Editorial Review

Updated December 2010!

From the author of the best-selling blog “Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips” comes this update to your guide to millions of free books online! Rather than limit yourself to the offerings at Amazon, there are literally thousands upon thousands of books, short stories, and more available to you for no charge which you can transfer directly to your Kindle or other eBook reader, download via the Kindle’s WhisperNet service or, for a small fee, email directly to your Kindle.

Everyone enjoys receiving free stuff – the author included. This guide shows you where you can receive several hundred thousand (actually over a million) free books, blogs, short stories, and other content. Theoretically, you will never have to pay another cent for Kindle reading content again. It would cost thousands of dollars to replace most people’s physical books with the same books in electronic format – this guide will show you where to look and find thousands of books so you can read to your heart’s content.

This guide also provides a brief overview of how to transfer books to your Kindle, the various file formats that are compatible with the Kindle, and how to download free books from the Internet and transfer to your Kindle.

The book has the following topics covered in detail for you to enjoy your Kindle experience:

1. Guide Layout
2. Transferring Books to Your Kindle
3. Types of File Extensions
4. How to Download Books to Your Computer
5. Sources for Free Kindle Books
6. Blogs for Your Kindle
... Read more

Reviews

I was impressed with this book, October 10, 2009
I have to admit that i was skeptical in buying this book. I bought it because it was only 99 cents, and expected that I would not get my money's worth out of it. Clearly, I was wrong. I could not believe how many sites for free kindle books were listed. This is a very informative book that helped me enlarge my kindle library.

Awesome Resource for Free Stuff!, December 9, 2009
My sister showed me this book over Thanksgiving on her Kindle, and I studied it for a long time researching the various place to find free Kindle books so I decided to get my own copy. For the price, I think this is worth every penny and then some! It actually seems to point you to well over a million free books if you had the time to read that many in your lifetime. In addition to telling you specifically how to find the free books on the Amazon website, it points you to 20 other places with a description of the content and format of each one. Now that's useful information to me! We're in a recession and I am trying to watch every penny so I need something free!

The book also shows you how to transfer the books to your Kindle, which I imagine is helpful to kindle owners - my sister seems to think so but I can not comment as I am using the PC kindle application (can't afford to shell out the bucks for a Kindle in this economy). Now I may have to try out this guy's blog!

And full files compatibility with Kindle?, December 27, 2009
Just read the e-book in my kindle and found some really great sites, however it bothers me when sites such as:
1) Baen, who has a great fantasy/sf collection claims to have prc files compatible with kndle, and when you transfer to the device it only registers the title and not the author's name (which makes it impossible to order by author)
2) Open Library, which also has a very complete collection, but some of the works from aldous huxley in mobi file had lots of errors showing some bugs in the files made available (even if they are made available for free)
3) World Library and Bookyards, with great titles but only pdf which even if converted by kindle still is difficult to read and appears wrongly catalogued making it impossible to do a good sorting job by author

However it's nice to find some other great sites.

Well worth the investment., January 27, 2010
I paid $2 and I have already downloaded four free books from non Amazon sites. It's simple math. Also gives a tutorial on how to move info to Kindle. Can't go wrong with this one.

Not worth $1.99, September 21, 2010
Granted there are many good resources listed in the book, but nothing you couldn't find via Google. Also some of the sites listed had already changed their URL's. OK. This is not the author's fault, but it does reinforce the fact that Google is better than this book. If you hate using a search engine, then this is the book for you, otherwise just search for free ebooks yourself.

Free Kindle Books..for $1.98??, November 29, 2010
Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them.. revised.

Revised or not, you can get the same info from Amazon by doing a search on Amazon..
Search: Kindle Store ; Free
Then Click on "Free Book Collection"

There's a whole page/pages dedicated to free e-books and other sites that are compatible with Kindle. A whole list of them...

And yes, I find that rather ironic.. a book titled Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them and charging for it. LOL

Anyway, save your money.. just do a search. Amazon provides most of the info.

Great Resource, January 21, 2010
well worth the purchase. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read all kinds of books.

Wow, October 14, 2010
This was one of the first Kindle books I got, and wow are there a lot of things out there for free. It also has clear and easy directions even I could understand on how to download things to my computer and then get it over to my Kindle. Now I just need more time to read everything I got now.

Free Kindle Books - how to find them, November 3, 2010
Practical and well detailed. It helps me to find the sources to download e-books on my Kindle.

How to find Kindle Books, January 30, 2010
This was quite helpful with several sources (links) to websites that offer books in digital format. I intend on visiting every site. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Updated November 2010!

From the author of the best-selling blog “Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips” and the #1 free Kindle book guide comes this handy, time-saving, collection of tips, tricks and shortcuts for your Kindle. Topics include:

• Archived Items
• Battery Replacement
• Calculator Functionality
• Checking Your Email
• Collections
• Contacting Amazon's Kindle Customer Service
• Converting PDF Documents to Kindle Format
• Discussion Boards
• Displaying the Time
• Download Problems - What To Do
• Flight Check
• Formatting Issues in a Kindle Book - What To Do
• Games on Your Kindle
• Gifting a Kindle Book / Gift Certificates
• Internet Access (it’s free) on Your Kindle
• Kindle Reading to You (Text to Speech)
• Losing Your Place While Reading
• Lost Kindle Tip
• Mobile Websites - Access Them on Your Kindle
• Password Protection
• Permanent Deletion of a Title
• Pictures on Your Kindle
• Playing Music on Your Kindle
• Popular Highlights Feature - Turning it Off
• Reset Your Kindle
• Samples of Books
• Screen Freeze Fix
• Screenshots - Printing Out What You See
• Social Networking with Facebook and Twitter
• Transferring Books to Your Kindle
• Transferring Existing Collections to Your New Kindle
• Checking the Weather
• Wireless Coverage for Your Kindle
• Random Tips
• Blogs Available on Your Kindle

... Read more

Reviews

Great book by writer of great blog: don't confuse them; book is super handy, and blog helpful, esp. for newbees., October 13, 2010
This review comments on both the BOOK as well as Michael's DAILY BLOG of the same or similar name. Both are set up to help you find free books and give help to lost or confused Kindlers. In the daily BLOG, the helpful links to the product saves typing/searching time. Before Amazon ranked top sellers WITHOUT sifting free books [which was not so long ago] this blog found them for us. Now that Amazon ranks bestseller free books separately, we still get numerous tips on Kindle functions and clarifications. Michael also refers out to other free/cheap sources online besides Amazon. I never would have found SMASHWORDS or tackled MOBIPOCKET, just for two examples, without the gentle and friendly guidance of this blog. I think of the book as my OVERALL guide and the blog as my current and updated info on finding inexpensive and quality sites for books. I bought the book and have subscribed for over a year to the blog: as a result I have 147 free books in my UNREAD collection! So Michael has really saved me some money as well as help me locate great books, some of which I've paid for, too! BOTH Book and Blog are worth every cent. Thanks!

great Stuff, October 14, 2010
Lots of tips in here, some I was able to see in the Kindle manual (yes I read it) but even more that are not included such as I was able to check in for my flight using my Kindle and display the boarding pass electronically for use on continental air. sure beats having to find a printer when you are in a hotel.

How to Love Your Kindle Even More, November 23, 2010
I've had my Kindle for four months....I read through the User Manual early-on....and, like so many others, have found my Kindle one of the best electronic device (and BOOK!) purchases I've ever made.

That said, this engaging and well-done Kindle guide has only deepened my understanding, enjoyment and love of this device. The author's conversational and understanding style makes for exceptionally easy and, most importantly, USEFUL reading. The book is well-indexed from the Table of Contents and serves as a ready reference whenever I need an answer. The author addresses all the stuff we Kindle users really care about.

In addition, there is an extensive list of Kindle/mobile-friendly websites one can access directly from the links in the book to the web. Everything from news, sports, travel, weather and business sites are listed. This list alone makes this book more than worth the measly 99 cents' cost.

The book is updated frequently and reflects all the latest software and Kindle versions available.

Along with the author's superb daily Kindle blog Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips (perched at #1 in Kindle blogs), this is the best 99 cents investment one can make.

You'll love your Kindle whole lot more with this ready-reference at your Kindle fingertips.

Little More A Than User's Manual, November 16, 2010
If you haven't reading the user's manual that comes free on your Kindle then most of this will be wonderful and helpful information for you. If you have more than skimmed the user's manual, then this will be a disappointment - as it is simply a regurgitation of what is already there. Of course there were a few helpful hints and I did pay only 99 cents for this - so I have to put the cost and content into perspective. Because of the low cost, and the sprinkling of a few things that weren't in the user's manual, I gave it a 3 star... otherwise it would've been much less. I would recommend, however, the author's blog 'Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips' - which I gladly rated a 5 star!

Awesome, December 16, 2010
I just did a quick read of this book and found so many helpful tips and suggestions. I am not extremely computer literate, but I believe the instructions provided are detailed enough that even I would be able to follow them. I had no idea that a Kindle could do so many things. This is a valuable guide for any Kindle owner.

No brainer, Great guide for Kindle Lovers +++, December 3, 2010
Listen: this is a no-brainer for many of us with no brains. Absolutely the Best .99 investment I could make in learning to use and protect the Kindle. In the first few minutes I found ideas that I applied immediately, for example: How many have considered what happens when you've LOST your Kindle - yes really walked off and left it somewhere in a distraction? Don't tell me you haven't ever done this with a cell phone, I know you better... The guide's suggestion to register the first name and phone number to appear on the owner's home page is priceless.

And I found out how to turn the Kindle off when I'm finished, duh. Again how many don't know how and have to wait for the sleep mechanism to shut it down? Don't lie...

How to turn on the reader's voice [grr..], listen to music on the Kindle, send and receive email, convert documents,
and organizing my growing stuff - all good information.

This is an excellent guide for the normal clueless. Michael, thank you for this and your blog.

Not for Gen-1 Kindle, December 23, 2010
$.99 isn't sending me to the soup line, but Gallagher should let us know before we donate a dollar to him that this book is useless for a first generation Kindle.

Kindle Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts, December 21, 2010
I just received this small text and have attempted unsuccessfully to use it for several simple instructions. One reference regarding reading my e-mail, instructs me to go to the kindle web browser, yet provides no information on how to do this or where to find it. I searched the table of contents, again no help. The author uses lots of unnecessary words but provides minimal information on most topics I've tried to find. So far (and again, I just received this "book"), I've had to go to the Kindle user guide to get my questions answered. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Much like the waistlines of America, the aisles of your grocery store are straining under the weight of too much food. There are more than 40,000 products lining the shelves of your local supermarket, and with every product comes a whole new host of inflated label claims: “zero trans fat!” “Cholesterol free!” “Good source of 9 vitamins and minerals!” The problem is these claims are just as bogus as the hyped-up foods they’re trying to sell.

That’s where Eat This, Not That!Supermarket Survival Guide comes in. It’s your best weapon against the food industry’s effort to obfuscate the truth about the food it’s selling. Building on the popular approach of the Eat This, Not That! book series, co-authors Dave Zinczenko and Matt Goudling have scoured the aisles of the supermarkets of America, and in so doing they’ve discovered that two seemingly similar packages can house foods with vastly different nutritional profiles. They’ve also folded in all-new material that will help you pick the most nutrient-packed produce; the leanest, tastiest cuts of meat; and the least contaminated seafood at the fish counter. In this book you’ll also find:

• 11 Secrets the Food Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know
• 20 Worst Packaged Foods in America
• Answers to The 5 Most Important Questions About Organic Food
• The Ultimate Sandwich Selector
• The Snack Matrix
• The Food Additive Glossary
• And the extended chapter, Drink This, Not That!

Reviews

conflicting advice, February 1, 2010
I read the yellow and the orange books from the library. Glad I did before I decided to buy them. I have few problems with these books.
-Many of the items on the "eat this" this are still horribly bad for you.
-Some things on the "eat this" list in one book is on the "not that" list in another book.
-Many of the items they compare, I don't buy to begin with
-When I wrote items down to get at the grocery store I discovered the brand I was already buying was better than what they recommended.
-Some the items they recommend I have tried and they taste horrible. Apparently this is not taken into account.
-Some things are not explained or may not be even be true. Example, they recommended a certain brand of pasta but looking at the nutrition it was no better than any other pasta. Why is it better? Are companies paying these guys?
I give this an ok rating because it does have some good advice to consider and is a good starting place though the book is flawed. I recommend you get the book on loan, not buy it. And just go ahead in the store and compare the labels on the products you buy to others like it. And if you frequent a restaurant get the nutrition menu on the way out so next time you can pick the lesser of the evils that you still like.

Really useful information., June 1, 2009
This is a really useful book that has a lot of really good information in it. I find myself constantly referring to it whenever I'm about to go grocery shopping. It really helps to have a guide like to this to make healthy choices especially when it comes to "convenient" prepackaged foods. Another book I enjoyed is Goodbye, Fatty! Hello, Skinny! How I Lost Weight And Still Ate The Foods I Loved-Without Dieting. I read all sorts of books on calorie counting and weight loss and think anyting that informs or encourages is a benefit.

The nonfiction book of the year?, January 2, 2009
I know, that sounds like a wild claim. And I'm surprised I wrote it.

I own both of the previous Eat This Not That books (Thousands of Simple Food Swaps, For Kids!), so when I noticed this one was about to come out I decided to skip it. What more could it offer than what was already in the other two?

Then, tonight, I went shopping for food with my teenage daughter at Target. We spotted this in the little book section and, at her urging, picked it up and glanced through it.

What a great book! So helpful! So useful! Yes, if it keeps my husband healthy and my daughter enthused about nutrition, it gets my vote as best nonfiction book this year. I read about every day, and no book has struck me as a Must Buy as much as this one.

The reason? Since the book is entirely about food at supermarkets, every item on every page is something readily accessible to you. And since every item is captioned with its relevant nutritional information, it's like having the "Nutrition Facts" panel of every major item at your grocery store right there in your purse, in a little book that is so well designed and organized it is remarkably easy to use.

By comparison, the earlier titles had less detailed grocery sections, as well as lots of stuff about fast food chains and table-service franchise restaurants, material that is useful only if you frequent those particular places.

In this book, every page has valuable content for anyone who shops at a supermarket -- so much, in fact, it's tough to determine just what to highlight in this review. Every time I flip through the book I come across useful, surprising information. For example, right now I'll randomly open it a few times and learn why....

1) Fruit Loops are better for you than Apple Cinnamon Cheerios...

2) Regular Cheerios is a better choice than Smart Start...

3) Regular Quick 1 minute Quaker Oats is healthier than Quaker's Simple Harvest Multigrain hot cereal...

4) Dole pineapple cups are more nutritious than Dole mixed fruit cups...

5) Del Monte pear halves beat Del Monte sliced pears...

I could go on forever.

By the way, not all the pages are side-by-side product comparisons. One spread, titled "The Meat Matrix," compares the nutritional value of a variety of meats, everything from pork to ostrich. Another, "The Perfect Refrigerator," displays a perfectly stocked healthy fridge. My daughter was especially interested in a spread titled "The Snack Matrix," which shows which combination of snack items (fruit, peanut butter, cottage cheese) mix well together for both nutrition and taste. Another section discusses how to store fresh fruit and produce and explains why fresh food is better for you.

Until now, I have never used the phrase "book of the year" in any of my Amazon reviews. But this one, at least for nonfiction, just might live up to that claim.

Lots of good tips, May 25, 2009
I bought this book after I had gone through the first "Eat This Not That" book. Unlike its predecessor, Mr. Zinczenko goes much more in depth into all different kinds of food, rather than just focusing on what you should eat at different fast food restaurants. It was especially helpful in distinguishing what food labels really mean (whole grain vs. multi-grain, cage-free vs. free range, just for starters.) As well as clever comparisons, such as the nutritional value of different cuts of meat and which fruits and vegetables carry the most pesticides.

Unfortunately, the amount of information is also its downside. Unlike the first book, where there were short lists that are easy to remember (the foods you should eat every day, what to eat when you feel sick/tired/etc.) Mr. Zinczenko creates many different different categories, some of which may not be necessary (sweetened vs. unsweetend cereals, for example). This muddies the message with too much complexity and I often end up ignoring the finer points when actually doing my grocery shopping.

A very interesting, easy to read book. But plan on devoting some time to digest the wealth of information here.

Is this about product marketing or nutrition??, September 2, 2009
I have now read this entire series and while there is a great deal of interesting & valuable information, there is also a lot of conflicting information. Nowhere is their specific methodology for determining "Good" from "Bad" shown. And it's very strange to see 2 products with nutrition numbers very similar, one in the "EAT THIS" group with the other in the "Don't Eat That" group. And there comparisons about entire types of food that should be avoided completely if weight loss & nutrition are the concerns. Example: Frozen Pizza. There's no such thing as healthy frozen pizza.

Why can't they compare like to like. They don't compare the various types of Raisin Bran. They compare one brand of Raisin Bran to Cheerios. And cheese. They recommend Velveeta but call a brand of Provolone bad. As a rule, white cheeses (Swiss, Mozzarella, provolone, etc.)are almost always better choices than any yellow cheese (cheddar, American).

One has to wonder if this series of books is more about the marketing of processed food (which should be avoided entirely if at all possible) than about good nutritional advice. If weight loss & nutrition are concerns, you're better off just reading the labels and using fresh or homemade products whenever possible.

be cautious..., August 2, 2009
While overall, this book offers good insights into reducing calories, it may not always offer more nutritional alternatives. I noticed that many of the alternatives were actually higher in sodium. It is important to watch sodium as well as calories and fat intake, in order to combat heart disease.

I think we need to stress the need to eat simple foods. The less ingredients, the healthier a product is, generally. My advice: make things yourself, not from a box. Usually making from scratch is not more time consuming, it just requires thinking, because the only missing element is the instructions. The price for those instructions is a lot of unwanted additives. Day by day, we are hearing about how these additives are responsible for weight gain, and most of the health problems ailing our population.

A Lifesaver!, March 15, 2009
It's amazing how you can lose weight without even dieting simply by eating things you like. I thought I was eating right on a lot of foods. Simple things like yogurts and cereals that turned out to be so high in sugars and I would have never known had I not read this book. I have changed so many things and never even noticed a difference in the taste. I've bought this book for every family member. It is so worth it. It teaches you what the wording on packages "really" means and how not to get suckered into creative marketing ploys. This is a must have for everyone!

A very cool shopping guide!, January 1, 2009
The introduction places this delightful work in context (Page vii): "It can be a place of wonder and excitement. . . . But it can also be a place of great danger, where marketing ploys, and outright lies can rob you of your fitness, your health, your vitality. . . . I'm talking, of course, about the American supermarket."

To summarize: This is a book that helps readers shop smarter. It notes for different classes of food (from candy to snacks to cereals and on and on) the ones that are most and least damaging, in terms of calories, fat, and sodium. A brief one line analysis generally accompanies each set of data on each product.

Examples of this part of the book. For instance, pages 176-177 feature corn chips. The conclusion, if one chooses to get some corn chips, is to purchase and eat products like Snyder's of Hanover Multigrain (130 calories, 5 grams of fat [0 grams of saturated fat], 110 milligrams of sodium) and not those like Frito's Original Corn Chips (160 calories, 10 grams of fat [1.5 grams of saturated fat], and 160 mg of sodium). Or take frozen pizzas, if you must. Think in terms of buying Palermo's Primo Thin Margherita (260 calories, 12 grams of fat [5 grams of which is saturated], and 520 mg of sodium)--not DiGiorno's Traditional Crust Pepperoni (770 calories, 35 grams of fat [14 grams saturated], and 1430 mg of sodium). Some of the comparisons as those above are quite stunning, and suggest that doing some decision-making at the store can have nutritional consequences.

