Bargain Hunter's Secrets to Online Shopping

March 1, 2005
We tend to carry our favorite activities over into the online environment, shopping being no exception. These guides to online shopping aim to help readers find bargains, deals, and that perfect one-of-a-kind item. Doomed to be outdated soon after printing, "2005 Online Shopping Directory" annotates and organizes nearly 1500 sites from the major to the obscure, providing added tips on security, privacy, fraud prevention, and comparison shopping. Sidebars end each chapter with what appear to be extended ads for sites on a subject, disguised as helpful tips; each chapter begins with a very basic list of suggested keywords for finding further resources (those for drinks, for example, include "beer," "coffee," and "soda"). An optional purchase. For newer to intermediate online shoppers, "Bargain Hunter's Secrets" discusses how-to points (e.g., security and researching purchases), moves into ways to save money (e.g., using price comparison sites, getting auction bargains, and finding closeout sales), and then concludes with a briefly annotated subject directory of sites for bargain hunters. A nice introduction to online bargain shopping; for all libraries.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.