cover image Thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide to Exceptional Online Shopping

Thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide to Exceptional Online Shopping

Hillary Mendelsohn. Bantam Books, $24.95 (672pp) ISBN 978-0-553-38278-5

Think of it as a Google for shoppers. Marketing consultant Mendelsohn and her colleagues have poured over tens of thousands of e-commerce Web sites and come up with a whopper of a directory listing their favorites, which they arrived at by using such criteria as how easy a site is to use, how good its selection is and how long it takes to download the site. The book divides the offerings into 19 categories, including pets, gadgets, maternity, entertainment and travel. Each entry lists the site's URL, a review and information regarding shipping costs, the availability of gift certificates and other particulars. The reviews are not all positive--e.g., Beauty.com's site is""confusing,"" and VillasOfTheWorld.com uselessly divides accommodations as either""First Class,""""Deluxe"" or""Luxurious""--which helps give the author and her team credibility. The sleekly designed book brims with helpful cross-references and hints for getting the most out of an online shopping experience.