Some interesting features--Survival guide for supermarket tips (pages 2-9), including a depressing check of stated calories per serving on the package and what the book says are the real calories per serving. the 20 worst packaged foods for a person in the country (e.g., Haagen-Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream; the book suggests purchasing Edy's slow churned peanut butter cup ice cream instead), tips on which produce to purchase for nutritional kick, "making sense of meat," tips on snacking, and so on.

But, in the final analysis, it is the tips on which are the best and which the worst, in terms of nutrition, products in a variety of food categories. This book provides a nice service along those lines. I had thought that this would not be particularly useful when I ordered it (one look at the wild and wacky cover illustrates one reason for my pessimism), but I am happy to say that my doubts were not realized.

Indispensable Guide for the Health Minded Grocery Shopper, August 6, 2009
When I think about grocery shopping in the United States, I cannot help but recall the scene in the old movie Moscow On The Hudson when Robin Williams character is instructed to go shop for coffee in the local market. Having been used to rationing in the Soviet Union he has not been exposed to the variety of food product available to him in the United States. Overwhelmed he keeps saying "Coffee, coffee, coffee" then passes out not being able to make what appears to him a most complex decision at the time.
It is not too much unlike that grocery shopping in the United States today. You come into a supermarket bulging with products all very colorfully marketed making sometimes unfounded claims as to their health benefits. It is wise, therefore, to come armed with the knowledge that what one buys IS really healthy for them not something a marketer told them to get them to buy their goods. This IS the proverbial SUPERMARKET SURVIVAL GUIDE one should read before entering a store and keeping handy while still in the store.
The book starts with Chapter 1 "Getting to Know and Love the Supermarket." Within that chapter the author lists 11 Secrets the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know and the 20 Worst Packaged Foods in America. It is helpful to know, for starters, what kind of food one should consider junk before going on to food shopping for healthy products. Chapter 2 "The Produce Aisle" is simply lovely. It talks about Mastering the Produce Aisle then lists over 40 types of produce from how to pick the best (PERFECT PICK) to PEAK SEASON, how to preserve and store the produce item at home (HANDLE WITH CARE) and what is healthy about the item to begin with (THE PAYOFF). There is even a Salad Bar Survival Guide and a Your Organic Primer. Finally Chapter 3 "The Meat and Fish Counters" having to do with building a leaner body with fresh protein that really packs a punch. In this section the author includes a list of different kinds of fish, their Omega 3 count, protein grams, contaminant content and environmental friendliness. There is a similar chart entitled The Meat Matrix describing proten-to-fat ratio.
Chapter 4 "The Refrigerator" instructs on how best to use the book and then begins the EAT THIS, NOT THAT comparisons with Deli Meats. I love that these sections include photographs of food products all in full color. You are enabled to easily pick out what you want to buy this way. The author meticulously lists the calorie counts, fat grams and sodium contents of all products compared. In the Grains section he lists the grams of fiber included within the product. Chapter 5 "Pantry Staples" in the Pantry Label Decoder reminds you to read package labels.
Of course the author does not ignore the fact that many individuals have a sweet tooth and would like to indulge in products that do not leave them excessively guilt ridden. He addresses this in Chapter 6 "Snacks and Sweets" even to the point of listing what would be considered the lesser of two evils when buying Corn Chips, Potato Chips, Dips, Granola, Cookies, Snack Cakes, Candy and Chocolate.
Understanding that the modern day grocery shopper tends to indulge in frozen convenience foods the author addresses this in Chapter 7 "The Freezer Section". He advises on the healthier Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Frozen Pasta, Frozen Fish, Frozen Beef and Chicken Entrees and Frozen Meatless Entrees/Meat Substitutes.
Chapter 8 warns to "Think Before You Drink" listing The Worse Beverages in the Supermarket even including a section on the healthier beer to drink and mixers to use in alcoholic beverages.
The book concludes with Chapter 9 "Your Save-Money Shopping Guide". (Who hasn't heard oftentimes the dieter complaining that eating healthy is just too expensive?)
All in all this is a GREAT book I would highly recommend to help one eat healthy keeping their weight under control, their cholesterol levels healthy and blood suger within normal limits. I remember a trainer telling someone who was having trouble losing weight by exercise alone that that was was only 30 % of the solution. Nutritious eating is vital and this book can help you immensely in that regard.

It's handy but more confusing than it has to be, January 13, 2009
I like the size of the book and how easy it is to take with me on trips to the store. However, I find the structure of the switches more confusing than necessary. It seems to me that each set of comparisons uses the same colors on the right and left to show similar switches. For me, this just makes for big splashes of colors on the page that doesn't really help much and forces me to pick through the text. I might as well do that on the product labels. My opinion is this book would be a much better help by grading each group of products on a consistent good to bad color scheme, like a spectrum from green to red. At a glance, I could then decide on a healthier but similar product, avoiding the shortcut of a more familiar and possibly less healthy product.

The text is informative with plenty of facts to help the reader take more control of their shopping trips, I just found the color scheme too dazzling and more of a hurdle to using the book as a quick reference shopping guide. So far, I've relegated this book to a home reference before and after a shopping trip, checking what I need in advance to try healthier brands then checking what few impulse items I get to see if there are healthier items to satisfy whatever craving I was indulging.

In hindsight, I probably should have looked at this book alongside similar books to make a better choice for me. Still a good book for the money and it has served its purpose of improving some of my food choices. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Wow! A baby book that actually answers the big question about having a baby: How am I going to afford all this?

With the average cost of a baby topping $7000 for just the first year alone, you need creative solutions and innovative ideas to navigate the consumer maze that confronts all parents-to-be. Baby Bargains is the answer! Inside, you'll discover:

• The best WEB SITES that offer the biggest discounts!
• NAME BRAND REVIEWS of car seats, bedding, strollers, high chairs, diapers and more!
• FIVE wastes of money with baby clothes and the best outlet bargains.
• NINE tips to saving money on cribs, plus in-depth reviews of crib brands.
• THE TRUTH ABOUT STROLLERS--and which brands work best in the real world.
• The SEVEN MOST RIDICULOUS BABY PRODUCTS.
• Dozens of safety tips to affordably baby proof your home.
• DETAILED CHARTS that compare brands of cribs, strollers, car seats and more!

Reviews

A better resource than the Consumer Reports version., August 28, 2000
Put this one in the "I shoulda payed attention" category. I noted, while checking the reviews to the Consumer Reports book "Guide to Baby Products," that the Fields' book was clearly given the nod as the better book. Still, I've been a Consumer Reports subscriber for many years, and I reasoned that "Guide to Baby Products" must surely have information that "Baby Bargains" lacked. So, I bought both of them. My advice? Those other reviewers were right. "Baby Bargains" is as least as complete in its evaluations of products, and it's a much better source of background information. To boot, it's warmer in tone, funny, and a more enjoyable read all around. Buy "Baby Bargains" and skip CU's book.

seasoned mom rethinks opinion on book, April 13, 2003
If I had reviewed this book during my pregnancy (as it appears many do), I would have given it 5 stars. The book was helpful in providing reviews of many products. When I was doing my pre-baby purchasing, this book was my "bible". I recommended it to several others.

However, post-baby, I found that many of the products even the authors said I "needed" were a big waste of money. I also strongly disagreed with them on a number of products, and ended up giving away or returning several highly-recommended products in exchange for others. Most of the book seems to be their opinion, and doesn't jive well with many seasoned parents that I know.

Furthermore, their tips for saving money are mainly common sense, or impractical. For instance, to save on maternity
clothes, they recommend getting ONE outfit with a skirt, pair of pants, and top, and switching them around... don't think most of us need a book for that.

If I had it to do over, I would buy a car seat, clothes, diapers, some baby wash , bassinet...and wait to see what else I'd really need and want til after baby was born. This book tends to promote unnecessary consumerism to vulnerable first-time parents.

Great Bargains & Reviews, but read carefully!, December 17, 1999
It will be my baby shower gift from now on! This book is EXCELLENT - great for 1st time parents or parents who want to buy the best stuff at the best price. It's also useful for ensuring good baby gifts, especially baby clothes. People who don't have babies buy all the wrong clothes - no easy diaper access, snaps in back & not front, etc. So be sure to share the baby clothes tips!

Some readers complain that a lot of the recommended brands are pricey - like Peg Perego strollers. True, but you need to read ALL the recommendations. Peg Perego is said to be the best stroller. However, the text notes that only city-dwellers really need a stroller this light and durable. For suburbanites, the 4-in-1 travel system from Century is recommended, and it is cheaper than Peg Perego. I have a 4-in-1 Century Travel System, and I'm very happy with it. I bought it based on Baby Bargains' recommendation. Sometimes the book is wordy or confusing but this is a minor complaint. Read and reread this book - there's alot of info here - too much to memorize. Take it with you on shopping trips for quick reference! And be sure to check their website for updates!

The Bargain Hunter's Treasure!, January 20, 2000
Every new parent can relate to the huge money drain that comes with a new infant. We want our children to have the best, and it just seems the list of must-haves is never-ending. Many of us choose to do without certain items or find them second-hand, but there are certain things, like car seats, that are often better to have new. Thus the dilemma: how to find new items at the cheapest prices. Furthermore, how does one choose between the multitude of companies, brands, and styles of endless baby stuff? Baby Bargains to the rescue! This book is about "how to save money and still buy the best." If you're looking for a detailed comparison of brands and how they rank up, you`ll love poring over the chapters that range from Nursery Necessities to Maternity and Nursing Clothes to Catalogs, The `Net, Child Care and more. They also include lots of up-to-date safety info, "email from the real world" (letters from parents-they interviewed over 1000!), and they even tell you where to find specialty items like African-American bedding, affordable art prints for baby's room and rental baby equipment when you're on vacation. On top of all this, they include Smart Shopper Tips, a Phone/Web Site Directory, and they have a web site of their own

Great Info, Few Savings, December 2, 1999
This book was wonderful. I feel like I'll be spending more than I would have, but I'll be spending it for quality and safety. To their credit, the authors helped me sort through an endless sea of products and narrow my choices considerably. They also provide an invaluable list of business names, phone numbers, and web addresses. Though I agree with the review that stated guilty feelings over not going with the best recommendations in the book, you have to make decisions based on your budget. This book will give you the information on safety, quality, convenience, and price that will help you make well-informed decisions. Hey, maybe you can't always buy the very best in style and quality, but wouldn't you want to know that spending $25 more bucks on crib B instead of buying crib A might save your baby's life? I know now, and I'm not guessing when I walk into stores. Are you? So the title of the book isn't the most accurate, but who cares? I saved a few bucks in not buying cutesy things that I don't need that I once thought I did, but, more importantly, I learned a lot. I recommend that everyone expecting a baby buy this book. In fact, in a couple of years, when I hope to have another baby, I'll be buying the new edition.

Invaluable for a first-time parent, December 12, 1999
Being a new parent is exciting, and preparing for the arrival of the baby can be very confusing. My first visit to one of the enormous baby stores left me overwhelmed by the array of products. Asking other parents what to buy only helped nominally since we got conflicting information based on individual biases. We looked at the Consumer Reports guide at the local bookstore and were very disappointed by it as it did not review individual products. Baby Bargains did in fact save us a lot of money. For example, based upon its recommendation we decided to give it a go without buying a changing table. We have found that by using a waterproof pad under the baby and arranging the room for easy access to changing supplies we have no need for one, which saved us $170.00. We also found the stroller reviews VERY helpful as both of us are 6' or over-it was important to us to have a stroller that would be comfortable for tall people. The ratings helped us find the only travel system combination that was rated highly for convenience and portability as well as having an expanding stroller bar. Previous trips to the superstore had left us confused by the huge array of strollers and staff that were unable to explain features or differences."Where to buy" information also helped save us money since prior to becoming pregnant we never paid attention to who stocked what in baby products or who manufactured 100% cotton baby clothes. I also never paid attention to maternity wear to know that Target stocks inexpensive cotton basics, which saved us a lot of money over maternity store pricing. They did the comparison shopping for us, and sometimes information on who manufactured and/or stocked the best products was surprising. Overall the book was well worth the small amount of money we paid since it saved us much more. I do agree with one of the reviewers below in that sometimes what was most highly recommended was more expensive. However, the ratings always gave information that helped us make an informed decision if we did spend more money. We opted for a more expensive crib based on the information regarding who used solid wood but saved money by avoiding double drop sides, a feature that the book pointed out was redundant if your crib was going to be against a wall. Great book for making the informed decision and should save you at least the cost of the book purchase...if it doesn't they will refund your money so you really have nothing to lose!

A Must Have For First-Time Parents!, June 27, 2001
Before you ever set foot in Babies 'R Us, you must read this book! The first trip I took to the baby mega-store was an overwhelming experience with too many options that left me without a clue as to how to begin. (There were tons of different types of baby gear and garb, and each item had multiple brands with multiple styles and costs.) The bottom line is that I had no frame of reference to know what I needed, when I needed it or how to make an informed decision.

Thankfully, a friend recommended Baby Bargains - and luckily it was before I had purchased anything. Baby Bargains breaks information into digestible categories - covering everything from cribs and strollers to diapers and clothing. It provides overviews of brands, product features, prices and even makes ratings as to what they consider the GOOD, BETTER, and BEST from each category.

In addition, it tells you what items you absolutely NEED, what things are nice to have and what items you shouldn't bother with. Not only does it explain what "layette" means to all the novices, but it makes recommendations on the appropriate quantity of blankets, sleepers and such to get you started.

Finally, it provides various resources for finding the products you want and for finding deals. I found baby bedding online at a much lower cost than in stores and even got free shipping.

Talk to friends with kids, but also get this book and take it with you while you shop!

I have given > 10 copies of the Baby Bargain book away..., December 30, 2002
I love giving copies of books I enjoy away, in hope that others will share what I've gain from them. For example, over the years, I have given many copies of "Life's Little Instructions" book. But when it comes to practical books that one can use, I think the Baby Bargain book is my favorite. I enjoyed the book so much that over the past 3 years I've given more than 10 copies of the books away to my co-workers, friends and family who are expecting babies, and every feedback I've received has been the same - it's awesome!

My daughter just turned 3, but before she was born, we were clueless about what to get. Whenever we go into a Babies R Us, we feel lost because of the vast choices available. We decided that we need a book that will guide us through the baby products maze like what the excellent "What to Expect" book did with my wife's pregnancy.

The Baby Bargain book had helped me, as well as 10 of my closed friends and family, through the exciting period of expecting our new babies, preparing the nursery, buying the clothes baby will need when he/she comes out of the hospital, diapers, baby monitors, clothes, and everything else that may (and WILL) be needed. After reading each section of the book, walking into Babies R Us is no longer a daunting task, because I know exactly what to look for.

I compared many baby product books, including the Consumer Reports book, and I must say that the Baby Bargain book won hands-down. However, you must know what it is and what it isn't. This book is more about what to get and what not to, as opposed to where to get them or who has the lowest prices. In today's almost friction-less economy, price shopping is as simple as hopping online. It's difficult to put anything pricing information in print without being outdated as soon as the book is published.

The amazing thing about this book, I found, is that it makes a very interest read for men and women alike. I have a friend who read the book I gave him, cover to cover, on a 5-hour flight from east to the west coast.

While I can't buy a book for each of you reading this review, I highly recommend that you purchase this book and read it for yourself. I promise that it's going to be one of the most rewarding and exciting books you'll ever read.

By the way, congradulation on the new addition to your family, and remember, your life will never be the same again.

Saved us a ton of money! Buy it for your expectant friends., July 3, 1999
I can't say enough good things about this book. For my wife and I, it was like having a super-savvy friend walking with us up and down the aisles of "Babies-R-Us" and all the other stores that can overwhelm first-time parents. The Fields' do a great job telling you about items that will be almost certain WASTES of money -- I had no clue. So often people get caught up in the purchasing/registering frenzy that they don't really think through what they will really need when the little one comes. This book helped us to avoid some costly miscalculations.

The authors' reviews of the big-ticket items -- cribs, strollers, high-chairs, etc. are all indispensible and frankly, they beat the plastic pants off Consumer Reports' Baby Guide. This book will always hold a hallowed place in our home for the wisdom it gave us dummies as we headed in to the $$$baby-zone$$$. It turned out not to be so expensive after all. Thanks Alan and Denise! Highly highly recommended.

New 5th Edition about to be released (April 7th), March 19, 2003
I was about to buy this book (as it comes highly recommended), but discovered from their website (windsorpeak.com/babybargains/default.html) that the new edition will be out in 2 and a half weeks. The book is only updated every 2 years and the new edition adds 70 new pages. If you can wait, I'd recommend it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The new 31st Edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values by S.P. Fjestad has been expanded to more than 2,300 pages, easily making it the highest page count of any firearms book currently in print. All new 2010 makes and models have been included, plus updated values on discontinued firearms and antiques. Paramilitary rifle values have also been brought up-to-date, reflecting recent major changes resulting from political changes in Washington, D.C. Once again, the 80-page Photo Percentage Grading SystemTM provides high resolution color images that are the last word to help ascertain any firearm s correct condition factor based on the percentage of original condition. Revolvers, pistols, rifles, and shotguns are also shown separately, in addition to NRA Antique Condition Factors.Other sections have also been expanded, including serialization, and the helpful Trademark Index, which lists all pertinent information on many of the world s firearms manufacturers, distributors, and importers. Most of the information contained in this publication is simply not available anywhere else, for any price! ... Read more

Reviews

Very good guide; only lacking photos, November 17, 1999
This book covers an extensive array of firearms and prices for varying conditions. It is an excellent reference. All it needs is photos of the firearm described. There are small variances in many, particularly the Winchesters, that may make them difficult to identify without a photo.

A Must for Gun Collectors, March 3, 2002
The Blue Book is the "bible" for those who deal in used firearms.
Whether buying or selling, this is the place to start when setting a price to buy, sell, or bargain with respect to a particular gun. It is comprehensive and user friendly for those who do not engage in this area very often, but it can be well worth the price in terms of over- or underpricing of firearms for sell or purchase. As an added bonus, this edition honors a true American hero on the cover and inside with an interview of Joe Foss, WWII ace and Medal of Honor recipient. I highly recommend it to all dealers, collectors, and other interested persons!

Military weapons are low, April 6, 2006
I deal with guns on a daily basis and I refer to this book several times a day. Most of the values listed in the book seem to correspond with the market. However, U.S. military firearms and some of the Colt pistols are listed too low. For collecting purposes the descriptions are too vague. I refer to the many auction sights and specialty dealers on line that list these types of weapons for sale. Some of these dealers are are highly reputable and published authors on US martial weapons.These types of firearms increase in value quickly as the interest in U.S.military history grows. This book does not reflect the rapid increase in value that these guns have made in the past few years. Overall this book is very useful, but when researching the value of a specific military weapon, consult the internet or buy a book.

Blue Book of Gun Values is great, May 18, 2005
We, in the Customer Service department for Browning and Winchester, have the most updated copy of the Blue Book of Gun Values at our fingertips. We are always being asked about the year of manufacture and whether we have any other pertinent information on a particular Browning or Winchester gun. The Blue Book allows us to have access to the most recent information available, and we help our customers on the spot. We would not be as efficient if it were not for the Blue Book. We highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in firearms.
Browning/Winchester Customer Service Manager- Jackie Love and Historian-Glen Jensen

Accurate and Concise. Rely on it before I Buy. Collector, February 17, 1999
When I need to know Manufacture dates and model differences and values I rely on this guide. Covers rare/common and hard to price American and European models. Has a cross Reference for makers and serial # made on dates. Shows the listing of model variations/dates/serial # runs in a series of gun. All one needs is the Gun in hand or complete list of features to determine Model/Type & Era. Each listing has the wording on the barrel of each model it covers to determine the type. No guide can be complete end of story. This gude takes you where you need to be to determine Type and value.

