Read this book on the plane from Scotland to Canada. I spent one year living in Edinburgh and then have since been back about 10 times for a visit, so I think I do know Edinburgh pretty well. However, this book provides the history and some interesting facts about it in a succinct and well-laid out way. I think it's a perfect book as a souvenir or a quick-read for someone who wants to get the bare-bones facts about this city. Obviously, it does not have the time or space to go into a long history or much details, but it is enough to whet one's appetite.