This book lends incredible insight into the life of a Russian Refusenik under the oppressive Soviet system. Sharansky's mental tricks that sustained him during his years of horrific incarceration as well as his genius and amazing memory impressed the hell out of me.

Learning how one man could take on the KGB and outsmart, outwill, and outlast them is a truly uplifting experience.

Sharansky's autobiography is one of the most compelling works of literature that I have read. This is literature - it made me pause to think and reflect on what he said frequently, and my copy is well-thumbed. The story is of a spiritual journey, as the young Sharansky's awareness of his Jewishness de-Sovietizes him and leads him into the Gulag - willingly, as he forknew the risks of protesting Soviet emmigration policy. His voluntary civil disobedience seperated him from his bride, Avital, physically for a decade, but the growing intensity of the spiritual forces working within and through him bonded them ever more securely. The moral courage demonstrated by one of the most celebrated of the Refusniks is evident on nearly every page. The spiritual uplift that Sharansky found came from his faith, and from reading the classics, one of the few liberties permitted him in the Gulag. (Looted libraries and personal collections left the prison system well-stocked for this purpose.) The comments on how he was encouraged by his encounter with Aristophanes, when he understood the connection between himself and a character in a 2,500 play through a joke that he finally 'got,'are among the most uplifting in the book. Sharansky recounts how that joke opened a floodgate in his mind, through which came pouring the voices of Rabelais, Cerevantes and other great classics, reminding him of his humanity and the ways of man. The climatic chapter, "The Interconnection of Souls," should be re-read many times. -Lloyd A. Conway

It's hard to believe that one person could morally and intellectually defeat the KGB all by himself, to preserve his identity and his integrity despite all odds. There are many lessons for our everyday life that one can learn from this book. I recommend it very highly.

The book is about the financial trouble that fiat (e.g.,paper) money created in France during the revolutionary years. It also states clearly that the people didn't learn enough from a lesson they had 70 years early.

If you read this historical account you will very often wonder: 'Hey sounds familiar to me...'. Too bad - or?

Fiat Money Inflation in France is as much about irrational human behavior as it is about financial crises and runaway inflation. White describes a dissillusioned public who, under the influence of increasingly self-serving public officials and orators, accepted more and more assignant printings even though the perils of such printings had been documented throughout history and were then blatantly obvious right before there eyes.

White presented this analysis of the runaway inflation in France to dissuade the US Government of printing its own paper money. He was successful.

A book worth reading.

A clear presentation of a governments desparate move using cheap inflated paper money to pay off old debts and its effects on france around 1790. This is not a dynamic novel, but mind bombs go off as the author hits the chain of events that occurred when money is inflated, and is backed only by only a promise to pay the debt it represents. The French find themselves mired in a cycle of ever increasing difficulty to pay that debt off. Although it is not a novel and at times a bit dry, you will definitely be talking to your friends and family about what this author has to say and comparing it to what you see happening now.

Having been to London twice in 2001, I can say that I relied heavily on my Fodor's. It gives you clear concise, and most importantly, accurate information on almost any topic or question. For example, I did not believe them when they said you should reserve ahead for Buckingham Palace. Sadly, they were right, and I could not get tickets. They also told me that I would probably not be able to visit the Millenium Dome as it was closed and up for sale. London is arranged by neighborhoods, so the first part of the book dealing with sightseeing is arranged accordingly. There is a large foldout map in a back pocket, but also each section gives you small maps, which are arranged so that you can do a self-guided walking tour. I found these quite invaluable. I did look at the restaurant section for a general impression, but did not rely on the restaurant or hotel section, although one could. This forms the second half of the book. However, in the back there is also information about shopping, outdoor life, activities for kids, and at the very back an index of vital information, everything from how to use buy a London Travel Card, how to change money, or make an international call.

..........I carried this book with me around London each day and found it priceless! Comes complete with a maps, guide to all the sites major and minor (with descriptions of each, hours and days open, and even tube stops), as well as guides to lodgings, restaurants, nightspots and day trips outside of London, etc. At the same time the book is fairly compact so is easy to carry around with you. Using this book, it was very simple to plan an itinerary and to find my way around the streets of London! Very recommended!

