5 comments about Feng Shui for Dummies.

1. To say I was disappointed when I recieved this 3 inch by 3 inch book would be an understatement. I have purchased numerous other books in the Dummy line so was not expecting this miniature book. Had I read the reviews like I usually do, I would have known and not wasted my money.



2. I laughed out loud when I got this book in the mail. Lesson learned...from now on I will read ALL descriptions MUCH more carefully! I was FULLY expecting a FULL sized book but got this tiny thing. Felt like I was dooped but checked and it does clearly say Miniatue Edition. Live and lern.



3. QUICK DELIVERY. GREAT BOOK, I HAVE 4 OTHERS & THIS BY FAR IS THE BEST. THANK YOU



4. Feng Shui for Dummies isn't about real Feng Shui at all. Any Feng Shui practice that does not make use of compass readings, does not consider the interaction between the different phases of life-energy (i.e. "qi" and its five "elements") and does not take landforms into account is simply not real Feng Shui. Period. Ask any professional Feng Shui practitioners from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Singapore. Black Hat "Feng Shui" (which this book covers) was developed in the USA in the 80s and is an untested and dumbed-down fast-food version of the real thing, designed to appeal to Western sensibilities and need for simple classifications (i.e. the "aspirations"). Forget this book. Get The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui instead. Now THAT is a book you'd want to lay your hands on to get a feel of what real Feng Shui is all about - a science developed over the course of several thousand years in one of the world's oldest cultures.



5. Feng Shui for Dummies is a wonderful book that covers Western, or Black Sect Feng Shui as opposed to compass Feng Shui. There are many differences between the two schools, but I feel that the Western is more accessible and makes more sense for people living in the Western hemisphere in the 21st Century.
   
   David Daniel Kennedy has a knack for making the complex subject easy to understand. A nice companion book to this one was also written by Kennedy and is called FENG SHUI TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE. I recommend you read the Dummy book first to gain a firm understanding of Feng Shui and then use Tips as a quick reference for cures.
   
   I also recommend HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET to further your understanding of Feng Shui for TODAY'S lifestyle--plus pick up eco-friendly and design tips.
   
   Highly recommend!

5 comments about Weeds of the Northeast (Comstock Books).

1. A very useful book for those of us in the northeast seeking to identify weeds and wildflowers. Certainly a one-of-a-kind publication.



2. Because this book is selective and regional rather than comprehensive, it has been extremely useful in identifying and providing info on the "weeds" I am likely to see. The descriptive information on all stages of the plant, in combination with photos, rather than a focus on flower and secondarily on leaves, make this easy to use for nonexperts like myself; it also sets it apart from the (also useful) Newcomb book and other field guides I have. (In gardening, it is especially useful to be able to identify weeds at their early stages.) The organization of the book is reasonable, but it is also easy enough to leaf through to spot weeds by photo.
   The "weed management" focus of the book (weeds being viewed from the standpoint of crops, orchards, and nurseries) means that it includes native as well as nonnative plants (although the descriptions mention where the weed is a native). It is interesting to me to see what native plants are considered nuisances. My own primary interest is in environmental balance, the promotion of native plants, and the control of invasive nonnatives, and while this not a main resource for me, I find it very useful.
   Incidentally, I have Eastman's "The Book of Field and Roadside," which is an extremely entertaining, idiosyncratic adjunct.



3. A comprehensive book, easy to locate the various types of weeds. I was puzzled by a weed? that popped up last year and again this year Only in increasing numbers. I was finally able to locate and identify it using this book.



4. As many have said, this book is very useful for identifying weed-like plants. I have already used it to id more plants more easily, than I have with any of my other id books.
   
   The downside, is that it essentially ignores whether plants are native or not. To me, that matters A LOT. Native plants may be considered weeds, but they are much more supportive of wildlife and in tune with the ecosystem, and I think the distinction is worthy of being made. Even descriptions for non-native plants that are considered to be invasive make little mention of this fact.



5. This book was recommended to by by a university professor who uses this as a textbook in class, and I can certainly see why. There are several outstanding features besides the excellent disctiptions and pictures of plants at diferent stages of growth. How to identify a weed, a dichotomous key, shorcut ID tables, and a grass chart. Every gardener should have this book in her/his library. Of course, along with the knowlege in this book is the old "chestnut" every gardener should know, "A plant is a weed if it's growing where you don't want it to grow."

5 comments about Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs (Princeton Field Guides).

