Rating: 
Summary: has evolved without losing what makes these books great
Review: Thinking of going to someplace dangerous? Not sure if it's dangerous or not? Not even considering it, but want to read up anyway?Pelton can help you. He and his colleagues show every sign of actually going to most of these places, or of interviewing people who did. In the sort of laconic, matter-of-fact style you'd expect of a seasoned mercenary, Pelton tells you what you'd need to know to either survive the trip or (more likely) sensibly decide to go somewhere else.:) What's really attractive about this book, which is roughly the size and shape and thickness of an almanac, is the absolute wealth of information in it. Scores of links to websites. Chapters on countries, including historical and cultural notes. Chapters on crime categories. Stuff on diseases. Tables comparing countries in certain categories (air fatalities, for example). Arguably it should be in the reference section although it's pretty hard to defend moving it out of the travel section. In any event, it makes a wonderful companion to an almanac as a way of learning more about the rest of the world. Refreshingly, the United States (Pelton is Canadian) gets listed and its hazards considered just like any other country. Recommended either as travel information or as a reference on world cultures.
Rating:
Summary: Very informative and exciting!
Review: Rarely has there been a more personal, in-depth account of what it is like in the forbidden zones of the world. The things the author saw and heard are truely eye-openers, and I read spellbound. He tells it like it is, as he saw it, without discoloration by politics and opinion. In addition to the adventure, this book contains useful information on how to make crooks less likely to target you while abroad, and how to handle yourself if they do. It also contains information on how to handle yourself if you're ever in a dangerous place or situation. This book contains information you will never see on the news, or learn about in school. It is definitely worth it!
Rating:
Summary: DP4 Bigger and Badder (and fewer typos) than DP3.
Review: My first exposer to the DP series was an appearence RYP made on a late night talk show. I instantly knew I'd like the book when Pelton started talking about the best way to see a warlord attack the Taliban and not get shot in the process. When i bought the book(DP3) it was even better than I'd expected. Not just war stories- though it's got pleanty- the book was full of the kind of information you'd wish someone had told you before you got to whatever godforsaken place this the Travel Channel inspires you to go to. And it's funny as hell too. My favorite advice? Never fly an airline with a Laughing Goat as it's mascot.
Rating:
Summary: A damn fine book
Review: This is just a great book. I like the fact that the author pulls no punches, and his descriptions of the political situations in the various countries is better than anything you'll ever hear on CNN.
Rating: 
Summary: RYP and Co. got a lot of guts
Review: I've found RYP's Dangerous Places guides to be an invaluable resource for concise information not easily found in once place and as such was very much looking forward to the latest edition of the series. Its not everything I had hoped. Though I'm sure collecting the information; traveling to these hot spots, is a long and arduous process, I had hoped for a completely new set of "dangerous places." But what we do get is still some of the most facinating, witty, and harrowing recounts of the world's forbidden regions. RYP makes the trip so you don't have to. All in all well worth the read, even if you've already read the previous edition cover to cover as I did. I'll do no less with this most recent addition to the series.
Rating:
Summary: Danger, Robert Pelton! Danger! ;)
Review: RYP's back at it again! In DP4, the DP series is back, bigger, and better than ever with new photos, new stories, new stats, and new humour! A hefty, informative, and enjoyable book, this makes a great gift for just about anyone
Rating: 
Summary: The book is atrocious
Review: I actually used this book while travelling overseas. Pelton has exaggerated many things beyond interpretation. When he can't find something wrong with a place, he simply fabricates a story based on urban legend and half truths which anyone can pick up back home. I think he needs to apologise to the people of the countries he has condemned.
Rating:
Summary: Pelton's book is inaccurate and possibly racist
Review: I read the comments on this book with curiosity - one reader has actually lived in the "war zones" Pelton reviewed, and has said in no uncertain terms that Pelton is inaccurate. I am American and I have lived in two of the places which Pelton is quick to dismiss as a right-off. Yes, the world is not a very safe place. What I am concerned about is the author's sweeping generalizations about places he probably has never visited. There are glaring inaccuracies in some of the country reviews, and it is sad that a publisher could be so irresponsible as to publish a book which makes people outside America look so uncivilized. At a grassroots level, most people in any country are well-wishing and friendly to foreigners. If we purchase sensationalist information and authoritative travelogues which contain racist information, then we are going to perpetuate the problem of racism in our society. I think that books like this intrinsically give the wrong message to our children - that one should hate and look down upon other people because they are different. I would suggest that instead of purchasing this book and making Mr Pelton richer off the economic misery of people in the third world, pay a visit to your local library and take a look at the book. Another reader has spotlighted South Africa, Israel and Ecuador. I think common sense will tell you if Mr Pelton is presenting an accurate and thus responsible view.
Rating:
Summary: Time to make this tome an annual!
Review: I've enjoyed reading DP (as it's referred to within its own pages) since the third edition and before RYP's exposure on Travel Channel. The laid back writing style and the in-depth details keep a reader occupied for days. However the timeliness of the information, much like the places he writes about, are perishable given the high-instability of many overseas countires these days.
Rating:
Summary: a great book for travelers, great book for stayers-at-home
Review: Pelton's humour and knack for commonsense carry this book. It carries plenty of information packaged in well-organized sections, which makes it great for leisure reading. I've read it several times over the last year and remain impressed with the humanity and cheer with which he writes. In many ways his friendly, live-with-the-locals style of travel is a perfect antidote to the Lonely Planet syndrome, which has travelers bunking with other backpackers at guesthouses and haggling every last shekel out of the most kindly third-world merchants. I've been to a couple of these places and found the dangers overstated in the book, but that may be a function of the book's age. Unfortunately, it appears that some sections of the book are very poorly edited, and by now, the third edition is long out of date. I would never use it as my sole source of information on a place, but it's a wonderful way to get a quick idea of what's happening where, and what you might have to do if you're unlucky enough to find yourself there.
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