Subjects:  1. Consumer Behavior - General    2. Consumer behavior    3. Consumption (Economics)    4. Economic History    5. History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. Political aspects    9. United States    10. United States - 19th Century/Turn of the Century    11. United States - 20th Century    12. United States - 20th Century (1900-1945)    13. Consumer issues    14. Cultural studies    15. History / United States / 20th Century    16. Social history    17. USA    18. consumer culture; advertising; consumer advocates; mass consumption; consumers; mass market; nationality; nationalism; citizenship; spending; pursuit of happiness; marketplace; consumer goods; corporate authority; consumer-citizen; goods and services; getting and spending; social inequality; capitalism; the Depression; social activism; commerce; New Deal; American way of life; materialism; Thorstein Veblen; Wesley Mitchell; Hazel Kyrk; Stuart Chase; F. J. Schlink; Consumers' Research; patriotism; corporate responsibility; consumer movement; Jurgen Habermas; Consumers' Union   

Reviews (2)

Suzy comes through
The last edition of Born to Shop disappointed me becasue Suzy Gershman's interest seemed so narrow that the stores and places she liked were too far out of my range. In this edition she's made some changes. Cheap shopping is listed and the luxe, nowhere else except NYC stores are listed as well. She must have gotten some younger helpers because much to my delight the Sean Jean store and and Triple Five Soul shop are mentioned too. One thing I've always liked about the Born to Shop series is that the advice shows you how to get around town safely, how to buy quality and how to have a good time with as few hassles as possible. This book and Gerry Frank's guide are all you really need to take a weekend NYC trip.

A good comprehensive book - with reservations
There is a problem with travel books in that they try to cover EVERYthing in a city.I like books that just tell me the best places to go for what I want.
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Subjects:  1. Consumer Buying Guides    2. Special Interest - General    3. Travel    4. Travel - General    5. Travel - United States    6. Travel Guides - U.S.    7. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    8. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    9. Consumer guides & advice    10. New York    11. Travel / United States / Northeast / Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)   

Subjects:  1. Consumer Behavior - General    2. Consumer Guides    3. Reference    4. Business & Economics / Consumer Behavior    5. Consumer guides & advice   

Reviews (2)

A quality of life advice guide
Living Smart: New York City: The Ultimate Insider's Guide for the Budget Savvy is a resource packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for living frugally in the big apple. From avoiding health insurance scams to discount internet service providers to stretching the dollar while shopping to partaking of high culture on a low disposable budget and more, Living Smart: New York City balances quality with economy. Written in a lighthearted, fun-filled tone, Living Smart: New York City is a quality of life advice guide that quite literally pays for itself.
This is a Wonderful Book!
This book is great! It has everything from a chapter on finding apartments, to where to get cheap groceries! For New Yorkers, or Future New Yorkers, who aren't overloaded with cash, this is a book you can't afford to do without! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Guides    2. Finance, Personal    3. Guidebooks    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. New York    6. New York (N.Y.)    7. New York (State)    8. Personal & Practical Guides    9. Reference    10. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    11. Performing Arts    12. Personal finance    13. Travel / United States / Northeast / Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Marketing - Research    3. Civil service & public sector    4. Consumer issues    5. Market research   

Subjects:  1. Consumer behavior    2. Popular Culture    3. Psychology    4. Semiotics    5. Anthropology    6. Consumer issues    7. Linguistic semiotics    8. Semiology    9. Theory of art   

Reviews (1)

This book was very informative
This book by Peter Sessler was very well writen.It has enough information to make anyone a respected mustang informant.This was my first mustang book and I still go back to it for information from time totime.I bought the book when I was 15, and now I own a 94 GT convertable. That is how big of an impact this book can have.People always wonder howI know so much about mustangs and now I must admitt, it is because of thisbook.The main thing that I didn't like about the book was the way it wentinto detail at times and later seemed to skim over some cars. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automobile Buying Guides    2. Automotive    3. Automotive - Buyer's Guides    4. Automotive - Domestic - General    5. History    6. Mustang automobile    7. Purchasing    8. Reference    9. Automotive technology    10. Consumer guides & advice    11. Reference works    12. Road & motor vehicles: general interest   

Reviews (3)

