Given the endless variety of costume jewelry, choosing which pieces to include in a reference book must be an overwhelming task. While not an encyclopedic reference, for its 150+ pages "The Great Pretenders" provides a good, basic overview. There is an adequate sample of just about every type of popular costume jewelry. The pieces are well photographed and realistically valued. If you need a basic costume jewelry reference for buying and selling, this is a worthwhile book to own.