Resources
Gathering the information for these lists involved a considerable amount of reporting and fact checking. In addition to poring over books, articles and Web sites, I also spoke with many experts who helped me tremendously by sharing their time and expertise. In case you’d also like to tap their talents some time in the future, I’m including some of their names and contact information, along with books and other resources you may find helpful.
PERSONAL SAFETY
National Safety Council, 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca, IL 60143; 630-775-2307; www.nsc.org
National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269; 617-770-3000; www.nfpa.org
National Crime Prevention Council, sponsored by Allstate Insurance; www.ncpc.org and www.weprevent.org
United States Government Bureau of Justice Assistance; www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/
GETTING ORGANIZED
Organizing from the Inside Out. Julie Morgenstern. Henry Holt and Company www.juliemorgenstern.com; E-mail: organize@juliemorgenstern.com
Taming the Paper Tiger. Barbara Hemphill. Kiplinger Books.
Taming the Office Tiger. Barbara Hemphill. Kiplinger Books.
STOCKING UP
The Kitchen Survival Guide. Lora Brody. William Morrow & Company, Inc.
The Bloomingdale’s Home Planner. Bloomingdale’s Bridal Registry. www.epicurious.com
HOME MAINTENANCE
Bob Vila’s Toolbox. Bob Vila. William Morrow & Company, Inc.
Everyone’s Book of Small Hand and Power Tools. George R. Drake. Reston Publishing.
The Complete Guide to Home Maintenance: How to Prevent Costly Problems Before They Occur. Dave Herberle and Richard Scutella. Betterway Books.
www.doityourself.com
HOUSEWORK AND OTHER EMERGENCIES
Household Hints and Tips. Cassandra Kent. DK Publishing.
Hints from Heloise by Heloise. Avon Books.
FLOWERS AND PLANTS
The 20-Minute Gardener. Tom Christopher and Marty Asher. Random House.
Houseplants for Dummies. Larry Hodgson. IDG Books.
The National Gardening Association, www.garden.com National Audubon Society, www.audubon.com
SOCIAL LIFE
Entertaining for Dummies. Suzanne Williamson. IDG Books.
Picnic! by Edith Stoval. Storey Publishing.
Weekend! . Edith Stoval and Pamela Wakefield. Storey Publishing.
Miss Manners’ Guide for The Turn of the Next Millennium. Judith Martin. Pharos Books.
Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior. Judith Martin. Galahad Books.
Josh Karin at Geppetto Catering in Washington D.C. 202-338-7300.
CORRESPONDENCE
Emily Post’s Etiquette. Peggy Post. Harper Collins.
Also see Miss Manners on this topic.
DEALING WITH DEATH
It’s Your Choice: The Practical Guide to Planning a Funeral. Thomas Nelson. Scott Foresman & Co., an American Association of Retired Persons Book.
The High Cost of Dying—A Guide to Funeral Planning. Gregory Young. Prometheus Books.
McDonough Funeral Home, Belmar, NJ, 732-681-1113
Dying for Business. Marketplace Radio Series. Debra Baer, August 17–September 4, 1998. For audio tapes of the series, visit Marketplace Radio’s Web site: www.marketplace.org
Both Direct Casket and Consumer Casket sell caskets and urns directly to consumers at reduced prices. www.directcasket.com www.consumercasket.com
CHILDREN (FOR THOSE WHO ONLY BORROW THEM)
Baby Stuff—A No-nonsense Guide for Every Parent’s Lifestyle. Ari and Joanna Lipper. Dell.
Guide to Baby Products. Sandy Jones with Werner Freitag. Consumer Reports Books.
The Babysitter Book: Everything You and Your Babysitter Need to Know Before You Leave the House. Jane Crowley Pardini. NTC/Contemporary Publishing.
Baby Catalogs
Right Start: 800-348-6386
One Step Ahead: 800-274-8440
Land’s End Kids: 800-356-4444
L. L. Bean Kids: 800-341-4341
Safety Zone: 800-999-3030
Perfectly Safe: 800-837-KIDS
MOVING
Interstate moves are regulated by the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. To see if a mover is registered and insured, call FHWA: 202-358-7106; 202-358-7028; 202-358-7063.
Washington Consumers Checkbook Magazine. Winter/Spring 1998, Vol. 10, No. 4.
Moving, A Complete Checklist and Guide for Relocation. Karen G. Adams. Silvercat Publications.
