Fodor's Washington, DC 2002 : The Guide for All Budgets, Updated Every Year, with a Pullout Map and ColorPhotos

Rating:
Summary: Good info, lots of arts material
Review: Fodor's is a good all around travel guide, but I think the author of this D.C. guide emphasize art and sculpture way too much. The sites that the book recommend usually have something to do with the art, sculptures, and freizes contained within the building. I'm not a lover of the arts, but I still know that there is much to do in Washington that I can really enjoy. One thing that really disheartned me was the side mention that the National Archives received. It was described as the "nation's basement." The original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are not something that any American should regard as basement material.
I thought the book lacked on the little known sites around D.C. I knew of most everything that was listed in the book.
With all this said, the book was a great reference and the city and Metro maps are very handy. The iteneraries are great and even tell you what time of the day you should see the monuments close to the Mall. The information in the book sometimes gives you enough material to skip the tour of a site...a real time saver in a city with so much to see and do.