I just got back from spending spring break in London. This book, which stayed in my backpack, and the Lonely Planet's Condensed Guide, which stayed in my pocket, helped my mother and I have an incredible time. Rather than sticking to a rigid itinerary, we planned our day the night before, with a rough to-do list of places we wanted to see and things we had to do. Substantial background information is given for main attractions and contact information and the nearest tube stop are given for all attractions. The pull-out map provided, however, was pretty useless.

I bought the "Italian for Dummies" and this dictionary together. They complemented each other well. If you are planning on doing some traveling for a short period of time, this is more than enough for you. Even those who want to start studying seriously will benefit greatly.

However, I should warn you that in both Rome and Venice, while on vacation, usually I would try to speak Italian only to be responded to in fluent English. You definitely do not need to know Italian in Venice. It you are only going to the tourist spots, you might not need it much.

It's cheap, pocket-sized, and comprehensive. If you are planning to spend some real time in Italy, it may save your life and/or sanity on more than one occasion.

I thought this book was great. It was very easy to use and is organized very well. I used this book while on vacation, and I was able to find the phrases I needed fast. It has a great grammar section, too. It's divided into many sections like, dining, finding your way, shopping, etc.. Great little book!

Best of the three quick-learn language books I read for our trip to Italy. We were able to make friends and converse -- though a bit haltingly-- in Italian!

I wanted to make a special dinner for my boyfriend and chose a Greek theme, mainly using recipes from this book, inclduing Friend Zucchini and Cheese and Shrimp w/Tomato and Feta. The whole dinner was simple enough (and I am a novice cook) and the ingredients were easily available. There are also interesting tidbits for most of the recipes, making reading the cookbook as fun as cooking out of it. Best of all, the food was delicious, and he said it reminded him almost exactly of the food he ate during his trip to the Greek Islands last summer. I will definetly be turning to this cookbook again and again.

I got this book as a Christmas present, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Aglaia Kremezi has always had the reputation of a gourmet cook, so I felt intimidated to try any of her recipes, because I thought they would be quite complicated and easy to fail for a home cook. Quite the contrary!! This is an excellent book, with very detailed descriptions and insightful information on original Greek dishes (as a Greek who just moved to the US from Greece, I can say that this is the REAL thing, very far from anything touristy or artificial).

All the dishes I have tried until now have been a success, and two are the main reasons: 1. The recipes have been adapted to the modern way of cooking 2. The ingredients have also been adapted so that one can find them outside of Greece without compromising in taste or authenticity. There is also a very helpful list of US sources for original Greek products.

I definitely recommend this book! It's one of the best cookbooks I own -- and trust me, I own many...

In this cookbook, Aglaia Kremezi not only compiles the best of the traditional recipes of the Greek islands, she also captures the essence of the islands themselves through well written, detailed, and interesting historical and geographical information.

This 298-page hardback begins with a comprehensive introduction to the islands of Greece. In addition to beautiful photographs, Kremezi provides a detailed description of each island and / or island group. The geography, history, and popular dishes are all highlighted, making the introduction alone a valuable reference tool.

The different types of food are divided among eight chapters; including appetizers, pitas and pies, seafood, meat, rice and pasta, vegetables, bread, and desserts. I really enjoyed the fact that each chapter is prefaced with additional reference information such as history, modern day adaptations, and substitutions for particular ingredients. In addition, background information is included with the recipes, which are not only delicious, but easy to prepare as well.

Another great feature of this cookbook is an A to Z glossary of Greek food terms. From Aleppo Pepper to Zante Currants, Kremezi clearly defines the traditional ingredients of the Greek islands. A Basic Preparations section offers recipes such as vegetable stock, tomato sauce, and yogurt that form the basis of many of the recipes offered. Most of the basic ingredients in this cookbook are readily available anywhere in the world, but Kremezi also offers substitutions for those ingredients that may be hard to find in your local grocery store. For ingredients that cannot be substituted, Kremezi provides a handy listing of Greek food suppliers from all over the country.

I highly recommend this cookbook not only because it is beautifully written, but also because the recipes are easy to prepare, flavorful, and truly capture the spirit of the Greek islands. In addition, the reference information included in this cookbook is superb.

