Disappearing Destinations:

37 Places in Peril and What

Can Be Done to Help Save Them

Vintage Departures, $15.95;

ISBN: 978-0-307-27736-7

"Glaciers top Mount Kilimanjaro, the Amazon Basin is rain forest, the Rio Grande is a river," authors Kimberly Lisagor and Heather Hansen begin, but the facts of nature at its most spectacular are no longer immutable. "Glaciers are melting, rain forests are succumbing to logging and development, rivers are drying up," the authors quickly add.

The threats are not only environmental but commercial, political and even travel-related. We can visit these imperiled Edens in greater numbers than ever, but many are in urgent need of conservation and restraints on development and tourism.

In the United States the endangered wonders range from the Everglades to Yellowstone; in Europe, from the Alps to the Danube; in Asia, from Mount Everest to the Chang River; and in Africa, from Mount Kilimanjaro literally to Timbuktu. This book takes us from brink to brink, showing us how each destination faces execution, whether by the world's changing climate, the coming of the shopping malls, or consumers on an Alaska cruise. As Pico Iyer points out in his thoughtful introduction, "In our travels the central question is what to do about beloved places that are fading before our eyes."

Going Dutch in Beijing

Holt, $19.95

ISBN: 978-0-8050-8676-8

Travelers to Beijing for the Summer Olympics will be amused to learn that hailing a stranger on the streets with a hearty "hello" (or ni hao) is regarded as bizarre, even intrusive; that eye contact can be considered disrespectful; and that certain topics (from Taiwan to Tibet) are conversational no-nos, although direct inquiries about personal income are OK.

But the main focus, despite this book's title, is not on Chinese customs or Dutch faux pas. Rather, this guide to minding your manners when abroad spans the globe, and unlike most guides to culture shock, author Mark McCrum has arranged his rules of etiquette by topic.

In a series of amusing anecdotal prescriptions, well-meaning wanderers will learn acceptable forms of greeting others, avoiding offensive hand gestures (no "thumbs up" in Sardinia), choosing gifts, making toasts, minding p's and q's at the dinner table, tipping, spitting, smoking, using the toilet, conducting business, and bidding farewell. The cultural pitfalls are legion, but McCrum makes them amusing and memorable.

Around the World in 80 Dinners

Morrow, $24.95

ISBN: 978-0-06-087895-5

Billed as "the ultimate culinary adventure," this book is the record of an epic dine-around. Cashing in their frequent-flier miles, food writers Cheryl and Bill Jamison treated themselves to a worldwide gastronomic gallivant, with meal stops in 10 countries, including Thailand, India, South Africa and France. The cuisine they chanced across was uneven, but their discoveries are mouthwatering.

In Australia they partook of "the world's best sandwich." In China they attended a Chiu Chow banquet that required the efforts of 40 cooks. Their adventures are rendered in lively detail and transpire as often on the road as in the dining halls.

For those who would feast in their footsteps, the restaurants where they supped most memorably are fully listed, and a favorite recipe from each nation, such as Poisson Cru in New Caledonia, is attached. Altogether this edible odyssey serves up 800 dishes from Bali to Brazil.

The Christian Travel Planner

Thomas Nelson, $16.99

ISBN: 978-1-4016-0374-8

Faith-based travel is the choice of 300 million tourists annually. This extensive compendium is targeted at those who are considering travel to Christian sites worldwide. The author, Kevin J. Wright, an authority on Christian travel and tourism, sees such vacations as "the newest ministry of the 21st Century," and his listings are aimed at ministry leaders as well as individual travelers.

There are chapters on travel to the Holy Land and revered Christian sites in Europe, but there are also detailed chapters on "fellowship vacations" that involve themed cruises, leisure vacations and adventure trips. Another chapter covers Christian retreats, camps, and stays at monasteries. In later sections, Wright describes how to set up and run a Christian travel ministry at one's own church. The volume is capped with a rundown on Christian travel Web sites and other resources.

From getting the most out of a visit to the Vatican to a tour of churches in China, the scope of this travel guide is almost of biblical proportions.

The Pilgrim's Italy: A Travel Guide to the Saints

Inner Travel Books, $19.95

ISBN: 978-0-9719860-2-2

This is Italy for the spiritual traveler. In the newly revised edition, authors James and Colleen Heater not only take visitors to Italy's holy Roman Catholic sites in travel-guidebook fashion, but also provide the background necessary for achieving deeper experiences. The pilgrimages they outline arise from the authors' explorations, beginning with a trip to Assisi 20 years ago, where they felt "uplifted and empowered."

To enable others to make similar inward and outward pilgrimages, the authors offer ways, practical and meditative, to explore more than 20 of Italy's shrines, with the saints serving as guides. Chapters on Campania, Tuscany, Umbria, Latium (which includes Rome), and other regions cover the shrines of the region, accompanied by essays on the saints venerated there, maps, directions and travel tips.

This second edition includes updated Web sites, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, a description of the new church of St. Pio at Pietrelcina, and a section on the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim road leading to Rome. There is also an instructive chapter on meditating with the saints.

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