WHAT: Mobil Travel Guide Beijing ($18, Mobil Travel Guide)
TARGET AUDIENCE: Anyone visiting Beijing.
Mobil has been in the travel guide business for 50 years, but this 5-by-8-inch paperback is its first international city guide, just in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
It provides synopses of sights in six city districts, including Tiananmen Square in Dongcheng and the formerly seedy Sanlitun Bar Street in Chaoyang. Most of the 48 dining recommendations are for meals less than $15.
First-timers might appreciate practical information on tipping, which is not customary (“For some workers, it offends their sense of pride”); scams, such as invitations to art shows or tea ceremonies; and public restrooms with “squatter” toilets (bring your own tissue).
Although this book includes street and many Web addresses, price information is missing for admissions (a range is given for hotels and restaurants), as are on-the-ground travel or tour guide services. Overall, though, it’s an indispensable primer for quick-trippers.
Sue Kovach Shuman, The Washington Post
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