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Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Elizabeth Gilbert

March 05, 2007
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

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Stephen Fry in America

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Stephen Fry

October 01, 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

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Gomorrah: Italy's Other Mafia

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Roberto Saviano

October 03, 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

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Amazon

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Bruce Parry

October 09, 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).

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The Good Pub Guide 2009

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Alisdair Aird, Fiona Stapley

October 02, 2008
If you do not own any pub guides, including previous editions of this one, I would recommend this one highly - it only includes pubs of a high standard (and doesn't just focus on the BEER) and covers the whole country with impressive breadth. Even the lucky dip pubs are usually the better pubs in town - I've rarely been disappointed by one.
BUT... if you own any of the previous few editions of the Good Pub Guide I see absolutely no point in buying this. It is slightly frustrating the way the Guide never changes much. This could be a signifier of good standards, but it isn't flexible enough. So many great pubs are not included (this edition has no place for The Flask in Highgate, one of the best pubs in north London) and yet year after year many ... Read More:

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The Atlas of the Real World: Mapping the Way We Live

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Daniel Dorling, Mark Newman, Anna Barford

October 06, 2008
This book is brilliant! It uses maps of the world to display data by distorting the physical size of countries according to the relevant data - the result is a very visual feel for the data - much more powerful than figures or words could be. Every page has a global map displaying a different set of data and the range of data is huge, spanning from spread of diseases to energy use, from prevalence of national disasters to effectiveness of legal systems.

The book is pretty large and an ideal coffee table read. You don't need to be particularly analytical to get a lot from it - just need to be interested in the world. A fantastic new way of looking at the world.

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New Zealand (Lonely Planet Country Guide)

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Charles Rawlings-Way

September 01, 2008
This book is brilliant! It uses maps of the world to display data by distorting the physical size of countries according to the relevant data - the result is a very visual feel for the data - much more powerful than figures or words could be. Every page has a global map displaying a different set of data and the range of data is huge, spanning from spread of diseases to energy use, from prevalence of national disasters to effectiveness of legal systems.

The book is pretty large and an ideal coffee table read. You don't need to be particularly analytical to get a lot from it - just need to be interested in the world. A fantastic new way of looking at the world.

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Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Tim Butcher

January 03, 2008
Full of insight into the Congo, its history and relationships with its neighbours. The author's personal story makes it a good read, thanks to his detemination, sensitivity and the hardship he endures. The information he includes gives it a valuable educational quality. At the end I was filled with frustation, a sense of futility verging on anger. Colonisation has left scars and horror everywhere. It is understandable that the Congo may want to forget all that it was as a Belgian colony. But what is in its place?
Reminiscent of the potential and beauties of Africa and its people, there is a seeming disabilty for the Congo to rise above its past and take control of its future. The author clearly makes the point that in other parts of the world, ... Read More:

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Gomorrah: Italy's Other Mafia

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Roberto Saviano

January 18, 2008
I read this book before retiring to bed over several nights. I found it hard to put down, yet each time I turned the page I thought the narrative might pick up, become more personal and lead me somewhere more satisfying. Is it me? Do I lack that bit of inside information that would help me digest and put more clarity to the situation? The information came at you wholesale, floods of it...names, places, so many names and places, complicated by my lack of knowledge of places and probably politics, background and pronunciation. So many killings...don't get me wrong, I loved it and recommend it ...yet it left me wanting just that little bit more explanation. All the while I was reading the book I was constantly nagged by the question...what was Saviano's perspective ... Read More:

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Thailand (Lonely Planet Country Guide)

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: China Williams, Aaron Anderson, Becca Blond, Brett Atkinson, Tim Brewer, Virginia Jealous, Lisa Steer

August 01, 2007
I read this book before retiring to bed over several nights. I found it hard to put down, yet each time I turned the page I thought the narrative might pick up, become more personal and lead me somewhere more satisfying. Is it me? Do I lack that bit of inside information that would help me digest and put more clarity to the situation? The information came at you wholesale, floods of it...names, places, so many names and places, complicated by my lack of knowledge of places and probably politics, background and pronunciation. So many killings...don't get me wrong, I loved it and recommend it ...yet it left me wanting just that little bit more explanation. All the while I was reading the book I was constantly nagged by the question...what was Saviano's perspective ... Read More: