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I admit I was thinking about the possibility of buying a larger house than we can afford and putting the unused space to use as a B&B. I needed information, but surfing the Internet was a long and time consuming job.

I did end up with two trade journals, that I'll tell you about later, but there is no web site that has the plethora of information in this book.

This book is very well written. I actually sat down with it and read most of it straight through, like a novel. The index is so good you can easily go back to the topics you'll need if you pursue the B&B route.

Stankus doesn't pull any punches when she tells what's involved in owning and operating a B&B. I found out things like:

* the difference between a B&B and an inn

* safety concerns for yourself and your house

* zoning issues and ordinances

* insurance, fire laws, and other legal requirements

* furnishing and outfitting your home

* how to get in the guide books

* applying to and using an RSA (reservation service agencies)

* ways to market your B&B business

* what's involved in the B&B lifestyle

* your competition - how to find it and use it to your advantage

* how to price your rooms

* determining your start-up costs

* amenities - what are they and do you need them

Included are: some useful web sites; a state-by-state list of the RSA's; U. S. & Canadian tourist offices; and a number of various work sheets.

Stankus also deals with issues such as allowing pets or children as guests, medical concerns, food preferences and allergies.

There is enough information to give a reader a solid background in how a B&B works.

Here are some other sources if you're enamoured of the idea of a B&B:

* look for local or regional classes (many times taught by owners of B&B's)...

As always, Globe Pequot's "How To" series is chock full of useful information, reasonably priced, and delivers more than expected. I've decided B&B (or innkeeping) isn't for me. But, if you want to explore the option for yourself, I can't think of a better book to start with.

Joanna Davis is a wonderful creation; a police detective on the LAPD force who is tough yet sensitive, smart yet cautious, feminine but strong, a very young grandmother and an almost-menopausal woman, all rolled into one delightful bunch of contradictions. Any woman who reads this book would like to have a Joanna in her life as a friend.

Of course, almost anyone who reads this book would probably like to have the 'perp' as a friend, too, as long as one stayed on his good side. He's clever and funny and thoughtful and kind to the elderly; it's just most of the legal profession of which he's not overly fond.

This is a delightful book, satisfying in every way; it's well-written with a most unusual plot, right up to and including the last page, and peopled by characters you won't soon forget. I'm off to find more books by this author who was previously unknown to me. No longer, though.

Simply put, it worked for me after a little practice and a little rereading - had I initially followed the directions to a "T," it probably would have helped me to become more efficient sooner. In otherwords, when it says to find a "quiet place where you can be completely alone..." you really have to do so. That meant I had to put my cat out of the room and close the door in order to eliminate all distractions and keep my mind from wondering.

In my opinion, the best thing about the book was the various templates. They help you organize your thoughts on paper and systmatically achieve your goal.

I was impressed. Highly reccommend the book.

Burklo's primary thesis is right on target, and generally well presented -- I would recommend this book to others, especially those uncertain about their own relation to Christianity. If he'd left well enough alone after the first two sections, I'd have probably given the book five stars (I consider three the default/average, and any more have to be earned, so by giving it four I'm still saying this is good stuff).

Unfortunately, this book does not leave well enough alone. Instead, Burklo adds a lot of unneeded baggage. While the primary thesis, that Christianity should be centered on Christ as God and God as love, and that doctrines and dogmas are not what maters, the book doesn't stop there. Instead, a lot of new doctrines are invented, in an apparent attempt to answer common questions in a way that would make religion more appealing to a newer generation. Unfortunately, I found these to be empty, unsatisfying, and contrived in many case; for example, there's a chapter that tries to reconcile science and religion (or separate them, there some double talk on this), but all he really accomplishes is showing a lack of real understanding of the subject at hand. Worse, he often take on an accusing tone toward those who prefer the more traditional views that is nearly as annoying as that of the fundamentalists whose view he is apposing. Basically, the book starts with a profound and important message, but then ends up spending most of the total text on unneeded baggage.

All things considered, though, this book has an important message to all Christians -- a call to return to the REAL fundamentals of Christian Love and the experience of God.