The perfect Pearl Buying Guide book- the title says it all!
A wonderful sequel to the third edition, this new fantastic book is a must-have guide to learn, shop and enjoy pearls! With the fascinating ever-changing world of pearl culturing, the writer is always up to speed with the latest techniques, treatments, new types of pearls and latest jewelry designs. A perfect mixture of information and gorgeous photographs, this is another fine book from Renee Newman, definitively the best of its kind!

a book of woooows and aha!!!s
I had a number of wooow and ahaaa!! moments reading this book. Photos compliment the book nicely, and illustrate the main points wonderfuly. I have always been interested in pearls, but was never quite confident investing into them. This book covers everything you need to know before you go pearl shopping. Loved it. However, it also guided me away from buying an expensive strand of pearls. After all, pearl nacre is a living thing, it dulls kept in a box and wears away worn.

An absolute "must-read" for any consumer
Initially published in 1992, and now in a completely updated and expanded fourth edition, Pearl Buying Guide: How To Evaluate, Identify And Select Pearls & Pearl Jewelry is a handy, no-nonsense guide to purchasing quality pearl jewelry at an appropriate price. Written in plain terms accessible to the lay reader, and filled with color photographs, Pearl Buying Guide presents the wisdom and experience of a professional gemologist in its simple instructions on how to tell a fake pearl from a real one, how to select high quality pearls, how to compare pearls and prices, and much more. An absolute "must-read" for any consumer determined to invest his or her hard-earned money in fine pearl adornments. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Business/Economics    3. Pearls    4. Purchasing    5. Technology & Industrial Arts    6. Consumer guides & advice    7. Jewellery & jewellery-making   

Reviews (6)

Great Book!
A friend recommended this book and I'm so glad she did! So informative and easy to understand--even for a novice like me! I now have more confidence when I buy jewelry and know what questions to ask a jeweler before I decide to buy. Great book!

No More Mistakes
With the help, guidelines and information from this incredible book I finally felt I could shop for jewelry with confidence and a "sense of experience".
This Book Makes A Difference
I am not a geologist or gemologist but I am very interested in gems and jewelry. After purchasing and reading several other books on the subject of gems and jewelry, this was the most informative!I could not put it down.I buy jewelry of all sorts for re-sale, and this book is the only book that tells me all my choices whether buying diamonds, colored gemstones, or pearls. It is also the only book that describes the many clever ways that one can be deceived.I especially like their price charts for diamonds and colored gem stones because they are organized in a way that focuses attention on the impact of quality factors on value.The colored gem stone charts are organized so that it is easy to compare numerous stones of the same color.For example if my customer wants a green stone this book lists all of the stones available, and how they compare to each other in terms of price, durabilty, and availabilty in different sizes.No other book does this.I could go on and on, but I will sum it up in three words: It's the BEST!
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Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Jewelry    5. Reference - Price Guides    6. Consumer guides & advice    7. Jewellery & jewellery-making   

Reviews (1)

Great for everyone from home buyer/sellers to investors
This book has some great ideas and techniques on how to negotiate real estate and make the deals go smoothly and profitably for you.Allows you know how and when to be aggressive and when other stances would be more effective.A great book for anyone interested in real estate or planning to buy or sell a home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. House buying    4. House selling    5. Law    6. Mortgage loans    7. Real Estate    8. Real Estate - General    9. Real Estate - Sales    10. Real Estate Finance    11. Real estate business    12. Real estate investment    13. Business & Economics / Real Estate   

Reviews (12)

Tremendous book... READ IT, PARENTS!!
I see the reader review preceding this one states: "The only reason I do not give this book 5 stars is that the author focuses primarily on child-directed consumerism."
A Bit Tedious at Times, Yet Highly Redeeming
I learned about this book from the author when she was a guest on a local radio talk show.I like to describe my opinion as "not-so-humble-yet-worthless". In the case of this book that would be especially so, because I'm not married and don't have any children (a confession for which I am fully prepared to be lambasted behind, because I have the nerve to have an opinion on the topic).
clearly written, well-documented
It's hard to imagine someone picking this book up who already doesn't think kids are overly targeted by commercial interests, so the question of "does it make its point" doesn't seem to matter much (the answer is yes).If it won't convinceyou of its argument since you've already been convinced, what it will do at times is startle you with just how blatant or over-the-top that targeting is.
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Subjects:  1. Advertising and children    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Child Care/Parenting    4. Child consumers    5. Consumer Behavior - General    6. Family & Relationships    7. Marketing - Research    8. Marketing research    9. Parenting - General    10. United States    11. Young consumers    12. Advice on parenting    13. Children    14. Consumer issues   