Great Reference, May 5, 2005
Just received my 26th Edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values. I use this book to evaluate guns that I am interested in adding to my collection. I am active in several gun collecting societies, and attend many gun shows during the year, but I find it is impossible to stay current on pricing in all the different aspects of what I have interest in acquiring. I have learned over several years of relying on this book as a guide for pricing that it is the most accurate reference available to the collector and dealer. The information is presented in a logical, understandable, and useable format. I have found the pricing to be realistic and up-to-date, and most dealers and collectors will agree on the pricing as a base line in negotiating whether buying, selling, or trading.

Also, I also do some appraisal work for a local company in estate valuation. When thay have gun collections large or small that need appraising, I typically utilize the newest Blue Book of Gun Values as the reference and starting point. The formal pricing presented, whether for insurance or estate valuation, has never been challenged. I highly recommend this publication to all dealers, collectors, and appraisers.

Bill K
Minneapolis,MN

Better late than never, October 18, 2001
I should have bought one of these (earlier edition) years ago. Now when I sell a firearm and someone says that is too much I can show them the price range. I also use these figures to calculate how much to insure the firearms for and the Insurance Agent checks it also. I will use it at the next gun show and hope it will save me some money from greedy sales-people.

Gun Show Use, February 17, 2000
I am really impressed with the book and every dealer at a gun show has the Blue Book Of Gun Values

The best (book) source on gun values., May 13, 2007
The blue book of gun values is the best publication of it's type. However, it's not perfect. The biggest problem is that many prices in the book simply don't reflect the going rate. This is mainly true for models recently discontinued ~ in the last 2-3 years (for example HK P7 series are WAY off of actual street price) as well as any "assault weapons" that seem to change rates on every rumor of new litigation. So, while it is a good resource, you end up double checking online sites like AuctionArms and Gunbroker to determine price anyway. Also, many gunstores seem to refer to this publivation when buying, but it's strangly absent in their arguments as to why their used stock is priced so high.... That said, it IS the best of what's out in the printed world, so it gets 4 stars in my book.

Blue Book of Gun Values, 26th Edition (Blue Book of Gun Values), September 7, 2005
Wealth of firearms information dealing primarily with modern firearms, 1900 and some info on mid to late 1800's era production. Helps with identification of model vaiations, values as well as guidelines for grading. Also provides contact information for many manufacturers and collecting associations. A must have for the collector, occasional trader or dealer. Produced and updated annually. TDail
... Read more

Editorial Review

This concise Kindle manual provides concise instructions on how to do everything with your Kindle FASTER. You will also unlock hidden secrets of your Kindle such as how to download free eBooks, send an email from your Kindle, play preinstalled games or read news for free. Updated on December16, 2010.

This eBook includes:
- Keyboard shortcuts for Kindle 3G/WiFi (3d generation), Kindle DX and Kindle 2
- How to use Kindle for iPhone & iPadApp
- List of Kindle-friendly websites that saves you time typing in long URL addresses
- How to email from Kindle
- How to download thousands of free eBooks
- How to convert your documents to Kindle format
- How to convert PDF Files
- Kindle hidden features such as the Minesweeper, GoMoku (Five in a Row), and the Image Viewer
- How to search the internal dictionary, Wikipedia, and the Internet
- How to use Kindle Web Browser
- Shortcuts to adding bookmarks, clippings and notes
- Shortcuts to viewing periodicals
- Shortcuts to Kindle audio player
- How to buy books
- How to expand an image
- How to use text-to-speech Kindle feature
- How to make a screen shot on Kindle and on iPhone
- How to use Kindle as a calculator
- How to Display the Time
- How to Display Free Memory
- Live Kindle support telephone numbers

Selected KindleShortcuts:

Home Page

• Type in a word (the search box appears automatically) followed by the Enter key: Each book is searched for this word. The number of times this word appearsin a given title is displayed next to the title.
• To play the Minesweeper game, simultaneously press Alt+Shift+M. Press the BACK button to go back to the Home page.
• To Display the Time and Free Memory, Press the MENU button.
• To remove a book from the Kindle, select the book with the 5-way controller, then press the controller left or right. This will delete the book from the Kindle and put it into the archive.
• To restore an archived book, select Archived Items using the 5-way controller and push the controller down. The Archived Items screen appears.Select the book you wish to restore.

Viewing Books or Periodicals

• To display an image in full screen mode: Point the 5-way controller to the image, the magnifying glass will be displayed in the center of the image. Press the controller to view the image in full screen mode. Press the controller again to switch to normal mode.
• Alt+B: bookmark the current page, unbookmark the current page. You can view all bookmarks by pressing MENUMy Notes & Marks.
• Alt+Aa: to change text size, text-to-speech speech rate, text-to-speech speaking voice (male or female).
• Shift+SYM: start/stop text-to-speech.

Search Commands

• Type in a word from any screen. A search box will pop up automatically. Move the 5-way controller to the right twice and select the search location.
• To limit search to a single book, open the book and enter your search term.
• To search all books on your Kindle, click the HOME button, enter your search term.
• To search Wikipedia from any screen, enter the term and move the 5-way controller right to select Wikipedia.
• To search the internet from any screen, enter the term and move the 5-way controller right to select Google.

Text-to-speech

• Shift+SYM: start/stop text-to-speech.
• During text-to-speech: press Spacebar to ... Read more

  Reviews

  Best dollar I ever spent., October 29, 2009
  I am new to Kindle and it is really great to know that the Kindle has the capability to perform a multitude of tasks. Many of these capabilities are not listed in the Kindle Manual. Since I purchased Kindle for nearly $300 I wanted to utilize all the Kindle potential. I also wanted to use Kindle as efficiently as possible. For me that meant using keyboard shortcuts and optimally using the wireless whispernet. I did not want to use USB connection. After all I purchased the Kindle for its ability to communicate over the air. So I searched for 'Kindle Shortcuts and this guide was first in the list.
  
  I decided to give it a try. If I can optimize my use of the Kindle, one dollar would be well spent. I first download the sample. The sample showed good deal of shortcuts for Kindle 2 but nothing else. That was a good start. Furthermore, these shortcut were presented in a concise and clear manner - just as I like. I frankly do not like watered down technical guides. They take too long to get to the point.
  
  What pushed me toward buying this manual was the prospects to read about Kindle capabilities not explained in the Kindle Users'Guide. After all I saw most shortcuts in the sample. Therefore I invested $1 and downloaded the complete Kindle Shortcut book. Best dollar I ever spent. It did not repeat Kindle Users' Guide at all. The step-by-step explanations were clear and concise. I was able to easily download a number of free books via wireless whispernet from both Amazon and several other websites. These free books download was well worth the one dollar I spent on the guide. However the guide goes into many other topics that help you optimize you Kindle use.
  
  I highly recommend this guide to everyone interested in optimizing their Kindle use. I would suggest to first download the sample and read the table of contents. If the topics listed in the table of contents talk about the capability that you could use, then buy the book with the confidence that these capabilities will be easily explained in the guide. Of course you can search the Internet and Kindle forums and find most information there but for one dollar I'd prefer to have this information compiled for me and stored in one location on the Kindle.

  You can play games on Kindle!, November 11, 2009
  Kindle Shortcuts provides lots of useful information, much of it missing from the Amazon manual.
  
  I thought that the Kindle is a dedicated book reader that can do little more than display text. I was quite surprised to learn otherwise from this book. You can, in fact, play games on the Kindle!
  
  First there are two preloaded games: Minesweeper and GoMoku (Five in a row). Both games are made very well and work great on the Kindle. GoMoku is in fact quite challenging to beat. I am not sure why Amazon does not tell you about these games in the Kindle user guide.
  
  Second, there are a few games you can download. With these games available, the Kindle becomes a much better entertainment device that just a dedicated eReader!
  
  

  C'mon, still worth 99 cents versus Googling all over... and version 11.3 fixes previous problems mentioned by earlier reviews., June 28, 2009
  I bought today (June 28th) and got version 11.3. The TOC clearly divides Kindle 1 from Kindle 2, and they went further by also marking each tip's header with Kindle 1/Kindle 2.
  The newly added email info is cool. And granted I could have eventually heard of same tip after browsing Google searches, it's nice to have bunch of advanced info in one gulp. Worth 99 cents in my opinion.

  If you have either Kindle, May 7, 2009
  GET THIS. For $.99, you cannot go wrong with the shortcuts. I now keep up with my email and can start and stop my music with a press of a key.
  
  There are a few more shortcuts, plus, a list of Web sites you can use with your Kindle.

  Comments from the Publisher, May 8, 2009
  Comments from the Publisher:
  
  Each shortcut was thoroughly tested on both Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 devices. Brian's confusion probably derives from the fact that this Kindle Guide has 2 sections: one section describes shortcuts available in Kindle 1 and a separate section describes shortcuts available in Kindle 2. The shortcuts are different. If one looks in the wrong section, some shortcuts will not work. We addressed this issue in version 11.2 by indicating the relevant Kindle (1 or 2) next to each shortcut subtitle.
  
  We have also added over 100 Kindle-friendly websites organized by category. If you found a website that we don't have please email us or post it here and we will add it to the next edition of the guide, so that you will not need to type the URL.
  
  Finally we have added a section on How to eMail from Kindle with link to most popular services: GMail, Yahoo, Comcast and Hotmail.
  
  Enjoy!
  MobileReference
  

  Great purchase! Very useful, I highly recommend it..., January 14, 2010
  Instead of having to waste my time on the Amazon website or dig through the manual for instructions, I purchased this ebook and was able to get all of the information I needed about my Kindle in a concise, user-friendly format. This guide describes shortcuts I would have never known existed, and the tips in the guide are very useful.
  
  I realize that I could have received all this information for free, but come on- it's 25 cents and it saves so much time!
  
  I had no idea that the Kindle has so many capabilities. Its able to do so much more than just read text. You can play games on the Kindle, access your email (!!), view different websites, look words up in the dictionary and much more.
  
  This guide is a must-buy for Kindle users. Really.
  
  

  Great Buy, July 15, 2009
  This was a great buy for 99 cents.
  It is a short book but very usefull.
  I really like the list of Web sites
  that can be accessed from this book
  with one click (mail,weather,news,etc).
  It also has a lot of shorcut that will
  really be handy.
  A friend recommended this book. I am
  really glad she did.

  Everything you need to know about Kindle..., October 30, 2009
  This is a must have for any Kindler. This book has everything I need to know to use my Kindle to its fullest, in a concise and convenient form. I actually re-read it once in a while just to get reminded on some more obscure features of Kindle. And for under a buck this is basically a freebie.

  Great info for Kindle readers, June 15, 2009
  Kindle Shortcuts and Kindle-friendly Websites. This concise Kindle user guide describes keyboard shortcuts and hidden Kindle features for both Kindle 2 and Kindle 1. Updated 04/28/2009
  
  Technically all the information contained therein could be found for free if one had enough time, but if I had that much time and energy, I could also eventually travel to libraries to borrow, and back to return, every time I wanted to read a title for "free". "Free" is not the primary motivation of Kindle users, it's convenience, and personally, I find this "cool tricks" Kindle guide a no-brainer, common sense investment. For $0.99, you get the benefit of this author's many hours of beta-testing. What's to regret?

  Very useful guide for Kindle for iPhone, October 13, 2009
  This was my first book purchased from Kindle store. It saved me hours learning how to use the Kindle for IPhone app. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Lose weight and still enjoy your food., December 7, 2009
I really like the Eat this Not That series of book and this restaurant guide really hits the spot with me. Because I love to eat out so much, I needed something that would help me during those times. This guide does. It tells you how to eat in a restaurant as well as what to eat in a restaurant. I was very happy to read this and implement these ideas from the author. A must have for anyone who wants to lose weight but still enjoy their food. I would also recommend Goodbye, Fatty! Hello, Skinny! How I Lost Weight And Still Ate The Foods I Loved-Without Dieting.

Great info!, March 14, 2010
This book is a great tool to know the do's and don'ts of different foods. If you're counting calories this book will help arm you with the knowledge to make your diet a lot less like a diet.. WE LOVE IT!

Love them, March 2, 2010
purchased these books for my husband, who is a firm believer in not dieting but realized he needed to change his eating habits- he loves these books- finds that just having the information available in an easy to understand way, is helping him make better choices- I'm finding that it is helping me also to make healthier decisions also.

Love It!, March 1, 2010
Very detailed and easy to understand and implement in daily lifestyle.

Kim

Very interesting book, February 24, 2010
I found this book interesting. Foods I thought would be good to eat were on the "do not eat list" and foods I usually avoided were really much better to eat. It changes your mind on which restaurants you should dine.

Enlightening, February 23, 2010
This is my second purchase in the "eat this not that" series. They really make you think about what you're putting in your body. I read them over and over. Would recommend them to everyone.
Pat

helpful info, February 3, 2010
This is some pretty interesting information that will indeed help when making choices at restaurants. The only problem there is for me is that there are a lot of restaurants that are not in my area. It covers enough of the restaurants in my area though. Just a lot of pages that are N/A for me.
All in all pretty interesting and helpful.

Great information!, February 2, 2010
I have bought all of the books this author has come out with. They have alot of information we can all use to make healthier choices. Many of the foods we choose thinking they sound healthy are indeed NOT! This book has been a huge help.

very helpful!, February 2, 2010
This series is so helpful when trying to find out what is a better option to eat. I absolutely LOVE all of them.

Very helpful!!, February 1, 2010
This book was just liked it was described and a great buy. I have been using it to get healthy!!
... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Great for overall planning, not just saving money., October 25, 2002
I just got engaged a few months ago, and another bride-to-be recommended this book. I've already found it to be extremely helpful in my planning, as the book thoroughly reviews your options for various aspects of the wedding such as bride/bridesmaids dresses, invitations, photography, etc. I particularly liked the lists of suggested questions for vendors--when I emailed one photographer with some of the questions in the book, he wrote back and said "you couldn't have asked better questions if I had given them to you myself!" I've actually found the book to be less helpful in the area of saving money. This might be partly due to the fact that we're having a pretty small wedding--we only expect about 40 guests to attend, and we're not having a bridal party. Another minor negative is that when I tried some of the websites in the book, the URLs were no longer valid; although they talked about use of the internet in planning quite a bit, I wish they had addressed this area even more, especially use of email to get information from potential vendors. Overall, however, this is a great book that you definitely will use frequently in your planning--I find myself referring to my copy again and again.

This book was my bible. . ., December 6, 2000
I used the 4th edition to plan my wedding last year, and was able to save a considerable amount of money. To be honest, I was amazed to find several negative reviews stating the book was "tacky" and "paranoid". Everytime one of my friends becomes engaged I send a copy to them as an engagement gift, and they all love it too. By following most of the Fields advice, we had the wedding we wanted for a reasonable price. Most of the scams they discuss I encountered. Such as the charge to cut a cake if you don't use the caterers baker. They are especially on target about Bridal shops. After spending over $1,400.00 for my dress, shoes, veil, and alterations, the repairs that the shop assured me would be made to my dress, were never made. Even though I had provided them with a detailed list of needed repairs and writing a letter to the shop manager expressing my concern that these repairs would not be done. I had to spend the day before my wedding back at the the bridal shop,and stand there and watch to make sure the repairs were done. Their advice on saving money on the reception was fabulous. We found a site that allowed us to provide our own alochol and only pay for the bartender. Our total bill for champagne, wine, and beer was only $350.00.

The unfortunate reality of the bridal industry is there are plenty of vendors who will rip you off, and they provide you with the advice and know how to avoid bad vendors and their scams.

Great Wedding Budget Planner, August 20, 2000
As the Best Man of my friend's wedding, I referred to this book in a zillion occasions for practical advice. From the wedding count-down clock to ceremony etiquette to wedding apparels and catering and limousines, this book has got it all! You might not need everything covered in this guide yet it will be very useful for almost every aspect of your wedding. I personally find the sections on reception sites and catering particularly interesting and useful. The book provides a lot of hand-on tips that are not usually commonly known. Ever wondered about a dessert reception instead of a traditional 2-entree banquet? What about a wedding being held at a local university faculty club that offers in-site catering? This is the one book that you will have to keep your fingers on throughout wedding planning. The newest edition of this book will come out this fall, yet don't worry about the up-to-date figures and costs. Focus on the variables that will directly affect the cost of your Big Day. Each topic features a section of questions to ask the service provider (i.e. florist, entertainer, DJ, caterer, reception site...) If you really want to make the most of your budget, read this book carefully and read over again.

Great for the not-so-fouffy bride, February 12, 1997
I'm not your typical BRIDE magazine reader. I live in Las Vegas, and I would have been happy to get married at the drive-thru wedding chapel on the back of my fiance's motorcycle. Believe it or not, HE wanted a regular wedding back east, and I agreed. Having heard just enough about the shark-infested waters of the bridal industry to fill me with dread, I was very unwilling to be its victim. This book made me feel much more confident in my ability to defend myself against the rip-offs. It saved me a lot of wasted time trying to figure out (probably unsuccessfully) how to find the best bargains myself. I knew what to expect and was able to decide which items or services I felt were worth the money. I am actually starting to enjoy the whole wedding planning process thanks to this book. It was the only wedding book I found with realistic money saving advice besides the blatantly obvious suggestions like "make your own decorations." This book is to weddings what Consumer Reports' dealer cost reports are to car buying. Buy it

The most important book for planning your wedding!, June 26, 2001
I absolutely love this book! I'm one of those lucky people that has to pay for a majority of my wedding - this book has been my bible - not just for finding bargains and insider tips on everything from gowns to caterers to DJ's, but also just for basic planning and practical advice. This book, in addition the the authors' website... are really all you'll need to plan your wedding. With so many new websites popping up on wedding services, this book sorts out the good from the bad, saving you time and frustration. The author's write as if they are your good friends - and no offense, but no maid-of-honor could ever be this helpful or knowledgable! They've gone undercover to unmask the ugly side of the bridal industry, while still being optimistic about brides finding good quality service at great prices. Even if you're not bargain hunting, you should get this book for it's great lists of important questions to ask any service provider. And if you ARE bargain shopping, you need this book for sure. Older editions may be available at your library, but to be really useful (especially with updated web advice) you need the latest edition. Take it from me - I found my wedding gown, brand new and BEAUTIFUL for $152.00 including tax - in MY size, no alterations needed, and I brought it home the same day I paid for it! My Veil was only $18.00! I'm finding that I can do many things myself - this adds not only a personal touch, but it's exactly what I want at great prices. I can't reccomend it enough and from what I read, other brides feel the same. Buy this book!

Your Wedding: Make It Real -- Make it Affordable, July 23, 2004
My personal favorite tip from Bridal Bargains? Either make your own veil (buy a do-it-yourself book and fabric at WalMart or Michael's) or have your seamstress save material and make one. You save up to $200.

Inside Bridal Bargains:
From front cover to back cover (literally), this book delivers.

My original idea for this review was to include the table of contents with a short summary, however, the table of contents takes up six pages, and we just do not have that luxury. Instead, I will focus on the chapters.

The idea of this book is to teach brides (this book's target reader) to find bargains without cheapening their wedding, honeymoon or reception.

There are sections in this book that hit every aspect of your wedding:

engagement
bridal shower
wedding ceremony
wedding reception
honeymoon
Canadian bridal bargains

When you are finished reading this book (are you ever really finished?), you will be engrossed in their Seven Keys to Planning an Affordable Wedding:

1 - fighting the trends magazines and overpriced bridal saloons subject us to

2 - using the Internet for all it's worth

3 - making a deal they can't refuse (especially when you get them in writing; see number four)

4 - get everything in writing or else

5 - planning in advance (this says it all, or so you think, this book tells you how much is too far in advance as well as reminding you to not wait for the last moment)

6 - research (we and they cannot say enough about this

7 - unleashing and using your creative genius

(all this and we are not even on page one yet!)

