Budget Books

The book was a quick-read and was very informative. I found my money type and will take the author's advise on how to live with my "Money type". Thank you Mr. Goodman

I found this book inspirational. I like all the examples that he gives, and if given a chance I would travel miles to hear Jordan Goodman speak.

Wish I had reviewed the content of this book BEFORE buying it. The six categories have no empirical basis and the author evidently has no experience actually advising anyone. He is a former reporter for Money magazine.

His other book, Everyone's Money Book was co-authored with Sonny Bloch (see url link below for article about Bloch) who I since learned landed in prison for his on air crookery. So, lot's to question about this author's judgment and expertise!

http://registeredrep.com/mag/finance_talking_dirty/index.html

After having read Paul B. Farrell's The Millionaire Code, and the incredible career book Do What You Are, I was naturally attracted to this book, which makes use of personality typing to assist people in attaining financial health and wealth. Goodman focuses on the emotional dimension to money. Most of us do not realize how our emotions dictate our spending and saving habits, and how past experiences mold and shape our present behavior and especially, our financial decision-making abilities.

Although not as clinical as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, with its often intimidating (and somewhat ambiguous) terminology, elements of this psychological technique are clearly present in this text. Goodman uses such terms as Striver, Ostrich, Coaster Debt Desperado and Squirrel to describe the various types of money personalities that people have, all of which are based on the emotional attitudes we all too often attach to money.

Goodman does an excellent job of laying out the emotional dimension to money, and builds upon this to offer practical advice. He does not seek to alter what he believes are basic personality types; rather, he takes them as given (making no value judgments about the types) and immutable, lays out their strengths and weaknesses, and shows how one can use his or her type to one's financial advantage. He also allows for the fact that a reader can possess elements of several different types. Thus, it would be worth one's time and effort to read the entire book. Additionally, a lot of good, solid financial information is presented in each chapter, and one would do well to lift things of use here and there from the book.

The book possesses a strong psychological basis, and points the reader to further sources of information on both a financial and psychological level specific to his or her type. On a personal note, I was kind of let down with the advice given to squirrels (of which I am one), which basically amounts to the purchase of more insurance and migration to higher return but higher risk investments, but then, this information and advice is consistent with the fears traditionally associated with this personality type. I am a bit more knowledgeable and financially sophisticated than most squirrels, but at the same time am a bit more risk adverse than I reasonably should be, given my choice of career (civil service) and investment strategy (bonds and low-beta stocks like food and utility companies) in the face of my above average educational and professional achievements. So, on the whole, I would say that the author described me and my financial hopes, fears and worries very, very well. Incidentally, I was already in the process of doing many of the things that he recommended for my personality type, so reading this book not only confirmed the soundness of my approach, but also gave me a lot of support and encouragement to continue doing what I have been doing.

I highly recommend the book, as it is a light, fast and accessible read. In sum, the book really hit home with me, and I am proud to be a squirrel.

I have heard Jordan Goodman on call-in radio shows many, many times (and I've also heard him give keynotes at several conferences), and what comes through loud and clear is that he is an exceptionally well-informed personal finance expert passionately devoted to helping people do better with their money. You discover the same thing when you pick up his books: his high standards, encyclopedic knowledge, and practical emphasis on taking action permeate every book he has written.

If you want a thorough personal finance education or a great reference book, get Goodman's Everyone's Money Book, his comprehensive guide to every aspect of personal finance. If you want to avoid investing in the next Wall Street scandal, get his Reading Between the Lies. If you want to understand the jargon spouted by your broker or the Wall Street Journal, get the dictionary of over 5000 terms that he co-authored with John Downes. (You should also check out, if needed, his excellent Everyone's Money Book series that devotes individual books to the topics of credit; real estate; retirement planning; college financing; financial planning; and stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.)

And now, if, like me, you want psychological insight into your style of managing money -- and what you can do to capitalize on your style's strengths and avoid its pitfalls -- get Master Your Money Type. It's lively, it's insightful, it's chockful of great anecdotes, and, typical of Goodman's practical, down-to-earth approach, it provides you with resources that will help you save and make money. (I bought my car using a car-buying service I learned about from him, and I saved thousands over my best-negotiated deal.)

As you can see from one of the other reviews I have written, I am big on finding experts who can give me in-depth assistance for the price of a book, and the powerful new insights this book offers are definitely worth the expenditure.

