Purchasing Books

As an Animal Control Officer, I use this book often to help folks find compatible breeds. It is brief and to the point on each breed with easy reference guides to all the basic questions one would ask while exploring different breeds. I only wish it had color photos.

I keep this book by my desk and use it a lot to get information on different breeds. It gives a quick easy analysis of each breed, giving the reader a real good idea of the breed's positive & negative aspects, the information a person considering buying the breed really needs to know. Things like what health problems are characteristic of that breed and to ask breeders about, what the breed is Best With (for example: "fenced yards, obedience, close human contact, industrial-strength vacuum") and Not For (for instance: isolation, robotic obedience, inactive people")
The author's comments on English Bulldogs is funny, honest, and a good example. "Sleeping is this breed's favorite activity. Eatng is next, but they do love a good belly rub." "After drinking, they carry water in their jowls, slobbering across the floor. A sense of humor about the breed's propensity for flatulence is a good idea."

This book helped me find the PERFECT breed for me. You know how people try to tell you all about breeds from what they hear, or dogs they've known, but often they are wrong, or just plain uninformed. This book is ACCURATE, concise and totally reliable.

A MUST HAVE for anyone who is interested in buying a dog and being educated and realistic about the dog's needs and their own.

One thing I've always disliked about breed selection books is that they seldom give you a balanced description of the dog. Often it's heavily weighted for a positive outlook which makes every single breed seem like it could be the one for you. This book is different, and that's why I like it.

Describing the AKC recognized breed as of 1996, as well as a few rare breeds, you get a snapshot of the good, the bad, and the ugly with each breed. All of the basics are covered (protection ability, energy level, behavior with children/other animals, grooming) as well as some not typically covered (health problems, working ability). It also describes ideal and less-than-ideal types of owners. For example, the Rottweiler is described as best with strong confident owners who will train and socialize it early, not for pushovers with an invisible fence.

While a more detailed and lengthy description of each breed would be useful, you have to remember that this book has to cover 150+ breeds in less than 200 pages. This book is intended to help you narrow it down to a handful of breeds you might like. Once that's accomplished you go to breed specific books and other resources.

I give it 4 of 5 stars simply because it's from 1996 and doesn't include some of the breeds known today.

The reviews were very concise and well focused on the criteria that a prospective owner should consider.
The book only covers breeds -- it would also be nice to have a chapter on "choosing a mutt" and what the criteria, benefits and pitfalls might be.
Color pictures would make it easier to recognize familiar dogs, but, ultimately, it's not vital to decision-making.

Duty First enlightens a reader on both the academic and military demands at West Point - particularly for someone like myself who has no background in this field. It was honest about the ups and downs portraying the students and faculty in an ullustrative fashion. Really well written and captivating.

This is an outstanding analysis of the leadership program at West Point, in all its glory and without ignoring a few insightfully addressed shortcomings. The author has the advantage of having been on both sides of the program as a cadet himself, and later as an officer instructor at the academy. Well thought out and well written, this book belongs on the bookshelf of every military officer and business executive.

Every school seems to need this kind of book - so the "Makers of Leaders" story gets a bit tiresome even if there are good reasons to study USMA. But better look elsewhere.

This book takes the reader on a tour of West Point over the course of one year. It starts on Reception day and ends at Graduation. The author introduces you to a handfull of cadets and follows them through their expieriences of the year. A great book, I reccommend it to any one interested in the United States Military Academy of today.

One of the central characters of this book is MAJ Rob Olson. He is the TAC officer for the company that Mr. Roggero follows through a year at West Point. After the events of this book, MAJ Olson was promoted early, went to the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He then went to Hawaii to serve with the 25th Infantry Division (Light).

I worked for MAJ Olson when he assumed duties as the Operations Officer at 2-11 Field Artillery, 25 ID(L), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. About two months after he assumed this duty position, he was killed in a tragic helicopter accident which also killed six others and wounded scores more.

He had told me about this book, in passing, soon before his death and, after his death, I got and read the book. It is a wonderful tribute to him and his leadership style. He believed in empowering his subordinates and letting leaders grow by doing. I think it is great that his children, when they are older, will be able to read this book and see what a great officer their father was.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what a leader really is.

this is a pretty good book but it would be helpful if it had more pictures of outfits that one could put together

This is one of the best fashion books around. It's full of useful information, very pragmatic, and particularly helpful for professional women.

