In the entire universe, there seems to be one constant that most everyone shares: the notion of beauty. This fact is not scientific, it is not logical, and the value of this knowledge is hard to assess. But the certainty is absolute as every one of us looks into a meadow of waving flowers, gazes at the surf and the sea, or looks deep into the night sky at the stars and beyond. God's Art explores the grace, the texture and the colors of this beautiful universe, and asks a lot of questions along the way: Why isn't the universe gray instead of such a rich incredible range of colors; Why is there so much variety in all things from snowflakes to galaxies; Why are we blessed with an appreciation for all this wonder if it does not contribute to our survival? Questions are more fun than answers, and a well-phrased quandary will keep us occupied longer than a stark fact. This is a beautifully illustrated book of questions.

Nowhere else can so many cultures be found in such a tight spaceyou can wake up on the Mediterranean coast, have lunch in Paris andsee a show that night in London. Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Lonely PlanetWriter Our Promise You can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authorsvisit the places we write about, each and every edition. We neveraccept freebies for positive coverage, and you can rely on us totell it like we see it. Inside This Book 14 expert authors 13 mountain ranges crossed 6,354,782 sq km explored 73 local beers sampled Inspirational photos Clear, easy-to-use maps In-depth background Easy-to-read layout Comprehensive planning tools At-a-glance practical info

Best-selling Tolkien expert Brian Sibley (The Lord of theRings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy and The Lord of the RingsOfficial Movie Guide) presents a slipcased collection of fourfull-color, large-format maps of Tolkien's imaginary realmillustrated by John Howe, a conceptual designer for the blockbusterfilms directed by Peter Jackson. The set includes a hardcover bookdescribing in detail the importance and evolution of geographywithin Tolkien's epic fiction and four color maps presented withminimal folds, including two (Beleriand and Numenor) never beforepublished in this country.

standing work almost from the moment of publication.Beginningwith a groundbreaking interpretation of the ori-gin and nature ofthe city Lewis Mumford follows the city's developmentfrom Egypt andMesopotamia through Greece Rome and the MiddleAges to the modernworld. Instead of accepting the destiny of the city asthetendencies to metropolitan congestion suburban sprawl andsocialdisintegration, Mumford outlines an order integratingtechnical facilitieswith biological needs and social norms. Ascompelling as it is compre-hensive Mumfords award-winning work "isfar more than the study ofurban culture through the ages. It is arevitalization of civilizations( Kirkus Reviews).

Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, may be a hotbed of progressiveattitudes, but in the rest of the 'Land of the Blue Sky', liferemains pretty much the same - horses outnumber people, nomadsstill move camp each season and on long-distance bus rides you'llbe serenaded by passengers singing folk tunes. If you time yourtrip right you can experience the festival of Naadam, this annualthree-day festival features Mongolian wrestling, horse racing,archery and traditional sports. The only guide to include maps of major towns across all regions.GPS coordinates to help you find what you're looking for, even whenthe signs don't help, as well as feature essays to provide insightinto Mongolian history and way of life. This guidebook has been fully updated! * Intuitive layout and new text styles make it easier to read, scanand find information at a glance * New visual design and structure improves navigation withoutsacrificing depth or quality * Expanded planning section helps travellers plan by time, season,interest or re

Paul Theroux celebrates fifty years of wandering the globe bycollecting the best writing on travel from the books that shapedhim, as a reader and a traveler. Part philosophical guide, partmiscellany, part reminiscence, The Tao of Travel enumerates “TheContents of Some Travelers’ Bags” and exposes “Writers Who Wroteabout Places They Never Visited”; tracks extreme journeys in“Travel as an Ordeal” and highlights some of “Travelers’ FavoritePlaces.” Excerpts from the best of Theroux’s own work areinterspersed with selections from travelers both familiar andunexpected: Vladimir Nabokov J.R.R. Tolkien Samuel Johnson Eudora Welty Evelyn Waugh Isak Dinesen Charles Dickens James Baldwin Henry David Thoreau Pico Iyer Mark Twain Anton Chekhov Bruce Chatwin John McPhee Freya Stark Peter Matthiessen Graham Greene Ernest Hemingway The Tao of Travel is a unique tribute to the pleasures and painsof travel in its golden age.

