About this product: This may be the best comprehensive guide for home buyers. Home Buying for Dummies is coauthored by Eric Tyson, author of several other books in the For Dummies series, and Ray Brown, a long-time real estate professional. Like other books in the series, this one is an easy and even entertaining read. But it does not gloss over details in pursuit of simplicity. Home Buying for Dummies covers all the bases, providing clear explanations and reasonable judgments on how to select a mortgage, hire a real estate agent, find the right house, and negotiate a good deal. The book goes further than most in providing helpful, specific information. For example, in discussing ways to save money for a future down payment, Home Buying for Dummies even includes the phone numbers for various mutual funds appropriate to different investment time frames. --Barry Mitzman
About this product: “Fascinating … A compelling blend of cultural anthropology and business journalism.” — Andrea Sachs, Time Magazine
“An often startling tour of new cultural terrain.” — Laura Miller, Salon
“Marked by meticulous research and careful conclusions, this superbly readable book confirms New York Times journalist Walker as an expert on consumerism. … [A] thoughtful and unhurried investigation into consumerism that pushes the analysis to the maximum…” — Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
Brands are dead. Advertising no longer works. Weaned on TiVo, the Internet, and other emerging technologies, the short-attention-span generation has become immune to marketing. Consumers are “in control.” Or so we’re told. In Buying In, New York Times Magazine “Consumed” columnist Rob Walker argues that this accepted wisdom misses a much more important and lasting cultural shift. As technology has created avenues for advertising anywhere and everywhere, people are embracing brands more than ever before–creating brands of their own and participating in marketing campaigns for their favorite brands in unprecedented ways. Increasingly, motivated consumers are pitching in to spread the gospel virally, whether by creating Internet video ads for Converse All Stars or becoming word-of-mouth “agents” touting products to friends and family on behalf of huge corporations. In the process, they–we–have begun to funnel cultural, political, and community activities through connections with brands.
Walker explores this changing cultural landscape–including a practice he calls “murketing,” blending the terms murky and marketing–by introducing us to the creative marketers, entrepreneurs, artists, and community organizers who have found a way to thrive within it. Using profiles of brands old and new, including Timberland, American Apparel, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Red Bull, iPod, and Livestrong, Walker demonstrates the ways in which buyers adopt products, not just as consumer choices, but as conscious expressions of their identities.
Part marketing primer, part work of cultural anthropology, Buying In reveals why now, more than ever, we are what we buy–and vice versa.
Praise for Buying In “Walker … makes a startling claim: Far from being immune to advertising, as many people think, American consumers are increasingly active participants in the marketing process. … [He] leads readers through a series of lucid case studies to demonstrate that, in many cases, consumers actively participate in infusing a brand with meaning. … Convincing.” — Jay Dixit, The Washington Post
“Walker lays out his theory in well-written, entertaining detail.” — Seth Stevenson, Slate
“Buying In delves into the attitudes of the global consumer in the age of plenty, and, well, we aren’t too pretty. Walker carries the reader on a frenetically paced tour of senseless consumption spanning from Viking ranges to custom high-tops.” — Robert Blinn, Core77
“Rob Walker is one smart shopper.” — Jen Trolio, ReadyMade “The most trenchant psychoanalyst of our consumer selves is Rob Walker. This is a fresh and fascinating exploration of the places where material culture and identity intersect.” –Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food
“This book has vast social implications, far beyond the fields of marketing and branding. It obliterates our old paradigm of companies (the bad guys) corrupting our children (the innocents) via commercials. In this new world, media-literate young people freely and willingly co-opt the brands, and most companies are clueless bystanders desperate to keep up. I really don't know if this is good news or bad news, but I can say, with certainty, that this book is a must-read.” –Po Bronson, author of What Should I Do with My Life?
