Purchasing Books

I think it's important to point out this book is realively small for the degree of degtail it contains. If you want to find out the answers to a great deal of cullinary questions without wading through highly verbose food science texts, then this is your book. It is certainly Europe centric.

This book is not for the faint of heart or the casual cook or reader! This is a most complete reference work on the art and science of cooking. If you ever wondered what happens to the food stuff when you cook it or why you do or don't add certain things together while preparing a dish this volume has all your answers. This is not a bedside reader but an excellent addition to your cookbook collection and reference shelf.

"On Cooking and Food" is the tool to obtain the base knowledge nesessary to do food right. This book is a culinary couse unto it's self, you will go to the next level in your cooking with this book.

The book is wonderful. If you love to cook and wonder why and how foods taste wonderful--or horrible--this the book for you. It explains which methods work and which don't and why they do. Worth every penny. Harold McGee is a good writer which makes the book a pleasant, worthwhile read.

McGee's book set out to teach you the science behind cooking--but ends up teaching you only the names of various compounds and reactions. Very little space is given to teaching the reader how to use food science to craft new recipes or to improve the implementation of existing recipes. Neither is any attention given to how our own kitchen experience can help us understand the nature of foodstuffs better. Also, it may be my own ignorance, but the science itself seems mostly descriptive and not analytical. While there is an appendix on chemistry--it is too little too late. Buying this book may help you impress your dinner guests with your talk, but look elsewhere for resources on how to become a better cook.

After reading this book and doing what it said, I saved over $4,000 on my new Camry. If you're looking for a new (or even used) car, this book will teach you what discounts the dealers receive, what the kickbacks are, what you should expect to pay for your new car and how to get the best deal possible. The book will teach you how to pit the dealers against each other and give you the upper hand when it comes to negotiating. No more sitting in a dealership for hours while they play their waiting games, no more high-pressure sales, no more haggling. The "fax attack" portion of the book tells you where to get the information about your car, how to present your deal, and who to fax your information to. It's that simple. With just a little research on your part, you can make a really great deal. Simply put, do the research, create your fax, send to the dealers in your area (the more the better), wait for the phone to start ringing with great offers on the car that you want. Take the lowest offer and call the dealers who will, in turn, try to beat the offer. Do this until all of them are done bidding. Go pick up your car.

If you are reading this review then your must be considering buying a new car. Don't even think about walking into a dealership and talking to the salespeople. Except of course to test drive and see which one you really want. After that run out of the showroom. I highly recommend using Mr. Bragg's strategy for buying a car. It is so easy and stress free and you will have the dealers eating out of the palm of your hand. I also highly recommend visiting his web site fightingchance.com and purchasing his information package. Actually if you get the package you may not even need the book. But the book is a good read in any event. I was looking for a compact car which typically doesn't have a lot of wiggle room for dealers because they generally don't come with expensive extras like leather seats, real wood trim etc.... I was able to get mine for $1150 under dealer invoice and maybe could have even gone a little lower but I had to stop the dealers from chasing me at some point. It was crazy. I finally just said enough. It works that well. Before finding Mr.Bragg's information I probably would have been happy to get a couple hundred of the MSRP. I can laugh about that now. One word of caution would be if you use this method and have a trade-in the dealers might try to really stick it to you on your trade. They won't be making much if any money on the sale of the car to you so they will most likely try to make it by low balling you on your trade-in. That was my experience until I told them I'd take it some where else and sell it. Bottom line is if you think you can walk into a showroom and negotiate the best deal, you're CRAZY. Buy the book or buy the info packet. And pocket the rest of your hard earned money.

James Bragg has made a successful career out of helping people through the intimidating process of buying cars. And his success is well-deserved. I just recently bought my first new car. I had put off the process for a long time, because:
(1) I'm young and could be seen as an easy target by car salesmen
(2) I was intimidated and had how idea how to even approach the car buying process.

So I began to do my homework, researching car buying on the web. I found a lot of advice out there, much of it conflicting. One thing people never disagreed upon was the value of the Fighting Chance, the information service by James Bragg. When I finally decided that the time was right, I ordered the Fighting Chance and bought this book. Armed with the all of the knowledge and preparation I needed, I now knew exactly what I needed to do to launch a successful "fax attack" on dealerships surrounding me. I knew exactly how to field every response from car dealers. I knew how not to fall into their traps. I knew how to defend myself and control the situation. I was doing everything on my terms and not letting the salesmen know too much or dictate any of the terms. I got a great price on a car (way below invoice price). And when I went to the dealership to sign all of the papers, I knew exactly what to do and what to look out for. I drove away feeling happy, satisfied, and NEVER taken advantage of.

