Scenic Driving Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park

Customer Reviews:

Not the best book, and there is an updated version available.......2006-07-17

Amazon is not so great about removing older versions of books and this is one example - if you are going to buy it, get the 2006 version. Now, about the 1999 version....I will agree that it is helpful for driving through the park, but it's only good if you are traveling in the direction she has written it in. For example, if you are traveling a particular leg from north to south but she has written the guide traveling south to north, it is really difficult to follow. The book Yellowstone Treasures by Janet Chapple is written with mile markers regardless of which direction you are traveling in, so I recommend it over this one. Chapple's book is also more comprehensive.

Scenic Driving: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.......2006-02-28

I love the detailed descriptions she writes mile by mile which will be very helpful to have in the car as I drive through the parks myself. It has also prepared me for what to look for.

As a "map lover" I like the detailed maps of different sections of the park even more. But . . . I have two complaints: 1) Her maps do not include everything she describes. To me, that is the purpose of a zoomed in map of one section of the park! 2) In her written description she talks way too much about the fire of 1988! But overall I have found the book helpful in my preparation for a visit to both parks and plan to carry it with me.

Great reference and take along guide.......2005-10-06

I purchased many books as a reference for our first trip to Yellowstone, this is the one book I decided to take with us and we used it everyday, the information given was interesting and easy to follow. We felt like we had our own personal guide. Would recommend this book to anyone.

This is a great book!.......2005-08-10

My kids and I just got back from Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and this book made our trip even better than it would have been without it. The funny thing is that I almost didn't buy this book. I refused to be one of those people who experience Yellowstone from my car, so a book called "Scenic Driving" didn't appeal to me at first. But Yellowstone is so huge that even if you plan to hike every day you still need to drive between trailheads, and as a result, you spend a lot of time in the car. My 13-year-old son narrated the entire drive and we ended up seeing things and doing things that we wouldn't have otherwise done. This book helped us understand what we were seeing and led us down roads I would have passed up if it weren't for this book telling us what was around that corner. (By the way, "A Ranger's Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes" was a great book too!) I can't recommend this book enough. It's a must!

Scenic Driving Yellowstone and Grand Teton national park.......2004-01-09

We used our copy of this book to plan our main drives around both parks. Except for a very few instances the scenes were exactly as described and exactly where they were supposed to be. The wildlife viewing recommendations for the most part were spot on. We recommend this a an invaluable resource for those planning to drive most of the roads and entrances to both parks. We lent our well beaten copy to other couples since our return and both couples raved about how useful this book was to their planning and daily events.

The Grand Tour: Being a Revelation of Matters of High Confidentiality and Greatest Importance, Including Extracts from the Intimate Diary of a Noblewoman and the Sworn Testimony of a Lady of Quality

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Kate & Cecy take on Europe and treachery
Change in style and mystery...
Who's up for round two?
What an AWSOME book!
The Grand Conspiracy

The Grand Tour: Being a Revelation of Matters of High Confidentiality and Greatest Importance, Including Extracts from the Intimate Diary of a Noblewoman and the Sworn Testimony of a Lady of Quality
Patricia C. Wrede , and Caroline Stevermer
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 015204616X

Amazon.com

In this elegant, old-fashioned rambler, a sequel to the historical fantasy Sorcery and Cecilia, a party of five Brits (three of them are wizards)--Kate and Thomas Schofield, Cecy and James Tarleton, and Lady Sylvia--takes a "grand tour" of 19th-century Europe. What promises to be a pleasant exploration of old world antiquities and fancy shops turns out to be an adventure of a lifetime when Cecy receives a mysterious alabaster flask (a coronation treasure) from an agitated Lady in Blue. Before they know it, they are wrapped up in a magical conspiracy to take over Europe.

Written in two voices by two different authors, the novel alternates between Cecy's deposition and excerpts from her dear friend and cousin Kate's diary. Despite the crisp, clever dialogue and wonderful character subtleties in this Jane Austen-style comedy of manners, readers may be confused by the episodic nature of the novel whose mysteries take their sweet time in unfolding. Teens with the patience to savor this slow-as-molasses grand tour, however, will be amply rewarded by the novel's myriad delights. (Ages 14 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Kate and Cecy and their new husbands, Thomas and James, are off on a Grand Tour. Their plans? To leisurely travel about the Continent, take in a few antiquities, and--of course--purchase fabulous Parisian wardrobes.

But once they arrive in France, mysterious things start to happen. Cecy receives a package containing a lost coronation treasure, Thomas's valet is assaulted, and Kate loses a glove. Soon it becomes clear that they have stumbled upon a dastardly, magical plot to take over Europe.

Now the four newlyweds must embark on a daring chase to thwart the evil conspiracy. And there's no telling the trouble they'll get into along the way. For when you mix Kate and Cecy and magic, you never know what's going to happen next!

Customer Reviews:

Kate & Cecy take on Europe and treachery.......2007-09-14

This is a direct sequel to the authors' Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, told alternately through Cecy Tarleton's "deposition to the joint representatives of the British Ministry of Magic" and entries in Kate Schofield's "commonplace book," or journal. The two cousins have just married their gentlemen and are setting off on the Grand Tour of Europe. Before they've done more than land in France, a mysterious "Lady in Blue" bestows on them a small vial of unknown provenance--and someone immediately attempts to steal it. Gradually the two couples learn that various items of traditional coronation regalia from countries all over Europe have been disappearing without a trace, and that their vial is one of them. And their old foe Sir Hilary Bedrick has turned up dead in Paris. Ultimately they discover that an Italian magician, in an effort to forestall Bonaparte several years earlier, has created a spell to apply "modern theories of magic" to the ancient traditional coronation rituals and legitimize a pan-European ruler. Unfortunately unscrupulous people have found out about it and are taking steps to crown a puppet ruler--a young Englishman who has no idea what's in store for him. The quest of the Tarletons and Schofields to forestall them leads from Paris to Venice and across the Alps to Nemi, with intrigue, narrow escapes, and magic aplenty; in fact, this volume in the series begins to explicate more clearly the way in which magic works in this alternate Universe, and although longer than its predecessor is at least as quick-moving and, in my opinion, more exciting and suspenseful, while retaining the wry humor of the first book. And, since the quartet are already safely married, there's less of the romantic entanglements that characterized the latter. For those who enjoy light fantasy with a strong leaven of political suspense, "The Grand Tour" should make a perfect read.

