Best Russian Travel Guides
With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Morocco truly shows you this country as no one else can. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love every DK book that I get - they are the best."
"Pricey, but beautiful pictures await inside."
"as advertised, excellent photography and maps."
"it is a fantastic country to visit and the Travel Guide does it justice."
"Love Eyewitness Books!!"
"Great guide for planning your safaris!"
"I'm always a fan of the KT guides, and this one is particularly impressive."
With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Japan truly shows you this country as no one else can. Series Overview: For more than two decades, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides have helped travelers experience the world through the history, art, architecture, and culture of their destinations. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful book and layout."
"I ended up buying Fodor's Tokyo guide in addition to this book to figure out all the things needed for our short stay (4 days) in Tokyo."
"It contains detailed descriptions by region and their areas, a great section on traveler's needs (where to stay, where to eat & drink, shopping, Onsen, Theme Parks, Sports & Activities, Special interests, and a great survival guide with practical information, travel info, a life saving phrase book and a great index, the book provides a "further reading" list for you if you want to read more but honestly, with this much information it should be more than enough for my 3 week trip to Japan."
"It's a good book though as a reference."
"The pictures and illustrations are great and I have bought DK series for over ten countries."
"this book is very informative and has beautiful colored pictures."
"Well organized."
"Font is a bit small but the pics, maps and info were perfect."
Written in the tradition of Tolstoy's War and Peace , Grossman’s Life and Fate , and Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago , Yuri Slezkine’s gripping narrative tells the true story of the residents of an enormous Moscow apartment building where top Communist officials and their families lived before they were destroyed in Stalin’s purges. "This panoramic history plotted as an epic family tragedy describes the lives of Bolshevik revolutionaries who were swallowed up by the cause they believed in. A twelve-hundred-page epic that recounts the multigenerational story of the famed building and its inhabitants--and, at least as interesting, the rise and fall of Bolshevist faith." "Yuri Slezkine, Mercurian par excellence, has caught an extraordinary set of lives in this book. Few historians, dead or alive, have managed to combine so spectacularly the gifts of storyteller and scholar." Yuri Slezkine’s guiding argument in this remarkable, many-layered account of the men (rarely women) who shaped the October Revolution is that the Bolsheviks were not a party but an apocalyptic sect. The House of Government is a compelling microhistory of the interwar Soviet elite, but it is also a literary-rhetorical tour de force." "A brilliant retelling of, mainly, the first two decades of the Soviet era in a sprawling saga centered around a famous and infamous Moscow apartment building created for the new elite." "[ The House of Government ] is a dizzying book, a hall of mirrors, panoramic and bizarre, as puzzlingly esoteric and thrillingly fervent as the doctrines it describes."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book will give the reader a depth of understanding of the terrible tragedy that ensued upon the eventual triumph in 1917 of the millenarian politics of the Russian oppositional intelligentsia of the late 19th century."
"Some even sought to have the relevant family apartments converted into museums, as secular shrines to the departed, although Moscow’s housing shortage, which remains a constant whatever the changes in ideological climate, militated against this outcome. Thus in the 550 fully furnished family apartments in the largest residential building in Europe the new Soviet aristocracy enjoyed high ceilings and central heating as standard, whilst also enjoying access to amenities including a hairdressing salon, kindergarten, gymnasium, tennis court, library, laundry, movie theatre, and a cafeteria from which meals could be ordered for collection, at a time when most Muscovites had to make do with dilapidated and overcrowded communal apartments in which the stale smell of cabbage soup competed with the general stench of despair."
"This is a massive hybrid work that tells the personal human story of the Revolutionary Soviet elite. The book is centered around the story of the massive housing complex in Moscow built for the elite around the time of the first five-year plan (around 1930). It has grand diversions into literature, religion, russian intellectual history and all sorts of other matters. Its length and its tendency to cross so many traditional lines makes it exceptionally interesting but difficult to review. Rather than being the product of one ruthless man, Stalinism seems within the context of the book to be the inevitable outcome of the system. The author's religious analogy actually works in this case in that if their ideas had been implemented, it would have been like throwing the entire country into a monastery. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge came closest to actually making that model real with all the well-known consequences. I came away seeing more clearly what a dramatic change Lenin's NEP was for the true revolutionary faithful and how it created splits within the party that were eventually only resolved through the purge trials. Dealing with the question, he launches into a rambling history of nearly every religion in the world complete with lots of personal opinions an interpretations. Certain matters should have been included in perhaps extended appendix sections where they could stand alone as diversions into topics rather than interruptions of the narrative. It expects a great degree of familiarity with Russian and Soviet history in all its aspects (political, historical, religious, cultural, literary, intellectual and more...) I personally found it very rewarding as a read. Its narrowly focused on life at the very top of society and tending toward the stories of the true-believer party members."