This book will arm you with all of the knowledge you need to buy a new car. You'll know exactly what to say in every situation. And you'll know how to not fall into playing a car salesman's games. Whether you've done it before or not, you will be amazed by how effective the techniques taught in this book are. James Bragg's writing is entertaining; you'll breeze through and thoroughly enjoy this book. As one reviewer said, this book does somewhat play out like a long infomercial for the Fighting Chance service. But it fleshes out a lot of areas that Fighting Chance doesn't. And for someone like me who has never done this before, it helped me walk into the dealership with full confidence that I would get what I want.. with no surprises. It is a vital companion piece to the Fighting Chance package.

If you're in the market to buy a new car, you need this book. If you think you can get a great deal by walking into a dealership (or a few) and negotiating well, you are greatly mistaken. Buying a car is like a high stakes game of poker. And the dealership is holding most of the cards most of the time. This book will give you a chance to level the playing field. And it will enable you to have the upper hand in getting the best price for the car you want.

This book provides good practical advice for buying or leasing a car. It is clear and easy to understand and takes all the mystery out of the process. I also learned about my own motivations for buying a new car and how car stores are ready to separate me from my money. The book, however, is a couple of years out of date. It's not critical but more up to date data and more info available on the internet should in my opinion be included. The techniques offered for saving money are sound.

The "fax attack" method for purchasing a new car is genius. I not only got my 2007 Honda Civic for the least expensive price out of the 18 dealerships I faxed in Illinois (darn near the whole state, excluding some northern Chicagoland dealers), but I was able to sleep at night. Not ONCE did I wonder, "could I have gotten this at a lower price?" because I knew for a FACT that the price I got was not only the lowest at that time for that model, but was also fair. Ever get burned by a dealership? (Don't lie, everyone has, even if it was just a waste of time.) Well, buy this book, study it well, and you won't get burned again.

O'Reilly's an up and coming publisher of computer related books. Maybe a kingpin already. This selection is a true quick reference guide. Written by the Thompsons, this selection gives you a thorough look into buying, assembling and operating computers. You do need a basic understanding to get anything out of this book, but if this is the case, you won't be disappointed. I have a first edition copy, and it's still current. That says a lot, a first edition published four years ago is still not too outdated! Think about it. How many computer related books can you think of that's relatively current after four years? Huh?

This book is amazingly concise and thorough, yet also very easy to read. It contains many helpful photographs, and the authors maintain a great website that is tremendously useful and is a great addition to the book. I am not a big fan of the "In a Nutshell" computer books published by O'Reilly, but this book is definitely an exception. It's great for both beginners and experts.

Robert Thompson is a man who doesn't hold back from giving his opinion on why something is good or bad, either on his website or in his books. In _PC Hardware in a Nutshell_, he tells you just what he thinks of what's good and bad about PC components in just about any category you can think of, and backs it up with all the facts, figures and personal experiences you could ever ask for. Every chapter includes historical information on the components under discussion, detailed reviews of what they do and how they do it, and recommendations on what to use (and what not to use). The final chapter walks you through building your own machine step-by-step, though, this being an omnibus book, the chapter is necessarily slightly skimpy in comparison to _Building The Perfect PC_. The writing style is clear and lively, in fact the book is well worth reading as a book even if you don't need any specific information at the time. The only real complaint I have is something the author has no control over - the fact that new PC hardware comes out so fast that it's just impossible to review every single new thing in a paper edition. (Well, that and the fact that Thompson doesn't like Western Digital because he's had bad experiences with their hard drives, whereas I've been using WD exclusively for years and never yet have had one go out on me. I think that can be chalked up, though, more to the fact that there's just so much PC hardware out there that different people are just going to end up having completely different experiences with components from a particular manufacturer. That, or I just got lucky with WD hard drives.) All in all, this book is truly indispensable.

This is a great book that covers every aspect of building a PC. However, as of August 2004, the 3rd edition of this book is a bit dated. For example PC3200 memory is considered the newest memory and both Pentium 4 Prescott processors and Athlon 64 processors were not out when this book was published. If you are buying this book, you may want to wait for a 4th edition, unless you are looking to assemble an old computer.

