A few months ago, Dalit  Nemirovsky approached me with an offer I could not refuse: to be part of a team that would compile the first ever glossy, sophisticated, cosmopolitan insider's book about Tel Aviv, the city I love above all others. After weeks of work, during which I drove poor Dalit crazy by missing nearly every deadline she set me, here it is - and I could not be prouder of the results.

The photographs are by Natan Dvir, whose work appears weekly in Time Out Tel Aviv and whose stunning photos of last year's disengagement from Gaza (examples here) were recently exhibited at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The supremely talented Lora Rosenberg is responsible for the gorgeous graphics; Dalit, whose energy and creativity never ceases to amaze me, edited and produced the book; and I researched and wrote the text.

City Guide: Tel Aviv was a labour of love for us all. It opens with a general history of the city, followed by a breakdown of Tel Aviv according to area, with easy-to-follow maps, background information and tips for visitors (and locals) about what to see and experience in each. It is about the real Tel Aviv - the multi-cultural, liberal, laid-back, dynamic 24-hour Levantine city with a cutting edge nightlife, thriving culture and arts scene, outdoor markets, fashionable boutiques, ethnic neighbourhoods, chic lounge bars, critically acclaimed restaurants, buzzing cafes and beautiful beaches. It is about a self-confident, exciting metropolis in which real people live. It is most emphatically not about politics, bombs, wars or Middle East crises.

It's really the book I always wished someone would write about Tel Aviv. Sorry if that sounds immodest. ;) But it's not, really (immodest, that is), because it was a team effort. And I was unbelievably lucky to work with such talented people.

Anyway, the book will be available at bookshops in the U.K., USA and Canada very soon. It's already available in Israeli bookshops. If you are interested in obtaining a copy but can't find one in your local shop, you'll find Dalit's contact details on the website, where you can browse the book online.

Now I think you'll finally understand why I have an ongoing romance with this city.

Update: Starting from September 15 you will be able to purchase the book by credit card, via the website.

Update 2: City Guide is now available in Israel at Tzomet Sfarim and it'll be at Steimatzky in a few days.

Update 3: Or buy it from Amazon.