1,001 Things They Won't Tell You: An Insider's Guide to Spending, Saving, and Living Wisely

Are you getting the most for your money? 1,001 Things They Won’t Tell You offers the experts' knowledge on 100 industries and institutions that readers interact with daily, sometimes profoundly: financial planners, cable providers, car dealers, insurance agencies, caterers, contractors, real estate brokers, funeral directors, dentists, personal trainers, college prep counselors, casinos, florists, cruise lines, and more. Based on the popular and addictive "Ten Things They Won't Tell You” column in SmartMoney, The Wall Street Journal magazine, 1,001 Things They Won’t Tell You will make every reader a wiser, savvier consumer.

The conceit is "what they won't tell you"—in each case, the top ten things industry insiders know that you need to know before making a decision. It covers veterinarians: #2. Vaccinating your pet may do more harm than good. Automobile leasing companies: #7. You call it an odometer; we call it a cash register. Tax preparers: #4. What are my qualifications? Well, I'm real good at Sudoku. Nursing homes: #1. We're careless about the drugs we give out. Cruise lines: #2. Our engines break down all the time. Gourmet grocers: #3. This bottled water is actually tap water. Lawyers: #4. You could win your lawsuit and still wind up with nothing. Plastic surgeons: #1. I trained a whole weekend to learn this procedure. The book outlines what you don't know, then arms you with insights, tips, and techniques to make sure you get the best in every area of your life.

Health, education, insurance, finance, automobiles, goods and services, food and drink, free time—it's everything you literally need to know to save not only money, but also potential headache.

Jonathan Dahl is the editor-in-chief of SmartMoney, The Wall Street Journal magazine; previously he was the editor of The Wall Street Journal's "Weekend Journal." He lives in Brooklyn, New York. SmartMoney, with a monthly readership of more than 3 million, is a joint publication of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and Hearst Corp.