Buying-the

For starters, this book is very brief - barely over 100 pages not including appendices - and can easily be read in two sittings. Largely an overview with little detail. Thus, you're better off checking it out of a library than buying it for a long term reference.

It also unbalanced/biased - it is obviously written by a realtor. For example, it does not address the issues concerning buying vs. renting and dogamatically assumes that buying is always a great move. While buying a home is usually a great investment, more of the risks of buying need to be brought up.

More annoyingly, the book makes real estate agents (buyer reps) out to be white knights. Untrue! From my experience, there are far more bad ones than good ones and finding a sharp, diligent agent can be a real chore. And the authors claim that it is in your agent's best interest to be patient and find you the best house possible. Also untrue! It is in your agent's best interest to get you to buy ASAP with as little of their time invested as possible. Understanding the players and their motivations is key in the home buying process, and this book just isn't honest enough in that regard.

It may be worth a trip to the library, but not a purchase. Of the four home buying books I read, "The Unoffical Guide to Buying a Home" was the best. More comprehensive and honest.

There are 55 very detailed pages on clothing, hats, and accessories for men and boys, including $6.95 'Cashmere Suits,' $9.90 'Blue Flannel Grand Army Of The Republic Suits,' and 'Brownie Suits,' 'Fancy Sailor Suits,' and 'Children's Kilt Suits.' These sections are bolstered by idealized figures of mustached men strolling by the seaside in striped suits and straw boaters, pipe - smoking deep thinkers poised in velvet smoking jackets, and bashful lads posing in knee britches.

An equal number of pages are devoted to clothing, shoes, hats, and other accessories for women and girls, including 'Dr. Warner's Abdominal Corset' made with "extension steels, side lacings, and elastic gores on each side," girl's "reefer jackets," the $2.95 'Rich's Patent "Julie Marlowe" Lace Boot,' and 2 pages of heavily - festooned women's hats with names like 'the Leader,' 'the Susanne,' 'the Evangeline,' and 'the Bon Ton.' Presciently, many of the illustrations of women look remarkably like the matronly Mary Astor in the 1941 classic 'Meet Me In St. Louis.'

Especially interesting and comical are the items listed under 'Drug Department.' Here are found 'Injection No. 7,' which "is a reliable cure for all troubles of the urinary organs...no matter how severe the case,' and 'Dr. Rose's Obesity Powders' which explains that "too much fat is a disease and a great annoyance to those afflicted. . .it produces fatty degeneration of the heart, and sudden death results," and 'Beef, Iron, and Wine' nutritive, which, at $2.50 a gallon, was apparently very popular, "something no family should be without...used for extreme exhaustion caused by brain fatigue, eruptions, scrofula, and...depraved conditions of the blood."

There are 'vegetable cures' for 'female weakness' and 'fig laxatives,' 'Mexican Headache Cures' and 'Indian Cough Syrups,' 'microbe killers,' and "perfectly harmless" 'arsenic complexion wafers' which produce "pellucid clearness of complexion." "Reliable Worm Syrup and Worm Cakes" cure "the disease so fatal to children" and comes in "convenient form for children to take, which they readily do, thinking it is candy." 'Dr. Chaise's Nerve And Brain Pills' is a cure for those with "overworked sexual excesses."

Special mention should be given to the Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s own $0.75 brand 'Reliable Cure For the Opium And Morphia Habit,' which will "completely destroy that terrible craving for morphine . . .and free those victims from their terrible bondage." The 'Princess Bust Developer' and 'Princess Bust Cream Food' can be purchased separately or together for $1.46. Prepared by "an eminent French chemist," the bust cream promises a "plump, full, rounded bosom," while the bust developer, which comes in both 4 and 5 inch sizes, looks like a toilet plunger and is perfect "if nature has not favored you." Another ad educates potential women buyers by stating that "no worse affliction can befall a woman's face than to see a horrible growth of coarse hairs springing out like bristles," making her "disfiguring to behold." Oddly, 'Strangle Food' for cockroaches and 'Rat Killer - The Great Vermin Destroyer' are included among health and beauty products for the family.

Despite the exaggerated and misleading claims, this volume is overwhelmingly wholesome in nature, and provides an educational glimpse into the lives, consumer habits, social mores, and advertising methods of Americans of the era. Throughout, there are extended pages devoted to excerpts from grateful consumer letters with headings like "Proud Of The Buggy," "Perfectly Satisfied With The Revolver," "Everybody Says The Watch Is A Dandy," and "I Do Not Know A More Fair Or Honorable Firm." These pages are one of the catalogue's few disappointments, since the 'letters' are suspiciously uniform in tone, phrasing, and praise.

