This book was boring to read. It is basically a walk through Machu Picchu, telling you where to look and what you're seeing. It's supposed to be the best guidebook to take to Machu Picchu, but it was not as interesting to read while in California. I did gain an understanding of the geography of the site, as well as what things we will see and what current scholars think they were. The book was very useful at Machu Picchu itself, as we tried to make sense of all the impressive masonry and history of the place. We used the book to guide our tour, and it gave all the same factoids as the IRL guides. I'm glad I read it before, though, since I didn't have to spend my time t the site reading through the paragraphs. I could just skim through and remember what was important about that bit of rock. ( )

Excellent sector-by sector description with clear maps of the site and environs. Written for the unaccompanied explorer, but I found it a very helpful preview, even to a guided trip. Includes excellent discussions of Incan architecture and building practices, including their terracing methods, as well as their water and sewage lines and construction techniques.
The book also contains clear descriptions of other ruins and hikes in the immediate area, excellent illustrations and a multipage section of full color photography. I found trail maps that I have been unable to find anywhere on the 'net (for example, an excellent map of the ruins atop Wayna Picchu, very helpful for our climb.)
The most helpful and useful book I took to Peru.
And it will fit easily in your backpack ( )

revised edition ( )