Best Siberia Travel Guides
Against nearly insurmountable odds and relying on hunting and her own wits, Sarah Marquis survived the Mafia, drug dealers, thieves on horseback who harassed her tent every night for weeks, temperatures from subzero to scorching, life-threatening wildlife, a dengue fever delirium in the Laos jungle, tropic ringworm in northern Thailand, dehydration, and a life-threatening abscess. The descriptions of time and place are just detailed enough to become animated with life, and the author's courage is inspiring." “A National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2014 recounts her journey with the clear-eyed resolve and keen observational skills that make her a successful solo trekker.” ― Book Page.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Author walked a long way, but didn't describe as much as I would have liked to read about."
"One to let you know what literature is out there if you are just getting started with your own armchair adventuring; and two, to show that I have a fairly good grasp of what the literature looks like. The first thing I noticed was that you can tell that an American didn't write this book. The second thing I noticed, and which is of a lot more importance is that the book is not written like a diary or a reconstruction of a story based on a diary. For some reason men on horseback would show in the middle of the night at her camps no matter how hard she had tried to stay hidden. I'm used to reading the diaries of settlers so I'm comfortable with jumps in time in that format. But as I said this isn't a diary so the jumps are a little strange and unwelcome. One example is where she tells us her personal philosophy is to never stay in one spot for more than one night unless it is an absolute emergency. She then tells us that she plans to ask him why the Mongolians are behaving in such an unexplained fashion -- women taking off their tops when in her presence and the men appearing in the middle of the night."
"I had seen a prelude on a TV show and expected greater insight into the culture and people."
"A good read."
"The books is a wonderful testament to her ferocious perseverence and also has some very poignant and heart touching moments when you can feel her loneliness and sorrow at the loss of a beloved companion."
"Couldn't put it down."
"Heard an interview on radio, which peaked my interest."
Best St. Petersburg Travel Guides
Full-colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - art, architecture, literature Free, convenient pull-out St Petersburg map (included in print version), plus over 15 colour maps Covers Sennaya, Kolomna, Smolny, Vosstaniya, Vasilyevsky Island, Petrogradsky Island, Vyborg Side and more. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I went to St Petersburg o my own and book gave great tips."
"Excellent , like all Lonely Planets."
"Very handy for my trip to Russia."
Best Indian Travel Guides
This is the miraculous and triumphant story of Saroo Brierley, a young man who used Google Earth to rediscover his childhood life and home in an incredible journey from India to Australia and back again... At only five years old, Saroo Brierley got lost on a train in India. A Long Way Home is a moving, poignant, and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. Born in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India, Saroo Brierley lives in Hobart, Tasmania, where he manages a family business, Brierley Marine, with his father.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is the real-life story of Saroo, a five-year-old child in a village in central India, who gets lost and finds himself transported all the way east to Calcutta, some 1800 kms away. However Saroo always wonders about his origins, with clear memories of his birth mother Kamala, his kid sister Shekila and elder brothers Kallu and Guddu, whom he looked up to as a child two decades before. Gradually, over five years, with incredible patience and perseverance , Saroo, at age 30, using Google Earth's satellite images and Facebook, miraculously locates the train station with the identifying features of his childhood. Saroo soon goes to India and reconnects with his birth family to the great delight of his elderly mother Kamala and his siblings Shekila and Kallu, who are now married with children. It is a great tribute to these wonderful technologies which make it possible for the adult Saroo to sit ten thousand miles away in Hobart, Australia and exactly locate the water tower and overpass of his childhood memory and find out the correct name of his village. Going through the early chapters where Saroo survives for six weeks as a five-year-old in Calcutta, I had palpitations as I felt anxious that nothing terrible should befall young Saroo!"
