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Title Author Description

10 Best of Everything		 Susan H. Magsamen This is the ultimate guide for both travelers and travelers with families. This book is published by National Geographic and is chock full of valuable information. Regions of the USA are separated into "10 best" lists including chapter one which provides mostly low cost or free activities including, favorite ice cream spots, farmer's markets, regional specialties and more.

There are a plethora of itineraries also covered including National and International trips. Specific chapters and sections describe the best festivals, national parks, zoos, famous road trips etc. Author Susan Magsamen has written a book organized regionally that is packed with practical very useful travel information. This is a must have for families who enjoy traveling.
  

All Aboard, The Complete North American Train Travel Guide		 Jim Loomis This (3rd edition) is the definitive book to train travel in North America. The recent train movie "Unstoppable" starring Denzel Washington won't put a stop to the increase in train travel. High gas prices, hassles in airports etc have helped contribute to an increase in ridership over the past few years.

The chapter "how it all began" provides excellent perspective and history of trains in the United States. and details common train questions for first time riders and veterans alike. This book can be used to help plan your trips as it details actual schedules, budgeting, packing and much more. In addition for those interested in "how it all works", there is a chapter by this name detailing everything from the tracks, the coupling, power, the train cars and more. Jim has ridden over 140,000 miles on trains and has ridden every one of Amtrak's routes at least once!


AWOL on the Appalachian Trail		 David Miller Join David as he hikes the length of the Appalachian trail - "through hikers" (those hiking the length of the trail assign themselves nicknames and his is AWOL. This is a good read for anyone considering doing this hike. Join AWOL he describes the day to day hiking that one would have on a hike of this magnitude - including stops, food, and the characters he meets,

Fruit & Nuts		 Susanna Lyle This is a fabulous 475+ page full color book with excellent detailed descriptions about each of the highlighted fruits and nuts. There are accompanying photos for each item. Several of our own photographs are even included! This book is extensive and thorough in its descriptions; it is a must have for anyone interested in temperate and subtropical fruit and nut plants. Over 300 species are presented.
  

How to Rent Vacation
Properties by Owner		 Christine Hrib Karpinski This is a must have book for anyone who owns property, doesn't live there full time and wants to earn additional income. 26 chapters cover everything from insurance to advertising to furnishings, to maintenance to details as mundane as bed sheets! The author also covers financially prudent ways to own a vacation home - without retaining property managers. This is a very comprehensive guide down to the smallest details.
  

LP Best Ever Travel Tips		 Tom Hall This small 100 page pocket book offers up the best travel tips, secrets and advice from travel experts. Its small enough that it will easily fit in a pocket. The hole in the upper part of the book allows one to hang this from outside of your luggage adding an additional cool factor to any backpack. Topics range from packing, money, health, safety, airports, hotels and more. In addition discover the best value deals, learn about upgrading and how to stay safe on the road.
 


No More Heroes		 Henry Biernacki This is the story of a relationship that develops between young traveler Niklas and an older woman Suria (Foxy); she is not a traveler. Much of the story takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area and explores their individual perspectives on life. With the travelers perspective, Niklas initially believes his own experiences are enriching Suria's life but later on he
realizes the wisdom of her years are enriching his own life.

By the end of the story Niklas has lost one friend but gained another. He travels to Nepal to come to grips with the loss of his friend and to spread her ashes. Strength of dialogue, a special relationship that develops and introspective human observations are at the heart of this story.
 

Scandalous Metropolitan:
Tokyo Street Scenes		 Kim Laughton
Holly Stephens		 Scandalous Metropolitan is one of the more unusual books that has come across our desk. It represents three years of work photographing Tokyo. The inside cover can almost be used as a mirror it is so reflective. In a way this is only a foreshadow of the book's content. This is a photography book that captures reflections of of the "coolest city in the world" with photos loosely capturing a 24 hour period. This book covers many angles which makes Tokyo such a unique city, a photography collage if you will. Eclectic fashion, the homeless man making dolls out of fabric and ribbons, nightlife, the ubiquitous fast food restaurants, Japan's love affair with vending machines, neon, alive Tokyo, sleeping Tokyo, and much more. This is the perfect conversation starter small coffee table book.
  