Chapter One:
Introduction
Eleven pages delving into the author's, the goals of the book, your bridal clock time, and what is new in this particular edition.

Chapter Two:
Your Wedding
Exhausting is the best word for this almost one-hundred page chapter. Not in a bad way, it's just -- there is a TON of information to learn! This chapter seems to be most about wedding gowns than anything else. Includes advice on wedding gown scams, where to buy good gowns at better prices, information about mark ups, factory wedding gowns, catalog gowns, bridal outlets, money saving secrets, tag ripping, using your credit card, questions to ask before you buy, oversizing, bridal magazines and oh so much more! Best reason for this chapter? It highlights in detail the top forty bridal designers.

Chapter Three:
Apparel For the Wedding Party
And you thought we were finished with apparel, right? Basically, the same information as above, except this chapter focuses on the bridesmaids dresses and the tuxedos. I had no idea the groom often got his tuxedo rental free.

Chapter Four:
Ceremony Sites
Differences between civil ceremony and religious ceremonies may just be biggest in your wallet. Chapter four discusses it all, including offering just the right questions to ask when selecting an officiant.

Chapter Five:
Wedding Flowers
Whoever thought there was enough information on flowers to warrant its own chapter? Includes not only seventeen money-savers, but also a spotlight on flower types and colors and a floral dictionary.

Chapter Six:
Invitations
Invitations are the scariest part, once you pay "an arm and a leg" for printing, you cannot undo it (well, you can, but...). According to the Field's, though, you won't have to pay as much if you do your research and plan ahead.

Chapter Seven:
Reception Sites
Places you wouldn't imagine might be the perfect place for your wedding reception and at the perfect price, as well.

Chapter Eight:
Catering
Meals and deals. Caterer or loving family member? Should you save by using plastic? Frozen food? Wholesale clubs and alcohol. Also; includes alternatives to consuming alcohol.

Chapter Nine:
Photography
Drink up this chapters thirty pages worth of photograpy pitfalls and disasters, money-saving hints, camera and film information, blurred shot tricks and more.

Chapter Ten:
Cakes
Even the chapter is yummy. I love the part that told me I could actually request samples of the cake. I had no idea! Anyway, this chapter is excellent and important. Tip: Buy a simple plain white cake and spruce it up with inexpensive fresh flowers.

Chapter Eleven:
Wedding Videos
Huh? I was surprised this wasn't included in the photography chapter, but then I saw how much was in each chapter and realized, there's no room to combine them. Do you need photos and videos? In my opinion, there are two things I plan to spend the most money on, in order to get the best results: pictures and rings. Why? You have to wear your ring for the rest of your life, you may as well love it. And pictures, well, you can never repeat this day and pictures are what you need to share and relive your wedding over and over again.

Chapter Twelve:
Entertainment
I had to crack up when I read one of the subchapters within this chapter: Milli Vanilli Demo Tapes and 4 More Pitfalls. I laugh because I actually understand what it means without having read it. Anyway, wonderful entertainment ideas and money-saving strategies. DJ or musicians? Why avoid December? Do you need an agent? The chapter answers all your entertainment questions.

Chapter Thirteen:
Etcetera
Everything they did not touch on before is here. Rings (tip: buy white gold over platinum; not only is it less expensive, but it's more durable, as well), limosines, insurance, changing your name...

Chapter Fourteen:
Canada
This should speak for itself. While I would not buy this book for this lone chapter, it's still great advice. And what a surprise to me -- an American -- to read about Canada's lack of bridal bargains! Does include Canadian websites and catalogs.

Chapter Fifteen:
Last Minute Consumer Tips
Surviving wedding day emergencies. This chapter should have been read before I was a matron of honor, it would have saved us all time and energy. The authors wisely suggest having a "surrogate bad cop." Someone who will have a list or copy of everything that can go wrong on your special day and how to handle any crisis that should come up (and they will).

Chapter Sixteen:
Conclusion
Naturally, this chapter ties it all together; "After reading through all the tips and advice in this book, your first thought may be 'Let's elope!'" Told you, even the authors know it's overwhelming. But then again, this is one of the most special times of your life. Let it overwhelm.

Bridal Bargain Tips:
Tips are spread like disease throughout the book. For instance, the authors share what previous readers wrote in on certain wedding/bridal scams.

Did you know some hotel waiters would carry around an appetizer tray for the wedding guests, and when the tray was half emptied, they would take the leftover food to the employee's lounge? And of course, the couple was charged for full trays.

Wait! There's more...
Not only is every website mentioned in the book conveniently listed in the back of the book, but a tear-out check list of questions to included.

What's On the Website?

Free Newsletter:
Bridal Bargains is full of pleasant surprises, but one of my favorite's is their free newsletter. That means, though you finished the book, you are not finished with the bridal bargains.

Free book updates
New bargains
Great ideas
Links to other great sites



Go to www.BridalBargainsBook.com
Click on free newsletter
Type in your email address

Last Word:
Though after reading the extensive first chapter, I feel no need to buy a bridal dress book, the Field's also have a few other wonderful books for sale.

Your New House: the alert consumer's guide to buying and building a quality home

Baby Bargains: secrets to saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, equipment, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much, much, much more!

The Bridal Gown Guide

I give this as a gift to every engaged couple!, June 16, 2005
When I started reading this book, I had to get out post-its to mark all the fantastic information I was getting from each page. The stuff on the bridal boutique industry, how it works, why you pay what you pay, what David's Bridal is really like, how to maximize your dollar, etc. is worth it alone. This was the first really good introduction I got to the industry, and it made me understand a lot of why things work like they do.

I basically marked every other page because this book had so much useful info. This is invaluable. Other bargain books might say, "oh, hire a photo student to do your pics and have your friend do arrangements." Well, both of those courses of action are RIPE for disappointment, hard feelings, etc. This is the FIRST bridal book I have seen that seriously talks about doing it right, doing it well, and doing it for a reasonable cost.

One great tip I got was that "wedding" packages often cost more, so price your food as a "party" or "reunion" to see if the price is lower than what vendors what to scam a princess's Daddy out of paying.

The authors also have a great website where more links and information are available.

Do not try to plan your wedding without this book!

Don't plan a wedding without it!, February 2, 2002
After becoming engaged, I, like most prospective brides, bought several "wedding" books. After reading the others (or, in most cases, perusing the glossy photos of zillion-dollar dresses, cakes, flowers, etc...) I put them on a shelf where they have gathered dust (hey, a wedding planning bride doesn't have THAT much time for dusting, does she?) Not so with Bridal Bargains! My copy is dog-eared, highlighted, and liberally stuffed with post-it notes. No one else in those magazines and websites devoted to weddings will tell you the real dirt that you need to know to navigate the deceptive practices in this business. (They know which side their bread is buttered on, after all). Ladies, this book will save you money, but more importantly it will give you confidence in your knowledge, and that's no small thing since most of us have never planned a wedding before. Good luck!

A must, no matter the budget, January 12, 2000
No matter how much money you have, if you do not enjoy getting screwed over by evil shopkeepers and devious consultants, buy this book. I am constantly surprised at how people will try to fleece brides, with the thought, "Well, she's only getting married once, it's not like I have to keep her as a customer!" Stories in this book will scare you with tales of lost money, missing dresses, and deception worthy of international spies! But even better than just informing you as to how you can identify a scam when you see it, this book gives you weapons to combat the scam-artists!

This book takes time to rate the big bridal gown makers (as does its excellent "sequel," also by the Fields, on finding a quality bridal gown), tell you about ways to check out your florist, etc.

It also provides money saving ideas which are invaluable and numerous. Comes with a money-back guarantee, which should speak volumes for the helpfulness of the book.

Get this book and save yourself money, time, and tears.

This is THE book you MUST get, October 3, 2002
I highly recommend this book. Unlike the Knot's Complete Guide, it doesn't assume you have all the money and time in the world. And unlike 1001 Ways to Save Money, it doesn't merely give you a list of ideas. What Bridal Bargains does is show you how to save money, gives you lots of ideas, and then tells you what to do and where to go to turn those ideas into reality. There are TONS of ideas for ceremony and reception sites, and tips on dealing with vendors of all types. There are a lot of websites featured. They review all the major designers and vendors, and there are some excellent tips on how to find the perfect dress. DO NOT do what I did - I bought all the books referenced above, and found out that most were worthless. Only get this one. BTW, this book paid for itself within two weeks - I found a tiara I loved in a bridal shop for $200 and this book told me where to look for a less expensive one - so I used their suggestion and found an almost identical tiara for $43! I have several more exapmles of how I saved money and frustration by following this book, but that was the first! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Amazon.com ReviewProduct Description

Get Help Making Meals With Nutrition Guides From Eat This Not That For Kids (Click to Enlarge)

Reviews

SHOW your kids how to eat., September 2, 2008
Readers familiar with the popular Eat This Not That!: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More! will find this book similar in format- except this time the content is aimed at kids.

The book consists of seven chapters. Here's a brief rundown of what you can expect from each:

-Chapter 1 covers "8 rules of kid's nutrition" which includes such advice as "never skip breakfast" and "snack with a purpose"

-Chapter 2 discusses choosing the right foods at fast food restaurants such as Arby's or Applebees

-Chapter 3 talks about "menu decoding". Since the book can't cover every restaurant you'll ever eat at, it teaches the reader how to read a typical menu- what to look for, what choices to make. It does this by going over general menus of Chinese restaurants, Mexican restaurants, etc.

-Chapter 4 goes over making proper buying choices at restaurants. Here the reader is taught how to read labels.

-Chapter 5 covers eating at schools, which means, of course, the school cafeteria. Vending machines choices are also included because most schools (unfortunately) have them.

-Chapter 6 discusses eating at home. A nice touch here is the sample menus and recipes.

And last but not least, Chapter 7 talks about exercise. Included are sample activities to keep your kids fit. I personally suggest trying a pedometer- kids like to fiddle with them and counting steps is fun too.

All-in-all, I found this to be a great little book and actually quite fun to read with its many pictures. With good knowledge in hand, the only other obstacle a parent faces is getting their kids motivated to carry out the advice in the book.

Buy This! for kids! (and yourself), August 20, 2008
In parenting as in life, it's all about making good decisions. The trick is knowing which choices are the right ones. This small colorful book tells you very simply which food choices are the right ones. It not only tells you, but also shows you with hundreds of color photos. Although it is supposedly for kids, the information is useful -- and fascinating -- for anyone.

We've all heard the scary statistics about the rise in obesity, especially in children. Food marketers are doing everything they can to keep that trend alive. According to the Federal Trade Commission, kids ages 2 to 11 will see 26,000 TV ads this year, 22 percent of them marketing food. "The message -- that junk food equals instant happiness -- is one that sticks with a child for all his life." Eat This Not That! gives sound advice on how to combat this problem.

The first chapter has eight simple rules for kids and families to follow:
Rule #1: Never Skip Breakfast. Ever.
Rule #2: Snack with Purpose. (A good idea: popcorn; not the kind saturated with butter and salt, but natural popcorn. Another good idea: Kids must ask permission for a snack, but never need permission to reach for a piece of fruit.)
Rule #3: Beware of Portion Distortion. (A good idea: Buy smaller bowls and cups.)
Rule #4: Drink Responsibly. (A good idea: Keep cold, filtered water in a pitcher in the fridge.)
Rule #5: Eat More Foods and Fewer Science Experiments. (A good rule of thumb: The shorter the ingredient list, the healthier the food.)
Rule #6: Set the Table (A good idea: Keep mealtimes as structured as possible.)
Rule #7: Kick the Sugar Habit. (A good idea: Eliminate foods with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup at the top of the ingredient list.)
Rule #8: Eat the Rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple foods have a multitude of benefits.

You'll be surprised, finding out whether some foods are on the good or bad list. Learning that Applegate Farms organic uncured turkey hot dogs are on the Eat This! side isn't so surprising. But Jos� Ol� shredded steak taquitos? Breyer's Double Churn creamy vanilla bean ice cream? It seems "Double Churn" is Breyer's code word for low-fat, which makes this dessert a go. Oscar Mayer bacon scores a Yes, while Oscar Mayer turkey bacon scores a No, because of the extra sodium in the supposedly more healthful turkey option.

I had to wrestle Eat This Not That! out of my 14-year-old daughter's hands to write this review. She was captivated, poring over it exclaiming on the different foods we now eat that we should swap for others. She wailed when she saw the Cadbury Creme Egg as the very worst in the "Worst Candy" section. And she can kiss those Hershey's Kisses goodbye. Oh no! Sun Chips are on the Not That! list! Some of her favorites were on the Eat This! list, though: Marshmallow peeps, Tootsie Pops, Boca burgers, Eggo Nutri-Grain low-fat waffles, MultiGrain Cheerios, Egg McMuffins and Kraft Tangy Italian spaghetti dinners.

I could go on and on about this book. It covers school cafeteria food, fast-food restaurant food, vending machine snacks, kid-friendly recipes, how to read nutritional labels, holiday meals and fun exercises for kids of different age groups. Each food lists its complete nutritional information, including the portion size, calories and grams of fat and sugar.

Other books I recommend on this topic: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, and Deceptively Delicious.

Here's the chapter list:

1. Feeding the Future; The 8 rules of kids' nutrition
2. At Their Favorite Restaurants; The best and worst meals at 40 fast-food and chain restaurants
3. The Eat This, Not That! Ultimate Menu Decoder; Strategies for eating right at any restaurant
4. At the Supermarket; The complete Eat This, Not That! For Kids! grocery list
5. At School; How to survive and thrive in the cafeteria and beyond
6. At Home; Making your home the healthiest in the neighborhood
7. A Legacy of Fitness; Shed pounds with your kids with these fun family activities

As a 30 year old who eats kids meals...., September 15, 2008
I bought the kids version of Eat This, Not That because I regularly eat kids meals at restaurants. My theory was, if its for kids, the calories have to be less and the portions better controlled, right? No!

This book showed me that not only do the kids meals often have just as many if not more as the adult meals, but in the wrong combinations and can quite bad for you.

For example, I often eat the PB&J at Panera Bread, with the squeeze yogurt on the side. Organic peanut butter and grape jelly, organic yogurt...what could go wrong? 470 calories, 17g fat and 19 grams of sugar is crazy!
Who knew that McNuggets are better for you than the hamburger in a Happy Meal? Not me.

It is great that the book has easy to make substitutions and ideas to get the most nutrition you can out of a fast food meal. This is a great book for any family to keep in the car for those meals on the go. Everyone can make the most informed choice possible!

Entertaining, July 12, 2009
This book, like the original is entertaining, but not exactly the best nutritional advice. It is important that the reader understand that the Author of both of these books compares similar products and decides which is better between the two. That being said, something listed in the "Not That" page such as Danimals Yogurt on pg 169, is not necessarily worse to eat then the Nacho Doritos on page 186 listed under "Eat This". If you understand the authors intent, this book may help you to choose between two very similar products. Realize, however, that "Good" and "Bad" are relative in relation to the two particular products being compared.

A Must Have Book, September 18, 2008
I absolutely love this book. I thought I was making healthy food choices before (and I was, for the most part). But this book opened my eyes to some shockingly bad food choices I was making. It also surprised me to find out how deceptively some food was marketed as healthy when it was anything but. (Organic "health food" cereal with as much sugar as a soda, for instance .. who would have thought??!!!)

I'm so glad I bought it .. you will be, too! I was so impressed that I even bought extra for other family members!

Got it for the OPPOSITE reason, September 19, 2008
Maybe my review won't be as helpful for most people, but this is a great book for GAINING weight too. Two of my children have cystic fibrosis and need high fat, high calorie, high salt diets (they sweat out much of their salt which can cause heart problems).

I used this book to choose the "THAT" items for my CF kids, and the "THIS" items for my 3rd child who doesn't have it. It's great because it doesn't just focus on calories - also salt, fiber, vitamins, etc. We don't eat out a ton, so I anxiously await the "supermarket" version coming out in Dec.

Excellent book for the whole family, August 24, 2008
I am a mother of an eight and six year old. I bought this because we need to eat better. The kids saw this and immediately were looking at the page of what to eat and what not to eat. They were letting me know which cereals they now wanted to have along with drinks. They are so excited about eating healthy. I never know exactly what to pack for lunch. There is a great two pager on this topic as well as "eat the rainbow" several pages on eating fruits and vegetables of the rainbow - great ideas. There are a ton of topics and each page of what to eat they tell you the limits of sugar, calories, and/or sodium for products. It really educates you. I highly recommend this book - you will not be disappointed.

It could save my daughters life, September 23, 2008
What a fantastic book!!! My 6 year old daughter is on her way to becoming obese, and this book is a great tool in our fight against a life time of trouble. Her mom's side has a strong history of obesity and diabetes and it is almost inevitable that she will follow the family history. This book helps me put a stop to that cycle, and I can already see the results from the small changes we have made as a result of this book.

PARENTS' GUIDE TO WINNING the NUTRITION WAR, August 19, 2008
Considering that our kids become what they eat, it is a wonder they do as well as they do. Somehow their muscles, bones, internal organs, and brains scavenge enough nutrition from the sugary, fatty, artificial foods they consume to sustain life. But they often are also launched into a life of poor health and obesity. If it were easy for parents to insure their children ate healthy diets, more would succeed. Eat This Not That for Kids gives parents the ideas and information they need to give their kids a fighting chance.

The book identifies a family's adversaries in the battle for nutritional health: restaurants, food companies, and marketers that often do not give priority to the dietary needs of young people, but appeal to their weaknesses. The authors deserve a lot of credit for boldly taking on these powerful adversaries and unmasking some of their worst offenses. At the same time the authors helpfully identify healthier choices, often available from the same companies. They equip you as the consumer to not be fooled by claims on the front of packages but to decipher the fine print on the back. They shift the focus from the moment food hits the mouth to the years it spends in the cells.

This is a guidebook that you will refer back to many times. The information is presented in a bright and fun way that will even interest young readers. Between the ratings and facts the authors provide many helpful tips, ideas, and insights exhibiting their understanding (and sympathy) for the challenges of the family food battle. I found virtually all of their advice to be wise and practical. They avoid prescriptions that may be technically correct but probably not acceptable to typical families that want to eat better without taking extreme measures. When young people are drowning in sea of junk food, they first need a life ring. The fine tuning to make them champions of health and strength may have to come later.

Here is an overview of the contents:
Introduction: The Choice Is Yours
Chapter 1. Feeding the Future; The 8 Rules for kids' nutrition
Chapter 2. At Their Favorite Restaurants; The best and worst meals at 40 fast-food and chair restaurants
Chapter 3. The EAT THIS, NOT THAT! Ultimate Menu Decoder; Strategies for eating right at any restaurant
Chapter 4. At the Supermarket; The complete EAT THIS, NOT THAT! FOR KIDS! grocery list
Chapter 5. At School; How to survive and thrive in the cafeteria and beyond
Chapter 6. At Home; Making you home the healthiest in the neighborhood
Chapter 7. A Legacy of Fitness; Shed pounds with your kids with these fun family activities

Parents are very careful to insure that their children are warm and safe and loved. The authors emphasize that good nutrition is just as critical to their well-being, and we should stop catering to finicky appetites. It is not possible for parents to delve into this book without also evaluating their own eating habits. Since kids will pick up your bad habits far more readily than your good ones, it may not be possible to expect your children to eat properly and exercise regularly if their parents are not doing the same!

All parents who want their youngsters to grow up healthy and strong need to have basic knowledge of food and nutrition. This book provides excellent basic training to fight the nutrition war and win. To achieve a strong and fit body I also recommend: THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong Live Your Dreams and also The 2007 Second Expert Report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective.

