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Rating: 
Summary: Great Guide, Great Gift
Review: All I can say is that not only have I bought a copy, but I have given three away as gifts. It is great guide for anyone visiting San Francisco or for anyone hosting visitors.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I am vastly disappointed by this book and can't believe that all previous reviewers gave it 5 stars.
I think of a "tour" as something fairly well defined, with a beginning, middle and end. It can have side trips and detours, but there should be some logical path to take me to the suggested sights. Each "tour" in this book covers many miles, many stops, and recommends many restaurants.
Tour 1 alone takes me to 37 different places. The first stop in the first chapter is the Hyde Street Cable car. Unfortunately, Hyde Street does not appear on the map in the introduction, nor does Ghirardelli Square, where you are advised to board the Hyde Street cable car. The map is worthless in trying to plan an excursion because only major streets are included, and in the text of the book, many tiny streets and alleys are listed.
Worst of all, there is no index. If I'm interested in Coit Tower, for instance, which chapter should I look in? Cynical Natives? Virgins? Cheapskates? I have no clue. No index in a reference book? Give me a break.
The print is too small, almost requiring a magnifying glass to read the margins where names and addresses are placed.
I have no problem with the writing. It's lively and interesting and enjoyable. But I thought I had bought a tour book that promised to show me new things about a city I love. I was wrong. After a couple of hours of frustration, I put it on my bookshelf where it will gather dust until I put it into a Goodwill bag.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!
Review: It doesn't matter if you never go to San Francisco -- buy this book just for the sheer joy of reading it. Bonnie Wach has real opinions and does not dish out the usual everything-is-great travel-guide drivel. Her writing sparkles with personality, wit and humor. All the particulars for the places she writes about are listed in the margins, making the information easy to find when you're looking for it. If you have any interest in San Francisco or travel books in general, buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide, great read
Review: This book is a great way to get to know SF. As a local, you can do all the things you're "supposed to do" that you haven't done, even though you've lived here for years. Visitors to the city will get a great mix of must-do tourist attractions, and an inside peek into the many things that make San Francisco great that don't begin with "Fish" or "Golden" - a real local flavor.The author is a regular contributor to the SF Chronicle Newspaper, and her articles are always a treat. She has a great writing style and is extremely witty - this book is actually an entertaining read straight up even if you're not looking for a guide book. She "gets" San Francisco and passes it on to you. Especially invaluable if you have friends/family coming to SF and you need to show off our little city by the bay, but can't for the life of you remember anything to show them, except for things starting with "Fish" and "Golden". Many chapters that customize a visit to SF for each visitor type - from that "interesting older aunt" to the "wornout by the kids couple". It's a lifesaver when you're expected to give someone the "SF Experience".
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide, great read
Review: This book is a great way to get to know SF. As a local, you can do all the things you're "supposed to do" that you haven't done, even though you've lived here for years. Visitors to the city will get a great mix of must-do tourist attractions, and an inside peek into the many things that make San Francisco great that don't begin with "Fish" or "Golden" - a real local flavor. The author is a regular contributor to the SF Chronicle Newspaper, and her articles are always a treat. She has a great writing style and is extremely witty - this book is actually an entertaining read straight up even if you're not looking for a guide book. She "gets" San Francisco and passes it on to you. Especially invaluable if you have friends/family coming to SF and you need to show off our little city by the bay, but can't for the life of you remember anything to show them, except for things starting with "Fish" and "Golden". Many chapters that customize a visit to SF for each visitor type - from that "interesting older aunt" to the "wornout by the kids couple". It's a lifesaver when you're expected to give someone the "SF Experience".
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite
Review: This is one of my favorite guidebooks to one of my favorite cities. Witty and funny writing style. Filled with interesting detail and juicy tidbits, yet at the same time simple to navigate. The approach is clever too - tailor made tours for a wide variety of perspectives and preferences. Even though I used to live in SF and know it fairly well, I've gotten so that I don't visit The City without this book.
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