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.

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.

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.

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.

“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

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.

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travelliterature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along theAppalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller AWalk in the Woods . In A Sunburned Country is his reporton what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, thecountry that doubles as a continent, and a place with thefriendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the mostpeculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The resultis a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance bya writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflaggingcuriousity. Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can killyou in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks,crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adoresthe place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyondthat beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians whoare cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging,

ohio was the first midwestern state,carved out of the northwest erritory after the u.s.was born.in some ways ohio is the most quintessentially american state:nt distinctly north,south,east,orwest but a bit of each;notstrictly farm or industri-al,small-town or urban,but equally all of them.ohio has the industriousness and cultural polish of the northern and eastern states ,the south s pro-found respect for tradition,and the restless energy that blazed trails across the western frontier.this might explain why eight ohioans have been elect-ed u.s.president-people from all over the coun-try can see something of the mselves in aleader from ohio. ohio doesn t have one great urban metropolis like chicago or new york;instead it has seven major cities.towns grew up along the rivers,canals,rail linesand roads.thanks to its abundant resources and the fortunes of geography,ohio was destined to become an industrial powerhouse.steel nd rubber might come to mind first,but state industries have ranged from cars to cerami

Rick Steves’ Pocket guidebooks truly are a “tour guide in yourpocket.” Each colorful, compact 280-page book includes Rick’sadvice for prioritizing your time, whether you're spending 1 or 7days in a city. Everything a busy traveler needs is easy to access:a neighborhood overview, city walks and tours, sights, handy foodand accommodations charts, an appendix packed with information ontrip planning and practicalities, and a fold-out city map.Includedin Rick Steves' Pocket London—Sights: the National PortraitGallery, Courtauld Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Victoria andAlbert Museum, and the Bankside WalkWalks and Tours: theWestminster Walk, Westminster Abbey Tour, National Gallery Tour,West End Walk, British Museum Tour, British Library Tour, The CityWalk, St. Paul’s Cathedral Tour, and Tower of London Tour

Inspired by an actual letter in the John F. Kennedy Librarywritten by Jackie and revealing her job offer from the newly formedCIA Young Jacqueline Bouvier's first CIA assignment was supposed tobe simple: Meet with a high-ranking Russian while he's in Paris andhelp him defect. But when the Comrade ends up dead, and Jackie-inher black satin peep-toe stiletto heels-barely escapes his killer,it's time to get some assistance. Enter Jacques Rivage, a Frenchphotographer and freelance CIA agent who seems too brash andcarefree to grapple with spies, though he's all too able to makeJackie's heart skip a beat. Together the two infiltrate 1951 high society in the City ofLights, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Duchess of Windsor,Audrey Hepburn, and Evelyn Waugh. Jackie, no longer a pampereddebutante, draws on her quick intelligence, equestrian skills, andeven her Chanel No. 5 atomizer as a weapon to stay alive in theshadowy world of international intrigue-and to keep her date with acertain up-an

…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.

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….

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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).

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

reSchool-Grade 2-A briskly told story in rhyme of a day at the beach. Setting off first by train, then bus, then bicycle (it's not clear where the bicycle comes from), a boy and his older sister finally arrive at the seashore, where they spend a glorious day in the surf and in the sand. "We're swimming-splishing, splashing-`Let's be porpoises and whales/Or pirates on a treasure hunt for mermaids' silvery scales.'" The absence of an accompanying adult is questionable, but, taken at face value, the story is sunny and upbeat. Barrette's winsome, full-page watercolor illustrations reflect the cheerful tone of the outing. 作者简介： A native of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, author Jane Barclay has been writing since she was a child; early credits include "Cinderelish", an elementary school play that involved sock puppets and very bad singing! Luckily for all, Jane's writing has matured. She is also the author of "How Cold Was It?" and "Going on a Journey to the Sea".

From Fouad Ajami, an acclaimed author and chronicler of Arabpolitics, comes a compelling account of how a generation of Arabintellectuals tried to introduce cultural renewals in theirhomelands through the forces of modernity and secularism.Ultimately, they came to face disappointment, exile, and, onoccasion, death. Brilliantly weaving together the strands of atumultuous century in Arab political thought, history, and poetry,Ajami takes us from the ruins of Beirut's once glitteringmetropolis to the land of Egypt, where struggle rages between amodernist impulse and an Islamist insurgency, from Nasser'span-Arab nationalist ambitions to the emergence of an uneasy PaxAmericana in Arab lands, from the triumphalism of the Gulf War tothe continuing anguished debate over the Israeli-Palestinian peaceaccords. For anyone who seeks to understand the Middle East, here isan insider's unflinching analysis of the collision betweenintellectual life and political realities in the Arab worldtoday.