1. one shouldn't take this book lightly, it is a large and heavy tome with lots of great information and photos. i think that the author, whitney cranshaw, did a great job in how he presents the information. one bit that i would have liked to have is distribution map. information is given about distribution, but i like to have maps too.
   
   i would have enjoyed even more information on each insect he covers, but that would make the book at least twice it's size. that probably wouldn't work at it is already 656 pages long.
   
   it would also be neat if this author could do books on different regions of our country in this format.



2. This bok is very inclusive in it's content and very easy to look up insect for information or identification. It is used by Master Gardeners in our part of the country wth great appreciation for a book of such quality buyt yet affordble.



3. I received this as a gift after I mentioned that I loved the Orkin insect zoo at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It was not a book I would have bought for myself, but it has become indispensable bedtime reading! The pictures are vibrant and accompanied by hard-to-forget descriptions and explanations. I especially love the pictures taken by Whitney Cranshaw himself. This book is very accessible to those who are interested in the secret tiny life that exists off of their back porch, people who don't know where to start and therefore keep pushing it off. Even the way the bugs are organized in the book is perfect- Leaf Chewers, Sap Suckers, Gall Makers, Twig Damagers, Branch Borers, Bulb Feeders... doesn't this sound like the most beautiful poem in the world??



4. This is a great book it has wonderful pictures so that you may identify the bugs that you are looking for. I purchased one for myself and one for my daughter and we both love them.



5. THIS WILL SHOW YOU THE REAL DEAL OF THE DOG EAT DOG UNIVERSE OF BUGS, IN YOUR FRONT AND BACKYARD...............

5 comments about Jerry Baker's Giant Book of Garden Solutions: 1,954 Natural Remedies to Handle Your Toughest Garden Problems (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series).

1. I would read this book even if I didn't have a garden! It is more than informative. I feel like I am listening to a favorite uncle telling stories of the good ol" days and how things were done simply and effectively. I love this book and highly recommend it. -Mary



2. I am enjoying this book very much. It has all kinds of solutions to problems I have in my garden.
   I will be using this book for years to come..



3. If you have a problem in your garden , this book will solve it. You would be surprised what you can do with products you have sitting around in the cabinet and fridge.



4. I gave one of these to my gardener mother who liked it so much she asked me to order another for her to give to my gardener brother! Since I'm the non-gardener in the family I can't report on why the book is so helpful, but I understand it offered solutions for some special problems that could not be found elsewhere.



5. this book gave me a lot of simple solutions for my garden. i recommend it, highly.

5 comments about Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design.

1. This book is amazing! Detailed, gorgeous photos and instructions to create the best floral arrangements of your life. New ideas on every page, lots of suggestions for supplies and techniques.



2. I would never contest the beauty of this book, but I found the lessons section to be lacking in terms of specificity. After all, this book is meant to be instructive. The instructions were often much too general for someone actually trying to learn floral design. Sometimes the generality is along the lines of 'put the twigs in the vase, put the roses in the vase,' while at other times it is more specific. In essence, the real process of placement is sometimes excluded.
   
   Also, many of the arrangements are of a similar style, round and mouned, and though this is a particular style, I would have appreciated fewer examples of this type of bouquet, which I consider to be less complicated to make. As a florist, I would recommend this book to other florists looking for interesting ideas for using alternative floral materials such as food. I would also recommend this book for beginners needing very basic informatioin, such how to use greeneries and basic floral tools.
   
   I would not, however, recommend this book for beginners or florists hoping to make commercial sorts of arrangements. After all, her book is the "art" of floral design, not the "economics" of floral design. Many commercial floral arrangements make more economical use of stem length and amount of flowers. This is not universal, but it is something to keep in mind when deciding who to buy this book for.



3. This book is being used as a text book for an advanced floral design class I am taking. Very useful for the advanced or beginning floral designer. Pictures are very detailed.



4. Beautiful book on fresh flower arranging. Lots of information and lovely photographs. There is good technical information regarding the basics of arranging flowers in general. Her designs are beautiful but personally, not something I would want to reproduce. They are too edgy. She is obviously very talented. If you are looking for a book on silk flower arranging, try Decorating With Silk & Dried Flowers by The Home Decorating Institute. Even if you are more interested in silk flower arranging, there is still a lot of good information about color, line, texture, etc. in this one.



5. This was supposed to be a NEW book. All the pages were stuck together on the bottom of the book and when I got them apart you can see a huge water stain. This was the first time I had ordered from Amazon and I will never do it again!!!!!

4 comments about Grasses: Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design.