Many people who dream about voyaging with their own sailboat lose their dream as they wait to get enough funds together to actually buy a boat and the time to live aboard without an income. This book describes how you can buy and refit an older, seaworthy sailboat, and how to budget your funds while underway. Probably the most important lesson from this book is the basic equipment and skills required as a minimum for offshore travel by sailboat. Anne's book explains the most likely method for a cruiser on a budget to successfully break ties from land: through the purchase of a used, fiberglass monohull sailboat of about 30 feet in length. Her focus is on sailing from the British Isles to the Carribbean, and other parts of the Atlantic. The discussion includes what needs to be done to the typical "classic plastic" sailboat to make it ready for an Atlantic Crossing. After reading this book, you will want to move on to other books which focus on the details of navigation, provisioning, maintenance, etc., but this book will give you an excellent overview and help you build your plan.

Plenty of general information is presented in a reasonably fluid style, but when it comes to the nitty gritty - like costs, as mentioned by another reviewer, Anne Hammick takes the easy route.

The book is also beginning to date, and some of her admitted personal bias is even less appropriate now than it was when the book was first written.

A capsize phobia is understandable (I suffer vertigo myself) but to dismiss multihulls so casually indicates a partiality that defeats the object of a book with this title. For example, a snide comment about Wharram cats spending time on the beach reveals her ignorance of the prime uses of shallow-draught multis.

If you are already determined to go cruising in the exact same manner as Anne Hammick, this book will reinforce your decisions, but it lacks the balance and depth to be a serious work of reference. Could do better.

A good book if you're planning a cruise. Anne does a good job of laying down some guidelines for future cruisers, and although the dollar figures are a little out of date the information is no less valuable.

This is one of my favorite books, and not because it has 'new information', covers multihulls etc. There's not a lot new about sailing anyway. But the portrait of the sailor seen in Anne - the caution, judgment, prudence; the careful weighing of risks and strategies to abate them; her firmness in instructing you that mechanical MUST be chosen over electronic aids in the dangers of the sea; the constant concern about economizing wisely - these are gifts the sea gives to character, and hers shines through brightly from her lovely, unassuming writing. Very highly recommended, esp. if you haven't been ruined by lots of money.
S. Sittler

Althought this book is interesting it really doesn't cover the subject of budget the way I had hoped. Most of the information in the book has been written before by many others and so I found it to be a little redundant.

I felt that this textbook which was used for one of my mba classes was confusing. There are mistakes and typos which are unacceptable in a finance text. The cases do not get directly to the point, and add distracting information to make the case seem more 'real,' but instead it is just unclear. The explanations and examples are not explained well.

This book explains very well the diffrent concepts and techniques used in capital budgeting such as Divident, risk-adjusted cash flow analysis, WACC calculations, and an introduction to Linear programing. However, it does not provide a very advanced analysis of the techniques. The book shows you how to use them, the different assumptions behind each technique, advantage and disadvantage, but does not explain how to apply the techniques in very complexe situations. Overall, it is a classic in terms of content and the number of topics cavered.

An excellent book to refresh your knowledge or as a reference source. Well written and covers everything.

I have used this as a textbook for executive MBA students. The text is comprehensive and the reading is easy but some cases, although short, are confuse. The authors spend precious time in topics which are usually subject of other disciplines and the students have already studied, like derivatives, lease analysis, linear programming and mergers, just to name a few. On the other hand, the discussion of option models is restricted to a few pages and do not emphasize the use of options to evaluate flexibility. It's almost unconceivable to organize a course in capital budgeting without discussing real options, so the book has to be complemented, while several chapters could be eliminated.

"Crazy About Crockpots! 101 Recipes For Entertaining at Less than 75 cents a Serving" is an unusual book in that it contains none of the stews and soups that you expect in a crockpot cookbook (actually you will find them in the companion book "Crazy About Crockpots! 101 Soups and Stews for Less than 75 cents per Serving"). Instead, this book contains a wide variety of unusual recipes for using your crockpot to prepare casseroles, desserts, and even drinks. It has a great recipe for BBQ Beef sandwiches (always a personal favorite meal) as well as really good recipes for Seasoned Chicken and Rice, Lemon-Herb Chicken Breasts, and Sweet and Sour Pork. There are several pages of dips as well as cobblers, puddings and sauces, and even drinks like Apple Cider, Wassail, and punch. If you never really knew what to do with that crockpot sitting around the house other than to heat up soup this is the place to find out what you can do. The results are delicious and the book deserves a recommended read designation.