Every Nutritional Consideration, Simplified!, August 19, 2008
This book is changing the way my family eats! It's easily the best book on children's health that I've come across, and here's why: It's designed with both children and parents in mind. The pages are bright and colorful, exhaustively researched, and simplified into fun-and-easy reading. It's an educational tool for parents, but it's also a conversation starter for families. I picked it up expecting to find a few healthy choices for when I'm forced to eat out - which I did find - but I also found much more. Instead of just listing the most shocking facts and calorie pitfalls, I'll provide a rundown of the chapters.

* Ch.1 Feeding the Future - Outlines the disturbing trends of childhood nutrition, rising obesity rates, and vitamin deficiencies. But instead of just scaring you with dismal doom-and-gloom studies, the guys from Men's Health offer a simple set of guidelines to improve your child's health. Among these tips are the ways to sneak a little more vegetation onto your kid's plate.

* Ch. 2 At Their Favorite Restaurants - Kicks off with the 20 Worst Kids' Foods in America (Did you know a small Heath Shake at Baskin Robbins has 990 calories? 990 calories!?). After that it goes into a wealth of easy-to-access information about the kids' menus at the biggest restaurant chains in America. I was astonished to see how much fat and sugar gets into some of these meals! Another great thing about this section is the Restaurant Report Card. Each restaurant is graded on a scale of A to F, and then the authors explain how to get the most real nutrients onto the plate.

* Ch. 3 Ultimate Menu Decoder - This chapter takes a broader look at restaurant nutrition. It prints the typical restaurant menus - Chinese, Italian, Mexican, etc. - and then breaks down every nutritional consideration that should be going through your head. This one goes beyond childhood considerations - this is the stuff everybody should be aware of. For instance, when you're at a deli, switching to a wrap over a sandwich might actually make your meal less healthy; the average chicken wrap has 600 calories!

* Ch. 4 At the Supermarket - This chapter opens with something that every child ought to be taught in elementary school - a Nutrition Label Decoder. Similarly to the Menu Decoder, this section deciphers the complex information hidden in the nutrition label. Then it goes into the bulk of the chapter - the best and worst decisions at the grocery store. This section is filled with fat-and-calorie saving swaps that are laid out on the page like an easy to read catalogue. It follows in the same format that made the first Eat This, Not That! book so successful.

* Ch. 5 At School - To me, this was shocking. Under-funded school lunch programs make it extremely difficult for a child to get a decent meal, and dozens of vending machines beg each kid to indulge a little every day. What this chapter offers are the best eating options in the cafeteria and at the vending machine. This is perfect for flipping through with a child, pointing to the items on the page, and using the annotations to discuss why some decisions are better than others. This doesn't limit children to just peas and pretzels. There are some surprisingly savory selections on the `good' side. Oh, and in case you'd rather pack your child's lunch, there's a section on that, too.

* Ch 6 At Home - The best part here is the section on kid-favorite recipes made healthy. Pepperoni pizza, nachos, and macaroni and cheese, among others, are all translated into simple, healthy recipes to make at home. There's also information on keeping birthdays and holidays healthy - surprisingly simple stuff that we just don't think about.

* Ch. 7 A Fitness Legacy - This final chapter rounds out the book by emphasizing the importance of an active lifestyle. It's a short chapter with simple advice on working daily activity or playtime into a child's routine.


... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

So Great I Bought 3, December 2, 2010
Wanting to save money is a no-brainer in today's economy - being able to do it, is another thing. Kathy Spencer does a great job of explaining how, when and why to get things at a great price and to "pay it forward" when you are able to score on great deals. I bought this book - actually 3 - one for me, one for a friend, and one for my mom (I really wanted to help them save more money) - has more than paid for itself I don't know how many times. I love going to stores now with a handful of coupons, a cartfull of groceries and I get to leave with a lot more in my pocket than I used to - and way more in my pantry. Thank you Kathy!!

Eye Opening, December 1, 2010
For many years I have said I am going to start using coupons and always fell back into feeling that they were a waste of time and led you to spend more money than you would otherwise (buying products just because you had a coupon). My husband vehemently disagrees with that theory and has been what we thought was a faithful "coupon-er" for many years. We have just started reading "HOW TO SHOP FOR FREE" and are dumbfounded by just how much we DIDN'T know! He has already changed his style and is so deep into the book now, that I have just had to order another copy for myself! Not a problem, I know it will pay for itself and then some.

This is a must have book, December 6, 2010
Kathy Spencer's book has been a page-turner. The things that I have learned in the 226 pages will stick with me forever. The advice, motivation, and words of encouragement make this book an enjoyable read. I cannot wait to put into practice the information I learned!
Annemarie Guertin

worth every penny!, December 1, 2010
this book has been one of the best purchases i have made! who doesnt want to learn how to save thousands of dollars a year?!? the read was truly inspiring and cleared up all questions i had about shopping for free. i would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to save money to better their current living situation and wants to help others in the process. thank you kathy spencer and everyone else who worked on creating this great gem!

Amazing!, December 1, 2010
I have been a "couponer" for 6 or 8 months now. Kathy has helped me to take it to the next level. There were things that I thought I was doing well, and she and this book are showing me how to step up my game and do them better and cheaper. I actually just got back from the food pantry where I donated 6 bags of free groceries and 3 bags of free toiletries in order to make more room in my closets for the free things I am getting every week! I really love that she wants you to pay it forward.

MUST READ, December 22, 2010
This is a must read! Why wouldn't you want to save money??? Kathy's book is so informative, hysterical and a bit of a tear jerky. It reads like a novel so it only took me one day to read it!

For the newbie...easy read, December 16, 2010
I got this book after seeing Kathy on TV. I actually went to her website first, found it more then helpful of saving $91 on my first Target shopping trip. I bough the book and found it very easy to read. I think her detail breakdown of actually items with coupons helped me comprehend the deal. I highly recommend this to anyone!

How To Shop For Free, December 15, 2010
Get this book. Save 47% on my first shop using the techniques in this book. Check out girl tried to reject some of my coupon strategies because she didn't know. But because I read this book and gained a better understanding of coupons I stood my ground, got validation from the manager (who knew the rules) and paid $1.98 for two Coffee Mate Creamers (the big ones) that would have cost $6.58 full price.

My bill was $14 and some change. Without this book I would have paid close to $30. And that was a trial run. Be patient because at first the organization is daunting. But I can see how if I stick with it I will be getting things for even less. This book is definitely worth it!

Smart shopping, December 12, 2010
WOW!!! This book is amazing! This book show you the best way to use coupons and yes there are better ways that the standard practice. It also tell you the best times of the year to shop for different things and gives you great tips and idea of to shop and save on everything. Kathy Spencer the author also has a great website howtoshopforfree.net with other great buying tips! A definite MUST BUY!

Great book!, November 24, 2010
This book is a must have. A lot of useful tips and ideas on how to shop for free, and it really does work. So if you like to get stuff for free (who doesn't) this is the book for you. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Now fully revised—the perennially popular guide to choosing the right college

Prospective college students and their parents have been relying on Loren Pope’s expertise since 1995, when he published the first edition of this indispensable guide. This new edition profiles 41 colleges—all of which outdo the Ivies and research universities in producing performers, not only among A students but also among those who get Bs and Cs. Contents include:

• Evaluations of each school’s program and "personality"
• Candid assessments by students, professors, and deans
• Information on the progress of graduates

This new edition not only revisits schools listed in previous volumes to give readers a comprehensive assessment, it also addresses such issues as homeschooling, learning disabilities, and single-sex education. ... Read more

Reviews

He Is Still the Best, August 17, 2006
If you ever hanker to think that your child may have been better off going to that school whose name everyone knows, pull out this book and read the first 20 pages and you will become instantly relaxed.

In a nutshell, Pope espouses that liberal arts undergraduate education in the Ivies is faltering, if not failing, but America has plenty of great liberal arts educational centers and they are at the numerous well established liberal arts colleges (LAC's) of America. Those LAC's and some "other" LAC's are great places for undergraduate education. Some of those "other" LAC's are the topic of this book.

This is the old book (Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student) with quips at the end of the 40 schools which update his research of each respective institution. He has added passages at the end of the 40 schools to describe what has happened at some of the schools which makes his statement(s) of a decade ago as true or even truer than when originally written. In short, the LAC's of this book are not only still good schools, most are better schools than when he delivered their names in the original book.

He writes well. He is very persuasive. And, in the end, his arguments clearly show each school's strength through his writing skills and by the statistics recited throughout this book.

If you want more, there are two others on this same line of reasoning: The College Admissions Mystique by Bill Mayher and Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That's Right for You by Loren Pope. If you think Ivy (for undergraduate) is the answer before reading these three books, you may discover a change of opinion after reading these books.

Advise families to read, January 11, 2007
As an Independent Educational Consultant, I often give this book to my students that think they want to attend a big university or a name brand school. Often students fall through the cracks at these well-known schools, but the Colleges That Change Lives are nurturing environments that do not let students become just a number. If a student has graduate school aspirations, I especially recommend this book, because these schools have much better track records for preparing and having their students accepted into first choice graduate programs. One of the criteria for being in Colleges That Change Lives is a school cannot be too selective. Even though some of these schools have become quite popular from inclusion in this book, they still accept other than straight A students, because they firmly believe in the learning experience gained from the academic mix of students. This updated version is even more inspiring than the previous. These colleges really do change lives!

One of the only two books you need, August 15, 2006
As a parent in the grips of high anxiety (I have a high school senior and I high school junior) I highly recommend this book. Although I am a bit concerned that these 40 schools are about to be swamped with applications, I think it will encourage familes to look for their own "schools that change lives." The other book I highly recommend is GETTING IN WITHIUT FREAKING OUT by Arlene Matthews. It is written for anxious, confused parents like me and lays out exactly what to worry about and what NOT to worry about as you and your kids negotiate every step if the school search and application process. The second book is also very reassuring and funny, which I appreciated.

I graduated from one of the 40 schools, November 19, 2006
I actually graduated 25 years ago from one of those 40 schools Pope reviewed. Looking back, I do agree that although my college was not a "name brand" college, the education I got was like no other. They were formative years and as Pope says, I was "educated" not "trained".

Looking back to those days at college, I would attribute much good of what I am today to attending that Liberal Arts College. My graduate school, post college, was a Big Ten University. The difference? While the Big Ten U. was very "competitive" based, my experience at the Liberal Arts College mentioned in Pope's book was "collaborative".

Yes, I do agree that we are oversold on "brand-name" schools, and Pope's book would be a good guide to exploring your options. If you are thinking of sending your child to, or if you yourself are considering, college, then this book is a "must read" !!

A Great Perspective, September 15, 2006
I first bought this book 1.5 years ago when I was researching colleges for my oldest son. It changed the way I looked at selecting colleges from my prior misconceptions that "bigger is better" (like large state schools) and "it has to have a well-known name to be any good." Pope succeeded in convincing me that not only are there invaluable advantages to smaller-size schools but that there is definitely something to be said for "liberal arts & science" institutions that offer a well-rounded curriculum. I was able to relax then because my son had no idea what he wanted to pursue. As a result of reading the book, my son is now attending Cornell College in Iowa where he is getting a wonderful education in small classes with caring instructors and an administration that "took me by the hand," upon his initial arrival as a freshman, & addressed all my fears and concerns about leaving my son with a bunch of strangers 4 hours away. Because the book includes little quantitative information (%'s of in- vs out-of-staters, tuition costs, % of students who graduate/return sophomore year/go to graduate school, etc.) you will need to supplement this book with another, such as the Fiske guide, to give you a basis of comparison across schools. Even if you don't select any of the schools mentioned, it is worth a read if for nothing else other than a refreshing perspective.

This book changed my son's life., February 9, 2007
What a refreshing change from all those other college guides! This book neither gushes over the ultra-Ivies, nor chuckles at the party-hearty habits of the big universities; instead, it offers hope to the average student, the learning disabled, and the late-blooming adolescent. It focuses on pointing readers in the direction of colleges that make a difference in the lives of young men and women, and in the community at large. A chapter in the beginning, entitled "Today's Learning Disabled Will Be Tomorrow's Gifted", while perhaps slightly over-optimistic, nevertheless opened my eyes to so many possibilities for my son. If you are a hopeful idealist, looking to do something that matters in your life, or looking to guide your underacheiving or learning challenged child, and you're looking for a college that cares about its students and truly wants to admit the students who apply, do as I did and buy or borrow this book today.

This WILL change the way you think about colleges., August 3, 2007
This book is a must for anyone looking at colleges. After reading another Pope book "Looking Beyond the Ivy League...," I was already leaning away from any large colleges. I then read "The Gatekeepers" which was fascinating, but leaves one with the feeling that they should be grateful if a college accepts them.

Colleges That Change Lives reminds us that WE are the customer. WE are choosing the school and we should do it by keeping in mind that our children's education is more important than being able to say our child went to Harvard, Yale, etc. There are schools that welcome our children. Why should we put our children through the stress of applying somewhere they are not likely to get in, where they are not likely to get the close attention most of us need to learn better?

The one thing that stands out in my mind about the highly-selective, well-known schools after reading this book is that we assume the colleges are good (and best for our child) based on the kind of students they accept.

The results are another thing. We, as consumers, assume that if the "best" students get in to those schools, they automatically do well and are assured a successful future. What do we base that on? Assumptions aren't enough.

Read this book.

Lots of information to consider and is thought provoking, August 27, 2006
I have a daughter ready to apply to colleges this fall and have found this book very helpful in planning and sorting through the myriad of information out there.

What I liked: Understanding the administration's vision, including teaching personnel's qualifications and the number of qualified competent undergraduates that each school can turn out is very helpful.

What this book doesn't tell you is the underlying student culture, the nuances of the location and the freshman return rate and other important considerations. So some of these schools sound absolutely too good to be true, but when you additionally use other resources to learn about the school's geographic location, what students say about their school, etc., you get a better picture of the college in it's entirety.

I commend the author who is investigating each college to discover the best intellectual powerhouses out there. In the end, it's the applying senior from high school that has to figure out which college or university is going to provide the best supportive and enriching environment in which to truly learn and grow!

Definitely get this book but do not use it solely to make your decision to attend a particular college named in this book.

Too much gushing and too little objectivity, December 19, 2006
I might agree that the "Ivies" are over-rated but this book just gushes on and on about how wonderful these 40 schools are. All of them are perfect and idyllic and everyone who ever went to any of them is a wonderful success and had wonderful and life changing experience at the school.

Somehow, I have to think the real world is a little less rosy than the picture this book paints. If you read one of the school descriptions you've pretty much covered them all as only the names and the adjectives for "wonderful" and "idyllic" change. Basically, it reads as though these 40 schools got together and decided to save money by publishing one sales brochure that includes all of them.

Check this one out from the library, read the first couple of chapters, skim through the descriptions for a few schools and write down the school names from the table of contents. Now get online and see if you can actually learn something about the school aside from the "fact" that it's idyllic and wonderful.

PS. I'm not knocking the schools, just the book. A little less sales and a little more info would have been nice.

High-value advice for applying to college, November 9, 2006
I enjoyed the book a lot, especially its focusing on a small number of not-often-discussed colleges. Well-written and thoughtful throughout, the book would be of use to students with not-at-that perfect records, who are looking for a good alternative to some of the very hard to get into "elite" schools. A good "sister book" for students considering colleges, which I also quite liked, was Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College, by Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman. They tell, from the professors' point-of-view what students already in college can do to get A's. A useful thing, too. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A book that pays for itself! The creator of couponmom.com, with 1.6 million subscribers and counting, shares her strategic money-saving techniques for saving big while living well

Americans are hungry for bargains these days, but one woman has developed the ultimate strategy for enjoying a feast of savings. Taking the nation by storm, with appearances ranging from The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today and Good Morning America, Stephanie Nelson has shown countless women and men how to save thousands of dollars by becoming savvy coupon clippers-without sacrificing nutrition or quality. Now, in The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, Nelson demonstrates all of the tricks of the trade-beyond coupons and tailor-made for a variety of shopper lifestyles. Whether you're a "busy" shopper and have only a small amount of time each week to devote to finding the best deal; a "rookie" shopper who is ready to put more effort into cutting bills; or a seasoned "varsity" shopper who is looking for new ways to get the deepest discounts possible, this book offers techniques thatw ill make it easy to save money at any level and on any timetable.

Extending her Strategic Shopping protocols to mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, natural-food stores, drugstores, and other retailers, Nelson proves that value and variety can go hand in hand. With meal- planning tips, recipes, and cost-comparison guides, as well as inspiring real-life stories from the phenomenal Coupon Mom movement, this is a priceless guide to turning the checkout lane into a road of riches. ... Read more

Reviews

Second Place in Review of Three Coupon Books, January 10, 2010
I am a mother of three trying to cope with cutbacks in our family income. I got wind of couponing from some of my friends and after browsing many coupon websites, decided I needed to read some books to learn more as quickly as possible! I read three books: The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half: The Strategic Shopping Method Proven to Slash Food and Drugstore Costs, Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey, & Shop Smart, Save More: Learn The Grocery Game and Save Hundreds of Dollars a Month. Each book was very different, so I thought I'd share my opinions- I hope they can help you!
Let me first say what each book had in common: they all promoted their own coupon websites and they all taught about how to get coupons, organize them and shop with them to save on your grocery bill. The Coupon Mom gave a thorough analysis of couponing, but in my opinion the book's topic was more on frugal budgeting. It spent way too much time stating the obvious and talking to me like I was a five year old.

If you're looking for a basic review of how to grocery shop/a cookbook, this may be for you. The author do cover in depth about how to cook around your new budgeting system: suggests budget breakfasts like 1 cup oatmeal with 8 oz. milk ($0.20), 2 pieces wheat toast ($0.20), 8 oz. orange juice ($0.16). One whole chapter is devoted to saving on each of the following: meat, produce, dairy and treats.

The Best reason to buy this book: It is thorough and orderly. It covers the topic in depth. It also discusses organic products in depth and contains a valuable appendix with companies that mail coupons in response to an E-mail request via their website.

The best reason to pass on this book: It's dull and gives too much information for my taste. I mentioned a chapter devoted to produce, dairy, etc. The dairy chapter contained tips like "making your own yogurt or using nonfat dry milk." Ack! If I needed to do so, I would do it, but I prefer to buy my yogurt, hopefully cheaply with coupons. This book had the broadest approach to grocery shopping in general, which for some, may be appreciated. For a Mom in a hurry like me, I don't necessarily need to read obvious tips like, "don't shop when you're hungry".

Strategic Shopping, January 22, 2010
In the past few months I've read seven books on saving money at the grocery store and have been able to save $20 to $40 on each shopping trip. While each book gave new ideas, "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills In Half" is probably the most comprehensive.

Stephanie Nelson begins her book by explaining various shopping styles and then makes a convincing case for shopping at wholesale clubs. She then explains how you can save when you buy meats, organic foods, dairy products and beauty products.

While a lot of this book is about clipping coupons, some of the information is more about a back-to-basics approach. Do you really want to wash your own lettuce, repackages bulk meats, make your own tortilla chips, make milk from powdered milk and shred your own cheese? I know I don't but I could be saving even more money if I was willing to give up some convenience foods. I also won't be giving up my Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract for the 16-ounce bottle at Costco. Yes it is cheaper but there is a great difference in flavor. Yes I've done some taste tests with the cheaper vanilla.

So while you read this book you can take all your personal preferences into consideration. Sometimes saving a few pennies just isn't worth the inconvenience. I will say however I use her advice about using baking soda to scrub pots and pans.

Some of the most valuable information in this book is the websites where you can find printable coupons. There is a list of websites in the back of the book. There is also some information on how to use the author's website which I found to be useful.

One of the things I think is amazing is how Stephanie Nelson can remember all the prices of all the foods she is buying. She saves even more money when she finds a price discrepancy.