Change in style and mystery..........2007-08-26

Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot told the story via letters exchanged between Cecy and Kate. In The Grad Tour the story is told by entries in Kate's (now Lady Schofield) commonplace book and Cecy's (now Mrs. James Tarleton) deposition to the Joint Representatives of the British Ministry of Magic, the War Office, and the Foreign Office. Cecy and Kate are on their honeymoon with their husbands (Cecy's James and Kate's Thomas), Lady Sylvia, and assorted servants. Of course Lady Sylvia will be staying in Paris where she makes her home. But as soon as they land in France, they are involved in mysterious events: the delivery of a strange bottle of scent, a robbery, a servant who is missing, and the news from the British representative that coronation regalia is being stolen throughout Europe and that two couples on their Grand Tour are just the ones to solve the case.

The story is cleverly written in diary entries and depositions. Cecy and Kate are very independent women of their times. They know the rules and follow them but within that they stand their own ground and their husbands have come to understand that there is no way to protect them when they decide to act.

If you enjoy the period following the Napoleonic Wars and comedies of manners, you'll enjoy these books. The characters are well drawn and the mystery is convoluted and in some ways simple. You think you have it all figured out quite handily and then in the end it takes a weird but logical turn. The characters are all so of their times that only the addition of magic takes it from being a historical to a fantasy mystery.

Who's up for round two?.......2007-06-06

I was shocked to find this book on my weekly bookstore wanderings. I had no idea these imaginitive writers planned on another adventure and I immediately snatched it to see what Kate and Cecy were up to now. I confess this book was not as good as the first, but well worth the time to read. The first book interested me to the point that I could not put it down however, the second seemed to lag on a bit. Despite its minor flaws, I loved it. The character development and the Grand Tour in general was magical. After reading Grand Tour I did not expect a third, but there was one. I could not help myself. It is like going to a highschool reunion every time I see another of Wrede and Stevermer's books on the shelves.

What an AWSOME book!.......2007-04-20

I suggest checking out all three of Cecelia books. They are just great. A little magic, a little mystery, a little romance, makes a LOT of these books. It is probably one of the best series since Harry Potter and Charlie Bone, but this one is written about two young WOMEN! If you like the stylings of historical romance novels, but without the naughty parts, then you should really read this series!

The Grand Conspiracy.......2007-03-31

The Grand Tour (2003) is the second Historical Fantasy in the Cecy & Kate Series, following Sorcery and Cecelia. In the previous volume, Miranda found her full age catching up with her and Kate told a bouncer to the Prince of Wales. Then Sir Hilary captured Cecy and James, but Aunt Elizabeth and Mr. Wrexton showed up unexpectedly. While Sir Hilary was fighting off the intruders, James clouted him with a chair.

After Kate told off Aunt Charlotte (and infuriated Georgy), she found enough time to discuss marriage and love with Thomas. Cecy also coaxed a proposal out of James. Then Mr. Wrexton proposed to Aunt Elizabeth. The three couples were married within three weeks after some hasty posting of banns. Since Kate's father had died five years before, Arthur Rushton gave away both his own daughter and his niece. However, Aunt Elizabeth apparently gave herself away to Mr. Wrexton.

In this novel, in the fall of 1817, Lady Sylvia is returning to Paris after the weddings. Kate and Thomas are planning on traveling with her and then extending their honeymoon excursion to other cities on the continent. They invite the Tarleton couple to travel with them. As usual, James is initially reluctant, but Cecy convinces him to accept the offer. Still, James insists on discussing the trip in more detail with Thomas over drinks at the club.

Lady Sylvia is eager to return to Paris and the party travels straight to Dover. Since the winds are against them, the party spends the night in a local inn and catches the packet boat first thing in the morning. Cecy is dismayed to find herself very seasick. Lady Sylvia explained that mal de mer is common to partially trained mages, but the problem should cease after she learns the orisons and invocations. Also, creating a focus for herself should help.

At Calais, the packet ship had to anchor offshore since quays had not yet been built to accommodate the influx of travellers. The party is taken ashore in small boats and then carried through the surf by teams of brawny men. They reached dry land with barely a sprinkle of spray drops on their clothes; except for Kate, of course, who manages to wet the whole front of her skirt.

Since Cecy was still weak from the voyage, they decide to spend a few days in Calais before continuing on their journey. They receive an alabaster flask of oil from a middle-aged woman who only refers to herself as the "Lady in Blue". Then they have dinner with Beau Brummel and ceiling plaster falls onto their table. The dinner is resumed outside -- minus the fish course -- and the conversation continues. Before leaving, Brummel advises Thomas to create a new focus as soon as may be.

After the dinner with Brummel, Lady Sylvia retires to her chambers, but is wakened by an intruder. The person leaves so precipitously that a slipper is left behind. Later, the slipper is traced to Lord William Montjoy, who reports both slippers and a dressing gown stolen from his rooms. This incident causes Lady Sylvia to hastily depart the inn and travel on to Amiens.

In this story, the party encounters both old and new enemies, including Harry Strangle, who is now the tutor of Theodore Daventer. On the road to Paris, they are stopped by road agents and forced to give up their valuables, including the alabaster flask. In Paris, Sir Hilary Bedrick is found dead in a room in the Parisian slums.

