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

Moon Spotlight Wisconsin’s Door County is a 95-pagecompact guide covering Sturgeon Bay, Lakeside, Bayside, WashingtonIsland and Rock Island. Author Thomas Huhti offers seasoned adviceon must-see attractions, and he includes maps with sightseeinghighlights so you can make the most of your time.. This lightweightguide is packed with recommendations on sights, entertainment,shopping, recreation, accommodations, food, and transportation.Helpful maps make navigating this popular vacation getawayuncomplicated and enjoyable.

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. Frommer's. The best trips start here. ·Detailed coverage of the United States' best attractions, hotels, restaurants, and outdoor experiences. ·Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not. ·Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget. ·Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions

This stunning volume was the gift book of the year when it firstpublished, and the images that grace its pages remain iconic. Fromthe famous Afghan girl whose haunting green eyes stare out from thebook’s cover, and her poignant story that captured the world’sinterest, to award-winning photography culled from the Society’svast archives, The Photographs offers readers an inside look atNational Geographic and a sharp-eyed view of the world. The bookshowcases the skill and imagination of such notable Geographicphotographers as David Doubilet, William Albert Allard, Sam Abell,Jim Stanfield, Jodi Cobb, Jim Brandenburg, David Alan Harvey, andmany more. They share their techniques, as well as personal andcolorful anecdotes about individual images and their adventures inthe field—sometimes humorous, sometimes terrifying, always vividlycompelling. Author Leah Bendavid-Val writes about thephotographers’ achievements from technical, journalistic, andartistic perspectives. Five chapters cover core Nationa

The only state once recognized by the U.S.gov-ernment as an independent country.Texas is still more a nation than a state in many ways.It's larg-er than several European nations combined,with an amaxingly varied landscape and population. Since the fall of the Alamo,the Lone Star State has been the site of historic collisions:between the Old South and the New West,be-tween the Anglo culture of North America and the Hispanic culture of Latin America,between persistent small-town values and the glittering internationalism of Houston and Dallas.Yet its citizens are all Texans first,united by a storied past of epic battles,rangers and rustlers,cattle barons,wildcatters,and wheeler-dealers. The Texas Myth also embraces legendary sports teams and the fans that cheer them on; a down-home cuisine featuring Tex-Mex,chili,and rancn-style barbecue; and colorful politics across the spectrum,including outspoken liberals like Lyndon Johnson and former governor Ann Richards.Oil and cattle wealth built a legacy of ach

Twelve-year-old Julie has grown up hearing about the dangerous world of fairy tales, “The Wild,” from which her mother, Rapunzel, escaped. Now The Wild wants its characters back. Julie comes home from school to find her mother gone and a deep, dark forest swallowing her hometown. Julie must fight wicked witches, avoid glass slippers and fairy godmothers, fly griffins, and outwit ogres in order to rescue her mom and save her Massachusetts town from becoming a fairy-tale kingdom. Sarah Beth Durst weaves a postmodern fairy tale that’s fresh, funny, and sweetly poignant.

Experience the best of Hungary with Lonely Planet's 6thedition. Discover the quiet beauty and fascinating culture of thischarming country - relax in Art Nouveau splendour at a thermalbath, treat your palate to the excellent local wines or watchhistory unfold as you drift down the Danube. Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to theheart of every destination they visit. This fully updated editionis packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed togive you the information you need to make the most of yourtrip. In This Guide: Essential color section illustrating Hungary'shighlights Unique interviews with a potter, Klezmer band and a cyclingspecialist Activities chapter includes horse riding, hiking, caving andmore

With infomation on… ·Where to dine in the various theater areas with details on ambience,menus,and prices. ·Before-and after-theater menus that provide an opportunity to sample the artistry of some of the best chefs in the city at a fraction of the usual noted. ·The best places to stay whether you prefer a world class hotel with every amenity,a homey B&B,a loft apartment,or a chic boutique hotel.And how to never,ever,pay a hotel's qublished rack rate. ·Getting theater tickets in advance,on arrival,or half price on the day of performance;obtaining ·Whether your budget is great or small,if you feel the best complement to a stimulating evening of theater is dining well,this book is for you. 作者简介: ONE AND OFF BROAOWAY is a guide to Manhattan's vibrant world of thater and the many unique neighborhoods where the theaters that contribute so much artistic energy to the city can be found.Not just for visitors,it will also point the native New Yorker to some of the best resta

