Frommer S San Francisco 2008

Frommer's. The best trips start here. Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. * Insider tips on the best side trips from San Francisco, from the Point Reyes National Seashore to Berkeley, Sausalito, and Muir Woods. * Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not. * Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget. * Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions. Find great deals and book your trip at Frommers.com

Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, a city that he loved, Jonathan Foster was forced to come to grips with its reputation for racial violence. In so doing, he began to question how other cities dealt with similar kinds of stigmas that resulted from behavior and events that fell outside accepted norms. He wanted to know how such stigmas changed over time and how they affected a city’s reputation and residents. Those questions led to this examination of the role of stigma and history in three very different cities: Birmingham, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. In the era of civil rights, Birmingham became known as “Bombingham,” a place of constant reactionary and racist violence. Las Vegas emerged as the nation’s most recognizable Sin City, and San Francisco’s tolerance of homosexuality made it the perceived capital of Gay America. Stigma Cites shows how cultural and political trends influenced perceptions of disrepute in these cities, and how, in turn, their status as sites of vice and violence influenced development decisions, from Birmingham’s efforts to shed its reputation as racist, to San Francisco’s transformation of its stigma into a point of pride, to Las Vegas’s use of gambling to promote tourism and economic growth. The first work to investigate the important effects of stigmatized identities on urban places, Foster’s innovative study suggests that reputation, no less than physical and economic forces, explains how cities develop and why. An absorbing work of history and urban sociology, the book illuminates the significance of perceptions in shaping metropolitan history.

Frommer's. The best trips start here. Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. * Insider advice on enjoying the great Alaskan wilderness, from whale-watching and kayaking to fishing for Pacific salmon. * Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not. * Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget. * Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Caribbean features gorgeous color photos of the stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and colorful coral gardens that await you. There are dozens of islands and hundreds of accommodations to choose from, so our guide compares all the options, helping you find the tropical getaway that's right for you. We've included web addresses for every hotel, so you can check out pictures as you make your decision. Inside you'll find in-depth, honest reviews of lavish honeymoon resorts, intimate inns, family-friendly motels and condo complexes, and more, with selections in every price category. We'll point you to the loveliest secluded beaches, and send you to the best places for snorkeling, diving, golf, sailing, tennis, deep-sea fishing, and more. You'll also get a complete shopper's guide, and up-to-date coverage of the hottest nightlife in the region, from glittering casinos and sizzling reggae clubs to funky beach bars. You'll even find an up-to-date cruise planner, tips on finding the best package deals, and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap.

Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer’s Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard 2008 has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for romance or family fun. You’ll find details on the best towns, beaches, whale-watching cruises, bike rides, clam shacks, bird-watching, antique shops, and art galleries. The guide is written by a longtime resident of Cape Cod, who has personally inspected all the B&Bs, inns, cottages, and motels she recommends. Frommer's Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard 2008 includes: Everything you need to know to find the perfect seaside clam shack and the best winding bike trail. Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not. Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget. Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

Written for cyclists of all stripes, Best Bike Rides books offer a diverse array of scenic tours in and around some of America’s largest urban destinations. Road rides, rail trails, bike paths, and single-track mountain bike rides all get included. Most rides are in the 5 to 30 mile range, allowing for great afternoon outings and family adventures. Each book features 35-40 rides with color photos, maps, and point-by-point miles and directions.

In response to the escalating need for up-to-date information on writers, Contemporary Authors® New Revision Series brings researchers the most recent data on the worlds most-popular authors. These exciting and unique author profiles are essential to your holdings because sketches are entirely revised and up-to-date, and completely replace the original Contemporary Authors® entries. For your convenience, a soft-cover cumulative index is sent biannually.

The question of whether dogs should be allowed off the leash in public places has become a major political issue in cities and suburbs across the United States. In the last two decades, “leash-law disputes” have burst upon the political scene and have been debated with an intensity usually reserved for such hot-button issues as abortion and gun rights. This book investigates what has changed in American community life, social mores, and the relationship between humans and dogs to provoke such passionate responses. At its heart, the book details and evaluates the handling of three leash-law disputes, all of which were exceedingly divisive and emotionally intense. Two of the cases took place in San Francisco, a city with a reputation as one of the most dog-friendly in the United States until 2001–2002, when officials curtailed off-leash walking. The other case study occurred in 1998 in Avon—a wealthy suburb of Hartford, Connecticut,—when town officials unilaterally imposed a leash law at a popular off-leash park. This book is not only a revealing study of Americans’ conflicted attitudes toward animals and the difficult balance between individual rights and the public good in our communities. It is also a useful source of information for both dog owners and local government officials who are faced with leash-law disagreements.