While this book is helpful I'd encourage you to also buy the following books:

Cut it Out and Start Saving: A Guide to Effectively Using Coupons and Obtaining Money from Unexpected Resources

Better Groceries for Less Cash

Shop Smart, Save More: Learn The Grocery Game and Save Hundreds of Dollars a Month

Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom

How to Receive Free Groceries

20 Grocery Store Savings Ideas: Grocery Coupon Savings Tips For Those Grocery Shopping On A Budget

~The Rebecca Review

Books OK, but Website, March 6, 2010
My wife bought the book. She didn't find anything really new and has used coupons for years. Her biggest complaint is that the website wants you to sign up with other sites for coupons. Best thing to do is get a disposable email address for the sign-ups. You are selling your contact info for the discounts.

Couponing and the book will work. Number one rule is that you have to do it! The more effort you put into it the bigger the return. How much extra work do you want to do? How valuable is your time?

Great new information, January 9, 2010
I am a moderate coupon user, and the book did have new ideas for using coupons that I didn't realize. I like the idea of emailing companies to get free coupons, and the list of companies and the websites that will send coupons is really helpful. I also like the detailed chapters on other ways to save besides using coupons--like what the best deals really are at warehouse clubs and even how to save on organic food. The book was also really easy to read. Well worth the money in my opinion!

Save Time and Money, June 20, 2010
Twenty years ago, when I was newly-wed and had a lot more time than money, I adhered to a overwhelmingly complex system of couponing in order to shave every cent I could off our grocery bills. As our bankroll grew and our free-time shrank, that system was gradually abandoned along the way. What I like most about this book is that it shows you how to save money even if you haven't much time to spend clipping coupons. "Busy" shoppers will learn how a mere five minutes of planning before a shopping trip can reduce their grocery bill by 20-25%, even if they never touch a pair of scissors. "Rookie" shoppers will learn new tips to shave their grocery bill by 40-50% by redeeming manufacturer's coupons when products are already on sale. And veteran couponers will learn how to combine these saving strategies with advertised specials, electronic coupons, clearance sales, and rebate offers to "make every bite a bargain" and routinely save up to 90% off their grocery bill. The author's methods are very user friendly, no matter what your shopping style. Even if you adopt only one or two of her suggestions, apply them faithfully and you will quickly earn back the cost of the book.

Jennifer Flanders, author of Love Your Husband/ Love Yourself: Embracing God's Purpose for Passion in Marriage

Helpful Information, January 9, 2010
My wife received this book as a gift and is enjoying reading it and finding new areas to help with our budget. All of the personal stories, as well as great recipe ideas, and other ways to stretch your money including various strategies on how to shop the different types of stores are all quite informative. Her mother has also been looking at all the information available.

This book will help you find ways to trim your budget regardless of your family size, income level, or expertise in strategic shopping. Our family will be passing along this savings to help out with charities. We have many people who can benefit from any type of savings and know that the book price will more than pay for itself in one well planned shopping trip.

Great information!, January 9, 2010
I have been couponing for years and I am very impressed with this book. I love that there are nutritious, low-cost recipes included among the many savings tips.

This is such timely information, especially in this economy when so many people are struggling to make ends meet. For anyone looking for a way to save money, the information Stephanie Nelson provides is invaluable!

More great money saving tips!, January 9, 2010
I am a seasoned couponer and have found this book to be a great resource, especially for organic and natural food shopping. A chapter is devoted to organic and natural foods and there are several lists of organic companies to contact for coupons. These types of coupons are hard to find and it is great to have a convenient list of them.

The recipe section is a unique addition to a couponing book. It is not a large part of the book but the recipes look great and each recipe gives the cost per batch or serving. Seeing that breakdown really puts the cost of feeding your family vs eating out into perspective.

This book is well worth it's small cost. You will save more than it's cost on you next shopping trip.

Nothing new, September 7, 2010
I bought this book and had high hopes. I thought the first few chapters just keep repeating the same few concepts over and over. I was really disappointed in the book and wouldn't recommend it. I didn't find anything new that I didn't already know. I don't need a book to tell me to watch the newspaper ads, clip coupons, compare prices at a few different stores, make a meal plan from the sales, and don't waste food. The only thing I did waste was the money on the book and the amount of time I spent reading it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

THE CONSUMER’S GUIDE TO PILLS—COMPLETELY REVISED 14th EDITION FOR 2010 WITH MORE THAN 20 IMPORTANT NEW DRUGS AND DOZENS OF NEW BRAND NAMES
 
For more than three decades, millions of consumers have trusted The Pill Book to provide official, FDA-approved information on more than 1,800 of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States with guidelines from leading pharmacists. Each drug is profiled in a concise, readable, easy-to-understand entry, making The Pill Book the perfect reference when you have questions about the medications your doctor prescribes. Inside you’ll discover
 
• generic and brand-name listings that can help you save money
• What each drug is for, and how it works
• usual dosages, and what to do if a dose is skipped
• side effects and possible adverse reactions, highlighted for quick reference
• interactions with other drugs and food
• overdose and addiction potential
• alcohol-free and sugar-free medications
• the most popular self-injected medications and their safe handling
• information for seniors, pregnant and breast-feeding women, children, and others with special needs
• cautions and warnings, and when to call your doctor
• 32 pages of actual-size color photographs of prescription pills
 
No home should be without this book!
  ... Read more

Reviews

Fantastic Resource, June 27, 2010
PLEASE buy this book! It is the FIRST place I look for info on meds my physician prescribes or recommends. It allows me to talk to my doctor(s) intelligently about what might happen in MY body, considering MY medical history! I have used the newest editions of this book for years! Also-this large format is well worth the extra cost for some of us!

A must, October 2, 2010
I use this book so often. I'm older and medications are unavoidable, but I can find out how safe something is or isn't and try to stay off what I don't really need. My doctor is always impressed that I know about what I'm taking.

Pill Box review, September 7, 2010
I was disappointed that the Pill Book did not have one of my medications listed. I also found a copy at Wal-Mart for less than I paid at Amazon.

Ron E. Thompson

Eventually you will need this book, June 2, 2010
As we get older it seems like you get more and more prescription drugs to take every day and old ones floating around in a drawer. The Pill Book comes out every two years and it's a great way to check the proper times to take your meds. Interactions with other meds. Possible side effects and proper dosages. Check your spouse's meds, your parents, pass it along to friends. This is my third copy.

The Best Pill Book Ever!!!, September 4, 2010
I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS SERIES EVER SINCE THE 9TH EDITION BACK IN THE LATE 90'S!!! I LOVE THE PICTURE PAGES IN THE CENTER,,, AND THE PSYCH MED UPDATES SHOWING THE NEW PSYCHO TROPIC DRUGS!!!

The Pill Book ((14th Edition), August 17, 2010
It was exactly what I wanted and I received it in only a few short days. Wonderful service and product. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Dr. Cynthia Koelker gives us the inside scoop on how to save money at the doctor's office and still get great care. Even if you have insurance, 101 Ways to Save Money on Health Care will still help you save your hard-earned cash."
-Elizabeth Cohen, MPH, CNN senior medical correspondent, author of The Empowered Patient

For over twenty years, Ohio-based family physician Dr. Cynthia J. Koelker has made it her mission to help people lower their health care expenses. Now, in 101 Ways to Save Money on Health Care, Dr. Koelker shares her insider tips and information so that you too can save hundreds (even thousands!) without sacrificing your health.

101 Ways is loaded with simple, easy-to-understand tips on topics that everyone will find useful, including:

* How to save money on brand name drugs
* How to cut costs for chronic problems-from asthma to allergies
* How to ask for a hospital discount (it's easier than you think!)
* Ways to save money on glasses and contacts
* What websites you can trust to give you the best health information

Whether you are uninsured, or just looking to save money, this invaluable guide will show you how to stay healthy and hold onto your hard-earned dollars.
... Read more

Editorial Review

Winner of the Georges Duboeuf Best Wine Book of the Year

For the thousands of people who know nothing about wine and want to rectify that swiftly and painlessly, Mark Oldman-the "Naked Chef" of wine-is here to help with the kind of information readers can use right now:

€ Australian Shiraz is the most instantly likable red under $15
€ Drink slightly sweet wine with spicy food
€ Judge a wine shop by whether it has homemade shelf signs
€ Don't store unopened wine in the refrigerator for more than a week

Loaded with his personal recommendations-including the top 100 wines less than $15-Oldman's Guide also includes the wine picks of an eclectic mix of collectors, from Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni to Morley Safer of 60 Minutes. This is a wine guide like no other and is sure to be savored by anyone who wants their wine without the attitude. ... Read more

Reviews

The finest wine book out there, September 1, 2005
Since I buy Oldman's Guide here so often as a gift, I'll add my voice to the chorus. I agree with the last reviewer that OG stands at the head of the line for wine books. I consider myself somewhere between a wine connoisseur and still-learning novice and I'll go so far to say that OG is the best wine book that I own. It is a book that I'm still learning from, while most of my other wine guides molder on the shelf after a few sittings. -And here in my home office I have two and a half bookshelves of wine books- The author Mark Oldman offers just the right amount of commentary on major wine topics-grape types, storing wine, dining out, et cetera. The descriptions and explanations are really clever and very dead-on and just the right tone for someone to learn about wine (or learn more about wine after they've mastered the basics). Oldman's Guide cost me only about $14 (with shipping) here at Amazon and I have referred to the book so much that it is already looks like I've had it for a decade. It is furthest thing I've seen from the standard monotonous wine encylopedia. This is the book to get.

I also endorse Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible as a solid all-around reference book - it covers everything in a lot of accurate detail. And if you want a graphical overview, you can't go wrong with World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson, which is a large display-style book and very high quality.

The Wine Book to Buy, July 10, 2005
I finally found the wine book I was looking for! I previously read a couple to wine books to educate myself but they were either too complicated or packed with information I really did not need. Oldman's book is so well written, easy to read and understand. It is full of practical knowledge and organized into 108 short chapters. Each of the 350 pages is packed with useful information, and the material is arranged in an eye-catching manner. It is an entertaining read. It offers reference books and web sites for those who wish to learn more about a suject. It discusses basic grapes, regions, different types of wine, cost, pronunciations, how to pair wine with specific foods or occasions etc. This book clarified so many misconceptions and answered some of my questions in a clear way. For example: "Just say no to cork inhalation" is a memorable line that gets the message across. Another example is when Oldman describes the smell of blackcurrant and Cabernets. This book is perfect for novices who will not be ovewhelmed with useless facts. Even for someone like me who is somewhat knowledgeable about wines, this was the perfect book. I wish I read this years ago!

Best all-around wine book, hands-down, January 5, 2005
With this incredible book, it's hard to even know where to start.

Ever since I accidentally opened a friend's bottle of '86 Heitz Napa cabernet and fell in love, I've been studying wine whenever I get a chance. I've purchased books like "The Wall Street Journal's Guide to Understanding Wine," "Wine for Dummies," and some more advanced "grape-specific" books. After reading through a few pages of this book, I was blown away and proceeded to spend two hours engrossed in one of the most entertaining books I've ever read - even among non-wine books! I laughed throughout, poked on by Oldman's extremely clever wit and knowledge.

The book can be used as a reference - lately I've been checking it to make sure I'm serving Fume Blanc (same as Sauvignon Blanc, as I've found out) at the appropriate temperature - but it's more likely that you'll read this as a novel. A very, very entertaining one.

Among the valuable things I've picked up from the book - besides the already-cited examples of what prominent and celebrity wine lovers like to have on their tables - include:

- How to pronounce everything related to wine you ever worried about trying to say. I'm talking about Riedel, Taittinger, Chateau Cos d'Estournel and Moet, which is pronounced "Mo-EHT, not Moe-AY."

- The many affordable options in the world of wine - encouraging those who are either shy, unadventurous, poor or all of the above to try new, good-value wines.

- What wines to pair with food, and more importantly why - from the science to the history to what is most accepted in popular culture (things like champagne and cake at weddings) even though they technically might not taste that great together.

- Decoding the many different designations: reserva, gran reserva, brut, extra-dry, sec, demi-sec, classico, classico riserva... to a point where you're more than comfortable with them.

- Wine etiquette and a generous helping of insider information on getting the most bang-for-your-buck at a restaurant without looking like a cheapskate.

If you're a wine lover and think you know everything about wine, you'll prove yourself wrong with this book. If you're a wine consumer, you will at least double the value of wine you drink - just based on how much more you'll appreciate what's in your glass. If not that, then on the tips Oldman gives you to save dough. It will likely be both. Even if you don't know anything about wine, this book will grab you in.

I've watched my girlfriend - who didn't care much for my wine obsession before - turn into an crazed fan: we were at Costco (tips on this, too!) and she replaced the bottle of BV cabernet I chose for dinner with a Pinot Noir because "Pinot Noir goes better with smoked sausage."

I'm obviously a very big fan. This book has been worth every penny.

Wit and Wisdom in generous doses-quaff this book!, December 22, 2004
I own at least a dozen wine books and this one is my pick for best book to start one's wine library. Even if you know a good amount about wine like me (I've worked in the industry) you'll find plenty of gems in Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine, making it well worth the purchase. Where else can you get the wine picks of many industry insiders? The shortcuts are succinct enough to avoid overburdening you with an unnecessary level of detail and yet thorough enough that you'll be able to enter a conversation on the topic with self-confidence. This book contains the best wine and cheese pairing advice I've come across--it was informative and hilarious. The author advises that "when things get stinky... call in the big guns", then helpfully provides a list of cheeses that go with pretty much everything. Another of my favorite shortcuts told how to tell if a restaurant is on your side when it comes to wine. Using the tips that follow, you'll be able to save the money spent on this book, and then some, on your next restaurant wine choice. Not only that, if the wine steward sneers at you, you'll be able to confidently sneer back and order with style. I gave this book as a gift to my boss, colleagues, and friends alike-it's the perfect accompaniment to a bottle of good wine.

Best Wine Book by Far, March 4, 2006
I purchased this book while on travel and once I started to read it I could not put it down. There is difficulty deciding which chapter to read first. It is structured such that you do not have to read it in order which is great for those who really don't have the time to sit down and read a book from cover to cover. Since I finished the book I have consulted it on too many occassions to count. I have put yellow stickies on several chapters of greatest importance to me. If you only have money to buy one wine book in your life, this is the book for you.

Two Thumbs Up - Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine, December 21, 2004
This (Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine) book is a must read for wine enthusiasts who want to become more educated on the topic. After reading the book, I can confidently order the appropriate wine at a business dinner and feel secure about the wine I give as gifts. The "what's on my table" and quick tips sections of the book are terrific and enabled me to benefit even
when I only had 5 spare minutes to read. While some wine books are too obtuse, Oldman's style makes it easy for the wine layperson to learn.

Net, net...a great book, and the best part is that you'll end up with better (but not necessarily more expensive) wine on your table.

-- Steve Apfelberg

Spectacular - no top hat or dummies cap needed, July 12, 2005
I have been so happy devouring this spectacular guide. While so many wine books feel like they've sprung from the mind of a corporate flack or a wine snob who's in love with using as many complicated words as possible, Oldman's Guide requires neither a top hat nor a dummies cap. It instead delivers heaps of blissfully useful information on grape types, wine as gifts, wine in restaurants, buying wine from shops, all with Oldman's able pen and sharp, funny eye. One of my best purchases on Amazon to date.

Great wine reference book to keep forever, December 6, 2005
This is a great book that I first checked out of the library. However, I found it to be so useful that I decided to purchase a copy to have at home all the time. It is a great, timeless reference, yet it is entertaining to read also! Not only does it have all benefits listed in reviews below, it also has very simple easy help for pronounciation of those tricky unusual wine words. Buy, buy, buy - you will not be let down.

Wonderful wine book, January 13, 2006
This book is worth every penny. I checked out this book from the library after reading favorable reviews and literally read it cover to cover. This is the best wine book I've read so far. I come back to it again and again. I actually bought it recently because the library wanted their copy back. Invaluable resource for wine enthusiasts and anyone who wants to know more about how to enjoy the best wines and find the best values. I couldn't recommend this book more.

very much recommended, May 2, 2005
You only have to search the internet to find how many fans this new book already has. The Oldman's Guide is riotously funny and very helpful, like a stylish friend who comes to visit for the weekend and leaves you much smarter for it . One of my favourite sections details ordering wine in restaurants. These chapters have entirely renovated how I handle monster wine lists and conduct my wine purchasing. At the book's core is the keenest treatment of wine appreciation, and how to get the best of it, that I've encountered thus far.
... Read more

Editorial Review

At last--the long-awaited complete compendium
of tightwad tips for fabulous frugal living!

In a newsletter published from May 1990 to December 1996 as well as in three enormously successful books, Amy Dacyczyn established herself as the expert of economy. Now The Complete Tightwad Gazette brings together all of her best ideas and thriftiest thinking into one volume, along with new articles never published before in book format. Dacyczyn describes this collection as "the book I wish I'd had when I began my adult life." Packed with humor, creativity, and insight, The Complete Tightwad Gazette includes hundreds of tips and topics, such as:

���Travel for tightwads���How to transform old blue jeans into potholders and quilts���Ten painless ways to save $100 this year���Picture-framing for pennies���A comparison of painting versus re-siding your house���Halloween costumes from scrounged materials���Thrifty window treatments���Ways to dry up dry-cleaning costs���Inexpensive gifts���Creative fundraisers for kids���Slashing your electric bill���Frugal fix-its���Cutting the cost of college���Moving for less��� Saving on groceries���Gift-wrapping for tightwads���Furniture-fusion fundamentals���Cheap breakfast cereals���Avoiding credit card debt���Using items you were about to throw away (milk jugs, plastic meat trays, and more!)���Recipes galore, from penny-pinching pizza to toaster pastries���And much much more . . .

Three books in one--a $38.97 value for only $19.99! ... Read more

Reviews

This is one of my all time favorite books!, September 6, 2002
This book has had a huge, positive influence on my life. I read this book right before I quit my job to stay home and Amy Dacyczyn helped convince me I could do it. But if you are contemplating reading this book, be warned: it is highly addictive and potentially life-changing.

I was already fairly frugal before I read The Tightwad Gazette. My husband and I used cloth diapers, shopped at thrift shops, bought secondhand and had only one car. Many of these actions came from our concern to live lightly on the earth, but had the side-benefit of saving us money. But when I read this book, Amy made me see how wasteful I was being in other parts of my life--throwing money away needlessly by spending too much on groceries, overinsuring my car, and overlooking the wealth of things that can be purchased very cheaply at yard sales. After I read this book, I immediately chopped about $100 a month off of my grocery bill, and IT WAS EASY! And I spent less time running back and forth to the grocery store and more time at home enjoying my family. I was so smitten with this book, that in the first few months after I read it, my husband got really sick of hearing about it. And he was a tightwad, too!

For the last few years, I've been able to use some of Amy's recommendations for saving money, but I really had only scratched the surface in what I could accomplish. I was able to stay home and we were doing okay financially, but just okay--not great. Then earlier this year my husband and I got a wake-up call. Throughout our marriage, we had always managed to save money, even if only $100 a month. Our wake-up call came when we realized that for the first time in our marriage, not only were we not saving money anymore, but our hard-earned savings were slowly being depleted. Consequently, my husband was feeling a lot of pressure to work harder and harder, spending more time away from home and making our family life more strained.

