Reminiscing about a trip to Paris last year, I decided I needed something to nurture my nostalgia for the French capital and bought this. ‘Paris Revealed’ is a real eye-opener. Stephen Clarke, a resident of Paris, a glimpse of what it’s like to actually live in the city, and puts a humorous spin on the mundane activities of today’s Parisians, and offers up ‘off the beaten track’ things to see, do and experience. Clarke’s observations are peppered with anecdotes and amusing stories of former inhabitants and how they made their mark on the city, and he examines a different theme in each chapter, ranging from ‘Sex’ and ‘Art’ to ‘the Metro’. The author gives the reader some splendid tips on how to dodge the dreaded street-cleaners, on how to secure a bike properly against predatory thieves, and etiquette for eating out, so as not to anger the all-powerful waiting staff. At points this did actually make me laugh out loud, but ‘Paris Revealed’ is also an interesting portrait of one of the centres of Western civilisation. Recommended.