4 comments about Building Your Own Home: A Step-by-Step Guide.

1. A must for all home owners who do not want to be taken advantage of. This book covers all faccets of construction from picking land to landscaping in an easy to understand language. This gives the home owner a better sense of construction, even for a small job. This is essential in todays market, where contractors are praying on people who do not understand anything about construction or repairs. An excellent book that is an even better resource guide.



2. Wasfi Youssef does know much about the legal aspects, the municipal restrictions, the building codes, and contractor & inspector practices in use. This alone may make his text highly useful for the neophyte builder, or the husband & wife turned general contractor. Wasfi Youssef does cover the legal site-prep matters very well, but his text is sorely in need of better detail on the nuts and bolts of home building. He covers the "pen, paper, and permit" aspects very well, but the "hammer, chisel, nail, and stud" parts are inadequate. From reading his book, it should be more appropriately titled, "How to Contract the Building of Your Own Home". I have my doubts that Mr. Youssef actually built it any part of his home with his own hands, and he may have relied on contractor tradesman for the "nuts and bolts" of it.



3. This book is way too vague to be useful to someone actually trying to build a home. There's far too little detail on anything useful. For example, there are three pages on plumbing, two pages on electrical wiring. You can imagine how helpful this is going to be someone bold enough to set off in charge of a building project.



4. One of many books written by people who share their experiences building a home. In this case, it's a civil engineer who has thoroughly researched the legal and financial issues. The rest is a cursory overview of the building process, with a few self-drawn illustrations. Very readable text with a rare explanation of differing regional methods of surveying land.

5 comments about The Cobra Event.

1. I loved this book! It was intriguing, I couldn't put it down, and it was scary. It starts with a girl with a bad cold going to school, and she collapses during art class and dies within hours after having seizures and hemorrhaging. A homeless man was also infected, and some medical officials try to diagnose the disease and find a link between the cases. Squeamish people beware: There is a very detailed autopsy part. If you are not squeamish, I recommend this book.
   Note: Ben's daughter wrote this review.



2. Before reading this book, bioterrorism seemed like a distant threat from the past. However, Preston's novel makes a very strong story that is further rooted by scientific facts. By combining elements of horror with this story, it helps a reader understand the overlooked aspects of terrorism, and in this novel, it highlights how easily anybody can create or have access to very dangerous biological agents, and that the dispersal of such weapons can be done easily and covertly.
   
   A quick premise: Several people living in New York City have had unusual deaths, consisting of unnatural seizures, self-cannibalism and a meltdown of the nervous system. After a brief investigation, the FBI sends in a team of experts in the field of bioweapons and other operatives to find the unknown terrorist who goes by the name Archimedes.
   
   The entire story is delivered in a way that balances the action smoothly against several chapters that deliver raw facts and fundamentals of bioweapons development, geneology, and terrorism. While these chapters may be somewhat redundant or droll, they still enforce the story and further personify the "Cobra virus" (the bioweapon used by Archimedes), making it a living, breathing producer of fear rather then some virus procured in a madman's lab. Even though it's still a novel, it behaves more like a nonfiction book that has been given a bit of context.
   
   The writing style employed throughout the novel gives it a much grittier edge then other thrillers similar to this. There's no suspense between chapters, just a non-stop action sequence that is periodically lulled by the few chapters devoted the the explanation of major concepts portrayed in the book (as stated before, bioweapons, genealogy, etc).
   
   With that said, I cannot recommend this highly enough to the casual or devoted reader.



3. This was the first book I picked up after several years of not reading. Wow, amazing story! I couldn't put it down and I always put them down unfortunately.
   
   I love this book, I've recommended to several people over the years.
   
   Why isnt this a movie yet??, that question baffles me.
   
   The characters were amazing, the story was believable and very real. Story telling at its highest point, you'll stay up all night reading!
   
   Highly recommended!!



4. I loved this book for two reasons. The first being the riveting plot. This book dares you to put it down (and then try to sleep at night). The ride, the details, the pacing. This book is a cut above.
   
