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Books: Travel: Beijing
Daughter of the Yellow Riverby Diana Lu List Price: $24.95 Available from Amazon $15.72 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page Book Description "Daughter of the Yellow River is a testament to perseverance, determination, courage, and success." – Deepak Chopra, best-selling author of Peace Is the Way "Diana Lu’s memoir effectively weaves autobiography, advice, cultural insights, and career journey to reveal what many women already know: work is intensely personal. Her self-reflection is contagious, and hopefully her perseverance will be as well." – Joanne Gordon, former Forbes staff writer and author of Career Bliss: Secrets from 100 Women Who Love Their Work "Daughter of the Yellow River is an inspiring story of a remarkable woman. From the deprivation of the Chinese Cultural Revolution to success in the Western world, it depicts the victory of determination and pluck over personal and business adversity." – James Pammenter, former director, KPMG management Consulting "This book vividly proves the power of ‘You will never know until you try.’ Diana Lu provides a simple, compelling approach to building the life of our dreams. This is an authentic road map for anyone pursuing lasting and transformational change in their lives." – Darryl Quan, chief financial officer, Image Global Impact. "Diana’s beauty masks a dynamic entrepreneur who knows what she wants to do and does it. Her life story takes her from the struggles of an impoverished childhood in china to success in a highly competitive global industry to a commitment to helping people forge their own paths to fulfillment. She shares her challenges and disappointments, triumphs and achievements, and the lessons she has learned about business and about life." – John Edward, former divisional director, Corning Incorporated. "Inspirational, motivational, and stimulating are words that describe this book. Diana Lu’s ‘can do, can achieve’ attitude makes this book a must for those who want to get more out of life. She is proof that if you are an intelligent woman dealing in a male-dominated industry, you can be successful while maintaining an air of sophistication and femininity." – Mike Yell, general manager, Fujitsu Australia & New Zealand When Diana Lu was three years old, her family was forced to leave their comfortable middle-class life in the city to live an impoverished coal-mining village at the edge of the Gobi Desert for China’s culture revolution "re-education." Life in that remote place was a constant struggle against hunger and fear. Passionate & determined, Diana resolved to create a better life based on her own talents and dreams; she turned down prestigious job after medical school. Overcoming parental & societal objections, she explored university teaching, real estate, and other fields before finding her niche as a top executive in the optical fiber industry. In 1997 Diana moved to the United States, and launched her own international enterprise, melding the Western & Chinese business cultures to work with clients globally. Operating in a competitive, male-dominated high-tech field, she achieved astounding success -- from earning $30 a month in 1993 to in ten years making sales worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This inspirational book -- part memoir, part guidebook to personal and business success -- illustrates her remarkable journey. * I am a daughter of the Yellow River. Its waters flow within me like the blood in my veins. * I didn't need to define or limit myself by the circumstances I came from -- what counted was where I was heading. * I realized that our lives will be what we choose to make them… That can be a daunting challenge, but the rewards are immeasurable.
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The Travel Bookby Roz Hopkins List Price: $50.00 Available from Amazon $31.50 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page From Booklist *Starred Review* Even the most avid readers of travel guides and travel literature will not have encountered a book quite like this one. It is huge and heavy but reasonably priced, and it is vastly informative, which is its calling card. All the writers who contribute to the Lonely Planet travel guide series have put heads, knowledge, and experience together and come up with an A-Z series of capsule profiles of every country in the world, 230 in number. Each country gets a two-page spread, on which are placed, like luscious dishes set before one at a feast, illustrations that are typical of Lonely Planet's unique, non-picture-postcard brand of shots. The accompanying text presents a cogent rundown of the best experiences for gaining the essence of the place; books to read beforehand; music to listen to before you go; food and drink to consume once you are there; and a few brief but pungent closing comments on the trademark things to do and buy and see and what, ultimately, is the best surprise awaiting the tourist. For borrowers in the travel section to sit down, look at, and make notes from, without taking off the premises. Brad Hooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Book Description The world is a breathtakingly big place, and in this big book we have undertaken the big task of detailing as much of it as we can - every single country, many of the larger dependencies and other, smaller destinations. With the traveler's experience at its heart, this book shows a slice of life in every corner of the globe, and all points in between, engaging the reader's senses in an adventure which conjures up the sights, smells, tastes, sounds and feel of our amazing world. |
