Product Description
Easy-to-use, this durable new map series covers the world's great cities, both on and off the beaten track. Features include: full-colour, fold-out maps; downtown and metropolitan maps; transit routes and unique walking tours; full index of streets and sights; essential information and telephone numbers; up-to-date and accurate content; plastic-coated, double-sided, 240mm x 100mm; 9.5" x 4" folded. ... Read more

Product Description
Habitable Planets for Man examines and estimates the probabilities of finding planets habitable to man, where they might be found, and the number there may be in our own galaxy. The author presents in detail the characteristics of a planet that can provide an acceptable environment for humankind, itemizes the stars nearest the earth most likely to possess habitable planets, and discusses how to search for habitable planets. Interestingly for our time, he also gives an appraisal of the earth as a planet and describes how its habitability would be changed if some of its basic properties were altered. This is a reprint of an edition originally published in 1964. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A superb book
This glorious book is virtually identical to the first edition, published in 1964.And while it is a little dated, it is simply terrific.I wish I had read it when it first came out.

Even the opening page is a treat, showing where our Sun would appear if we looked at the night sky from the vicinity of Alpha Centauri.It would be the brightest star in Cassiopeia!But what if we were in the vicinity of, say, Eta Cassiopeiae?Well, in that case, our Sun would be in the Southern Cross.

Now we get into the meat of the book, looking for habitable planets.What do we mean by "habitable?"Even before the book was written, the term "habitable zone" was used to refer to a region around a star in which a rocky planet could have liquid water on the surface, and that's not a bad definition.But Stephen Dole wants a little more than that.He wants the mean temperature extremes in every season to be between 14 degrees F and 104 degrees F so we poor humans won't freeze or get overheated (personally, I think we could survive a little outside this zone: we do on Earth).He wants between 0.2 and 30 lumens of light per square centimeter so we can grow our plants.

What about gravity?Well, sure, we'd get uncomfortable at much over 1.5g.But as Dole points out, there may be a stronger limit.Once a planet is above about 3.2 earth masses, it is likely to capture plenty of helium, so much that it will then capture hydrogen and become a gas giant.Too much atmosphere for us!

How about oxygen?I might settle for a place that lacked oxygen and try to "terraform" it.Not Dole: he wants us to be able to breathe on that planet!And he computes some acceptable partial pressures of oxygen.

Of course, we'll need water.Oceans!But we don't want more than about 90% of the surface to be covered by oceans: we need some land as well.And there are other requirements: not too much dust or wind, not too much radiation, a mass of at least 0.4 earth masses (so it can retain a breathable atmosphere), a day of less than about 100 hours so it does not get too cold at night or too hot during the day, decent values of inclination and eccentricity, and so on. We also need to be careful about "tidal locking," with a year slowly becoming equal to a (sidereal) day on the planet.That planet might have part of its surface overheat to the extent that the oceans start to boil, with the water being lost by photodecomposition followed by a loss of the hydrogen to space (with the exception, perhaps, of some ice retained on the "dark side" of the planet).

Next comes perhaps the finest part of this book, namely a table showing, for each star spectral type: the mean star mass, luminosity, radius, number of such stars per cubic parsec, years of residence on main sequence, and habitable zone boundaries.He eventually calculates (or estimates, by each spectral type) the total number of habitable planets in the Milky Way to be 645 million!

That is a worthy and pioneering piece of work.

Dole then gives a table of the stars within 22 light-years that he thinks might be candidates to have habitable planets.Since then, we've looked at some of these stars a little more carefully, and in the next few years, I think we'll know much more about them and the potential for habitable planets orbiting them.My guess is that we'll find at least one such planet.

I highly recommend this classic on the habitability of planets in the Galaxy.It got me to remember a popular motto (which Dole, to his credit, does not use): "The meek will inherit the Earth.The rest of us shall go to the stars."

An interesting look at possible extra-solar worlds for man
This book was written in 1970 as an analysis of what sort of planet would be inhabitable by humans on a permanent basis (colonization), and what are the chances of finding such planets around nearby stars. The book looks at human requirements, such as temperature, gravity, atmospheric composition, etc. Then other factors are reviewed, such as solar system organization, stellar properties, satellite relationships, special properties of binary star systems, etc.

This book makes for some very interesting reading. It is rather dated, though, with the mass of Pluto being placed at equivalent to the Earths, and with water oceans being speculated about for Venus. Admittedly, this probably does mean that some of the conclusions are suspect. However, the depth of information in this book does make it an interesting resource for science-fiction authors, and other interested in speculating about extra-solar planets for man.

Still no equal
This is the most valuable reference book a science fiction writer canhave.Period.It's also wonderful fun to read.
Pair it with the2000 book RARE EARTH for contrast.Dole is still more interesting, anddoesn't really have an agenda, despite the title.

What a smart guyhe must have been!

Outstanding
"Habitable Planets for Man" offers in-depth speculation aboutextrasolar planets. We learn that Earth-like worlds are reasonably likelyonly around a rather narrow range of stellar types which exclude everybright star except Alpha Centauri. Even if a planet with abundant oxygenand water is found, its weather may be unsuitable; tides or seismicactivity may be extreme; narcosis due to excessive carbon dioxide ornitrogen may occur; day lengths may be difficult to tolerate. The chapter"An Appreciation of the Earth" is practically redundant, becauseafter studying the earlier text, the reader is sure to be glad of living onthe third rock from the Sun! ... Read more

Product Description
Diary for home or on the road, features one week to a page. Includes 34 inspirational colour photographs fromn the pictorial One People. Shows major holidays and festivals worldwide. World map, time zone and international telphone codes, yearly planner, travel schedule and useful web-sitec. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It's NOT sour grapes. (Honest!)
I absolutely admire, applaud and adore the pictures and the captions that accompany them in this calendar.One would *expect* to get inviting and exotic pictures in a desk calendar published by the people at Lonely Planet.One would assume that intriguing and inspiring captions would be associated with those awesome pictures.Oh, and one most definitely gets all that with this calendar.

