Buying-the

I had this book on my shelf for a month before opening it - why did I wait so long? I agree with the other reviewers. This is a funny, moving, and yes, heartfelt book. Harlyn Aizley's voice is one I will never forget. Very poetic and humorous take on two of life's biggest and hardest adventures.

It's hard to imagine laughing about cancer and crying about sperm, but that's what I did while reading Buying Dad. Harlyn Aizley's insights and sharp wit made reading about two really difficult issues - cancer and infertility - a joy and a learning experience. A great book to pass on to a friend thinking of becoming a mom or to someone who is helping a loved one face cancer.

Whoever said lesbians aren't funny and can't laugh at themselves, has not read Buying Dad. It's just too bad Aizley is tied up with a child now as she would make a great stand-up comic.

Boring, Unless you run across words about someone you've met, or wines you are interested in, then, the authors merely repeated timeworn anecdotes. The description of the wine making process was interesting at first, but you've really got to be into it to keep slogging through.

There is no better guide for knowing the ins and outs of wineries throughout California. Large and small wineries they are all there. Forget some of the reviews. The background of each winery is great reading...

A vast array of information not easily available. Reliable reviews of the wines of virtually every known winery, and reliable comments about the future development and direction of wineries.

If you have ever moved, chances are that you never want to do it again. And Dave Barry is quite willing to remind you why moving is such a hideous experience, and why if you ever get the urge to do it again, you should lock yourself in a broom closet until your fit of insanity passes.

Among other things, Dave explains why your furniture takes so long to arrive (it involves primitive harvesters in the jungle) and why you will hate it when it arrives; what is and is not a good neighborhood ("I [heart] my Pit Bull" is bad); the horrifying thing called a mortgage; home repair and why you should not do it yourself; making enemies with your neighbors and their big savage dogs; garage sales; moving stuff out of your old house ("Tropical fish should be individually wadded up in newspaper") and into your new house ("... which will give your possessions an opportunity to scurry, giggling, back out to the truck so that you may carry them inside again").

Basically, if the idea of moving doesn't scare you before you read the book, it definitely will afterwards. Dave explains in horribly, humorously accurate descriptions, just what will happen when you try to move from one house to another. His viewpoint is only warped by the bizarre mindset of one who has tried to move and is still scarred by the experience.

So if you ever look around your house and think that you need more space, or a chance of scenery, have the doctor prescribe you something. But only after you've read this book.

Look, how can you not love Dave Barry. The man is one of the touchstones of the '80s and '90s, standing among such comedic giants as PJ O'Rourke and holding his own.

This book cracked me up when I first read it as a non-homeowner, and cracked me up even more after I'd bought a house. While Dave has slown down slightly with success, this and his other early books (Babies and other Hazards of Sex, and Dave Barry's Guide to Marriage and/or Sex) are still uproarious.

Look, you need something to read on the john. This should be in the can at the Library of Congress.

If you've ever bought a home or you work in real estate, you will find this especially funny because it hits so close to....uh, home. And it's a short book too, so it'll be a nice quick read to fit into your busy schedule.

While this book does list some unique items that are not listed in other home buying books, it lacks in the grammar area.

I do like how the book is formatted (easy to read) and the grouping of web-links at the end of each section is invaluable. I also appreciate the light that the author sheds on the real estate game and what some people will try to do to dupe you out of your money.

On the other hand, I would hate for my child to pick up this book and to think that adults are in general this lacking in grammar skills.

There are multiple instances of the misuse of there/their/they're and many occurances of nonsense sentences due to the editor not reading this book thoroughly (using 'off' instead of 'of'). There are also sentences in this book that change verb-tense mid sentence.

Maybe that's why the type is so big. Maybe the author/editor are assuming that you'll read the book so fast that you won't catch any of their typos...

This book is one of several that I have read on home buying. Although all good books on a specific subject will have overlap of information, Mr. Thornton reveals many additional facts and advice that the others don't. Also, it is an easy, quick-to-read yet comprehensive book printed in large type. I have much more confidence going out into the home buying market all by myself now. --Marsha

Interested in buying a house/condo this year or next? Do you want to make wise decisions based on inside information that is available to any knowledge-seeking consumer? If you answered "Yes" to all 3 questions, Todd Thornton's Home Buying without BS: Information without Overload will save you unnecessary headaches. Author Thornton presents vital information in plain language versus disguised "commission-driven" lingo voiced by your typical realtor, mortgage broker and escrow officer. For example, if you're lucky enough to receive your credit report from your mortgage broker, Thornton will discuss how Lenders evaluate your credit score and provide suggestions on how to improve your credit. Each of the 16 chapters is concluded with positive do-able action steps and relevant points of wisdom. Thornton's relevant points of wisdom served as mini-life savers when swimming towards the finish line in the home buying process. Thornton's straightforward tips strengthened me when I discovered my real estate service providers were prioritizing the size of their sales commission over my welfare and happiness.