"When 5-year-old Saroo is accidentally separated from his Indian family at a train station, he ends up surviving on the streets of Kolkata (Calcutta) on his own for 2-3 weeks before being taken to an orphanage. Fast-forward 25 years, and Saroo chooses to search for his biological family, which he does with the help of Google Maps, Google Earth and Facebook."
"Saroo was born in a small suburb of Khandwa, India called Ganesh Talai, which was an important place for him all his life including when he would initiate the long and tiresome search for his mother. Although this story wasn’t written by Saroo himself, ghost writer Larry Buttrose did an exceptional job at capturing the emotion and details of the journey. A poverty-stricken neighborhood, with a mud house and the only form of electricity coming from a candle, Saroo’s family had to work very hard to support each other. Guddu, the eldest brother, went to work every day, washing dishes for many hours just to make only half a rupee. Anyhow, Saroo and his family ultimately resorted to begging for money at local markets, railways, and neighborhoods. The author did an exceptional job at showing how much his family did to be able to support him by using many examples of his mother and brothers going out for long work days even if it meant earning enough to buy a simple loaf of bread. The author emphasized the importance of his adoptive parents and gave a good idea of what role they played for him following such a tragic loss of his biological family. “Mum and Dad were very affectionate, right from the start, always giving me lots of cuddles and making me feel safe, secure, loved and above all, wanted. The author was able to make me feel guilty for having such a good life by showing the struggle of this five-year-old boy losing his family with no money, no one to talk to and no way of how to find himself home."
"This is a unique story about a boy who became lost in India, adopted, relocated to Australia and his, eventual, return back to India in search of his birth mother and family."
Best Taiwan Travel Guides
In The Food of Taiwan , Taiwanese-American Cathy Erway, the acclaimed blogger and author of The Art of Eating In , gives readers an insider’s look at Taiwanese cooking with almost 100 recipes for both home-style dishes and street food. "In this appetizing collection, Erway ( The Art of Eating In ), an acclaimed blogger at Not Eating Out in NY, takes readers on a cultural and culinary tour of Taiwan that will engage armchair travelers and foodies alike… From pantry staples such as chili bean sauce, ginger, and rice wine to the vibrant night markets that take over entire streets, she offers an insider’s perspective of the Taiwanese lifestyle and reveals what makes a dish distinctly Taiwanese. In Cathy Erway’s new cookbook The Food of Taiwan , she explicates all these recipes and more, filling a great gap in our knowledge of Chinese cooking, inviting you to mount your own dinner party.” —Robert Sietsema , Eater NY.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great place to start if you are missing the food your Grandma made for you."
"Any special ingredients were easy to find at a chinese supermarket or on Amazon, though there are some recipes that won't need a special trip."
"For anyone who loves food, travel, Taiwan, SE Asia, and cultural flavors--this book is a must-read."
"Beautifully done book."
"Given as gift to someone who just returned from Taiwan."
"This is an amazing book! Erway wrote a beautiful book about the land, culture and, yes, food of Taiwan."
"Interesting info but some recipes not so suitable for home cooking."
"In addition, the recipe only used 2 T of the mochi mixture per meatball, resulting in an extra 3 cups of mochi mixture leftover. - Pan-Fried Leek Buns: The filling was good and I appreciate the suggestion for Chinese leek substitutions, but the recipe does not say to pan-fry the buns on both sides... yet the photo on the cover of the book, as well as my experience, told me that they should be fried on both sides. - Pork Meat Sauce: After my Three Cup Chicken experience, I decreased the soy sauce called for in Pork Meat Sauce (prepared in a similar style with a long braising time in a soy-based sauce), and it was much more enjoyable. - Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns (Red-Braised Pork Belly and Marinated Cucumbers recipes): For the Pork Belly recipe, I found that 2 cups of water diluted the flavor of the other ingredients in the braising liquid. This book is an excellent survey of Taiwanese cuisine – but be cautious if using it as a cookbook and only regard the recipes as a base or inspiration for your own cooking, as the recipes are lacking in thorough testing, specificity in less common ingredients, and precision in measurements."
