You might want to use one or more of the library catalogs available on the Internet to identify titles of books you might want to order. Most guidebooks, travel brochures, travel sections, and travel magazines provide colorful information on these topics. Cookbooks do, too, as do illustrated books on folk customs and commercial videos available in many public libraries and video stores. Often the best material on these subjects can be obtained free from the tourist bureau, chamber of commerce, or consulate. There is also tourist information on the World Wide Web for most destinations.
Guidebooks vary in value from the scholarly to the ridiculous.
The illustrated picture books hawked on the street corners of every European city, on the other hand, contain pouched-up photographs and poorly edited text, but they are good souvenirs of a visit. Commercial videos about countries and cities are generally mediocre at best, full of gross generalizations and corny music. Nevertheless, they do show the people, their customs, their architecture, their food, and much more. They provide a simple, shortcut preparation, but do not be surprised if you find them misleading once you arrive at your destination. Commercial videos on museums tend to be better than those on cities and countries.