I would not accept the author's hardware recommendations as the final word. For one thing, the components they review are in many cases no longer manufactured. Magazine reviews and PC hardware Web sites are going to have different opinions on what the best components are.

Let me start out with a huge thanks to O'Reilly. I'm not a big fan of large corporations or publishers - but I have come to trust O'Reilly implicitly wherever technical issues are concerned. Although I'm certain that they are not the "perfect" publisher, nor in the business for wholly (ha!) altruistic reasons, I AM amazed by the remarkable originality, diversity, range, quality, accuracy, and honorable business practices of this publisher. Oftentimes I wonder how they manage to maintain such a level, when their current library is so chock-full of tough-to-follow acts.

That said, PC Hardware in a Nutshell does not fail to meet up to these high expectations. Let me get the review portion of my review out of the way - simply put, this is the book I have been hunting for a couple years. That I did not immediately search the O'Reilly library only shows that I am a bit silly. I should have known better. End of review.

But I would like to carry this a bit further, and go out on a limb to discuss the only complaint prior reviewers have voiced: that the book is too "Microsoft-centric."

Rather than a weakness, I believe that this is actually a strength. Let me offer big kudos to the authors and publisher for realizing that a serious, yet accessible, compendium of computer hardware knowledge was necessary. The folks who register such complaints are those least in need of an in-depth introduction to PC hardware. These are the high priests of hi-tech, who rule the roost by virtue of their knowledge-monopoly on all issues technical. They would have you believe that if it was not hand-crafted from spare parts, duct tape, and copious amounts of solder and configured with the most obscure version of Linux, then it's only fit for a 4-year-old. They are, quite simply, dead wrong. Let them compile their own "PC Hardware for Only the Most Serious Tech Gurus", I say!

Thompson's very first point is that he intended the book to be of the most practical usability possible. The practical reality is that the people who desperately need such a compendium are poor fools, like Yours Truly, who are too technical to be satisfied with tutorials on how to use Microsoft Office, yet are not quite knowledgeable enough to get right under the hood of their PCs (never mind build a Linux box from spare hatpins and Reynolds Wrap). We, the "psuedo-techies", often do not come equipped with enough experience, knowledge, or confidence to take ourselves to the next level. We are the crowd who are using Microsoft products, yet would love to learn enough to understand exactly WHY Microsoft means "mush-mind" and Linux is God - but will never get there without a guide. This book is the guide, and to me it says, "Psuedo-techies unite! Power to the people!"

The title and odd graphic on the cover might scare away male readers, but the book is equally useful to a wife and for the man himself. I'd recommend it as a gift to any male graduating and entering the world of work.
It's excellent in explaining the options, what to wear with what, and when to wear certain types of clothing. I like the chapter explaining what casual Friday attire really should be.
Some of the tips for wives (or girlfriends) include care of the clothing and not to project your color preferences onto him. The author advises having your man try on everything in his closet. Good luck. I wouldn't ever try on all the things in my closet, so it's hard for me to imagine a man being willing to do this.
The book is packed with information on the classic male wardrobe from shoes and socks up to the tie around his neck. The sketches nicely complement the text. Quite a useful book for anyone wanting to dress appropriately in the world of work as well as casually.
I do wish the print was larger in the book, but it packs a lot into 275 pages.

If, like me, your husband is the kind of guy whose attitude is, "I'll wear if it a) fits and b) doesn't stink," this book will be a huge help to you.

Of course we all want our husbands or gentleman friends to look halfway decent. But if he doesn't particularly care to extend much effort in that direction himself, Betsy Durkin Matthes' "Dressing the Man You Love" will be your boon companion in understanding the ins-and-outs of men's clothing (a little more complicated than it looks!) and in caring for that clothing.

In addition to an excellent, thorough overview of men's clothing from types of tweed to types of tie patterns, Matthes covers body types; alterations; figuring out what colors best suit his skin tone; dealing with store salespeople; and more.

The book is sensitively designed, graphically attractive, and sprinkled liberally with funny quotations about fashion, style and clothing. Daniel Cooney's black-and-white illustrations suit the text and tone of the book, and are detailed enough that they're not there just for decoration; you can actually learn from them.

I'm thrilled to have this book on our bookshelves, and consult it when shopping for my husband. Thank you, Betsy Durkin Matthes, for a much-needed basic guide!

Being a man, it was not easy for me to sit down and read this book based on its title. I must admit that I did not know what I was going to get out of this book. However, after reading the book I must now admit that I have learned much from Betsy Matthes' book.

