Great lyric to a song as read in "The Long Way" by Bernard Moitessier:

...and vanishes in the sunshine without paying for his drink....I have paid for mine, and at the same time I haven't, and it is wonderful to be that free. I feel happy, light, at once detached from everything and in control of everything, as when all debts are wiped away and you can live your own life.
~lyrics to a song that Mr. Moitessier forgot the tune and lyrics except for that one line.


Bernard Moitessier


His boat, "Joshua"

Book to inspire you to get out and see our country

AMERICAN RUINS, a Merrell publication, is the first photography book to document historic ruins throughout the United States. It presents a stunning visual record of ruins ranging from ancient Native American dwellings in the Southwest to the remains of Gilded Age mansions on the East Coast and a king’s summer home in Hawaii.

Luminous infrared photographs expose crumbled walls, weathered facades, and overgrown flora, and are accompanied by brief essays detailing the historical, geographical and architectural significance of each site. This landmark publication raises awareness of and appreciation for overlooked ruins that remain unknown even to most Americans. It captures the visual poetry of each place and offers a new way of seeing the landscape, the past, and the collective identity of America.

Visit the website and order the book at American Ruins book.

Book of the Week: "A Year Without 'Made in China'"

In "A Year Without 'Made in China,'" (Wiley, $24.95) Bongiorni tells how she and her family found that such formerly simple acts as finding new shoes, buying a birthday toy and fixing a drawer became ordeals without the Asian giant.

Bongiorni takes pains to say she does not have a protectionist agenda and, despite the occasional worry about the loss of U.S. jobs to overseas factories, she has nothing against China. Her goal was simply to make Americans aware of how deeply tied they are to the international trading system.

"I wanted our story to be a friendly, nonjudgmental look at the ways ordinary people are connected to the global economy," she said in an interview.

Read the complete review in Reuters.

Buy it at Amazon.com.

Wanna Swap a Book?

I will let someone borrow Hotel Babylon if they have a book that they would lend to me and that I would enjoy reading.

I Finished Reading Hotel Babylon

Great book for anyone in the hospitality industry. It is right on the money and I found so many times I could relate to what was happening or what they were talking about. Put this one on your birthday or Christmas wish list.