In addition to the aforementioned wonderful pictures/prose, near the end of this calendar, the publishers have thoughtfully provided a page (unless otherwise noted) of the following:
1. 2009 calendar/planner
2. A page for your various travel schedules/itineraries
3. Fun festivals throughout the world, listed by month
4. Four pages intended for your contacts--you know, a mini-address books that leaves you room to note name/address/phone/email addys of those you meet upon the road (i suppose)
5. Two pages for the important dates in your life such as birthdays/anniversaries/special occasions
6. Two pages devoted to world time zones
7. Two pages of international dialing codes listed alphabetically by country
8. A page of travel-oriented websites
9. An essentially blank page, with lines, titled "Notes"
10. Two pages of conversions, e.g., women's clothing sizes, temperature, weights, volume, length, distances, area.On one of these pages, one can also find information pertaining to various Lonely Planet offices around the world.

Unfortunately, all that stuff at the back of the calendar is pretty useless to me.I should have guessed it would be there before i bought this calendar.It's logical that it would be there.I suppose i was expecting it to be a calendar filled to bursting with images and information, though, and much less a calendar for 'you, who are on the road' (in the words of the immortal CSN&Y).

Sadly, too, all those pages of weeks run together.There are no small monthly calendars interspersed in the wonderful weekly pages, a feature i have used a LOT in with prior yearly desk calendars.Also, it seems to me that the paper used in the manufacture of this calendar is of a decidedly lighter, flimsier quality than that which i have used in prior desk calendars.

I've used desk calendars for many years to keep track of my kids' comings, goings, school events, parties, play dates and days with their dad vs. days with me.For years, i've used desk calendars to keep track of my obligations, events and travel--business and personal.I keep all family/friends birthdays in my calendar, and special occasions like weddings and graduations, as well.

I want my desk calendar to show me what coming, in terms of time--the month ahead, even the current month, and i don't want to flip to the front of the calendar to have to find it.In the case of this calendar, there are three years (2007 through 2009) all squashed together near the front of the thing.

For the first time in all the years i've been using a desk calendar to keep track of my life (20+ years), i'm going to buy another desk calendar with which i will just replace this one.Yes, i AM that bothered by the lack of "amenities", so to speak, of this calendar.

Synopsis: Great pictures. Riveting commentary about the pictures. Really disappointing layout. I want a calendar, first, and pretty pictures/great words, second. This desk calendar does not give me what i want in the way i want it.

If you want gorgeous pics accompanied by great travel words and LOTS of space to plan your next trip (and the one after that) then this is a great calendar for you.Unfortunately, it's not so useful for me, your basic soccer mom.

Calendar
If you are a world traveler or just enjoy nice pictures from around the world, this is a nice day planner.My biggest compliant is that there are some pages without pictures.I think that a good day planner should have a new picture every week.There are some pages in this planner with two weeks facing each other and no picture!Also, for the last two years my day planner had a plastic jacket where I could stick little notes and pieces of paper.This one has a plastic jacket, but no pockets or places to stick notes.All and all I like it, but it could have been even better. ... Read more

Product Description
I would never have found this place, learned your name, shared a bottle of tequila - unless I'd opened this book...

o local expressions and cultural facts
o culinary guide to Mexico's world-famous cuisine
o shopping lingo, pick-up lines & sports speak ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great resource!
This is perfect to brush up on some of your spanish or use it to get around in Mexico even if you've never learned the language.Very comprehensive resource.

Helpful Guide
It's a quick and easy reference guide to help you learn while in the privacy of your own home, as well as while out in the world and actually using it while in conversation with a Spanish speaking person. I recommend it! It's been very useful this week while in San Miguel.

Excellent if you already have some Spanish ability
I really like this book. Fits perfectly in your handbag or saddlebag out on the trail. All the basics are covered here and even some things you may never need to say at all - such as various pick up line in bars! There is a nice sense of humor paired with common sense throughout this phrasebook. However, if you need to find a particular word for a particular item you will need a true Engligh/Spanish dictionary rather than a phrasebook. I carry both with me almost constantly.

Awesome
As usual Lonely Planet has the best. Lots of phrases grouped into sections ie) restaurants, shopping etc. Good Eng-Spa dictionary and vice versa. Easy to use.