I love crockpot cooking. I can make meals at low cost and little effort. A must buy!

I love my crockpot and am always looking for new cookbooks. This isn't a good one. I have never seen so many recipes calling for frozen/canned vegetables, Velveeta and cans and cans of soup. Several recipes call for three cans of cream of whatever soup. Not healthy; not imaginative. Thankfully, I checked it out of the library. I won't be cooking one recipe from it before it's returned.

While reading, it is fun to have dinner cooking. You don't have to do anything more than put the ingredients in the Crockpot and then you are free to catch up on reading or maybe even do some decorating or anything else you want to do besides cook.

Penny E. Stone created this book for Entertaining and there are 101 recipes. Each serving costs only seventy-five cents, so it is much cheaper than going out to eat and your home will be filled with delicious home-cooked aromas.

Many of the recipes can be started 7 or more hours before guests even arrive. So you don't have to be in a state of stress when people arrive. There is nothing to worry about. You open the Crockpot and a meal is served. There are a few recipes where you add vegetables after four hours or stir after a certain number of hours. Just set your timer and you won't have to worry about the time.

Delicious Recipes Include:

Lasagna Rolls with Cheese Filling
Spiced Corned Beef Glazed in Cranberry-Wine Sauce
Chicken Tetrazzini (made with chicken and mushroom soup)
Spicy Cheese Dip
Baked Rhubarb Pudding
Hot Cider
Mistletoe Punch

This is a sweet and simple book filled with ideas for busy or new cooks. The recipes are all very easy to make. The recipes are designed to serve 6-8 people. If you are planning for more guests, just buy another crockpot. You might want two because then you can make dinner and dessert in crockpots.

Even if you don't own a crockpot, there are many recipes you could adapt for the stovetop or oven. The ingredient lists give me lots of ideas for seasoning meats and making quick deserts. Like the creamy fudge sauce just includes melting all the ingredients together and that could even be made in a regular saucepan.

Just think of a slow cooked meal, the aroma drifting through the house and Christmas Music. What could be more comforting? Best of all, you can relax when company arrives.

~The Rebecca Review

Everybody loves a deal--whether you are living on a modest income or a six-figure one.

In Five-Star Living on a Two-Star Budget, co-authors and self-proclaimed bargain hunters Margaret Feinberg and Natalie Nichols Gillespie, offer readers a practical reference tool for discounts on everything from fashion and groceries to little-known travel getaways and home purchases.

With thoughtful planning and research, these two women empower all of us to learn how to free up our hard-earned dollars to enjoy life more fully and make a bigger contribution to the world.

The authors suggest that those who experience true Five-Star Living have joy in their lives, feel satisfaction with their circumstances and are more willing to share their fortune with others. They have dubbed the Live It! Give It! Principle: God gave you everything you have, so it really belongs to him. You honor him when you manage well what he has given you (Live It!). He blesses you when you share what he has given you with others in need (Give It!).

While a noble notion to be sure, I had to overcome the religious overtones to benefit from the many freebies, discounts, rebates and negotiating strategies provided. The religious reference did not seem relevant to the Live It! Give It! Principle or Five-Star Living.

Five-Star Living invites you to elevate your living standard no matter what your income level. They start out with basic ideas for getting your finances in order, debt under control, saving for the future, taxes in order and giving to others.

The next seven chapters provide specific ideas for saving on beauty and fashion, great ideas for parents, gourmet groceries and dining, entertainment, traveling, high-tech and big-ticket items. With the expanding availability of on-line research, a constant eye for good deals and plenty of legwork to uncover savings opportunities, the diligent consumer can enjoy great restaurants, fine hotels and the activities you love while staying within your budget.

As I read through this simple missal, I reflected how practical and helpful these tips are and wondered who I could pass the book to next. But then again, I think I just might keep it myself to jumpstart my own Five-Star Living experience!

Armchair Interviews says: Who doesn't love helpful tips that are both practical and affordable.