This Canto abridged version gives in nearly 200 pages a good account of the motives of the "west" to start the crusades, the reasons why the Byzantines agreed, the very indivual human motives of the kings, popes, clergyman, nobles, and poor. It also spells out what it takes to get (mostly on foot) from France to Jerusalem, with a large mass of poorly prepared people. A fascinating account.

If you have romantic ideas about the crusades they will have been replaced by solid facts out of the everydays crusaders lives at the end of this book. You'll have a better grasp of this era as a whole, and the place of the crusades in it.

Sometimes there are more scholary details offered then I really need in an abridged version. But it still is a good read, that offers you the flavor, the look and feel, of the past.

For an expert or someone not well-versed in the Crusades, there might not be a better resource than Steven Runciman's three-volume history of the Crusades.

Volume one relates the origins of the Crusades, and Runciman also provides very interesting overview of Christian history in the process of describing the relationship of the Church in the east to Muslims and Jews. In doing so, the reader is impressed by the complexity of relations between the three major faiths that lay claim to the Holy Land, and how the complexity of these relations is not a new phenomenon. If anything, Volume One suggests that, freed from outside pressures, the "people of the book" can coexist.

Runciman also conveys the human dynamic aspect of the early Crusades that might be lost. The relationships between the hermits and clergy that spawned the first crusade, the competition (of sorts) between the Frankish and German lords, their confrontations with Byzantine authorities (both ecclesiastical and secular) and those of the Middle East were the real drivers of the Crusades. In understanding how these human interactions developed and played out, the reader can better trace the ebb and flow of the cause-effect of actions and reactions that shaped the Crusades.

This abridgement couples Runciman's well narrated and concise account of the First Crusade with some beautiful illustrations of the Holy Land, medieval warfare, and Byzantine, Latin, and Muslim art. It is a shame, however, that amongst all these wonderful illustrations, there is not one detailed map of the Holy Land and Asia Minor. Still, the book is well worth having and reading. If you haven't already read the unabridged edition you may want to read that as well.

Purchased this book hoping to find kid friendly eats and places to see in Paris. Was a good starting point. My son actually loved a few of the adult things as well. Suggest you try a tour of the area with a one of the red double decker buses for the older kids.

This is a real gem of a book. We used it extensively in planning a trip to Paris with our 9 year old son, and it was amongst the first things packed. The information is useful, the size is wholly convenient. Nothing glossy, no photos, no pictures at all. I have borrowed all the glossy stuff from the library to read ahead of time, and anything useful have put as margin notes in THIS book, because this is the one I plan to have along. It tells you how to get to each place, opening hours, what to see and do there. Includes information on attractions especially for kids, as well as all the conventional tourist sites, museums etc, emphasising the aspects that are most likely to appeal to kids. It tells you which parks in Paris kids can run and play on grass - that alone has to be worth its weight in gold.

If you are a first-time visitor to Paris you may feel more comfortable having a good, conventional guide book along as well, but if you don't need the basics (such as how to buy a metro ticket etc) AND you have children along with you, I reckon you'll want to have this book above all others.

On a recent trip to Paris with my 5 1/2 yr old daughter, I must have referred to this book about a 100 times. Its really geared to what children like, is easy read, well-indexed, and has all the pertinents, like when one can rent sail boats at the Jardin des Tuileries.

If you're going on the whirlwind "Rome-Florence-Venice" tour, don't bother with this book. It isn't for you.

If you have a week or 2 to spend in central Italy, buy and read the whole book before you leave, and carry it with you everywhere.

My wife and I spent a month in Italy, and 2 weeks in Tuscany and Umbria. We had Rick Steeve's, Eyewitness, and Frommers with us. In large towns with good tourist infrastructure (Assisi, Sienna, etc) we found most of the books comparable. In the smaller towns where we usually spent our nights (Spoleto, Montepulciano, Sovana), only Frommers was worth looking at. We consistently found their hotel rooms most closely matched up with the written descriptions in the book, and their recommended restaraunts, while not as cheap as Rick Steve's, were very good.

Particularly if driving (which is really the only way to see this region), the maps and directions far surpassed the other 2 books. Great maps of almost every town, no matter how small. The only deficiency was the lack of marking of the inbound and outbound roads on the map. Once I figured out where I was entering the town from though, the maps in this book could take me anywhere.