Reviews (2)

Stories about the Big Guys on eBay
This book is really a series of success stories as told by members of the Professional eBay Sellers Alliance who are the big sellers on eBay. Each of these sellers started rather small, and has grown their business to rather large size.
See below to see a better book and save you time and money....
How to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consumer Guides    5. E-Commerce - Internet Marketing    6. Reference    7. Sales & Selling - General    8. Sales & Selling - Techniques    9. eBay (Firm)    10. Business & Management    11. Reference / Consumer Guides    12. World Wide Web (WWW)   

Reviews (4)

Great gift for that Guitar Buff
My Friend has an addiction to guitars so I purchased this book as a birthday gift three days ago and he hasn't put it down. Great book, very informative and apparently addictive too.

Buy this book
I use this book along with the Blue Book of Electric Guitars from the same publisher as a reference and starting point to price vintage guitars to purchase for my collection. I have found this book to be an excellent source for model information as well as a price point reference. I am not sure I would wish to venture into this collecting field without a reference such as this. I highly recommend both books to anyone interested in buying or selling a vintage guitar.

Comprehensive book
The book is fairly comprehensive and has an adequate description of the guitars and features. Some guitars are not listed, and some of the models are hard to look up when a company makes a wide variety of models.The book seems to get superseded pretty quickly but is much cheaper than some of the other guides out there. Hopefuly the book is accurate, since it lists an imported Ovation guitar as having a solid top when most of those models are known to have plywood tops. If you buy the book on CD, the user interface is awkward. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Guides    2. Musical Instruments - Guitar    3. Performing Arts    4. Reference    5. Reference - Price Guides   

Reviews (2)

Well laid out and helpful little guide
This slim volume lists all types of markets by the day of the week or month and location.There's also usually a contact number for more information.If you're going to be in Italy during the first weekend of the month, or the second Tuesday, say,you can check the listings for that time period.There are a few blank pages at the end of the book to write your own personal market notes! The best is yet to come.
I have used other books of this kind in the past for other countries. This one seem to lack the fundamentals for this type of informational book. #1 You must write this book for someone who is not familiar with the local surroundings or the languages. #2 In the years that will be called the new millinneum people want to just blow in and blow out. When I travel I have a limited time and budget to see the flea markets available. In this book there is alot of leg work the author could have provided but for some reason did not.#3 If you speak fluent italian you can call all the phone #'s provided if they are still current. I on the other hand will have to hire a translator. If the author would provide maps, locations to trains, location to major city monuments, and make things easy for the reader to find, the hidden treasures she has found would be available to her reader, which should be her goal. When I travel many times I have up to 5 days in which to find this type of treasure. With this book it would be difficult to accomplish what I would like, but with more effort from the author this book could be a complete guide for any traveler. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques    2. Europe - Italy    3. General    4. Industries - Retailing    5. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    6. Reference - General    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Travel Guides    10. Consumer guides & advice    11. Italy    12. Places & peoples: general interest    13. Travel / Europe / Italy   

Subjects:  1. Consumer Guides    2. Life Stages - Infants & Toddlers/Infants    3. Parenting - General    4. Reference    5. Reference / Consumer Guides   

Reviews (6)

Fun for non-marketers
I find myself recommending this book to friends with no interest in marketing.Good, fun info that puts into perspective why you and your parents see things so differently.Highly recommended.

Great way to approach sales
Rocking the Ages is a beautifully writen book.It takes historical events and explaines how they formed the personality of each generation.This book helped me to curve our marketing and advertising techniques to reach our customers with a positive response.It clarifies how the generations view their lives and what they buy, how and why.It has helped me to understand my customers in a more personal manner.It is easy to get trapped into the needs of one own gereration, but this book clarifies the needs and desires of all generations, and how to approach them on a marketing level.