Re-enter the Tightwad Gazette. When I realized that we were losing money, I went into TOTAL frugality mode. First, I used Amy's suggestion to list everything we were spending, then I went over our spending with a fine-tooth comb and looked for places I could cut (fewer long distance calls, cutting back further on groceries, etc.). When I looked at the numbers, I estimated that we could be saving $500 a month. And we live near the federal poverty line! And we pay for our own benefits! Then I reread Amy's book (for about the 4th time), and this time I TOOK NOTES! When I was done, not only did I feel empowered, but I had 4 pages of ideas for new money-saving ideas to try--everything from new recipes to energy-saving strategies. I also realized some mistakes I had been making that Amy discusses at length. First, I had failed to realize that desparate circumstances call for desparate action. Second, I had been justifying a certain amount of wasteful spending on the basis of how hard we worked and how much we deserved it. Third, I had failed to set clear financial goals. Amy talks about the need to set goals repeatedly, and she is right. My new goal was to save $3000 by the end of the year. With this new goal in front of me, I felt completely motivated to start saving money.

To make a long story short, in the 2 months since I have become (in Amy's words) a "Black-belt Tightwad," my family has saved approximately $900, with no dramatic difference in our lifestyle. And lest you think that the lifestyle that Amy promotes is one of drudgery and deprivation, think again. As Amy will tell you in these pages over and over, the life of a tightwad can be full and complete. My kids wear designer clothes (albeit second-hand). My home is filled with nice stuff (most of it bought at yard sales or 'treasure-picked' from the curb). My family eats healthfully--lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, many of them organic, with delicious home-baked goodies thrown in. And we even go out to eat from time to time (although not as often as we once did). Most people who would see my family on the street or visit us in our home would be shocked if they knew how well we do with so little income. Plus I have the added benefit of sleeping more soundly at night, not worrying that we will run out of money.

This book is for non-tightwads, too. I've recommended it to some friends who are spendthrifts, and even they have loved it. So if you are at all interested in saving money or living a simpler, saner life, by all means read this book. But make your first truly tightwad move and don't buy it--go to the library first and read a copy. Amy even recommends that you do this. Then, if it is worth it, you can go ahead and buy it.

Her children are lucky, September 26, 2003
I am disturbed by some of the reviews that cruelly state that Mrs. Dacyczyn's children are being shortchanged--one reviewer called her childrearing philosophy child neglect and borderline abuse.

I think the Dacyczyn children are very blessed to be raised in a family where worldly values are put in perspective and the important things in life are stressed. My daughter and I are reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's books together, and while reading the Tightwad books, I was struck at how many parallels there are between the beloved classic books and the Dacyczyn family's values.

Children do not need fancy, expensive new clothes to develop properly. There is nothing wrong with used clothes, in the first place. Secondly, Mrs. Dacyczyn makes clear her clothing philosophy in a little article about how she spoke with all her children about what they wanted to wear on the first day of school. She spent a good deal of time planning this with them, and actually made a special item (a vest, I think) so they would feel special. She didn't have to throw money at them to show that she loved them. She spent time talking and listening.

As far as the bath issue... hello, children do NOT need a bath every single day. Where did that myth come from, anyway? It does not jeapordize their health if they don't get scrubbed every night. Most of the people I know give their kids a bath "as-needed" during the week, and then on Saturday night so they're extra-clean for church on Sunday morning. Baths are more frequent in the summer, when they're outside getting dirty, and less in the winter (sometimes only once a week in our house) when they spend all their time inside, and I'd rather not send them to bed with wet hair. It's not so much a matter of frugality as it is common sense.

And the reviewers who made snide remarks about nutrition... holy cow. These kids get organic, garden-fresh produce all summer, and home-canned and frozen produce (also organic, and no preservatives) the rest of the year. Their consumption of ready-made snacks (laden with fat, sugar and preservatives) is sensibly controlled. They get balanced meals from all the food groups (Mrs. Dacyczyn lists a week of her family's menus for us to look at).

I would think that with all the problems that have come to light on child obesity this last decade, that people would understand that we need to pay attention to our children's nutrition. Keeping potato chips as a special treat (and telling the kids that, if they want something not on the family menu, they have to purchase it themselves) is not abusive. It is tender care and regard for a child's health.

As far as showing love: her descriptions of the children's birthday parties are fantastic. The pirate ship birthday theme is wonderful, and her set-up in the yard of an actual ship play-area was awesome. How many parents take their kids to a party store, let them choose the newest popular cartoon character and get party hats, paper goods and "favors" in that theme (and then go buy a tasteless cake with vegetable shortening/powdered sugar frosting at the grocery store)? Is that more loving than what the Dacyczyn family does?

And I would like to point out the snobbery of the reviewers who turn up their noses at dumpster diving. In this throw-away society, it is shocking what people toss in the trash. When my husband and I still lived in our apartment complex, he would watch the dumpster at the end of the month, when people were moving out. One girl threw away boxes of new clothes -tags still on!- and even a mason jar full to the top of coins. Too much trouble to take it to the bank, I suppose. I still wear her pajamas and shorts, use her hand-formed iron wok, and sharpen my knives on her very expensive sharpening stone. We also still use the lovely, unique folding wooden chairs our neighbors threw away.

Someone bragged that her house is not full of other people's castoffs. I am willing to bet that a house full of cast-off antiques and high-quality yard sale finds is more interesting and beautiful than one furnished by walking into Wal-Mart (or even Pottery Barn) and simply running up a credit card.

There are also too many sniffing comments about having six children. Since when is it anyone's business how many children a family has? Particularly since the Dacyczyn family isn't asking anyone for a handout. Large families are full of joy and love and they get too many unsolicited comments. I know someone with a large family who is often told in public by complete strangers, "I'm glad they aren't mine!" To which she threatens to one day respond, "They're glad they aren't yours, too."

Mrs. Dacyczyn never says to her children, "You're not worth a new dress or a new book." She shows how much she loves them by giving them the important things of life. She is also preparing them for adulthood in the best way: showing them the difference between wants and needs. They will know that money is not what makes us happy, and that buying "things" is not as important as spending time with people. They will be well-adjusted, happy adults.

It made me sad to read the mean reviews. If you want to say the book didn't help you save money, fine. But let's not make ourselves feel superior by making cruel comments about this family.

Great. Some of the negative reviews are disingenuous, October 19, 2000
This book is an inspiration to help you save money. Kathryn F says "I won't dumpster dive, reuse meat trays or save dryer lint." Amy D. doesn't do any of this;she dove a couple times as part of her research for an article. She doesn't give out money advice like "buy gov't bonds" as others said. As for mealtimes, I agree with her "old fashioned" method of feeding kids, not letting them control the family diet. What Amy DOES do is give examples of ways to save, and articles on calculating real costs of things, etc. Her writing will inspire your own creativity regarding saving money, appropriate for your own situation. The fact that they saved the cash they did, living in expensive New England is amazing, believe me. She outlines options for you, it's up to you to decide what's best - are you truly desperate financially, just want to cut back a bit, or somewhere in between? Personally, what this book has done for me is that it has shifted my values a bit, I am far less interested in having "things", and more into enjoying life through direct experiences - hiking in the mountains, being outdoors. I'm not into the domestic scene like Amy is. But the beauty of the book is you can adapt the advice. Please check it out for yourself, even at the library. But I bet you'll want your own copy.

Useful information, some of it extreme, September 1, 2007
Growing up in a tightwad family, I have to speak the truth about the effects of tightwad existence on children. Yes, this book has lots of helpful advice to offer, but think twice about never letting your children have nice clothes or things that are very prevalent in their culture because they will feel the effects of it in a myriad of way and odds are they will grow up a spendthrift because they'll correlate any unhappiness they have with their lack of material possessions. Then, as soon as they start making money of their own, they'll start trying to buy their happiness by purchasing those expensive clothes and gadgets and putting themselves into great debt over it. I've seen it in my family and with friends. There's a reasonable boundary when it comes to all of this. Frugal has it's perks, but when one starts to feel lack because of it, it shapes how they view the world and suddenly those material things or lack of them become the reason for their unhappiness. That can lead to a very materialistic view of life which is really the root of our society's issue with money and credit card debt. Bigger, better, newer, more expensive - gotta have it because it will make me happy. That's what the media preaches and that's what we are brainwashed into thinking. In some cases, rare or special ones, yes, the bigger, better, newer or more expensive should be had. All things in moderation, right? But be wise with where you choose to be frugal. Washable cloth diapers? Wonderful! Clipping coupons? Smart! Dressing a toddler in less expensive clothes that they'll only grow out of in a few months? Brilliant! Dressing a teenager in an entire wardrobe that doesn't fit in with current trends just to save a buck? Recipe for disaster!! Instead, allow them a few of the trendy items, and teach them to earn some extra cash on their own, part of which they must save and part of which they are encouraged (yes, encouraged) to buy items they feel they must have. They'll choose wisely with their buck, especially when they've been raised to understand the value of the dollar and what happens if they don't save and live in debt. That's a lesson that all teens should be taught in my humble opinion. It's probably the reason why so many are in serious debt.

This review has been written by a child of tightwad parents. Take from it what you will.

For rich or poor, a full spectum of tips and philosophies, October 10, 2001
Admittedly, the author is the diva of frugality, taking tightwaddery to a high art I wouldn't care to achieve...but she also discusses how the way we spend our money should--but doesn't always--reflect our own priorities, values, and goals. The author makes it clear that the book contains a full spectrum of tips for saving money to accomodate a wide range of frugal styles, and that not every idea in the book is for every person. There's no preaching, just cheerleading!

Probably the most pleasant surprise in this book were the essays discussing the tightwad philosophy. The author addresses gratification, temporary vs long-term fulfillment, learned perceptions about "clean" and "dirty", the true "cost" of a double-income household, hourly "wages" based on money saved, and other interesting aspects of money attitudes.

A recurring theme examines how frugality isn't about living a deprived scrimping lifestyle, but rather how to spend and save money in ways that reinforce your financial goals. Practical examples give tips for getting good deals, finding hidden treasures within your budget, and how to think "outside the box" when it comes to obtaining goods and services.

In all, while this book contains a wealth of "how-tos", it is also a springboard to help you launch your own ideas on how to meet your life goals and find creative ways to do it.

A fantastic and truly entertaining read.

Good book -- helpful, practical, fun!, April 11, 1999
The first time I read one of the earlier Tightwad Gazette books, I surprised myself by immediately finding a savings in our family budget of $50 per month. I was further inspired to try some other new money saving ideas, and before too long our family was living well within our means and actually climbed our way out of serious consumer debt -- COMPLETELY!

Of course, I don't credit this book with all the personal hard work and discipline that it took to reduce our family's consumer debt, BUT our goal of being debt-free (inspite of a limited income due to lost earning potential from an injury and chronic illness) wouldn't have happened as quickly as it did without the inspiration and practical guidance found in the pages of the Tightwad Gazette books and newsletter.

Many of the ideas were a bit too "out there" for me personally, but there's such a large quantity of information in this resource, that it's easy to find things that WILL work for different individuals and their personal situations. While there's a good chance you won't want to start stockpiling styrofoam meat trays (or go dumpster diving!), maybe you'll discover some new tasty, simple (and VERY inexpensive!) recipes. And keeping a "Price Book" might be just the ticket to cutting down regular expenses in your own family's financial situation.

The three previous Tightwad Gazette books have been compiled into this single edition with the addition of the last few issues of the Tighwad Gazette newsletter (those issues never made it into any of the previous books).

Bottom Line -- It Works! I am living proof., July 29, 2006
I first read the Tightwad Gazette series in about 1995, at a time when I was living hand to mouth in a small and noisy apartment, was overwhelmed with my own foolishly-racked-up credit card debt, was afraid to go to the dentist because I could not afford one more bill.

I had seen Amy Dacyczyn on Donahue, and while many audience members looked down their noses at her cleverly thrifty ways, I knew I had to get her books. The fact that she and her husband were able to save $49,000.00 within seven years while living on a modest income and starting their family of six children said they knew something I didn't.

I came from a fugal household; there is no reason I should not have had better control over my financial life, but I lacked practical tools, and I was very ashamed of having put myself in the predicament I was in. Immediately, when I picked up the Tightwad Gazette and started reading, I felt a sense of encouragement and support rather than condemnation. Amy writes in a very practical and down-to-earth manner, with good doses of humor and personal anecdotes that are easy to relate to. I truly believe that her goal in doing this was to honestly help people rather than try to make another buck herself as many other "thrifty" publications seem to do.

Her ideas are practical and easy to apply and easy to live with on a daily basis. There was no sense of deprivation as I worked to apply her prinicples and dig myself out from under because she opens a whole new world of creative adventure for the reader. Thrift becomes fun, and the results pile up quickly. As she puts it, the efforts you make increase into a snowball effect, an avalanche of good results and peace of mind as opposed to worry and frustration.

I am living proof that her concepts work. Within three short years, I went from being in about 12,000.00 of high-interest credit card debt, having no savings, having no extra money to pay for things like a dental filling, and constantly worried about money, to having my credit cards paid off, buying a home of my own, having money in the bank, and having all my needs met comfortably. I did not have to get a second job, did not have to scrounge and scrape and feel deprived. The process of applying Amy's priciples and turning things around for myself gave me a huge sense of accomplishment and self-respect. I will always feel grateful to Amy for honestly sharing what works and genuinely wanting to help people like me drop the anchor of worry and stress over money and enjoy a new feeling of freedom, peace of mind, and control over their lives.

Encouraging and a bit discouraging, all in one!, July 3, 2004
This book is the compilation of The Tightwad Gazette newsletter issues, and I subscribed to The Tightwad Gazette back when it was still a subscription newsletter. I started reading it because our family was facing some serious financial difficulties and I needed help NOW! The first time I read the newsletter, I was able to pick up tips that turned our family's financial situation around right away.

The author is a black-belt tightwad and has been from the beginning of her marriage. She and her husband did things "right" from Day One. Which is great for them, but that's where the discouragement from this book came in for me. My husband and I didn't do things "right" from the beginning and consequently weren't going to be able to live in a big, beautiful farmhouse in the country while our children were still small. It was sort of depressing to read about all the wonderful benefits that frugal living brought to the author's life. We'd made some major mistakes in the past (both of us were raised in spend-thrift homes so we really didn't know another way until we'd hit rock bottom ourselves) ... and all of the penny-pinching in the world now wasn't going to allow us to live out our "dream."

Anyway, please know that I LOVE this book for it's tips and ideas! Frugality really is an alternative lifestyle in this day of easy credit and disposable everything, so the author's voice is desparately needed by those of us looking for some frugal encouragement.

But because of the depressing aspect of feeling like the author doesn't "get" the situation of people who've made financial mistakes, I found that reading Mary Hunt's books (especially "The Cheapskate Monthly Money Makeover") has helped to balance things out a bit for me. Mary Hunt's family overcame more than one-hundred-thousand dollars in consumer debt (her family's debt made my family's finanicial situation at its worst look GOOD!).

A good friend of mine -- who's made "right" financial decisions her entire marriage -- thought Mary Hunt's books were just plain "stupid." But then she LOVED The Tightwad Gazette and found it incredibly encouraging -- she also couldn't figure out how I could find The Tightwad Gazette depressing. But she'd never seen life from the view I have. So I think it's a matter of perspective how people relate to the different books. That's why I'm so glad there are numerous people writing on frugality. Somebody's voice is bound to speak to you whereever you're at in your personal financial journey -- if it's not Amy Dacyczyn ("The Tightwad Gazzette") or Mary Hunt ("The Cheapskate Monthly"), maybe it'll be Jonni McCoy ("Miserly Moms") or Deborah Taylor-Hough ("Frugal Living For Dummies").

If you're facing a mountain of debt -- or living the consequences of bad decisions in the past -- be warned that this book could make you feel a bit "down" ... but keep a stiff upper lip, buck up, read this book, and apply its tips ... you -- and your bank account(!) -- will be glad you did!

A tightwad--and proud of it, December 16, 2005
What a great title. Though I thought I was thrifty, I always wanted to save more and was intrigued by this book. After reading this 900+ page tome about saving money, I've decided on a couple of things.

1) Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced "Decision") really knows how to save money. Her ideas (and those of her readers) can really pinch pennies and help people avoid all kinds of waste.

2) Most of our energy is spent working to pay for things we don't need - cable TV, new books instead of library books (sorry Amazon), collision insurance coverage on an old car, bread makers, high-end retail clothing, and convenience foods.

3) The great majority of tips, philosophies, and ideas here are very helpful. I loved the idea of creative ways to have a kid's birthday party, Christmas, or any other celebration.

4) Some ideas I'm not about to incorporate just yet into my life, such as the dumpster diving and buying of used shoes. They're just not my thing.

There are some negative reviews which say that Dacyczyn advocates "unhealthy" or "unsanitary" practices in her quest to save money. Maybe this makes me a filthy vagrant, but I didn't really see any of that. Dacyczyn makes it clear in the book--if some of these practices aren't for your lifestyle--THEN DON'T DO THEM!

Some readers will probably not like this book because it doesn't tell them what they want to hear--that they can keep buying the same overpriced stuff they bought last year and somehow still have more money in their pocket. Well, it's not going to happen. You have to spend less money, and Dacyczyn is all about finding those activities which save the most money for your time. She's very smart about it, and I found it immensely helpful.

You'll enjoy the book too, especially if you read it with an open mind.

In Defense of Dumpster Diving, September 28, 2004
It was a rare sunny day in an upper-middle class suburb in Oregon. While taking my fiance's trash to the apartment's central trash compactor, I noticed the huge bin of rejected, non-compactable items. A clean, sleek, high-end looking lady's computer case was perched on the edge--trembling, almost in anticipation of that intrepid woman who would simply put out her hand and take it...

That woman was me. Of course then, I didn't know that I was supposed to be too fastidious for this, that it was "extreme" and "far-fetched" to take something that was still in good shape but had clearly been abandoned by its owner. I looked around quickly, almost as if the Waste Police were about to rush in and collar me. But there was nothing but spilled soda on the ground and a lazy fly buzzing around. I snatched the case and almost ran back to my fiance's apartment-!

This is a dramatic reenactment, of course. But the warm glow of victory lingers. I get as much of a rush from a great bargain as some die-hard mall mavens get from shelling out $500 for the latest Coach purse. Is it a sickness? Are we really wackos? Did I really Dumpster-dive without even knowing it?

I know a gal who has a $9000 Nordstrom credit card balance. Is she sick? Is the best way the moderate way, to buy your clothes on sale and to shop at a co-op, as I did until recently? To answer these questions for yourself, you have to enter the world of Amy Dacyczyn.

I heard about this lady years ago and thought she was a nut. Now, exactly five days after reading only her second book of tightwaddery (which I picked up at Goodwill, figuring I'd get my 2.99 back somehow), I can hardly believe my good fortune. I've already saved $50 on last week's groceries, have a fully stocked fridge (instead of cleaning it out, like usual), and am rejoicing over my revelation that we can stop paying $100 a month to insure a car that we don't even drive. This is money earned, people. My husband is a little sick of hearing me sing Amy's praises, but he is already experimenting with cooking our meatloaf in the microwave vice the oven (either my husband makes terrible meatloaf, or we couldn't tell the difference). I am only sorry that, with a new baby to watch over while my husband travels for work, that I can't patrol the local Dumpsters! Or maybe I can...

I was astonished to find that a friend of mine (whom I KNOW to be a total tightwad who scavenges and trash-picks regularly) has actually NEVER HEARD of Amy's books. I won't buy them for her (she'll scavenge them on her own if she wants them) but I am buying this book for my family. (BTW, when she visits next we are planning a Dumpster-diving mission together, since I can't quite justify doing it alone with a baby--unless I drive by real slow!)

In a society characterized by excessive exposure to sex, you have people with weird compulsions and habits. The same applies to consumption. You have your extreme spendthrifts and you have your trash-pickers. We are all sick, folks. You get to choose your disease. You may think you don't care about where your money goes, but when it runs out you start to care real quick. I'm just glad there's somebody out there crazy enough to try to "beat the house" as it were--the advertisers, the corporations--the bean-counters who shave their pennies to see if they can get another penny out of you. It seems as if the rule is squeeze or be squeezed.

