Australia: The Four Billion Year Journey of a Continent

Book Description

Combining unique travel choices, outdoor adventures, and little-known locales into guides where vacations meet adventures, each title in the Hidden series also offers readers the comfort of detailed maps, internet information for each listing, author picks, suggested itineraries, and walking and driving tours. While Cancun has transformed from a small fishing village into multi-billion dollar tropical resorts -- and this book does recommend the best of them -- the true focus of this guide are the natural attractions, authentic historical sites, and outdoor activities of the Yucatan peninsula. Because so many of the Yucatan's attractions are obvious (Chitzen Itza's pyramids, the white-sand beaches), the less conspicuous can go unnoticed. For example, less than five percent of the visitors to Cancun make the short journey to the charming colonial capital of Merida. Hidden Cancun and the Yucatan always encourages readers to venture further, offering the descriptions and detailed information that will make them feel comfortable exploring lesser-visited areas. Details on 42 beaches, including 41 with swimming, 18 with snorkeling, 13 with windsurfing, 14 with beach hikes, and 12 with beach camping, are offered.

Customer Reviews:

Library Book.......2005-09-01

The book was stamped by a local library. Condition was average. Delivery was fast.

Great guide book for the adventure minded traveler!.......2004-10-15

This book and "A Tourist in the Yucatan" (cool thriller set in the Yucatan) really made my recent Holiday in Mexico a complete success! I agree with the last reviewer, you don't need this guide book or any other if you don't plan on leaving Cancun, but if you want to see the real Yucatan this book is a great help. Good info on lodging, meals, the locals, the ruin sites. There is so much to do that you will want plane a second trip! I am going back next year!

Read this BEFORE you plan your trip-- not much help after........2004-09-16

The author has some good advice, lots of knowledge, his standards of cleanliness and quality are to be trusted, and seems to really like Mexico in general.

But listen,if you're going to Cancun to drink, lie in the sun, and never leave the grounds of your resort, then you don't need a guidebook, period. Cancun is like Orlando, FL. There is an Outback Steakhouse and a Burger King, for god's sake. The price you pay for this little slice of America is that once you're already in Cancun, it's an ordeal to get away from it. Just checking into a hotel seems like you've signed a contract in blood.
Which is why the author advocates AVOIDING Cancun, renting a car, and checking out the area AROUND Cancun. For this purpose, the book is excellent. Also, it's the kind of book you should read cover to cover before you ever buy a plane ticket or plan your trip. Like i mentioned above, trying to escape Cancun once you've figured out that it sucks is really difficult.

Book Description

A journey through madness and mania
On the island of Faranor in the kingdom of Windward, twelve princesses dance their shoes to shreds each night. No one knows why. Not the king or queen. Not the knights, lords, or ladies-in-waiting. When the queen blames the royal shoemaker, his apprentice, Phoenix Dance, puts her life at risk to solve the mystery. She braves magic spells, dragons, evil wizards, and the treachery of the princesses themselves. As Phoenix faces these dangers, she finds herself caught in the dangerous dance inside herself – a dance of darkness and light, a dance that presents her with the greatest challenge of her life.
This captivating companion to Aria of the Sea weaves a retelling of Grimm’s fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses with the story of a young woman’s inward journey toward an understanding of a scary, unpredictable part of her own nature.

Customer Reviews:

Bipolar disease brochure, not a fairy tale.......2007-09-21

Phoenix Dance is an unusual story for a teen read. As an adult, I was surprised at the entry into the world of bipolar disease. It made a good springboard into the topic, as discussed with my teenage daughter. The abject misery of Phoenix during her onsets, and her dissatisfaction with life while taking the medicines are all common complaints among the mentally ill.

The idea of this being a fairy tale retelling is laughable. We have so little in common with the princesses - why do we care about their problems? And the idea of each one picking their own color for the day is just ridiculous. Puh-leese comes to mind.

From a teen reading aspect, I like the way Phoenix has to work out her relationship with Rora. And her tough mindedness when it comes to working for what she wants. And her appreciation of beauty. And her creativity.

But overall, this tale is hardly entertainment.

