Budget Travel

Fast Food Nation

On any given day, one out of four Americans opts for a quick and cheap meal at a fast-food restaurant, without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second thought. Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, opens his ambitious and ultimately devastating exposé with an introduction to the iconoclasts and high school dropouts, such as Harlan Sanders and the McDonald brothers, who first applied the principles of a factory assembly line to a commercial kitchen. Quickly, however, he moves behind the counter with the overworked and underpaid teenage workers, onto the factory farms where the potatoes and beef are grown, and into the slaughterhouses run by giant meatpacking corporations. Schlosser wants you to know why those French fries taste so good (with a visit to the world's largest flavor company) and "what really lurks between those sesame-seed buns." Eater beware: forget your concerns about cholesterol, there is--literally--feces in your meat.

Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry "both feeds and feeds off the young," insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of their school books, while leaving them prone to obesity and disease. Fortunately, Schlosser offers some eminently practical remedies. "Eating in the United States should no longer be a form of high-risk behavior," he writes. Where to begin? Ask yourself, is the true cost of having it "your way" really worth it? --Lesley Reed

Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list of charges, but Eric Schlosser makes them stick with an artful mix of first-rate reportage, wry wit, and careful reasoning.

Schlosser's myth-shattering survey stretches from California's subdivisions, where the business was born, to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike, where many of fast food's flavors are concocted. Along the way, he unearths a trove of fascinating, unsettling truths -- from the unholy alliance between fast food and Hollywood to the seismic changes the industry has wrought in food production, popular culture, and even real estate.

Into the Wild

"God, he was a smart kid..." So why did Christopher McCandless trade a bright future--a college education, material comfort, uncommon ability and charm--for death by starvation in an abandoned bus in the woods of Alaska? This is the question that Jon Krakauer's book tries to answer. While it doesn't—cannot—answer the question with certainty, Into the Wild does shed considerable light along the way. Not only about McCandless's "Alaskan odyssey," but also the forces that drive people to drop out of society and test themselves in other ways. Krakauer quotes Wallace Stegner's writing on a young man who similarly disappeared in the Utah desert in the 1930s: "At 18, in a dream, he saw himself ... wandering through the romantic waste places of the world. No man with any of the juices of boyhood in him has forgotten those dreams." Into the Wild shows that McCandless, while extreme, was hardly unique; the author makes the hermit into one of us, something McCandless himself could never pull off. By book's end, McCandless isn't merely a newspaper clipping, but a sympathetic, oddly magnetic personality. Whether he was "a courageous idealist, or a reckless idiot," you won't soon forget Christopher McCandless.

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter.  How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.

Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir.  In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his  cash.  He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented.  Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away.  Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.

Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life.  Admitting an interst that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the dries and desires that propelled McCandless.  Digging deeply, he takes an inherently compelling mystery and unravels the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons.

When McCandless's innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris.  He is said  to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity , and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding--and not an ounce of sentimentality. Mesmerizing, heartbreaking, Into the Wild is a tour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer's stoytelling blaze through every page.

Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

Party in Tallinn or pose in Cannes; hike the Curonian Spit; be seduced by the Aya Sofia in Istanbul or simply learn the art of the Spanish siesta. Your European Adventure starts here with the most detailed guide available, featuring more than 40 countries, 200 maps and insider tips to help you to go further, stay longer and pay less for the ultimate European grand tour.

Grand Turismo - Itineraries to aid your planning and splurge features to help you decide where to splash out, whether it be a night in an ice hotel or haute cuisine in Paris.

Be In The Know - with a detailed Directory and dedicated language chapter, plus look out for our author picks highlighting the best of the best.

Time Is Of The Essence - A Year in Europe helps you find out what's happening when, from the best music and sporting events to where to chase the northern lights.

Do The Right Thing - travel ethically and lightly with advice from our unique Responsible Travel section and make a positive difference along the way.

Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe

Like many of his generation, Bill Bryson backpacked across Europe in the early seventies -- in search of enlightenment, beer, and women. Twenty years later he decided to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth. The result is Neither Here Nor There, an affectionate and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul, with stops along the way in Europe's most diverting and historic locales. Like many of his generation, Bill Bryson backpacked across Europe in the early seventies--in search of enlightenment, beer, and women. Twenty years later he decided to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth. The result is Neither Here Nor There, an affectionate and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul, with stops along the way in Europe's most diverting and historic locales.

Southeast Asia: On a Shoestring

Trek deep into the jungles of Borneo or laze on stunning Bali beaches. Eat your way through Singapore or dance all night in buzzing Bangkok clubs. Discover ancient Angkor temples or go grass roots and volunteer in Hanoi. Whatever you seek, Lonely Planet's yellow bible has it covered. With more than 33 years of experience, and a team of backpacking authors, our guide helps you dig deeper, stay longer, and spend less. Get ready - your Southeast Asian adventure starts here.

