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Rating: 
Summary: i love this guide!
Review: As a local business owner in Ispwich, MA, I was startled to read Mr. Perk's description of our scenic coastal town. Being a native and 30 year resident, I can say that Mr. Perk's description of "trash in the river" has never been observed by me!As far as his comments about the lack of restaurants, he must not have looked very far. yes, we have our share of takeout palces, but we also have a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant, charming Italian eatery, great pub fare, and seafood galore. Perhaps mr. Perk should have slowed down when he drove through town before writing his review? Comments regarding the lack of retail establishments were also unfounded. There are several destination shops in the center of town and dozens more along Routes 1A/133. From a 3rd generation jeweler, fun toy store, and antiques, to my own card & gift shop, the businesses in town are wonderful establishemnts and deserve better treatment than Mr. Perk offers. It's obvious that he did not spend time in each community before writing this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Author provides a disservice to local commerce
Review: As a local business owner in Ispwich, MA, I was startled to read Mr. Perk's description of our scenic coastal town. Being a native and 30 year resident, I can say that Mr. Perk's description of "trash in the river" has never been observed by me! As far as his comments about the lack of restaurants, he must not have looked very far. yes, we have our share of takeout palces, but we also have a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant, charming Italian eatery, great pub fare, and seafood galore. Perhaps mr. Perk should have slowed down when he drove through town before writing his review? Comments regarding the lack of retail establishments were also unfounded. There are several destination shops in the center of town and dozens more along Routes 1A/133. From a 3rd generation jeweler, fun toy store, and antiques, to my own card & gift shop, the businesses in town are wonderful establishemnts and deserve better treatment than Mr. Perk offers. It's obvious that he did not spend time in each community before writing this book.
Rating:
Summary: An annoying book
Review: I am planning a trip to Boston soon and I thought this book would help. But all the snide political comments annoyned me so much I gave up on trying to get touring information out of the book. The author should have stuck to scenery and not shoved his politics down our throat.
Rating:
Summary: An annoying book
Review: I am planning a trip to Boston soon and I thought this book would help. But all the snide political comments annoyned me so much I gave up on trying to get touring information out of the book. The author should have stuck to scenery and not shoved his politics down our throat.
Rating:
Summary: i love this guide!
Review: I think this is a SUPER guide.... Though I am originally from the area,I now live out of state and was glad to receive the book as a gift on a trip home. Having now done a visit home with the book, I can't imagine I ever thought I really knew *anything* about the area! Perk's writing is beautiful and interesting -- filled with great history and context.
Rating: 
Summary: Allston to Zoar, and everything in between
Review: If you're frustrated with travel guides that focus on a small fraction of Massachusetts, or condense the state's many attractions into a general regional guide to New England, then you've come to the right place: this is the only comprehensive, up-to-date guidebook to Massachusetts in print. From Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod to Williamstown in the rural northwest Berkshire Hills, from urban nightclubs to mountain-fed whitewater, I scoured the state for stellar attractions, accommodations, arts, outdoor recreation, and--of course--great food. After some four years and 30,000 miles of sifting and sampling, the results are in--and I think you'll enjoy them as much as I have. Whether you're looking forward to birdwatching on Martha's Vineyard, binging on ice cream in Boston, enjoying symphonic music under the stars at Tanglewood, or scuba diving off Cape Ann, my Massachusetts Handbook should serve you well. As for prices, phone numbers, web sites, transportation tips, what kind of weather to expect, and all those other nitty-gritty details, rest assured: this book has all those, too. While intending to help you get out and do things, I wanted to make sure readers could also appreciate the state's rich past. So I've thoroughly laced the book with historical and cultural observations. Little-known facts about the Pilgrims, their predecessors, and the state's remaining Native Americans; anecdotes about towns that rose and fell with the Industrial Revolution; racy allusions to Boston's vanished burlesque district; fishy tales from the great age of whaling; and of course Jack Kerouac--all are given their due. You'll also find lots of helpful maps, plenty of illustrations (including some fine historic photos believed to be previously unpublished), and an annotated Booklist for those who find themselves hooked on learning more about my adopted home state. Whether you're a first-time visitor, or a long-time resident, I believe there's more to Massachusetts than you might have imagined--as I hope you'll discover for yourself when you try out this book.
Rating:
Summary: The best Massachussetts guide since the WPA series
Review: Last year before out-of-state family arrived, I bought the Massachussetts Handbook and wowed my Kansas siblings with information on my adopted state. Perk does a terrific job with the historical, cultural, and literary past of Massachussetts but he is also great on the scenic areas and natural history. In fact without this book some of the state's best parks, the Reservations, are almost impossible to find. Anyone traveling around the state hoping to eat reasonably well and inexpensively will find this book indispensible. I also like the way the book focuses on areas of the state, making the planning of weekend trips easy. He also writes very well and whole passages are great for reading aloud so that the driver can be informed by the passenger of either current or up-coming sights. The Handbook now permanently resides in a pocket of my car so that either intensional or unintensional travel around the state can call on Perk's expert guidance.
Rating: 
Summary: Most useful Massachusetts guide since the WPA
Review: The Massachusetts Handbook is a wonderful guide to the Bay State. I used it to plan a weekend trip to New Bedford for the annual Moby Dick Marathon and found it massively helpful, especially with restaurant recommendations. It's packed with historical and cultural information and is highly readable. If you're planning a trip to Masschusetts, you need this book.
Rating:
Summary: Handy Handbook to Massachusetts
Review: When I moved to Rhode Island, I was looking for a good travel book for MA. and my sister bought me this book. I use it on my excursions throughout MA. and have found it to be extremely informative and interesting. Jeff writes not only about the major tourist draws but also some hidden attractions that have proved to be worth the visit. So far I have explored Cape Cod, Plymouth and Gloucester and used this book to find good restaurants and accomodations. After using mostly AAA travel guides for my vacations, I was glad to use this book to get a fresh and honest opinion of the different areas and attractions. I also very much relied on Jeff's knowledge of the towns I visited to educate myself and whomever accompanied me on my travels the history and trivia of these towns. It is a fun and comprehensive book about MA. to own!
Rating:
Summary: Handy Handbook to Massachusetts
Review: When I moved to Rhode Island, I was looking for a good travel book for MA. and my sister bought me this book. I use it on my excursions throughout MA. and have found it to be extremely informative and interesting. Jeff writes not only about the major tourist draws but also some hidden attractions that have proved to be worth the visit. So far I have explored Cape Cod, Plymouth and Gloucester and used this book to find good restaurants and accomodations. After using mostly AAA travel guides for my vacations, I was glad to use this book to get a fresh and honest opinion of the different areas and attractions. I also very much relied on Jeff's knowledge of the towns I visited to educate myself and whomever accompanied me on my travels the history and trivia of these towns. It is a fun and comprehensive book about MA. to own!
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