This book spends way too much time dealing with "Duplicating machines", silly little forms, etc.. The chapter titles are there, but there is nothing of substance IN the chapters. Get the tape out! The cover cracks when you open the book, and the book virtually falls apart at Chapter 8. Don't fret though, Chapter 3 "Working with Volunteers" has the only useful paragraphs in the book anyway. Of the total 78 pages, pages 61 through 74 fell out completely but I felt this made an overall improvement to the book. I don't understand why this "non-book" was written.

The Newbounds have arranged the wall pockets in this encyclopedia in such a way, that it is very, very difficult to find that "one particular wall pocket". They have arranged the items in groupings by 'country of manufacture' which makes it nearly impossible to find if the wall pocket is not marked. The photography is supburbly done and the colors are vivid and beautiful, but it does not make the 'search' any easier. Also, I have found that the Newbounds are consistently underpricing the wall pockets in this book, as compared to other 'experts' in the same areas. If this is an example of the way they present the items in each of their other books, then I will not be a repeat costomer. If you have the opportunity to read the "introduction" contained in this book, that alone will give the reader a good idea of just how very convoluted the contents therein really are.

If you ever wondered how a writer can crank out a book moments after the fact, then read this book.

Fact Checking should be mandatory or at least a consideration.

After I read this book, I was hurt, because I saw Betty Grable in a different light, this book really shows the bad side of Betty, I don't know if this book is true, but if it wasn't, wouldn't the family sue. Even Betty Grable's daughters supposedly was interviewed for this book, and doesn't speak well of their mother. After I read it, no one could give me a good clear answer on this book, was it true or not? But for a while I couldn't watch or listen to Betty Grable, but then I noticed we all are human beings and we all make mistakes, and we shouldn't look at movie stars like their perfect, or have the perfect life, they make mistakes too, and they pay for it, just like all of us.

I recently purchased this book because I have become interested in Shisha embroidery. I was looking for a book that would show various techniques for shisha embroidery.

I was extremely dissapponited with this book. It is very glossy, with lots of colour pictures and some very very basic projects to try. The title says 'techniques and designs'. I could not find any techniques. I have not been able to find a book that shows you how to do shisha embroidery, so I can not make a another recommendation. I would recommend you save your money rather then buy this book.

I'm very disappointed with this book. It's title is deceiving. It's more about having a garage sale or outdoor yard-type sale. I wanted infomation about selling in indoor flea markets. I already KNOW how to have a garage sale.

The book was well conceived, but poorly executed. The idea of covering all of the Zanesville art pottery makers within one text is definitely a good one, but the success stops with the concept. There are much better choices for each of the individual liines, with the Bomm & Huxford Roseville books much better, and the Huxford Weller more complete in spite of it's perceived 'datedness'. The photography from some dated price guides is used and the color reproduction on these is poor. The few original photographs are well done, but there are very few of these. The Roseville lines are not separated, so using the volume as a reference is impossible. In fact, the Roseville section is nothing more than a reproduction of the old Purviance price guide, and the mis-information in that guide is sometimes reproduced here. The Weller section is done the same way, but at least there are a few new photographs in that section. If this is an example of how future Schiffer books are to be published, then they just lost a long time good customer. Surely they could have done better with a subject matter so wide and complete. Your money is better spent elsewhere. JK

Wicked Women - Black Widows, Child Killers, and Other Women In Crime by Betty Alt and Sandra Wells is poorly written, unfocused and overly researched to the point of tediousness. Long on footnotes, but strangely short on facts and vague on dates and places, this book is almost unreadable. Oddly, Alt and Wells seem to blame men for the wicked turn that women take. You are better off reading Mistresses of Mayhem: The Book of Women Criminals by Francine Hornberger or Look For the Woman by Jay Robert Nash if you want to read a comprehensive book about female criminals. It is a wonder how this book found a publisher.