Home in the Tall Marsh Grass

Book Description

"We were like those little plastic dogs with magnets glued to their bottoms, my father and I," writes Roy Attaway in this evocative memoir set in the rich Lowcountry of South Carolina. "We were deeply attracted to each other (he was extraordinarily affectionate) from many angles, but face to face we always seemed to repel, sometimes with a nearly ugly vehemence."

A Home in the Tall Marsh Grass - the title is from an old Gullah spiritual - is about affection and rebellion, about a teenager's instinctive duty to do everything he can to annoy his parents, about a clash of interests, differing goals, and one thing that bound together father and son: fishing.

Together they explored and fished the saltwater marshes of Beaufort County, but their expeditions also took them into the tannin-stained swamps of Colleton and Charleston counties and the rice fields of the Combahee River. Together they fished the Atlantic beaches and the mountain streams of western North Carolina. Perhaps because - beyond the conflicts - they loved each other so deeply, each could be wounded profoundly and quickly by the other.

A Home in the Tall Marsh Grass is a fond remembrance of a relationship that is both unique and every son's, but it is also an attempt at expiation, the exorcism of personal ghosts. And it is a moving Lowcountry elegy.

Customer Reviews:

A question.......1999-07-22

Kirkus gave the only negative review of this book. Why quote it? Are we in the business of selling books or not? See Barnes and Nobles' page for an excerpt from Publishers Weekly.

Book Description

The original and the best, Lonely Planet's `yellow bible' is your ticket to endless adventure in Southeast Asia. Want nonstop parties in 24-hour cities? Feel like sunning your skin on a deserted, white-sand beach? Picture yourself having tea with a remote hilltribe? Written by backpackers for backpackers, this guide will help you stay longer, pay less and experience more.

DIVE UNDER THE COVERS on current events, history, culture and the environment.

EAT CHEAP AND SLEEP EASY with our fully updated coverage of the best eateries and great-value accommodation.

GET YOUR THRILLS - the best scuba diving, elephant-trekking, rock-climbing, sea kayaking and surfing.

TALK YOUR WAY IN with our handy language guide.

BEAT YOUR OWN PATH using over 170 detailed maps.

Customer Reviews:

The SE asia bible!.......2006-11-29

Used this book to travel in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Bali (though I finally ended up buying another book for Bali as Indonesia itself is huge). Don't know if there is a better book that covers so many countries this well. Other people on tour had the Rough guide to SE Asia book and we found this one to be more useful because it had better maps and more information.

Obviously a bit tailored towards backpackers but you can easily find more upscale places (hotels, restaurants etc) in the "splurge" section.

Wouldn't dare to say that it covers everything but certainly a must-have for people traveling in the area

Lonely Planet- not with this many package tourists........2006-02-18

"Nobody touches the Lonely Planet for budget travel advice," states the back cover of this book.

I just finished travelling around Southeast Asia with this as my primary guidebook. It includes the basics for getting around, eating, etc... but it really is just the basics. I have used other books from the lonely planet series in the past, and have found them good enough to continue using, at least until this volume. It has been 5 years since I was in this region last, and things have changed. Especially the guidebook, which was once a rich trove of off-the-beaten-path hints and tips. Increasingly, however, it seems that the Lonely Planet authors seem less interested in helping you find a unique experience and more interested in serving up a cookie-cutter, package tourist rehash. I have a couple grievances with this book:

-It insists on constantly pointing out little sidebars entitled "Splurge!" which indicate ways that the budget traveller can spend a great deal of money in one shot. Why this is in a travel guide called "shoestring" I couldn't tell you. Neither do the authors, but I suppose we can assume that backpackers are interested in spending $5 a night for a couple of months and then blowing $150 to stay in some posh hotel in Kuala Lumpur or racking up an additional $20 in credit card debt for an entirely forgettable dining experience in Bangkok. I just don't feel these are relevant to 99% of actual budget travellers, but they waste a lot of space that could be much better used on greater detail. But I will get to that in a minute.

-Another issue I have is the lack of actual information about actually moving from one place to the next cheaply. Cheap local transport is available in many of the places covered in the book. For some reason though, the book usually offers helpful advice like 'just take a cab,' or 'buses are so cheap, so don't bother with local transport.' As an independent traveler that actually enjoys saving money AND spending time with the locals (what's the purpose of traveling again?!?!), I regret the lack of information about local transport.