The Best American Travel Writing 2005 (The Best American Series (TM))by Jamaica Kincaid and Jason Wilson List Price: $14.00 Available from Amazon $10.78 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page From Booklist Great travel writing feeds our hunger for armchair journeys while somehow making the armchair less comfortable. Series editor Wilson searched for the rare pieces that weren't "aggressively positive"; Kincaid chose finalists that she says "underline my sense of my displacement." True enough, whether discussing suburban Florida or the bullet-riddled border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, these essays and articles show us the overlooked and never-seen with curiosity, insight, engagement, and humility; none of these writers brags about being at home in the world. Standouts are many: in "Into the Land of bin Laden," Robert Young Pelton finds a soldier who says, "I have no idea who we are fighting"; in "Tight-Assed River," John McPhee sails with the men who pilot aircraft carrier-length barges down Illinois' narrow waterways; and in "Trying Really Hard to Like India," Seth Stevenson serves a stern rebuke to travelers who return with praise for a country simply because they made it there and back. Readers may try to sample this, but they'll end up devouring it all. Keir Graff Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. Book Description Edited by the renowned novelist and travel writer Jamaica Kincaid, this year's collection reflects the wandering spirit and ever-present quest for adventure of the seasonedand not so seasonedtraveler. Contributors include Tom Bissell, Ian Frazier, Simon Winchester, Murad Kalam, and others. |
Them: A Memoir of Parentsby Francine du Plessix Gray List Price: $29.95 Available from Amazon $19.77 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. "My mother enjoyed claiming direct descent from Genghis Khan," Gray explains as she opens this complex and rewarding family memoir. That claim gave her mother "both the aristocratic pedigree and the freedom to be a barbarian." Tatiana Yakovleva du Plessix Liberman was 19 and hungry in 1925 when she left the Soviet Union for France. Tatiana and Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky soon fell passionately in love, but the ever-practical woman married aristocratic Frenchman Bertrand du Plessix instead. They had one child, Francine, before du Plessix was killed in early WWII combat. Tatiana then became involved with Alexander Liberman, a British- and French-educated artistic Jewish-Russian émigré. Alex, Tatiana and Francine fled to New York in 1941 and started a new life—Tatiana designing hats for Bendel's before a career with Saks, Alex scaling the fashion journalism ladder at Condé Nast. New Yorker contributor Gray tells the story of this talented, self-absorbed couple from their roots to their graves. The final chapters—with the death of Demerol-addicted Tatiana and Alex's remarriage to an adoring nurse—are unbearably tragic, and the inside story of the Liberman ménage is more addictive than any Vanity Fair exclusive. Gray is such a fine writer, her family story reads like a novel of early 20th-century bohemianism gone corporate. Rich with history of early to mid-20th-century design and publishing, this memoir stands as an instructive model of how to write a difficult story honestly. Gray's parents were not nice people, but she loved them, and readers, by the end, understand why. Photos. Agents, Georges and Anne Borchardt. (May 5) Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library Journal Adult/High School–Gray is an engaging writer with a natural eye for the parts of her parents' lives that are most interesting to readers. It certainly helps that they were active and fascinating people. Her mother, Tatiana, was a hat designer in Paris and for Saks Fifth Avenue; her stepfather, Alexander Liberman, was an artist who came to run the giant Condé Nast publishing house. Both being social animals, their tale brings with it appearances by the rich and famous of the mid-20th century; the couple's often cruel behavior as they strove to advance in this world is interesting if unpleasant. Both individuals were Russian émigrés. Tatiana came from an artistic family whose influence ranged from her native country to France and, through her painter uncle, across the world. She became heavily involved with a leading Soviet poet, which ensured her own place in Soviet history. Alexander's father was one of Lenin's leading economic advisers, a non-Bolshevik whose abilities gained him trust and support. The book takes in many more relatives and, given their lives, includes courtiers, artists, spies, and heroes. It provides a good look at many different aspects of 20th-century social and political history, which alone makes it worthwhile reading. Black-and-white photos are included.–Ted Westervelt, Library of Congress, Washington, DC Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