Mary Lou Andre knows what she is talking about when she gives down-to-earth advice on organizing your closet and building a good basic professional wardrobe. Her recommendation to first go "shopping" in your own closet so that you can focus on what you really need to buy to make everything work is excellent. Following her advice in this book will help you avoid impulse buying and style mistakes.

This book reads very well. The advice is sensible and doable. The author presents an approach to stylishly clothing and organizing oneself.

The author's biases about color preference and style of clothing do come through though one cannot question her belief in what she states-she sold her wedding gown to finance her business venture.

All in all a useful book.

This is a terrific pracitcal guide to organizing your wardrobe and style to make life easier, and project a confident image. Mary Lou provides useful advice on how to understand your lifestyle and body, and organize your wardrobe accordingly. And her stories are fun! Since reading her book, I've redone my closet so I can walk out of the door feeling completely put-together (no shoes with messy heels, clothes with missing buttons, or mismatched accessories.) I also consigned 20 pieces, invested in a few outfits that make me feel terrific, and people keep asking me if I lost weight!

I highly recommend this book regardless of your budget, age, style or body type! And I hear Mary Lou Andre might have a new book in the works - can't wait!

This book wasn't what I thought it was. Alot of the info in here is common sense and advise, but there is plenty of useful info reguarding free stuff and crafty ideas on how not to waste money on useless things that everyone tells you you need.

This book suggests a range of ways to save money. You're sure to find ideas that fit your lifestyle. The author discusses the most frugal options, such as breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and shopping at garage sales. However, if you're planning on using formula and disposable diapers, and want brand-name clothing, the author tells you how to save on those products as well. I highly recommend this book.

My husband and I are on a tight budget right now and this book has been very helpful, especially for first-time parents. It provides lots of practical advice and while some previous reviewers may claim it is all common sense, that is just not true. They have suggestions of things I would never have dreamt of (but are creative and useful from people who have already been there and have good suggestions to share.) I choose the tips that will be most useful to me and I am sure that I will come back to this book again and again.

This book has a lot of good ideas, but the name does not exactly fit. For example, there are many safety tips included. That's helpful, but the book is supposed to be about bargains. It does name websites you can go to, and other interesting ideas and tips. It's ok, but I was hoping for a little bit more from this book.

There are many problems with this book ranging from harmless to disconcerting. If you have done your homework by reading other books/leaflets, you will probably wish that this book was entitled "Do It Yourself Baby Rearing At Your Own Risk" instead of "1000 Best Baby Bargains". Here's a short list of the most troubling aspects of the book:

1. Overpriced for something that can be quickly read in an hour or two. Especially since most of the info is available for FREE if you go to Planned Parenthood (re: WIC), your OB, or your hospital's FREE intro sessions (e.g. in California they will give you a First 5 kit with even more valuable local support resources).

2. Even many of the do-it-yourself suggestions are not novel. If you're into sewing, you couldn't possibly miss the baby sections of the pattern catalogs. If you're not already into sewing, now is probably not the time to start for most people given that there is a learning curve, shopping, raging hormones at play, and perhaps unrealistic expectations about how great the final product will look on your first try.

3. The safety suggestions lack explanation and completeness. It is even shallower than what you will find in the FREE parenting magazines at your doctor's office.

4. Some info is downright wrong. Reusing breastpumps is not recommended because some of them, like the super popular Medela Pump-In-Style is not a closed system and thus there are some parts, exposed to breastmilk, which cannot be replaced. The replacement tubing offered by some hospitals cost upward of $70 (so new but simpler pumps may be cheaper). You can find this info for FREE at retail websites or through Medela's own FREE literature that is handed out at hospitals.

5. Some of the recommendations, e.g. modifying the holes in bottle nipples runs directly contrary to the manufacturer's recommendations printed on all nipple packaging. Sure, you can try to do it carefully as the book suggests but I think your baby is worth more than the $1 or less that you will save per nipple. Certainly you'll feel like an idiot if something truly awful happens.

I didn't read the entire book but what I read would indicate that one should be reading other books... in which case, why bother with this one? Btw, I found this book at my local library for FREE.

In this great book by the great Wade Cook, real estate expert Wade Cook reveals 101 ways to buy real estate with no cash. Most of the other books that talk about "no money down" real estate investing give you 5-10 techniques. Wade Cook gives you 101!

