Choosing the right parenting book

It seems all I read anymore are parenting books -- no beach reads, trendy trade fiction, or Oprah selections for me. Nope, put me in a bookstore and I'll gravitate right to the "Parenting Special Needs" section, and there I'll stay, pondering the dozens of titles each on ADHD, autism, Asperger's, attitude problems. So many authors, so many solutions, so many pages to pore over. How can you tell which books are worth the time and which will just tick you off? During all those hours in bookstores, I've developed a few techniques for picking and choosing. Try them out next time you're trying to pluck the pearl from a pool full of parenting books.