From budget backpackers to trendy jetsetters, every savvy traveler knows that Lonely Planet guides are required reading for any trip. Revered for up-to-date maps, invaluable information, and editorial independence, these thoroughly researched books cover nearly every place on the globe. From its humble 1972 beginnings by two young globetrotting newlyweds (founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler), Lonely Planet has grown to more than 500 staffers in three offices in Melbourne, London, and California.