The book is just what the title suggests: a book on how to dress for men. It is actually a well written book that moves quickly. The illustrations in the book also were helpful and the pointers that Matthes gives are well worth your time.

Overall, I was happy to have read the book. I have learned that some of my own dressing habits need to change. It's amazing how much you don't realise goes into dressing for success until you see it in this work. Good job Betsy!

Betsy Durkin Matthes' book DRESSING THE MAN YOU LOVE is a tour de force illustrated guide to helping a man dress his best according to classic standards of clothing excellence. The illustrations and tone of DRESSING harken to a more civilized time when people expected men to be gentlemen and consistently look their best, while it presents an up-to-date modern awareness of materials and style.

This is a thrilling book for anyone who's wished to know the secrets of what makes the difference in appearance for a well-dressed man, as it takes the reader into the fascinating world of men's fashion. Matthes sets precisely the right mood for helping anyone dress their favorite man to the nines, regardless how little they may already know. With a friendly tone, DRESSING inspires, educates, and helps to empower and embolden us to offer solid mens fashion assistance in ways that make a huge difference.

DRESSING is relaxing and reassuring to readers of all levels of fashion awareness, as it sets one's mind to correctly prioritizing what areas to focus on in improving your man's wardrobe... from the best places and times to shop, to what to shop for... to how to work most effectively with a tailor. Matthes consistently achieves the perfect balance between providing the "big picture" of fashion planning and a wealth of information on all the little things that together make such a big difference in the overall look. Details such common suit weave patterns, tie patterns, color coordination, sleeve and hem lengths, and proper alterations are covered beautifully with vivid descriptions and ample sketches.

Highly recommended!

.
Beginning with the basics size & shape of your man, Betsy Durkin Matthes asks questions that are easy to answer, but very important in picking the right kind and color of clothes for your man... or men, for yourself.

Chapter 1: Classifications include: the perfect (and not so perfect) man; the string-bean - or lanky; the short challenge; the larger man and his needs; ironclad men (those with the 6-pack belly and muscles like The Rock. Additionally a chart with suggestions for the body types helps pick out the right items.

Chapter 2: What colors are best? Years ago I was classified as an Autumn, and found that the fall colors enhance my appearance; I also buy clothes in the other seasons such as bright yellow (spring), black (winter), sky blue (summer). With the colors outside my season I change the way I do my make up. Since most men do not wear makeup, the choices are more important. Keeping the seasons in mind is helpful in buying the right color clothing and accessories to bring out the best in your guy.

Chapter 3: This is tricky because there are probably a lot of clothes that need to be tossed out -- so you attack his closet...but don't shock him, get him to help you and to understand why his wardrobe needs an update.

Chapter 4: If you don't generally shop in the men's department, just take the plunge and browse. Follow the guide she provides, and fill in the form for your man. Some of these items are jacket size, sleeve length, pants around the waist and to the floor, even tie length because a tall man needs a longer tie. This is filled with good information.

Chapter 5: The salespeople -- if they are on commission, they may try to get you to buy more than you need. That is the value of all the previous questions, answers, and guides. You'll know if they want you to buy everything or the ones that are right for you. You are in charge.

Chapter 6: Now the suits - every man should own at least one suit. This chapter is loaded with pictures that display the cuts of jackets, pockets, lapels, etc. We see the current fads everywhere, but the classics are sharp and can make the man.

Chapter 7: What's the best fabric for a suit? There are a variety of wool types and other fabrics, and some are better for the cut and type of a jacket than others.

Chapter 8: The covers patterned fabrics such as: pinstrip, chalk stripe, window pane, and more. The chart Matthes provides has clear pictures of each type, thus making it easier to discuss with your man and the salesman to find the right one for your man.

Chapter 9: How do you get the right trousers. Suit trousers really don't work as dressy slacks. With a bunch of pant types pictured for you, you'll know cuts, cuffs (yes or no).

Chapter 10: Covers vests -- to wear or not to wear?

Chapter 11: The Tailor is truly the person who can make an off the rack suit look custom. When you find a good one, consider him a jewel.

Matthes' Glossary will answer all of your questions so that if the tailor asks if you want barrel cuffs on a broadcloth pant, you'll know what to say.

With 25 fascinating chapters, you'll find that you are able to choose the best way to dress your man, or for a man to dress himself.