Tale of Twelwe Dancing Princesses.......2007-07-06

I have always loved the story of the twelve dancing princesses. Just the mystery of the tale made me like it. That is one of the many reasons that I liked this story so much. It is the twelve dancing princesses only more mysterious and with many plot-thickening elements. Another thing I liked about it is that there are so many sub-plots which eventually mean a lot to the main plot. It is needless to say that it is one of the best books I have ever read.

A commentary on bipolar disorder set in a fantasy.......2006-08-27

This is a retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. In short - the princesses of the land dance their shoes to smithereens every night, and solving the mystery behind these strange events is usually the sum of the tale.

In this case, there are other things added in.

There is the lesson of true friendship and true loyalty.

There is the commentary on representative government versus monarchy

This is the story of dealing with illness in your life - dealing with "handicaps" and overcoming them.

I found the story to be good, but a little preachy. I think it would be a good story to read if one were trying to expose children to the lesson of tolerance and acceptance. It is not a simple retold fairy tale.

(*)>

Decent for a one time read, but not a keeper.......2006-08-22

As a reader who loves fairy tale retellings, I was very disappointed in The Phoenix Dance.

The story centers around young Phoenix Dance, whose great dream in life is to become a shoemaker. When she lands an apprenticeship to the Royal Shoemaker, it seems her every wish is ready to come true. But Phoenix has an illness (bipolar disorder - referred to as the "Illness of the two Kingdoms" in the book) that threatens to unravel her apprenticeship, her relationships, and ultimately, her sanity.

And that's the real story. The "Twelve Dancing Princesses" doesn't come into it until the last third of the book, and even then, it's rather rushed. Since you know the story of the princesses and the ending, you know that Phoenix will ultimately triumph; but the author seems to suggest that it's Phoenix's experience with the "Two Kingdoms" sickness that allows her to help the princesses, and not necessarily the familiar elements (the magic cloak, not taking the sleeping potion, etc.). Kind of wierd, to me, for a fairy tale retelling.

I give it two stars for character credibility. Phoenix is a bit naive in the beginning, but through her experiences grows into a person who is able to accept reality and deal with things the way they are and not the way she wishes they could be. And while you get the sense that she will learn to live with her illness, there are still consequences for her rash actions that happened while she was sick. (Although to be honest, it was that same realism that disappointed me - I wanted a more happy ending).

It was definitely interesting, and I give the author credit for introducing a serious topic to a young audience in an interesting way. But is it something I'd keep and reread? Probably not.

Simply Thrilling.......2006-04-04

From the very moment I laid eyes on the first page I knew it was going to be good. It covers everything from the everyday drama of a teenage life to the horrors of the dark sea dragon. It is a wonderful and imaginative fairy tale that everyone can in some way relate to.I would recommend this book to anyone who think they are up for a challenge, you never know what could happen in the Kingdom of Windward!

Fabulous Las Vegas in the 50s: Glitz, Glamour & Games

Average customer rating:

A visual fantasyland
Only a photo album
Fun and fantasy in the desert
Fabulous book for anyone!
Awsome Pictures and info

Fabulous Las Vegas in the 50s: Glitz, Glamour & Games
Fred E. Basten , and Charles Phoenix
Manufacturer: Angel City Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1883318378

Customer Reviews:

A visual fantasyland.......2002-12-05

I've been to Vegas a dozen times, but the stores are always sold out of this fabulous book. So I was glad to get it here. It's a great, visual tour of old Las Vegas--the place my mom and dad used to go and bring me souvenirs. I like the pictures very much, as well as the artwork from the period, and the brief captions were enough to whet my appetite for more. I want to collect poker chips now! The fabulous shot of Elvis and Liberace, as well as the shots of Sinatra and Mae West are all unbelievable treasures. I don't know how these guys found all this stuff, but my hat is off to them. And actually reading Keely Smith's words after listening to her music for years was a great honor. I recommend this book whole heartedly

Only a photo album.......2001-11-02

I'm sorry to be negative--I'm a big fan of some of Mr. Basten's other books--but this was a disappointment. I expected more (or at least some) text. Hardcover, but only 127 pages, and many of the photos are blown up so that their pixels or scanner artifacts show. The book's graphic style is "Annoying Fifties," which is appropriate, but the caption text is rendered in brush script. Another reviewer said that the first half was all about the early history of the first casinos--would that this were true.