1. Grasses by freelance gardening writer Nancy J. Ondra is a beautiful and practical guide to raising ornamental grasses in one's garden. Filled cover to cover with excellent color photographs by life-long gardener and gardening photographer Saxon Holt of aesthetic and splendid grasses, the profusely illustrated text presents the reader with a wide choice of colored grasses to best accentuate the beauty of one's garden and how to best select choice plants for wet, dry, hot, or shady sites. Highly recommended for personal and professional gardening, horticultural and landscaping reference collections, even non-gardeners will appreciate the dazzling, coffee-table book quality photography of this singularly elegant yet practical guide.



2. Grasses. They add so much wonderful texture to perennial collections and the landscape. They add terrific movement, catching the smallest breezes, defying the strongest winds and I wanted them in my garden however I knew so little about them. Then along came this terrific book by Nancy J. Ondra with photographs by Saxon Holt. Everything about this book is appealing.
   I appreciate the way it is laid out in four sections; Getting to Know Grasses, Color Palettes, Seasonal Usage and Selecting for Location. Ms. Ondra is a font of information without overloading your brain and as a Grasses Novice I find that useful. The photography by Mr. Holt is truly beautiful, with most of the photographs taken in combinations with other plant materials so you can get the feel of the various Grasses in the landscape. Section Four (p.94) really helps you get down to the nitty-gritty of making the appropriate selections for various soils and exposures. This is the sort of book to use year in and year out and I think would be useful to professional and advanced gardners as well as beginners. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this volume. Highly recommended!



3. Love this book, wonderful pictures, but --- I find myself looking for a comprehensive chart / list that gives an overview -- so that you can make gardening choices easier ... examples; height, color, cool/warm, best conditions, clump or creep, zones --- well you get the point . . .



4. This book is full of great photos of grasses in gardens, and I find it inspirational. It shows grasses mixed with other common perennials in situations most gardeners could replicate in their own gardens. The author includes growing tips and site preferences for many different species.
   There are some books you always reach for on a certain type of plant, and this is the one I find myself always reaching for on grasses. I happen to be a Master Gardener who loves ornamental grass gardening.

5 comments about American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides).

1. I kill plants! Not on purpose just some people are green thumb challenged. My husband and I bought quite a few fruit tree last summer and we had no idea how to prune them this book has saved me it is easy to understand(for those of us who are not gifted in yard care things) and easy to follow with lots of good information. It also is not a pruning for dummies book it really is for anybody I think even experienced gardeners would love it. It is just clean and uncomplicated.



2. This book is the best I have seen on pruning all types of plants. Good use of pictures as well.



3. Recommended by a professor of horticulture as an excellent pruning manual, this book has excellent charts and diagrams of many different woody plants.



4. This is a well illustrated and thought out book covering alot of material. It goes into depth on some items but not all of the ones I was hoping for. However, on the bright side, I learned some things that I didn't know and filled in a gap or 2 on some things I was already pretty familiar with. Great book if you want to cover alot of ground, not so good if you are looking for very narrow specifics.



5. Saw this book at regular retail store but it was too expensive. Checked Amazon and the price was right! I thought I knew all about pruning and found it a "therapeutic pleasure" then I learned so much more from this publcation. It's excellent. Lots of detail, color pictures and virtually all plants, trees & shrubs and their structure types are covered. I highly recommend this one - puts the others in the shade with clear up-to-date & authorative ideas & instructions.

5 comments about Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Field Guide).

1. This book contains a description and uses of the plant comfrey.
   [...]
   Before you go out ingesting plants you should look them up at reputable medical sites to see if they can cause problems in people or interact with prescription drugs.



2. This book is written from the standpoint of someone who needs to use plants either for survival or bush medicine. It is not the best or most accurate filed guide for identifying or classifying plants. I found it best to use this book in conjunction with an Audubon field guide. The Audubon filed guide will give you a picture and a better description of the plant that you are looking for, Tom Brown's book tells you what to do with the plant when you find it.
   
   Tom browns book is the more important part of this equation, what good is knowing what a plant looks like without knowing what it is used for? So, I recommend using a different field guide for finding a certain plant, and then using Tom Brown's guide and practice making the medicinal applications and teas that he has. This book was not designed to take the place of a standard photographic field guide. It is designed to be used first in conjunction with a standard field guide until you know the plant and can identify it, then the illustrations and such are only to jog your memory in the field if you are looking for a certain remedy plant but its been a while since you messed with it.



3. I love Tom Brown, and his stories about plants are an important part of how I practice herbal medicine. But this book would have been much much better if it had illustrations or at least drawings. As a result, I leave the book at home and read it for enjoyment, cross-referencing it with a field guide if need be.



