“Washington, D.C.: City Guide” ($18.99, Lonely Planet)
Given the unique role Washington plays in American life, this fourth edition offers a brief chapter on politics, lobbyists and the city since Barack Obama’s election, including a glossary on political terms, from pork barrel to tea-baggers. Authors Adam Karlin and Regis St. Louis describe the neighborhoods and their sites, from Foggy Bottom to Capitol Hill to Dupont Circle. The city’s many museums, historic buildings and national memorials are here, as are numerous fun sidebars. Among them: a list of movies set in D.C. and a colorful description of some of the quirkier presidential pets. Beyond Bo, the Obamas’ Portuguese water dog, we meet Billy the pygmy hippo (Calvin Coolidge) and Josiah the badger (Theodore Roosevelt). The book scouts out day trips and provides a pullout map too. Chicago Tribune