Learn your colors elsewhere
Easy to navigate, read, and carry...only downfall i could find is that its hard to find the colors translated. I find this important but unfortunately there is no section for them. ... Read more

Product Description
The most exciting new discovery in modern astronomy mustsurely be the detection of planets orbiting distant stars; but whatkinds of worlds these new planets are is yet to be determined withcertainty. In this imaginatively written yet solidly scientific work,planetary scientist John S. Lewis explains how planets form, what theyare made of, and how scientists know about both the planets in oursolar system and those orbiting distant suns.Amazon.com Review
Now we know: other stars have planets, too! What are theylike? Do they house beings looking up at us? In Worlds WithoutEnd, John S. Lewis answers the first question as best he can andwisely defers the second with a thorough discussion of itspossibilities. He knows what he's talking about--as codirector of theSpace Engineering Research Center at the University of Arizona, he'son top of the ever-increasing flow of information about our ownplanet, our neighbors from Mercury to Pluto, and the invisible (butwell-established) satellites of distant suns. His prose, at turnsstudious and droll, captures his enthusiasm for planetary science andinfuses the reader with the desire to know more. Whether you want tolearn about life or the planets that support it, Worlds WithoutEnd should be the starting point for your cosmic voyage. --RobLightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A fine book about planets, written for the interested non-specialist
I like this book about planets, which is written by an expert.

John Lewis makes the point that Earth's history was modified rather dramatically by an impact with a huge (maybe Mars-sized) bolide.That impact influenced the Earth's spin, axial tilt, and internal composition.And it produced the Moon (which was initially far closer to the Earth than it now is).He asks what the Earth would be like had this impact not occurred, but he also explains that this is a very hard question to answer.

The author then discusses what the Earth might be like were it a little larger or a little smaller.He shows why a Mars-sized Earth could have taller mountains, due to the lower gravity.And such a planet would be far less likely to have subduction zones, because its lithosphere would be thicker, colder, and more rigid.Meanwhile, an "Earth" with twice the radius would probably be completely covered by water.

Next, Lewis tells about giant planets, including ones orbiting other stars.And brown dwarfs.And then he talks about planet-sized moons of giant planets.There's even a nice discussion of spin-orbit resonances.

Of course, the conditions on a planet depend enormously on the nature of the star it orbits.For a star to be able to stay on the Main Sequence for a billion years or more, it must be smaller than the O-stars, B-stars, andmany of the A-stars: it must be an A7 or smaller.That means F-stars, G-stars (such as the sun), K-stars, and M-stars.Even the small, long-lived, and numerous M-stars (down to M7) could be hosts of planets with Earthlike temperatures.Lewis does ask the question, "how common are planets that are inhabitable by life that is similar to Earth life?"And he indicates that there may be quite a few such planets.

I recommend this book, and I enjoyed the style in which it is written.

Fantastic voyage...
John Lewis is a professor of planetary sciences at the University of Arizona.Astronomy is the broad field under which this falls, but there is a specialisation within the field.I must confess I have always been one who is more interested in large-scale structures (galactic astronomy), origins and endings (cosmology and the like) as well as `how things work', the theoretical physics aspect.Planetary science didn't really enthrall me as much, even with the increasing availability of stunning photographs and records coming back from the other planets in our solar system.Don't get me wrong - I was fascinating and interested, but it did take a backseat to the other study.

This changed somewhat such that planetary sciences became near to an equal footing when instrumentation and measurement became sufficiently precise to begin detecting planets around other stars.Suddenly there was a new universe opening up around each and every star, at least it seemed so for a time.We've reached the point now where announcement of new planets around other stars not only no longer makes headlines, but may no longer warrant a mention in the press beyond the professional journals.

Lewis' book, `Worlds Without End: The Exploration of Planets Known and Unknown' helped to fill a gap in my knowledge about the direction and breadth of the new planetary studies.Published back in 1998, it is already somewhat out of date given the speed with which discoveries are occurring in this field, but it still serves as a great, accessible and interesting primer to the study of planets both `at home' and `abroad'.

Lewis explores the different kinds of planets, from rocky types like Mercury to the big gaseous giants like Jupiter and Saturn.This survey includes the study of satellites, or planets around planets, as Lewis terms them.There are more moons around Jupiter and Saturn than planets around the Sun (if one does not include asteroids).These make for fascinating trips, too.

It is no surprise that these types of giant planets were the first to be discovered around other planets.He talks about the different kinds environments for stars, and in so doing gives a short course on other aspects of general astronomy such as overall galactic motion, the different types of stars and their life cycles, and the different kinds of groupings of stars.For example, a planet around a star in a globular cluster, clumps of stars that exist surrounding some galaxies but to a certain extent separate from those galaxies (rather like gated communities might be to larger urban settings), would have spectacularly starry nights, even if the stars in the cluster were relatively small, and the close fly-bys of other stars would be a million times more frequent, such that the environment of the planet would constantly be shifting dramatically as the orbit would constantly change - stars may even `steal' planets away from one another!

Lewis in his final chapter sets the stage for ongoing planetary science, theoretical and observational.He sees that in the not too distant future we may even be able to directly detect terrestrial-type planets (much `detection' today is done indirectly, measuring shifts in movement, light patterns, etc.).He gives a nod to the SETI project here (without mentioning it by name) in talking about the remote possibility of increasingly sensitive radio telescopes to detect artificial broadcast transmissions.

The one drawback of this text is the lack of graphic images.There are eight pages of plates, but none in colour - given the dramatic photography available of planets in our solar system from exploratory ships, and the stunning photography available of objects beyond the solar system from major observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope, one wonders why these weren't incorporated.Also, a few charts and graphs might have been helpful at certain points in the discussion to give a quick idea of figures or comparative values.

Very good book but needs more.
The book is a though run down of what we know of planets. The writer gives an brilliant account of what we know about planets at present particularly how they might be able to hold life.

What it lacks is some sort of summary at the end! I was quite surprised that nothing like it was supplied. A total of how many sun could hold life. I hope that the writer rewrites it with such a chapter.

