The Tightwad Gazette III

For those who are afraid of Martha Stuart, there is Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced ""decision""). Dacyczyn has the same basic goal as Martha--giving information that will help readers create a more comfortable home life--but there they part company. In her newsletter, the Tightwad Gazette, and now in her third book, The Tightwad Gazette III: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Lifestyle, Dacyczyn offers help on saving money, saving the environment, living simply and doing things with the family. With the help of readers, she pulls together tips on making coals last longer, creating new furniture out of components, figures out the relative cost of electric razors vs. blades, researches retreads and more. (Villard, $12.99, 320p, ISBN 0-679-77766-0)