-The maps in the book, though better than some in past editions, leave much to be desired. Streets are incorrectly labeled or in the wrong place, intersections are vaguely marked, and occasionally they add a street that doesn't exist or remove a street that does. Worst of all, in a region that prides itself on an almost complete lack of road signage, not many good landmarks are given to orient oneself. There is little that is less fun on the road than standing in front of a train station, staring at one's new alien surroundings, being hassled by touts who are trying to steer you in the wrong direction while trying to find that cheap hostel you read about.

Look, if you want a run-of-the-mill book to complete a run-of-the-mill trip, by all means, you will find this book quite helpful. But if you are looking for that individual experience that is the beauty of independent travel, you might be best going with a different guide for this region.

By the way, the quote I wrote at the beginning should be viewed as a warning rather than an enticement

Great to read but difficult to do so due to VERY SMALL print........2006-01-28

I really like the Lonely Planet guides, and this one is very good regarding the amount of information it contains. My main complaint is the size of the type. Not only is it very small and difficult to read even with glasses on, but the paper is very thin so the words from the reverse page show through. I'd rather pay a couple of extra dollars and have higher quality paper. I also agree with other reviewers who felt that the Indonesia chapter could easily be eliminated, partly because it is difficult to due justice to that widespread country in a chapter.

typical shoestring guide.......2005-08-25

This guide is really good value, although you notice easily that it covers a lot of countries. South East Asia is big, the book is limited in size and therefore detail is missing. I bought seperate guides for Laos and Cambodia and this benifited my trip greatly.
Also, the part about Bangkok doesn't show the best bits and doesn't quite warn you for the worst(sex tourism), either.

Lonely Planet SE Asia.......2005-08-15

This is another great issue from the dedicated researchers, writers and readers of the practical and economic guides for world travelers. The SE Asia book is written with particular care, insight, and affection. In addition to a wealth of information on the countries of SE Asia, the guide offers some of the best practical advice for living, traveling, and surviving in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and other countries I did not visit and thus cannot speak to. It was just as good as any of their guides to China or India I that I have used in the past.

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet on a Shoestring Series)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet-Southeast Asia
Worst travel guide I ever used!
Good and Bad, but worth its weight
Don't buy this book !!!!

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet on a Shoestring Series)
Chris Taylor , Peter Turner , Joe Cummings , Brendan Delahunty , Paul Greenway , James Lyon , Jens Peters , Robert Storey , David Willett , and Tony Wheeler
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

Budget Travel | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0864424124

Amazon.com

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

This totally revised edition is the progeny of the first Lonely Planet guide, produced in LP founder Tony Wheeler's kitchen more than 25 years ago. True to its origins, South-East Asia on a Shoestring will help you travel from Myanmar to Sarawak on the tightest of budgets. This is the word on independent travel to the region, with more than 160 maps, border-crossing and visa information, public transportation tips, a thorough language section and glossary, plus itineraries for short trips or years-long journeys. --Kathryn True

Customer Reviews:

Lonely Planet-Southeast Asia.......2000-03-19

This book is an adequate guide but it needs improvement in several areas. I used this book during Janurary and February of 2000 when I traveled through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. Last year I used the Lonley Planet-India and found it was much better than Southeast Asia. Here are the weaknesses. 1. The numbers of the locations on the maps should be used in the text describing the location. This would grealy improve you ability to plan your day or route. 2. Maps should be improved. I would be willing to spend a few dollars more for better maps. 3. Hotel, restaurant, etc. names are not printed in bold type. This makes it more difficult to use. 4. It would be very helpful to grade the sites with a priority to reduce the time one spends reading fine print and get on with seeing the country. When I return to this part of the world next winter I will try to find additional books to correct these weaknesses.

Worst travel guide I ever used!.......1999-02-22

We recently traveled through Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia and found this guidebook practically useless and certainly frustrating--definitely not worth its weight. We have used other LPs in the past and found them to be at least adequate but this one doesn't even rate that well. It lacked many important details--such as the time/distances between many points, availability of various transportation options and routes, decent maps--the list goes on and on. Even though prices change often and currencies fluctuate, even a vague idea of prices (is it $10 or $100??) would have been quite useful to help us plan better. Although we ran into many people all 'armed' with the LP, they all had the same complaints.

