Pros:

- Very informative "tidbits" of information about New York (i.e.: New York History, Tourist Traps, Dollars and Sense, and Time Savers).

- Good information about how to pick a hotel and restaurant if you don't know where to begin.

- Good information on the mass transit system and how to get around.

- Good information on the major tourist attractions in New York (hours and days open, cost, directions, etc.).

- Helpful planning sheets if you can't figure out what you want to see first.

Cons:

- The size of the book is too big to fit easliy into a jacket pocket.

- The cover is fluorescent orange which screams "tourist" when you take it out in the subway.

- It focuses entirely on Manhattan. If you are staying outside of Manhattan the maps don't provide enough detail to show you how to get from outside of the city to the city itself.

Overall a good first start for planning a trip to New York City. It provides the basic information of where to stay, where to eat, and how to get around in Manhattan.

I recommend a more detailed travel guide (Michelin Green City Guide comes to mind) to accompany this book once you are in the city and start walking around or when you want to visit outside of Manhattan.