Rating: 
Summary: A good bit of kit.
Review: A guide to a continents worth of countries which is clear,concise,compact,and lacking in any hidden agenda is truly a rare beast.The SAH 2000 presents all the facts in an accesable format,thereby allowing the thinking traveller on any budget to form their own itinery whilst using the wealth of others experience to avoid any hidden pitfalls.In the world of travel guides the SAH is more of an investment than a purchase.
Rating:
Summary: A good bit of kit.
Review: A guide to a continents worth of countries which is clear,concise,compact,and lacking in any hidden agenda is truly a rare beast.The SAH 2000 presents all the facts in an accesable format,thereby allowing the thinking traveller on any budget to form their own itinery whilst using the wealth of others experience to avoid any hidden pitfalls.In the world of travel guides the SAH is more of an investment than a purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: So Amer HB 2000 vs. Lonely Planet So Amer on a Shoestring
Review: Against my better judgement, I bought the South American Handbook 2000 instead of Lonely Planet's South America on a Shoestring, based on several of the reviews on this website which gave the Handbook 2000 a much more favorable rating. The only problem is that unlike the Lonely Planet books, the handbook gives very little information about prices of lodging, restaurants,etc.which I feel is very important as prices vary a lot. So while the Handbook 2000 has some good information, South America on a Shoestring (or one of their country specific guides) is more essential especially when you are looking for a place to sleep at night. I personally don't use guidebooks to do most of my planning for my trips. But in a pinch when you get off the bus late at night in some strange city and you want to know what hotel to tell the taxi driver to take you, you can't beat the Lonely Planet series of Guidebooks.
Rating:
Summary: So Amer HB 2000 vs. Lonely Planet So Amer on a Shoestring
Review: Against my better judgement, I bought the South American Handbook 2000 instead of Lonely Planet's South America on a Shoestring, based on several of the reviews on this website which gave the Handbook 2000 a much more favorable rating. The only problem is that unlike the Lonely Planet books, the handbook gives very little information about prices of lodging, restaurants,etc.which I feel is very important as prices vary a lot. So while the Handbook 2000 has some good information, South America on a Shoestring (or one of their country specific guides) is more essential especially when you are looking for a place to sleep at night. I personally don't use guidebooks to do most of my planning for my trips. But in a pinch when you get off the bus late at night in some strange city and you want to know what hotel to tell the taxi driver to take you, you can't beat the Lonely Planet series of Guidebooks.
Rating:
Summary: Very comprehensive reference!
Review: Although written more as a reference guide than the Lonely Planet equivalent, it is far more comprehensive in its list of available hotels and restaurants. It is very accurate too. Also, it does discuss areas to watch out for (i.e. crime) better than the LP. What you get in quantity and objectivity of information with this book, you lose in depth. The LP gives you more depth of the (fewer) hotels and restaurants it does list. They make good companions for each other, if you have the space in your suitcase/backpack!
Rating: 
Summary: Welcome to Footprint!
Review: Dear Traveller,Thank you for choosing to check out our South American Handbook 2000. Footprint are an independant British publisher based in Bath. We specialise in providing travellers with guide books that are second to none in terms of accuracte, up-to-date information. You will find that most of our guides are simply the most comprehensive available with in-depth commentary on history, culture and customs as well as practical travel information such as where to stay, places to eat, and getting from A to B. Our major titles are updated ANNUALLY to ensure you have the best info to hand. You might like to know that we also publish Handbooks to Mexico & Central America and many individual South American countries as well as an extremely useful general guide to travelling: The Traveller's Handbook. Finally, whichever guidebook you choose, we would like to wish you an exciting, illuminating and above all enjoyable trip! Best wishes, Footprint.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!|
Review: From Planeta Journal - The Handbook looks better than ever. This new edition of the South America guide provides reliable information about general tourism as well profiles of national parks and reserves. Of special note is the "Responsible Tourism" essay that the book pioneered in 1992. This is a terrific guide. The format is easy to follow. Colorful pictures and maps compliment the text. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: The information is current and reliable... valuable guide.
Review: I have only been in five of the fourteen countries covered in this handbook, but of those I have travel through, I found this all-in-one guide to be succinct, reliable and valuable. That said, it does not replace the comprehensiveness of a specific country guide. Basically, this handbook is a digested compilation of the specific country handbooks that Footprint produces. Thus, if you are only visiting one or two countries, buy those handbooks. If you are going to explore South America and want only one guide, this guide will be valuable. Each country section is condensed, comprehensive and reliable. Though smaller towns will be omitted, the most important cities, towns and sites will be covered. Each country has been segmented into regions, as noted by the country's map, and within each region Footprint covers the top two, three or four cities or towns in a region. Basic travel information is given at the beginning of each country. As with all Footprint Handbooks this guide has excellent color maps. In the back of the guide you will find ... exceptional color maps of South America. Also, throughout the book, I found the b&w maps of regions and cities to be very good. Another impressive aspect of this guide is found at the beginning, in the 'Essentials' section, where there is a very good discussion of bringing and using a car/SUV throughout South America. This section also includes information on motorcycling and a section on cycling throughout South America. Though each country section does have a 'futher reading & useful websites' section, this is very basic. The section on health/vaccination is bare bone basic. On the "downside" I often found that the brevity of the restaurant and lodging remarks were so terse (or no remarks at all) that they were not helpful, i.e.,. Hotel Barros Arana (Chile):modern, or a restaurant remark: good not cheap, or a hostel: helpful. Also I find the intrusive paid advertisements for hotels, tour companies, hostels, calling cards and travel
services throughout the book (a half-page, a full-page, a quarter page) offensive. The purchase ... should be more than enough to make a profit, but Footprint chooses to afflict its readers with uninvited advertising to increase its profits. For those using glasses, the small type that the publishers uses will cause you to strain to read in low or poorly lighted areas. Also, the pricing for accommodations is a cumbersome rating system that could be simplified. It is not user friendly. There is no pricing guide for restaurants. That said, this is an adequate, to good, guide for those who are going to visit a multitude of countries while in South America. The information is current and reliable. Especially recommended for those that plan to motor through South America. Recommended
Rating:
Summary: comprehensive and sincere guide
Review: I have read this guide for a business/holiday trip to Argentina, I have found it extremely useful although there were several small issues out of date. I suggest it if you want an only book for covering south america.
Rating:
Summary: S. America Handbooks
Review: I just spent 5 months in all the s. american countries except the norhternmost 3-4. Both the lonely plantet and footprints came in handy however I ultimately found Footprints to be more informative and to the point. Most other travelers agreed with me. The lonely planet had one advantage in that it's maps were better. Bottom line, if your are backpacking, take Footprints. If you have lots of space, take them both. Happy trails. edwardhillmann@hotmail.com
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