Insight Guides present the full breadth of each nation in alarge format suitable for a thorough introduction to the people andsights, while cities and regions are presented in a portable formatideal for the discriminating urban explorer in pursuit of the bestthe area has to offer. 埃及是诗歌和文学的摇篮，是从建筑到包装的一切西方时尚的灵感来源。长久以来，这个尼罗河畔的国家对普罗大众就有着极大的吸引力。 埃及人的生死观对西方也有相当诡异的影响力。早在中世纪，关于木乃伊的神秘传说就在西方流传。到了16世纪，来到埃及的西方人对木乃伊更是痴迷，他们挖开古老的墓地，从棺椁中取出木乃伊，运回欧洲。 1821年伦敦博物馆开辟了埃及厅，展出意大利探险家GiovanniBelzoni从阿布辛贝神庙运回英国的无数珍宝，轰动全国。 1922年HowardCarter发现图坦卡蒙陵墓，震惊世界。陵墓中出土的5000多件艺术品公开展出。当这批珍宝在

“Marble palaces balanced atop wooden poles, commuters crossingthe Grand Canal standing in gondolas, prosecco bottlespopping in tight quarters: Venice defies all common sense, andchooses wonder instead.” – Alison Bing, Lonely Planet Writer

New format means loads more colour, better maps and aneasy-to-read layout.

Offers coverage of Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony, Bavaria,Baden-Wurttemburg, Rhinel and Hesse, Bremen and Hamburg. This titleincludes fill-colour sections that present the traditional imagesof Germany.

Featuring more diving information than many other guides, thiswork also includes options for sustainable travel, comprehensivetrip itineraries, and more. color photos, 57 maps.

Kuala Lumpur (KL), Melaka and Penang are fragrant melanges ofChinese, Indian and Malay culture, and whether you want to samplethem via tasty street stalls, historic temples or space-ageshopping malls, you'll leave hungry for more This revised edition includes an expanded focus on Kuala Lumpurand increased coverage of food, nightlife and shopping. This guidebook has been fully updated! * Intuitive layout and new text styles make it easier to read,scan and find information at a glance * New visual design and structure improves navigation withoutsacrificing depth or quality * Expanded planning section helps travellers plan by time,season, interest or region * New map design improves map legibilty for easy navigation

When it was first published in 1968, the critically acclaimedLOST NEW YORK became an instant classic for the way it reawakened alost city. Now expanded and updated, with 118 new photographs, thebook reveals a fresh, true picture of New York as it has lived andgrown, with startling reminders of how much that has vanishedremains part of us. From the grandeur of the old Metropolitan Operaand Pennsylvania Station to the fabulous lost night clubs of 52ndStreet and Harlem, from the opulence of the old Vanderbilt mansionsto the Madison Square Garden rooftop where architect Stanford Whitewas shot, this is both a unique testament to New York's past and astory of the vitality that makes the city continue to connect withus. Illustrated with rare and stunning photographs and marked byengaging, lively text, this new edition of LOST NEW YORK provides aunique and unforgettable look at the places in New York that are nomore. Beyond that, it evokes the significant moments in time andmemory that make us reflect on our p

illinois,that long slice of the heartland stretching fro lake michigan fto kentucky,may be the most american place of all.its great patriot,abraham lincoln,and its great athlete,michael jordan,stand for what s best about our country. the prairie state has some of the midwest s richest farmlnd,and,by geographic luck,illinors also has the vital metropolis of chicago.the windy city took in the continent s resources and shipped them far and wide ,becoming the nation s railroad hub and later its crossroade of the air.after the dev-astating 1871fire,visionary planners and architects like daniel burnham and louis sullivan designed boulevards,gracious parks,and beaux arts buildings thet make this one of the most livable of cities. both chicago and downstate illinois have grow them,like john dere s plow; the prairie style homes of frank lloyd wright;mail-order merchandising from sears and wards;an ener-getic,all-american literture from carl sandburg,nelson algren,gwendolyn brooks,and saul bellow;and the soulf

You might be expecting to find elegant cities, spectacularpeaks and ancient cave cities in Ukraine, but were you expectingrampaging nightlife in Odesa and bathers parading around in18th-century and punk costumes on the Yalta coast? Hit the ground running with more Ukrainian * than competingother guides This guidebook has been fully updated! * Intuitive layout and new text styles make it easier to read,scan and find information at a glance * New visual design and structure improves navigation withoutsacrificing depth or quality * Expanded planning section helps travellers plan by time,season, interest or region * New map design improves map legibilty for easy navigation

Nobody knows New Zealand like Lonely Planet. With this new guidewe bring you the best of the popular North Island in one handypackage. You can trust us to lead you to Northland's best beaches,Rotorua's steamiest thermal pools, Wellington's hippest cafes andall the highlights and back-road escapes in between. Lonely Planetguides are written by experts who get to the heart of everydestination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed withaccurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you theinformation you need to make the most of your trip. In This NewGuide: The North's best sights cultural experiences.Comprehensive coverage, from nature's highlights to city secrets.Practical information on getting around by car, bus, plane orcampervan.

