As with _The Tightwad Gazette_, _The Tightwad Gazette II_ is a pleasure to read. Dacyzyn's folksy writing style and attractive graphics work together to create a book that readers will dip into again and again for pleasure and inspiration, as well as for practical advice and recipes. This book is a good buy for people who are new to thrift, for long-time tightwads looking for some new ideas, for environmentalists who want to reduce their use of resources, and for anyone who wants a simpler, more satisfying life, working toward their own dreams rather than merely keeping up with the Joneses. _The Tightwad Gazette II_ celebrates the frugal lifestyle, and its many ideas for creative use of one's resources will save the reader the book's purchase price many times over

I would highly recommend this book and the other two Tightwad Gazette books. They are well worth the purchase price for anyone with a financial goal and not much money to meet it.

This is much more than a book on tips to save money. Along with Tightwad I and III, this is a bible for managing a household on less. Her philosophies on material goods and spending really resonate with me. These books are the most used and well-worn books in my library. I bought it in hardcover long ago, and thought it was worth every cent. Now that it's in paperback, I don't see any reason why one shouldn't own this book.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for Openlinux. It helped with the installation, configuration of hardware, and other various tasks.

Being a new user it was on the right level for me. Covered the basics of everything there is and got me up on my network. I recommend it for all beginners. After using this one, I feel comfortable graduating on to a more complex networking book.

Although it is for Openlinux 2.3, I used it very effectively for 2.2. It even tells you how to upgrade to 2.3 that comes with the book although I haven't done it yet. Love this book!

It's very comprehensive book teaching the beginners to install, use and administrate the Linux OS.

It covers Installation with Lizard properly. Also, it is impressive for us that the book teaches how to use Zip drive and CD-R drive! And it contains the Hardware Compatibility List at the end for the readers.

As for beginners only, it doesn't have lots of Linux commands for reference. But it has teaches some configuration about the servers and LAN.

Although Caldera Openlinux is not as popular as Redhat or Corel's , but it is very easy to use with the KDE window, COAS and Webmin. With such an easy-to-understand book, there should be more users starting using the Linux OS.

It is better than the Dummies book which just teaches installation only! I highly recommend it for daily reference.

As a system administrator I have not found a more useful book for this distribution. Never mind this is my favorite distribution.

Amy Dacyzyn is that rare thing in contemporary America--a person who believes the American dream is still attainable. She believes that people's financial goals are attainable, not through earning more but through saving more. This book focuses on teaching readers the basics of a frugal lifestyle; readers are told how to save money on everything from groceries to weddings. Far from merely giving helpful hints, _The Tightwad Gazette_ shows the reader how to figure out what is the most economical alternative among many, how to calculate savings, and make thrifty choices--skills they can then apply to their own unique situations. In addition to the excellent practical advice, Dacyzyn has some interesting things to say about the psychological side of frugality; she clearly believes that saving money is fun and, before they're through with this book, her readers will too

Amy Dacyczyn is like a breath of fresh air - blowing in the energy to try new, creative (yet inexpensive) ideas yet cleaning out the old routines that have kept us in ruts (and our bank accounts at a deficit) for years. Amy challenges the reader to embrace these ideas with a touch of cleverness and a big dose of humor. Amy's suggestions for frugal living are simple, well researched and fun...when your neighbor sees you stapling the vacuum cleaner bag closed, they will either share in your excitement or start looking for a new home! The best thing about Amy's books are the validation you receive for your efforts to conserve, reduse, reuse, recycle, rethink and reinvent! Your self esteem will soar, and so will your savings account! I would be remiss, however, if I didn't mention that Amy would never condone buying her book new at a book store or even through a discounted internet service (sorry!). Amy's recommendation is to find a used copy, share the copy your friend already owns, take it out of the library, or at the very least, buy a new copy with several of your friends thereby reducing your cash outlay. Now, doesn't that make sense?!?

I have read TWG I and III so far and enjoyed them thouroughly. Although I don't think I will be recycling Baggies or building a volleyball net from plastic soda-can rings, there is lots of useful advice for getting more for less and a general validation of thrift and and the work ethic. Ms. Dacyczyns' writing style is easy, familiar and no-nonsensical, and contrary to many earlier reviewers I did not find it preachy.