Good book, if your looking for furniture deals. Some of the information is not as updated especially websites addresses but there is a lot of great sources in the book.

With this guide, we were able to save 40% over the price at a local Flexsteel dealer for some custom ordered furniture. We wouldn't have known where to order from without the guide. We saved several hundred dollars, offsetting the investment in the book many times over.

The author details many stores, their policies, pricing, shipping and product selection.

I've bought this book twice - it's a must have before you shop for furniture. You save so much money the book really doesn't cost you anything. It will make you an informed shopper when buying furniture. Kimberly tells you what brands are sold where, and the discount you can expect. Information on stores to visit, stores to just call in your order, or stores to avoid are given - saving both time and money. Four years ago I wanted a sofa from a not so well known manufacturer and this book gave the info on the one place that carried that brand. I saved so much time and money, and knew what to expect when buying.

She also has a website referenced in the book that provides the lastest updates to the book, as well as comparing some prices, and lots of other great information. There is also very helpful information regarding purchasing fabrics for decorating.

Don't shop without it!

Have not actually travelled to NC yet, but plan to in October. This book is very helpful in planning the trip and deciding where to go. It's exactly what the description is and I'm sure will be very useful.

I received a tip about this book from my daughter's preschool teacher. They use it for school and when I picked it up, I expected this to be a teacher's manual. It does have lots of education material and should be a class! My husband and I enjoyed the funny little stories and I really got some great tips on the kinds of toys to buy for our preschool daughter and her newborn sister. Already, we have more toys that we probably need but this is a great guide to help us as the girls get older and then ask for everything. It really helps you put a value on the dollars you spend on toys these days. This is a great book for first time parents to read before they start toy shopping. There is a great chapter about technology toys.

I can't stop reading this book! Each chapter is better than the previous one and there is SO much I learned about toys. I'm pregnant with my first child and my mom bought me this book as a gift. She told me that I need to know everything about toys now so I do not make the same mistakes as my siblings who bought way too many toys that my nieces and nephews rarely play with. This is an amazing resource for preschool and kindergarten teachers too and the best part is that this book does not dictate what toys are the best. The reader is left to decide that based on what the authors have taught you. It's really a parenting book and class all in one! They have a website too.... toytips.com lists tons of toy reviews based on research for you to review. I LOVE that! I've looked at other websites that have reviews and opinions of a few parents and their experiences with specific toys but this is so much better than that! Great find. Great buy! Thanks, Mom!

I am a pediatrician living in Ireland. A friend of mine in the United States told me about this book that he uses as a reference to help his patients with toy-related questions (categories of toys appropriate by developmental age, safety, etc.) He bought me a copy for Christmas. After reading this book, I realized that not only is this book helpful to parents but also to physicians. Toy safety and selection is not a course that is taught in medical school and this book is ideal for all pediatricians. I am familiar with other toy-rating and toy-suggestion books published and none come close to the detail and amount of research put into this book. If anyone is looking for a gift for their pediatician, this is IT!

I'm a stay at home dad who bought toys for my 5 kids this Christmas. I bought this book to learn how to choose and what kinds and types are better to buy. This book gave me the confidence I needed to figure out what toys were best for Lilly, Max, Zoe, Kate and Nick versus what they asked for (Xbox and Ipod, Barbie and My Little Pony) I made some good choices and I was pleased that they actually play with them. It seemed we have so many toys from last year that are just sitting in the playroom. I really like the chapter that talks about family board games. I never really thought about this before and now we play games every friday night (weeknights are out because of homework, ballet practice and swimming!) My wife thinks I am a genius and I'm never telling her this book helped me but I think it can help other guys like me so I felt compelled to write this review for all the other dads out there like me!

I read this review from Fagan (below) and have to add to it. I am an emergency room nurse and we see many toy-related injuries. Most could have been prevented. I think if parents took the time to understand the importance of buying age-appropriate toys and then took the time to play with their children, we might see less accidental injuries. I bought a copy to keep at the hospital for our health care workers who will benefit from reading this book. It's nice to see two authors who care so much about what they write about. Thank you to Ms. Marianne Szymanski and Ms. Ellen Neuborne.