Great book
This is a really good book. Lewis explores the physics and chemistry of the worlds in our solar system, and then using the principles of physics and chemistry learned there to explore the possibilities of other worlds, and life on them.

He presents several mind-bending -- yet scientifically feasible -- worlds for our consideration. "Earthissimo," for example, made me put the book down, lean back in my chair, and SAVOR the elegance of the science for several minutes. Wonderful!

BUT, like Lewis's otherwise excellent _Mining the Sky_, he doesn't include any graphs, table or illustrations. (He has a few artistic rendering in the middle, which are different.)

A few graphs or tables would have clarified his arguments and saved pages of dense, descriptive text.

Good book, mind-twisting science, poor presentation: 4 stars.

A fine primer on modern planetary science
______________________________________________
Besides being a fine primer on modern planetary science, Worlds withoutEnd strikes me as an exceptional resource for science-fiction worldbuilders-- and readers. I've read a couple of world-building books and they werepretty dry. This is the real thing -- a respected planetary scientist(Codirector of the Space Engineering Research Center at the University ofArizona) reporting on recent discoveries of extrasolar planets, andspeculating on the range of possible planets that might host life.Lewisdoes a nice run-through of possible planetary surface chemistries for"life as we don't know it", and reluctantly concludes thatextraterrestrial life will most likely be carbon-based and use water as asolvent, because both are the best available by far. Which isn't to saythat we won't find some very odd critters out there...

And I don't meanto imply that general readers won't enjoy Worlds without End -- I recommendit to anyone who's curious about how solar-systems form.

This is abetter-written book than his Mining the Sky (1996), though Lewis still getsannoyingly cutesy at times. Anyway, it's almost always a pleasure to read apop-sci book written by a working scientist. I'm looking forward to Lewis'snext.

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA) ... Read more

Product Description
You know the song Where Is Thumbkin? Sing along with new words that explain the eight planets of our solar system. ... Read more

Product Description
The Middle East beckons you. With 8 key languages in this first ever phrasebook to the region, let no barriers - language or culture - get in your way. Find your way to the qahwa (cofee house) for a sheesha (water pipe), and have a chat with some of the world's most hospitable people. Immerse yourself in the culture section packed with fascinating and useful info on this unique region.

Our phrasebooks give you a comprehensive mix of practical and social words and phrases in more than 120 languages. Chat with the locals and discover their culture - a guaranteed way to enrich your travel experience.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Mostly useless.
I was just in Syria and Turkey with this phrase book. There are very few useful phrases here. Very little in terms of conversation.

The arabic part is pretty useless since the pronunciation is way off and people have no idea what you're talking about when you use it.

I would suggest saving your money if you're thinking of buying it.

Interesting!
This book offers the phrases any visitor is most likely to need in Turkish, Farsi (Persian), Hebrew, and as many as five different "dialects" of Arabic: Modern Standard, Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Tunisian. The variety of Arabic presented is very interesting - I am not aware of any other phrasebook to more than one Arabic dialect.
I did find the phrases were well-selected (and the most important termsin all 8 languages like "please", "thank you", "excuse me" etc. are handily grouped together on the inside of the covers) and the fact that they are accompanied by the original script is very useful, considering how hard to pronounce Arabic can be in particular.
The only reason I give this book only 4 stars is that I'd much rather see Kurdish (spoken by millions in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria) than Tunisian Arabic in it. Any way I look at it, Tunisia is nowhere near the Middle East, and even without that, 4 Arabic dialects should be enough to get you around the Middle East!

A colossal waste of paper - and money!
When I tried to use this phrasebook, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.The very first entry for each of the five Arabic dialects is, "Do you speak English?"What?!?If a person who speaks no Arabic, like me, wants to converse with a native Arabic speaker, s/he should ask, "Do you speak English?" IN ENGLISH!Believe me, you will know the answer from the person's facial response.I certainly don't need topose the question in a language that I am wholly unable to converse in, that's for sure.The very notion is absurd.

Want more laughs?This book is full of them.How about the most useful words to learn in any foreign language:thank you.You can look high and low and you won't find it in this purported phrasebook.Likewise, you will not easily find "Excuse me", "Please", "Hello", or "Goodbye", some of the other most important words you can learn.You will, however, find such useful expressions as "Can you write down the price?"(I'm sure that for one or two persons, the need for that phrase must come up all the time.)

Save your money.You don't want this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Barrie Jones addresses the question "are we alone?", which is one of the most frequently asked questions by scientists and non-scientists alike. In The Search for Life Continued, this question is addressed scientifically, and the author is not afraid to include speculation. Indeed, the author believes beyond reasonable doubt that we are not alone and this belief is based firmly on frontier science of the most imaginative kind.

The author concentrates on planetary systems beyond our own but starts with life on Earth, which is the only life we know to exist, and which provides guidance on how best to search for life elsewhere. Planets are the most likely abode of life and so we start the quest with the search for planets beyond the Solar System – exoplanets. The methods of searching are outlined and the nature of hundreds of exoplanetary systems so far discovered described. In the near future we expect to discover habitable Earth-like planets. But are they actually inhabited? How could we tell? All will be revealed.

This full color book is written for everybody who wants to stay in close contact with the latest on possible life on other planets.