Good and Bad, but worth its weight.......1998-12-04

I travelled through Thailand, Philippines and Hong Kong using this book. I initially bought this book with weight in mind. I did not want to carry three more LPs along with the other country books (LP Taiwan, Japan). Although much of the information needed to survive was written in the book, it certainly did lack the detailed maps and background information needed to have a care-free journey. SOmetime it certainly was a struggle , especially in Thailand. The Thailand Section prices were extremely outdated. Even in the height on the "asian economic flu", I had to triple the prices listed. The Hong Kong section was adequate, but HK is an efficient and easily travelled city. Of the three, I found the Philippine section the best, but some of the hotel quality ratings are out dated. Please do not stay at the Hotel Mercedes in Cebu!

Don't buy this book !!!!.......1998-10-16

I travelled for about 45 days in Vietnam, Malalysia and Thailand with this book and found it completely unsatisfactory relative to the LP for the individual countries. Those books offer so much more in background information and tidbits that would help you plan your time wisely that I scrapped it while travelling and traded up for the country versions of the books.

I had a big weight factor in the rest of the books I carried (LP India really kills) which convinced me one book was better than 3 but don't do it ! It will suffice in a pinch but you will be often looking over the shoulder of your fellow travellers which have the fuller versions of the countries covered in SE Asia.

Average customer rating:
Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet South-East Asia, 11th ed)
Chris Rowthorn , Sara Benson , Joe Bindloss , Joe Cummings , Mason Florence , Russell Kerr , James Lyon , Steven Martin , Christine Niven , Nick Ray , and Peter Turner
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books
Budget Travel | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1864501588

Book Description

For over 25 years it's been toted in backpacks down the Mekong and up Kinabalu, through Indonesia, around Thailand, from the Philippines to Singapore and everywhere in between. Take the "Yellow Bible" on your next adventure!

Covers travel in Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

over 150 maps, including a full-colour regional map
eat, sleep and even indulge on the cheap - we've searched out bargains in cities, on beaches, in trees and on trains
from the jungles of Borneo to discos and puppet shows - whatever your scene, we've got it covered
super language chapter to get you nattering with the locals
cultural highlights and historical insights

Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (10th ed)

Average customer rating:

Great Book - South-East Asia on a Shoestring
Good, Grassroots Guide Gone Bad
Useful for planning a trip around South East Asia

Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring (10th ed)

Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

Budget Travel | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0864426321

Book Description

South-East Asia is an incredible region for independent travel, and this is the guidebook that started it all. The 'Yellow Bible' made its reputation for reliable, off-the-beaten-track budget travel advice 25 years ago - this 10th edition remains the best, most comprehensive guide to an incomparable region.

Covers travel in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Features: visit Myanmar's dazzling Shwedagon Paya at dawn (p 515); check out the bargains at Chiang Mai's best (and oldest) Thai fabric market (p 753); ride an elephant at a Cambodian hill tribe village (p 116); sample Beerlao on the Mekong River in Vientiane, Laos (p 369); chow down at a hawker's stall, then bop till you drop at a disco in Singapore (p 674); recover with a 'hangover breakfast' on a fine Philippines beach (p 612); go diving or snorkelling and watch the sun set over the Lombok Straight (p 270); and spend the night at a traditional Dayak longhouse in Malaysia (p 472).

Customer Reviews:

Great Book - South-East Asia on a Shoestring.......2007-02-20

i have been using lonely planet books for many years. a real bargain for info received. can easily save the cost of the book in one day using their recommendations.

Good, Grassroots Guide Gone Bad.......2000-10-24

This guide provided fairly reliable, basic information when I was trekking through Southeast Asia for seven months. When I landed by bus, taxi, motorcycle, truck, boat, trishaw, foot, or (sometimes) horse in a strange town at night where I didn't speak the language, it kept me alive. With its help I could always find the town center, the police station, and a bus stop.

Just don't expect it to enhance your experience, or even guide you safely. It's written in a rather smug, perfunctory style, and despite its budget approach seems aimed at very conventional travelers. There are none of the colorful, devil-may-care suggestions one finds in other guides, and it brings to mind the dour, conscientious tourists one meets on the road who are very nice but could backpack through Borneo without bringing back a single interesting story. This book has no spirit.