4. In this book Tom isn't really trying to make a field guide to identify edible/medicinal plants. He is trying to get you to enjoy those plants, not just use them. Each plant that he talks about has a story that goes along with it. Whether it is the first time he took a sip of catnip tea or an adventure down the river on a raft made from sassafras trees that had been cut down. I have found this book extremely helpful in enjoying and getting to know the types of plants described. Which i find in turn helps me a lot with identifying them from look a likes and really appreciating what i do find to eat.



5. This is a book of possibilities. Tom covers about Fifty plants... Deeply.
   He gives their personalities and the stories of how they came into his life and Grandfather's instructions on use. By no means encyclopedic, He covers the few plants on a practical and spiritual level. A very unique book, very inspiring.

5 comments about Sunset Western Landscaping Book.

1. The best garden book overall. A smart book. Creative. Great pics. VERY Comprensive. Wish Id bought hardback.Complete. Very readable. Projects are suberb. Voluminous. A must for every serious gardener.



2. Famous Landscape Architect Thomas Church once wrote: " Landscaping is logical, down-to-earth and aimed at making your plot of ground produce what you want and need from it."
   
   The original bestseller, "Sunset Western Garden Book" is one of the best encyclopedia and is the "Bible" of Western Gardening. I am very happy to read its companion, "Sunset Western Landscaping Book." This new addition to the Sunset family is a great attempt in covering the design aspect of landscaping. It covers topography, climate, lifestyle, plants, and environment. It starts with the purpose, design and planning of gardens, microclimates, seasons, soils, understanding of site, Western garden styles, the process from plan to reality, and gardens in different regions of the West. It continues to explore the use of various garden structures (arbors, decks, fences, fireplaces, gazebos, kitchens, paths, patios, steps, walls, etc) and garden plants (trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, bulbs, herbs, fruits and vegetables, ornamental grasses, wild flowers, and succulents, etc) in landscaping. It also discusses finishing touches (lighting, containers, birdhouses, garden art, water features, etc), regional problems and solutions, materials and techniques, and landscape plans.
   
   I like the color landscape plans in "Sunset Western Landscaping Book." I can tell Fiona Gilsenan and Kathleen Norris Brenzel and their team put in a lot of effort in creating and selecting the plans. They also have good, professionally trained eyes. The colors of the plans are harmonious and pleasant. They can be used as good samples for selecting colors for landscape presentation plans.
   
   "Sunset Western Landscaping Book" has 416 pages and many color interior photographs. It is a fine companion to "Sunset Western Garden Book" and a must-have for personal, professional, academic, and community library Gardening & Landscaping reference collections.
   
   Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA
   
   



3. This book has some really good ideas for gardening and landscaping in the desert. Anyone who lives in the desert knows what a challenge it is to grow a beautiful garden AND be a good steward of the limited, precious resources. The only negative comment is that the garden examples are mostly from California. It would be more helpful to me if there were more examples and discussion on high desert gardening in places like Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico.



4. This book has a host of sensible ideas for gardens and outdoor living spaces. Totally suitable for New Zealand lifestyle and climate.



5. I've purchased several landscaping books recently, and this is by far my favorite. There are hundreds of pictures for inspiration, so I often flip through it when I'm feeling bored. The organizational style is very user-friendly, which makes it easy to find ideas for specific landscaping projects. I really like the lists they include of their favorite types of plants for certain settings (broken down by region and specific use). The garden plans are very nice; however, they don't include dimensions, which would be extremely helpful. Overall a very valuable household resource. It also makes an excellent housewarming gift.

5 comments about Native Ferns, Moss, and Grasses: From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave, Serene and Sensuous Plants for theGarden.

1. A must have for the gardener who wants to propagate their own ferns. Plus much, much more.



2. William Cullina provides the opportunity to see the natural beauty around us and realize its potential. Excellent resource and spectacular photographs.



3. I love this book! I have been taking it with me everywhere. It's beautiful, written in a very personable style, and contains tons of information and insight about a pragmatic approach to gardening - using native plants, most of which are happy in the shade (which I happen to have a lot of, and don't want to change!). If you're tired of "fighting city hall" in the shady spots in your yard, this is a great source of inspiration and fresh perspective.



4. When it comes to native vegetation, Cullina,s books are the bible for me. This is no exception. He's taken on ferns, grasses and mosses all of which are hard to differentiate and different in the way they propogate. He,s done a masterful job in helping me identify them, know where to plant them and how to propogate them.



5. Cullina knows whereof he writes. This is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in using ferns, mosses or grasses in his landscaping. You are not going to find advice like this at your local nursery, much less a big box retailer.