Kate and Cecy finally acquire maids for the rest of their travels. Kate hires an English woman who is related to one of Lady Sylvia's operatives, but Cecy interviews many candidates without finding anyone who meets her standards. When James and Thomas interrogate a French woman who had married an Englishman, Cecy suddenly decides that she is the perfect one for the position and hires Madame Walker. To the men's astonishment, Walker is an excellent addition to the party.

Duke Wellington has a discussion with the Tarletons at a party and asks that they and the Schofields investigate some thefts of coronation regalia in various countries in Europe. By this time, Lady Sylvia and the honeymooners are beginning to suspect some of their acquaintances of wrong doings and willingly agree to undertake the investigation for the Duke. Lady Sylvia stays in Paris, but the honeymooners continue on toward Milan.

Unlike the first volume, this novel dwells much more on the ancient peoples and places of Europe. Cecy's Papa provides the honeymooners with a detailed list of ancient places to visit and later adds the names of some of his peers to consult on such antiquities. Naturally, these few almost illegible pages become central to the plot.

Highly recommended for Wrede & Stevermer fans and for anyone else who enjoy tales of international conspiracy, hazardous journeys, and high magic.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Moon Handbooks Wyoming: Including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Fifth Edition

Average customer rating:

Great book, very helpful
Excellent travel book, excellent value
Wyoming Handbook - Moon Travel Handbooks
Yes, the best guide there is to Wyoming
An outstanding guidebook to a beautiful piece of America.

Moon Handbooks Wyoming: Including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Fifth Edition
Don Pitcher
Manufacturer: Avalon Travel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1566914949

Book Description

Rugged and awe-inspiring, Wyoming provides the visitor with a visual feast -- jagged mountains, clear lakes, flowing rivers, and rolling plains -- and Don Pitcher's newly revised Moon Handbooks Wyoming offers all the practical know-how to enjoy a trip to this scenic wonder. This guidebook provides extensive coverage of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, including accommodations in the parks, camping information, up-to-date website listings, and full descriptions of lodgings, dining, shopping and culture in gateway towns. Pitcher expertly guides visitors to these two parks, pointing out their must-see features, both on and off the beaten path. Yes, you get Old Faithful, but you also get great coverage of the backcountry too. Additional sites covered include the Black Hills, Devil's Tower, Medicine Wheel, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Great book, very helpful.......2005-07-06

In preparation for our two-week trip to Wyoming, I purchased this book and read as much as I had time for beforehand. During our trip, I found it to be a handy reference for whatever area we were in (mostly Yellowstone/Grand Tetons). The detail is great and some of our lodging choices and attraction choices were made with reference to the book and it was always accurate. I highly recommend it for those heading to Wyoming.

Excellent travel book, excellent value.......2002-10-14

An outstanding guide to a wonderful state. One book, of course, cannot cover all there is about any area this big, but this book does an outstanding job for Wyoming's history, lodging, attractions, background information, etc.

As for any area, it's good to supplement with other specialized topic and / or area guides, but for a general guide to a large state, this one does a great job.

Logically arranged, well-written, and very readable, you can almost read it straight through; it's one of the better travel guides available.

Wyoming Handbook - Moon Travel Handbooks.......2002-02-22

I happened on this book in the library and thought it was the best travel book I have ever used. This is nothing missed in this handbook. Great maps and advise.

Yes, the best guide there is to Wyoming.......2001-06-05

Most of the "name brand" travel guides are for fly-by tourists (though I do appreciate Frommer's guides much more than the rest of the big names). Well, if those books are for tourists, then Moon's handbooks (along with Lonely Planet's guides) are for TRAVELERS. And Moon's Wyoming Handbook is, as others here have said, one of their best. It's thick, it's juicy, it's meaty, it's expansive, it's authoritative and wry. So wherever you are in that great big "empty" terrain, it's got some practical information for and historical and cultural insight into places all around.

Wyoming has fewer people than any other state (yes, fewer than Rhode Island and Alaska). But it's places of interest are many and varied, though scattered far and wide. You need a good guide and a GOOD READ to cover the miles and the days. I admire author Don Pitcher's efforts here.

If you choose one guidebook, make it Moon's Wyoming Handbook. If you'd like to get a second general guide to the region for comparison and cross-reference (including more descriptive listings of selected accommodations), I'd add Frommer's guide to Wyoming, which includes Montana as well.

An outstanding guidebook to a beautiful piece of America........1999-10-17

By far the best guidebook to the entire state of Wyoming, with excellent detailed sections on Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The book, which is superior to some others in the Moon series, is a labor of love by the author for the land, people, and small towns of the state. Pitcher provides great detail on what to see everywhere; colorful local and regional histories; and affectionate, slightly tongue-in-cheek descriptions of small towns. Sure to enhance a visit of any length.

A Unified Grand Tour of Theoretical Physics, 2nd edition

Average customer rating:

The book is laced with penetrating little insights delivered

A Unified Grand Tour of Theoretical Physics, 2nd edition
Ian D. Lawrie
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0750306041

Book Description

A unified account of the principles of theoretical physics, A Unified Grand Tour of Theoretical Physics, Second Edition stresses the inter-relationships between areas that are usually treated as independent. The profound unifying influence of geometrical ideas, the powerful formal similarities between statistical mechanics and quantum field theory, and the ubiquitous role of symmetries in determining the essential structure of physical theories are emphasized throughout. This second edition conducts a grand tour of the fundamental theories that shape our modern understanding of the physical world. The book covers the central themes of space-time geometry and the general relativistic account of gravity, quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, gauge theories and the fundamental forces of nature, statistical mechanics, and the theory of phase transitions. The basic structure of each theory is explained in explicit mathematical detail with emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than on the technical details of specialized applications. The book gives straightforward accounts of the standard models of particle physics and cosmology.

