Do you know London? Reader's Digest book makes you think again!

My wife knows London really well. She should do, she is a confirmed Tottenham Hotspurs fan,  and has relatives who still live in the area of North London.

But even she was interested, intrigued and amused by the book The Most Amazing Places to Visit in London.

Reader’s Digest takes you through some rather unusual parts of London

Reader’s Digest, one of Britain’s best loved brands, is giving people the chance to discover the more unusual places in London with a new book. Whether a Londoner born and bred or a first-time visitor, The Most Amazing Places to Visit in London guides us to the capital’s most closely guarded secrets and cherished local treasures that are unknown to many.

From the best place to play outdoor table tennis to a restaurant in a former asylum that also housed MI5 and MI6, there is plenty to surprise everyone. Small enough to fit into a handbag or satchel, this book, the latest in the highly successful “Most Amazing” series, is also a good armchair read as entries tell the story of each gem and are brought vividly to life with photographs. From the centre to the suburbs, the book is split into distinct areas of the capital, with maps to provide an at-a-glance guide when planning days out. There is a special section on the Olympic park, which looks at the architecture of the park itself while recounting London’s Olympic history.

Here is a small selection of some of the most quirky and unknown destinations highlighted:

· Three Mills Island on the Bow Back River, home to possibly the largest tidal mill in the world

· Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, one of the biggest, most ambitious and beautiful Hindu temples ever assembled and carved by 1,500 craftsmen

· London’s oldest pie and mash shop M.Manze’s, which was set up in 1902 (EDITOR: Fantastic pies and mash! Just thought I'd mention that!)

· Institut Francais, which holds the largest free-access collection of French films, music and books in the country, and houses a cinema

· Between Battersea Bridge and Albert Bridge is a flotilla of Thames barges which gives a home to a museum of art and events, featuring works by composer and performance artist Max Couper

· The View Tube, overlooking the Olympic park and built of recycled shipping containers, which provides a café and viewing tower for people without tickets to the Olympics

Rose Shepherd, author of The Most Amazing Places to Visit in London, comments:“This book is a chance for Londoners and visitors to discover the lesser known parts of the city, while finding out the quirky facts behind them. There is something in here for everyone who wants to see parts of London they have never discovered, whether world famous or locally known. Here is London in all its grime and glory, providing a little bit more than the usual guide book.”

(EDITOR: What my wife says: "This is a fantastic book! I just could not put it down! Although I do know London reasonably well, this book has taught me some things I did not know and reminded me of some things I had forgotten.")

The published price is £14.99, though it is available at the That's Books Amazon shop at the discounted price of £9.29.