I know it seems like all I do in this space each month is review books, but it's either that or get a new desk. Each summer while we put together our annual Researcher SourceBook my pile of review books grows to towering proportions. I'm afraid if I don't get some of these tomes read, reviewed and off my desk, I'll sink into the sub-basement. Besides, when publishers are kind enough to send me a book, I try to review it, as long as it has some information you folks might be able to use. So without further ado, let's start lightening the load.

First up is "The Handbook for Focus Group Research" by Tom Greenbaum. Greenbaum, president of Groups Plus, a Wilton, Conn., focus group and consulting company, and prolific writer on qualitative research, has updated and expanded his popular 1988 book "The Practical Handbook and Guide to Focus Group Research." In this edition's introduction, Greenbaum lists reasons why he felt an update was warranted: things like changes in the moderator's role, new moderating techniques, increasing use of focus groups in the non-profit and legal sectors, the changing relationship between clients, moderators and research facilities, and the impact of satellite technology and teleconferencing on focus groups.

In his usual no-nonsense style, Greenbaum covers these and many other topics in detail, bringing a welcome sense of perspective to the current state of the focus group and how it might evolve. He also offers some nuts-and-bolts advice on controlling focus group costs, and facets of the client-moderator relationship. There's a particularly good chapter on the role of the focus group facility, concisely explaining what facility users can reasonably expect. This is especialy helpful because it often seems that everyone involved - clients, moderators and facility owners - has their own set of expectations. This section lays out a sensible list of what the facility can and should provide.

Next on the list are two books on consumer income and spending habits from New StrategistPublications. New Strategist continues its tradition of distilling masses of government data into usable form. As usual, both books are exhaustive and well-organized offering a wealth of information in an easy, quick-reference format. The first book is "The Official Guide to Household Spending." Author Margaret Ambry does us a favor, sifting through the government's Consumer Expenditure Survey - the ongoing nationwide study of household spending - and organizing the data into easy-to-use tables grouped in chapters on food, shelter and utilities, household goods, apparel, entertainment, transportation, health care, personal care, financial products and services, and gifts. Expenditures in these areas are broken down into many subcategories and presented according to the type of "consumer unit," i.e., married couples, single parent with at least one child under the age of 18, etc.

Ambry teams up with Cheryl Russell on the second book, "The Official Guide to American Incomes." From a host of government sources (including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Federal Reserve Board) the authors assemble hundreds of tables of data on household income, personal and discretionary income, along with information on poverty levels, and income and geography trends.

Finally, there's "The Art of Being Well Informed," by Andrew Garvin, with Robert Berkman and Hubert Bermont. Garvin is president of FIND/SVP, a New York-based research and information-gathering firm. The authors have written a short but sweet primer on how to get the most from the ever-expanding world of information.

The most powerful entities in this world are the on-line databases. They're a great resource, but they're also very expensive: When you're on-line, time is money. To get the most out of the databases for the lowest cost, you need to take the time to pinpoint what you're looking for. That's where this book might help.

In the chapter "Translating Your Problems Into Questions," Garvin offers some tips and sample situations that show how to approach breaking down your big question into a series of little ones. The book also contains helpful appendices listing major information sources, including the major on-line services, and general and specialized reference texts. As the authors readily admit, the book isn't designed to turn you into an information specialist, but "The Art of Being Well Informed" will certainly give you the working knowledge essential to finding the facts and figures you need.

"The Handbook for Focus Group Research: Revised and Expanded Edition" ($24.95 hardcover, 222 pages) by Thomas Greenbaum, is published by Lexington Books, 866 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10022.

"The Official Guide to Household Spending" ($69.95 hardcover, 448 pages) by Margaret Ambry, and

"The Official Guide to American Incomes" ($69.95 hardcover, 343 pages) by Cheryl Russell and Margaret Ambry, are published by New Strategist, P.O. Box 242, Ithaca, N.Y. 14851. Phone 607-273-0913.

"The Art of Being Well Informed" ($12.95 paperback, 194 pages) by Andrew Garvin, with Robert Berkman and Hubert Bermont, is published by Avery Publishing Group, 120 Old Broadway, Garden City Park, N.Y. 11040. Phone 800-548-5757.