Lonely Planet's Travel with Children

They say that people have more children during a Depression. Hmmm... Well, judging from the amount of snappy strollers and bouncing Bugaboo's on the streets, I'd have to say that things must be looking up! Or down. Babies, I dare say, are simply everywhere that we turn. And, although some of them are damn cute, things start to go south when they're on the airplane getting colicky or in the back seat of the car asking (incessantly), "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" So, to better help our friends with family, here's a new Lonely Planet guide just for you. Lonely Planet, assembling a team of parent-authors, are offering their best ideas and advice about every aspect of traveling with kids - from planning to packing to getting along on the road (and what to do when things go wrong) in the fifth edition of Travel with Children published July 2009. Fully revised and redesigned, this new edition of Travel with Children features:

Tips on choosing the right kind of trip for your family
Details on all kinds of vacations, from Activity & Adventure Holidays to Package Holidays & Resorts

How to keep them happy
Games to make long trips easier, how to create a child-friendly itinerary, and dealing with your child’s ‘culture shock’

Info on living abroad and long-term travel for young families

How to stay healthy and keep safe by a medical expert
A run-down of common immunizations, what you should bring with you in a first-aid kit, and travel related health issues.

Special advice for solo parents and parents with teenagers
Each situation has its own set of challenges and their authors give practical advice on how to stay sane and create boundaries.

Traveler’s Tales
Authors describe their most memorable family trips – and tell you what worked and what didn’t.

So if you're knocked up, know someone who is, or you already have a growing brood of your own, this could be the perfect reference guide or gift for them (or you)!

Just don't say I told you to go out and get pregnant...

www.amazon.com

Taschen's Simple Diary

Let me guess... you'd love to keep a journal, but you just don't know where to begin? We might be a band of crazy gypsy writers, but we also know a thing or two about writer's block. That's where Taschen’s first text book, Simple Diary™, comes in handy. The Diary offers a creative way to journal, with a slightly outrageous spin. Art Book publisher Benedikt Taschen’s latest release by renowned artist and author, Philipp Keel, is a curious collection of fill-in-the-blanks, multiple-choice, word associations and lists that give readers the “simple tools” to create unique, memorable daily records without all the heavy lifting of blank journals. This unique diary is Taschen’s first release primarily filled with text which Taschen describes as, “a book that provides us with a little comfort in difficult times.” Illuminating thought starters, queries and illustrations enable the reader/creator to explore, navigate and document the chaotic adventure that is life. Unlike traditional journaling, Simple Diary™ is designed to take the pressure out of journaling by providing boundaries to help the reader get to the essence of his/her day, week or moment. Simply stated, in a time of information overload, Simple Diary™ is the antidote to the modern age.

$15.00

Available in stores on June 20, you can get in your pre-order by visiting:

www.simplediary.com

Carry It On: The Physician

Believe it or not, sometimes the best part of traveling is staying in one place. Whether you're parked by the sea reading a good book or waiting to board the plane, it is often the solitude of the journey and those periods 'in between' that teach us more about ourselves and world around us.

To that end, part of that glorious discovery is what we read along the way. I'd love to say that I remember where - and what - I was doing in the Czech Republic when I encountered a book that carried me to an ancient world and exposed me to an author that continues to excite me, but alas... it was many years ago. The most I can recall is a summer spent in Prague, gargoyles atop a Medieval castle, and the stark Polish countryside roll past as I flipped the page.

And yet, rainy days spent traveling throughout Eastern Europe are also tinted with a hint of gold for when I rested my head at the end of a long day in Krakow, the sweeping historical tales of Noah Gordon came alive to accompany me. So much so, in fact, that last week I picked up another book by Mr. Gordon and was thrilled to discover that he's still got 'it.'

So what's my vote for adventurers, readers, lovers, and traveller's worldwide?

The Physician by Noah Gordon.

If you've been stuck in the city for months on end and haven't had the chance to hitch a plane to Mozambique or Montreal, here's what you do. Pick up a copy of any of his books. In 1999, The Physician was voted by the Madrid Book Fair as one of the ten most beloved books of all time. You'll be starting with his first book in the Robert Jeremy Cole trilogy. A fast, historically rich, yet easy read, it takes place in the 11th century so your imagination will run wild with the story of Robert Cole as he journeys from his childhood in England, througout Europe, and all the way to an Arabian medical school in Persia.

Timeless, full of intrigue and amusement, The Physician, along with my two other favorites (The Last Jew and Shaman, winner of the James Fenimore Cooper Prize by the Society of American Historians), breathe new life into ancient times.

PS. I also hear The Physician might be coming to a theater near you. If my crystal ball tells me anything it's... 'Oprah's gonna put this on her Book Club List soon'.

And won't you be thrilled to say you knew him when?