We used this guide on our recent trip to the Northeast, and it was a prize, as have been all the Top 10 DK books I've used in the past. The information is totally organized according to the theme of the book, top ten lists. Far from limiting the scope of the book, it makes traveling much more manageable, because I am able to look at the various angles of vacationing in compact chunks. Do I want to find a place to eat? I can look at the list of the best restaurants in Boston; or, if I I want to find a good restaurant that is close, I can look at the ten best options in the regional section. Do I want to determine what sights to see? Of course, I will look at the major top ten list, which describes the ten sights I can't miss in Boston. Museums, children's attractions, festivals? The book has top ten choices for those, too.

The book has the same format as others in the series. It begins with the ultimate top ten list, the ten sights that are the best of Boston. Each sight is then broken down with two pages that fully cover the highlights of that particular attraction. Following these descriptions is a series of lists that focus on different types of destinations, from music venues to cafes. Next, the book breaks the city down by region, with a top ten for that area. Finally, the book ends with a streets smarts section, which covers basic travel tips, advice that is especially pertinent to Boston, and an invaluable collection of suggested hotels.

The travel guide for Boston describes these ten sights as the cream of the crop: the freedom trail, Faneuil Hall marketplace, Boston Common, Harvard, Newbury Street, the Museum of Fine Arts, Trinity Church, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Charlestown Navy Yard, and the New England Aquarium. We actually visited eight of these ten attractions, and they were all worthy uses of our time. My two favorite stops were Harvard and the Museum of Fine Arts, followed closely by the aquarium. We used a hotel suggested in the book, and tried a couple of the recommended food places. While we could make it without this book, it is a wonderful help, and acts like a safety net, giving me comfort in the midst of a strange city. I frequently used the subway map at the back of the book, and had recourse to the small pull-out map that comes along with the book. I still consider this a marvelous travel series, and regularly recommend it to my family and friends. And now, to LibraryThing readers as well. ( )

While I'm not a tourist, sometimes tourist books have some good ideas for things to check out in the city. I got one or two ideas from this antiquated book. In 2003 the Big Dig was still under construction and the T still took tokens. Also funny, this book cautions against jaywalking in the city. How can you tell a tourist from somebody who lives in Boston? The tourist waits for the walk sign. (in other words, jaywalking is ubiquitous in Boston.) ( )

This small, pocketbook sized if not pocket sized, guide was perfect for the purpose for which I chose it. I had less than one day to spend in Boston while waiting for a flight to Iceland. The guide helped me prioritize my choices for how to spend that time, and helped me get around without wasting time or getting lost. Two fold-out maps on the front and back covers, which included a map of the MBTA routes and stations, meant I didn't have to purchase a separate map of Boston. It was money well spent. If you're planning a longer stay in Boston, this still might be handy, but you'd probably want to supplement it. ( )