Rating: 
Summary: A shallow guide for our shallow society
Review: This series has been around for nearly 20 years and its approach has not changed -- take a load of statistics to rank hundreds of metro areas in different categories (transportation, health care, climate, etc.) and then use these rankings to determine the best of most "livable" places in the United States.Interesting idea, I suppose, but one that is so solely focused on the tangible that it ignores so many other factors such as civic involvement, social and political attitudes, community spirit, etc. As a result the book and series has become little more than a relocation guide for the chronically left brained -- a guide for those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. What's more it seems this series has little respect for the roots of an area, not surprising in culture like ours that puts little value on roots -- the roots that one develops with family, friends, etc. that have all but disappeared in our mobile society where people move every few years. This book has lots of stats that might appeal to the armchair traveler, but if it is used as the sole, or even primary guide for anyone planing a move, than I feel very sorry for the town that ultimately "wins" the prize. This is a shallow guide, for our shallow society.
Rating: 
Summary: Great catalyst for conversation & contemplation.
Review: We view this book as a vital catalyst for two relocations for our family. We found the ratings as great starting points for our discussions about our own values, and left it at that. In this genre, there is no book that is the be-all, end-all. They can only serve as some level of objectivity, to balance our own subjectivity in where we 'should' live. We proceed to relocate, in order to pursue & satisfy our own values & biases, hopefully in one lifetime.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect place
Review: Well, reading everyone's review and trying to find a livable place for myself, I came to this solution: no book, no piece of advice can be invented to predict how you will feel in your "perfect city". Even when all the data is given, it's hard to put it into a proper perspective. . I would love to believe there exists a one magical list that will give you one easily packaged answer: Yes, move, or NO, stay where you are. (You'll move on Monday, and be ready to move back by Thursday ). To add to the complexity: Money Magazine, Forbes and Rand taking almost the same factors into consideration, came up with totally different lists. (New York City, San Diego, Chicago. Another well-known organization decided to rate places by finding cities people flock to the most. The most moved-to city was Las Vegas. The bottom line: Perfect place? The only way to find it, is to move there, and see how you feel after 2 years. Don't bring this book with you, though, it's too heavy to carry and in two years, there will be a new edition. That's the only guarantee...
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