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Title: Lonely Planet Taiwan (LONELY PLANET TAIWAN) by Robert Storey ISBN: 1-86450-211-8 Publisher: Lonely Planet Pub. Date: August, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.21 (14 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Worthless for anyone who wants to see the REAL Taiwan!
Comment: As an American who spent many years in Taiwan, I found this book to offer little to no insight into Taiwan at all. A far better source for anyone who wants to learn about this wonderful island NATION (not renegade province of China) "Culture Shock -Taiwan."
In Tapiei, Taiwan you can also buy a lot of great travel books at Caves Books that are published by local publishers in English ("Formassan Odyssey" is GREAT!!!)
The cultural information presented in this "Lonely Planet" guide is pretty out of date (my Taiwanese in-laws had a good laugh at some of the information presented), and the many of the destinations offered are VERY tourist centered. If you are looking for a starting point this book is OK, but if you want to learn about Taiwan, or really experience Taiwan today there are far better sources.
For a Lonely Planet guide this book is a shame. A new version is needed badly. No matter what, DO GO TO TAIWAN, it is a great place!!!
Rating: 1
Summary: Has Robert Storey ever been to Taiwan?
Comment: It's a serious question. The book is so filled with incorrect information and so lacking in any worthwhile information that I honestly believe Robert Storey is still fixing slot machines in Nevada and has never really gone to Taiwan. He wasn't able to save up the money for his trip and this is his novel, set in Taiwan.
I left my copy in Taiwan -- where I've lived twice, for a total of more than two and half years -- so I can't remember it in great detail. But with 400 plus pages, he could have told us something more than a few major spots.
He would say something is open to the public and I'd go there and find it wasn't and upon asking someone who works there (in Chinese) they would tell me, "No, that's never been open."
Worse than that, he misses A LOT of what there is to see and do in Taiwan, or at least gives you almost no information about it. If you want to know about the major museums in Taipei, this is a fine waste of your money. But you can get that information form the tourism office or your hotel or a friend or business associate.
One thing I can remember specifically is to stay away from Mrs. Chen's hostel (hostile?) in Kaohsiung. You don't want to stay there.
As another reviewer said, there are other guides available once you get to Taiwan. Go to Caves Bookstore.
It's really unfortunate that this is the only guidebook (Insight Guides are beautiful, but not giudebooks per se) on Taiwan availabe in the US. Taiwan is a country with plenty to see and do. Their tourism office brochures are better than Lonely Planet.
Rating: 4
Summary: May not be as bad as the other reviewers suggest.
Comment: I just spent about 6 days in Taipei, and I brought this book with me. Yes, most of the sights mentioned in the book are pretty tourist oriented, but that may be because there is not much else to see (in Taipei, at least). My relatives, who live in Taipei, laughed when I mentioned some of the sights listed in the book. But when I asked them for other recommendations on what to see, they really didn't have any suggestions. Also, I think the section on conduct and behavior is absolutely dead on. The author isn't exaggerating when he says that there is a long sequence of insisting and refusing when exchanging gifts or doing something of that nature. I have witnessed countless times my parents (who are from Taiwan) and my aunt/uncle argue for literally 10 minutes about who should pay for a dinner bill.
I give the book only four stars, though, because it doesn't really tell you how to get to various places. It wasn't a problem for me, because I had relatives take me to the various sights. But if I had been on my own, then I would have had a lot more difficulty. In addition, it is now 2004, so this book, which was published in 2001, may be starting to get out of date. Looking at older editions of the book, it appears that Lonely Planet Taiwan gets updated only once every 3 years.
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Title: Culture Shock! Taiwan by Christopher Bates ISBN: 1558686312 Publisher: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co. Pub. Date: January, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Insight Guide Taiwan (Insight Guides) by Viven Kim, Insight Guides ISBN: 9812349669 Publisher: Insight Guides Pub. Date: January, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Nelles Taiwan Map by Nltai ISBN: 3886185583 Publisher: Nelles Maps Pub. Date: 01 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
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Title: Passport Taiwan: Your Pocket Guide to Taiwanese Business, Customs & Etiquette (Passport to the World) by Jeffrey E. Curry, World Trade Press, Barbara Szerlip ISBN: 1885073275 Publisher: World Trade Press Pub. Date: October, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
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Title: Lonely Planet China (China, 8th Ed) by Damian, Harper, Marie Cambon, Katja Gaskell, Thomas Huhti, Bradley Mayhew, Korina Miller, Mielikki Org ISBN: 1740591178 Publisher: Lonely Planet Pub. Date: August, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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