   My second reason is a bit of thumbing my nose at the publishing industry. This book revels in having NOTHING that the publishing industry demands today. Everything MUST be character driven! Aaaack, that one drives me crazy. Pages and pages of introspection while the story stands still. Preston does nothing of this! His characters are not the focus of the story, and they aren't terribly well developed. Ironically, this makes them much more believable than the standard novel character. I somehow don't think that Richard Preston has sheets and sheets of character outlines with details such as how Tom Cope likes his corn flakes! Preston does more telling than showing, and I wish to thank him for it! All these books filled with contrived ways of getting information across to the reader and past an editor who is just dying to mark something as "telling" rather than "showing." No navel gazing! Thank you Mr. Preston for delivering a book where the story doesn't have to go on pause for twenty pages of introspection every chapter! "Why am I here, does she feel the same way about me as I feel about her?" Baah!
   
   Richard Preston puts the "thrill" in "thriller"!



5. There was some good parts but it seemed to take forever to get into the story. Just when i was getting into the book then another dry spell would be in the next chapter. There is alot of medical terminology that I would get lost in at times and then become uninterested, but over all an okay book if you are willing to wait until at least 1/2 through for it to start picking up.

4 comments about The Encyclopedia of Pepsi-Cola Collectibles.

1. A brand new, year 2002, hard-bound library volume containing 256 pages with more than 2,000 large, full color, sharp photos of every type of Pepsi collectible. Current values are shown. Items are listed by category, including signs, containers, novelties, toys and accessories and paper items. Sufficient text is included, covering Pepsi Collectibles, Reference Guide, History of Pepsi, History of Pepsi Trademerks and Advertising Slogans. I found the "Paper Items" section particularly interesting. Add it to your library.



2. The Encyclopedia Of Pepsi-Cola Collectibles is an amazing resource for collectors and dealers. Nearly the entire book is devoted to full color photographs of everything ever made by or associated with Pepsi-Cola, from slogans and trademarks to containers, cardboard inserts, cans, bottles, caps, a wide array of merchandise and much more. Offer a wealth of historical and background information on the Pepsi-Cola bottling company, along with authoritative and reliable price estimates for Pepsi-Cola collectibles, The Encyclopedia Of Pepsi-Cola Collectibles is a superbly presented and essential guide for the dedicated Pepsi-Cola enthusiasts!



3. A very nice reference book and worth the money for collectors or fans of Pepsi.



4. This is the only Pepsi guide book that I have, and I'm not real happy with it. It is inadequate, hardly scratching the surface of all the Pepsi collectibles out there.

   As with most other collectibles guides, the back index leaves much to be desired. I guess the author agrees because he omitted it completely. Big mistake.

   Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of Pepsi guides out there, like there are for Coke. But that doesn't mean this one is the "bible" of Pepsi collecting; it doesn't come close. I'm hard-pressed to figure out why others have written such glowing reviews for it.

   It's pretty, but it's incomplete, the prices are all over the map, there's no back index...but there's very little competition.

2 comments about Russian Wristwatches: Pocket Watches, Stop Watches, Deck Watches & Marine Chronometers (A Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. A wonderful book showing the wide range of timepieces that the Russians produce, and which are now becoming available on the open market. Profusely illustrated and well documented. Includes a short, but very complete, table of cyrillic to english for the various markings one comes across. The only downside - buy two copies. The binding on mine fell apart from so much use. TAF



2. Between 1990 and present, there has been a tremendous surge in collecting Russian and Sovjet timepieces, especially in Europe. Still, complete and comprehensive documentation is elusive. So far, two authors have attempted to categorize and document the subject in books.

   The book by mr. Levenberg covers mostly the era from 1970 through present. Thereby, the highly interesting timeframe between the 30's and the 70's is overlooked, limiting the usefulness of the book to collectors of fairly recent pieces. If this is your area of interest, I would recommend you to purchase this book. First it is translated from German to English. Furthermore, the quality of the information is of acceptable level, but sometimes lacking interesting details. The horological information (mostly brands and calibers) covers the timeframe nicely. Additional information, e.g. Cyrillic translations are interesting extras for collectors. I have found the price guide to be unrealistically high when used at auctions or watch fairs, so use it with caution.

   If you are interested in a broader view on Russian and Sovjet Era (pre 1991) watches, I would recommend to also consider the 2 books in German language by mr. Ceyp. These hardcover, full color books document a wider scope. Volume 1 'Faszination Russische Uhren' covers about the same era as the book by mr. Levenberg but shows more detail, while volume 2 'Faszination Sovjetische Uhren' covers the less recent history in abundance. I would rate these books with 4*. Still, I have not found the the ultimate, definitive book on the subject Russian and Sovjet timepieces.

