Nonfiction Book Reviews
Page One of ThreeBed and Breakfast USA 1999 by Peggy Ackerman
Plume, January 1999.Trade Paperback, 593 pages.
ISBN: 0452280451.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
This reference for travelers
contains listings of numerous
Bed & Breakfasts in the U.S. and Canada.
In the book, Bed and Breakfasts, also
known as B&Bs, are defined as
"private residences where the
owners rent spare bedrooms to travelers,
or small, family-operated inns offering
a special kind of warm, personal hospitality."
Each B&B listing contains contact information
(including emails & website addresses),
rates for 1999, location, number of
rooms and baths,
the best time to call, and the B&B's policies on
children, pets, smoking and social drinking.
Listings also include a concise description of
the B&B which includes interesting facts about
the region which make it a unique
place to stay. Occasional drawings are
also present near some of the B&B listings.
In addition the comprehensive collection
of B&B listings, the book also provides
an article on starting your own Bed &
Breakfast, some favorite B&B recipes,
a list of wheelchair accessible Bed &
Breakfasts and information on Canadian
and U.S. tourist offices. An excellent
traveling companion for those who
prefer the down-home comfort and frequent cost savings of
B&Bs over the large hotel scene.
Confessions of a Window Dresser by Simon Doonan
Callaway, November 1998.Hardcover, 239 pages.
ISBN: 0670882828.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Simon Doonan, the design genius behind the outrageous
and always stylish window displays of Barney's in
New York, offers a feast for the eye and soul in this
hilarious, behind the scenes gossip fest of his time
as stylemaker in New York. Filled with personal
anecdotes about the celebrities who agreed to be featured
in his windows (which oftentimes bordered on performance
art for the large crowds gathered around them)
from Madonna to Sophia Loren, the
book also gives an insider's view of Barney's rise and
ultimate fall into Chapter 11. While never lapsing into
pathos, Doonan describes his bizarre childhood in Reading,
London with a houseful of near-lunatics and his
progression from the glam rock scene of swinging
London to becoming Vice President of Barney's, in
charge of all ad campaigns and style matters. His
self-deprecating style and chatty reminiscences
make the book a fast read -- like sitting down to
dish the dirt with a good friend. A must-read for
style, retail and fashion aficionados.
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Return to the January 1999 issue of The IWJ.
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