Been to Kauai several times, but when we've used the Underground Guide (our last two trips) we've found:

1) Better places to eat;

2) More stuff to do that we wouldn't have thought of (and some things that weren't in the other Kauai guidebook, which we've since discarded);

and

3) Some Kauai friends. The best way to experience the Garden Isle is with people who know it well, and we've actually met some friends in Kauai as a result of going 'Underground.'

It's a must -- the best vacation investment you could make. Give up feeling like a tourist with Lenore's help. You'll find this guide up-to-date (I purchase a new copy before each trip), accurate down to the details (e.g. a deli that may not get your sandwich just right unless you check before you leave!), and easy to use (organized to be quickly accessible by restaurant, activity, etc, based on where you want to be on the island -- two page flips and you're on the way to a precise choice of food or fun based on the budget or level of activity you want). Whether going to a 'locals-only' beach or restaurant, Lenore's been there, and her reviews (and directions) are right on.

Highly recommended. Thanks, Lenore.

The natural beauty is truly appreciated by the author and she emphasizes these important features for specific situations, such as the best location for a sunset dinner. The book is limited to important details, not history, which makes it easy to read and use. Can't imagine visiting the island again without referring to this guidebook. Thank you for making our trip a pleasurable one!! We look forward to your next edition with updated information. We love the color photos and the bonus CD music - got us in the Hawaiian mood. I think I'll call the airlines right now to schedule our next trip! Aloha and Mahalo.

I emailed the author for further info re accessibility for our disabled son and she immediately provided me with additional helpful info. In fact in her next edition she is including a new section specifically for disabled vacationers to Kauai. On her own initiative she tracked down hiking & snorkeling/scuba diving adventures for the disabled as well as wheelchair rentals for the beach.

An amazing book and an amazing lady! This is a great book and I strongly recommend it for anyone travelling to Kauai.

Zubrin's The Case for Mars presents an intriguing plan for exploring Mars in the near future using off the shelf technology. The reader can't help but be excited by the idea of mankind reaching Mars soon after the turn of the century.

Zubrin presents his argument in a clear style and at a fast moving pace. The book is intended for a scientifically literate, but not necessarily scientifically expert audience. A reader with a solid background in the space sciences may feel that the book is too easy, but most readers will be entertained without experiencing technological overload.

Occasionally, Zubrin's writing shows a weakness common to self ordained prophets. Zubrin sometimes belittles opinions contrary to his own in a fashion that the reader wonders if he is receiving a fair presentation of the opposing side's viewpoint. Although Zubrin does present a convincing argument for the Mars Direct program, the program is still a paper engineering exercise without much of the detail and tradeoffs that are required in the real world.

Told entirely in letters, memos, postcards and faxes, Feeling Sorry for Celia tells the story of teenager Elizabeth Clarry. Elizabeth deals with the typical teen problems, but the main one is her best friend, Celia, who can't seem to stay home for more than a week before running away to far away places. The novel begins with Celia's disappearance once again, and Elizabeth is at a loss who to talk to. So when one of her teachers begins a pen-pal project with another school, Elizabeth finds a new friendship and confidante in Christina. Aside from dealing with friend problems, Elizabeth also finds that her absentee father has caused a little havoc himself. This novel takes readers on a journey through Elizabeth's life that is both funny and heartwarming. But there is a serious side to the story as well...read on to find out....

Interspersed between the real conversations amongst Elizabeth, her friends, mother and father, are letters from fake organizations like The Association of Teenagers, who accuse Elizabeth of not being a real teenager, or The Cold Hard Truth Association, who remind Elizabeth that she is not pretty enough for the boy of her dreams. This is the part that makes this novel unique -- I believe these fake letters reveal a part of Elizabeth's self-consciousness and make this story truly believeable and a joy to read. A quick weekend book, and one adults will love, too.

It's the story of a girl called Elizabeth, her troublesome friend Celia, school, parental relationships and all the difficulties of a teenager's life including first love and long-distance running. It's a very easy and enjoyable read, but not at the expense of the many serious and meaningful undercurrents that wind through it.

Elizabeth's story is told completely in letters and notes, from herself, from her mother, and from organisations that exist only in Elizabeth's mind, like 'The Society of People who are Definitely Going to Fail High School (And Most Probably Life as Well)'.

FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA is already a #1 bestseller in Australia. It was my favourite manuscript of 1999, and is one of my favourite books of the 21st century. I highly recommend it to you!

"In a Sunburned Country" is a different matter. Written as an integrated book, it is a wonderful introduction to the more intellectually complex aspects of Australia, as well as the funnier ones, providing fascinating anthropological, botanical, geological, historical, political and sociological insights about our friends Down Under. Prior to reading it, I had dismissed Australia as being little more than a very dull version of America in the Fifties; Like Bryson, I now view it as the most fascinating place on earth. Similarly, I had viewed Mr. Bryson as being a male Erma Bombeck; I now view him as one of the more intelligent writers I have encountered.

The Australian Tourism Authority should consider licensing this book and either giving it away to prospective visitors or otherwise using it to promote the country. It is that good.

I haven't yet finished "In a Sunburned Country" (only started it two days ago .....), but I would like to review the part that I've read to date.

Australia has always fascinated me, and the kind of trip Bryson embarked upon is one which I would find very exciting. He describes everything and every person he encounters in wonderful detail and has the ability to make even mundane facts amusing and infinitely readable. His sense of humour is priceless, whether he's describing the cities and towns he explores, the numerous creepie-crawlies and fiercesome creatures, featureless roads, pals from the past, new acquaintances, strange placenames (yep, stranger still than from my native UK, which has a few corkers of its own!), and isn't afraid to aim his humour at his own misgivings either! Some may call him cynical, but it's all in very good spirit and no-one need think otherwise. I think he has a genuine affection for Australia and its people.

Bryson has clearly done his homework and has the knack of giving us an interesting history lesson along the way. Of course, it's a Bryson history lesson, interspersed with that famous humour! Who's complaining!

His style of writing is such that putting the book down is tough - I'm looking forward to getting my nose stuck back into it later on today - and I'm sure any seasoned Bryson fan (or anyone sampling his offerings for the first time) will find "In a Sunburned Country" a very enjoyable read. Just be prepared for a yearning to visit Australia if you haven't already done so, and expect a good few loud chuckles along the way!

A wonderful book, and I'm already looking forward to news of another.

What I really missed in this book was the relationship and verbal sparring between Archer and Kyle which was one of my favourite things about Jade Island.

The heroine didn't seem like the type to attract a man like Archer. I'm still not entirely sure why he fell in love with her (other than the fact that she looks good in a bikini and the sex is really hot).

Wait for this one to come out in paperback.