As with most things, the real answer is somewhere in the middle. Obsess over extremes of design or performance if that's what you need. Cheap out on the dollar

As with most things, the real answer is somewhere in the middle. Obsess over extremes of design or performance if that's what you need. Cheap out on the dollar store version if it gets the job done. Buy the middle-of-the-road version if that's the best value. The "best" of anything can be defined along many axes (price, performance, design, durability, weight, etc), and compromise is usually necessary. It's strange that both authors abandon this nuance.