There are lots of "mood" photos, and Charles Phoenix' collection of matchbooks and swizzle sticks are amply presented, but the text is filled with "mid-fifties" and "late 1940s." Call me obsessive, but I like a bit more precision in my history. The book starts with a mention of "Helldorado Day," a tradition that evolved into a four-day annual celebration. Wonder what time of year it occured or whether or not it is still occurring? Me, too.

So, if you'd like to see several dozen historical photos with reasonably good captions, here's your book. Keely Smith's introduction is entertaining. But as another reviewer mentioned, Alan Hess' Viva Las Vegas is better for a real history with actual, um, facts.

Fun and fantasy in the desert.......2001-10-30

I was attracted to this book because it covers a period in American life that fascinates me. The text (basically captions to the photos) provides a superficial but exuberant look at Vegas. The first half of the book covers the origins of the major hotels and casinos, plenty of color photos, match book covers, postcards, menus etc presented in breezy layouts. The section on the entertainers I found dull as these people, looking at the photos, could have been performing anywhere. For what ia really a fun book it does have an index.

A far better coverage of Las Vegas can be found in 'Viva Las Vegas: after-hours architecture' by Alan Hess. This book is almost the oppposite of 'Fabulous Las Vegas', essentially text and some color photos but Hess has done a tremendous amount of research. The really keen could plough through 'Learning From Las Vegas' by the architectual team Venturi, Scott-Brown and Izenour, their controversial view was that Vegas, because of its popularity, should influence building design elsewhere...I think I would agrre with that.

Fabulous book for anyone!.......2000-04-04

This fabulous book concentrated on the history and glitz of old Las Vegas, and I loved it! Very informative, and very exciting! I'm only 25 years old, so I especially loved comparing the glamour of old Las Vegas with the city that I know today. I gave this book to my dad to read after me, and he loved it for completely different reasons... mostly because he remembers those fabulous days from the 1950s. The photos and stories are unbelievable, including the Rat Pack, Mae West, and my personal favorite: Elvis performing with Liberace! This is a great book for anyone who loves Las Vegas, who wants to know the history of sin city, appreciates good entertainment, or who just likes to travel. The whole book is fun, and I even learned something from reading it! I'm telling everyone, young and old alike, to buy this book.

Awsome Pictures and info.......2000-04-04

Great Book. Many old pictures of Vegas. Shows some awsome old Casino Chips Pictured. Talks about the behind scences life of vegas. One of the best books out there.

Phoenix: The Passionate Shepherdess: The Life of Aphra Behn 1649-1680

Average customer rating:

Phoenix: The Passionate Shepherdess: The Life of Aphra Behn 1649-1680
Maureen Duffy
Manufacturer: Phoenix Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Born in 1640, Aphra Behn was a spy, poet, dramatist of the Restoration theater, and author of Oroonoko, one of the most popular novels of the time. "A marvelous achievement of logical investigation and imaginative intelligence."
--Spectator.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!

Nijinsky (Phoenix Giants)
Richard Buckle
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicholson history
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1857999843

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......1997-08-02

This book is not just about Nijinsky, it is about the whole cast of characters that surrounded and affected Nijinsky while he was dancing with Diagalev's Ballet Russe. Mr. Buckle paints some wonderful scenes of the interaction between Nijinsky and Diagalev, Diagalev and his patrons, Diagalev and all the movers and shakers he worked with (anyone who was anyone in theatre, art and music at that time), and the Ballet Russe in Paris between 1909 and 1929. (His description of the riots some of the dances caused were really fun!) I loved the anecdotes and stories, and the soap opera-ish back stage goings-on he describes. If you own only one book on this period of dance history, this would be the one to have

Average customer rating:

Wings on My Sleeve (Phoenix Press)
Eric Brown
Manufacturer: Phoenix Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0753822091

