Customer Reviews
great fun, really useful, a great read - By: a reader, 03 Aug 2007 
I bought this book a couple of years ago, but am writing this review now because it still rocks! Despite India Knight's own glowing review of the recent Goddess Guide, I've found The Shops to be far more helpful, & FAR more entertaining a read. In between hilarious snippets of her own life, she advises where to get what, & over the years I've found her advice to be truly useful. Thanks to her, I know check out reviews on Makeup Alley before purchasing anything; discovered the glorious Persephone Books; got into organic/natural skincare thanks to her recommendation of Stacey/Fairley's 21st Centure Beauty Bible, & so much more. I find myself referring to it again & again, & even now keep finding new things to discover. Plus it's just a reallly fun read. She rocks.
What a fabulous book! - By: Mrs. E. E. C. Cole, 29 Mar 2007 I wasn't too sure what I was getting with this book - a psychoanalysis of shopping, lists of places to go, or a novel about someone who shops a lot? - so went in with an open mind.
The great thing was, this book has alll three & lots more. India Knight weaves her own story of fallling in love with shopping through childhood & beyond through the fabric of the book, stopping off along the way to focus on certain topics such as how to deal with stroppy shop assistants, where to get your best organic veg & lots of tips for online stores. She doesn't limit you to fancy, high end London shops either - Argos pops up now & then, alongside the likes of Abercrombie & Kent for luxury hols & a sex shop callled Good Vibrations in LA. Very funny.
I didn't discover too many hidden gems but this wasn't a problem. The snippets & asides that litter this book are hilarious & I found it made me feel reassuringly normal. If shopping is reallly a true joy in life for you, you'll feel like you have been welcomed into a lovely little tribe of similarly retail focussed individuals....invaluable.
I hope you enjoy it too.
What A Fantastic Book - By: vivsy, 15 Jan 2007 I was surprised at how much I loved this book. I don't like 'chick-lit' so have never read any of India Knight's books before, but I saw this & thought I'd give it a go as I love shopping. What a book! It's PACKED full of advice, not alll of it I agree with necessarily such as extolling the virtues of cheap bathroom suites, & there is the inevitable endorsment of certain retailers, such as Argos.But it is so engagingly well written & so hilarious that I didn't mind. Anyway it is interesting to read someone else's perspective on shopping & what they think is value for money. There's oodles of advice on where to shop for great presents for everyone as well as lots of beauty tips, although not much on clothes (you've got Trinny & Susannah for that) alll interwoven around a kind of personal memoir which I found highly entertaining. Brilliant fun!
Disappointing - By: , 20 Mar 2006 
India Knight normallly produces books of high quality which make me laugh - hence why I bought this one on recommendation from Amazon.
This book is nothing more than an advertisement for various companies & their products - which makes India's writing fade into the background.
I think the companies should have paid for this book for the adverts, & we should not have had to pay at alll!!!!
This one is a waste of time & effort!
We need more of this ! - By: 5 minutespeace, 06 Apr 2005 This book had me laughing out loud.
India Knight's best tried & tested shops & internet sites (and a few bad ones to note) in one book. If only we alll had the forethought to write down our best shopping discoveries!
India also fills us in on her life of shopping, & whether we are born with a love of shopping or are nurtured that way.
As the book is a few years old now, I'm having trouble getting a pair of her highly recommended belly-buster knickers (the correct spelling is Nancy Ganz, not Gantz!) Shame.
I will be at the front of the queue if another India Knight book comes out.