Customer Reviews (1)

For beginners....
Is there life beyond the Solar System?Sure.This book is all about the search for life, the search for planets in other systems and how it is done.A simple, easy to understand series of chapters, not meant to explain every single detail, but meant to give people a rough idea on how science is trying to carry out the search for life and how far we have come.
In other words, this is the friendly guide to the search for alien planets, alien cultures and just plain alien life, with big brains or not.Mr. Jones sticks to the facts without trying to overload us with the tiny details.The last chapter, on what aliens may look like, is the slimmest because he really can't do anything but compare alien life to life on Earth.The graphs and pictures help move us along but it is Mr. Jones's easy writing style, plus the fact that he enjoys what he is writing about, that really hooks you.For those of you who wish to get into more serious books on the subject he even has an area that lists books and websites.A great gift for young adults or older adult who are just getting interested in the subject. ... Read more

Product Description
This new phrasebook is your key to traveling the famed Silk Road, with essential words and phrases for getting around and getting to know the locals. From western Xinjiang to the Karakoram Highway you'll be able to haggle in the bazaars and order your favorite kebabs with ease.

Includes comprehensive sections on Kazahk, Kyrgyz, Pashto, Tajik, Tashkorghani, Turkmen, Uyghur and Uzbeck. Also includes essential words and phrases in other languages of the region.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The only one - unfortunately
As other reviewers have pointed out, this is the only guide that contains a number of Central Asian languages. This monopoly is quite unfortunate, since this book cannot really be recommended. There are good courses in many Central Asian languages, - "Modern Literary Uzbek" and "Beginner's Guide to Tajiki" - so if you're going to visit just one country you'll be far better of with one of them. The author of this book is a specialist on the Uyghur language and it shows. As far as I can tell, the Uyghyr chapter is very good. Unfortunately, some other chapters are really bad. My main points are:

1. The languages presented
The authors have decided to focus mainly on six languages: Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Pashto, Tajik, Uyghur and Uzbek. These languages get about 30 pages each, while the remaining eight languages get an average of 5 pages each. For some reason, the Dari language isn't even mentioned in this book. In terms of speakers, it is the second largest language of Afghanistan after Pashto - however, it is the general lingua franca of the country and the language of most major cities, including the capital Kabul. While it is true that Dari and Tajik are extremely close, there are still a number of differences. Travellers to Afghanistan should definitely look for another phrase book than this one.

2. The maps
The six main languages are all introduced together with a map showing where they are spoken. I'm sorry to say that the maps are spectacularly wrong. The fact that many languages are shown as the spoken language in a certain area or city is no problem, many areas of Central Asia are bilingual or even trilingual.
a. Uyghur. As far as I can say, this map is correct, just as the chapter on Uyghur.
b. Uzbek. The Uzbek map is not as silly as some other maps, but it's still wrong. That the mainly Tajik cities of Samarkand and Bukhara are included in the Uzbek language area is absolutely correct, both have significant Uzbek minorities. Some areas of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are definitely Uzbek speaking, but this map would have us believe that the Uzbek areas cover more than 50% of the two republics respectively. That is not the case.
c. Kyrgyz. This map is just incredible. Cities such as the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, the former Kazakh capital Almaty, the two Tajik speaking cities Bukhara and Samarkand in Uzbekistan and the Uzbek Ferghana valley are all shown as Kyrgyz speaking... Of course there might be some Kyrgyz speakers living in each of these cities, but so are there in London and New York. None of these cities have even a mentionable Kyrgyz minority, not to speak of a majority.
d. Kazakh. This map is even worse. It correctly covers all of Kazakhstan but it also covers ALL of Uzbekistan and about 80% of Tajikistan. The Kazakh population in these countries are 3% and 2% respectively.
e. Pashto. Also a map made at random, and the one most likely to cause offence. All of Afghanistan is shown to be Pashto speaking. In reality, it's about 50% of the area of Afghanistan and 40% of the people. The major cities of Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat are all populated by Dari speaking Tajiks, yet at this map they are all shown to be Pashtuns. Even the Panjshir valley, the heartland of the Tajiks, is shown to be Pashto speaking. Apart from that, the Baluchi speaking areas are also shown to be Pashto speaking.
f. Tajik. Another confusing map. Tajikistan is of course shown to be Tajik speaking, as are the Uzbek area around Samarkand and Bukhara. More incredibly, even the Uzbek capital of Tashkent (in which Russian dominates and Uzbek comes in second) is shown to be Tajik speaking. What really makes one laugh is that even the south of Kazakhstan and the Kyrzyz(!) capital are shown to be Tajik speaking. In stark contrast to the "gains" by the Tajik language, the vast areas of Afghanistan, including Kabul, that are Tajik speaking are blank on this map.

3. The language descriptions
I'll start with a confession: I don't speak many of these languages and I cannot say how correct the descriptions are. I do speak Russian and have to say that I have never seen a more faulty description. The pronunciation this book uses is so far from the actual pronunciation that you won't stand the remotest chance of being understood. I get by in Tajik and the pronunciation table given here is beyond belief. Out of a total of six vowels, five(!) are given a pronunciation that is just wrong. According to this book, the Tajik "o" is pronounced as in English "go". It's not, it's pronounced as the "a" in "all" or the "aw" in "law". The word Tajik "ston" rhymes with English "lawn", not with "stone". In the Mandarin section, all the four tones of the language are ignored!! As even a beginner could have told the authors, the tones are absolutely crucial for speaking Chinese.


I agree with the reviewer who called for grammar descriptions of the main languages in this book. If such descriptions were introduced, if the maps were corrected, if the pronunciation guidelines were written from scrach, if Dari was included and if the sections on Russian and Mandarin were more substantial, this would be a rather good book.