If nothing else, now I know that rose is made from red grapes, but they take the skins out. If that seems too basic for you, then buy a more complicated book. But if you still unscrew the cap as often as you pop the cork, then there might be something in here for you.

I loved this book. It only took 3-4 hours to read, but I felt that I learned all I needed to know about wine to really begin learning from tasting. After reading this small book I feel that I understand what to look for in a glass of wine, and my appreciation of both food and wine is enhanced. I tried one of the recipes and my husband loved it! Good job!

Great body and flavor. Smooth and unique, easy to digest. The reader can taste and smell the grapes colorful discriptions. A relaxing page turner. One sip is not enough. Bravo ! Mr. Hecht

Paul.H

Larry Sandberg does an adequate job of taking the reader through the "basics" of acoustic guitar design, maintenance and history. However, his obvious bias towards Martin sometimes overpowers the strengths of the book. Anyone who is remotely familiar with American acoustic guitar history knows that Martin has always been a leader in the industry - few would dispute this. But, Sandberg's prose would have us believe that Christian Fredrick Martin brought the holy-grail of guitars down from the mountain with the 10 Commandments! Obviously at odds with Sandberg, some of us feel that Gibson has been at least as influential, if not more so, on guitar design and the buying habits of the 20th century guitar-buying public. What elusive credit Larry gives to Gibson generally arrives in a back-handed fashion, making sure that the reader is left believing that Gibson is always a notch below the "real" leaders, such as Martin (of course), SCGC (Santa Cruz Guitar Co.) and Taylor. Please, Larry: a little less Martin-droning and a bit more objective review. The book is worthy of reading however, if you can seperate the facts from the opinions.

Face it - you can't hang-out with guitar people if you have
no idea what nut width is! I decided to get one book
to comprehend the "acoustic guitar', and chose this one.
It is fantastic.

It's not necessary to read beginning to end. The author
organized it so well that a quick look up will fill you
in on the spot. I have become knowledgable enough about
guitar construction, woods, parts you name it, that I
can carry on an intelligent conversation with any guitar
head out there.

The author is a wonderful writer. He keeps it simple,
very informative, and he has a fun personality which
makes the reading fun. It sounds strange to say but
it's an exhiliarating read too because the information
is vast and very interesting.

Anyone planning to buy a guitar in any price range
should read this book first. Making a purchase will
be much easier for you. You'll know so much that
you won't get taken, and you'll know how to know
if you like a guitar or not.

If you want the skinny right now without any
blah-blah-blah or difficult to understand
technical terms, here's your book. It will
be something you'll look at for years to come.

As an "older-boomer-beginner" returning to guitars after a thirty-year absence, I read about this book in the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum ....

This is a very readable book for anyone thinking of purchasing a high quality acoustic guitar that wants to understand much more about what they are buying. This Second Edition contains just enough up-to-date technical and historical background to give you what you need to select a great new or used acoustic guitar. It clarified many things that I found confusing when I first started reading about model sizes, nomenclature, woods, strings, and everything else. I now feel like a very informed buyer, even though I'm not much of a player. I suppose there is a certain slant towards Martin guitars, but I think that is unavoidable given the history of the company.

Mr. Sandberg is correct in that no book full of adjectives will help you evaluate either sound or action. You need to go out and play as many guitars as you can. However, this book gives you a great start, and gives you a lot of good reasons to pass over a lot of what is on the lower end of the market today. Highly recommended.

Good insight on how the major political party candidates try to buy the election. After reading this book, I will definetely be voting Libertarian (or perhaps another third party un-tainted by big money). We should not encourage this sort of behavior by giving the major party guys the one thing we still have left- our vote!

An important analytical account of the issue of hard and soft money going towards camapign fundraising in the US presidential race. It effectively, and simply highlights the growing amounts of money that is being pushed into campaigns, and an important outcome is the need for sensible campaign reform principlly placing a ceiling on campaign expenditure to overcome the ludicrous state of US campiagn financing and expenditure.

Stop reading and just push the Buy It Button. Excellently written and carefully researched. This book is a damning indictment of the political process itself, as well as the two parties and all of their representatives. It explains in detail who owns our 'elected officials' and why are democracy is failing. No one is spared. After reading it you will be unable to vote for the tweedle dee/tweedle dumb hacks that the political establishment puts forth every election cycle. This book will never be out dated. Even after the election it will serve as an example for the future. It reveals the reasons laws are specifically written to aid special interests (see especially the Bradley section). I disagree strongly with Mr. Cohn's complaint about objectivity. How can one feign objectivity about the mass corruption that is destroying our society? Read it, live it! Get out of the two party rut; this book explains why you must. I also recommend the 1996 version.