Great book. Thanks Wade!

What appealed to me about this new book by Wade Cook is that it offers 101 Creative no money down techniques to buy real estate and this it provides current up-to-date information.

Another thing that appealed to me is that it is WADE COOK's unique strategies and not somebodyelse's. So many of the other books out there just keep repeating the same things over and over. Cook is new and fresh.

I heard a statistic once that Wade Cook was responsible for helping to create more real estate millionaires through his unique formula's than anyone else. Easy to see why. In 101 strategies, Wade offers 101 ways to buy real estate without cash or credit. The formula's work. I've used them.

You will also need Wade's flagship work Real Estate Money Machine along with Real Estate for Real People. I also recommend How To Pick Up Foreclosures.

Get the best advice from the millionaire maker.

This book was very helpful to me when I first started becuase I didn't have either cash or credit. WADE offers a portfolio of 101 techniques to buy real estate with little or none of your own money.

Yes--this great book by Wade Cook shows you 101 ways to buy real estate with little or none of your own money. This book is like the encyclopedia of No Money Down Real Estate Investing.

Unlike so many me too authors, Wade cut his teeth in real estate and made a fortune using the same techniques he teaches here. Wade is not a "paper tiger" or a "me too" author who only writes about a subject without having actually done the deals. His methods are unique and they work. Or perhaps I should say they were unique..Wade is probably the most imitated but never duplicated author/real estate guru out there. Wade should be very happy...are you familiar with the phrase: "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?" Then Wade should be very flattered!

This book is a must read and a must have in your real estate library.

There have been many changes in how our customers buy. The two biggest influencers are the Internet and the crowded marketplace. Rackham's book was published in 1991 and laid the foundation for new thinking in how we align with our customer's buying processes and create value, reduce costs or become easier to do business with. B2B companies that do not follow Rackham's lead are doomed to become commodities. Every student of professional sales processes should have this book.

As a sales coach, I'm always on the the look out for insight. Rackham's book is a must read for sales managers.

... but getting outdated. Everyone interested in shaping and organizing a sales organizations should read it. Sales professionals should also review it for insight when thinking about segmenting their customers. It was very insightful in its days and is to an extent still today. As with all of these types of books it is ONLY ONE COMPONENT or view of how customer segmentation ans sales force alignment can be successful. SO take it as input, not gospel.

This book includes key considerations about the nature of large sales and shows, by means of contrasting with smaller sales, the specific requirements for success in this field. By reading this book the reader understands perfectly why extremely successful salespeople of low priced items fail when they are "promoted" to the selling of most prestigious and expensive items. It is a must for anyone in the field or large sales.

Having grown up on Rackham's sales models, I have huge respect for him and his work. When I was a sales rep at HP in the 1980s, Rackham's book changed my career and life, catapulting me from junior rep to SVP Global Sales (different company now). SPIN Selling is dead on the money in terms of what true sales pro's need to make the big bucks; it's still the best book in its field. I saw this new book from Rackham a month ago (note: it's been out there for 7 or 8 years) and bought it. I was very disappointed. Every great author/guru deserves one pass so I guess this is Rackham's. Rethinking The Sales Force is pedantic and tedious, filled with "consultant-speak" and the tired old models from McKinsey & Co (mgmt consultants) that every sales professional has had to labor through in internal process meetings. The "case studies" are mostly quips and 3 to 5 sentence anecdotes few of which are genuinely interesting or helpful. My real criticism of the book is it takes over 200 pages to say something that deserves one paragraph: some customers want a low-cost product and a low-end relationship, other customers want a more consultative, deeper relationship, and, pretty much, you have to know which is which to be successful. Makes sense. Worth an article in a magazine, but not a whole book. Summary: this is just not a strong sales book. LIke I said though, Rackham is a great figure in the sales field and his ideas have done a lot for me personally. I hope in his next book he shakes off the ennui so apparent in this last one and delves back into the original thinking.

This book goes from A to Z. It has some great checklists and provides some very good information to consider when buying a business. There were a few areas I wish the author had gone into a little more detail, but overall it gave me some great ideas.

This is not a heavy reading book and deffinetly gives you the basics to understand the process of buying a business. The checklist was the most informative and helpful section. A good first time read to wet your feet in the business of buying a business.

