The Professional Guide : Dynamics of Tour Guiding

Rating:
Summary: More than just a GREAT handbook!
Review: The book gives an excellently written text, explaining all aspects of the tour guiding profession and its position in the field of the modern tourism industry. It is well structured, and with its systematic approach to the subject it offers an inside and reliable glimpse into 'secrets' of the profession. Apart from being of practical value, this book represents one of the relevant titles of serious tourism literature. It spells out various important topics relating to tourism as a whole (but always bearing in mind the guide's role and mission in the wider professional environment), offering a variety of comprehensible definitions and classifications. Thank to this book, one can easily learn a lot about the tourism industry from the perspective of tour guiding.

The best and for any guide most useful part of the text is about presentation, interpretation and communication skills of professional tour guides - which have recently been defined as the 'Art of Guiding'. The author used for her work very relevant and diverse bibliography without avoiding some, more or less, strictly scientific researches in the tourism field (such as the Cohen's classification of the modern guide's role). In any event, the content of the book represents a successful attempt to apply 'all-in' approach to the subject of tour guiding, for the first time ever.

It is for this that 'The Professional Guide' has to be highly appreciated by all connoisseurs of the subject. As a former tourism educator I can only warmly recommended it to students of tourism, travel and hospitality. If you have any interest in tour guiding wherever you are, you should get this book as soon as possible. Simply, it is 'a must' for any tour guides...

In the meantime I have had the opportunity to inspect a few other available titles on the theme of tour guiding (Mancini, Braidwood et al, Reily Collins, Barbara A. Levy et al, Prince, Pastorelly etc.). After having reading and buying so many books, I am now even more convinced that 'The Professional Guide' is a unique textbook and as such - an inspiring source of information, ideas, conceptions and practical suggestions. If it's about tour guiding, this would be the only title that you really need!

As a physical product the book is nicely realized as well, looking both 'serious' and attractive: hardcover, appropriate dimensions, well printed (with a good selection of fonts). It represents more than a well done job! This is why I would give `the sixth star' for this highly respectable book to its publisher - John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Rating:
Summary: More than just a handbook
Review: The book gives an excellently written text, explaining all aspects of tour guide practice, and more. It is well structured, and offers an inside glimpse into the profession. Apart from its practical value, the book represents one of the relevant titles of tourism literature in general: it spells out some more important topics relating to the tourism field as a whole, offering a variety of comprehensible definitions and classifications. The best (and for any guide most useful) part of the text is about presentation and speaking skills of professional tour guides - which have recently been defined as the Art of guiding. The author, without avoiding some, more or less, strictly scientific researches in the tourism field (such as the Cohen's classification of the modern guide's role) used for her work very relevant and diverse bibliography. It is for this that 'The Professional Guide' is highly appreciated by all connoisseurs of this subject and can specially be recommended for students of tourism colleges. Although written by an author from and published in the United States, the book didn't focus all its attention on the local level and various, but specific problems of that single geographical and tourist market area. Quite the contrary! If you have any interest in tour guiding wherever you are, get this book as soon as possible.