Conrad's mountain bike book is in his normal, factual and precise format. No fluff here. He helps you determine the aerobic and technical difficulty, locate the trialhead, and takes you through the odometer driven turns. Trail information is very complete and includes 2 graphics per trail: one a normal map with arrows, the other a chart showing elevation change per mile. You can still get lost or get in over your head, but not because of this book.
My only complaint is that some of my favorite mountain bike areas and trails are not included. On the other side, I'm kinda glad.