In short, the book is useful, in only the way a book written by a resident of the area can be so. Find bellow my review of the book on Amazon. 

"Having lived on the Spanish mainland for the last 18 years, you get to know when someone writes about your country from a point of fleeting interest, and when someone writes about it from a perspective of depth and insight. Mathew clearly belongs in the latter camp where he has not only written a unique guide to this fascinating island in the Canaries, but he has written it with an authentic voice.

For lets face it, these days facts and listings about any location can be downloaded from umpteen web sites for free. But if you want to know more than just a phone number or address, if you want to know 'why' rather than just 'what'...then you need to ask someone who knows. And Matthew Hirtes is just that man.

This guide book does just what a good guide book should do: Inform, explain, entertain, and in the very best of cases - as with Going Local In Gran Canaria - even inspire."

This is the first in a series of brief posts about Books on Spain that offer a practical or alternative slant to understanding the country. If you have written a book and would like it considered for review, then email me  - gazpachomonk@gmail.com