Speaking of other reviews brings me to the main points I want to make here. I don't know how Amy and her husband come off in personal apperances, but the reviewer that suggested that Amy lived her frugal, stay-at-home mom lifestyle due to spousal bullying must not have read all the TWG books, or did not read them closely. Amy repeatedly makes clear in her books that she WANTED to stay home with her kids and live in a rural setting; also, that some of her ultra-tightwad ways are deliberately fanatical, almost a game with her. I for one believe this, as I had an extremely thrifty grandmother in whom I recognize some of Amy's ways. For example somewhere Amy says that even though she could buy cheap socks, she finds it irresistible to see how far a darned sock can go. As for her "lazy" husband, well, growing most of your own food and fixing up a 100-year old farmhouse takes alot of time and skill and does save alot of money. The reviewer was cynical that his "helping" with the Gazette was really help, but let me tell you that having just recently done (for the first time) my own camera-ready copy for a scientific paper, putting out any kind of publication in camera ready form is a heck of a lot of work. It's also expensive: in my case it saved $2000 to do it myself. I wouldn't be so quick to write Amy's husband off as a slacker.

The other point I wanted to address is the aversion expressed by many readers to dumpster diving. I haven't tried it yet and have no plans to, but there are good reasons why it may appeal to some tightwads. I recently read Juliet Schorrs' "The Overspent American". This book documents out-of-control spending and consumerism among Americans, and examines why people that spend like crazy generally remain unfulfilled. Apparently one of the syndromes of overspenders is that they quickly grow tired of (or never even use) their expensive stuff, and often discard pefectly good (often very high quality) things in order to make room for the new stuff in their lives. In order to substantiate this part of her research, Schorr dispatched her graduate students to the dumps in posh Boston suburbs; she reported that they returned with "lovely gifts for everybody in the office".

Admittedly, the author is the diva of frugality, taking tightwaddery to a high art I wouldn't care to achieve...but she also discusses how the way we spend our money should--but doesn't always--reflect our own priorities, values, and goals. The author makes it clear that the book contains a full spectrum of tips for saving money to accomodate a wide range of frugal styles, and that not every idea in the book is for every person. There's no preaching, just cheerleading!

Probably the most pleasant surprise in this book were the essays discussing the tightwad philosophy. The author addresses gratification, temporary vs long-term fulfillment, learned perceptions about "clean" and "dirty", the true "cost" of a double-income household, hourly "wages" based on money saved, and other interesting aspects of money attitudes.

A recurring theme examines how frugality isn't about living a deprived scrimping lifestyle, but rather how to spend and save money in ways that reinforce your financial goals. Practical examples give tips for getting good deals, finding hidden treasures within your budget, and how to think "outside the box" when it comes to obtaining goods and services.

In all, while this book contains a wealth of "how-tos", it is also a springboard to help you launch your own ideas on how to meet your life goals and find creative ways to do it.

A fantastic and truly entertaining read.

This book has had a huge, positive influence on my life. I read this book right before I quit my job to stay home and Amy Dacyczyn helped convince me I could do it. But if you are contemplating reading this book, be warned: it is highly addictive and potentially life-changing.

I was already fairly frugal before I read The Tightwad Gazette. My husband and I used cloth diapers, shopped at thrift shops, bought secondhand and had only one car. Many of these actions came from our concern to live lightly on the earth, but had the side-benefit of saving us money. But when I read this book, Amy made me see how wasteful I was being in other parts of my life--throwing money away needlessly by spending too much on groceries, overinsuring my car, and overlooking the wealth of things that can be purchased very cheaply at yard sales. After I read this book, I immediately chopped about $100 a month off of my grocery bill, and IT WAS EASY! And I spent less time running back and forth to the grocery store and more time at home enjoying my family. I was so smitten with this book, that in the first few months after I read it, my husband got really sick of hearing about it. And he was a tightwad, too!

For the last few years, I've been able to use some of Amy's recommendations for saving money, but I really had only scratched the surface in what I could accomplish. I was able to stay home and we were doing okay financially, but just okay--not great. Then earlier this year my husband and I got a wake-up call. Throughout our marriage, we had always managed to save money, even if only $100 a month. Our wake-up call came when we realized that for the first time in our marriage, not only were we not saving money anymore, but our hard-earned savings were slowly being depleted. Consequently, my husband was feeling a lot of pressure to work harder and harder, spending more time away from home and making our family life more strained.