Secret America		 Barb Karg
Rick Sutherland		 This interesting book covers the gamut of American secrecy. The information contained within its covers are not found in your typical high school history book! From super secret societies which contain a plethora of influential individuals such as the men's only Bohemian Club or the Bilderberg Group to information about the US currency possibly including "secret symbols", this book guides readers from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

It should be no surprise that names such as Dan Brown are mentioned a number of times. An entire chapter is devoted to the nation's "secret capital", Washington DC with additional chapters covering secret symbols, handshakes, places, religions, history and much more.

Seeing is Believing		 Ripley's Believe it or Not "Seeing is Believing" from Ripley's Believe It or Not, is not your typical picture and caption book. The cover features a hologram type image of a very real human eyeball. Turning the pages, quickly leads one through a maze of the world's wackiest, weirdest and wildest stories and events. Read about the child raised by dogs, the worlds smallest muscle man, how a man's site was restored 60 years after he lost his vision in WWII and hundreds of other at times "unbelievable" stories. The book is organized in 12 sections each with stories more incredible than the next. Robert Ripley was obsessive about travel and during his life visited over 200 countries collecting odds and ends and searching for stories for his written column. This book would certainly make him proud.
 

Signspotting III		 Doug Lansky Signspotting III is the latest book from master Signspotter compiler Doug Lansky. This is a collection of weird, misspelled, unusual uses of the English language and other entertaining signs from around the world. You may have seen Doug's signs in your local newspaper especially in the travel section. This book compiles some very entertaining signs including a plethora of bathroom humor, irony, signs that just don't make sense and much more. Also part of the humor of this book are the author's actual written commentary about each sign. Doug has compiled over 40,000 pictures of weird and interesting signs over his lifetime and this book contains some of the best out there. He invites you to send in your own interesting signs - visit his website: www.signspotting.com
 

The Coolest Race on Earth		 John Hanc This is the latest book by John Hanc, a contributing editor to Runner's World Magazine and contributing writer to Newsday. He describes his passion for running and ultimately how it takes him to Antarctica to run a full length 26.2 mile marathon in part to celebrate his 50th birthday. An unusual group of individuals join him down under including the first person to try and complete the marathon in a wheelchair, a marathon "pro" who at the time had run 310 marathons, and three grandmothers hoping to ride a bicycle on all 7 continents!

The story is fast paced yet provides a balance with race history intertwined with Antarctica history. Did you know that one year this marathon was held entirely on the ship due to bad weather! Black and white photos help bring the story alive. This is an excellent read for anyone who is already a "runner" and or for someone looking to do something totally different - and especially for those of you who are armchair travelers.
 

The Freeways of Los Angeles		 David Thompson It is hard to review your own book and not be biased - but writing this review should theoretically be easy! The Freeways of Los Angeles highlights all the major freeways in the Los Angeles and Orange County Metropolitan Regions. Short descriptions are provided about each freeway which in part includes their common names, photographs, special geographic features, and other items of interest. Part entertaining, part historical and part obsessive, this book is an entertaining read. In all likelihood, tourists and locals alike in la Cuidad de Los Angeles will find this book useful and informative.
 

The Titanic Awards		 Doug Lansky Brought to you by the author who wrote "Signspotting" this latest book celebrates everything related to the worst of travel. From an airline sacrificing a goat on the runway to try and solve technical problems to nasty toilets this book covers the ABC's of bad travel. There are three ways to win a "Titanic Award", public voting, official studies and editors choice. A number of travel experts have been interviewed and some of their worst travel experiences are listed. This is a great book to bring with you on the plane - it is the "realities" of travel through and through and certainly a conversation starter.
 

Weep for the Living		 Anne Butler Anne Butler is a mystery writer from the small town of St. Francisville in southern Louisiana. She was married to a respected retired criminologist who used to work for the infamous Angola prison nearby. One day while relaxing on her porch her husband comes home with a .38 gun. Amazingly she survived multiple gunshots without hospitalization for 2 hours before help arrived. Anne is a survivor and this story provides some frank answers with compassion and even a bit of humor.
 

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