Frankly, I do not like him, but I can see why others do. His jokes come at bite-sized portions, very strong one liners, and many of them are exceptionally good: "I bought some batteries, but they were not included, so I had to buy them again."

However, monotonous rhytm and gloomy tone (supposed to enhance the comic effect) eventually got on my nerves. I agree he is a good comedian, I just do not care for his style.

Seinfeld is one fine comedian, but do not expect his stand-up act be as clever and funny as the famous TV series.

The delivery is smooth, and lines well-written; Seinfeld milks the Number One stand-up tool, the pet peeves like airports or cab drivers, for all its worth. However, it often lacks some edge, and you end up missing a certain unpredictable roughness or an unexpected twist.

The Newsweek described Fodor's as "king of guidebooks" - and it really comes close to this. If this book had as many pictures as Eyewitness Guide, it would be perfect. Where it beats the latter hands down is its listings section, and town maps with indexed landmarks are very helpful.

European readers may notice that the practical tips are quite American-focused, but I do not see any problem with this. Most of the advice is applicable to any traveller. Money well spent.

This is a perfect accompaniment to any major Switzerland guidebook that you may already have. A large publication would not bother with small places, however charming, and this little book fills the gap nicely.

There could be more hotels listed, but naturally this would make the book thicker and it would cost more.

The authors really pick out the best. The only caveat: the places they choose are so good that you have to book really early to avoid disappointment.

If you are tired of guidebooks whining about Scandinavia being expensive, this is your choice. The book quietly assumes that if you want to go to Scandinavia, you are aware that it is going to be more expensive than India. Do not worry, it is not written for millionaires but it does not discuss relative merits of garbage bin contents, either.

Fodor's encourages you to travel to this wonderful country rather than tries to peddle doom and gloom message about "clean, boring and expensive Scandinavia", as opposed among some guidebooks who feel as if they HAD to cover the area but really hated doing it.

Maps are very good, descriptions accurate and listings cover all you want to see there. I like my travel guides with pictures and these are in short supply there, but (as the previous reviewer rightly noted) the book is handy and light, and you do not want it thicker.

A solid and well-researched publication, and good value for money.

If this is your first Eyewitness guide, you will be surprised just how good a travel guide can be. Lots of high quality pictures, and descriptions are detailed and accurate.

Those who prefer Rough Guide and Lonely Planet find Eyewitness "too glossy, too nice". True: it is hardly a choice of anti-Capitalist demonstrator, but if you prefer colorful to gray and clean to dirty, you will like it.

I agree with the previous reviewer that it could be more up to date and include a few website addresses. I could add that the practical side (hotel and restaurant listings) could have more entries, but of course this takes a lot of research which costs a lot of money.

Nevertheless, excellent area and town maps are the best in the business and they alone could justify buying the book. Apart from the things said above, there is little that can be improved.

Schimmel is funny, but not as loaded with "classic" lines that you instantly memorize - you find these in superb Denis Leary's acts.

Sometimes it feels that he could go easier on four-letter words; excessive usage lessens the effect and blunts the sharp edge. This is a shame.

The title track - cheerful, silly and hilarious - is probably the highlight. I catch myself humming it every now and then.

I will not be the first to note that Clancy loves technical gadgets too much.

I also find that sometimes sub-plot lines take too many pages to explore, I tried omitting the especially dull ones, and guess what - you still follow the plot perfectly, and the suspense does not suffer.

Generally, a very strong book. You could do much worse at an airport bookshop.

I bought this book from an airport bookshop, before an early morning flight off on holiday. Once I was one-quarter through, I COULD NOT put it down until I was finished. Why is it that I always buy my favourite books when I have least time to make my choice? Just lucky, I suppose.

The plot is not over-complicated but gripping and tight, and the suspense is not inferior to that forged by Stephen King in his best novels such as Pet Sematary. I do not agree with the reviewers who said that characters are one-dimensional. If they are, this is because people are generally one-dimensional, they are either good or evil, honourable or low-life, strong or weak, but life puts them into complex situations with unpredictable outcomes. This is how the story of Godfather was built, and many other great stories. This is where the eternal appeal of Mafia tales lies, and this is what keeps a reader turning pages. Few writers, however, are capable of utilizing this tool with the same skill as Puzo.

In common with our Lonely Planet publications, the book is extremely strong on research and honesty; the latter sometimes can border with cynicism, but then I do not see anything wrong with this. It is perhaps a good idea to have realistic expectations.

For getting around, lodging and day-to-day needs, the book is superb (although upon arrival, you will also want to buy one of locally published "In Your Pocket" guides - these remarkable and inexpensive magazines are in the league of their own).

Unless you already know a lot about the history and spirit of the Baltic states, you may long for some more pictures and articles where timetables and opening times are NOT mentioned. In this case, Baltic States by Insight Guides can be recommended as a supplement - but by no means as a substitute.

The Baltic countries, which do not have a streamlined and shrink-wrapped tourist industry, are a destination where a Lonely Planet guide is needed, whatever your budget. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are friendly and well-developed, but even premium-paying customers can seldom expect to be steered through their holiday or business trip without a bit of understanding how things work. This book is a perfect tool fitting this purpose.