Customer Reviews:

The book is laced with penetrating little insights delivered.......1998-09-15

A conducted grand tour of the fundamental theories which shape our modern understanding of the physical world. This book covers the central themes of spacetime geometry and the general-relativistic account of gravity; quantum mechanics and quantum field theory; gauge theories and the fundamental forces of nature, statistical mechanics and the theory of phase transitions. The basic structure of each theory is explained in explicit mathematical detail with emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than on the technical details of specialized applications. Straightforward accounts are given of the standard models of particle physics and cosmology, and some of the more speculative ideas of modern theoretical physics are examined. This book is unique in bringing together the diverse areas of physics which are usually treated as independent. Designed to be accessible to final year undergraduates in physics and mathematics and to provide first year graduate students with a broad introductory view of theoretical physics, it will also be of interest to scientists and engineers in other disciplines who need an account of the subject at a level intermediate between semi-popular and technical research.

Average customer rating:

Really a continuation of "Saturn"
rather pedantic
Not bad sequel to _Saturn_, more science this time

Titan (The Grand Tour)
Ben Bova
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0765343150

Book Description

Hugo Award-winning editor, author, scientist, and journalist, Ben Bova is a modern master of near-future science fiction and a passionate advocate of manned space exploration.For more than a decade, Bova has been chronicling humanity's struggles to colonize our solar system in a series of interconnected novels known as 'The Grand Tour.' Now, with Titan, Ben Bova takes readers to one of the most intriguing destinations in near space: the extraordinary moon of Saturn which made international headlines last year when the Huygens probe sent back remarkable images of its strange landscapes.2095. After long months of travel, the gigantic colony ship Goddard has at last made orbit around Saturn, carrying a population of more than of 10,000 dissidents, rebels, extremists, and visionaries seeking a new life. Among Goddard's missions is the study of Titan, which offers the tantalizing possibility that life may exist amid its windswept islands and chill black seas. When the exploration vessel Titan Alpha mysteriously fails after reaching the moon's surface, long buried tensions surface among the colonists. Eduoard Urbain, the mission's chief scientist, is wracked with anxiety and despair as he sees his life's work unravel. Malcolm Eberly, Goddard's chief administrator, takes ruthless measures to hold onto power as a rash of suspicious incidents threaten to undermine his authority. Holly Lane, the colony's human-resources director, must confront the station's powerful leaders to protect the lives of its people. And retired astronaut Manuel Gaeta is forced to risk his life in a last, desperate attempt to salvage the lost probe. Torn by intrigue, sabotage, and an awesome discovery that could threaten human space exploration, a handful of courageous men and women must fight for the survival of their colony, and for the destiny of the human race.

Customer Reviews:

Really a continuation of "Saturn".......2007-10-09

A light read, but reasonably enjoyable. Starts in where
"Saturn" left off. A little weak on orbital mechanics.

rather pedantic.......2007-09-16

Overall, I found the story itself rather boring and unintersting. The underlying politics and personal interactions that should drive the story are woefully unimpressive. Bova displays a very simplistic and naive approach that results in characters adopting almost comical imitations of what an outsider would expect to happen. Oubain's psychotic and neurotic reactions to his "beast's" behavior was laughable. The fact that none of the so-called scientists on Goddard was able to figure out what happened is not realistic. The administrative politics was on the level of high school antics. Finally, the whole notion that an academic body on Earth would "ban" mining the rings of Saturn for water is not only proposterous (who would actually listen to them), but flies in the face of logic. Let's see, Earth's oceans have life, maybe humans should stay out of and off of them as well. All in all a quite disappointing read. It's also sad when you've covered 2/3 of a book and little has happened.

Not bad sequel to _Saturn_, more science this time .......2007-06-30

_Titan_ by Ben Bova is the sequel to his earlier novel _Saturn_, part of his Grand Tour series of novels set in the solar system of the late 21st century. It picks up about a year or so after the events of _Saturn_ and it would be helpful if not essential for a reader to have read the earlier novel first.

Much like with _Saturn_, much time is spent on the politics, intrigue, and personal lives of people on the station _Goddard_ though unlike with the novel _Saturn_ the intrigue this time is more closely tied in with the science of the mission. Some might be frustrated by the book's concentration on story elements not directly related to science but they do tie in well with the science and the pace of the book is very brisk.

Essentially, there are four main story elements though other characters do have arcs of their own. Malcolm Eberly, the power-hungry, suave, and manipulative chief administrator, is trying to sow up the next election and is working hard to buy off or counter any potential rivals. Holly Lane, the station's chief of human resources (in addition to contending with romantic issues and a visit by her sister from the colony of Selene, Pancho Lane) is trying to come to grip with issues of the station's future - specifically, whether or not people on the station can start having children. Dr. Edouoard Urbain is obsessed with trying to get his malfunctioning robotic rover on the surface of Titan, named _Titan Alpha_, up and running again after some mysterious complete and total break in communications with the probe occurred after it landed. Finally, Nadia Wunderly, the scientist who made the amazing discovery in _Saturn_ of the apparent existence of life in Saturn's rings, is desperate to try to follow up on her experiments and stop proposals to mine the rings for water.

If you liked _Saturn_, you will like _Titan_, as the pace is similar and nearly all of the characters from the first novel return in the second. As I mentioned, the pace is brisk, the book is quite readable, and this time there is a good bit more science in the novel. It wasn't the best of his Grand Tour series however (_Venus_ and _Jupiter_ were I think the best installments). Some of his characters, even by their own admission, were single-mined to the point of being almost one-dimensional characters (chiefly Dr. Urbain and Eberly), I think some of the writer's views on the differences about men and women when it comes to children was a bit antiquated feeling (but then who really knows what people will think on such matters a hundred years from now), and Holly Lane's slang ("I click," "'Kay," "prob'ly," "nossir", etc) while not constant, was frequent enough to be irritating, particularly since some of the contractions didn't make much sense to me and none of the other characters spoke like that (well, sometimes Pancho did). Bova might have been trying for local color with Holly, maybe going for a youthful sounding individual, I don't know, but it really bothered me sometimes. I am trying to remember if she sounded that way in _Saturn_ or not. In the end though a pretty minor complaint, I don't mention it to drive away potential readers of the book, just something I had to get off of my chest.

