The AAA Spiral Guide to Amsterdam is a good travel guide, although I urge you to buy the most recent edition (currently the third edition from 2008) rather than this, the first edition from 2001, as many things are now out of date. The third edition would rate four stars; this one is now marginally useful and gets three due to advanced age.
The book is filled with useful information and I like the spiral binding which helps the book stay open on a table or when being used on foot in Amsterdam. I appreciate the organization of the book, and particularly like the way AAA organizes the books into areas and subsequently breaks down optimal ways to see the areas in a relatively short time. The illustrations are excellent and there are many color photographs, which I find to be helpful in initial focusing of a trip itinerary. I was particularly pleased with the discussion of Leiden and Keukenhof, the center of tulip cultivation and one of the most beautiful places in the world. The book does provide times, costs, and locations for key attractions, although the information has changed significantly in some cases since the first edition was written. I also particularly appreciated the series of "walks" discussed at the end of the book, and found them useful.
One of the things I really disliked about the book, however, was the incessant switching between landscape and portrait format. Parts of the book are printed conventionally, and other parts are oriented at a 90 degree angle to the remaining text, which I found to be very distracting.
Aside from the relatively minor formatting issues and the more significant currency issues, this is a great guidebook. I would rate an updated version four stars and recommend it without reservation. Since a 2008 update is now available, I would strongly consider buying it, as the overall quality level of utility, comprehensiveness, and illustration are excellent.