Best Bhutan Travel Guides
Jamie Zeppa was 24 when she left a stagnant life at home and signed a contract to teach for two years in the Buddhist hermit kingdom of Bhutan. As a teacher of English literature, Jamie Zeppa would understand how the story of her journey into Bhutan could be fit into the convenient box of "coming-of-age romance," a romance with a landscape, a people, a religion, and a dark, irresistible student.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I rarely read non-fiction, especially personal journey memoirs, but I'm so glad I decided to pick up this very well-written book that pulls you in and lets you experience just what Ms. Zeppa did."
"She starts out with great trepidation, wondering whether she has made a huge mistake and having no idea if she will have the strength of constitution or character to survive without her accustomed level of personal comforts and safety."
"A wonderful story and a great fit for me."
"Anyone who has lived in an unfamiliar country for an extended amount of time will love this book, in particular, English teachers abroad."
"I'm interested in travel in Bhutan."
"Jamie Zeppa embraces the differences and learns to love the country of Bhutan even as she is torn by the conflict between the Nepali Bhutanese and the original inhabitants."
"Zeppa is a strong storyteller who takes you along on her exciting (although unconventional) journey to Butan."
"Excellent- read it whilst in Bhutan."
Best Indonesian Travel Guides
The 10th anniversary edition of one of the most iconic, beloved, and bestselling books of our time. Sustaining a chatty, conspiratorial tone, Gilbert fully engages readers in the year's cultural and emotional tapestry - conveying rapture with infectious brio, recalling anguish with touching candor - as she details her exotic tableau with history, anecdote and impression. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for "balancing."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is an uplifting story of a woman who puts hectic life on hold, and allows herself to heal after a difficult divorce."
"Great quality and arrived fast!"
"A shortened version of this book would have been sufficient, but it is awesome to read how impactful Gilbenrt's book has been on a myriad of diverse lives."
"Somehow the massive popularity of this book made me think I wouldn't like it as much."
"Enjoyed the author sharing her story and all the ups and downs of her journey of self-discovery."
"I had to get my own copy."
"I could relate to several of the stories and loved hearing how EPL had inspired others."
"for my wife after seeing movie; she liked the book better."
Best Pakistan Travel Guides
“ No Way Down is both a gripping read and a clear-eyed investigation of the hubris, politics, and bad luck that brought on one of the worst disasters in modern mountaineering history.” — Michael Kodas, author of High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed. “Bowley relies on a copious study of the events and interviews with survivors and families to artfully and assiduously piece together an account of a fractious day in brutal real time. Fatality by fatality.” (Holly Morris, New York Times Book Review). “Unputdownable.... A portrait of extreme courage, folly and loss, leavened by a small dose of survival, as complete a version of the calamitous story as will probably ever emerge. [A] step-by-faltering-step recreation of the thin-air fight to survive, bristling with cinematic immediacy.” (Justin Marozzi, Financial Times). Bowley expertly puts together the complex story of what happened as eleven people died high on the summit slopes of K2 in August 2008.” (Joe Simpson, author of Touching the Void). Bowley wove his tale together after hundreds of interviews with dozens of people, and the result is a triumph of storytelling.” (Malcolm Ritter, Associated Press). As avalanches shear away ropes, darkness falls and rescue attempts succeed and fail, the book becomes impossible to put down….. “Both a gripping read and a clear-eyed investigation, No Way Down provides a compelling education in the game of climbing on the world’s highest mountains to readers who have never tied into a rope, and is an essential addition to any mountaineer’s bookshelf.” (Michael Kodas, author of High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"K2 is a mysterious, terrifying and yet magnetic place, and this account of the 2008 disaster kept me turning pages into the early morning hours."
"What these climbers went through to reach the summit and the price many of them had to pay was amazing and disturbing at the same time."
"This book is a true story about climbing K2."
"This book was written by a man who is not a mountaineer, so it is without the mysticism that is so often found."
"This book will give you an insight into some decisions that must be made at the worst of times."
"This book is a great story of what these climbers face and the risks involved in their aims to climb these high peaks."
"I expected the book to take me from beginning to end of one person's or one climbing group's experience."
"I couldn't put this book down."
Best Macau Travel Guides
Cruise Victoria Harbour aboard the Star Ferry, ride on the Peak Tram for amazing views, or explore the Mong Kok markets; all with your trusted travel companion. Full-color maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - cuisine, history, arts, cinema, architecture, religion Free, convenient pull-out Hong Kong map (included in print version), plus over 40 color maps Covers Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen & the South, Kowloon, New Territories, Outlying Islands, Macau and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Compared to the Time Out series, the organization of this book makes it much harder to use. The maps in the back don't compare to Time Out series."
