Moon Handbooks have been around for more than 30 years, with more than 100 titles currently in circulation for destinations around the world. Although perhaps not as much of a household name as some of the other big guidebook series, Moon has gained a reputation for being a respected travel destination authority with a unique voice. That reputation is what lured me back to writing for print again.

For those of you who don’t know who I am and how I came to be a so-called Vegas expert, here’s the Reader’s Digest Version: A good friend of mine, Mary Herczog, wrote a piece for the Frommer’s Los Angeles guide book. The company was so impressed with her writing style that they asked her to pen the Frommer’s Las Vegas guide book. Knowing that I spent way too much time in the city she asked me to write it with her and our co-authored 1998 version of the book was a popular seller. From there I went on to write the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Las Vegas, which was also published in 1998.

Frustrated with the publishing world in general, I turned to the Internet, founding Vegas4Visitors.com in 1998. In the last seven years our site has become one of the most respected (and only) sources for unbiased opinion about Las Vegas. This weekly column is read by tens of thousands of people each week and has become one of the most popular sources for news, reviews, and features about the city on the Internet.

I was perfectly content to stay in the web world but then I found out that Moon was planning a new series of guide books and was looking for experts for their target cities. They planned for these “city guides” to be much more than just reviews and listing of what to see and do in the heavily tourist areas, instead making them travelogues designed to appeal to wide variety of audiences with a wide variety of interests.

The Moon Handbooks Las Vegas second edition is packed full of information. The first chapter, entitled simply “Discover,” contains an overview of the city and its history, some basic information about when to go and how to get there, and several customized travel itineraries created for different interests.

Chapters two through eight cover the must-see Sights around The Strip and Downtown, calling those one-of-a-kind experiences that you can only find in Las Vegas; Gaming, including capsule reviews of most of the major casinos, how to play the games, and what I call “The Winnings Lowdown,” where I report on which casinos have been the kindest to me; Dining, where I focus on more than just the high-priced gourmet places that most guide books seem to devote too much space to, instead giving you a wide variety of menu, price, and experience options; Arts & Entertainment, which all about the major shows, nightlife, museums, and more; Shopping, from high-priced boutiques to bargain bins and everything in between; Recreation, whether that means a round of golf, a game of tennis, bowling, or just lying by the pool or getting a massage; and of course Hotels, offering the highs and lows of each to help you decide which one is best for you.

Chapters nine through eleven are where the Moon Handbooks Las Vegas really distinguishes itself from every other guidebook out there. Chapter nine is all about the sights, restaurants, hotels, attractions, recreation, and shopping in the East and South side of town including Henderson, Lake Las Vegas, Lake Mead, and Hoover Dam, and chapter ten covres the same topics for the North and West parts of town, including Red Rock Canyon and Summerlin. These are the parts of the book where you’ll be able to find the off-the-beaten track gems that most Vegas visitors never get to see.

Chapter eleven is called “Know,” and it goes into detail about the city and your trip. There’s an extensive history section, pieces on the land and nature, discussions about the people and the culture, and more, all designed to shine a light on how Las Vegas became the city it is today. Then the chapter segues into the information you need to know to help you plan your vacation, including details on airlines, rental cars, staying safe, what to pack, and much, much, more. There’s also an extended glossary of Las Vegas terms (do you know what a “Boxman” is?), a recommended reading bibliography, and a list of helpful Internet sites.

Throughout the book you’ll find a ton of photographs of the places that I recommend, with plenty of exclusive pictures you won’t find anywhere else. To my knowledge, no other travel guidebook has as many pictures as Moon Handbooks Las Vegas.

So why should you pick up this guide book over any other? Well, of course I could say that since I wrote it, it’s a better book. But in all seriousness, most other Vegas guidebooks that I have read seem to be written by people who either don’t know the city very well or don’t like it very much or have such narrow tastes and interests that they exclude much of the populist appeal of the place. Yes, the $100 per person restaurants serve fantastic food and few of them are included, but there are many more cheap and moderately priced restaurants and buffets because that’s what most people want, like, and can afford.

I'm also doing something for this guidebook that no other does - offer updates via this website. The Updates page will be, well, updated frequently for majore changes that can affect items in the book.

Most importantly, however, is the fact that I have a genuine respect for Las Vegas. I think it’s the wildest, weirdest, wackiest, most wonderful city in the world and I believe I have captured that essence in my book. It’s serious without being too serious, funny without being disrespectful, and informative without being overwhelming with minute details. Really, do you care what color the bedspreads are?

And in case you’re wondering, yes… there are many things in the book that you cannot get for free on Vegas4Visitors.com. Plus, you can take the book with you and use the helpful maps to get yourself around town.

You can order Moon Handbooks Las Vegas now through Amazon.com at a substantial discount off the list price.