I find Amy's work to be a celebration of alternatives that we just don't consider. The advertisers hawk a bunch of new products and we never think about the Dumpsters of this country as treasure troves. Same product, different packaging. Get over it.
... Read more

Editorial Review

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinner?

Have you ever wondered about the best time of day to ask someone out on a date—or for a raise?

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon tells you the best time—of the day, of the week, of the month or of the year—to do almost anything. Do you know:

1. The best time of day to be operated on?
2. The best month to buy an iPod?
3. The best day of the week to avoid lines at the Louvre?
4. The best day of the month to make an offer on a house?

Get more for your money, maximize your time, take better care of your health and be savvier about your career—all by doing certain things at the right time.

Remember: Timing is everything!

Reviews

Fun Read is a Good Guide Too, October 7, 2009
This book is great for more than just lovers of trivia - it is a practical guide to life and full of "who knew" surprises that you can put into practice. The writing makes it entertaining and fun to read, but it's obvious that real research went into it. I like the way it's organized into areas of life. I grew up in California and it's true - Fall is the best time to go to Disneyland!

The MUST Have Guide to Best Time To Buy, Go, Do and More, October 7, 2009
'Buy Ketchup In May and Fly at Noon' is a fun read packed with information that can settle long-standing arguments on WHEN to water the lawn, when to list your house or buy one, when to book a flight, when to fly to Europe, when to ask for a raise, when to send an email, when to adopt an animal, when to apply to college, when to take a foreign language, and so many other money saving, time saving helpful tips from experts world-wide. Will be in all the holiday stockings this year!

Want to save 15% on a lot more than car insurance?, November 1, 2009
If you enjoy saving money, increasing your efficiency, or outsmarting the world, this is a great book for you.

Buy Ketchup in May is a fun book that lets you in on the secrets of how and when to do many of life's common activities, from when to eat dinner out (Tuesday) to when to apply ice to sunburns (never).

The book is written in a short question-and-answer format that is easy to follow and remember. I appreciated how Di Vincenzo refers to the research methods behind his answers, so the reader knows where the answers are coming from. I recently found myself quoting the book in a conversation with friends about when to buy airline tickets. And the book covers so many different topics that it's hard to imagine a month going by without using at least one of his recommendations. For me, the book paid for itself right after I got it. The book pointed out that pants often go on deep discounts after back to school. So when October came around, I decided to test out this claim. I ended up buying a pair of nice $70 pants for $35!

So if you like useful information that will help you save money and increase your efficiency, definitely get this book!

A Not-so Good Read, Some Not-so Surprising Insights, All in a Perfectly-timed Gift Package, November 15, 2009
Could be the perfect gift book as the holidays approach, and its no coincidence that it just showed up on NYT's How-to Bestseller list. To coin a phrase, this is the kind of thing a person on your gift list will really like, if they like this sort of thing.

Really there is not much insight here, and after having heard Di Vincenzo pitch the book on NPR, his methodlogy is not exactly the rigorous stuff or peer reviewed economics research (or even journalism for that matter).

There are just not enough (or enough interesting) stories-behind-the-stories for his tips. The ketchup gambit is titleworthy, but much of the rest is common sense.

Get the first surgical appointment of the day? Fly midday, midweek and you'll save money? Buy stuff when the people selling are inclined to make better deals? No big surprises.

The book might be the perfect gift for that reader who loves quirky insight and the trivial made useful. It may even inspire ten minutes of communal reading and good conversation around the tree when unwrapped. For those reasons, its a three; but, this is really a two-star read with perfect timing.

Ketchup in May, Fly at Noon, February 16, 2010
Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon is a book that looks and feels cheap - and I mean noticeably cheaper than a basic paperback. The author and publisher clearly do not view this as a book that will endure. The paper seems to be newsprint and the card stock for the cover is as thin as possible. Perhaps the plan is to update the information every couple of years, but the lack of regard shown in the shoddy construction caused me to question the quality that went into creating the contents. I read the book with skepticism because in my grasp it felt like junk. That said, the book eventually won me over.

It is a quick read and would be perfect for those times when frequent interruptions are inevitable or distractions are likely. While reading it, at least 50% of the revelations were things I already knew (buy fresh fruit when in season), but the rest were interesting revelations (the best time to find a sympathetic insurance claims adjuster is 4 PM Friday) which when read are filled with common sense.

The author claims no credit for the information and lists the sources at the back of the book. Many things seemed obvious and correct, but some suggestions appeared less than accurate. For example the best month of the year to buy jeans is noted as October, after the back to school sales are finished. Well, anyone who wears a popular size jean knows that by then, those sizes are out-of-stock, and with the low inventories most retailers are maintaining, unlikely to be back in stock for months.

The book contains useful information and I felt the time spent reading it wasn't wasted. Few of us are experts in everything, so the majority of people will find some helpful information within the pages. The book might be best suited as a graduation gift along with a gift card or check. The younger the recipient, the more useful the book will be for the reader.

Well written, great insight!, December 5, 2009
Very interesting book. Heard about it on 89.9 and bought it based on the author interview. The book contains interesting facts about very random topics that it's good to know about but you might have never researched yourself. Fun read. Great for all ages.

Love this book!, December 3, 2009
I absolutely love this book! It is so handy and packed full of useful information.

Love it!, November 23, 2009
Saw the author on Rachael Ray show one morning and am always interested in knowing when the best 'bargain' shopping time is for everything. Worthwhile to have!

NO INDEX, THEREFORE USELESS, May 20, 2010
This IS really terrible. After I saw it on TV, I simply ordered it, then after I DID, I read in the reviews here that there is no INDEX, and was horrified.... How is that POSSIBLE? How do we look up certain ITEMS, we need at any moment. I just received the book and see that it's TRUE. Every heading of an item is "WHEN IS THE BEST TIME, or MONTH, etc to BUY, then the ITEM which is what should be FOCUSED on FIRST so we could at least run down the page to SEE what item it IS as the FIRST word and in BOLD, if there's no index, but that's not much better either, having to flip through all the pages to do even that!! But the item's WORD is LAST at the end of that sentence ALL THE TIME. How does anyone look up what they want to find! You have to read the whole BOOK each time over and over? This is horrendous. This is NOT for quick reference, which a book like this is supposed to be. I suggest everyone find another one of it's genre which is reader FRIENDLY. I saw it on TV long ago and put it on my `wish list' right away as I always do with items I want eventually [have 100's there] and with this recent order of several odds and ends equaling over 125 dollars I threw this book in with it since way over my free shipping, and now sorry I did because just the price of the book alone was a waste of money even WITH Free Shipping. The TV presentation was much more impressive, but of course it would be, and certainly no mention of NO INDEX. What were they THINKING... the Table of contents in front is NO help at all. Everything else in my milti order was FABULOUS, has to be pretty bad for ME to complain about anything but I'm VERY careful before I buy and do extensive research and studies, but this book seemed simple... never heard of nor imagined there would be NO INDEX in a quick reference book. Forget it. I don't remember the other reviewer being AS disgusted as I am... and as you might be too. Imagine a dictionary without the words alphabetized and put in randomly, lol I checked immediately if they WERE alphabetized and they are NOT either.

Good tips - though, at least one is wrong., November 30, 2010
I received this as a gift and really do enjoy the reading (quick and to the point), but I must say, I waited and timed a very specific task based on the recommendations of this book's suggestion and it was flat out wrong: when best to visit the social security office.

It mentions the day after Thanksgiving, as most public service offices - such as this one - are supposedly open, due to some fact that this is only a "floating" holiday, and not a national one.

Well, imagine my surprise when I thought I was so clever visiting the office on Black Friday to discover a completely desolate parking lot and a sign on the door saying "closed Thanksgiving and Friday after Thanksgiving". Ooook.

I'm sure the excuse is 1.) the tip was sited back in 2007 in the bibliography, and 2.) since then, the state I'm in (CA) is surely looking for any excuse NOT to have to pay their employees, so I'm assuming this is one of those days they decided to cut from the list.

Anyway, it is a fun read, but as some say, some timing tips are predictable. We'll have to wait and see what happens when I put any of the other really interesting tips to use and if they prove successful... ... Read more

Editorial Review

The much-anticipated, explosive expose of how cell phone use damages brain cells, especially in children, by one of the world's foremost scientific experts in the field.

Devra Davis presents an array of recent and long suppressed research in this timely bombshell. Cell phone radiation is a national emergency. Stunningly, the most popular gadget of our age has now been shown to damage DNA, break down the brain's defenses, and reduce sperm count while increasing memory loss, the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer. The growing brains of children make them especially vulnerable. And half of the world's four billion cell phone used by people under twenty.

Davis, the founding director of the toxicology and environmental studies board at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, takes readers through the dark side of this trillion-dollar industry. Health experts have long been frozen out of policy-making decisions about cell phones; federal regulatory standards are set by the cell phone industry itself. Cell phone manufacturers have borrowed the playbook of the tobacco industry. One secret memo reveals their war plan against reports of cell phone dangers.

Among a host of fascinating characters, Davis introduces Om P. Gandhi, a world expert on how cell phone radiation penetrates the human brain. Once a consultant to major cell phone companies, Gandhi now refuses to work with them. Franz Adlkofer led the multi-lab study that showed once and for all that brain cell DNA is unraveled by cell phone microwave radiation-and, as Davis dramatically portrays, it nearly cost him his career.

As this eye-opening call to action shows, we can make safer cell phones now. Why would we put our children at risk of a devastating epidemic of brain illness in the years to come? ... Read more

Reviews

Everyone Must Read - Amazing Book!, September 29, 2010
The book is beyond amazing. Very well written, accessible for a broad readership, and very well researched and documented. It addresses a crucial issue with tremendous medical and public health implications worldwide: the increasing danger that humankind faces from the use of radiofrequency-emitting devices, such as cell phones, which is taking shape as the most important public health crisis of our time.

After reading this excellent book written by Devra Davis, you will learn a lot about published and well-known facts from the scientific literature, facts that have been known, sometimes for decades, but the telecommunication industry does not want you to know them. Some findings described in this book come from as long as 4-5 decades ago, and reveal that radiofrequency, the same type of radiation that is emitted by cell phones, causes serious harm to the human body. The book will reveal how both scientists and the industry have, for decades, known about the adverse effects that radiofrequency causes on the brain. It will tell you how radiofrequency is, in fact, being used in clinical medicine, to allow drugs to penetrate into the brain of cancer patients, where they kill tumor cells. If radiofrequency can be used in this way, to allow medication from the bloodstream to penetrate the brain and treat tumors, imagine what happens when the same radiofrequency allows all the chemicals and toxins from the blood, which are normally kept away from the nervous system, to enter the brain and cause disease!

This book will also tell you how SAR, which is used to measure the absorption of radiation emitted from cell phones, was developed for the adult male who is over 6 feet tall, weighs 200 pounds, and uses the phone for a 6 minute conversation. What happens to males who have a different body type, to women, or to children, is anyone's guess, but it is clear that the they absorb much more radiation than SAR values of the respective phones indicate.

This book is a pillar of public health, and should become an indispensable reference for anyone who is interested in the health and well-being of our generation and of generations to come. After you read it, you will realize that you will need to read it again, and then again. The wealth of information and the evidence that Devra Davis presents in her important book, are something that every human being should share with everyone they know. Buy this book, and recommend it to everyone you know and care about - the information that you will learn is empowering and it will allow you to make the best decisions for your health, and for the health of your family amd friends.

I was expecting much more, November 21, 2010
I recently started giving a lot more consideration to the things around me: electric and magnetic fields, soaps, cleaning chemicals and, yes, microwaves like ovens and those emitted from phones. I have a doctorate degree in science and have written papers myself. It is no mystery at all that a lot of research in every field is distorted by politics, money and industries. The author spends an inordinate amount of time detailing the history of cell phone research and how it wasn't really valid or how it was manipulated by the cell phone industry. OK, I get that. Thanks.

So why a 2 star review? First of all, it was very boring to read chapter after chapter about cell phone research - I thought a portion of the book would be about that, not close to 80% of it. Second of all, it didn't really answer many of the nagging questions which it claimed to answer. The book says right in the title, "...and how to protect your family." For having that right in the title, I was amazed that her advice was limited to a few pages in the very last chapter. By the end of this book, I thought I would know a lot more about the technical issues of microwave exposure and how to minimize it. She mentions that you should not keep a phone on your hip but doesn't really say why or how important that is. I have to carry a phone with me for work emergencies, for example. I can't turn it off...ever. What should I do?

Here are examples of what I wanted answered: I was hoping to find out how much radiation a phone in standby transmits, how this might affect me and how far my kids should be from a phone on standby. I also wanted to know more about those huge cell towers you see around the neighborhood. How bad are those? What if I can see one from my house, is that a problem? Also, I heard that if you connect a wired headset to a cell phone it actually transmits radiation right to your head through the wire. Maybe that's an urban legend, but I thought she would explain how much safer that may or may not be. How about the Bluetooth headsets? How much energy do they transmit? These are the real questions for those of us who use and are exposed to cell phones. I have many more questions that were left unanswered. Knowing about how the cell phone industry is corrupt is all very interesting, but I need some practical advice here! So if you are looking for that too, look elsewhere.

I will also mention that her writing style was not what I expected based on her past books and credentials. It seemed rushed, poorly thought-out and poorly organized. She would talk about some scientist or research and then talk about it again like it was the first time 3 chapters later. She would jump chronologically from things that happened in the 60s-70s when Motorola was developing cell technology and then jump into something in 2005, only to jump right back to something before Motorola...none of which made sense or kept me on a logical timeline. This made the chapters just drone on and on and I found myself just skimming a lot midway through the book. At some point I felt like the publishing company was rushing her to wrap it up, so it ended up being unrefined and way too wordy for the information she was trying to get across. This book could have had half the words and it would not have lost anything.

IN CONCLUSION: A poorly organized book which is VERY heavy on what the industry has done to hide the truth about cell phones and almost NOTHING on how to actually protect your family from it.

Dynamite! Do your brain a favor and read..., September 30, 2010
This is THE best book on this vital topic. Davis can really write, and she's been talking with many of the key scientists. Prof. Om Gandhi used to work with Motorola but has been an independent professor for decades. His work on how microwaves penetrate deeply into a child's brain raised many eyebrows, but what he says here is just devastating. Similar info from Prof. Adelkopfer in Europe, plus a great intro into the work of Dr. Sam Milham.

Anyone can understand this book, but scientists will be most surprised by how much they learn about the mechanisms of damage (still not completely worked out, but the smoking guns are plain to see).

The weakest part is the appendix on how to protect yourself. Too much emphasis on using a headset. That does reduce the intensity of the microwaves, which should protect you from the diseases Prof. Olle Johansson has studied, but not nearly enough to protect from the nerve damage and blood-brain barrier penetration seen by Prof. Salford; in fact, it could make that worse. Even those making only 2 calls per day must consider themselves to be at risk based on the behavior changes seen in the study led by Prof. Kheifets.

I'm a scientist and I have read these papers, so I wasn't shocked. I already knew cellphones were deadly and already canceled mine years ago. But I did learn some important things and was pleased to get the inside story from these researchers. I'm sure this book will be condemned by the same old people (Prof. Bob Park, Ken Foster, etc. Note they will all have military backgrounds if you read their resumes). But to attack this book they're going to have to dismiss some of the strongest researchers in the field, many who were formerly funded by industry, plus the former head of the WHO...

Just heard the author on National Public Radio - Buying the Book Now!, September 28, 2010
I am listening to Public Radio and the author makes a strong case for being very careful how we use our cell phones. She makes a point to warn that children should not be using cell phones without "ear buds" - to keep the radiation away from youngsters' developing brains. She also warns that keeping a cell phone in the pants pocket can damage your reproductive equipment. She states that tests show young men who keep their phones in a pants pocket have reduced sperm counts. Her arguments are clear and presented without fear mongering - she states she has and uses cell phones. However, she uses ear buds and recommends keeping it off or away from your body until you need to use it.

This is kind of a "pre-review" and will update this when I actually finish reading the book...

Damaging the Cell Phone Industry for Good, October 18, 2010
Devra Davis has launched a vicious one-woman attack on the cell phone industry....

Dr. Devra Davis, the former head of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, now a visiting professor at Harvard, has pretty much launched a one woman attack on the cell phone industry. I should also say: it has been the most devastating attack that the industry has ever experienced. It has already changed the industry. I know the good people selling us our wireless world and particularly those little hot boxes called cell phones don't like her right now--but she is actually doing more for the cell phone industry than anybody else today. She is making them face the truth. She is making the nation face the truth. These miracles of freedom, which we love and value, are causing brain cancers, and the consumer is going to have to be given better information, and soon trial lawyers will have to be suing the companies, and then competition, real competition based on important needs such as staying healthy, will take place, and we're going to get safer cell phones. In the end, with her new book Disconnect, Dr. Davis has launched a devastating attack on the cell phone establishment--and its already causing them to go up in flames. But that's good. They need to burn on the truth for now. I would really like more and more intelligent people to read her book and become aware. This is an issue wherein coming aware will do a whole lot because it will change your habits. I didn't know I was doing bad things with my cell phone either but reading her book taught me I certainly was. We all owe her our thanks.

Wonderful, important book, October 7, 2010
This is an issue that affects all of us, but it also seems to be one nobody really wants to think about. This book looks at the science, spin, and history of the biological effects of microwave radiation. The wireless industry's PR machine has largely succeeded in pigeonholing this issue as a conspiracy theory in the same league as Obama-as-secret-Kenyan-Muslim. This book is important because it's the first book on the subject written for the general public by an accomplished mainstream scientist with impeccable credentials.

People who are interested in this may also be interested in a new documentary about the subject by a former 60 Minutes producer:
Full Signal Documentary | Americas Version (NTSC)
[...]

For good general info on the topic, see:
[...]

Wow, October 30, 2010
Everyone should read this book, especially parents. It's very eye opening and will make you think twice before getting your kids a cell phone (and other wireless gadgets).
This book was worth every penny.

Life Saving Book-Morally Obligated to Read!, November 22, 2010
This book by Dr. Davis an impeccable scientist with a distinguished career is literally life saving for anyone who is not aware of the quite serious risks that cell phones pose for both the quality and quantity of our life and our ability to reproduce. If you have a child with a cell phone or a teenager with a cell phone you have a moral obligation as a parent to read this book. This book helps one understand the actual bonafide scientific research that has been conducted, the influence and tactics of the Telecommunications industry and the bastardization of Science by corrupt and dishonest scientists. Some may not like the narratives the author weaves of all the history and internal politics of the science community and industry others will appreciate it. Regardless the facts within speak for themselves. This is a life changer. I am literally buying copies to give away as a charity.

Finally the Truth, December 3, 2010
Who is this Lorne Trottier writing? He's a millionaire with a vested interest in the continuation of cell phone an WiFi radiation. He's one of the few who write little footnotes thinking it makes brain cancer go away. Why doesn't he write his own book instead of slumming on the comments page of this one? Devra Davis is perhaps the most important journalist of our time. having a PhD. gives her major credentials. Sharing a Nobel Prize is pretty good cred as well.
Read this book! It will save your life.

The sad truth told by an articulate brilliant scientist, November 9, 2010
I know many people dead or dying from brain cancer attributed to their cell phone use. Every human being who uses a cell phone or buys one for their children or grandchildren MUST read this powerful book. The author is brilliant in how she goes about describing the science and how the industry is hiding it from the general public with cooperation with our federal regulatory agencies. This is another example of industry regulating government. You will be outraged and you will, hopefully take the precautions mentioned and tell others.
This is a great book to buy for your friends and family for Chanukah and Christmas- what a loving gesture that would be!
Citizens have the right and the need to know the truth. Thank you Devra Davis! ... Read more

Editorial Review