A useful introduction to Central Asian languages
Rudelson's guide is the best - but only - guide to Central Asian languages that I've come across.For languages like Uighur and Turkmen, it's about all that's available, which makes it a must-have for visitors to Central Asia.

The greatest feature of Rudelson's effort is also its biggest drawback:a common adaptation of our alphabet to represent all the languages covered.This allows for ease of pronunciation and helps the reader see the differences in pronunciation and similarities in vocabulary among the different Turkic languages.However, this makes it difficult to use with (the few) other resources without first drawing up one's own tables of spelling conventions.Still, it's worth the trouble.

The only other drawback is the lack of a good grammar section.It's not necessary to give all the details but more information on how Turkic languages agglutinate, how Iranian languages express "to be," and such would be helpful.

A useful, easy to use book!
I strongly recommend that anyone going to Central Asia get this book.It is full of necessary phrases that will help you get where you need to go.It is very compact and can fit easily into a pocket.It is also very comprehensive, containing large sections of phrases in Uyghur, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Pashto, and Tajik, plus smaller sections on ten other regional languages.Also, it has a section outlining the history of Central Asian languages and certain grammatical/linguistic essentials.

Again, if you are going to Central Asia, invest in this book!

It has lots info with 16 different central asian languages
It has good information about meeting people, riding trains, booking hotels, and even seeing a doctor. It has lots of facts about greetings and the countries too. I recomend this book.

A reasonabley good effort
I thought that the structure of the guide is such that it makes it rather difficult for a person to begin to construct his own phrases with what has already been given.There should be more information about the basicgrammer of turkic languages. ... Read more

Product Description
The first photographic tour of the surface of another planet has now been accomplished. Those who thrilled to the lunar beauty of Full Moon and the IMAX smash Roving Mars will marvel at this awesome, vivid, beautiful portrait of what it is like to take a stroll on Mars.

The most fantastic of all journeys—the Spirit and Opportunity mobile robot missions to the surface of Mars—produced over 150,000 astonishing photographs. While the images were made available on low-resolution computer screens as they were sent back across millions of space miles, no one until now has done the painstaking work of editing, cropping, and processing these massive (often larger than 100 megabytes) images.

The person to do it is Jim Bell, the scientist and photographer who led the photography team on this historic expedition. With his unique perspective, these photographs take us from the brave launches of these robots, to the alien landscape they discovered and the mysteries of the planet that they have helped to solve.

Over 150 lavish full-color-process prints bring the colors and textures of Mars to vivid life on the page. Four of the most impressive pictures are presented in their entirety as gatefold images—which extend over three feet in width—providing a view of the surface of another planet unprecedented in its detail and clarity. Postcards from Mars is the perfect gift to give readers who have their feet on the ground and their eyes on the heavens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

For those of us that aren't likely to see it in person
Sure, it's a coffee table book.But as such it is out of this world.(Sorry, I couldn't resist that)For anyone that has dreamed of space, get this book and let your dreams grow.

Mars landscape at its best
Fantastic book. Its a large book This book is eye candy for this amateur astronomer. So rich with excellent landscape scenes and good explaining what you see.The author and illustrator did it right.A must for anyone interested in Mars or who loves Astronomy. This is not a kids book but no difficult math.So well illustrated young children will love it with parents reading it to them.If you have an interest in Mars this book will get you ramped up to learn more.

Wes see outstanding color pictures ( mostly reddish) from the Spirit and Opportunity rovers. Many are full page. We see detailed pictures of craters, dunes, different boulders, the "blueberries", and gullies. What fascinated me was the me were the possible past sites where water once may have been. Now scientific evidence there once was lots of water on Mars and Mars had a thicker atmosphere. Where there is water there may have been some form of LIFE.

Parents can show their kids the pictures and read the explanations.Both will love this book. Then let your child see Mars in a telescope right after seeing the pictures and you reading the explanations. Every 26 months (opposition) because of Mars large elliptical orbit, Mars gets close enough to Earth for OK viewing with backyard telescopes.

Maybe in 30 years or less a man or women will set foot on Mars and see this fantastic scenery. I hope so. Until then this book is a must look and read. 5 stars.

Buy two books. One for your home library and one as a coffee table book. When someone comes over and sees the book and starts looking at the pictures and readings you can take your copy out and explore Mars together.

Great book but delivered too late to give it as a gift!
I intended to give the book to my Nephew who was visiting from India but although I ordered it with plenty of time, it wasn't delivered in a timely manner and now it would cost me more than the book costs to send it to him.

It was no deal and I should have bought it at retail.Be careful with the false promises regarding delivery from this website

Amazing photos, very good words, too.
I expected the photos to be great, but I was surprised to find the accompanying writings (by a project scientist) to be so interesting and informative.

Photos from Mars are extraordinary!
This book is wonderful! I can't really add anything to what others have said. I just hope we get a second edition of additional photos when the two rovers have completed their epic adventures. When I was growing up in the 50s, the planets were just fuzzy blobs in the best telescopic photos. I'm glad I've lived to see these extraordinary "postcards." ... Read more

Product Description
VOYAGES TO THE PLANETS provides students and professors with the ideal combination of authors and experience. It is written by an award-winning astronomy educator (Fraknoi) and two distinguished research scientists (Morrison at NASA and Wolff at NOAO). This author team combines the latest science with classroom-tested teaching strategies and a student-friendly approach. Through unique group activities and a focus on astronomy as a human endeavor, the authors engage and involve students, helping them both understand and enjoy astronomy. ... Read more

Product Description
Asia: a continent of candid contradictions, unmatched mayhem and mystery, where just one experience will never quite articulate the magic of the place. A fisherman's song at dawn on the banks of the Mekong, a chaos of color on the ghats of the Ganges, the silence of the vast steppes of Kazakhstan, a marching mile of red hats along the Great Wall road: Asia is all this and more. From the tropical beaches of Bali to the frozen slopes of Everest, The Asia Book draws together a definitive collection of the sights, sounds and tastes of this captivating continent.

