Fodor's See It Rome, 1st Edition (Fodor's See It)

Rating:
Summary: Nifty!
Review: I agree with the reviewer who said that this is great for pre-trip research. It has a lot of useful pics for those who are not familiar with Rome's street sights, buses, etc. It gives detailed info on what to expect, which makes it useful when you are planning your days in Rome. I brought it to Rome and reviewed it every night before planning the next day. On the streets I preferred a detailed map instead of a book.

Rating:
Summary: 5 for pre-trip tool, 3 for a take into the streets book
Review: With 100s of great photos this is an excellent book for pre-trip research and planning. The maps are very good, good hotel references and very well done on the restaurants analysis with map showing locations. The insider information on living/visiting Rome is short, insightful, very helpful. Suggested itineraries and walks very good. Coverage of the major sights excellent with lots of photos, detailed information, helpful hints (for example, the Gallery Borghese is given 6 pages of coverage, 1/2 of which are photos, the first page a full page photo of a Bernini sculpture). Section on shopping very good.
What makes this book impractical for carrying around in the streets is the fact that the sights are listed in alphabetical order, so if you are walking in a certain section of the city there is a lot of flipping back and forth through the book to find out what you are near, what to see, and then the description of it. This is a great book for research ahead of time and a keepsake after the trip, A definite to get before you go.