Overall I did enjoy the book though and it did have an interesting twist at the end.

Sister Wendy's Grand Tour: Discovering Europe's Great Art

Average customer rating:

A Thoroughly Absorbing Book for the Lay-Person

Sister Wendy's Grand Tour: Discovering Europe's Great Art
Wendy Beckett
Manufacturer: Stewart Tabori & Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1556705093

Amazon.com

After the great success of her PBS series, Sister Wendy's Odyssey, here Sister Wendy takes a grand tour of 10 of Europe's great cities and capitals of art. Her passion for art has led her--with the readers of this book firmly in tow--to Goya and Velázquez in Madrid; Donatello and Botticelli in Florence; Caravaggio and Raphael in Rome; Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Vermeer in Amsterdam; and Kandinsky and Rubens in St. Petersburg. She also makes pilgrimages to artworks in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Venice, and Antwerp. Sister Wendy offers lucid, compassionate, and articulate commentaries about each of the cities and their great masterpieces--primarily paintings, although some sculptures are also examined. The tour concludes with a brief biographical section outlining the lives of each of the artists discussed. In the end, Sister Wendy doesn't set out to tell us which paintings are good and which are bad, she simply wants to share with us the art that she loves. This is art appreciation at its finest.

Customer Reviews:

A Thoroughly Absorbing Book for the Lay-Person.......2000-01-30

In a world where so many things compete for one's attention, the world of fine art is often overlooked for more contemporary and, as we often see it, more relevant media. This book opened up a whole new world for me as I read it, on an eight hour flight home to my native Britain from the US. I've since taken several art history courses and read a great deal more. Sister Wendy has had her critics in the art world, invariably from those elitists who would use art as a means to promote themselves, and perhaps don't wish to see any kind of knowledge or familiarity of great art trickle down to the person in the street. Sister Wendy, far from popularizing art in the trendy sense, individualizes it, not by personalizing it, but by humanizing it. While some of her interpretations may not always coincide with the the received criticism, she does something far more important and far more indicative of the true Christian nature of the woman; she humanizes it for us and thereby makes it accessible. What once looked like a painting of some people from the past on a balcony is now a comment on ourselves and our society, as relevant today as when it was painted, and that is the great truth Sister Wendy gave me: that art is not something to be afraid of but, like the great literature and music of the ages, with which many of us are infinitely more familiar, art is as important and as rich a source of the human experience, its moments and its continuity, as is any novel or symphony. I used to think that it was only given to a few people to really understand art, and that "I must not have a very visual mind" but I failed to see what is, in retrospect, quite stunningly obvious. Art was always, after all, meant to be seen, and with a little work to understand the references in a work, which viewers of the time would have often have immediately understood, and by not being afraid of it or thinking it obscure, one can find every bit as much satisfaction and humanity in a work of art as one can in literature. For me literature was always my habit, now, thanks to Sister Wendy, I have an art habit (all accusations of a very poor nun pun there are denied in the strongest possible terms). To be honest, I wasn't even all that interested in art. I knew nothing about it and didn't try to find out with any seriousness of intent, mostly because I thought it was all too terribly serious in itself and the arty people I knew all took themselves way too seriously. So, to her critics, I say, Sister Wendy has done more than anyone or anything I have encountered to truly bring art to the people, where it is meant to be. She does not jealously guard her knowledge of art, only to be shared with an elite few but, in true Christian spirit, is spreading an appreciation of it to those who might not otherwise care all that much, and gently opening up whole new amazing worlds for them. I thoroughly recommend this book to everyone.

Average customer rating:

Great book to have on the canyon for river runners
Field Guide to Grand Canyon
nice intro to canyon flora and fauna
best available guide to plants and wildlife
Concise, and yet thorough

A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon
Stephen Whitney
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0688013260

Customer Reviews:

Great book to have on the canyon for river runners.......2007-06-05

Loads of detail. Really liked this book.
- River and Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon by Kristin Huisinga, Lori Makarick and Kate Watters published 2006 by Mountain Press Publishing Company Missoula, Montana PO Box 2399, Missoula, Montana 59806 (406) 728-1900 Great book!
- "Guidebook to the Colorado River Part 1 Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon National Park (and Part 2 Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon National Park to Lake Mead Arizona-Nevada) Two BYU Geology Professors W. Kenneth Hamblin and J. Keith Rigby. Indepth mile by mile with some pictures etc. They are only $5 a piece. A publication of the Department of Geology, Brigham Young University Provo, Utah 84602.

Field Guide to Grand Canyon.......2006-11-11

Useful guide for visitors who are hiking, but limited use for river runners.

nice intro to canyon flora and fauna.......2006-06-12

This book was a nice introduction to the geology, plant and animal life of the grand canyon. It is small enough to take in your pack and is fun to read once you've arrived at camp and try to identify the plants, animals and strata you saw. Not too much specific information about any one species, strata, etc., but good general intros to flora, cacti, etc. I'd recommend it if it's your first hike in the canyon and you're just looking for a simple book to become familiar with the names of thing. You can find it in the gift shops on both rims too.

best available guide to plants and wildlife.......2005-04-14

Handy easy-to-use guide to birds, flowers, cacti, wildflowers, reptiles, mammals, geology of the grand canyon. Nothing like it anywhere.