“Rob Walker is a gift. He shows that in our shattered, scattered world, powerful brands are existential, insinuating themselves into the human questions ‘What am I about?’ and ‘How do I connect?’ His insight that brand influence is becoming both more pervasive and more hidden–that we are not so self-defined as we like to think–should make us disturbed, and vigilant.” –Jim Collins, author of Good to Great
“Rob Walker is a terrific writer who understands both human nature and the business world. His book is highly entertaining, but it’s also a deeply thoughtful look at the ways in which marketing meets the modern psyche.” –Bethany McLean, editor at large, Fortune, and co-author of The Smartest Guys in the Room
“Are we living in an era of YouTube-empowered, brand-rejecting consumers? Rob Walker has the surprising answers, and you won’t want to miss this joyride through the front lines of consumer culture. A marketing must-read.” –Chip Heath and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick
“Rob Walker brilliantly deconstructs the religion of consumption. Love his column, couldn’t put his book down.” –Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy
About this product: Annuities have become one of the most popular ways to save for retirement and also one of the most misunderstood, overhyped, and dangerous investment vehicles available today. Some annuities are worth the money...but too many are flawed, overpriced, and packed with hidden fees that make them absolutely horrible investments. In The Truth About Buying Annuities, consumer finance expert Steven Weisman helps you make smart decisions about annuities and avoid the lies, misrepresentations, and ripoffs that await uninformed investors. From start to finish, Weisman delivers quick, bite-size, just-the-facts information and plain-English explanations you can actually use. You'll learn all you need to know about immediate, deferred, and variable annuities; actively-managed vs. indexed annuities; inflation-protected and tax-sheltered annuities; and more. Weisman explains the impact of annuities on taxes, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care, and your other retirement plans.He presents crucial, hard-to-find information about death benefits, joint and survivor annuities, alternatives to annuities, assessing annuity risk, avoiding scams, and even how to escape from a bad annuity you've already purchased. Unlike some books on annuities, this one's simple to read, simple to use, up-to-date, and complete: it's the only annuity guide you need!
About this product: Insider tips and advice to help you get the right place at the right price!
If you're ready to say goodbye to landlords and laundromats, Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home will help you find the right place to invest in -- and have fun doing it.
Filled with interesting facts and real-life stories, this book provides everything you need to select the right house, the right mortgage, the right agent, the right inspections -- and much more. Get the inside scoop on:
deciding between a house, condo, co-op or townhouse
exploring the market for the best value
lining up financing
getting inspections and insurance
negotiating with sellers or new home builders
successfully closing the deal
Read the real-life stories of over 20 first-time homebuyers, as well as the insights from a team of 13 real estate professionals, including:
brokers
attorneys who specialize in real estate
a home inspector
a neighborhood researcher
a mortgage specialist
and more PLUS: You'll get the The Homebuyer's Toolkit, a CD-ROM that includes dozens of forms and MP3s which will help you find the right place, crunch the numbers, interview real estate professionals, borrow down payment money from your parents -- and more.
About this product: Shocked by the commerce in everything from pet cloning to patriotism, frightened by the downward spiral of her finances and that of the trash-strewn earth, Judith Levine enlists her partner, Paul, in a radical experiment: to forgo all but the most necessary purchases for an entire year.
Without consumer goods and experiences, Judith and Paul pursue their careers, nurture relationships, and try to keep their sanity, their identities, and their sense of humor intact. Tracking their progress -- and inevitable lapses -- Levine contemplates need and desire, scarcity and security, consumerism and citizenship. She asks the Big Questions: Can the economy survive without shopping? Are Q-tips necessary?
Not Buying It is the confession of a woman any reader can identify with: someone who can't live without French roast coffee or SmartWool socks but who has had it up to here with overconsumption and its effects on the earth and everyone who dwells there.
For the humor and intelligence of its insights, the refreshment of its skepticism, and the surprises of its conclusions, Not Buying It is sure to be on anyone's list of Necessities.
Here’s the ideal resource for every consumer faced with questions like: “Is this the right product for me? Will I get my money’s worth in this product? Which brand is the best for me?”
In today’s marketplace, there are so many products that can be bought and so many ways to buy them. Consumers are often faced with too many choices when trying to decide on which products to purchase.
The Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2009 is a one-stop portable source for making intelligent, money saving purchases for all home buying needs. This book tells you what manufacturers can’t and often won’t tell you – based on a full year’s worth of Consumer Reports testing. This compact reference guide contains over 950 brand-name ratings along with invaluable information on what products are available, important features, latest trends and expert advice on:
Home office equipment
Digital cameras and camcorders
Home entertainment
Cellular Phones
Home and yard tools
Gas Grills
Air conditioners
Kitchen appliances
Vacuum cleaners and washing machines
Cars , minivans, pickups and SUV’s
And so much more!From refrigerators to vacuum cleaners, digital cameras to SUVs -- Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2009 will make every consumer a smarter shopper.
About this product: Buying a home requires skill in a variety of areas. There's negotiating, financing, inspecting a home, and understanding legal contracts. It's really too much for most people to do by themselves, which, as you know by now, is why most of us pay good money to hire real estate agents, mortgage brokers, home inspectors, and other professionals to help with the process. But that doesn't remove the buyer from the role of project manager, whose job is to understand what each specialist is meant to do and recognize when one of those key players is not doing his or her job right. Books such as 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask help the novice gain a solid understanding of the basics involved in this often complex process. The questions in this second edition of author Ilyce R. Glink's book also make buyers think about their decisions. If you want to buy an older home, for example, do you understand that older windows may need caulking or new sashes, that bathroom tiles may need regrouting, and that an older home may need rewiring, a new hot water heater, or a new furnace right away? Other questions range from the routine (How much can I afford? How do I make an offer?) to some that are hard to anticipate (What if the seller wants to stay in the house after the closing? Who should attend the closing?). Chapters are devoted to key topics, including figuring out what kind of house you want (this effort starts with a "wish list" and improves with a "reality check"), knowing what you can afford, putting together and negotiating a deal, financing your home, closing on the deal, and then doing what it takes to live happily ever after. Of course, living happily ever after requires understanding when it's time to move on to your next home, a process that may find you dusting off this book in the coming years. --John Russell
Buying a used car is a greater risk than buying a new one, but can also be the best automotive deal around. The 2008 edition of Used Car Buying Guide will help anyone in the market get the best price – and minimize risk – when buying, selling, or trading in a used vehicle. As it is best to be armed with as much information as possible before stepping onto a used car lot, this book will provide everything needed including:
Unbiased reviews of every major model from 2000 – 2007
Exclusive Reliability Ratings based on over 1 million vehicles
Lists of the best and worst used vehicles and how to avoid a lemon
A checklist of what to look for when inspecting a used car
Best used cars for gas mileage
Tips on negotiating the best price
Recalls and crash test information
Making sense of safety information
How to get the most money when trading in your current car
PLUS profiles of more than 260 cars, trucks, and SUVs, presenting all major 2000-2007 models
Each profile contains a photo from the representative year, a write-up of the vehicle, reliability history, crash-test data, and the model years when key safety gear was added and when a major redesign was made.
About this product: The trusted guide that Backwoods Home magazine calls ""the bible"" of buying rural property.
City dwellers and suburbanites who dream of a simpler life in the country will appreciate the Schers' straightforward explanations of the particulars of buying rural land. Everything is covered in these pages, from looking for property, through evaluating it and negotiating price, to the contract of sale. Important topics such as water and easement rights, zoning, and eminent domain are made clear. Sample legal forms and checklists provide the basics, and resource listings point to sources of regional and local information, including Internet sites. A special chapter discusses Canada's real estate market. Covering current property laws and financing options, this comprehensive resource offers insiders' knowledge on how to avoid common pitfalls and prevent costly mistakes.
About this product: Whether youre a first-time real estate investor or a seasoned professional, The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings helps you map out your future, find apartment buildings at a fair price, finance purchases, and manage your properties. Now revised and expanded, this Second Edition includes tax planning advice, case studies of real acquisitions, and appendixes that add detail to the big picture. Plus, it includes a handy glossary of all the terms investors need to know, helpful sample forms that make paperwork quick and easy, and updated real estate forecasts. With this comprehensive guide at hand youll find profits easy to come by.
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