I'm highly suspicious
I'm pretty suspicious of the review from the the reader in Harrisburg, PA.It just sounds too much like promotional speak from the Walker Smith and Clurman Public Relations company.Read more

Subjects:  1. Marketing    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. United States    4. Marketing - Multilevel    5. Advertising & Promotion    6. Marketing - Research    7. Business & Economics / Marketing / General    8. Consumer issues    9. Market research    10. Rock & pop    11. Business & Economics    12. Business/Economics   

Subjects:  1. Automobiles    2. Automotive    3. Automotive - Buyer's Guides    4. Consumer Guides    5. Prices    6. Purchasing    7. Reference    8. Used cars    9. Reference / Consumer Guides   

Reviews (4)

Consider this book a VERY basic introduction only
If you are interested in buying a book to learn just the basics of Oriental Rugs in a short time span, this book is just fine.The content is good, and there are about 20 pages of glossy pictures showing different designs of rugs. Plentiful information for novices
I found this book a useful text for beginners.It provides organized information without being overly complex and boring.One benefit of the book is that occasionally when the author makes reference to an item explained in detail elsewhere in the text, a page number is given so the reader can jump to the detailed description if necessary.It's the 1980's version of hyperlinks. The color plates are beautiful, but lack descriptions of the sizes of the rugs.Also lacking is the pronunciation guide; A basic guide exists, but falls short by lacking pronunciations for all but one or two words.I was also hoping to read a discussion of the varrying lengths of rug fringes, which this book did not discuss.A final benefit of the book is the last chapter on the major and minor weaving groups.These sections provide a good source of reference when one needs to get quick, basic information about a particular group.

Great Help for Beginners in Oriental Rugs
If you have recently been bitten by the Oriental Rug bug, here is a down to earth book for to help you through the complicated names of regions and styles.The author gives everything you need to know without overwhelmingyou with a subject and a trade hundreds of years old.Moreover, thepictures are a greatvisual aid for showing examples of rugs mentioned ina well written text.Thisbook will make easier your understanding of thesubject and get you off to agood start to an enjoyable pursuit. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Collectors and collecting    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Middle Eastern    7. Rug Making    8. Rugs    9. Rugs, Oriental    10. Rugs, Oriental, as an investme    11. Rugs, Oriental, as an investment    12. ASIA    13. Consumer guides & advice    14. Oriental art    15. Textile arts   

Reviews (1)

I took this one along with me everywhere I went.
This book helped me to maximize my shopping dollars on my trip to France. With excellent values and gift ideas, I was able to find everything I wanted. Suzy offered an insider's guide to be best shopping scene ranging from Paris' designer boutiques to markets in Province. She also offered advice on where to find the best airfare, hotel, and dining values. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Buying Guides    2. Europe - France    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel Guides    6. Consumer guides & advice    7. France    8. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    9. Travel / Europe / France   

Reviews (5)

Engaging and informative, but not his best work
I first became aware of Jim Twitchell when I saw him speak at a conference in 2003.When he began his speech with a description of Florentine churches as one of the earliest examples of competitive branding, I was hooked, and have since read a number of his books.Branded Nation examines religion, academia, and art, and explains how these areas are just as permeated by the commercialism of our society as any other, despite the special status they've been accorded.His message resonated with me and served to explain changes I've seen in religion, education, and museums in my own lifetime.I would agree with another reviewer who mentioned that this title seems drag a bit in the museum section.Nonetheless, Twitchell's style is intellectually engaging, and takes the edge off what might be considered a cynical view.

Didn't do much for me...
I don't disagree with the central ideas of this book, and the writing was simple and easy to understand.I just felt it was stretched out waaaaaay too long - the last chapter on museums, especially, just dragged.It felt like I was reading a college textbook that just trudged on and on.That's not necessarily bad, but this is a book for the masses, not a marketing class, and I just felt like it could have been edited down a lot more and still not have left anything out.

A "why do the way things work the way they do?" book
In this lively book, James Twitchell helps illuminate some of the interesting consequences when non-profits -- embodied in this book as Megachurch, College Inc, and Museumworld -- borrow branding techniques to market themselves.
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Subjects:  1. Business And Society    2. General    3. Marketing +    4. Marketing - General    5. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - General    10. Consumer issues    11. Sales & marketing    12. Social Science / General