As family budgets feel the pinch of increasing fuel prices and job market turbulence, living within your means is becoming increasingly difficult. So difficult in fact, that most Americans actually find themselves living far beyond their resources as they struggle to "keep up with the Joneses." As a result many people reach a point where they see no other alternative but to either succumb to even more credit card debt, or make drastic sacrifices in regard to lifestyle.

Five-Star Living on a Two-Star Budget offers a sensible alternative to these two bleak options. One that says you can have your cake and eat it too. And all within your current budget! Everything from great vacations, to designer clothing, gourmet dining to the latest technology - this book teaches you how to "live big on only a little."

Combining the fiscal intuitiveness of a mother of six with the pop-culture savvy of a "young married," Nichols Gillespie and Feinberg literally offer hundreds of suggestions on ways to cut corners in your budget without sacrificing your lifestyle. By teaching their "Live It! Give It!" philosophy they also provide balanced teaching on the joys of giving to others while enjoying many of the finer things in life for yourself.

Don't think this book is nothing more than a list of ways to "do it on the cheap." It's much more than that. The authors not only offer a multitude of suggestions on ways to get the most "bang for your buck," they also provide a unique perspective and philosophy of personal finance that is both creative and practical. The book even offers some sound advice on creating a budget and getting out of debt in order to increase your potential for living a "Five-Star" lifestyle.

At the end of each chapter there are "Action Points," which give useful suggestions for putting what you've just leaned into action. Buying a new computer? You might just want to seriously consider purchasing that extended warranty. Have a favorite place where you get your hair done that's a little pricey? Why not keep going there and cut back in other areas that are not as "essential?"

The bottom line is - you don't have to go without all of life's pleasures just because you don't earn a six-figure salary. By following some sound financial advice and doing a little homework you can truly enjoy a modest lifestyle on a miniscule budget. And probably still have some money left over to bless others along the way. (Courtesy of ShaneBertou_com)

I enjoyed reading this book. It is written in a chatty and accessible manner, and featured a philosophy of giving and sharing, and taking pleasure and finding value from the small things in life.

Unfortunately, while I enjoyed this book a lot, I didn't really find any new tips that I was excited about putting into action. Maybe my bargain-hunter Mom was enough of a good example for me that I learned these things early, or maybe these tips are merely intuitive enough that most people could think of them when they sat down and thought about ways of living better on less. It is hard to say.

Then, I felt like the areas where they gave tips on cutting costs or finding deals were far outweighed by the amount of space they gave to talking about the philosophies they wanted to share, the different businesses and commercial websites that they find helpful, and the general tips on how to do things that are unrelated to saving money or finding better deals on luxury items.

For example, when talking about how to book a hotel on the cheap, they give a page and a half of additional tips on how to book a hotel, ranging from warning you to get a hotel in a location convenient to where you will want to go (who wouldn't think to consider location?), to finding out whether hotels offer high-speed internet access (if you need it, wouldn't you think to ask?), and telling us the difference between suites where you have more space and amenities and rooms where you have less space and fewer amenities. They go through the same routine of reminding us of basic considerations (often not involving money) in nearly every section of the book.

It almost felt like they wanted to cram all of their knowledge and helpfulness into one book, regardless of whether that was necessary or appropriate. I know when I am reading about a specific topic, I don't usually want a whole lot of unrelated info mixed in. Another example of this is in the beauty section, where they have the following Five-Star Fact:

"Has your all-time favorite lipstick been discontinued? Have no fear. It's Three Custom Color Specialists to the rescue! The New-York City based company has a list of the secret mixes of more than 7500 different lipstick colors and can recreate your favorite. You simply slip a small slice of your old color into a small bag and mail it to the company. For $50 they'll create two new tubes of your favorite color. The company can also recreate other types of makeup. It's pricey, but when it's your all-time favorite, it's worth it."

In the above quote, I not only felt advertised to, but also felt like since they weren't showing us how to get a better deal on this service and were not showing us how to get a better deal on makeup in that blurb, it simply wasn't relevant.

Then in the travelling section, they advise,"If you find yourself faced with a long layover due to a bump or because of an airline traffic delay, don't let it get you down. Instead of feeling frustrated, count the downtime as extra time to relax with a book you have been wanting to read, visit with an old friend you have been meaning to call, or if the layover is really long, hop in a cab or rent a car for a few hours (a one day rental can sometimes cost less than $15) and drive around the city. Make the most of every moment. That's Five-Star Living!"

