USA: The Rough Guide

by Samantha Cook, Jamie Jensen, Tim Perry

A remarkably complete -- and compact -- travel guide to the entire United States. I scrutinized pages for two cities I know intimately (New Haven, CT, and Seattle, WA) and one I just visited (Palm Springs, CA) and can honestly say that this book does a very good job of capturing the essential feeling of each place, and of describing the high and low points of each locale. As is inevitable for such a copious compendium, there are entries for establishments that have gone out of business (The Unicorn and Costermonger), or entries I wished they had included (The Museum of Toasters). But on the whole, it's hard to imagine a more comprehensive and useful volume for the perennially peripatetic US traveler. Two suitcases up, up, and away!

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, The United States Of America

1184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Chloe Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite non-fiction book is the story of Britain by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom because I like the illustrations with the use of speech bubbles as it make it more appealing to children. The timeline on the bottom of the pages is a good touch as well, it is also not too complicated so it is easier for children to understand. There is also a range of diagrams. The use of subheadings helps you to find a certain piece of information and he events go on from the stone age to the 21st century. The text is presented in two different fonts which makes the pages more interesting. The book is cartoon like with the illustrations which may be easier for children to understand and it could be used with younger children too. The book is one I would have in my classroom to use in history as it can be used as a starting point for a topic. Each time period can be related to other subjects such as science in looking at materials, geography looking at other places and perhaps dance. English can be linked to history well such as diary or letter writing. Children can further their knowledge and use ICT to extend their knowledge and perhaps present their information in different formats. The titles on the page stand out and fit well with the presentation of the book. Some words would have to be explained or explored as children may not understand them. I am passionate about history and this gives a good overview about the history of Britain without being too complex. Most pages have a big picture which is more prominent and then a few smaller pictures. This book is more suited to primary aged children due to its presentation. Teachers could select the parts of the book relevant to study and perhaps display them. there are also talking points from the book as you could children questions to engage their thinking such as would you like to have lived in the stone age?

[Paddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought a Rough Guide since it seemed the most useful to non-automobile travellers. It lived up to expectations. The size of the US necessarily means there can't be a lot of detail, but I found it quite useful.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great, honest and independent guide to the USA.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Browsed for brainstorming purposes - seems like a good overview