Get The Lowdown on the environment, history, culture and current events in our Snapshots chapter

Eat Cheap and Sleep Easy with our fully updated coverage of the best street stalls, budget digs and places to party

Blaze Your Own Trail using our full-color regional map and detailed local maps

Talk The Talk with help from our Language chapter

The Smart Traveler's Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers

Budget Travel magazine isn't just about the best travel experience at the lowest price it's also about traveling "the right way." Their philosophy, "Vacations for real people," has led them to their readership for guidance, and this collection of their readers' best 399 travel tips is an essential addition to any traveler's library. In The Smart Traveler's Passport, you'll learn:
13 different uses for Ziploc bags
How dental floss can double as a tape measure
Where to find the best street food in cities worldwide
How a digital camera can help you find your rental car
Why clearing your Web browser's cache will lead to lower prices on airfare and hotel reservations
How to avoid long lines at the world's most popular attractions

Designed to look and feel like an actual passport, these tips on planning, booking, packing, flying, safety, security, and getting around make the perfect bon voyage gift!

South America (Shoestring)

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

Here is the ultimate budget traveler's guide to a continent that will never cease to stimulate the senses. From the Darién Gap to Terra del Fuego and all points in between, this is an essential travel tool. Lonely Planet's South America features 238 country, region, city, and town maps; safety and health tips; reviews of places to stay and eat; lively background on history, geography, and culture; practical outdoor activities including national parks and reserves; and coaching in Spanish, Portuguese, Quechua, and Aymara languages. The book also covers Easter Island, the Galápagos Islands, and the Falklands (Islas Malvinas). --Kathryn True

Challenging? Check. Rewarding? Beyond your wildest dreams. South America is made for travel-the gripping, spine-tingling, adrenaline-charged type of travel you live for. Tred the Cordillera Blanca, glide along the Amazon, explore lost cities and samba up a storm. For backpackers, by backpackers, this best-selling, unbeatable guide gives you the tools you need to create your own adventure.

Get Off The Trail-emerging hot-spots, overlooked attractions, alternatives to the Inca Trail-our authors go beyond the obvious, and show you how to do the same.

Live On The Edge-the best spots for hiking, skiing, diving, surfing, rafting, paragliding, and other thrills.

Straight Talk-opinionated reviews ensure you won't waste a precious peso.

Tread Lightly-make a positive impact with sustainable-travel tips and volunteering opportunities.

Central America (Shoestring)

Dig into history along the Ruta Maya, zip through the rain forest canopy or spend the day searching out that perfect hammock spot by the beach. Adventures are born every day in Central America. And this comprehensive guide - with expanded Yucatan and Chiapas coverage - gives you the tools to avoid spending an arm and a leg on the journey of a lifetime.

Explore More - expanded do-it-yourself features help you create your own adventure beyond the 'Gringo Trail.'

Get Lost - detailed language and cultural coverage and more than 120 maps means you'll never get lost...unless you want to.

Immerse Yourself - volunteer as a game warden, study Spanish, or simply learn how to extend your stay.

Culture Club - candid local interviews reveal the true nature and spirit of the isthmus' No. 1 natural resource - its people.

ALL NEW
Highlights & Planning Sections
Cutomized Itineraries
Snapshot Coverage
Responsible Travel Tips
Cross-referenced Maps

Foodservice Organizations: A Managerial and Systems Approach (6th Edition)

Presents a comprehensive portrait of how to manage commercial and on-site foodservice operations effectively and efficiently in the 21^st century. Using the foodservice systems model as a guide, it shows managers how to transform the human, material, facility, and operational inputs of the system into outputs of meals, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and financial accountability. This edition continues its legacy of sound theory and real-world focus, and offers new insights on food safety, the Food Code 2005, foodservice layout and design, process improvement and leadership techniques that will lead to managerial success. New Topics: Includes the latest topics impacting foodservice managers such as: Process improvement and measurement of quality, Foodservice layout and design, HACCP, food safety, and the Food Code 2005, Current theories in management and leadership, Diversity in the workforce and cross-cultural communication, Management of financial resources. Offers the latest techniques for measuring and improving quality within the foodservice system. Demonstrates how layout and design impacts food preparation and output. Extensive and up-to-date information on food safety. Managers of foodservice.

The Cheap Bastard's Guide to New York City, 4th: A Native New Yorker's Secrets of Living the Good Life--for Free! (Cheap Bastard)