Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This review refers specifically to the Kindle version, although I would assume that it is organized no differently than the print version.
I'm not sure if the main problem with this "guide" is that the author is new, or relatively inexperienced, or if he just thinks that his idea of humor is the same as everyone else's. As much as I wanted to like this guide, I found it increasingly difficult to work my way through it because of the trite language, the irrelevant personal asides, and the overuse of figurative language. For example, he references Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" and feels the need to call it, "a ditty dedicated to women possessing decidedly plump posteriors." One or two of those "witty quips" could be tolerable; however, being forced to endure these lines almost every other paragraph is too much too stomach. The most interesting part about the book is supposed to be the information contained therein, not the manner in which it is presented. It seems that because there is a dearth of actually interesting trivia, the author overcompensates by trying to be funny and witty, which he is not.
Which leads to the second problem: the trivia and facts do not live up to the title of the book. Most of the information is no more interesting or unique than what you can currently find in any travel guide. I was hoping, based on the title, that I would be privy to info that most tourists don't get, or be able to get a local's perspective, but I was sorely disappointed. In fact, most of what I read from the guide I had already found online, just by doing a bit of research, and for free. Although some of the information is potentially interesting, such as the first Starbucks is not in its original location but is about one block away, we are not given ALL the information. Where exactly was the original located? Wouldn't that be an interesting point to know as well?
The manner in which the contents are organized can also be a problem for those of us who are unfamiliar with Seattle. The guide is organized by North, West, East, Southwest, and South. So, if I have no idea where downtown Seattle is located, or where the famous Pike Place Market is, it is very difficult to find that information without a time-consuming search through every section until I happen across it. There should at least be page numbers within the contents that reference key places of interest within each geographical region. In addition to the organization of the contents, there are scattered bits of unrelated trivia in each section that interrupt the flow of the information.
Finally, although I am sure that there is a much more practical and interesting guide to help tourists explore Seattle, I did give this two stars because it does contain some interesting information (e.g. Seattle boasts more than 500 houseboats, which is the largest population in the contiguous 48 states) including addresses, phone numbers and web sites of many of the attractions. Had it been organized much more effectively, avoided uninteresting quotes from his wife such as "You'll be famous on some Chinese film editor's floor," and eschewed the "humor," this guide could have had potential.
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Your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the Emerald City has to offer!
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