Not the Best, Not the Worst
I have the 2008 edition of this guide book. As a lonely planet guidebook, it is not very good. As a guidebook in general, it is not the worst.

I have frequently used lonely planet guides in the past when traveling and have generally liked them but this one is lacking. As several other reviewers have mentioned, the hotels, places and even towns mentioned are predictable. Also, unlike most lonely planet guides, this one is not geared to the budget traveler or backpacker at all unless you consider a hotel around $150 to be "budget". Certainly, the writers could have done more research to seek out unique places to stay. If I wanted a travel book written for my parents, I would buy Frommers. This is practically the same thing. This book is good if you are driving through somewhere for a few hours and need a place (restaurant/pub) to stop and don't know the town at all. For instance, it pointed us to an excellent pub with lots of microbreweries in Portland, Maine that we otherwise would not have found since we were just passing through. But any guide should be able to do the same thing. Overall, the writing does not add much general insight to the regions being reviewed nor does it point out many unusual finds or destinations. You don't get the sense that the writer really explored the region.

disappointing
I used LP lots of times before, and some are better than other, some are really really good, but this was the worst one ever: I used it on a road trip from CT to Maine in December 2006: predictable hotels, compact somewhat boring descriptions, and lack of good stories, interesting details, none of the tips you look for as a traveller.. . Could use some passion.

Not too shabby...
I've always bought Let's Go whenever I travel, but they didn't have a New England book, so I had to get this one. The organization is about the same. It doesn't have as much detail as the Let's Go Boston that I also bought, but I suppose it was because this has more content. The writing is a lot more entertaining that LG though. Also, I found the public transportation info really helpful. I plan on going on a New England road trip someday and I'll definitely bring this book with me.

About the reviews
Hey, I bought this book and liked it...and I'm a native New Englander. The coverage for Maine is particularly good, or at least I thought so.

However, I'm posting this not so much to let y'all know that the guide is good, but to say that this book is in it's third edition, published in 2001. All of the reviews here date from 2000 and before. They apply to the second edition of the book, not the third. So take them with a grain of salt, cuz LP changes it's content alot when they update old editions.

Just my two cents.

About the reviews
Hey, I bought this book and liked it...and I'm a native New Englander. The coverage for Maine is particularly good, or at least I thought so.

However, I'm posting this not so much to let y'all know that the guide is good, but to say that this book is in it's third edition, published in 2001. All of the reviews here date from 2000 and before. They apply to the second edition of the book, not the third. So take them with a grain of salt, cuz LP changes it's content alot when they update old editions.

Just my two cents.