This is not everything you need to know to buy a business, it's not even close. This is a bird's-eye view of buying a business. I would recommend Yegge's books over this one. There you will learn not only the process, but also valuation techniques.

I'm an individual looking for a book to help me with my first purchase of a small business. I bought this book and read it from front to back and I did not find it helpful at all. I cannot think of one single useful thing that this book taught me. It practically didn't uncover anything that I hadn't already thought of. I assumed it would be full of invaluable information that only a experienced person that has purchased business before would know, but it isn't. It is a total disappointment. I would consider it a 100% waist of time.

Disappointing. I found this book to be a knockoff of Richard A. Joseph's earlier book, "How To Buy A Business" (Publ. 1994) - which I recommend over this. This book (Business Buyer's Kit) does appear to have some seemingly original value in the "Checklist" appendices at the book's end. Although somewhat simple and limited, they do provide the novice a basis for getting organized and doing research. For my money, Richard A. Joseph's, "How To Buy A Business", is a better value.

There are better books on trading commodities. This book is loaded with charts and examples, but I believe practical information on trading gold is better presented in other books on the subject. Although some may like this author's writing style, it was a bit dry and rambling for my taste.

I don't know why this guy seems to think that if you sign up for his "NEWS LETTER" that you'll NEVER want to be taken off. After many attempts to "unsubscribe" I still everyday get his letter in my mail box. There is no unsubscribe option and after many requests to be removed nothing happens.
So I can only assume that this "BOOK IS SPAM" his "WEB SITE IS SPAM" and "HE IS SPAM"

Don't buy his book and don't ever subscribe to his newsletter.

I was very disappointed reading this book.
The use of the word bootcamp is misleading. The author throws on you a bunch of trivia style information but fails to arrange it in a textbook like manner. It sounds more like a memoire than a how to book.

There is also a tendenccy, to create fillers as technical trading how to, commitment of traders report and so on.

Two thumbs down!

This book combines personal reminiscences, economic analyses and trading know-how. Gregory T. Weldon tries with some success to balance these three important elements, but readers are likely to be most interested in his trading advice. To convey it in detail, the book relies heavily on charts. One appears on almost every page, along with commentary and an explanation of why it is relevant to trading. This approach has its strengths, particularly in conveying information about trends and statistics, but as time passes, the utility of the charts may dim. Weldon could have softened this impact by providing instructions to readers on how to extrapolate more timely charts. He could also have proofread more painstakingly, as minor errors undermine his authority, but the depth of his knowledge shines through. getAbstract recommends this ambitious book to visual learners who aspire to trade in gold.

A lot of people don't know anything about precious metals investing and tranding. I know, since I work at Capital Gold Group, and everyday I have to educate clients about the basics of commodities investment. I wish I could give everyone who walks intot he office a copy of this book. It is easy to understand, clear, and factual. It has everything you need to know to become your own gold, capital and precious metals investor.

My apologies to other reviewers who had negative sentiments concerning this book but I (a 60 year old man) found this book very informative. No, there are no "tricks" and it does present "common sense" principles but it DOES explain in detail the dealer's process in establishing a price and in negotiating the lowest offer that they will probably take below the MSRP. It takes common sense and insider knowledge and organizes them so the average RV buyer can use them to their negotiating advantage. It is certainly better than walking into a dealership unarmed with any clues.

I think some of the complaints concerned the first edition. The second edition is in booklet form. It is a bit high priced for the size and quality of the book but it is NOT high priced when compared to the information the contents give to the reader.

Recently, a friend of mine bought a new Chevy pickup truck. While he was describing the negotiating process, I was thinking to myself that his actions seemed bull-headed and almost rude. But, as this book points out, you are negotiating for YOUR MONEY and not for five or ten dollars but for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

My buddy knew what a fair price was and he not only stuck to his guns but he was willing to walk out of the showroom unless they made a deal that day. Just as described in this book. If you have done your research properly and you KNOW what a fair price is then YOU MUST stick to your guns and not let sales-people talk you out of any more money with flimsy reasons.

The glossary is helpful and the author did steer me toward a fifth-wheel rather than a travel trailer by letting me know that there is more liveable space in the fifth-wheel for a given length. The trailer has a 3' hitching point in front. Also, the combined length of the truck and fifth-wheel will be shorter than with a truck and trailer because of the way the fifth-wheel hitches up in the bed of the truck rather than on the rear bumper area. That allows for easier maneuvering.

