I find Rick Steves' politics naive and potentially dangerous, but I think he's a damn good travel book writer (no opinion of his TV show, I never watch it). The stuff is informative, frequently updated, and perfectly organized for the typically time-pressed American traveller. He is very good at what he does, and I respect him for it. I use his guidebooks more than anyone else's in Europe. When I have the chance to do my own thorough independent research for restaurants and attractions, I find myself impressed by how many of the true "gems" Steves has managed to find.

FWIW, his guidebook weakness is probably with hotels. A typical flyertalker would probably find better deals by bidding or taking advantage of various hotel promo/frequent stay opportunities. I can usually stay in 4 star hotels for less than the price that Steves puts his readers into 2 stars. I'd actually prefer to stay in Steves' 2 stars for half their price, but that's a deal I can't usually find.