I personally didn't think that the information presented there was groundbreaking enough to be shared. When faced with a layover, I don't think I am going to look back to my five-star living gurus and wonder to myself what I should do in this situation.

Overall, this was a chatty and pleasant read, but I didn't find any new tips for me personally to use, and the amount of filler text made it frustrating at times. Five-Star Living to me means cutting the fluff from my life and truly getting the most enjoyment and benefit out of everything I do (and read), and I didn't feel that this book delivered on its promise to help me do that.

Okay, the first thing you have to understand about Margaret Feinberg and Natalie Nichols Gillespie, authors of Five-Star Living On A Two-Star Budget, is that they are delightful gals, but totally whacked out. But, oh, do they know how to live! And if you have the zany approach to life that they do, you just may be able to save a bundle of cash, own a lot more items, and travel a lot more places. But it's not for the faint of heart.

In this book you'll read about how one of the authors filled her entire garage with cases of 7-Up, costing her hundreds upon hundreds of dollars, just so that she might get enough UPC symbols to win a trip from Florida to California to be a guest at an awards show. And, believe it or not, she won -- flight, hotel, the works! Another time, one of the authors and her husband arrived early at an airport and kept signing up to be bumped voluntarily from flights. They spent two days at the airport, but wound up with more than $8,000 of free flight vouchers for travel anywhere in America. (Like I said, these women are wacky!)

Besides the crazy stunts they have pulled off, they also have some less daring suggestions for folks looking for good deals. They begin their book by wisely talking about reducing debt, establishing a budget, using coupons, finding the best sales, judging products, and discovering unusual bargains. They later provide websites for locating special deals on travel, lodging, movie tickets, hard to find foods and clothing items, and stage play reservations. They give hints on how to deal with car salesmen, furniture stores and other big ticket selling venues. They show how to entertain at home cheaply with crafts, rental items, and bulk buying.

Although the book does not feature Christian teachings in a direct manner, the authors are consistent in their focus on charitable giving, service to others, and sharing of prosperity. They are against hoarding and, instead, talk about the joy of giving away to others out of the abundance that careful planning and budgeting bring to students of their plans and systems.

There are good lessons here, and there are also some wildly entertaining tales of attempting stunts to win big prizes. The writing is easy to understand, the advice is pragmatic and functional, and the humor of the book makes it fun to read. -- Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, Christian Book Previews.com

This railroad was build by french near 1930. I want to know about it

This railroad was build by french near 1930. I want to know about it

I bought this book and carried it along with me to Morocco, along with a couple of other travel guides. I found this one to be the least useful, and I abandoned it along the way to lighten my load. In my opinion, the Lonely Planet Guide was the best. I would advise against wasting your money on this one.

The guide is very good at giving an overview of what to see and visit and sample itenerarys. However, it is extremely lacking in detail from places to stay to potential dangers that can be faced in different areas. This, in combination with the Lonely Planet, which is short on overviews but has extensive details is great.

I do not understand why it is that when people find a book to be really good they give it 4 stars without explanation... Like in Waddy Thompson's review. I personally believe the authors did a great job and I would rather just say so without holding back... I would have liked to know why the 4 stars... what parts could have been better... Now that would have been helpful. Another good book to buy is How To Write A Grant Proposal by Cheryl New & James Quick... I have not been able to let go of this book. Even go browse thru it and you will see why... I hope they write more like this soon... It's overdue.

I just now bought Waddy's book (Idiots Guide) and it seem decent so far.

In providing a much-needed context for the discussion of grant proposal budgets, the authors have actually created a step by step, straightforward plan to design a sound project. They begin with how a good project springs from a problem that your organization can solve. Then they walk you through defining the project's purpose, goals, and component steps.

I am torn about this book, because I believe grant seekers should NOT be the ones to design programs; program staff ought to do that. However, I realize that in reality grants people often end up with this task, or can act as advisors and coaches to those going through the process. And in any case, we grant seekers need to understand the task of project design and how it relates to expressing a project in numbers and words when approaching a funder.

The book goes on to focus on budgets, after the groundwork of planning has been expertly laid. The sections on budgets are very useful for anyone dealing with government proposals.

So, while the book takes a stance I don't necessarily agree with - that the grant seeker is a project designer - I have rated it highly because it is sure to result in better planned projects for anyone who follows its advice.