Other sections include 'Vehicle, Harness, and Saddlery,' 'Crockery And Glassware,' 'Watch And Jewelry,' 'Musical Goods,' 'Furniture,' 'Books And Stationary,' and 'Builder's Hardware And Material.'

(I bought this book as a resource for Old West roleplaying games, and it suits that application very well.)

There are two considerable strengths to this guide. First of all, it demystifies all the jargon and obscure terminology, and does a commendable job doing it. Second, Dan Gookin's advice to think about SOFTWARE primarily and not HARDWARE or PRICE when one is buying is worth its weight in gold. (The fact that brand names are scarcely used in this book is a strength and not a weakness, I believe, and fits in with Mr. Gookin's approach.) And for people who think "For Dummies" guides have too much clowning around, there is very little of it here, and it is not intrusive.

Having said all of these nice things, the book is occasionally minimal on key information. It could be argued that to make this guide complete, the author would have had to have written an 800-page book. In any case, this book alone won't get you through the computer-buying process comfortably. You should supplement the book with a friend who is moderately or heavily tech savvy.

In short, this is a great beginning and I honestly think it would be foolish for a computer beginner to buy a new machine without having read this very price-friendly work. But that reading will have to be supplemented by a friend or work colleague in the know about personal computers.

The author leaves the final decisions in the hands of the readers , but after reading this little paperback , the reader is an informed buyer! This is not a field where mistakes are cheap. This book will save you some real $$$ if you pay attention. It did me!

The book also features ten new make-at-home projects, including two observatories, a simple digital imager that is light enough to use with *any* telescope, a pair of binocular mounts, an observing chair, and more.

Further, the author's extensive web site ... is regularly updated with the latest news on telescopes and astro-equipment.

I highly recommend Star Ware for all amateur astronomers who are interested in learning about and purchasing the best equipment.

If you are thinking of buying a telescope or some astro-accessory, or maybe want to get more out of the equipment that you already own, this is the book for you! Even if you own a telescope, you're bound to pick up something new in this book! I learned more from reading Starware than in probably ten other books combined. And even if you own the first or second edition (or both!), the third edition is a MUST!

The information contained is very useful and basic. I like all the website listings and telephone numbers. The book is not complicated to read in one sitting (15 - 20 minutes). You will gain a lot of information if you are just beginning to explore this subject. I wished that the author had expounded more on research information like liens and other encumbrances and how these can potentially affect the bidder.

I originally borrowed this book from the library. But since I thought it was a good reference, I decided to buy it. It is always good to go over sections of the book from time to time.

Don't get me wrong, I love the book - its just a shame it wasn't more complete.

The regional summaries give you almost everything you need to know about classifications, primary varietals, labeling practices, etc. One suggesiton would be to include sample labels from each region to make shopping a little easier. Another would be to realign the Burgundy reviews to group them together in a less confusing fashion.

The pull-out vintage charts and wine-buying strategies are the icing on the cake. Now, if only they would offer an addendum (as well as a complete volume release) each year to keep prior customers up to date...

Cheers

One section of the book concentrates on great wines suitable for the wine collector. It rates the best wines from the present vintages of what the authors consider are the world's most prestigious wine types. These are identified as Red Bordeaux, Red Burgundy, White Burgundy, Red Rhome, Piedmont Red, Tuscan Red, Vintage Port, and California Cabernet. Included with the ratings are date references to "Wine Spectator" issues in which the wines were rated.

Another interesting feature is a wine buying strategy for stocking wine cellars. Vintage charts are provided which cover the top 100 best wines released by year from 1988 to 1999. A detachable and foldable vintage chart is included which may be carried in the purse or wallet for easy reference during those shopping sprees. Also helpful is a complete winery index at the back of the book.

For those folks like me who are not wine aficionados but like to get the best value for their dollars, the editors have included a checklist for wineries and wines of good quality for $12.00 or less. This is a fairly inclusive list and includes wines from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States.

Full of great information, there is probably too much detail for the casual wine shopper; however, it appears to be a must have for the more discriminating wine buyer.

The only thing it's good for is scamming money from unsuspecting customers to profit the "authors" (and I use that term lightly).

I'd give it no stars if that was an option.