"I was staying on Lantau (outlying island, connected by speed rail that takes 11 min to Kowloon and 20 minutes to Hong Kong) for business for six days, and this book helped me target which parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong I wanted to hit when I went on in. Big ol' Buddha statue (50 feet tall) built on top of a lush jungle peak on Lantau, accessible by bus or cable car. Cable car was fantastic, offering views of HK, hilly jungle landscape, and the Buddha as you approach it. And if you thought that transforming religious or cultural icons into moneymaking ventures was only an American tradition, then you were wrong! Crossing from Kowloon to downtown Hong Kong, it is a great experience to take in the cityscape in either direction. Shout out to the dudes at the basketball court across the street that let me join their game and then didn't respect my jump shot ('MURICA!). Although the art leaves something to be desired, the casually dismissive and ridiculously critical plaques accompanying the artwork is high comedy. -Hong Kong Museum of History was closed for a special event when I tried to go there, which is unfortunate as I was really hoping to see if the government redwashed anything."
"I've been to Macau before, but a lot has changed in Macau in the last ten years, so I bought this book in the hopes that it would contain some info about the newly formed Cotai Strip portion of Macau. Thankfully Macau has a pretty good tourist bureau, and we were able to find some good walking tour maps as well as maps of Taipa and Coloane at one of their local offices."
"By that I mean that if you wanted to learn as much as possible about Hong Kong it is a good source for information but if you want a suggested tour for a 2-day or 4-day or other period of time to be in Hong Kong and with a focus on the sights, food, outdoor activities, museums or other area of focus, the book is of no real help."
"The reason I'm giving this two stars is because of the misleading maps. Well no, the temple is actually not next to the park at all, but feel free to wander around for half an hour trying to find it up and down steep stairs, only to find it a block away from where the map suggests."
Best Thailand Travel Guides
Wander through wild orchids in Mae Hong Son, charter a longtail boat on the Andaman Coast or look for tigers and monkeys in national parks; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - current affairs, history, politics, arts, architecture, environment, food & drink, responsible travel Free, convenient pull-out Bangkok map (included in print version), plus over 100 maps Covers Bangkok, Central Thailand, Ko Chang, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, Hua Hin, Southern Gulf, Ko Samui, Lower Gulf, Phuket, Andaman Coast and more. Check out Southeast Asia on a shoestring, a comprehensive guide to stretching money for an extended trip across the region. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was hoping for more photographs in this guide but there is not very many at all."
"This book was most useful for giving me ideas about things to do in various parts of the country without me having to do any planning."
"Another informative and accurate Lonely Planet Guide."
"It turned out to be full of a LOT of information - some of which we will use, and some we won't."
"Lots of info, but the E-version is not as user friendly."
"Basically unusable in practical and practice."
"I found the information lacking in detail, the organization - messy, and just from the nature of the Kindle format - really difficult to navigate (nothing like having to flip for 5 minutes on your low battery phone, while standing on a sweltering street corner and sweating through your clothes for the fifth time that day, just because you saw a temple, whose name you know you had seen only yesterday on a random page, yet now you can't locate for the life of you)."
"The flowery writing, lack of pictures and slightly outdated information made me quickly switch from scrolling through its pages to (free) sources like wiki travel."
Best Turkmenistan Travel Guides
Dr. Gregory Levin's fascinating memoir of his life with pomegranates illuminates the botany, the history and myths, the astonishing range of tastes, and the health benefits--from folklore to pharmaceuticals--that make it the wonder fruit of our time. For more than forty years, Dr. Gregory Levin trekked across Central Asia and the TransCaucasus in search of wild and endangered pomegranates.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've seen the same thing happen in America (you don't have to have a stupid government to have stupid tings happen to large collections) but the politics make this story all the sadder."
"He includes detailed descriptions of plant guilds that would grow well in dry places and some information that could lead readers to find sources of pomegranate germplasm. Reading this book right now is especially poignant as many place names he uses have been on the news as sites of bombing and military action."
"Easy to read and very informative."
"it is a beautiful story book explaining a lifetime journey with Pomegranates."