Re-enter the Tightwad Gazette. When I realized that we were losing money, I went into TOTAL frugality mode. First, I used Amy's suggestion to list everything we were spending, then I went over our spending with a fine-tooth comb and looked for places I could cut (fewer long distance calls, cutting back further on groceries, etc.). When I looked at the numbers, I estimated that we could be saving $500 a month. And we live near the federal poverty line! And we pay for our own benefits! Then I reread Amy's book (for about the 4th time), and this time I TOOK NOTES! When I was done, not only did I feel empowered, but I had 4 pages of ideas for new money-saving ideas to try--everything from new recipes to energy-saving strategies. I also realized some mistakes I had been making that Amy discusses at length. First, I had failed to realize that desparate circumstances call for desparate action. Second, I had been justifying a certain amount of wasteful spending on the basis of how hard we worked and how much we deserved it. Third, I had failed to set clear financial goals. Amy talks about the need to set goals repeatedly, and she is right. My new goal was to save $3000 by the end of the year. With this new goal in front of me, I felt completely motivated to start saving money.

To make a long story short, in the 2 months since I have become (in Amy's words) a "Black-belt Tightwad," my family has saved approximately $900, with no dramatic difference in our lifestyle. And lest you think that the lifestyle that Amy promotes is one of drudgery and deprivation, think again. As Amy will tell you in these pages over and over, the life of a tightwad can be full and complete. My kids wear designer clothes (albeit second-hand). My home is filled with nice stuff (most of it bought at yard sales or 'treasure-picked' from the curb). My family eats healthfully--lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, many of them organic, with delicious home-baked goodies thrown in. And we even go out to eat from time to time (although not as often as we once did). Most people who would see my family on the street or visit us in our home would be shocked if they knew how well we do with so little income. Plus I have the added benefit of sleeping more soundly at night, not worrying that we will run out of money.

This book is for non-tightwads, too. I've recommended it to some friends who are spendthrifts, and even they have loved it. So if you are at all interested in saving money or living a simpler, saner life, by all means read this book. But make your first truly tightwad move and don't buy it--go to the library first and read a copy. Amy even recommends that you do this. Then, if it is worth it, you can go ahead and buy it.

This book is an inspiration to help you save money. Kathryn F says "I won't dumpster dive, reuse meat trays or save dryer lint." Amy D. doesn't do any of this;she dove a couple times as part of her research for an article. She doesn't give out money advice like "buy gov't bonds" as others said. As for mealtimes, I agree with her "old fashioned" method of feeding kids, not letting them control the family diet. What Amy DOES do is give examples of ways to save, and articles on calculating real costs of things, etc. Her writing will inspire your own creativity regarding saving money, appropriate for your own situation. The fact that they saved the cash they did, living in expensive New England is amazing, believe me. She outlines options for you, it's up to you to decide what's best - are you truly desperate financially, just want to cut back a bit, or somewhere in between? Personally, what this book has done for me is that it has shifted my values a bit, I am far less interested in having "things", and more into enjoying life through direct experiences - hiking in the mountains, being outdoors. I'm not into the domestic scene like Amy is. But the beauty of the book is you can adapt the advice. Please check it out for yourself, even at the library. But I bet you'll want your own copy.

I have read all of Amy's books, and love her straight-forward philosophy on creative saving and the thrifty lifestyle. I have recommended this book to all my friends who are looking for new ways to save. Some people may find a few ideas in this latest book bordering on the extreme, such as "dumpster-diving". However, she explains that everyone has different comfort levels of tightwadding. The book contains so much practical and valuable information, it was well worth my money. I highly recommend it for the nouveau tightwad.

Anyone who has ever felt a little envious of a neighbor or said "Gee, I wish could afford a house/staying home with the kids/starting a business/traveling/etc." MUST read one of Amy's books. The basic philosophy as I understand it is just this: skip the temporary, one-time expenditures and spend the bucks on a more lasting investment (house/kids/business/early retirement/whatever YOU dream of). I received an economics degree not too long ago, and I recognized Amy's philosophy immediately as essentially the basic "guns-or-butter" discussion from ECO101, the basic problem of limited resources and economic choice. The idea in class, as in real life, would be to MAXIMIZE the VALUE received for the dollars, not just buy whatever until you're broke and then figure out what you got for it.

More than any other author I have seen, Amy challenges her readers to examine their own values and utilize all of their creativity and intelligence to maximize the value they receive for their money. This is NOT a "don't shop when you're hungry, use coupons, and gee, try to pay down your mortgage" book. Amy provides an impressive array of real, creative, effective methods to slash waste of resources: money, time and the enviroment. The books teach you to THINK in a "tightwaddy" (economic) way and take real control of your future according to your own value system, instead of just throwing out a handful of one-time-only "tips". I can honestly say it brought microeconomics home to me and changed my life.