There were some very helpful guides about what to compare when shopping for a rig, too. They covered all the options such as bed size, holding tank size, hot water heater size, chassis, sidewall construction etc, etc.

But, the "meat" of the book was how to take all the information that you have gathered and figure out a "fair" price. Then, how to take that information and use it when you go to the dealer. Priceless. He explains what the MSRP is, how it is calculated and, most importantly, why it exists.

Remember, if the MSRP is a 40 % markup from the invoice price, you don't take 40 % off of the MSRP to get the invoice price. It would be a 28 % markdown from the MSRP to get the invoice price. Math is funny isn't it? Practice with your calculators.

I suspect Bob Randall and I started RVing at about the same time. I buy his books simply because they are a good mix of personal experience and research. I like his step-by-step approach. I've read reviews that said Bob's material was dated. Excuse me! What product information is not outdated ninety days later in this computer, fast paced world we now live in? The flip side of that is the fact that used RVs are not destroyed; they're sold to hourly wage earners like me, people who can't afford a $300,000 coach. In my opinion, it's okay for us peasants to acquire bits of worthwhile information occasionally. Honestly, I don't see the need to publish excerpts when Amazon.com and Bob have been kind enough to put Search Inside on his books. My only suggestion is that you take advantage of it to find out if this book is what you're looking for.

I've been criticized for reviewing RV books on Amazon since I co-authored the book, RV. Sorry, but I disagree. If you've logged 120,000 RV miles as I have, please do review RV books and if you write an RV book, I'll buy it.

This guide missed the mark by not providing enough detail to allow a purchaser to identify the bottom line price of a new RV.

If you are new to the RV world and are a first time buyer, this book is for you. It helped me understand the ins and outs of how to buy an RV. I've already recommended it to friends who are seasoned RVers and new RVers as well. It's a great resource book!

I found the book overpriced for the value received. After buying and reading the book, I discussed with a friend who is also shopping for an RV. He purchased a similar book, with the same number of pages and content, for less than 1/2 the cover price. I found 2/3rd's of the book "fluff" and common sense, with 1/3 of marginal value.

Part I, Acquiring Your Horse, includes chapters on the giveaway horse, the low-priced horse, horse sharing, and horse leasing. Part II, Keeping Your Horse, includes chapters on the backyard horse, pasture keeping, boarding, and working for board. Part III, Maintaining Your Horse, includes chapters on health care, shoeing, feeding & bedding, tack & equipment, and insurance. 'Acquiring Your Horse' is mainly useful for first-time buyers and beginners.

Overall this book is pretty general. Unless you're brand new to horses, don't bother.

I honestly think the author takes thriftiness a bit too far. It's really not a good idea to care for your horse's hooves yourself. If you can't pay thirty dollars every other month, what would happen if your horse had a serious injury that needed urgent attention from a vet?

I would say the only thing good about this book is horse buying section; the information there is fairly helpful. Of course that section has it's down falls too- it says most racetracks have FREE retired racehorses. But you usually have to pay an adoption fee for a retired racehorse. Also, this book is clearly designed for the novice pleasure rider, and that is probably the worst person to adopt a young, green, and hard to handle TB.

I expected "The Affordable Horse" by Sharon Smith to be a book full of money-saving tips on low-cost ownership. It provides some helpful advice, but most of it is common sense. The book has more information about horse ownership in general, from buying/adopting to what to feed your horse. Also, when is comes to animals like horses, I wouldn't take my chances and sacrifice quality necessties for price, and Smith is clear not to do that. For more info, you can email me at:

star_figure8@yahoo.com

This book is helpful on giving tips on how to save some money on buying a horse. At first the book sounds like how to buy a cheap horse. What it basiccly is telling you in the book is different ways to save money. I found it helpful because both of my parents are retired and I wanted a horse. My parents thought it was to expensive, but the book gave some enxaspensive ways to own a horse. Like working at the barn to lessen the rent and other ideas. All in all it gives good tips for enxepensive horse ownership.

I can't imagine why this book is getting such good reviews (who's giving them I wonder). I found most of the author's suggestions naive and many of the others obvious. I don't not think that this book provides much practical information.