Here's how to start - open at any page and begin your own journey. Track the voyage of Lawrence of Arabia, hear the stories of the Silk Road trail, or plan an island-hopping itinerary. Settle back and discover the fascinating people, radical ingenuity, humbling hospitality and inspiring spirit of each country. Let Lonely Planet's photographers, authors and travellers lead you through five regions, 46 countries, and more than two thousand years of stories.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great concept, just a few flaws...
I was really excited when I heard about this book.I took it out of the library and read it cover to cover in a surprisingly short amount of time. It's a really big book, so I thought it would have taken me longer to get through.Here-in lies my first disappointment: I wish there was a little more meat to it.The text about each country is really interesting, but it left me wanting more.Same thing with the photos: really, really lovely photos, only I wish they printed twice as many.I wanted to see pictures of what I was reading about, so I found myself looking things up on the internet because there wasn't a photo in the book. At times the writing can be pretty amusing, especially with the quirkier, lesser-know countries. I felt like a few countries deserved more text, pictures, etc.I really liked the book, especially since I can't really find another quite like it. I only wish it could have taught me more, had a little more to offer. But I still give it four stars. I'd say well-done, a nice over-view.

Coffee Table Touring
In this large-sized pictorial, Lonely Planet takes you for a quick trip through each country in Asia (minus Russia).Each entry contains dazzling photographs, most featuring the people of Asia rather than scenery, and several paragraphs providing basic information about each country and/or a few fun facts.

The book is worth buying, or at least perusing, simply for the fine photography.Lonely Planet does a great job of visually exposing the reader to the diversity of Asia's people without descending too often into the sentimental or cliche.One really does get the sense of having a traveler's-eye view of the countries (albeit without the less scenic elements one would certainly encounter in real life).The writing is, on the other hand, merely adequate.The country descriptions are so brief as to be of little use.The additional commentary provided for each country can be, at times, pithy, but just as often is formulaic or bland.That said, coffee table picture books do not require fine writing when the photography is sufficient to tell the book's story.You'll find this book reminds you of the vacations you should have taken that the photography you wish you could have produced. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description

This volume in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series covers the inner planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Thematic chapters discuss all of the many areas of astronomical research surrounding each subject, providing readers with the most up-to-date understanding of current knowledge and the ways in which it has been obtained.

Like all of the books in this series, Inner Planets is scientifically sound, but written with the student in mind. It is an excellent first step for researching the exciting scientific discoveries of the Earth and its closest neighbors.

Product Description
Phrasebook in hand, bus ticket secured, you discover the bus driver shares your passion for Monet and fromage. He invites you to meet his family over a long lunch - another language-inspired success.

Our phrasebooks give you a comprehensive mix of practical and social words and phrases in more than 120 languages. Chat with the locals and discover their culture - a guaranteed way to enrich your travel experience.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Phrasebook ok, but dictionary and CD could be better
The phrasebook has the basics covered, the phonetic pronunciations are easy to sound out.

However, the two-dictionary is not complete, it does not even have all the words in the phrasebook.

And the CD was a good idea to hear the phonetic pronunciations, but it is only in French.So it is limited to be used while you have the phrasebook in front of you.While the phrasebook has numbers that correspond to the audio phrases, they are not in order and jumps around. So you get lost within the first few minutes.

I would love to see more examples of ordering food, and possibly more names of common French dishes.

not so lonely planet
this is a great! idea...i love it it is very simple and easy to carry.

French book

Very handy to have with you in France.
No problem getting point across.
Would purchase from dealer again.

Comparing this with In-Flight French
Although I have successfully relied upon the "In-Flight" language CDs before traveling to other countries, after reading customer reviews, I bought this CD for French instead. I know nothing about French and because of that inexperience, my review of this product is mixed. I will definitely take the phrasebook with me, but I found the CD less useful -- so I gave up and returned to my old standby and ordered In-Flight French.

It seems like the Lonely Planet French CD would be very useful if you had some previous exposure to the language and perhaps plenty of time for listening to this repeatedly. But if French is completely new for you, I think the In-Flight CDs are easier. Starting from zero exposure to the language is simple with that series and I've used it with five different languages now, so I am confident in making that statement.

Either way, I think it is important for travelers to learn at least a few phrases before being a guest in another country. It is simply polite to be able to say hello/goodbye, please/thank-you, excuse me, etc. when you are a visitor.

Am I missing something?
I put this CD in the player thinking it would say words in English then translate them to French.Unless I'm missing something, the CD is just a man speaking French.I have no clue what he's saying because, duh, I don't know the French language.Could the book and CD somehow be made to work together rather than separately? ... Read more

Product Description
You wipe the dust from a bejewelled bottle and djinn appears in a cloud of smoke. Three wishes, but of course it only takes one - 'I want to speak Turkish.' In a flash, this phrasebook's in your hand and the words come tumbling out…Cok tesekkur ederim.