I have done many budgets and taught workshops and seminars on how to do budgets. The first response I had to this book is that I was glad I understood the process because if I didn't, I would not be able to understand this book. It is obfuscating, repetitive, and full of obscure, irrelevant quotes from such diverse sources as Humpty Dumpty, the Cheshire Cat and Shakespeare. As a matter of fact, I usually don't use obfuscating words or concepts myself, but this book has led me to do so. Having said that, I did gain new knowledge, new concepts and new viewpoints that will be very helpful. It was hard work to find these gems - I prefer direct, basic explanations since they usually avoid confusion. I also disliked Wise Guy and Wise Lady - text set aside in blocks - where he asks dumb questions and she give smart-aleck or condescending answers to dumb questions. Both are insulting to the intelligence of the reader.

This is definitely not a book that you pick up as a reference source when you are beginning or in the middle of preparing a budget. It is not a book for beginners, unless you have the time and patience to work your way through, chapter by chapter, learning their process step by step. Indeed, it would be a good text for a full semester class, with lectures and homework and steady progression through its many topics. Budgets don't really come into the picture until Chapter 5. The authors require that you learn or relearn their terminology relevant to grant writing before you can approach actual budgeting. Throughout the book they present concepts and ideas, and drag on through several paragraphs or pages saying what something is not before saying what it is. By their definition, of course - which you must accept to move forward.

This is really a book on preparing grant applications, not just budgets. Several chapters and sections of chapters are devoted to projects, programs, defining problems, defining solutions, project development, and program evaluation. Each is described in detail, with examples and forms, which are also available on the accompanying CD-ROM. By the time you get to Chapter 5 and see a budget form you are exhausted. But take a vitamin pill - Chapters 6 through 9 detail in depth the difference components of a budget, using their terminology. Which you memorized back in the beginning of the semester for the first test. Again, the explanations are exhaustive and belabored, and stated often in negatives, which is confusing. For example, Chapter 6 is dedicated to explaining direct costs. There are nine pages defining the different types of travel, including definitions of travel by watercraft and by animal. After all the various modes of travel are defined, the rest of the chapter explains how to acquire each of them on site and the different types of each. Bus travel is broken down into inter-city, intra-city, and chartered. They also describe express buses and local buses, and where and how to purchase tickets. More information than most of us need, to say the least. If you don't know the difference between an express and a local bus by now, you are in big trouble. Not that it is relevant to preparing a budget anyway.

The authors are committed to a budget format that uses very specific line items. They state that any item you can put in a budget can fit into one of their categories. Just for fun, I came up with a couple of items I would put in a budget that I couldn't fit into their scheme. And if you want to use their forms from the CD-ROM, you must do all your budgets according to their line items. You are on your own if you have a potential funder that demands you use their forms and their line items.

If you can ignore all the indirect, convoluted and useless information, this book has a lot to offer. Many concepts are very valuable and useful. Some of the forms are also useful. There are planning forms and evaluation forms in addition to more budget forms that usually appear in one place. Select the information that is relevant, ignore the rest and use what is applicable. Wading through the chaff to get to the wheat is not easy, but many of the kernels are worth the effort. And if you are taking or teaching a full semester course this could be a useful text or supplement.

I discovered this book when writing The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grant Writing and found it terrific for learning how to put together a program budget. Having done this for years and having taught others how to do it, I found their approach clear and to the point. The many examples are especially helpful.

This book is the only easily read book which outlines the cost of land, building, and planning, but it is not all that helpful because of the limiations of each example. Many of these examples are simply not applicable to everyday building projects or sites; however, this book is a good place to start and determine what you particular costs may be.

As it states on the back of this book's title page, "House on a Budget was originally published in hardcover in 2004 by The Taunton Press, Inc., as The House You Build".

It's a great book, just identical to The House You Build. Read the reviews of that book to see other opinions.

HOUSE ON A BUDGET: MAKING SMART CHOICES TO BUILD THE HOME YOU WANT is now in paperback, retitled from The House You Build, and comes from an architect who offers his background and advice on creating a custom home on a budget. There's a gap between production housing and high-priced custom homes, and HOUSE ON A BUDGET fills this gap, offering the pleasures of a custom home with the tips from an architect on working with unconventional sites and the latest custom fixtures and additions. It's a 'must' for any library strong in homeowner's and builder's guides.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book was very disappointing. After buying and enjoying "The House You Build," I looked forward to another book by Duo Dickinson. The houses and pictures used in this book are practically all the same as in the other book. How can such a fine company as Taunton publish such a copycat work? The text content is very similar also.