This book could easily have been titled "Everything you ever needed to know about rural land sales but didn't know who to ask, or even that you should ask." The Schers give detailed explanations of very complex real estate issues that you just aren't going to be familiar with if you've only bought urban housing or have never bought property at all. I personally know people who have experienced some of the real estate and legal horrors that Les describes in this book. I'm so glad someone finally put all this information together in one somewhat easy-to-read reference... now I know how to keep myself out of the same jams! Even the things that don't specifically apply to my location are good to understand since, in some way, they might still affect me in the long run. Lots of great pointers to additional references and government/legal agencies that I've been trying to pin down.

Definitely a MUST HAVE for any modern homesteader... enthusiastic two thumbs up!!!

I read the book, it cover a lot of the things that I haven't even think about for owning land. Anyone who is looking to buy land to invest, this book is a must read.

My husband and I are considering buying some undeveloped land. While we own a house, we know nothing about rural land purchases and didn't even know what questions we should be asking. This brook provided a good overview of issues to consider, and the checklist at the back of things to inspect/ask about for each property was especially helpful.

This guide has everything I could imagine and alot I couldn't....which is of course the point.

If comprehensive is what you want, this should make you happy. The problem is that if you follow every bit of advice in this book you will have to quit your job and make finding your place a full time endeavor (or spend years part time). The advice is all good, but it almost makes the task seem more daunting, not less. Still great for learning all the issues and things to look out for, then you decide how much effort to put into footwork before buying your piece in the country

Whether you're a proverbial deer in the headlights at the mercy of salespeople or a picky shopper who fancies himself quite a negotiator, you will almost certainly learn something from this book that will save you money and/or frustration. Mark Marine isn't your typical car dealer; he may in fact be "the anti-car dealer." That's a good thing. The reason other car dealers don't like him or this book is because he sings like a canary about all of the ways car dealers exploit you for their own profit.

This isn't a primer on arguing down your local salesperson to the lowest price possible. You don't need to haggle to get a good deal; in fact, even the best hagglers probably won't get a good deal if they don't understand the arcane arts that car dealers use to make money off you. Speaking of deals, those "too good to be true" deals the guys are always yelling about on TV are indeed too good to be true. Marine shows you how something like 0% financing (which sounds great) can actually cost you money. Those sweet trade-ins values that sound so surprisingly generous? They're not. You'll also learn how the cost of your chosen car manages to swell so much on its way from the salesman to the loan manager - it's not just all the accessories you know about. There are all kinds of secret little add-ins the dealer probably won't tell you anything about.

What most surprised me - and probably a lot of you, too - is the way good credit works against you. Because lenders are willing to lend those with excellent credit more than the cash value of the car they want, car dealers feel they have a license to add all sorts of extras to the deal. In Marine's words, "good credit begs for abuse." If you don't want to find yourself buried in your car loan, you need to read this book. Marine shows you how to make your credit work for you - whether it's good credit or bad credit. It starts by getting pre-approval from the lender of your choice, as that's the only way to get the lender on your side rather than the dealer's; by knowing what you can do financially before you ever get to the car lot, you also seriously diminish the wiggle room the dealer has for exploiting you for his profit.

Kick the Dealer ... Not the Tires! takes all of the intricacies of buying a car and explains them in terms you can easily understand - and profit from. Mark Marine can save you enough money to buy this book many, many times over.

In this wonderfully succinct helpful guide the author walks the reader through every step of the car buying nightmare, with special attention given to the many faults, frauds and pitfalls of credit. This book takes an inside look at how the car dealership works, especially the ins and outs of where the car dealer makes money and the tricks he uses to compel the buyer into a bad deal. There are several places the car dealer is making large profits, sometimes it is by creating an artificially high `sale price' and then giving the buyer a big discount off the fake price, thereby pressing the buyers `hot button'. Most likely these profits are made at the credit table, for instance in the method of `spot delivery' where the dealer gets the buyer to sign a contract before credit conditions are approved.

The book takes an excellent look at all the shenanigans that take place when buying a car, from the trade into the `back end profit' such as all the extras like service contracts and add ons that the buyer is talked into getting. However the best part of this book is the portions on credit, how those with good credit are abused and those with bad credit are misled by `debt management' companies that pretend to repair credit but in the end only hurt the credit more. A very helpful guide that should save the reader a good deal of hassle and money the next time one buys a car. Highly recommended.