Maybe the reason it seems a bit inflexible and "un-hip" is because the editors are not responsive to the feedback of readers. I was very badly robbed a couple of times while using services recommended highly by this guide (for instance by the owners of the "Good Luck" Guest House in Bangkok), and after writing Lonely Planet with a polite request that they caution future travelers, I received no acknowledgment of my letters, and in fact the services in question are still touted by their guide.

This sort of apathy illustrates to me why their latest editions often seem years out of date, and why hotels and restaurants highly praised by them turn out to have closed down years ago. I understand that they have a limited number of researchers, but if they ignore input from readers who actively explore these regions, their book is naturally going to be out-of-touch, behind the times, and useless.

My advice is to buy the book if nothing else is available, because it does provide detailed factual information like phone numbers, addresses, etc. Just don't assume that it tells you all the interesting places and activities in a given city, because that's a laugh!! And don't ever take its advice on quality or safety.

Useful for planning a trip around South East Asia.......2000-06-16

A very useful and reliable, concise guide on South East Asia. Very good information on different highlights in each of the countries, good info on getting there and travelling around. Good to know where and when to go, as every other Lonely Planet guide featuring multiple countries.

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia (Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia (Lonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring)
China Williams
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1741047269

South East Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

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South East Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
Tony Wheeler
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0864421257

South East Asia on Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

Average customer rating:

South East Asia on Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
Tony Wheeler
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Budget Travel | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0908086679

Book Description

This pocket-sized volume contains over 4,000 quotations of speakers, writers, entertainers, politicians, scientists, athletes, poets, and pundits throughout history. With over 400 quotes new to this edition, this is the largest, easiest to use, most up-to-date compilation in mass market form.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Source of Quotes.......2003-02-07

When going online recently, and searching for a dictionary of quotations, i was looking for the legendary bartlett's, but was surprised to find none for sale anymore. after careful deliberation, i took a chance and bought the new international dictionary of quotations. it turned out to be extremely well-organized, with specific categories inside it. There were even subcategories!! As an AP english student, I must say this is one of the best quote dictionaries I have ever laid eyes on, and I have seen a LOT!!

I adore this book!.......2000-10-15

Not only do I use it to find quotes for uses in papers and things like valedictory addresses, but I've gone through it and just read it for the sheer delight of finding new witticisms, new quips, new works of literature I should be reading . . .

For anyone who has ever or ever will take an English class, this is the best place to start for quotes. For anyone who loves words, this is the best place to start. For anyone who wishes to sound like they've read all these books , this is the best place to start. When you really want *more*, there's the more specialized dictionaries, like the _Dictionary of Quotes from Shakespeare_ from the same two editors.

Other than that, I can't explain enough what a delight this book has been to me. Maybe some quotes: "Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it." Ralph Waldo Emerson, *Compensation*

"Intellect does not gain its full force until it attacks power." Mme de Stael.

"Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car." E.B. White

And that's only a start . . .

Great for class.......2000-09-09

What's scary is that the same tactics used in 8th grade Humanities also worked in my college English classes!

Don Folz shoots from the hip -- and misses.......2000-05-24

Mr. Folz has confused Ecclesiastes, a book in the Old Testament, with Ecclesiasticus (N.B., not Eccliesiasticus), which is a book in the Apocrypha.

"Misquoted. . . ?".......2000-01-27

I am appalled: If the aim of this book is to distill, it has done exactly that. I have found more than one misquote in this paperback. For example: under FRIENDS & FRIENDSHIP; the third quotation begins, "Forsake not an old friend..." and is attributed to "Eccliesiasticus 9:10". According to the New International Version of the Bible, Ecclesiastes 9:10 is, "Whatever your hands find to do..." and correlates in no way with friends and friendship. What else is wrong with The New International Dictionary of Quotations? Plenty. "Ecclesiasticus"? Boo on you, Hugh.

Book Description

Reprinted from a rare portfolio of abstract design by two notable French illustrators, published in Paris in the 1920s. The 87 designs, which reflect the influences of Cubism and Neo-Impressionism and the emergence of the Art Deco aesthetic, are in a variety of useful shapes and sizes, each faithfully reproduced and royalty-free.

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