If every agency was open, honest, and competent, and every country was consistent in its requirements, then books like this one wouldn't be needed. However, I feel that EVERYONE considering international adoption should be armed with the information contained in this book even if it's only used to evaluate agencies before you make your final decision. Furthermore, those choosing to adopt independantly need a guide to sort through the tons of misinformation they will encounter throughout the process.

Keep in mind that ANY info contained in this guide or any other is only the latest info available at the time of printing. Every step along the way, I checked for variations and/or changes with some recent adoptive families from my network of Armenian friends. I also relied on Internet government sites for updates on paperwork requirements.

Outstanding guide for anyone considering intl. adoption (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Ms. Erichsen's updated version of How To Adopt Internationally is even better than her first version. She accurately clarifies the steps in a process that can be challenging and lengthy. She provides necessary and detailed information and answers the questions any adoptive parent needs to know. Ms. Erichsen's expertise in the field is quite apparent. The book is extremely well written, thoughtful and an absolute must read for anyone who is thinking about adopting internationally or who is in the process.

Good, solid, practical advice (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is a solid, practical "how to" book that gets right into the nuts and bolts of the international adoption process. While most of the books I found on international adoption were either woefully outdated or tended to be a collection of heartwarming stories about adoptive parents and their journey to their child, this was the only book that explained the entire process from the very beginning to the very end. I have a paperwork phobia, so I especially appreciated all of the examples of the forms and documents the book included, the packing lists for the trip abroad, the guidelines for preparing for the homestudy and for preparing the foreign dossier. I'm planning to get a copy of this book for my parents to help them understand the process.

Practical, up-to-date and very helpful (Rating: 5.00)
Review : While I agree with the reviewer who said that it's impossible to publish a book that can keep up with every change in international adoption, that's certainly not a reason to give up attempting to bring people a reasonably up-to-date resource. I applaud the Erichsens for commiting to a new edition every other year. It was definitely the most up-to-date resource I could find.

As a recent adoptive parent, I found the book to be by far the most useful resource in terms of understanding the process of international adoption, helping with the forms and documents I had to collect, understanding how to estimate expenses (and helping me to compare the confusing pricing terms of various adoption agencies), selecting a reputable agency, understanding how the immigration process worked, and choosing a country that was the best fit for me.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone considering adopting internationally.