Lonely Planet The Travel Book Mini [Hardcover]

Lonely Planet (Author)

Book Description

Series: Travel Book | Publication Date: September 1, 2008

The Travel Book Mini is a diminutive, square re-packaging of the same award winning formula found in the original The Travel Book. Still the complete travel inspiration book, with every country on the planet captured in photographs and evocative text both updated for this re-incarnation. User-friendly A-to-Z coverage created by Lonely Planet's expert staff and authors. Breathtaking photographs that capture the soul of each destination from Lonely Planet's comprehensive image library, Lonely Planet Images. It's handy new size makes it a great addition to any bedside table.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 960 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 1 edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741040051
• ISBN-13: 978-1741040050
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 6.5 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Pictorial
  • #53 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 25,000 miles wide and an inch deep, December 2, 2008

By 

korova (Varosha) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet The Travel Book Mini (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Who knew Lonely Planet, publisher of the quintessential guides for backpack-hostel-rail pass travelers, aspired to become the next National Geographic?

The Travel Book is a radical departure from Lonely Planet's usual practice of producing in-depth, densely written guidebooks for young travelers. The purpose of this book, rather, is to act as a visual introduction to every country in the world. Yes, you read that correctly. The Travel Book covers 231 countries, including all 193 countries recognized by the United Nations (the "extra" 38 come from giving selected regions and foreign dependencies popular with travelers, such as French Polynesia, Scotland, and Antarctica, their own sections).

Each country receives its own four-page spread, with the bulk of the space devoted to rich and evocative photographs of people and places. The written text in each section is very minimal and does not go much beyond brief discussions of the best time of year to visit, essential experiences, and related books, music, and films. As a result, The Travel Book isn't very useful for learning facts about a place or for planning a trip. It's really meant to act as a catalyst, as a way to think about travel emotionally, not rationally.

Bottom line: The Travel Book is an art book. It contains gorgeous, beautifully composed photographs of virtually every region in the world. Don't expect to use The Travel Book for planning a vacation, though. Despite being published by Lonely Planet, it contains very little practical information (by design). Personally, I would have liked a little more writing about each country, but overall the book accomplishes what it sets out to do: "to represent every country in the world with amazing images and inspirational text."

3.5 stars.

----
And now, two other great travel books:
Bad Trips-a entertaining compilation about what can go WRONG when traveling
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America-Bill Bryson at his best...incredibly funny, cynical, and biting, on a road trip across the USA

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Coffee Table Book, December 18, 2008

By 

Rowdy P. Scarlett "Yeah, I can dig it....a li... (Winston Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet The Travel Book Mini (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Ok, one thing this book is not, it is NOT for the person who travels alot. This is one thick book. Very nice photography with little blurbs about what is in the photos. Each country gets two pages to highlight it. That's it. Like I said, this is a nice book to have hanging around an office, on a table or just to flip through when you're boored.
Here is an example, Brunei. It get one big photo filling the left hand page, two smaller photos on the right and info on the best time to visit, a list of essential experiences (five items), tells you the capital city, total population, area in square miles and language. Nothing in depth,just a nice overview.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Brillance of Color......., November 26, 2008

By 

Kiwi (The Land of Enchantment) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet The Travel Book Mini (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This book is beautiful. The cover is quite eye catching and the photos inside are crisp and clear, and give you hope that some day you'll get there. For being small, it's a very heavy, sturdy book...the kind of object you'd find at a crime scene as a possible suspect.... It's packed full of dreams, maps and stories of countries around the world; 231 of them to be exact. What a fabulous idea and what a beautiful presentation.

Every time I sit down with it, I'm down for hours. It's difficult to give up. The faces of the people in the photos reveal such calm and such open-ness. The essence of the children alone, is breathtaking. Sometimes the beauty of innocence shines through and grasps the reality of lack and poverty.

Of course picking a favorite picture is absurd, but I found one on page 276. It depicts the country of Finland, (Lapland). In my whole life I have never seen feet like this.. I wish I had pairs and pairs of feet like this in my backyard. Ahh......to dream. Maybe someday.