Nice coffee-table-sized book about books. I enjoyed the way this was laid out, by geographical region (past and present eras), and the maps throughout. For example, the section on Japan gave provided suggestions on Japanese authors to read, even if I never get to visit Japan. Some places covered, such as Boston and New York City (with separate sections on Harlem and Manhattan) reminds me that I need to refer back to the book for sights to see before I hit those cities again. ( )

This is your basic 'survey of literature' tome. But, for me, the design really sets this one apart.
It makes a good use of photos and maps. Plus, certain text is in bold or highlighted in a way so that recall is good and "flipping back to check something" is easy.
It doesn't bog itself down in analysis. I'm sure lit pros and English majors have more detailed books. But this is just right, if even a little fun, for average joes like me. ( )