What are some good books to read while traveling to Prague?

My favorite source for non-traditional travel books is a little company called Longitude Books (http://www.longitudebooks.com) run by two friends of mine, Darrel Shoeling and Daniel Kaizer, out of a loft space in NYC. They actually create the reading lists for most of the top small travel companies in the US.  For The Dragon's Path I send them my itineraries and they create specific reading list suggestions based on the destinations we'll be traveling to.

In general, they offer what they call the "essential package" which includes a mix of guidebooks, maps, field guides, novels and books on art, architecture, history, nature and culture. The package includes shipping and if you purchase it they ship any additional items for free.

If this isn't enough, or your prefer to choose your own selection based on your specific interest (culinary, history, culture, etc) just review the "also recommended" list of approximately 50 other hard to find book Here is the link to Prague selection: http://www.longitudebooks.com/find/d/70/r/SB/mcms.html

Personally, I always like to know who is behind these great little companies and how they are qualified to select the products they do. Here is more information on Darrel and Daniel. Tell them Kathy Dragon sent you!

Darrel Schoeling, a 15-year veteran of adventure travel, has organized and led tours to far-flung destinations from Antarctica (where he was expedition leader for seven seasons), to the North Pole, Baja California, the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica, Costa Rica, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, British Isles, French Polynesia, Kenya, and Madagascar. He has worked with the Discovery Tours at American Museum of Natural History (where he was once on staff), Quark Expeditions, Micato Safaris and other specialists in educational travel since 1985. Darrel brings to Longitude a wealth of knowledge about the adventure travel industry, natural history, books, travelers and what they want.

Active in conservation issues, Darrel was a founding member and executive secretary of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. He also participated in several Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings on the U.S. delegation, and lectured widely on responsible tourism. A graduate of Brown University in biology (where he met Daniel), Darrel previously taught at the Collegiate School in New York, and worked as chief naturalist guide on a tour vessel in the Galápagos, which is how all this got started.

Daniel Kaizer, a trained ecologist and former book editor, brings diverse business talents to Longitude. A graduate of Brown University, he holds a master's degree in ecology from Florida State University (where he was a National Science Foundation fellow), and an MBA with honors from Columbia. He held the post of Senior Associate at McKinsey and Co. management consultants.

Before co-founding Longitude with Darrel, he was Associate Director at Victim Services, a 500-employee New York non-profit, board member and treasurer at Harlem United, an AIDS service organization, and helped launch the Management Assistance program at the Robin Hood Foundation. He is an avid reader and traveler.