America's Promise Restored: Preventing Culture, Crusade, and Partisanship from Wrecking Our Nationby Harlan Ullman List Price: $26.00 Available from Amazon $16.38 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page From Publishers Weekly A former naval officer, Ullman is afraid that bureaucracy, rampant partisanship and a crusading foreign policy have rendered the United States government completely dysfunctional. He also worries that the rise of al-Qaeda and other organizations run by "Jihadist Extremists" constitutes a threat to the United States on par with that once posed by Nazi Germany. As a result, he says, "the United States may be in the gravest danger since the Civil War." Taking aim at special interest groups, both political parties, the Bush administration and even the Constitution itself, Ullman worries that the American system of government might not be able to adapt to today's mounting challenges. This is an ambitious contention, and one the book doesn't support very well. While providing solid historical background for the "War on Terrorism" and other major foreign policy issues, the book's sprawling structure occasionally dilutes the force of its arguments. However, the author does propose some governmental reforms that might appeal to public policy buffs. The most novel of these is a call for mandatory universal voting, in the belief that higher voter participation will lead to greater government accountability. (July) Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Book Description America's Promise Restored is by one of America's foremost military and political thinkers. It shows how, if left unchecked, America’s current political culture and historical capacity for crusade — motivated and corrupted by ideology — will prove far more destructive than all of Bin Laden’s devilish intentions. Contemporary American politics is destroying America’s relevance and influence abroad and its democratic values at home. This book shows how these forces evolved and have been transformed, fragmented, and perverted such that America has been broken by old political mindsets and harsh partisanship; how religion, ideological overtones, and excesses prevent rational policy. We also see that the forces threatening American democracy are an “antique” form of government that seems to be in permanent gridlock since it is driven, distorted and corrupted by self-interest. These things have engaged the nation in the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time, as well as having intruded across inviolable political boundaries; and an extraordinarily dangerous yet misunderstood threat that can draw on tens of millions of converts — many of whom are prepared to die in the process of imposing a political-theological regime on a region rich in oil with access to nuclear weapons. |
Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service Works for Americaby Shawn Dorman List Price: $12.95 Available from Amazon $9.97 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page Book Description Who works in an embassy? What do diplomats actually do? Inside a U.S. Embassy is the only book that truly answers these questions. Inside a U.S. Embassy is a unique resource, taking readers inside embassies and consulates in over 50 countries, providing detailed descriptions of Foreign Service jobs and first-hand accounts of diplomacy in action. Gain a sense of the key role played by each member of an embassy team from Paris to Kabul, from Bogota to Beijing, and places in between. Travel into the rainforests of Thailand with an environmental affairs officer, face rampaging militias with a political officer in East Timor, and join an ambassador on a midnight trip into a Macedonian refugee camp to quell a riot. The book includes profiles of diplomats and specialists around the world serving in Foreign Service positions -- from the ambassador to the security officer to the IT professional. Also included is a selection of day-in-the-life entries from 17 different countries, each describing an actual day on the job in an embassy. The story section includes 26 tales from the field that give a sense of the extraordinary: the coups, the evacuations, the civil wars, the hardships and rewards of representing America to the world. Inside a U.S. Embassy was published by the American Foreign Service Association and edited by a former Foreign Service Political Officer. Updated and revised for 2005.
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Lonely Planet Beijing (Lonely Planet Beijing)by Damian Harper List Price: $17.99 Available from Amazon $11.69 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page Book Description There's a not-so-quiet transformation brewing on the streets of Beijing. Set against a backdrop of dynastic opulence and centuries-old traditions is a city hurling itself headlong into the future. Whether your penchant is for Beijing opera or Peking duck, this smart and stylish book will guide you through all the excitement, grandeur and magic. • ENGAGE WITH THE ARTS with our cutting-edge chapter on contemporary art, written by an expert • BE INSPIRED by our extensive coverage of the world-famous sights, complete with insider twists • BICYCLE round the city with improved maps and walking tours • SHOP TILL YOU DROP - detailed coverage of the latest boutiques, markets and malls • CONNECT WITH LOCAL LIFE - etiquette advice and our user-friendly language chapter
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Lonely Planet Korea (Lonely Planet Korea)by Martin Robinson, Andrew Bender, Rob Whyte, and John Banagan List Price: $24.99 Available from Amazon $15.74 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page Book Description Densely forested mountains, colourful Buddhist temples and sleek modern cities - discover all this and much more with this bestselling guidebook. Korea's welcoming people, unique culture and incomparable cuisine make it one of the great destinations of Northeast Asia. Whatever your pleasure, we cover it all: North, South, eats, the works! * BE INSPIRED by our new highlights and itineraries sections * GET AROUND with the help of over 100 detailed maps, including a full-colour map of Seoul * DINE OUT in the best restaurants with our Korean menu decoder * UNDERSTAND - from religion to politics and war, our history and culture chapters will put you in the picture * GO NORTH! Check out our North Korea chapter - even stranger and more sinister than the plot of the Ian Fleming novel you bought at the airport
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