On one hand I’m glad I read this, but on another I wished I hadn’t. I’ve always been a fan of Rick Steves. The show has always fueled my hopes to one day travel through parts of Europe. However, his book maybe showed me a side of his personality that I wish I hadn’t seen. He certainly doesn’t come across in a necessarily bad way, just a little cocky and jaded. ( )

Rick Steves made a name for himself by taking tourists off the beaten path in Europe. His books typically are about places: where to go, what to see, where to sleep, what to eat, etc. This book, however, is about the people who make Steves' tours so memorable. In it, he travels the path of his company's most popular tour: Starting at Amsterdam, down the Rhine through Germany, loop around Italy by way of Venice, Florence, and Rome, up through the sleepy Alpine villages of Switzerland, and finally conclude in glamorous Paris. While the beautiful sights get attention, our impressions of each locale is impressed upon us by the many friends, locals, and fellow tourists Steves greets along the way.

This is a very self-aware memoir of a travel guide. Steves weaves past memories with the changing future to describe places and people. He is constantly struggling over the impact his popular travel guides have on his favorite places. It seems that everywhere he goes in Europe, he is recognized, and notices tourists holding his books. Favorite secret spots that were once charming for their sleepy seclusion are now mobbed by sightseers following his tips. He laments over divulging the location of a cheap but cozy hostel in a guidebook, only to have it turn into a brothel right after publication. In the many ways he discusses his impact on his favorite places, the book is just as much about Steves himself as his European friends.

This book is a nice companion to those who love Rick Steves' TV show and guidebooks. It would not be terribly useful for someone unfamiliar with him, as his many asides about his impact may appear unjustly boastful. But just as one discovers a hidden treasure "behind the scenes" through a Rick Steves guidebook, fans can discover a behind the scenes look at the man himself. ( )