"Many many details that I didn't think lent a lot to the book and missing details I would have liked to hear."
"Some chapters of this book make you feel like you've just watched an Indiana Jones movie, while other chapters would make a great NOVA science episode. On his scientific treasure hunt for exotic pomegranates, Dr.Gregory Levin has--unassumingly-- run into vipers dancing on their tails, and seen cave paintings of kangaroos on the border of Iran and Turkmenistan!"
"Book Review: Pomegranate Roads. Published in San Diego Chapter New, California Rare Fruit Growers, October 2006 by Dave Silverstein. Last month's newsletter mentioned the book, "Pomegranate Roads" which has just come out. From the 1960s through the fall of the Soviet Union he collected well over 1000 varieties of Pomegranate, not to mention stone fruits, grapes and nuts indigenous to central Asia. He is the one responsible for the bulk of the pomegranate varieties in the collection of the USDA's pomegranate Germplasm collection."
"Pomegranate Roads is a one of a kind memoir that reflects the history of Soviet Science, the botany and culture of pomegranates, the personal history of an intrepid explorer and botanist who worked his entire life in the remote areas of Central Asia and the Caucasus to collect and protect the species."
Best Mongolia Travel Guides
Watch wrestling, horse racing and archery at a Naadam Festival, explore dinosaur bones in the Gobi Desert, or stay local-style in a ger (traditional felt tent); all with your trusted travel companion. Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - culture, history, gers, spiritualism, cuisine, tribal Mongolia, Naadam Festival, wildlife, environment Over 40 maps Covers Ulaanbaatar, Dadal, Olgii, Tov, Ovorkhangai, Arkhangai, Selenge, Khovsgol, Khentii, Dornod, Sukhbaatar, Dundgov, Dornogov, Omnogov, Bayankhongor, Gov-Altai, Bayan-Olgii, Khovd, Uvs, Zavkhan and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This guide was fantastic and very detailed."
"Very good guide."
"We were in Ulaanbaatar for 2 days and this guide made it very easy for us to plan."
"Good book to get oriented to the large country."
"This book was adequate to the task for our trip to Mongolia."
"Has a lot of information that is not online."
Best Asian Georgia Travel Guides
Winner, James Beard Award for Best Book of the Year, International (2017). Winner, IACP Award for Best Cookbook of the Year in Culinary Travel (2017) Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by The Boston Globe , Food & Wine , The Los Angeles Times , The New York Times , The New York Times Book Review , The San Francisco Chronicle , USA Today , and The Wall Street Journal. More than 125 recipes, framed with stories and photographs of people and places, introduce us to a culinary paradise where ancient legends and ruins rub shoulders with new beginnings—where a wealth of history and culinary traditions makes it a compelling place to read about for cooks and travelers and for anyone hankering to experience the food of a wider world. Through rich storytelling and recipes from her travels, Duguid explores the culinary heritage that unites Iran, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kurdistan.” —Food & Wine “Brilliant. One of the most excitingly accessible books of the season, combining nuanced diasporic traditions, straightforward recipes and easy-to-find ingredients.” —USA Today “In lieu of a Persian grandmother . With one foot in the old world and one in the new, Ms. Duguid does a beautiful job of translating complex concoctions into accurate, easy-to-follow recipes that reflect not just the flavors but the spirit of the countries that once made up the Persian Empire. —The Wall Street Journal “For years [Naomi Duguid] has been writing deep-dive books with a photographic National Geographic bent and recipes that work. Duguid captures dishes that reflect history and culture while being simply what’s on the table.” — The Los Angeles Times , Our Favorite Cookbooks of Fall 2016. Taste of Persia opens with a map, which illustrates Ms. Duguid’s wise observation that regional cooking doesn’t respect borders. “Naomi Duguid’s cookbooks belong to their own genre—they are unique travel journals studded with history, geography and ethnography, along with fabulous photos of the people she meets and the places she goes. Taste of Persia , Duguid’s latest, is a glorious trip through these five countries that once were part of the Persian empire.” —BookPage , Top Pick in Cookbooks. “A brilliant and beautiful book.” —Montreal Gazette “This book is not singularly about ‘Persian food.’ It is about a culinary region and culture, about transcending borders, about contextualizing a rich, edible heritage. The book celebrates unsung food artists who have shared their cooking practices and recipes through centuries of oral tradition and culture. Her previous award-winning titles, co-authored with Jeffrey Alford, include Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas , their first book, which won a James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year; Seductions of Rice ; Hot Sour Salty Sweet , also a James Beard Cookbook of the Year; Mangoes & Curry Leaves ; and Beyond the Great Wall .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Big hits: --saffron-cardamom cake-cookie things. --apricot-walnut rolled pastry that wouldn't seem out of place in a Scandinavian baking book. --Georgian beef stew with walnuts that was declared "best ever" in our house (fair warning: this involved some marigold spice mix that I happened to have on hand already, but I think the technique and other, more common ingredients are what make the magic here). --that silky, lovely Kurdish eggplant stew. --borani (veg with yogurt and fried onions...that I'm going downstairs to make right now...). Thanks for opening a window on a lovely part of the world!"