1 comments about Ultimate Price Guide to Fast Food Collectibles.

1. This new 288 page book is packed with over 500 black and white photos (16 page color section). It provides over 2,200 realistic prices for the items. Major topics range from Arby's, Burger Chef, Hardees to McDonald's, Wendy's, White Castle and many more. Interesting and useful text is included with each major topic. You'll want to add this book to your collectibles library if fast food collectibles are in your collection.

5 comments about The Gazebo: A Novel.

1. This novel was a QUICK read, so I don't feel as totally manipulated as I would have had this taken days to read. The story and characters were pleasantly enough presented if not a little bland. I didn't quite feel transported back to another era, though. The main character, Martin, must have been created by poll of what woman wish for in their dream man in 2004 not mid 20th century:
   Sensitive, thoughtful, rich (though willing to leave it all for love), indulgent, and he can cook! (Although he seems to be only able to cook in London!!)
   The other half of this duo is the codependant, martyr Claire. The only thing I found that made her unique from most of these romantic heroines was that she "never wore a hat" (which is ironic because Martin's family made their fortune selling hats).
   But apart from the nice descriptions of Europe and the non offensive main characters, the story became increasingly one dimensional....you are supposed to shed tears for these two and the author tries to pull at every available heartstring. Thus, the author walks the fine line between drawing empathy and outright manipulation. In my case, she crossed it.
   ******SLIGHT PLOT REVELATIONS*****
   I find that marrying someone who will always be a distant second and taking one special day a year to make it abundantly clear to the second fiddle is almost as cruel as Martin's oh-so stereotyped father. How would any reader feel if he/she were Martin or Claire's spouse?? Be truthful!
   Frankly, Martin chose his career over Claire and Claire chose her family over Martin. All choices limit us although Martin and Claire never really accept this sad fact of life.
   ***END SLIGHT PLOT REVELATIONS***
   I don't believe that showing up at a "gazebo" once a year is any more a manifestation/celebration of trandscendant love than changing one diaper a year indicates a devoted parent.



2. And sometimes good and predictable is just what the mind needs in this hectic crazy world of ours.
   
   So yes, it's a bit of Bridges of Madison County, The Notebook and others like it. And yet, does anyone ever wonder why these books are bestsellers? Why people come back for more? Because sometimes we need reminders that love eventhough it's not perfect is still everlasting and strong.
   
   Based on this, I recommend this book. If you are looking for a comforting, enjoyable book that is a quick read, this book is for you.



3. THE GAZEBO by Emily Grayson
   September 19, 2004
   
   For those who love the books of Nicholas Sparks, THE GAZEBO by Emily Grayson covers familiar territory. The star-crossed lovers are Claire Swift and Martin Rayfiel, and their story is told through tape recordings made by Martin, telling the story that spans fifty years. He has asked the editor of the Longwood Falls Ledger to print their story in the paper, but when she refuses, he leaves Abby Reston, the editor of the paper, a briefcase full of cassettes and mementos that tell the tale of Claire and Martin.
   
   The love story starts on May 27, 1949, the day the two meet. They are young adults, both about to make that change from teenager to responsible adult. Martin is about to leave for college at Princeton, and Claire is expected to stay in town and become a secretary or possibly help out with her father's business. They are from opposite sides of town. He is part of the wealthy families living at The Crest, and Claire's family is working class. The two are expected not to associate with one another, so it is an event when the two meet by chance. Martin had just received a beating by a group of boys in town, and Claire sees him sitting at the gazebo that sits in the middle of town, and offers to take him to her house to do something for his black eye.
   
   That fateful day begins the lifelong relationship between the two, and as all love stories, theirs is not an easy road. The reader may or may not buy into the choices made by Claire regarding their love affair, but this reader feels that it made a lot of sense. The ending was expected, but nevertheless it warrants a box of tissues. A very fast read, anyone that loves this type of story will enjoy THE GAZEBO.



4. If you are looking for a quick, romantic read this summer, The Gazebo is the book for you. If you have ever been in true love and chosen another path you will be able to relate to this love story.
   
   Emily Grayson grabbed my attention from the moment an elderly man walked into the reporter's office and and told her he wished that she would tell the story the world should know... it all began once upon a time in the gazebo... there Abby found her visitor's briefcase with cassettes... Little did Abby know that as she listened to the tapes, the whole involved story would really end up being so close to home.
   
