I am a traveller/adventurer from the extreme parts of Northern California along the Pacific. I am not a tourist. That said, I am not writing this review from a tourist's point of view. I AM writing this review from the point of view of an ADVENTURER, and so my opinion of this book is based on the usefulness an adventurer can get from it.

Some things I like about this book are:

1) The author's honesty. If he thinks there is something you ought to see that other guides tell you isn't worth your time, he'll let you know. If he thinks something is a waste of time, or if something is overpriced or overhyped, he'll let you know that, too. He's not afraid to tell it like it is, which has saved me time and money.

2) He's lived in Alaska since day one, so he knows the subject. He's also an adventurer that has explored much of Alaska and knows where you can do or what you can do to get the most for your money. He is especially knowledgable about Southeast Alaska, and the kayaking and other types of adventuring you can do there.

3) The author lists URLs for everything/every place that has a URL. This is handy for updates, more information, and photos. A very nice touch.

All in all, I have found this guide to be superior to Fodor's when it comes to outdoors adventuring (hiking, kayaking, flightseeing, skiing, etc.); and while it is better also than Lonely Planet for the same reason, Lonely Planet does have some useful and valuable information for the traveller/adventurer as well. But unlike Fodor's, the lists of hotels and restaurants is not as comprehensive. However, for the adventurer/traveller, this book is the best one out there, hands down. It lists numerous outdoor equipment rental companies, large and small; it lists most of the companies that offer expeditions into the Alaskan wilderness; and it has exact prices at the time of publishing, with URLs to visit to get updates.

Again, I recommend this book over Fodor's if you are going to Alaska for adventure. If you are going as a tourist (cruise ship tourist or just short-on-available-time tourist), this book is also useful, but isn't as thorough when it comes to touristy stuff. I do recommend Lonely Planet for outdoor adventuring as well.

Especially helpful are the web addresses for individual services and locations, as well as the recommendations for the slightly-lesser known and (in the author's opinion) less crowded activities and the corresponding suggestions for how to beat crowds and how to plan ahead to have the experience you want.

The general over-view information of each area also helps give the reader a good impression of the area and what the overall experience of the area would be like.

A very thorough book.