I have had access to each edition of this book since the Fourth Edition, and essentialy every PMP prep book published since 2004. As someone who would absolutely know, I can tell you this is not only the best PMP book RMC has published thus far, but the best PMP prep guide on the market right now. And for me, it's not even close. Unlike the rest of the PMP guides out there, which simply present information from the PMBOK Guide in a slightly different format, Rita figures out ways to boil down critical exam concepts into real world applications and scenarios. Which makes Rita's book user-friendly, interactive, and valuable as a resource long after students pass the exam. People who teach PMP classes for a living or for their companies understand the true value of this book. I certainly do.
Regarding the previous review...Rita was admittedly a very direct person, whether she was teaching or writing or speaking. Anyone who ever met her knows this, and I had the pleasure of spending time with Rita on about a half-dozen occasions. Rita's co-author for this new edition (Laurie Diethelm) has made a wonderful effort to soften Rita's tone, which I admit was not for everyone. In fact, most (if not all) of the sections the previous reviewer refers to have been completely re-written. The result of Rita and Laurie's joint contributions is a great book--both in tone and content. Clearly this person is either reviewing a previous edition, or has another agenda (I am always wary of negative reviews that so specifically recommend other books...)
And finally, one caveat for people in the market for a PMP prep guide: in case you hadn't heard, nearly one-third of the PMP exam changed this past September. As far as I can tell, this book is the only one that has been updated so far. Do NOT buy any book that was published before June of 2011!