Our phrasebooks give you a comprehensive mix of practical and social words and phrases in more than 120 languages. Chat with the locals and discover their culture - a guaranteed way to enrich your travel experience.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Buy a dictionary instead!!
Buy a dictionary instead! It's extremely difficult to find the phrase you want in this book. Plus, phrases aren't that helpful when you are attempting basic communication in a new language - what you really need are words. Instead of attempting to memorize "Could you please tell me where the bathroom is?" you just need to say "bathroom?" But the dictionary in this book is small, and more than half of the time it did not contain the word I was looking for. So frustrating!!

Lonely Planet Turkish phrasebook
Potential buyers of this phrasebook should be warned that it contains explicit sex and drug talk and is further replete with inappropriate vulgar language.It is definitely not for children.Older adults may be shocked at some of the phrases in this book.If you find youreself in a situation that requires the use of some of these phrases you're already in trouble and likely headed for even bigger trouble.I wouldn't buy this book again.

compact, helpful, but a bit confusing on pronunciation
It's well organized, and starts off with a series of helpful short phrases that would help a traveler anywhere: hello, goodbye, thank you, please, where are the toilets, that sort of thing.It then introduces information how to use the negative('I will be' becomes 'I will not be'), and it provides for English-Turkish or Turkish-English.And it includes a transliteration for every Turkish phrase.But I'm still a bit mystified by some examples, such as the ending of 'mu' or 'musiniz' (should be the turkish 'i' without the dot) in a sentence, and when to use them?

But the main issue I had was with the transliteration and not knowing if the g was hard (get) or soft (gentle), or the o was oh or more like uh as in other, if the e was ee or eh, etc.I don't think I'll find out until I get to Turkey and hear a native speaker.

A companion website with pronunciations would be a great addition.One other plus - it gives advice on Turkish life in small blurbs here and there.

Excellent little book
I am traveling to Turkey this summer and did not want to spend a lot of money for language studies.I speak French, Spanish, and Mandarin.I have been working with a basic Pimsleur course and was having trouble with their inconsistent pronunciation. One example was the word for HELLO,
"Merhaba." It was first pronounced (after listening to the word numerous times) "MEER-hah-bah"...the vowell in the first syllable as a long "i" as in American dictionaries or "i" according to the International Phonetic Alphabet.Later on, on another CD I heard the word pronounded as "mehr-hah-bah."I continue to find inconsistancies and contrary to what Pimsleur says and its 5-star rating, I found this little book to be a treasure trove of insights into the Turkish Language and an excellent supplement to the Pimsleur course. This book was designed for those individuals who wish to learn basic Turkish and not long term study of the language. Lonley Planet has done a great job with this little book. Larry Tomaw

very helpful
It is great to have a handbook written by a native speaker and including modern idiom and usage as well as warnings about which mispronunciations could be a problem.The sections are very well organized ... Read more

Product Description
This powerful graphic novel confirms Will Eisner as a master of the genre.In this graphic novel, Will Eisner’s pen cuts anexpansive swath through all aspects of the human condition. Life on Another Planet places American life within a broader perspective,chronicling the lives of scientists,politicians, spies, and nobodies as they come to terms with the discovery of extraterrestriallife: in reaching out to other galaxies,Eisner’s characters ultimately find themselvesfocusing within.

Amazon.com Review
What's going on out there? Will Eisner uses the idea of extraterrestrial contact to explore the weird happenings right here at home in Life on Another Planet. Serialized in the late 1970s and collected in the graphic-novel form that Eisner both invented and perfected, the story follows scientists, politicians, spies, and nobodies as they struggle to reach their own goals amidst this international crisis. The author paints his characters with broad strokes, and though his science is a little off base and his political satire dated, the novel still mines that same vein of deep truths that Eisner can find running through any subject. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The idea of life.
This story is not really about life on another planet, but on how the idea of life (Once it's confirmed and not just a vague idea) on another planet will affect our global society. Specifically it seems to focus on those elements which will attempt to exploit the news. From the third world dictator who secedes from the planet, to the Heaven's Gate stylecultist who sees a quick buck to be made. This books gives some all too human reactions to what might happen if/when such news breaks on the world. Remember this is all happening before an alien is actually seen. It is about the psychological impact of the news, not lasers and spaceships.

not eisner's best
It's like a 60's science fiction movie. Will Eisner's science here is awful. There are spelling mistakes (Bernard, Barnard) and basic terminology mistakes (year, light-year) BUT his human interactions are amazing, and his panel breakdowns are the best (at least most complex) out of any his stuff that I've seen. (I haven't had the opportunity to read many of his later Spirit stories.) His best work is to be found elsewhere (check out his brand-new full-length hardcover book from DC for a trip), but this book is certainly good. Lots of intrigue, politics, spies, murders, humor, and that's where he shines. And it's pretty cheap, so check it out!

"Another Planet" Review
A signal comes in from space.Are we alone?Full of espionage, intrigue and classic Will Eisner art, this is a gem for any collection, and great reading in graphic novel format (from the father of graphic novels).Twothumbs up on this one.

Eisner explores alien life waay before the X-files were born
From the genius mind of Will Eisner comes what could/will actually happen when another life-form contacts Earth. He explores the many different ways people will react and treat each other when an occurance like this happens. The book reads like you're watching a movie. Well planned out, and almost too close reality for comfort. Excellent illustrations, brilliant plot. A must for all sci-fi lovers, as well as comic lovers. ... Read more