I'm about to buy a new car, and bought and read this book. I was very disappointed, most of the book is hyperactive fiction, I wanted hard facts about true dealer cost and seller's negotiating tactics. Instead, the hard data is far and few between in this book. After buying "Don't Get Taken Every Time" I felt that I had been taken by the publishing business. Not recommended.

If you are thinking about buying a new car, you must read and study this book. It goes into great detail by informing you how to prepare for attacking a salesman on his own turf, and then shows how to counter whatever he says in order to get yourself the very best deal when it is time to negotiate. There is no doubt that I'll save hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars the next time I buy a new car. Thank you for giving me the ammunition to help me come out on top. I shudder to think of all the money I lost on my previous purchases, but that will never happen again. It took a lot of guts for the author to expose the secrets of greedy car dealers, and if it were within my power, I'd gladly recommend him for the Pulitzer Prize.

Remar Sutton with coy charm, and an acid pen, takes you on a SERIOUS ride into the mysterious world in which most consumer people know little (or even worse think they know a lot). Buying a car.

I bought this book while researching for my first new car, and while I found numerous tricks before through some websites, this book had everything and more. Dealer tricks, tips, how to finance, understanding the lingo, and knowing most importantly what YOU need.

The book is written in a very logical style, and goes through a hypothetical situation of the ultimate care salesmen nicknamed 'Killer Monsoon'. With Killer in tow, Suton creates a world that is massively informative and entertaining to the reader. You are followed through the day as Killer rips off, people and moves like a shark with stealth pray all the while, you the reader learn how to beat his (and the dealerships) secrets. This how to manual is hardly boring, always fascinating, and enjoyable (yet frightning) to read. I bought this book with the intention of reading it for a 2 week vacation period, but started reading it before I left and COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! I finished it in about 4 days. And that's the joy of this book, besides its massive amount of information it is never dull or confusing to read, but majorly entertaining as Remar creates every scenario you may face when shopping for a new/used vehicle.

I can't wait to use the knowledge in this book to my advantage I've never been so excited about what I know and what others don't about the whole dealership experience. Suddenly terms as 'water' at a dealership, and 'in the bucket' will keep you empowered.

DO NOT BUY A CAR WITHOUT READING THIS BOOK FIRST!!!!! GET IT NOW!!!

This book is a waste of time, especially if you have anything complicated in your home-buying transaction (and who doesn't?). It's also sexist - they actually recommend that two people in a couple (because obviously anyone who is buying a house must be in a heterosexual relationship) go and read _men are from mars, women are from venus_. spare me.

The best of the four home-buying books I read or skimmed. The key is that it is unbiased and written from the buyer's perspective, usually with humor. Most other books are not. Exposes a lot of the unseen motives from the various players in the process, particularly real estate agents. Has lots of useful tips and is more comprehensive than most similar books.

It looks like the home real estate industry is changing rapidly with the MLS/Internet and discount realtors popping up. It seems I've seen more "for sale by owner" signs and/or discount realtor signs than standard realtor signs during my recent home search. It is clear that it no longer costs a realtor 5-7% of home price to market a house with Internet (especially expensive ones), so something has to give somewhere. They ought to update this book every few years.

When my fiancee and found out that our rental house is going to be demolished (2 weeks before our wedding), we decided to "Try" to buy a house. The first thing I did was buy this book. It has helped us realize that yes, we can afford it, how it may even be financially good for us! All of my fears about being uprooted were calmed, and as we read each chapter together each night I feel more and more confident about the process and pitfalls of finding and buying our very first home! This book has answered EVERY question we have had, and pointed out situations to watch for that would have otherwise been unknown to us. We're going to prove to all of our friends and family that we CAN do it, and that we did it ourselves (with the help of a little book).

This book tells you why the Real Estate industry is changing and why Real Estate agents are in deep trouble. An easy and quite enjoyable read from one of Real Estate's most influential authors.

The book breaks down into two categories (Home selling) and (Home buying).

You learn about preparing the stage for effective marketing of the property for sale. Teaches you how to gather property information to price it right. Tells you how to pre-qualify the buyer and troubleshoot the sale and close the transaction. The book goes into detail of designing a purchase strategy and game plan. Tells you the in's and out's of mortgages and how to get pre-approved. All in all it is a pretty solid little book. If you are an agent or a homebuyer / seller and have not read this book you have missed the boat.

FinancialNeeds.com

It is about time someone in the real estate profession wrote a consumer friendly book. This is simply outstanding, and is a must reading for the ever transitory public. It is truly an idea whose time has come, and the sooner real estate agents move their business model into the 21st century, the better. Go Julie!

My wife and I are buying our first home. I bought 6 books on "how to" and "what to do", so we would be informed on the best way to find a home. This was the best book. We hired a consultant to help us with the purchase and we close June 30. This process saved us alot of time and money.