Barbara and Leon Shoag. This husband and wife team has been selling real estate in the Long Beach, California area since 1981. They have been top award-winners for the past 12 years and represent about equal numbers of buyers and sellers. They can be reached at 562-427-0669 or by e-mail at bshoag@aol.com.
www.movers.com
www.moverquotes.com
www.moversresource.com
www.realtimes.com
www.springstreet.com
TRAVEL
2002 Tips Even The Best Business Travelers May Not Know. Christopher J. McGinnis. Irwin Professional Publishing.
The Business Travel Survival Guide. Jack Cummings. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
www.armchair.com The Business Traveler, www.btonline.com
HEALTH
The Savvy Medical Consumer. Charles B. Inlander. People’s Medical Society Handbook.
Health Care Choices for Today’s Consumers, Guide to Quality and Cost. Mark Miller, ed. John Wiley & Sons.
Dr. Koop’s Self Care Advisor. C. Everett Koop. Time Life Books. www.drkoop.com
THE LAW
Using A Lawyer And What To Do If Things Go Wrong. Kay Osterberg. Random House.
The 90-Second Lawyer . Robert Irwin and David L. Ganz. John Wiley & Sons.
Nolo’s Everyday Law Book . Shae Irving, ed. Nolo Press. www.nolo.com.
Everybody’s Guide to Small Claims Court. Ralph Warner. Nolo Press.
Collect Your Court Judgements. Gini Graham Scott, Stephen Elias and Lisa Goldoftas. Nolo Press.
Douglas J. Rovens of Rovens, Lamb, Patch and Yocca LLP, Attorneys at Law. 213-895-4150 in Los Angeles. 949-253-0800 in Newport Beach, California. Waring Fincke, Attorney at Law. E-mail: wrfincke@mail.execpc.com, www.execpc.com/~wrfincke.
YOUR MONEY
Personal Finance
Sue Miller, CPA at Frank & Company, p.c., McLean Virginia 703-821-0702, E-mail: smiller@frankandco.com
Susan Hamilton and Joseph D’Orazio, JD, LLM, CPA, CFP at Rembert, D’Orazio & Fox, financial advisors in Falls Church, Virginia. 703-821-6655.
The Motley Fool, Finance and Folly, www.motleyfool.com Money Management International, www.mmi.com, Intelligent Life Corp.’s www.bankrate.com
Choosing a Jeweler
Protea Corporation, Diamond Manufacturers and Wholesalers. Paul Jacobs and Anthony Taitz. 703-536-9822.
Gemological Institute of America. 800-421-7250. www.GIA.com.
Insurance
National Insurance Consumer Helpline. 800-942-4242. A toll-free consumer information telephone service sponsored by insurance industry trade organizations. Licensed agents and trained staff are available to answer questions about a variety of insurance (from life and liability to health, home and auto). Operates Mon–Fri 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, EST. Independent Insurance Agents of America, Inc. 800-221-7917. A non-profit industry group offers consumer information and publishes several brochures on a variety of consumer-oriented topics. www.iiaa.org.
Making the Most of Your Money. Jane Bryant Quinn. Simon & Schuster.
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
The Art of Self Promotion Newsletter. Ilise Benun. 800-737-0783. Quarterly publication. $30 for 4 issues. E-mail: ilise@artofselfpromotion.com. www.artofselfpromotion.com
101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers. Caryl Rae Krannich. Impact Publications.
Michael Jolkovski, Ph.D. Dr. Jolkovski is a psychologist in the Washington, D.C. area specializing in stage fright. E-mail: MPJolkovski@erols.com
YOUR COMPUTER
“Cheap Computing.“ Robin Miller, on The Andover News Network. www.andovernews.com.
John Gilroy, “Computer Guy” column can be read bi-monthly in the Washington Post and heard on National Public Radio (check with your local public radio station.)
YOUR CAR
How to Keep Your Car Mechanic Honest. Vic and Barbara Goulter. Scarborough House.
What Auto Mechanics Don’t Want You to Know. Mark Eskeldson. Technews Publishing.
What Car Dealers Don’t Want You to Know. Mark Eskeldson. Technews Publishing.
Car Buyer’s and Leaser’s Negotiating Bible. W. James Bragg. Random House.
The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Cars . Lisa Murr Chapman. Bantam Books.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hotline: 800-424-9393
www.fightingchance.com www.carbargains.com
EXCELLENT GENERAL REFERENCE BOOKS
Life’s Big Instruction Book. Carol Orsag Madigan and Ann Elwood. Warner Books.
The Home Answer Book. Joanna Wissinger, ed. Stonesong Press.
The Complete Guide to Four Seasons Home Maintenance. Dave Herberle and Richard M. Scutella. Betterway Books.
The Practical Problem Solver. Reader’s Digest Books.