Travel books fall into a couple of categories, planning, companion, remembering. In my opinion, this book is an excellent planning guide. Here are my pros and cons for this book:
Pros:
* Lots of color pictures, sometimes a description of how great the Trevi Fountain is at night just doesn't cut it.
* Discrete itineraries, the book provides travel plans of differing lengths for those who just want to be told where to spend their time. (Not for everyone but handy for those who want it.)
* Lots of insider info on how to appreciate the best sites from local tour guides.
* Detailed info on select shopping, food, and lodging in each region.
* Maps, both overview and select locales with extra detail.
* Color coded by region for quick reference.
* Compact, guides of this nature can quickly large and heavy.
* Additional information, Events calendar, hints and tips, links and ideas for inspiration and additional information, as well as general reference info once on site like currency and temperature conversions.
Cons:
* Due to the more compact size and greater focus on planning, info had to be cut. You won't find info on every obscure restaurant or hostel in this guide. This might not cut it for the free spirit that just wants to show up in a place and know whether the retasurant that they're staring at is any good.
* Budget specific organizing of eateries/lodging. Some travel books additionally organize the info in these categories by budget. Yes, average meal prices are included in this book but I find that extra piece of info handy to quickly find a great place to eat ro sleep.
Based on my experiences traveling Rome, I can say that this book hits all the highlights and offers numerous ways to maximize your visit. For that reason this is an easy recommendation. And while this book could function as a travel companion stuffed into your backpack/bag, I would probably recommend a more in depth book for anyone considering wandering freely off the beaten path (even if this was just left in your room to help plan the next day).