Buy Shoes on Wednesday and Tweet at 4:00

September 15, 2012
The author has his research pattern down pat. He consults experts, from Best Buy to a local veterinarian, to get opinions on timing for topics on purchasing that people really care about. Such was the content for his first when to book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon (2009), and this time he collects a wealth of data, dividing it into 14 categories. Samples abound, such as spreading mulch in late spring, buying high-definition TVs in January, keeping tax returns for seven years, leasing cars in September, and resolving this winter to lose weight. And so on. His diaries keep from being repetitive by his insertions of did you know's and money-saving tips and second opinions (just in case the first one doesn't resonate). So we learn that Southwest Airlines is the best for redeeming frequent-flier miles and that experts are divided on whether it is best to be interviewed for a job first or last. Blame his sources in the appendix if you disagree!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)