If you're thinking about moving, retiring or just visiting Asheville and the North Carolina mountains, this is the guidebook for you. By award-winning author Lan Sluder, this new book covers everything you want to know about Asheville and the North Carolina mountains, consistently rated as one of the top places to live in the United States. Asheville native Lan Sluder covers all the pros and cons of living in hip Asheville and in the low-cost small towns and villages in the highest mountains in Eastern America. In nearly 550 pages and about 190,000 words, Lan gives you the straight facts about living in Asheville and the mountains, outdoor adventures and sports in the Great Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains, how to get the best values for your real estate dollar, health care, crime and safety, culture, hotels, restaurants, art and crafts and more in the mountains. As the author of more than 20 books on retirement and travel including Amazing Asheville, Fodor's Belize, Frommer's Best Beach Vacations, Easy Belize and Lan Sluder's Guide to Belize, plus books on bridge (Play Bridge Today) and buying a used Rolls-Royce or Bentley (Buy a Classic Rolls-Royce or Bentley) and on 25 notable private eyes (Murder!) Lan understands what you want to know. He tells you the unvarnished truth.