TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Janice Lieberman with Jason Raff (Dell, $11.95, 1998)
From engagement rings to produce, nothing is safe from Good Morning America's scam-busting reporter in this useful shopping guide.

Janice Lieberman, a consumer expert familiar to many from her appearances on Good Morning America, and Jason Raff, her cohort in scam busting, have written a no-holds-barred consumer guide for the millennium, Tricks of the Trade. Focusing on the 10 most common major purchases, from jewelry to automobiles to electronics, the book also features some of the behind-the-scenes stories of Lieberman and Raff's undercover investigations. You won't believe some of the cons and swindles they uncover, but you'll be glad they did. Knowing the worst deals will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to find the best. Read more

"Tricks of the Trade, A Consumer Survival Guide" (Dell, $ 11.95, paperback) takes a scared-straight attitude toward shopping.

In the section on consumer electronics, for example, an electronics salesman says: "There were a lot of honest salesmen at my store, but the dishonest ones would make a lot more money."

In addition to electronics, author Janice Lieberman tackles automobiles, cosmetics, groceries, home contracting, insurance, jewelry, mattresses, moving and travel.

She says consumers must be careful when navigating the marketplace for all these goods and services. A consumer expert for Good Morning America, Lieberman aims to give consumers enough working knowledge to avoid being victimized by scams and bad deals.

Want to be a grinder? A cherry picker?

As unappealing as they sound, you probably do - If you're serious about your position as the household's vice president in charge of shopping.

Grinding, cherry picking and other shopping techniques are defined in Tricks of the Trade - A Consumer Survival Guide (Dell; $ 11.95) by Janice Lieberman, consumer expert and correspondent for Good Morning America. So are the marketing scams that make grinding and cherry picking defensible, even admirable.

Learn from the book:

• What an X engraved near a model number means.
• The discounts you should expect off manufacturers' prices.
• Why you should check some packages before you leave the store.
• How to discover fake discounts.
• How to recognize con artists.
• How to spot a rebuilt or refurbished item being sold as new.
• How to avoid being pressured into buying something you don't need.
• Questions you should ask before buying.
• Where to complain for the best results.

Ms. Lieberman, anchor of CNBC's Steals and Deals for eight years, has appeared several times on Oprah and Leeza.

By the way, from the book's glossary: A cherry picker is a consumer who makes a special trip to a store solely to buy loss leaders (teaser items offered at or below store cost to attract customers). A grinder is a customer who haggles for better prices.

Puzzled by the differences among Light, Lo-cal and Lean? Deciding among Full, King, and Queen. Good Morning America Consumer reporter Janice Lieberman, writing with Jason Raff, takes on a plethora of such mysteries in Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. With chapters on electronics, groceries, insurance, and more – plus appendices on "How to Complain" and listings on consumer-protection services – Lieberman marshalls an impressive array of anti-ripoff strategies."

NO-NONSENSE GUIDE OFFERS STRAIGHT TALK ON SHOPPING
Tricks of the Trade, A Consumer Survival Guide (Dell, $11.95, paperback) takes a scared-straight attitude toward shopping. In the section on consumer electronics, for example, an electronics salesman says: "There were a lot ofhonest salesmen at my store, but the dishonest ones would make a lot more money." In addition to electronics, author Janice Lieberman tackles automobiles, cosmetics, groceries, home contracting, insurance, jewelry, mattresses, moving and travel. She sees the marketplace for all these goods and services as tainted with dishonesty and greed. A consumer expert for Good Morning America, Lieberman aims to give consumers enough working knowledge to avoid being victimized by scams and bad deals.

Excerpt:
Ms. Lieberman may be familiar from her consumer reporting appearances on TV's Good Morning America and Steals and Deals. Like several similar consumer guides, hers offers a great overview on avoiding scams and getting your money's worth for goods and services. She covers cosmetics, groceries, jewelry and mattresses as well as the usual auto, electronics, home repair, insurance and travel categories.

Written by two of America's savviest consumer investigators, this book offers shopping strategies, insider secrets of dubious sales techniques, and tips for making an informed purchase. Focusing on the ten most common major purchases from jewelry to automobiles to electronics, Janice Lieberman and Jason Raff will save you money. The book also features some of the behind-the-scenes stories of their undercover investigations. You won't believe some of the scams, cons and swindles they uncover, but you'll be glad they did.