Simon Kuper's "Impossible City: Paris In the 21st Century"

I’ve never been a fan of Paris. To read about Paris is to read about its beauty, charm and sophistication, but when I first visited in 1998, it struck me as rundown, dirty, and way too touristy. Basically a city full of people with cameras (I’m aging myself there) around their necks and ice cream cones in hand. I didn’t get it, and still don’t.