Discover Amsterdam Delve into the life of a great artist at the Van GoghMuseum Find the perfect brown café, secret hang-outs of Dutch drinkersfor centuries Find out how to skip the queues at the city's topattractions Spice up your visit at one of Amsterdam's Indonesianrestaurants In This Guide: Three authors, over 700 recommendations, five neighborhoodswalks, three bike tours Color Architecture chapter on the city's buildings, old andnew Comprehensive Day Trips chapter includes Leiden, Utrecht andHaarlem

In 1912, six months after Robert Falcon Scott and four of hismen came to grief in Antarctica, a thirty-two-year-old Russiannavigator named Valerian Albanov embarked on an expedition thatwould prove even more disastrous. In search of new Arctic huntinggrounds, Albanov's ship, the Saint Anna, was frozen fast in thepack ice of the treacherous Kara Sea-a misfortune grievouslycompounded by an incompetent commander, the absence of crucialnautical charts, insufficient fuel, and inadequate provisions thatleft the crew weak and debilitated by scurvy. For nearly a year and a half, the twenty-five men and onewoman aboard the Saint Anna endured terrible hardships and dangeras the icebound ship drifted helplessly north. Convinced that theSaint Anna would never free herself from the ice, Albanov andthirteen crewmen left the ship in January 1914, hauling makeshiftsledges and kayaks behind them across the frozen sea, hoping toreach the distant coast of Franz Josef Land. With only a shockinglyinaccurate map to g

MustSees Paris, a new addition to the MustSees series, hitsthe city's highlights for a 24-hour visit, a weekend or longer.Visit iconic sights like the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur and NotreDame. Dive into art at the Louvre, Pompidou Centre, Musee d'Orsayand the new Centquatre. Stroll the Champs-Elysees or Ile St-Louis,and then have dinner in the Marais. This pocket-size guide helpsyou do it all with detailed maps, recommended hotels and MustSeesstar-rating system.

When Jos Saramago decided to write a book about Portugal, hisonly desire was that it be unlike all other books on the subject,and in this he has certainly succeeded. Recording the events andobservations of a journey across the length and breadth of thecountry he loves dearly, Saramago brings Portugal to life as only awriter of his brilliance can. Forfeiting the usual sources such astourist guides and road maps, he scours the country with the eyesand ears of an observer fascinated by the ancient myths and historyof his people. Whether it be an inaccessible medieval fortress seton a cliff, a wayside chapel thick with cobwebs, or a grand mansionin the city, the extraordinary places of this land come alive.Always meticulously attentive to those elements of ancient Portugalthat persist today, he examines the country in its current periodof rapid transition and growth. Journey to Portugal is an ode to acountry and its rich traditions.

Lonely Planet's team of authors has island hopped the Bay ofIslands, immersed themselves in Rotorua's proud Maori culture,kayaked Abel Tasman's pristine bays and cruised the magnificentMilford Sound, as well as exploring everything in between. With allthat research and more, Lonely Planet New Zealand is your key tothe best possible Kiwi experience. Lonely Planet guides are writtenby experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit.This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical andhonest advice, designed to give you the information you need tomake the most of your trip. In This Guide: Full Coverage of hiddensecrets plus all the don't-miss attractions. Activities of everykind, from abseiling to zorbing. Unique Green Index to help makeyour travels ecofriendly.

Lonely Planet Knows Ireland. Gentle mountains, rugged ridges,wild moorlands, warm hospitality and the infamous Irish weather:taking to the trail in Ireland is never dull. With routes acrossthe most spectacular landscapes of the Republic and NorthernIreland and highlights of the Waymarked Ways, this guide has hikesfor every ability level. Our resident Irish authors share the bestof their walking experience, including the rolling WicklowMountains, the spiky summits of Connemara, the sandy beaches of theDingle Peninsula and the dramatic coastal cliffs of the northwest.In This Guide: Everything you need to know to get prepared.Listings for sleeping, eating and facilities along the way. Adviceon equipment, health and safety.

“oklahoma,where the wind comes sweepin down the plain!”who doesn t know the stirring lyrics to the most famous of all state songs?rodgers &hammerstein s musical captures the rambunctious frontier spirit of this state-an even more captivating place in reality. in oklahoma,the american west and the american dream come together-sometimes in one person,like will rogers,the part-cheokeejournalist and vaudevillian who became the nation s best-loved humorist.woody guthrie,our lureate of folk song,also springs from oklahoma soil,as do journalist bill moyers and apache sculptor allan houser,whose work graces the white house lawn.oklahoma helped to create the cowboy icon:on the legendary chisholm trail,in touring wild west shows ,and in the movies ,with actors roy rogers and gene auty.amerca s oil boom began her,and “black gold”built the art deco skylines of tulsa and okla-homa city.hardy survivors of the dust bowl era,oklahomans planned and built the “mother road,”route 66,and afine collection of museu