Rating: 
Summary: It has a CD ... but not much more.
Review: I bought this book because it was the only one with CD-ROM. CD has MS Word files with all letters from the book. However, when I read the letters, I was not very impressed. Most of them a very short which makes them hard to customize. It seems that author is trying to walk a fine line between being terse and being rude. Sorry for the style of this review- if I could write better, I wouldn't pay money for the book!
Rating: 
Summary: Stay away from this book, author and publisher!
Review: I have never seen such a useless book and so-called software. It truly serves no literary purpose for any use, either personal or professional. The "software" isn't even software, and if you hate it, you are stuck with it as the publisher will not take returns if opened. I should have learned my lesson from my first bad experience from this publisher, but I gave them another chance on this one. Now I will never buy anything from them again. And the so-called author has zero merit, no binding credentials, and an empty resume that gives him no right to instruct anyone on writing ANY form of letter.
Rating:
Summary: For a small business owner not the average consumer...
Review: I purchased this book thinking that the author provided a voice to capture my thoughts when dealing with merchants. Why I ever doubted my ability to write my experience with a product or services, I do not know. I agree that this book provides a template. If you use a Wordprocessing software application it already comes with one. I would not recommed this as a purchase for the average consumer.
This book is written more for the small business owner, who for example, is attempting to collect bad debts or negotiating for better pricing on business services.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent source of information
Review: I use it every time I have to corresponde to our customers. It has helped me say what I did not know how to sometimes.
Rating: 
Summary: Missing most important section!
Review: I was going to ask my employer for a raise this Monday and resorted to the Lifetime Letters book. I could not locate a section on earnings, promotion, raise, salary, wages, pay, increase, income, or simply, MORE. Nothing!!! Nothing at all on any of those subjects. Would this not be one of the most important letters every written in one's life? If your looking for information on how to ask for a wage increase, don't bother to look here.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Reference Item
Review: I'm confused by the previous reviews. It seems like the objections are to the CD-ROM...our copy didn't come with one. I work in a library, and when I have trouble writing a letter or more often coming up with wording for a condolence card (I'm hopeless at this) I run to the stacks for this book! I find it most useful for appropriate ideas not necessarily a complete letter. If I don't find the subject matter I need I plunder other letters for the right words...sometimes just a sentence can get me started. I've recommended this book to other staff members who have found useful information in it. I just ordered a copy for our professional reference collection!!! This book is a great resource, but perhaps not the answer to ALL letter writing ills.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Reference Item
Review: I'm confused by the previous reviews. It seems like the objections are to the CD-ROM...our copy didn't come with one. I work in a library, and when I have trouble writing a letter or more often coming up with wording for a condolence card (I'm hopeless at this) I run to the stacks for this book! I find it most useful for appropriate ideas not necessarily a complete letter. If I don't find the subject matter I need I plunder other letters for the right words...sometimes just a sentence can get me started. I've recommended this book to other staff members who have found useful information in it. I just ordered a copy for our professional reference collection!!! This book is a great resource, but perhaps not the answer to ALL letter writing ills.
Rating:
Summary: Be careful
Review: The business examples are, for the most part, useful and helpful, albeit very dry and canned. The sections on personal letters, however, are simply dreadful. Completely ignore the chapter on how to write a letter of sympathy or concern; it's obvious this man has never written such a letter or if he has, he is no longer friends with the correspondent. If you choose to purchase this book, take it with a grain of salt and use your better judgement over one who has no creditials.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of money and paper!
Review: The content of this book is pathetic, and the "CDRom" is even worse. The software is nothing but a CDR with a collection of pdf files. You cannot easily edit and print from it, you must extract and save to doc file. Lame. I was offered this book through a piece of junk mail in my mailbox. I usually recycle such material, but there was a 30 day trial with no payment needed, so I tried it. It was offered to my at one price, and then when it came to getting a bill, the price was near doubled, and shipping prices are pure (....) And this was direct from the publisher, (....) The main appeal of this purchase was for the "software", but since it serves no purpose, I do not want it. What they do not tell you is that if you open the "software", you cannot return it. Which makes the 30 day trial a (sham). So my review and advice is to avoid this book and ANY publication from (...)as they certainly have gone downhill in quality.
Rating:
Summary: As a template, THE BOOK is very useful
Review: The Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters has come in handy for me on several occasions (both business and personal). The book itself is broken down into categories, and within these are outlines, models, indexes, open/closing sentences, and example letters for each category. The "How To Do It" outline provides you with a step-by-step process for each letter. This helps to keep your letter focused. The explanations in the outline is brief, and somewhat vague, but if you follow through with the model letter, you can see what direction your letter would take. There are also suggestions for opening and closing sentences. This will help jog your inspiration. I never used any of the suggested sentences, but it did give me a clear idea of how I should open and close my letters. Many times, hesitation has been a result of not knowing how to start... this book helped solve that problem for me. The best feature of this book is the variety of letters. Some are more aggressive than others, and this can be tailored to what you are trying to "sell" or say. The contrasts in letter presentation gives you a chance to choose the most appropriate letter for those who will read it. The personal letter section is useful for the more "delicate" correspondence (compliments, reprimand, gifts, etc...). This book guided me with proper etiquette through some very nerve-wracking letters. It also provided me with the confidence to write more letters for appropriate situations. I have actually received compliments from letter receivers! This book is meant to be used throughout your lifetime, for business and personal uses. My copy is pretty old, and I still use it. The letters I write using the encyclopedia are absolutely my own. Because I view this book as a template of standards, I merely adapt it to suit my own personal style and needs. I recommend it to anyone who needs to write a letter and wants to do it right with the best results.
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