I give this hiking guide two stars because it has given me a lot of places to go hiking I would never have known about otherwise.
However, as far as actually using the guide to hike the trails, its virtually impossible. Ramey leaves out major forks and landmarks and does not tell you near enough about the trail's conditions or difficulty level. For example, today I tried to follow his route through the Glen Helen Nature Preserve. First, he tells you to start outside the museum at the stone terrace. There are two forks-one a major route down the stone steps that probably 99% of the park visitors take. The route he actually wants you to take is a small, side path that's almost overgrown and not as well maintained as the main trail. He never mentioned that it wasn't the main trail, so I went 1/2 a mile down that one before realizing I was wrong and had to climb the extremely steep stone steps all the way back up to the museum and ask for help. Then, this trail that he was talking about is pretty difficult and dangerous-portions go along a very narrow and rocky ridge where it would be easy to fall, and like I said before this is a rarely used trail. If you did run into trouble, it would probably be a long time before you were found. In my opinion, its not a trail that should be hiked alone even by an experienced woodsman, and Ramey never mentions these conditions at all. I also usually take my dog with me when I hike. Thankfully, I didn't on this occasion because the trail would be twice as dangerous with a pet to supervise, another thing Ramey neglected to mention.
In short, this book will give you ideas for good day trip hikes that you will enjoy, but do NOT rely on it for directions or safety. Research Ramey's route and get complete directions from park personnel before attempting any of these hikes.