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Rating: 
Summary: Unoriginal & poorly researched
Review: A lot of the content of this book seemed familiar to me - as if I had read it before somewhere in another (superior) guide.
Rating: 
Summary: A necessary evil?
Review: Generally I am a fan of the Lonely Planet series and I have bought a guide for every destination I have visited in the past few years. This book really disapointed me, mainly because it is so out of date by now. It is PAST time for a new edition (and the update available on lonelyplanet.com is scant at best). Of course with some guidebook companies refusing to write a Myanmar guide because of the political situation, what alternative do travellers really have? Nearly everyone we met on our November 2001 trip was carrying this guide, and everyone complained about it. So what to do? Go to the Internet! Although I cannot list the URLs here, I found several recent travelogues on Myanmar that were extremely helpful.We often followed the LP's restaurant tips and found the food at these establishments barely edible. Remember LP's disclaimer "prices go up, good places go bad..."? Well, apparently many of these places have gone bad in the past 3 years since this edition was written. So, I will send my comments to LP and await the next edition. Until then, take what you read in this book with a grain of salt, and do your Internet research before you go. Happy travels.
Rating:
Summary: Buy the 8th edition.
Review: I don't know why they still sell it here, but this is an old edition now, and when it comes to guide books - obsolete. Go for the 8th edition which is the newest (as for this date), and which I have extensively reviewed.
Rating:
Summary: Derivative
Review: I found the contents highly derivative; moreover, I prefer my guidebooks to be written by specialists in their chosen field. Joe Cummings may be a Thai specialist, but he is no Myanmar expert and, alas, it shows. Not recommended. Readers interested in Burma should try seeking out a copy of a book entitled "Shades of Gold and Green: Anecdotes of Colonial Burmah 1886-1948", which may be available through Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: Plagiaristic twaddle
Review: I found this book highly derivative & unoriginal & would not recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Derivative
Review: I found this book highly derivative, especially the sections on the remoter areas such as Putao, Bhamo, Myitkyina, Tavoy (Dawei) and Mergui (Myeik/Beik). I would personally opt for the Bradt Guide.
Rating: 
Summary: Handy guide
Review: The authors seem to have a guilty conscience about to writing this book and spend way too much time rationalizing their decision. They also compensate by peppering the book with cynical remarks. That's too bad because it diminish the pleasure of reading this otherwise well written and useful guide. This book contains a succinct history or Myanmar, aspects of Thieved Buddhism, and Burmese culture. It also contains a great section on the Temples of Bagan, describing the architecture and history of the temples. In Bagan, you would need to buy a local map to get around but have this book handy. In addition the book gives an excellent introduction to the History of Thieved Buddhism in Burma, and Burmese culture. Yangoon Maps are difficult to follow as they span several pages. The restaurant recommendations are poor and the hotel selection is out of date. Despite the cynicism sprinkled all over the book and some shortcomings I found it to be handy. You should take it with you on your trip.
Rating:
Summary: good
Review: This book was useful to me in Myanmar. Joe Cummings is very insightful, and I enjoy his guidebooks (also Thailand and Laos). It's very easy to travel in Myanmar, so you barely need a guidebook. But I met a couple who were traveling without one, and without any other prior knowledge evidently. It seemed to me that they missed a lot, they had no idea what they were seeing, or what people were talking to them about. Some of the maps aren't exactly accurate, unfortunately. But they're good enough. Some people hesitate to visit Myanmar because Aung San Suu Kyi has asked people not to support the current government. Actually, visiting Burma helps people a lot, financially and politically. The government is sensitive to foreign opinions. Further, many industries (such as hotels, bus companies and two airlines) have been privatised, so you don't have to support the government at all. But you can get locals in trouble, so keep that in mind if you're used to countries with nearly free-speech. I think Bago is very under-rated by this guidebook. Spend a day exploring the city with a English speaking guide, and another day visiting the Golden Rock Pagoda on Mt. Kyiaktiyo. These were my two best days in Myanmar. Also, eat from the street stalls; the food is better and it's more fun. Do your best to attend at Nat-Pwe, usually they have one somewhere every week-end. Visit the smaller, more peaceful pagodas in Bagan. Get used to long, punishing, brutal bus rides. And have a great time in a beautiful, hospital, wonderful country!
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