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In 1936, in one of its first product testings, the Consumers Union determined that most suntan lotions on the market didn't protect skin, including a brand that promised to prevent ""blistering, windburn, freckles, and poison ivy, and relieve hay fever, nose and throat irritations, and external bleeding.'' Over the years, the organization that publishes Consumer Reports has shown which manufacturers' claims are accurate and which aren't. This book looks at the testing procedures, and as a byproduct shows how goods, safety regulations, prices and consumers' tastes have changed in the past 50 years. For example, in 1957, when the Consumers Union first tested portable transistor radioswhich now go for the price of an LPthe recommended model cost $75. Three years later, the group tested the few seat belts available at auto-parts stores, noting that none were installed by auto companies and that less than 1% of Americans used passenger restraints. PW's rating of this book: an interesting, if lightweight, curiosity. (December)