Book Description

Eric Brown went to Germany in 1939 on an exchange course, and his first experience of the war came when the Gestapo arrested him, not knowing he was an RAF pilot. The rest is history. He is the only man alive to have flown every major and most minor combat aircraft of the Second World War (as well as all the early jets), and has been interviewed by the top Nazis. While testing the Nazi jets in war-stricken Germany, he interviewed (among others) Hermann Goering and Hanna Reitsch. A living legend among aviation enthusiasts, his amazing life story deserves to be told in full—from crashing in front of Winston Churchill to unmasking a Neo-Nazi ring in the 1950s to his terrifying flights in primitive jets and rockets.

The Best of Gay Adult Video 1999: Mickey Skee's Dirty Dozens

Average customer rating:

Thought it Was Dated, but it's NOT!
The Hottest Gay Videos!
Wowza Yowza, I agree with Every ONE!

The Best of Gay Adult Video 1999: Mickey Skee's Dirty Dozens
Mickey Skee
Manufacturer: Companion Press (Laguna Hills, CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Bisexuality | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1889138142

Book Description

With more than 600 gay adult videos produced and released each year, this video guidebook is designed to save buyers and renters time and money by selecting(what the author believes to be(the BEST gay adult videos of the year. Includes more than 150 B&W nude photos of the hottest guys in gay porn and behind-the-scenes "dirt" you won't find in any other book. Categories include: Best Overall Videos, Best Overseas Videos, Best ETHNIC Videos, BEST UNIFORM Videos, BEST SOLO Videos, BEST BISEXUAL Videos, BEST ROMANTIC Videos, BEST ENTERTAINMENT Videos, BEST LEATHER Videos, BEST PURE SEX Videos, BEST SPECIAL-INTEREST Videos and BEST Porn Moments. Also includes a handy Mail-Order Video Buyers' & Renters' Guide. 208 pages (Over 150 photos(Including full-frontal).

Customer Reviews:

Thought it Was Dated, but it's NOT!.......2003-12-29

I thought, well, I'll get this to add to my porn collection of books, but this is a guide I've used to buy at least 13 vids in 2003~! tHERE WERE TITLES I'VE NEVER HEARD OF! aND I've been collecting for 20 years...anyway, i'm very excited to get the info about where to get the movies and where to find titles I've never heard of, and I love the categories, TWINKS, BEST ROMANTIC, BEST LEATHER, BISEXUAL and toher categories. I hope the others are as good as this one

The Hottest Gay Videos!.......2001-03-15

This is a must have reference book for anyone interested in Gay Adult Videos. There are more than 100 reviews here. I look forward to these reviews from Mickey Skee every year, it makes it so easy to rent & buy the best videos with the hottest guys. Whatever your interest there are categories for uniform, leather, ethnic, solo, and many more. Plus you get all the behind the scenes dirt you could ever want to know about. A lot of appreciation goes out to Mickey for putting this very comprehensive selection of the best gay videos together every year. It certainly makes it easy for us. Great job!!

Wowza Yowza, I agree with Every ONE!.......1999-01-29

This is far better and more in-depth than the first edition, and the author only seems to get better with every version. He's become more eclectic in his choices, my god, there's some kinky stuff in there (read the review on FIREWATER!) and he has smaller companies, like Brush Creek and Titan, not just the BIG obnoxious ones like Catalina, Centaur etc. Can't wait 'til the 2000 version to see what this expert picks! I thought I knew 'em all!

Average customer rating:

Dance of the Dragon and Phoenix
Staff of Daewon Publishing (eds.)
Manufacturer: Daewon Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KGCIMW

Average customer rating:

Dance of the Dragon and Phoenix
Jeung San Do
Manufacturer: Daewon Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MWBUWI

The Envy of the World: Fifty Years of the BBC Third Programme and Radio 3, 1946-1996 (Phoenix Giants)

Average customer rating:

The Envy of the World: Fifty Years of the BBC Third Programme and Radio 3, 1946-1996 (Phoenix Giants)
Humphrey Carpenter
Manufacturer: Phoenix House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General Broadcasting | Radio | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0753802503

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