"This book takes you through the collection gallery by gallery, illuminating the art and installations in each room"--From preface.

Venice conjures images of gondolas drifting along misty canals and pigeon-feeding visitors dwarfed by the splendor of St. Mark’s. For tourists seeking these typical Venetian icons, this magical city will never disappoint. But for a more rounded experience, the longtime residents and experts who have contributed to Time Out Venice take readers down backstreets and into campi and calli where few tourists tread: to hidden churches with hidden artworks; to architectural and sculptural gems in concealed courtyards; and to districts where the everyday life of Venice goes on in time-honored, washing-festooned, market-haggling fashion. Included is a wealth of practical information on escaping the menu turistico to discover authentic eateries; hiring a gondola and coping with acqua alta; finding budget digs in a city of haute hotels; and traveling beyond the Venetian lagoon to the magnificent cities — Padua, Verona, Vicenza, Treviso — and countryside of the mainland Veneto region.

INTRODUCTION – Last Time Out Finding the right ending is a problem equally shared by writers, filmmakers, poets, songwriters and, thanks to Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox, maybe even baseball players. Unleashing that flawless swing one last time on a dark, nasty fall afternoon in Boston, Williams’ perfect parting shot, launching a majestic home run into the Fenway Park bullpen in his final appearance at the plate, set a standard for baseball farewells that has rarely been equaled. It was as if Williams himself was saying to the game – take that! Gracefully walking away from the game that had been such a crucial part of any major leaguer’s life is a trick managed by only a few. The great Babe Ruth, stuffed into an unfamiliar Boston Braves’ uniform, walked off the field for the last time with no fanfare. Ty Cobb left before his final season was even over, his final bid for a World Series title gone after a Yankees’ sweep of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s. And so it goes; Bob Gibson cursing out a mediocre player who’d just reached him for a grand slam on his final pitch, the extraordinary Willie Mays stumbling in the outfield in a World Series, Nolan Ryan unable to get out of the first inning of his final start and on and on. Considering that all these men had been so triumphant in the game – just making it to the major leagues is an extraordinary achievement – even for one game - choosing where to go out was intriguing. And of course, the mystique of Williams’ final HR started with the work of an author, the great John Updike, who came to Boston anticipating a romantic liaison. Instead, Updike turned his disappointment into a trip to Fenway Park and brilliantly captured the final moments of a historic career. His legendary New Yorker piece “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu,” made a nation reconsider Williams’ career and made me, eventually, come up with the idea for this. True enough, that was where “Last Time Out” started. Working for the local newspaper, I’d had a chance to meet and chat with Updike after his appearance at a Florida State workshop in 2000 and we chatted about his oft-discussed essay. “Looking back,” he said, “I’m still surprised that it was his last game and there was nobody there.” He was right. Fenway Park had just 10,453 fans – and Updike - that September afternoon. On the way home, I wondered about how other great players had left the game. I remembered Babe Ruth had hit three homers in a game, was it his finale? And, teary-eyed, I remembered Carl Yastrzemski’s last game in Boston, his trot around the field, slapping hands with watery-eyed Fenway Faithful. What about Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson…I’d have to look. And did. Times have changed, of course, since Williams’ finale in 1960. The final games of these recent stars, like so many other events in professional sports, have become important. Sometimes they become a scripted, carefully planned, media circus like departures of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, David Ortiz and a few others. Sometimes, they just leave. Take a spin through YouTube, for example, and you can find video documentation of all sorts of farewells to the game. But in most cases, you might see video but not the stories. In this, the sequel to my original book, I’ve looked back at the departures of some of the most memorable players in my lifetime, all of whom I watched play, some of whom I even got to interview in my 25-year career as a sportswriter. There are even a few personal moments sprinkled in. And, as my connection to the game has deepened in a way I couldn’t have anticipated, only dreamed about, I had another renewed interest in our National Pastime. My son, the kid you see leaning on my shoulder on the back jacket of my original book, is now 28. After a long, sometimes bumpy stint in the minor leagues, is a major-league baseball player in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization. John made his big-league debut in Chicago a week before my birthday in 2020. I share the story of his big-league debut in the concluding chapter. I’m hoping that his final at-bat is a few years away. As a writer and fan, what has been truly fascinating in the intervening 16 years since the first publication of “Last Time Out” is suddenly how accessible everything is. Writing and researching that original book pre-Internet, I remember spending hour after hour in Florida State’s Strozier Library, eyes blurry from the trusty microfilm machine, sifting through ancient box scores, game stories and newspaper columns. For this edition, almost all the material was found online or in books I had in my own library. Enjoy!

Time Out Great Train Journeys is a selection of forty of the world's best train journeys, from nostalgic steam lines to state of the art high-speed locomotives. Beautifully illustrated and written with passion, it will appeal to dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts, but also reaches out to a new generation of train travellers, both actual and armchair.

Every meal is better with BBQ! Make and enjoy recipes from Boston’s popular Smoke Shop restaurant in your own backyard. Join Andy Husbands and Will Salazar as they share their secrets in The Smoke Shop's Backyard BBQ. Start off with a classic Backyard Barbecue featuring pulled pork, Twice-Smoked Pulled Chicken, deliciously simple brisket, and New Memphis Ribs. With a selection of the Smoke Shop’s favorite sides, drinks, and desserts, it might seem like all you ever needed. Then they go further afield, as the following chapters bring smokehouse flavor home for every occasion: Make Taco Tuesday special with Brisket Ropa Vieja Tacos, Pulled Pork Quesadillas, BBQ Empanadas, Street Corn, The Smoke Shop Guac, and Tres Leches Minicakes. Amp up your next Cocktail Party with Pork Belly Pastrami Skewers, BBQ Peanuts, and smoked Oysters on the Half Shell, paired with a Downtown Derby cocktail. Get ready for Game Day at home, featuring Salt and Pepper Baby Back Ribs, Pork Belly Burnt Ends, The Smoke Shop’s Famous Wings, and The Ultimate BLT Bar. Additional chapters include The Big Brunch, a Fancy Party, and even a Holiday Party to keep the BBQ going year round!

"Time Out Vienna" takes you into the grandiloquent streetscapes of this elegant cultural capital. While pinpointing the essentials on the capital of the Habsburgs and its fabulous musical tradition, the guide hails the city's commitment to its citizens, the exuberance of its contemporary culture and the sensual pleasures that lurk amid the grandeur of its kaleidoscopic architecture.

"This edition first published in Great Britain in 2010 by Ebury Publishing, London"--T.p. verso.