Seth J. Frantzman

Daily radio show personality Mark Marine shares the secrets he had to fight for the right to speak freely in Kick the Dealer... Not the Tires!, is a cut-the-bull assessment of how to get the best deal on how to shop for a new or used car, and especially, how to prevent car dealers from using your credit against you. Do you have a good credit score? Then watch out! Kick the Dealer... Not the Tires! reveals how customers with good credit are the most likely to get "buried" (meaning "to owe more in loans on a car than the car is actually worth") in a bad car deal, because both the dealer and lenders see a good credit rating as an invitation to jack up loan rates and pile as many unneeded extras on the bill as possible. Car dealers have been known to overcharge good credit customers to make up for money lost selling to bad credit customers! And if your credit is not so good, don't let it be an invitation to get gouged either - arm yourself with the knowledge to protect your pride, your rights, and your wallet. Kick the Dealer... Not the Tires! offers warnings against common pressure sales tactics and pitfalls, tips for protecting oneself against dishonesty and fraud, and much more, and is an absolute "must-have" for anyone who can't afford to pay for their car in a lump sum (which is to say, the vast majority of us).

I am one of a large group of people who wonder why buying a car has to be such an unpleasant experience. It seems almost impossible to get a straight answer to any question, much less an honest one. My worst experience was my second visit to examine a car at a dealership where I had previously purchased two vehicles and had one vehicle serviced for almost ten years. During the first visit, I talked with a saleswoman. On the second visit, that woman was busy, so I talked to a salesman for a short time and then left. When I got home, I fielded a call from the saleswoman where she chastised me for even talking to another member of their sales staff. That was seven years ago and since then, I have not set foot in that dealership, and in that time I have purchased two vehicles.
This book will not help you deal with rude sales personnel, but it will help you anticipate and avoid the questionable practices that almost always cost you more. In particular, you will be armed against the deceptive talk that is the main weapon of the car salesperson. The first rule is to never walk into a car dealership without having been pre-approved for a loan. One of the biggest sources of profit for the dealership is the markup when they obtain the financing for you. Terms that you will learn about in this book are:

Powerbooking - this is where a dealer will add options on the loan application that are not on the vehicle to inflate the value of the car and the amount the lender will be willing to lend.
Upside down - where an owner owes more on the car than the book value.

All of the points are explained in language that everyone can understand and will anger most people who have purchased a car. I recognized several of the tactics that were used on me and now realize what they were trying to do. This is a very valuable book that could save you thousands of dollars when you purchase your next vehicle. Read it before you walk into a car dealership for the next time.

Locked in this little package are all of the secrets that the car dealerships use to make their profits at the buyers' expense. Do you think that people with good credit get good deals, while those with bad credit get bad deals? Well, think again! In fact, the dealerships have tricks that allow them to maximize their profits on the backs of people with good credit, and this book tells you how you can avoid being a cash-cow.

Heck, it even tells those with bad credit what dealers can do for you (versus what they promise), and what you need to do to rebuild your credit.

Oh man, how did I ever live without this book? Not long ago I found out that I was "buried" in my most recent car, that I paid a good deal more than the car was worth. I blamed that one dealer, and vowed to take my business elsewhere. Well, in this book I found out that the treatment I got from that dealer was not unique, but actually standard procedure. But, now I am forewarned and forearmed!

If there was one book that I could recommend to all people, it would be this book! If you *ever* buy a car, then you should know what you need to do to make the best deal, which means that you should, indeed must, buy this book!

I give this book my highest recommendations!

An excellent book. Guy has managed to capture the essence of the buying process. This book is purely for those who can appreciate the fine principles to be applied during the sales process. It is not meant to be specific. However if applied properly, it will do justice for both the buyer and the seller. It's a guide for ethical and effective selling and how we as sellers can make selling so easy and effortless! Kudos to Guy!

If the redundancy were eliminated, this book would shrink to fifty pages. I kept waiting for the author to share something worthwhile with me, but finally gave up halfway through out of sheer boredom. Anyone looking for a better book need look no further than Brian Tracey.

I don't usually like how to books - because they don't really tell you anything. But this book is different. I learned more about selling from this book than any other sales training class I have ever taken. This book deliniates the essence of selling. The author's understanding of sales psychology is uncanny and intutitive. I would highly recommend this book for any person who is starting in sales or has been in sales for a long time. It is worth studying.

This book gave me a good over view of the sales process and specifics on how to relate to the buyer. I have read many sales books, but this one hits the mark. I would recommend anyone who is either a professional sales person or striving to be one read this book. It goes way beyond basic sales training and gets into the mind of the buyer and the seller. Great Job.