Concise, and yet thorough.......2000-01-26

I agree with everything the previous reviewer said, except that I really like the overviews of Canyon geology and so on, and don't feel that those make to book too heavy to be useful as a field guide. This is probably the best and most informative guide for a hiker or visitor to the Grand Canyon to take along.

Saturn: A Novel of the Ringed Planet (The Grand Tour)

Average customer rating:

Bova knows his science, but doesn't really know his characters (or human nature) very well
Politics Within a Miniworld
Easy Read, Light on Plot - Borrow, Don't Buy
out of gas
Readable but not Great

Saturn: A Novel of the Ringed Planet (The Grand Tour)
Ben Bova
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0812579429
Release Date: 2004-08-26

Book Description

Second in size only to Jupiter, bigger than a thousand Earths but light enough to float in water, home of crushing gravity and delicate, seemingly impossible rings, it dazzles and attracts us:SATURNEarth groans under the thumb of fundamentalist political regimes. Crisis after crisis has given authoritarians the upper hand. Freedom and opportunity exist in space, for those with the nerve and skill to run the risks. Now the governments of Earth are encouraging many of their most incorrigible dissidents to join a great ark on a one-way expedition, twice Jupiter's distance from the Sun, to Saturn, the ringed planet that baffled Galileo and has fascinated astronomers ever since.But humans will be human, on Earth or in the heavens-so amidst the idealism permeating Space Habitat Goddard are many individuals with long-term schemes, each awaiting the tight moment. And hidden from them is the greatest secret of all, the real purpose of this expedition, known to only a few......

Customer Reviews:

Bova knows his science, but doesn't really know his characters (or human nature) very well.......2007-03-26

After reading "Saturn", I debated whether I was going to give it two or three stars; I debated whether I was even going to read more of the series (Grand Tour books: "Venus" (best so far), "Jupiter" (3 stars), "Saturn", "Mercury", "Titan" (same characters as "Saturn"), The Rock Wars books. Are the two Mars books part of this series? The two Moonbase books?). I will most likely at last read one more; and I gave "Saturn" two stars - but I want to believe that Titan will redeem this set of characters in Bova's Grand Tour solar system.

As with the other books in this series (at least the ones I have read), Earth is in the grip of governments controlled by fundamentalist regimes. The Space Habitat Goddard is launching on a one-way trip to Saturn orbit; it is full of scientists and technicians and support personnel with the purpose of studying Saturn and its moon Titan (which appears to have some simple life living on it), most of which are against the Earth's current rulers. But, is this habitat also a bigger social experiment being conducted by The New Morality, one of Earth's ruling regimes?

The Holy Disciples, another of Earth's ruling theocracies, recruits Malcolm Eberly, a believer and a successful conman, from a prison in Vienna to be the head of the Human Resources department and the mission of taking control of the habitat and ensuring a path of righteousness for its population. Of course, the habitat is full of spies - some Eberly is aware of and some he is not - and his failure would mean a return to Earth and prison.

Okay...so what? Too many characters, not enough depth, and the tiring of the theocratic government angle make this book mostly a disappointment. You can't even figure out who to root for...Eberly isn't really a believer, but his seeming megalomania and desire to be loved make him pretty flawed...Holly, his assistant, is pretty much vacuous...the other characters are obviously evil, small minded (or both), or not that interested in the larger picture. Not even the science, which you can usually rely on Bova making interesting and hold his books together, is minimal until the end.

At face value, I would say pass on this book, but the reviews for "Titan" imply that the science is good and more featured in the direct sequel (but the reviews also dismiss the characters and their storylines as pontless). And, the reviews are pretty favorable for "Mercury" the book published in between "Saturn" and "Titan". In the end, read the Ben Bova Grand Tour books for the science...characters are not his strong suit and they are usually shallow and stereotypical and must be endured for the interesting science.

Politics Within a Miniworld.......2006-08-10

Saturn (2003) is the third SF novel in the Planet Novel series, following Jupiter. In this novel, the Goddard habitat is leaving its lunar orbit and traveling to an orbit around Saturn. The largest minority group aboard the habitat is the scientists sent to study the Saturn system, especially the moon Titan. Although the sponsors are happy to see the last of this ungodly crew, the hidden purpose of the mission is really not to gather planetary data, but as an experiment in human society. The anthropologist James Wilmot is the project chief for this experiment and reports back to New Morality headquarters in Atlanta.

Malcolm Eberly was recruited by the Holy Disciples to accompany the ten thousand persons on the habitat. He is a former swindler who has been released from prison for the trip. He and others of the fundamentalist cadre are supposed to take over the administration and impose an authoritarian government. His primary assistants are Ruth Morgenthau, Sammi Vyborg and Leo Kananga.

Susan Lane, Pancho Lane's sister, decides to leave Selene and travel to Saturn orbit on the Goddard habitat. She is enamored with Eberly. With encouragement from Eberly, she changes her name to Holly Lane.

Two other members of the Saturn mission have been sent by Pancho Lane to keep an eye on Holly. Manuel Gaeta is a stuntman who hopes to the first man on Titan. Kris Cardenas is a Nobel Prize laureate for her work on nanotechnology; she was instrumental in the death of Dan Randolph and has been in self-exile in the Belt. Both are accepted by Eberly, but are having problems with Edouard Urbain, the chief scientist.

Eberly was appointed as Director of the Human Resources Department of the Goddard habitat, with Holly as his assistant. They screened all ten thousand of the inhabitants from volunteers selected by the project sponsors: the New Morality, the Holy Disciples and the Sword of Islam. For the most part, these volunteers have been released from prisons where they were sentenced for political crimes: secularism, political agitation, and free thinking.