   Attention all Romantics: You HAVE to read this one!!



5. As a disclaimer - I listened to the AudioBook version of this, and part of the reason I didn't love it might have been the narrator. However, the story was a little bland, and the writing was not very engrossing at all. Not necessarily a waste of time, but I wouldn't put it at the top of your reading list.

No comments about Cowboy Clothing and Gear: The Complete Hamley Catalog of 1942.

No comments about Miller's: Silver & Plate: Buyer's Guide (Miller's Silver & Plate Buyer's Guide).

5 comments about The Golden Orange.

1. The Golden Orange was a vivacious book that dealt with human emotion in both positive and negative ways. The toll that money takes on human spirit is very evident in this compilation. The use of symbolism is mysterious and links the book together all the more. The characters are described in such a way that you develope feelings for them. The Golden Orange is a well thought out book and the twist in the plot adds even more corruption to the pages. The book fools you in a way that you find amazing after the last page is read. Greed and luxary is the main focus for some characrters while for others it is excitement and a new start on life. The setting and description of the Golden Orange give you a real sense of the rich and the bad blood attitude. All in all the book is worth the time to sit and relax with.



2. The Golden Orange was a vivacious book that dealt with human emotion in both positive and negative ways. The toll that money takes on human spirit is very evident in this compilation. The use of symbolism is mysterious and links the book together all the more. The characters are described in such a way that you develope feelings for them. The Golden Orange is a well thought out book and the twist in the plot adds even more corruption to the pages. The book fools you in a way that you find amazing after the last page is read. Greed and luxary is the main focus for some characrters while for others it is excitement and a new start on life. The setting and description of the Golden Orange give you a real sense of the rich and the bad blood attitude. All in all the book is worth the time to sit and relax with.



3. Sometimes a book takes a sudden twist that knocks you for a loop. Other times, you find yourself reading a book where you have a pretty good idea what the twist is going to be, only you keep reading because you care so much about the central character you hope you're wrong. The second kind is more impressive to me, and "The Golden Orange" is a perfect example of it.
   
   Joseph Wambaugh's 1990 novel focuses on a boozy ex-cop's love affair with a beautiful society girl on the coast of Newport Beach in Orange County, California. Maybe that's why people are down on it; it's more Raymond Chandler than Ed McBain. Yet I can't help loving "The Golden Orange," one of the most humorous and emotionally compelling novels I have ever read.
   
   There isn't anything here to surprise film noir enthusiasts, though this is much different in tone and story. With his masterly sense of characterization, Wambaugh starts off putting the reader in the shoes of Winnie Farlowe, a hard-drinking 40-year-old forced off the local police because of injury. Adrift, wishing he could return to a job where he mattered, he wastes his small pension drowning his sorrows in one of the few cheap dives in Orange County, occasionally getting a peek at the well-heeled around him.
   
   Winnie's a hard guy not to like, with his sardonic yet humble manner. Told he is ingenuous, Winnie asks: "Is that like ingenious? I used to be ingenious sometimes. Working on homicide gave me ingenious moments." He's so straight up he pays child support for his ex-wife's kids because he adopted them during the marriage. The only thing he's not straight up about is his drinking: "I'm not an alcoholic. I jist shouldn't drink rum!"
   
   After a mad drunken boat ride lands Winnie in the papers for a couple of days, into his bar walks an unexpected grace note. Tess Binder, a 43-year-old thrice-divorced "Hot Momma," saw his picture in the paper and felt something, it's hard to explain what exactly, that made her want to reach out to Winnie.
   
   In no time they're in bed, she's asking him to stay the week, calling him "old son," seeking his help in figuring out what happened to her father's lost fortune and why someone might be trying to kill her. Protective Winnie is convinced his life just passed perfect and is somewhere north of sensational. Except when he dreams.
   
   Wambaugh finds a cagey balance between amusement and gravity with the alcoholic Winnie. When we first meet him is having one of his three-in-the-morning wake-up calls with his version of pink elephants, two buzzards he visualizes pecking at his stomach. He's so used to them he's given them names.
   
   There's also a nice portrait of Newport Beach, Wambaugh's home turf when he wrote "The Golden Orange." After a small temblor gets his customer praying, a bartender wisecracks: "A day to go down in Newport Beach history...Fifteen square miles a greed and white-collar crime. And people finally pray because of a little four-point-sixer." Among the funny asides is a dissertation on the different kinds of rich, and how the Hot Mommas work their tans and plastic surgeons in a never-ending quest to marry up.
   
