Error in "Wireless Sensor Networks" book?

I'm wrestling with dealing with the 3.3V vs 5V worlds of XBee/Arduino.

The "Wireless Sensor Networks" book has an example where the XBee DIN/DOUT pins
are hooked up to the Arduino serial tx/rx pins directly without level translation. I saw
a post on this site where someone said this will break the XBee.

Can you supply the XBee with 3.3V and NOT translate the voltage level of the DIN/DOUT pins like in the book or was the post correct and the book is wrong?