Needs to pick an audience and go with it - Rated 
For a book that specifically states in its opening pages that it is NOT aimed at people wishing to take professional photographs, but at travellers who want to improve their holiday snaps, the advice contained in the subsequent chapters rather misses the point.
For a start, there is a large section devoted to film photography, and I would hazard that a VERY small minority of casual photographers now use a film camera (and I'm sure this was the trend even back in late 2004, when this book was published). Really the majority of people who still use film are at least intermediate, if not professional.
The introduction observes that travel photographers must be able to take pictures in varied light and weather: "The continuing challenge is to take consitently good photographs in very inconsistent conditions", but the remainder of the book doesn't live up to it by providing solutions for taking pictures in adverse conditions, beyond recommending a tactic of wait, and wait, and wait, or return the next day, for that break in the clouds that will illuminate your subject - which for most travellers simply isn't practical. More helpful to tourist-photographers would be suggestions on how to prevent that overcast sky on the day we visit from spoiling our souvenir photographs of the Taj Mahal, more emphasis on composition (6 pages) than equipment (65 pages, of which 11 are dedicated to film photography alone), and avoiding common mistakes.
On the other hand, the large proportion of basic information means it doesn't really suit the intermediate photographer travelling with the purpose of photography and the hope of turning professional.
Although there is certainly a wealth of excellent advice, beautifully and amply illustrated with Richard l'Anson's photographs (though I would still like to see more examples of "here's what you can achieve even in less-than-perfect conditions" - good photography is always easier given great weather), this book left me with the feeling that it needed to pick an audience, whether it's beginners wanting to improve on their tourist snaps, or intermediate photographers wanting to take the next step and start earning from their pictures, rather than trying to straddle both camps and satisfying neither.
more for the beginer end of the market.. - Rated
The early chapters on kit are quite out of date now, and to be honest a little irrelevant as most people looking to improve their pictures will have the kit already.
The general advice is fairly basic and non technical, which would suit a beginner, but doesn't offer much for the more intermediate photographer trying to hone his skills.
Too technical for the average traveller - Rated 
For the keen photographer, I am sure this would be a useful book. It's nicely written and laid out, with lots of illustrative photographs of various exotic locales.
However, if you are quite content with your 'point 'n' click' and just want some general tips on taking reasonable, but not professional quality, holiday snaps (i.e. ones not featuring your thumb) then this book is really too detailed. It also has a huge emphasis on film cameras, even though there is one chapter on digital, the rest of the book is mostly only applicable to film.
The author assumes that the reader will be travelling with the main aim of taking photographs. While that's true of some travellers, for many more photography is important but comes second to the enjoyment of the experience whilst being there. Not everyone wants, or is able, to spend hours standing in one place waiting for the right shot or setting up lots of equipment, especially if you are with an organised group, a woman on your own, or in the middle of strenuous trek.
What would be more useful would be a guide on how to take decent pictures quickly - when a whale suddenly surfaces next to your speeding zodiac, or the cloud temporarily lifts from the famous mountain peak opposite just as you're trying to negotiate a particularly slippery path. And how to avoid elementary mistakes. I don't want to take perfect pictures, just better ones than I do at the moment. The book doesn't really cover this though.
If you are travelling with photography as your main aim, you have a film camera and have/intend to buy lots of extra technical equipment, then this book would be useful (although if you're that keen you may know a lot of it already...). If you have a digital camera or are more interested in enjoying your holiday than producing saleable works of art from your snaps, then this book probably isn't worth the money.
Good advice, but dating rapidly in some areas - Rated 
For my taste there's rather too much at the start on selecting your camera, different types of film etc and digital comes a very poor second best. There are more interesting words on ancillary equipment to take with you (choice of filters, lenses, flash and tripod) and preparing for a trip so you get the best out of it.
However, when it comes to the meat and bones of how to take good photographs, the book has a lot to offer with advice on just about everything, ranging from people, through landscape and wildlife to cities and parades. The photographs are well reproduced on decent paper, many are duplicated with one showing a 'average' version of a view, and another that's special, just taken at a different time or with a slightly different perspective. They really do show how small the margin between an average photograph and a great one can be, sometimes just a matter of taking a few steps...
The book is small paperback sized and would fit into a travel bag to have to hand for a quick browse now and again.
A new edition should probably ditch a lot of the basics about choosing a camera and any mention of film in favour of expanding the words on kit to be purchased after the camera, and a short piece on digital processing.
Fantastic book! - Rated 
Presented everything I wanted to know to get started taking photos with my SLR in a straight forward and easy to read manner. Beautiful pictures all the way through to keep me interested.
Would strongly recommend to a beginner.
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