While Holly is the main protaganist in this novel, Eberly is the chief character. With his vices and virtues, he is the primary driving force in the storyline. All the other characters are fanatics or show little personal development; for example, Holly is an adolescent fixated on Eberly as a form of rebellion against her sister. Like Hamlet, Eberly never really does anything decisive, yet his feeble attempts at personal freedom set the stage for what little action occurs within the plotline.

This novel continues the tale of an Earth devastated by Global Warming and ruled by a coalition of religious fundamentalists. The natives are revolting and the fundamentalists are finding pure force to be less effective. Now they are trying subtle force and planning far ahead. The Goddard habitat is only one aspect of this plan.

Recommended for Bova fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of personal liberties, political manipulation, and social development.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Easy Read, Light on Plot - Borrow, Don't Buy.......2005-10-17

Bova's book Saturn describes the numerous plots and internal shenanigans of a crew headed for the ringed planet. We have the religious fundamentalists, the cynical politicians who try to manipulate everyone to their will, the spacy academics who focus on hard science and little else, and the anti-establishment folks who are trying to escape a cloying religious fanatic-led environment on earth. Needless to say, nearly every one of these characters has a very predictable role to play. There aren't any surprises on the USS Goddard, the giant exploration ship that takes this motley crew to Saturn. Its an easy read with fairly decent character development. More like a John Grisham novel than sophisticated science fiction. Buy it (better yet, borrow it!) for the beach.

out of gas.......2005-09-09

Dismal writing performance. Just as blah as Clarke's Rama series. The good SciFi writers have all run out of gas. I picked up the book thinking it would be a science adventure like Foster's The Dig, only to discover it was about politics as usual, and maybe 10% reference to things of science. The characters were stereotypical, and you could match item for item how the story was put together with his own SciFI writing method he published. For an early teen audience.

Readable but not Great.......2005-08-24

Saturn tells the story of a scientific expedition bound for the planet Saturn for the purpose of scientific exploration and colonization. Along the journey, various political factions emerge among the crew, and a group of outlaws attempts to democratically take over the colony and to establish a dictatorship.

Saturn is the first novel by Ben Bova that I have read. It is readable, but it is certainly not great. For one thing, the characters are generic, boring and underdeveloped. For another, some elements of the plot are just not credible. For example, Bova would have us believe that the colonists get so worked up about naming various buildings in their habitat that they hold colony-wide democratic elections to resolve this "grave" issue.

Nonetheless, the book is surprisingly readable. Saturn is written in flowing style and the plot is constantly moving forward. I never found myself bored, but was never really engaged either.

I read a lot of sci-fi and this book is not one of the better pieces in the genre. Bottom line, I don't recommend this book, but if you happen to get it and have nothing better to do, it's an ok way to pass a few hours.

The Precipice (The Grand Tour; also Asteroid Wars)

Average customer rating:

Book One of the Asteroid Bores
Interplanetary Imperialism
Near future fiction
Book One of a Trilogy, Part of the Grand Tour
Poor Science/Politics Undermines Otherwise Decent SciFi Work

The Precipice (The Grand Tour; also Asteroid Wars)
Ben Bova
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0812579895

Book Description

Once, Dan Randolph was one of the richest men on Earth. Now the planet is spiraling into environmental disaster, with floods and earthquakes destroying the lives of millions. Randolph knows the energy and natural resources of space can save Earth's economy, but the price may be the loss of the only thing he has left--the company he founded, Astro Manufacturing.Martin Humphries, fabulously wealthy heir of the Humphries Trust, also knows that space-based industry is the way of the future. But unlike Randolph, he doesn't care if Earth perishes in the process. And he knows that the perfect bait to ensnare Dan Randolph--and take control of Astro--is his revolutionary new fusion propulsion system.As Randolph--accompanied by two fascinating women who are also brilliant astronauts--flies out to the Asteroid Belt aboard a fusion-propelled spacecraft, Humphries makes his move. The future of mankind lies in Randolph's hands.The Asteroid Wars have begun.

Customer Reviews:

Book One of the Asteroid Bores.......2007-10-08

This was my first Bova book, and will probably be my last. I finished it only because I had "made it this far, so I might as well", and also because I was waiting for something, ANYTHING to happen involving some sort of action sequence. But no....there was nothing.
Though there are some positives: the science for the most part seems legit and interesting, although the extent of the negative impacts of global warming may be more speculation on Bova's part. (no political affiliation here, just my opinion!) Also, one or two of the characters was likeable at times(although most of them were quite annoying!)
For somebody to give this book a 5 is laughable! As some other reviewer noted, seemed more like a "soap opera" to me. In fact, all you need to do is change the cover, and you could put this one in the romance section! Oh and by the way, this guy has some serious sexual tension built up inside.

Interplanetary Imperialism.......2006-08-27

The Precipice (2001) is the first SF novel of the Asteroid Wars series. In this volume, Earth has reached the greenhouse cliff, the threshold where the world's climate changes drastically in a very short time. Although the greenhouse effect had been hotly debated, the current evidence could not be rebutted. The icecaps were melting and storms tore savagely at human infrastructure.

Dan Randolph is one of the victims of the new weather patterns. Jane Scanwell died trying to rescue people stranded by the flooding of the Tennessee River. Dan had not known how much he loved her until she was no longer there.

Randolph is determined to alleviate the greenhouse effects as much as possible by moving industry into space and providing raw materials from the Belt. Only one asteroid has ever been brought to Earth in the past; of course, the operation bankrupted Sam Gunn, but it was successful. Now Dan needs a less expensive way to mine the Belt and Martin Humphries shows him such a method.

Lyall Duncan has developed a small fusion power source. Unlike most such sources, the Duncan fusion device is small enough to fit into an old cruise missile used as a test vehicle. The results of this test suggest that a large version would be capable of powering a manned vehicle to the Belt in record time.

