This is close to my heart.

I always travel with a big duffel bag filled with 20 to 30 books. Their weight is compensated for by the joy and learning they give.

During the year, I go to local Friends of the Library book sales and buy children’s books, primarily those for beginning readers — ABCs picture books, etc.

In non-English-speaking countries, the maids, guides and others I meet are thrilled to receive them. I’ve had them see the books in my room and ask even before...

My wife, Jane, and I took a tour of Taiwan in May 2013 with Edison Travel Service (4F No. 190, Song Jiang Road, Taipei, Taiwan; phone +886 2 2563 5313, fax 2563 4803, www.edison.com.tw). We booked it six months in advance. Carol Hsu responded promptly to all of my information requests.

The price of the 5-day excursion was $530 per person, which we felt was an outstanding price for the value. We stayed in 5-star hotels, all of which had swimming pools, spacious rooms and ample...

I was asked to follow up on a comment I made in my letter titled “Explore UNESCO Sites” (May ’14, pg. 12). 

I had referred to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list and wrote, “While the list is certainly not perfect and has left me wondering, on a few occasions, why a particular site was included, it has often led me to sites I never would have considered or found had I not consulted it.” I was asked to name some of the World Heritage Site listings that left me scratching my head....