Shopping for Furniture: A Consumer's Guide

Rating:
Summary: Better for high end furniture, only OK for mid to low range
Review: As a person looking to make several major furniture purchases, I bought this book looking for a way to learn the difference between a $600 and a $1000 sofa, as well as other furniture items. The book was only a little helpful in this regard. The author is a retired retail furniture salesman, and the book comes across somewhat as his personal swan song. It has a tone of "the good old days of retail when service mattered and a brand name like X really meant someting." The author definitely favors big brand names, and especially those at the high end of the spectrum. He includes some information about shopping for furniture in North Carolina, some info. about furniture care, and a little information about furniture prices and getting a good deal. I learned a little about what to look for in purchasing furniture, and figured out that furniture stores play all kinds of games with pricing, but that is about it. Still, if you are like me and are starting with very low level of knowledge and can't stomach spending one or two thousand dollars without doing some product research, this book will at least provide some information.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Furniture Shopping Education You Can Get!
Review: I am one of the lucky ones in that I was introduced to furniture quality by my Home Economic teacher 35 years ago. Unfortunately, I have watched friends and relatives repeatedly replace furniture because they only bought on looks and could not tell the difference between a $700 leather sofa and a $3500 one. This book is great! It tells new consumers what to look for and what they are paying for. The illustrations are great and the terminology is easy to understand. Mr. Lewin does not suggest that you buy only top of the line furniture; he urges you to consider the purpose and the abuse/use a piece of furniture will take. Furniture shopping to me is like looking in a museum. Although I knew a lot, I still found things to highlight in his book. I plan on buying this book for Christmas, wedding and graduation gifts.

Rating:
Summary: A "must have" no nonsense title.
Review: Mr. Lewin has the right idea: inform the public about how to make better choices, and you have a reader who will pass on the word.

While this book does not possess the "glitz" of most of the books of decorating ilk, this slim, informative volume is reasonably priced, and completely accessible to readers who love furniture, no matter how furniture savvy or not.