Although this book may not always be helpful when you are preparing your trip, it served me pretty well once I was already there. An easily accesible tube map is a plus. The street maps may not always be clearly labeled, but they are sufficient to allow someone with a decent sense of direction to get from point A to point B. The listing of attractions is reasonably complete and accurate. However, the list of lodgings is not. An exhaustive list is certainly impossible to publish in any guide book. However, this book lists only a handful of hotels in each neighborhood. Your best bet finding a place to stay is probably to consult another travel book at a library, or to browse for one on the internet. All in all, though, I was satified with this book and will consider buying others from this series when I travel in the future.

This book,gave me all the info on London's restaurants, monuments, and most of all how the people are. I recommend this book to anybody who really likes and wants to learn about London. It's WONDERFUL!

I can't imagine how this book ever made to the printing stage! How could the editors have failed to notice that references to page numbers throughout the book and the entire index are innaccurate? Also, the organization of the book leaves much to be desired. I used the Paris guide on a trip to that city and found it useful, well organized and mostly accurate. Both are certainly interesting reading, but the London guide desperately needs a new copyeditor!

I HAVE BEEN TO LONDON ONCE BEFORE AND KNEW THE CHALLANGE I WAS UP AGAINST. THIS MAP WAS EASY TO READ AND ALTOGETHER VERY HELPFUL, IT EVEN LEAD ME TO SOME INTERESTING CAFES. WRITE ME IF YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTING STORIES ABOUT BEING IN LONDON. KELLY184@HOTMAIL.COM

An excellent book for those travelling long distances in Asia and has come in handy many times for other travellers heading off for this part of the world.

I used this book mostly for orientation when arriving to new places, bus/train station locations and it gives a good idea on what is possible and what isn't. I prefer the writing style in this to the, "The lonely Planet" - I don't need the LP pointing out to me, "A land mine can ruin more than your day" -

All in all and excellent companion that is stillin 1 piece after 6 mths thru asia....

I just spent 28 days in Thailand. I had chosen Let's Go Southeast Asia largely because based on its content, it appeared that I would be able to do much more than just Thailand in 28 days. That is both the value and the shortcoming of this book.

It does a nice job of giving a quick description of just about everything. This allows you to plan the high level details of a trip. A great book to have sprawled out on the dining room table when thinking about where you might go.

But when it comes to actually arriving at a destination and then finding lodging, activities and food, the content is pretty barren. Several times I found myself borrowing other travelers' versions of Lonely Planet's guide: thailand.

Although the diving information was out of date, I appreciated that they did reference that data whenever possible.

If I could bring two books on my next trip, I would bring this and Lonely Planet's. But if I were constrained to one, I would choose Lonely Planet's.

I don't think this book is in any way a bad travel book, but it could be better. Generally, there is not enough detail, and there aren't enough maps. There are maps of all major cities, but the maps aren't detailed enough and then if you go to a place even a little off the path of the everyday tourist, there won't be a map at all. I think this book simply takes on too much. Most travelers will never see all these countries in one trip, so they end up with a lot of wasted paper and packing space. If I could do it again, I would buy the Lonely Planet guides to the individual countries. The writer who does the research for LP in Thailand in Laos is a well-known expert. You'll get more detail and better information. Besides, the new LP for Southeast Asia just came out, so that makes the debate between Let's Go and Lonely Planet pretty easy.
I recently saw Wat Phu in Laos. I had photocopied part of Lonely Planet:Laos and I also had my Let's Go book with me. Let's go was worthless compared to LP, even though LP:Laos came out in 1998. I had a map of the temple and tons of history on it. It was like having a tour guide, without having to hear the bad English.

This book contains the most current information on the market for backpacking in Southeast Asia. The depth of the research is outstanding, with authoritative information on where to get the best pempek in Palembang, whom to hire to cook your octopus on Pulau Nias, and how to get your poste restante from the central post office in Medan. The maps have obviously been checked by a rigorous routine of trekking up and down every street, and the prose has the characteristic golden polish that always sets Let's Go above its competitors. Good job, guys.