The Art of Barter: How to Trade for Almost Anything

by Karen S. Hoffman, Shera D. Dalin

Just because you don’t have cash doesn’t mean you don’t want and need things. According to authors and business gurus Karen Hoffman and Shera Dalin, it’s time to get a little creative. Most people have a skill they can use—it’s just a matter of figuring out what that is and how to use it to get something else. From piano lessons in exchange for haircuts to an engine tune-up in exchange for house painting, The Art of Barter offers step-by-step instructions in:
Determining your “tradable” skills Initiating a trade Figuring out a fair exchange How to close a deal Incorporating barter into everyday life In addition, the book is peppered with inspirational ideas on how to use barter in today’s tough economic world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2010

Reviews

[Giulio Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books available that explains modern day barter.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to check out The Art of Barter: How to Trade for Almost Anything by Karen Hoffman and Shera Dalin after seeing it on the new book list at the library. Took a while until my turn came up, but it was worth the read.

Barter and trade isn't as prevalent as it used to be, and I personally have never really thought about it. Cash is king, right? It is easy to forget that cash (or debit or credit) isn't the only payment option.

This book is chock full of ideas and resources. There are a full 5 pages at the end that list various websites you can visit. While a lot of them are US based, there are still quite a few international ones as well.

Bartering is really about being open to ideas, and learning to communicate those ideas to others. Creativity is the key, along with good listening skills. I definitely learned a lot reading the book, and will try to put it to use and barter for something. What? I haven't decided yet.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was an interesting book - gives you a lot of ideas for saving money by bartering. this seems to work best if you have some highly sought after skill or are involved in a gardening club or some similar organization & have ready trading partners at hand. i think she spends far too much time talking about making a career out of working for a brokerage and that part completely lost me...

[Thena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm all about getting free stuff, but this book really didn't teach my anything new. It was pretty slow and mainly just focused on a few websites and went from there.

[Ben Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful introductory guide for the beginning social engineer who needs to get a good grasp of the basics of trade. I would recommend this book to nearly anyone. A great way to build confidence for those new to interpersonal commerce.

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

alot of the resources i already knew and use, but it was a refresher on how to do stuff

[Shelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Likely more relevant when first published, but quite dated in the current climate of easy online reselling of nearly anything.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it includes some good ideas and great methods of bartering, this book was a little too hard-core for me.

[BLACK CAT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting proposal: use other things or services instead of money.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

More inspirational than informational. I guess I need a book on negotiation.