Best
One of the things I love about this book is that so many of the women are from the countryside. Although almost all of the nightlife shots are in Bangkok, the first half of the book concentrates on women who still represent the majority of Thai women: ricefield workers, construction workers, etc.

There is little of the middle class Bangkok type which is fine because urban middle class types are pretty much the same the world over. In the case of Thailand, the middle- and upper middle-class types usually go abroad on daddy's credit cards and go to universities such as Stanford and look down their arrogant noses at Thai women who have to work to feed their kids and who don't have college degrees, light complexioned skin, and daddy's charge accounts. This is the type of close-minded Thai woman who may be schooled for years in fine universities but who will never be truly educated and, indeed, will never rise beyond her class arrogance. I hope next edition, if there is one, the author will add even more women in sarongs, etc., in countryside settings. Those are the photographs that capture the true charm of Thai women; not spoiled upper-middle class brats.

Fugly men need love too
I don't get it - this is a book supposed to be representative of women who are the most beautiful - and the cover picture looks like a sex change case from Johns Hopkins. The other pictures are a real dissapointment, most are amateurish and representative of typical expat pap.

The men who frequent Thailand are some of the most repulsive I've ever seen - Patpong road looks like some sort of 24/7 Ugly Man Festival. These women are so poor that they have to sleep with these guys to make money. I don't envy them. Thai women are not only attractive, they are some of the bravest women on earth, and I salute them.

From one Thai-lover to another
EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT!!! Those of us who have come here have invariably discovered the beauty of a Thai lady. This book gives you background on the ladies of Thailand. The only deficiency is in its historical perspective of Thai women--some more insight would be great. However, it does give the Thai-experienced man a confirmation of what he has suspected in all of his travels-- the best women on Earth come from Thailand. Superb companions, and lovers, someone who will be on your level through any challenge. The pictures (the primary method of the book)display Thai women from cultural celebrations to the bars we all know from Pattaya to Patpong. A truly inspired book, wrtitten by a Lover-of-Thai-Women. A must have for any Thai-loving man in the world! I'll have a Mah-kong coke for you, and I'll see you in Thailand.

Lots of pictures, not enough research
I have two major problems with this book. First, the photos' only saving grace is that they are of unquestionably beautiful women. Otherwise, they are unprofessional. Supposedly candid photos are obviously posed, photos have awful quality, many are obviously taken without professional-quality flash equipment, and some have hotel rooms as their background unnecessarily. The overall effect is that of a high-schooler's "My Trip to Thailand" picture album.

The second problem is the lack of research backing up the author's assertions about Thai women's culture and how it affects their personalities. It would be very easy, for example, to back up assertions about Buddhist influence with the relevant teachings of the Buddha. Also, Barrett is unclear about his sample size. Is he making these assertions based on his interviews with a hundred women? ten? three? It's never really clear. There are several places where anecdotes would be additive, but assertions are instead left to stand alone. For instance, in his section on bar girls, Barrett notes the differing attitudes toward the job that Thai women have. He includes a couple of anecdotes in the section generally, but that particular paragraph would have benefitted from "point-counterpoint"-style dual anecdotes. Also he switches styles about midway through the book, which is annoying. In the bar girl section, he makes a very real effort not to make any generalizations about the women in that field, but elsewhere in the book (most of the first half) he makes some pretty extreme generalizations, with minimal explanation/discussion. Last, Barrett is generally pretty good about avoiding extremes. However, he takes a couple of chances to take potshots at Western women, which are really unnecessary--and moreover not clearly true (he asserts, for example, that it is Western women, not Western men, who first promoted the idea that Asian women are "submissive," because the Western women were "jealous." An interesting idea, but totally uncorroborated either by Barrett or by any other historian).