There are hundreds (thousands?) of books now in print which offer information and counsel concerning the sales process. In essence, that process involves cultivation and then solicitation but first an important decision must be made: Whom to cultivate? (In retail sales, obviously, anyone who walks in the door is a prospect.) When conducting workshops for salespersons, I strongly recommend that participants formulate criteria which describe what they consider to be their ideal customer. This profile should direct them to prospects which most closely match up with the criteria. Next I point out that the ideal customers they now have can -- and should -- comprise an extended sales force, serving as referral sources to generate leads. My point is that, except in retail sales, those who sell should select their prospects...not the other war around.

Baker's background is in financial services which presumably require extensive education to understand the specific products and services to be offered prior to the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of prospective buyers of those products and services. The title of his book suggests that understanding motivation (i.e. "hot buttons') is an essential part of the salesperson's preparation and indeed it is. He takes a direct and personal approach to his reader as if he has been retained to provide to the reader a combination of mentoring and coaching services. He carefully organizes his material within 12 chapters, skillfully "Tying It All Together" in the final chapter.

This book be most valuable to those who are new to sales or now considering a career in sales; also to sales managers, especially those who supervise others who are relatively inexperienced. To the former, Baker offers sound basics with a rationale for each; to the latter, Baker offers reminders of basics. (Working as I frequently do with sales managers, I am astonished by the fact that so many of them do not have a sufficient understanding of those basics.) I also recommend this book to another group which Baker may not have had in mind when writing it: Those in executive (non sales) positions who are frequently required to persuade others to support an idea or course of action. By now I am convinced that almost everyone involved in business is constantly selling, themselves if nothing else...and most do it ineffectively. Almost all of the strategies and tactics which Baker recommends can be as beneficial to those not in sales as to those who are.

Individual salespersons as well as organizations need a business plan which is cohesive and comprehensive; also one which prudently allocates resources, especially time and energy, where they will generate the greatest ROI. Given the complexity of the general subject of salesmanship, the art and science of ethical persuasion, it makes sense to consult several different sources (including Baker's book) and then cherry-pick whatever is most appropriate to your own specific circumstances (needs, interests, weaknesses, goals, etc.). Here are some other excellent sources: Dick Canada's The 24 Sales Traps and How to Avoid Them, Linda Richardson's Stop Telling, Start Selling, Paco Underhill's Why We buy, and Gerald Zaltman's How Customers Think.

The information in this book does not apply to the present.

I think it may have been great when it was first written but it will not help you get a good deal on a used car right now.

This book details the steps and provides the reader with the knowledge required to make an educated purchase of a new vehicle. It breaks down the barriers between the dealer and the buyer. No one should step foot into a dealership without reading the information set forth in this book. You will learn how to buy a car below dealer invoice, how to handle the sales tactics used by dealers and the ins and outs of the business. The most important thing you will take from this book is the confidence that you will not fall victim to a savvy dealer because you don't have the right tools to negotiate a fair price. Why? Because this book gives you those tools. I am a young, confident female and I completely feel comfortable walking into a dealership after reading this book. Prior to this, I was hesitant and thought car buying to be a big hassle. Not anymore. Give this book to anyone you know that is purchasing a new car. It will make a perfect college/high school grad. gift.

The Hassle Free Car Buying book is a great book for the women of this world. It gives us the knowledge of haggling with the car dealers when trying to buy a car for yourself and not letting the car dealers take advantage of the females.

Wow! This book was very helpful to me. I have 2 strikes against me when buying a car: 1) female 2.) black. It is true that car salesmen think women are push overs. I bought my first new car in 1989. Yes, I was taking advantage of. I feel I paid way to much for the car and the salesman did not work with me to lower the price. I bought another new car in 1992. I took a man with me, but I still feel we did not get the best deal. This book has enlightned me on how to negotiate, what to negotiate, and what not to say. I bought another new car and was able to use what I read from hassle free car buying. Thanks Jake!

Just as Location, Location, Location is the most important thing in real estate, Knowledge, Knowledge, Knowledge is most important when making a competent purchase. The more expensive the item being purchased, the more important the knowledge.

A car is a very big item to purchase. The more you know, the better. Jake has made it possible to know more than ever the next time I, or you, go to buy a new car. I will have this book in my hip pocket and it will be well thumbed...unless, that is, I just let him do all the work for me on his new web site...oops, I maybe should not have let the cat out of the bag. It will be a great boost for us "marks" the next time we sit down across from the "super-shark" salesman.

Thanks, Jake.