In the final analysis, all 3 books were useful, but we used each differently. We looked at Rick Steves and Eyewitness each morning, but carried only Frommers with us during the day. When we go back, this will be the only book we take.

This was a wonderful guide with witty, opinionated, (accurate in my estimation) comprehensive comment on the many sights and scenes that Tuscany has to offer. We used this guide constantly and exhaustively in the one week we recently spent there. The restaurant and hotel recommendations were uniformly splendid and we were fortunate to discover a new town and a new pasta shape when we ate pici in the hilltop town of Montepulciano, where we would never have considered staying but for this guide. Although I would also have liked to have had a guide with pictures of the attractions, the attraction of this guide makes it well worth that slight quibble. I would highly recommend it to anyone going to the region and I will certainly use it, or a newer edition, upon my hopefully soon return.

This book was extremly usefull and accurate. As an example we could visit the Brolio Castle because we read that you have to find a rope, hang to it and wait until somebody opens the door. Two tourist who arrived before us this not entered...they did not carried the frommers.... All the directions, tips, locations of hotels, rating of resturants, where hundred percent accurate. I will never travel without my frommers. Congratulations.

The Gabero Rosso guides are legendary in Italy. Serious Italian food and wine lovers will rarely try something new without a recommendation from a friend, and often that friend is the Gambero Rosso guide. And I, along with many of my friends, won't travel through the countryside without a copy of the Gambero Rosso restaurant guide -- that way when we get hungry, we can quickly locate a great place to eat, call ahead and find ourselves sitting down before tasty meal very quickly and easily.

The problem for the causal tourist has always been that the Gambero Rosso restaurant guides are not published in English.

Now there is at least this book. While the Rome guide obviously lacks the vastness of the national editions, it is the best available English-language resource for anyone in the Eternal City looking to find a great meal at a restaurant that isn't already listed in every other guide book.

Granted, this book suffers from some of the shortcomings of the Gambero Rosso series as a whole: it generally doesn't reward restaurants that do something out of the ordinary, no matter how good, and the growing sector of ethnic and fusion restaurants in the capital are ignored. One might even criticize the choice of Rome for Gambero Rosso's first English-language restaurant guide, since Florence, Bologna and Genoa all have culinary traditions superior to that of Rome (no doubt Rome's 30 million tourists a year were the deciding factor there). But for any ex-pat living in Rome or any English-speaking visitor who wants some solid advice on where to eat his or her tripa or tagliateli, this is the book you want.

I bought this book and I read another reviewer who said it left some worthwhile restaurants out. I cannot say if this is true or not, but I can say that every recommended restaurant I visited (there were four of them) was very good, a step above other restaurants that we happened to stop into.

I not criticize anyone, but if you are visiting Rome for only a few days or even weeks, there are plenty of good restaurants to try here. Maybe some were left out, but more than enough were left in. I think you would have to be in Rome for a very long time to miss the others.

It is a good book. I loaned it to my cousin, who is going to Rome soon.

This is the guide that native Romans use when deciding where to eat someplace new. We have traveled to Rome extensively over the past 3 years and have established friendships with Romans. We were touring Ostia Antica with two of these friends (nothing like native guides ) when after several hours we decided "enough ruins! Lets get down to the serious stuff - where to eat?" We whipped our Gambero Rosso out of the back pack just as they reached for their glove box. After sharing a good laugh we compared the translation to the original Italian.

The current english edition is 2 years old. Restaurant pricing has gone up significantly with the introduction of the euro. Do not take the English version's word for prices today. Some locations have closed including (sniff) Vanni one of the premier pasticcerias in Rome.

The guide works on a scoring system of food, wine list, service and ambiance. Our friends consider any Gambero Rosso score over 70 a "go". The guide tends to give extra points for places with strong wine lists. Each establishment reviewed has a description of what Gambero Rosso considers its weaknesses and strong points. I've never had a bad meal at a Gambero Rosso restaurant and have had some stunningly good meals at locations with mid-range scores. If you are an Italian vintages oenophile this is a great book. If you like good eating while traveling in a foreign country - consider this your bible.

In no way, shape or form should you consider the guide complete (with thousands of restaurants how could it be? Especially a 2-year-old English-language version) but it is definitely a great guide for someone who doesn't have the services of local friends.