The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the cozy crêperies of Ile St. Louis—Rick Steves’ Paris 2009 allows any traveler to experience all that the City of Light has to offer, from the big-name attractions to the local favorites. Rick covers the best of Paris, providing full tours of the museums and historic sights, detailed walks through various neighborhoods, and complete coverage of Parisian cuisine. Pick from over 400 types of cheeses at the fromagerie on Rue Cler or take a day trip to Versailles—it’’s all possible with Rick Steves as your guide.

This book contains ALL the information you need to plan a trip to Paris, including information you didn’t know you needed. Rick Steves’ touring plans and self-guided walks help you figure out how to get the most out of a short visit to Paris. His descriptions of each major sight help you make informed decisions about what to see and what to skip. The research collected in this book is well organized. Unlike many travel guides, the book does not waste a lot of space on hotels and restaurants. It is a book you will want to carry with you as you tour Paris. Read the rest of this entry »

Food Network star Guy Fieri takes you on a tour of America’s most colorful diners, drive-ins, and dives in this tie-in to his enormously popular television show, complete with recipes, photos, and memorabilia. The iron-stomached Fieri, restaurant owner and Food Network personality, has probably choked down more burgers, bacon, pancakes, hash browns and fried eggs than any person should have to, and this dense, photo-packed retrospective allows viewers to replicate many of his favorite restaurants’ recipes at home. Like the show, Fieri takes diners on a tour of the country’s best local eateries, like Kansas City favorite YJ’s Snack Bar, which uses two electric burners and a sidewalk grill to crank out exotic fare from around the world; James Beard Award-winning Al’s Breakfast in Minneapolis; and all culinary points in between.

The book contains a fair number of predictable classics like coconut cream pie, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf and burgers (including one that’s dipped in batter and deep-fried), but has an equal number of interesting riffs such as Cap’n Crunch French Toast, Nut N’ Honey Pancakes, Pork and Sweet Potato Empanadas and Chicken Fried Lamb Chops. Viewers’ requests are also featured, including the Red Arrow Diner’s American Chop Suey. Rounded out with plenty of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and local color, this tour of off-the-beaten-path establishments has enough regional entries to keep culinary road-trippers busy (and full) for many, many miles. Read the rest of this entry »

Reading this massive guidebook to Walt Disney World may take as long as actually visiting the theme park. “Your book reads like the operations plan for an amphibious landing,” wrote one quoted reader. The highlights of this tome are the touring plans, which are developed by a computer program calculating average waiting times, ride duration, and time of day, among other factors.

These plans help to avoid the “joy” of lengthy lines and crowds during the hottest part of the day. There is extremely detailed information on accommodations, including which rooms to avoid. Restaurant reviews include typical menu items and prices and most crowded times. Read the rest of this entry »

A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon.

After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve “the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century:” What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z? Read the rest of this entry »