Overall, I'm not questioning the truth of most of Barrett's assertions. Hey, most of them ring pretty true to anyone who has spent time among Thai people, and it's actually nice to hear a voice that acknowledges that neither the feminist extreme opinion of Thai women nor the misogynist extreme opinion are correct. But it would be nice if, especially for biggest generalizations he makes ("Thai women value harmony and happiness"--ok, who doesn't?), he had some hard data backing them up. Between this problem and the unprofessional photos, I would say this book is either a good starting point or a good ending point for a man interested in and researching finding love in Thailand, but definitely should not be your only source of information. ... Read more

Book Description

France still sets the standard for beautiful living. Whether it is the bohemian lifestyle of the Parisian artist or the grandeur of a medieval chateau, there is a romance and elegance associated with the French that people the world over seek to emulate. LA VIE EN ROSE takes readers on a grand tour of homes that perfectly capture the essence of French living. Gerard Depardieu escapes the rigors of his busy celebrity life by retiring to his country retreat in Anjou; Parisian decorator AgnËs Comar inhabits a spectacular apartment surrounding a wild garden courtyard; and the Comte Jacques de Crussol d'Uzes and his wife open the doors of their ancestral home--a castle in the South of France. Lavishly illustrated with 180 color photographs, LA VIE EN ROSE is sure to inspire readers to recreate a piece of France in their own homes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

gorgeous photos
Looking through this book really made me feel as though I was touring the French countryside. Many of the homes are rural farmhouses or chateaus, and the pictures showcase the warmth and charm of that part of the world. Just beautiful. ... Read more

Book Description

Dating back to the beginning of the first millennium, some of Rome's most famous architectural sites are among the most ancient in the world. They survive in an enchanting urban tableau of classicism and modern Italian culture. Here are all of Rome's most famous tourist attractions - the Coliseum, St. Peter's Square, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps - represented in dozens of photographs, old and new, that bring the great city to life. ... Read more

Book Description

Using narrative, monologues, and seventy black-and-white photographs, photojournalist Richard Younker examines the life and culture of what is perhaps the last generation of people to make their living as commercial fishermen on the Mississippi River, Junnie Putman and his family and friends.

Younker delves into and illustrates every aspect of Putman's life: how he works, what he does to relax, how he interacts with family and friends. He shows how Putman fished, divulging some of the secrets of the professional fisherman. Examining this fisherman's life-as well as the lives of his relatives and friends-Younker demonstrates Putman's skill as colorful storyteller with a rich vocabulary. Putman proved forthright when expressing his views about life, river lore, and the changing ecology.

These fishermen (who supplement their incomes by hunting and trapping) have various and vigorous encounters with the law, some confrontational, some clever. They also live dangerous lives, working hard, playing hard. And they are quick to fight. Younker photographs and writes about this side of their lives, too.

In each chapter, Younker narrates an aspect of the life and work of Junnie Putman and his family and friends followed byYounker's own black-and-white photographs that help tell the story. Introducing each photograph is a monologue in which Putman or one of his relatives either recounts the history of the family that settled in Bellevue, Iowa, in 1862 or explains the methods and dangers of a specific job.

Although he spent parts of nine years documenting Junnie Putman and his family, Younker condenses his observations into a single year. He shows, for example, how fishing techniques change with the seasons. Putman uses hoop nets in the spring, trotlines in the summer, trammel nets in the fall, seines in the open water in late fall, and seines under the water in winter.

In Yankin' and Liftin' Their Whole Lives, Younker presents the richness of a vanishing way of life and the intricacies of its labors. He gives Junnie Putman and his friends the opportunity to speak for themselves. And he shows a culture in decline, demonstrating that descent through Putman's failing health, his death, and the townspeople's reminiscences of his life following the funeral. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Commercial Fishing On The Mississippi is a Lifestyle
A native of Bellevue Iowa I realized how great this book was at captivating the real truth about what commercial fishing is about. I think this is a great book for anyone who is wanting to know more about the lives of people who Commercial fish. It isn't just a hobby, It affects the whole family. The book doesn't just talk about commercial fishing though. There is something in this book for everyone wanting to know more about growing up in a small town in Iowa. It talks about the commercial fishermans family and how they grew up. I recommend this book to anyone interested in small towns and fishing. I give this book Five stars! ... Read more