Part of the "Fast Talk" series, this title includes useful keyphrases for short trips, and features sightseeing, shopping andfood vocabulary. It also contains easy pronunciation tips and minidictionary.

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

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

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.

This book includes a chapter detailing Shanghai's history and culture, 11 tours and excursions taking in sights ranging from the Bund promenade to lush Hangzhou, leisure-time suggestions, and a comprehensive information section packed with essential contact addresses and numbers. Plus top-notch photographs and maps.

Take the guesswork out cultivating a gorgeous Northwest garden with this friendly, informative guide.Organized into easily accessible chapters ranging from Top 10 Perennials to Top 10 Edibles-with Top 10 guides for annuals, shrubs, bulbs, roses, and more in between-it offers novice and seasoned gardeners alike a comprehensive guide to planning and maintaining a thriving garden in the Northwest. Includes an introduction by Sunset magazine's NW Bureau Chief Steve Lorton plus contributions from well-known Northwest celebrity gardeners.

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

Moon Spotlight Detroit Ann Arbor is a 78-pagecompact guide covering the best of Southern Michigan, includingDetroit's treasured Belle Isle and one-of-a-kind The Henry Ford,the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and the W.K. Kellogg BirdSanctuary, one of America's pioneer wildlife conservation centers.Author Laura Martone offers seasoned advice on must-seeattractions, and includes maps with sightseeing highlights so youcan make the most of your time. This lightweight guide is packedwith recommendations on sights, entertainment, shopping,recreations, accommodations, food, and transportation, as well aseasy-to-read maps, making navigating these diverse areasuncomplicated and enjoyable.