I bought this guide book over the others, including Lonley Planet, based on these reviews and those of Lonely Planet China on Amazon. My experience is this is a fine book to read before you go to China, but a terrible guide for navigating your way through China.

I just returned from spending a month traveling to different cities. This book is heavily biased and does not allow the reader to make informed decisions. The author clearly has an opinion about everywhere to go and what he thinks, but the book doesn't give the reader a chance to disagree. You could very well miss out on some wonderful aspects of China b/c this book is not as comprehensive as others and you wouldn't even know you were missing out. Also, I wasn't happy with recommended hotels and restaurants as they are all quite pricey. Plus, there are many discrepancies with other Frommer's books (which this one is a part of) - for example, there is a vegetarian restaurant in Shanghai the author recommends highly which is called overrated by the other Frommer's book. And the other book is actually more correct.

This book also assumes a certain level of experience with China. I had not been to China before and found travel suggestions ridiculous. For example, he says you should be able to get on a bus yourself at some obscure corner to go to the Summer Palace from Beijing, and scoffs at those who would choose otherwise and get ripped off. Well, if you speak and can read Mandarin Chinese, then that is fine. Otherwise, in a city where taxi drivers do not speak English, getting somewhere on a bus is nearly impossible.

I would just like to warn anyone going to China b/c you do not want to be left there without a good guide book. It is so critical to have good directions that are user friendly and objective. Otherwise, you will end up trying to find a better book when you get there and be frustrated along the way.

I have lived in China for most of the past year and travelled extensively in China for the past five years. Often on my travels, Brown's book is a trusted companion when visiting one of his 50 sites. His insightful and personal accounts of his experiences are both entertaining and educational. What I like most about this book is that Brown likes China and appreciates its differences. This is not true of all guide books, especially Lonely Planet's China who delights in complaining about just about everything. Unfortunately, for guide book writers, China is changing so fast, much of Brown's information on hotels and restaurants is out of date. Restaurants and hotels sometimes disappear and new ones take their place. With that one exception, I found his information to be accurate and useful. Whether you are an old hand in China or making your first trip, this book is a must buy.

This is the only English tour book I've found so far that looks at China through Chinese eyes. The author weaves a tapestry of place in China, providing a glimpse at the rich history and culture that surround each memorable spot. When seen through the author's eyes, China shines with a an ancient aura unexperienced by most tourists -- like a beautiful rainbow that can only be seen from the right angle.

The author mentions famous poets, painters, historical figures, religious hagiography and provides a glimpse of the sweep of dynasties. The text evokes China's fascinating past with snippets of famous Chinese poems, insightful historical references and pointers about books that will widen your cultural horizon. His sense of awe and majesty bring back a sadly fading dimension that has been purged by the current regime, and is all too often lost in the glossy world of tourism literature.

While this book also can be used as a how-to-do-it guidebook, it's true value lies in providing tantalizing panoramas of time and place in China. My only wish is that the author would provide even more cultural information, so that what we see during our visits would be somewhat closer to the rich, captivating landscapes the educated Chinese person sees. Even with this book, so many spots of immense historical and cultural significance are simply beyond the ken of most travelers. Sadly, without books like this one, a visit to China is akin to going to a 3-D movie without the special 3-D goggles.