Roads to Santiago is an evocative travelogue through thesights, sounds, and smells of a little known Spain-itsarchitecture, art, history, landscapes, villages, and people. Andas much as it is the story of his travels, it is an elegant anddetailed chronicle of Cees Nooteboom's thirty-five-year love affairwith his adopted second country. He presents a world not visible tothe casual tourist, by invoking the great spirits of Spain'spast-El Cid, Cervantes, Alfonso the Chaste and Alfonso the Wise,the ill-fated Hapsburgs, and Velzquez. Be it a discussion of histrip to the magnificent Prado Museum or his visit to the shrine ofthe Black Madonna of Guadalupe, Nooteboom writes with the depth andintelligence of an historian, the bravado of an adventurer, and thepassion of a poet. Reminiscent of Robert Hughes's Barcelona, Roadsto Santiago is the consummate portrait of Spain for allreaders.

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

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.

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.

One steamy morning in the summer of i95o, Mary and Frank Littell set off for the south of France with their two young sons. After chasing their children around an ancient ocean liner, learning some harsh lessons in napkin etiquette,and suffering the revenge of a surly waiter, they arrived--finally--in the working-class town of Montpellier, where they spent one hilarious, unforgettable year. While struggling to master the French language and cuisine,Mary discovered that a child's birthday party could spell disaster in and language-and that something as seemingly simple as a mayonnaise recipe could stir up a small-scale civel war.In between bouts of la grippe,the littells tasted the pleasures of Paris make a desperate journey to Marrseilles,and took a side trip toa quaint country farmhouse-alway,in the end returning to the unique little city that both confounded and delighted them…

The relationship between Oxford and the universtiy,or'town and gorn'as they are known colloquially,has been one of reciprocal development,and often of tension,since the beginnings of university in the early Middle Ages.The town's origins derive from Saxon times,when is was a walled enclosure with a grid layout,probably planned.The approxi-mately square shape of that enclosure,centred on Carfax,is still discern-ible in the present-day street plan.Oxford's importance was as a settlement on a north-south trade route,protected to the south,east and west by marshes and rivers-it is named after a ford through one of the rivers.After the unification of England,when Oxford ceased to be a part of the defensive system against the Danes,it became England's third largest town,London and Winchester.

“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

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes,beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that youarrive at your destination aware of basic manners, commoncourtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell youwhat to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport withyour hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear ofembarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliarsituations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful businessrelationships. Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture andsociety of a particular country. It will help you to turn yourvisit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable andenriching experience. Contents include

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).

Bill Bryson travels to Kenya in support of CARE International.All royalties and profits go to CARE International. Bryson visits Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, thecharity dedicated to eradicating poverty. Kenya is a land ofcontrasts, with famous game reserves and a vibrant culture. It alsoprovides plenty to worry a traveller like Bill Bryson, fixated ashe is on the dangers posed by snakes, insects and large predators.It is also a country with many serious problems: refugees, AIDS,drought, and grinding poverty. The resultant diary, though short inlength, contains the trademark Bryson stamp of wry observation andcurious insight.

…immersing yourself in the sumptuous excesses of thebaroque Schloss Sch?nbrunn. …devoting an entire afternoon to coff ee and Sachertorte ina Viennese coff eehouse. …feeling the sway of the blue Danube as you cruisedownriver. …hearing the Vienna Boys’ Choir hit the high notes in theRoyal Chapel. …sampling the latest wines from the owner’s vineyard at arustic Heuriger. …falling under the spell of Klimt’s paintings andHundertwasser’s magical architecture.

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

Qinghai means "blue lake,"and indeed the name of the provincecomes from the pristine waters of the vast Qinghai Lake high on theplateau - the "roof of the world." Three great rivers rise inQinghai: the Yellow River and the Yangtze River nurtured dazzlingChinese civilizations that sprang up along their valleys; theLancang River starts here too irrigating first Tibet and Yunnan,before flowing through Southeast Asia as the Mekong. Historically remote, but not isolated, both the southern route ofthe Silk Road and the Tang Tubo Road linking the Tang emperors inChang an and the ubokings in Lhasa made their way through the heartof Qinghai. In the gentle embrace of Sanjiangyuan - the Great Source of ThreeRivers - are vast grasslands, rippling snow mountains, the devoutpilgrims,sacred living creatures….