The Riches of Paris: A Shopping and Touring Guide
Here's the ideal book to help shopaholics max out their credit cards in high Parisian style. Clemente, professional shopper and author of The Riches of France (LJ 8/97), takes the reader on a geographic shopping tour of the city, stopping only for lunch, afternoon tea, or a leisurely spa treatment. Although Clemente includes a section on bargains and markets, the majority of shops described are expensive and chic, and many of their names (Chanel, Lacroix, Lanvin, Dior) are known around the world. Each shop and its products (fashion, chocolates, porcelain, antiques) are described in tempting detail, and Clemente includes address, phone number, opening hours, web site, and price range for most. She also recommends a number of hotels, mostly expensive and steeped in luxury, and offers useful information on shipping purchases home and reclaiming sales tax. This well-written but specialized book should be used to supplement more traditional travel guides to Paris, not to replace them. For public libraries. (Maps and index not seen.) Linda M. Kaufmann, Freel Lib., Massachusetts Coll. of Liberal Arts, North AdamsCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.