I was pretty disappointed the other day when I looked at a Borders book store for The Well Decorated Cake and didn't find it. I don't go to the big city very often. I'd really like to look at it before I decide about buying. Has anyone found it in a store? I'm going t look at a bigger library today, maybe they'll have it.
Some stores have to order her books because they don't keep a great stock of cake decorating books on hand. Barnes and Noble is a good one for that and Borders is notorious for it! If you ask them to order it they will.
Jessicas Biscuit also carries it, I believe.
I got her new book from there at the suggestion of a CC member. I think I paid $35 for it?
I'm glad I only paid that much for it. It was basically a rerun of "The Well Deocrated Cake" with a few addendums added in.
http://www.ecookbooks.com/
I wonder if you have the store order the book, if you can return it if you don't like it.
This might not help a ton, but I have the book and here's a rundown of what's in it. (Do you know her style already? Pretty intricate work, like what's on her website)
Chapter 1 is about Cake Decorating Tools - stuff most of us here already know, but it's only 3 pages
Chapter 2 goes into the different kinds of icings and when they're best used, then into coloring icings. 6 pages
Chapter 3 is Preparing and Icing the Cake. How to dam the cake and fill, crumb coating and applying final icing outside. The only thing different in this section was her "Spackling" technique where she mixes buttercream and cake crumbs to crumb coat the cake, she says it makes it sturdier... Goes into applying fondant, tiering cakes.
That's all less than 20% of the book before it goes into projects and actual techniques.
Chapter 4 she covers parchment bags, and right into using crimpers and stamps and other presses, and cutters for fondant.
Chapter 5 is buttercream basics - how-to for several basic piping skills including roses
Chapter 6 is royal icing. brush embroidery, satin stitch, freehand embroidery, flooding, then bridge and extension work that she does SO WELL. Then overpiping, borders and other interesing things. This is probably my favorite chapter - it's pretty inspiring and just beautiful. She goes into border designs, and flowers.
Chapter 7 is gumpaste. flower how-tos looksl ike about 8 to 10 of them
Chapter 8 is Ornaments, Inscriptions, Drapery & Toppers. Writing and plaques, bows, gumpaste bells, painting with food colors, a cute bride and groom mouse, sugar bubbles, pastillage boxes, fondant drapery, chocolate roses and bows
The last 25% of the book is a gallery of cakes and recipes.
I think it's a great book, so much is in there. A lot is duplicated in her newer book. The newer one is set up like an actual text book though.
And it's beautiful to look at all the way through, TONS of pictures of techniques and it reads pretty easier. Easier to decipher what they're talking about than the WIlton books, to me anyway.
I hope you are able to find it!
In our neighborhood if the store orders the book you are not necessarily obligated to buy it. That's the beauty of it! I order stuff all the time I want to look at and if I don't buy it I just bring it back to the counter and tell them this doesn't have the information I need. No $$ lost!! 
I use the library system. It has saved me plenty of money. Check there through the inter library use program. Mine brings in books from other states etc..
Then if I like the book enough I go to Alibris which sells used, out of print and current books at a discounted price.
Worth a try. I have benefited from doing this.
czyadgrl - what a nice thing to do, writing out all the descriptions! I know it must have taken you a while !
I don't know about border but I know barnes and noble if you order and you look at it and decide you don't like it you don't have to buy it. Good Luck
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