A MUST have for all backpackers - Rated 
Lonely Planet are famous for being in every backpackers back pocket, this book should be on every travellers coffee table! It gives a really brief but informative overview of each and every country, providing you with facts, best time to visit, some history, languages, phrases and all the other best bits, for example the cuisine on offer and some amazing photographs!
get it get it get it!
Ideal Present - Rated
I got this book for my 14 year old nephew. As an introduction to the world it is an ideal present. As some reviewers mention there are probably more in-depth books out there but when you are trying to fit 230 countries into one book and include such wonderful photography there must be only so much you can include. As I say, an ideal present for anyone who just wants to learn a bit more about all the wonderful countries in the world. Ideal for the younger generation as there is just enough information in the book to keep their attention ... which as most people will know can be difficult.
attention to detail - Rated 
I browsed through this book in a shop and was about to add it to my Christmas wish list. I went to the entry of my country of birth - Ukraine and was disappointed to see that the main picture (taking over 50% of a page) was taken in Leningrad (St Petersburg), which is in Russia. It made me doubt about all other information this book presents. Still, it's a nice idea for a book.
Coffee table book - Rated
This is nothing more than a coffee table book - albeit a nice one. It contains some very nice photos and a quick snapshot of each country. You can't expect much more from a book featuring every country in the world though really.
This book is of no use if you want to plan anything travel wise, but it's a nice book to own to get a quick snapshot of a country or just to flick through and gain some inspiration from the photos - which aren't your usual postcard shots, which is refreshing to see.
A close up view of the world - Rated 
Every country in the world is featured in this book, arranged alphabetically from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Each country has a double-page spread with photographs and a brief description of the country with lists of 'essential experiences', and what to eat and drink and listen to etc. Some of the photos are spectacular, though like a previous reviewer I could have done with more views of places and fewer close-ups of faces and the sides of buildings.
One major irritation for me was the omission of Hawaii. Yes, I know it's part of the USA, but come on, it's thousands of miles away from the mainland USA in the middle of the Pacific, and it's hardly a typical US state, is it? I think not giving it an entry of its own was just a bit silly. However, there are many other fascinating places described in this book, some of which I had never even heard of, and overall I think it is very good value, considering the amount of interesting information the book contains.
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