   The one downside of the book is a tinness of dialogue: The bar Winnie frequents is full of drunks who seem to one-up each other with wisecracks straight from Neil Simon. But this wouldn't be as much of a flaw in a lesser book. There are moments, mostly between Winnie and Tess, where the conversations ache with real emotion, and you can almost hear the lilt of laughter in Tess's voice.
   
   Other people express their frustration with Wambaugh after his 70s/80s commercial peak, but "The Golden Orange" makes me want to read more. I love his humor here, but I treasure his sensitivity and his compassion for the unlucky and dumped-upon even more. It's a keeper.



4. Fear and remorse are Winnie's twins. He is an ex-cop who drinks too much. Drinkers have night visitations.
   
   Disaster ensues during Winnie's stint as a ferry boat pilot at Christmastime. He rams a motor yacht. Passengers panic. A boat parade is disrupted.
   
   The book describes divorcees-- tanned, beautiful, youthful-appearing. The emphasis may seem crass but it is understandable in terms of a policeman's view of the social scene. Tess Binder is one of the divorcees. She lives in a gated community. Winnie develops an infatuation for her. She takes him to a ranch her father owned. She has a remainder interest in it.
   
   It seems to Winnie that Tess's father may not have committed suicide, that his death is suspicious. He comes to believe that Tess is in danger because someone is attempting to extinguish her remainder interest.
   
   Since meeting Tess, Winnie's life has been filled with hope. Nevertheless, as time passes, Winnie begins to notice scars from cosmetic surgery and other imperfections possessed by Tess.
   
   Winnie is coaxed into drinking too much. He ends up in jail, basically his own idea, where he has nothing to do but face his alcoholism. His alcoholic darkness is lifted. Later his drinking resumes as his complete knowledge of multiple plot strands takes place.
   
   Wambaugh's achievement in this book is notable.



5. This is a really enjoyable read. What's unusual is that the author telegraphs the plot twist very early on, but you still enjoy the characters enough to keep you reading until you find out exactly how it plays out.

4 comments about Blade's Guide to Knives & Their Values.

1. This is the latest effort from the same folks who destroyed "Levines Guide to Knives and Their Values" by publishing the emasculated 5th edition. This effort is a step up, albeit a small one and from a position pretty low on the ladder. The format of the book has been improved, with clear page numbers and reformatted data tables, but most of the photos are the same and the text is still the same as that in Levines 4th edition.The listing of knife markings and manufacturers is pretty good with lots of additions, but still missing the quality ratings of the manufacturers. Pricing examples for individual examples of knives have been updated. Some sections are unchanged from data displayed in Levine's 4th edition. The process for valuing a a pocket knife has been improved? to one taking 4 pages to explain and it is hidden in the middle of the volume and not listed in the Table of Contents. MY guess is that somebody wasn't too proud of the effort or process. In Levine's 4th edition the process is explained using 1/2 a page inside the back cover. I bought it because I thought it was a real update to Levine's 4th edition, but I'm disappointed to find in most areas it is not and definitely not worth the expense if your copy of Levine's 4th edition is still in one piece. Just one man's opinion.



2. This book covers everything from old factory made folders to custom knives and their makers. It is a very useful book for finding old knives in one place.



3. I'm a history buff and enjoy the history behind different patterns. There is a fair amount in the book. Unfortunately, my expectations were set based on the local library having Levine's 4th edition. As an example, compare the jack knife sections and the descriptions on patterns. I assumed this book would be an update on values, but leave content intact. Instead, big chunks are missing. Blade is a fine magazine, but this book is a big disappointment.



4. As a neophyte to knife collecting I thought a book with the sub-title "The Complete Handbook of Knife Collecting" would be a great start. NOT. There are bits and pieces in the book that are interesting. It lists the different materials used for knife handles, but fails to give even a basic idea of how to identify them. In the listing of American Knife Makers, the list isn't alphabetical. For a resource book this is insane. While this book appears to have logical sections, nothing in the sections appears in a logical order, and they seem to be merely touching the surface of each topic. There is a suggestion to be sure not to confuse two companies with similar names, and not even a hint how to do that. It appears to be more of a compilation of unrelated articles than a guide. There is more history about companies than information about the knives they made. This is a book for the "immediately useless reference book" shelf.