As someone who travels frequently on my own, I actually know better than to buy a bad travel guide. However, I've recently developed an unfortunate addiction to the Phaidon wallpaper guides. They're very silly and more for someone who is going to be touring around with a private driver or a tour guide who is basically to help you navigate the language and such. But they summarize a city into a handful of things to see and places to eat and sleep, with lots of pictures. It's a very un-American travel guide - one thing I really respect about Americans is that when they travel, they travel like responsible adults. They try to hit all the sites, see the nightlife, take in the atmosphere. They're really good, solid people, Americans. But there's something delectable in seeing a foreign city as a self-indulgent playground. Something hysterical in having conversations with people about cities of millions as though there were only 4 hotels and 10 restaurants. I mean, it's really very funny, at least if you can keep from laughing out loud. You have to keep the laughter inside for this kind of stuff and instead pretend as though you are just a happy person who doesn't realize how small and insular your sad little version of the world is.
And yes, I do often wish I didn't have the inability to stop the constant overwhelming analysis of the world and its stimuli. It's like trying to sleep with 3 luxury condos being built outside your window. No, that's really happening. It's more like trying to sleep before an exam you're unprepared for...off to study again :)
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