Although Humphries has offered to underwrite the initial voyage, Dan just doesn't trust him. Humphries has made his billions by merging smaller companies into his Humphries Space Systems and Randolph's company, Astro Manufacturing, seems to be the old Humper's next target.

While Randolph tries to get other concerns -- public and private -- to fund the first fusion drive spaceship, Pancho Lane has been taken off her piloting duties and assigned, with Amanda Cunningham, to the new fusion drive project. Humphries has recruited her to spy on Randolph, but Pancho doesn't really know anything; besides, she has already confessed her extracurricular activities to Randolph, whom she is beginning to admire. Humphries, however, is still unaware of her new role as a double agent.

Randolph finally exhausts his list of earthside contacts and takes his case to the Moon. Douglas Stavenger, founder of Masterson Aerospace and leader of the Lunar succession from the old United Nations, is still chairman emeritus of Masterson and is government head of Selene. Stavenger has made full use of nanotechnology for maintenance of his body and thus looks much younger than Dan. As they talk, Randolph learns that Humphries has blocked any deal with Masterson by buying a majority interest in the company. Stavenger, however, points out than Selene is quite willing to partner with his company in the development of nanomachines to make fusion drive units.

This novel is one of many works in the Grand Tour universe. Most of the major players in this novel are also found in other unrelated stories. Moreover, three other novels are direct prequels to this work.

Bova has been writing Science Fiction for several decades and was editor of Analog magazine and fiction editor of Omni. Since 1992, he has been concentrating on the Grand Tour novels, with a common political background and an expanding technology. These novels relate the exploration and settlement of the Solar System, from Mercury to Saturn, using engineering solutions based on today's knowledge and speculation.

Highly recommended for Bova fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of interplanetary adventure, political intrigue and cutthroat capitalism.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Near future fiction.......2005-08-04

I recently picked this up after noticing the library had quite a shelf load of Bova. I'm glad I did and will get back to the rest of his works very soon. This is set in the near future where things have changed from what we know (global warming has happened, nanotechnology) but not enough to make it unrecognizable or far-fetched. The story involves the decision to start mining the asteroid fields in order to replace earth's deplenished resources. Characters include rich execs, scientists and spacers all vying for the opportunity to help mankind or line their own pockets. Looks like I've been missing out on a good hard SF writer. It's an omission I plan to rectify.

Book One of a Trilogy, Part of the Grand Tour.......2005-06-01

The Grand Tour is Dr. Ben Bova's series of books on the human exploration of the Solar System. This book is the first in a trilogy called The Asteroid Wars as human development reaches to the asteroids to get raw materials for space based manufacturing in the face of severe global warming. It is the story of the struggle between two wealthy individuals Dan Randolph (who we've met in several books) and Martin Humphries. These two characters are a bit simple minded. Randolph is the good guy, thinking of the best ways to save the Earth's economy. Humphries is the evil villian out only for himself.

One aspect of good science fiction is the science aspect that makes a prediction for the future that should be logically possible. At this Dr. Bova does an excellent job.

This recording runs for twelve hours, it is on ten CD's, read by Scott Brick, Amanda Karr and a cast of lessor characters.

Poor Science/Politics Undermines Otherwise Decent SciFi Work.......2005-03-01

I got this book as part of SFBC's three-book Asteroid Wars anthology - this being the first book from the "trilogy". I had been hesitant to purchase it in the first place, as the series was based on the premise of "runaway global warming", which is a shaky premise to begin with... however, the rest of the storyline appeared to be interesting, and I wanted to try a Ben Bova offering, so I decided to go for it.

Exact dates are never actually mentioned in the book, but certain clues place the story sometime in the later part of the 21st century, most likely around the year 2075.

Decent character development - with some characters switching sides back and forth from the "bad guys" to the "good guys", and one really "evil" character. A few interestingly suspenseful parts; and while the fusion drive, nanotechnology, and solar radiation science parts weren't bad, I was dismayed with the number of inconsistancies, bad science, and poor predictions made in this book written 2001, for example:

- It is stated that automobile companies in the middle 21st century were still having trouble getting the public to buy electric-powered automobiles, and wanted to add gasoline-powered engine sound effects to make their cars more sellable to the public - heck, here we are in the year 2005, and we already have a number of manufacturers offering efficient electric hybrids, which are beginning to sell quite well, and we obviously don't need any sound-effect gimmicks.

- In the Mid-21st century, religious right-wingers control the government (fair enough), but they are over-taxing businesses and control the media? Odd, because these are two specific things right-wingers just won't do (overtax business, or control media).

- The runaway global warming premise is taken to absurdity - with Greenland's ice cap on the verge of a total meltdown, and there is even talk of Antarctica's ice cap melting down - all due to man-made causes? This is junk science cubed.

- The author uses one spanish phrase in the book, and muffs it; "your welcome" is "de nada", not "da nada"... that, and other grammatical errors suddenly start to show up in the last few sections of the book, like the book's editors ran out of gas right at the end.

While these (and other) items were annoying, the invisible stealth suit gimmick that shows up half way into the book was absolutely awful. I don't want to "spoil" anything, as this situation plays a significant part in the story, but suffice it to say that this gimmick was so poorly concocted, and so badly out of place that it was almost laughable.

The British Abroad: The Grand Tour in the Eighteenth Century

Average customer rating:

Help Your Next History Project!

The British Abroad: The Grand Tour in the Eighteenth Century
Jeremy Black
Manufacturer: Sutton Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

18th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0750931698

Book Description

Travel for pleasure developed greatly in the eighteenth century, and here the author examines travel on the continent, the so-called Grand Tour.

Customer Reviews:

Help Your Next History Project!.......2000-03-26

I absolutely adore this book! It is so thorough and will give you the most generic yet magnificent facts on whatever you need to know about the Grand Tour. You can definately use this if you're a history buff! It's easy to understand and fascinating...

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