"As someone who was taught by many Iranian friends and relatives how to cook Persian & Turkish food, I can say that the recipes are a very good, authentic and delicious representation of the area's cuisine."
"When I lived in Germany in the early 90s I dated a Persian and spent a lot of time in the Persian community."
"This awesome cookbook is well worth getting as a hardcover, rather than kindle."
"I have nearly all Naomi Duguid's cookbooks."
"my Mother was so happy with thiis it has easy recapies easy to follow and beautiful photos!"
"This gorgeous, intelligent book gives you just enough cultural context to more. fully appreciate the many stunningly flavorful recipes."
"Beautiful book."
Best Mauritius Travel Guides
This book describes the bird life of the region embracing Madagascar, the Seychelles group, the Comoros and the Mascarenes (comprising Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues) – a region that hosts nearly 400 species, many endemic. Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands is the comprehensive guide to the bird life of a region that embraces Madagascar, the Seychelles group, the Comoros and the Mascarenes (comprising Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues). In-flight illustrations present the bird from above and below, providing comprehensive coverage of the birds in the field.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Admittedly, with relatively few birds, searching the book was fairly easy, but the addition of the quick reference inside the two covers was so helpful to a non expert like myself."
"As in any guide, not all subspecies are listed but this volume seems comprehensive enough yet is handy size for field trips."
"This is a very nice field guide with excellent illustrations, range maps and everything you need to identify the birds you see."
"A pretty inclusive Guide for the area -- worth having and reading."
"Perfect field guide."
"Basically the only one and nice for a very specialized region."
"The range maps are virtually useless and the comments on bird frequency are preposterous."
Best Maldives Travel Guides
Get to the heart of Maldives and begin your journey now! Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including customs, history, art, literature, music, dance, architecture, politics, wildlife, and cuisine Over 22 local maps Covers Male, Ari Atoll, Utheemu, Rasdhoo Atoll, Gan, Baa, South Male Atoll, North Male Atoll, Raa, Noonu, Addu Atoll, Haa Alifu, and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book covers all the details that you really need to know and would have never thought that you should need to know!"
"great resource for folks going to Maldives especially since Yelp and Google maps arent quite mature yet."
"very helpful for my visit to Maldives."
"The maldives edition is less informative than its usual prints."
"Guides well thanks a lot."
"Some pages badly printed."
Best Hong Kong Travel Guides
Ride the hair-raising tram to Victoria Peak, feast on seafood at Temple Street Night Market, or hike the delightful Hong Kong Trail; all with your trusted travel companion. Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - food, cinema, architecture, day trips, history, itineraries, culture, shopping, religion, art, music, theatre, literature Free, convenient pull-out Hong Kong map (included in print version), plus over 35 colour maps Covers Central, Wan Chai, Aberdeen, Kowloon, the Peak, Lamma Island, Lantau Island, Cheung Chau, Macau and more. Check out Lonely Planet Make My Day: Hong Kong for a unique guide that allows you to create your own itineraries. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This guide has some great information."
"Informative, to the point and never, but never misguides the traveler."
"Good tips, updated and complete."
"I've been to Hong Kong before, but it's been a few years."
"Excellent book, very informative, and updated."
"I've been finding Lonely Planet a bit erratic recently, but the Hong Kong guide seems to be back to their best standard."
"Well set out with numerous options for each of the many areas one can visit."
"As for the travel guide, I found it only adequate."