3 comments about Sunset Barbecues & Outdoor Kitchens.

1. This is an updated version of Sunset's best selling title. This new edition benefits from an array of new projects and many updates that include expanded how-to information for some popular outdoor kitchen projects, including step by step photos for building wood fired pizza ovens and concrete countertops.
   
   The book is divided in three large sections as follows:
   
   - Planning your outdoor kitchen
   Planning and design, Pizza ovens and other cooking options, Fire pits and fireplaces, Overheads and protection from wind, Counters, Countertops, Cooking appliances, Cooking Amenities, Comfort Systems and Drawing up the plan.
   
   - Barbecue Projects
   Cobblestone couter with granite, Barbecue Bar, Brick and tile counter,Tile and stone beauty, Family grilling counter, Full of surprises, Covered brick kitchen, Wood Cabinets in a niche, Tuscan setting, Pizza Oven, Winged Counter, Adobe oven, Fire pit with bench, Chimney smoker, Stackable barbecue kit, and Full-service kitchen.
   
   - How to Build Them
   Tools, Planning the grill opening, running utility lines, Pouring a concrete slab, Working with mortar and block, building a block counter, Building with brick, Building with metal framing, Building a wood counter, Finishing a counter with stucco, Facing with stone, Facing with tile, Tiling a countertop, Forming a concrete countertop, Gas and propane hookups, Electrical connections, Plumbing hookups, Installing grill and doors, and Building an overhead
   
   The book also includes a small section on Grilling tips and Recipes as well as a Resource guide.
   
   Overall a great title for anyone planning or building an outdoor kitchen project.



2. Good pictures, however, I would have preferred more detailed "how to" instructions.



3. My husband wants to install an outdoor kitchen and this book gave great ideas and I think installation tips too

5 comments about Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book).

1. Simply put this book is a MUST READ for anyone intersted in any aspect of Sustainable and Ecological Design. It should be read right along with Permaculture by Mollison, the Passive Solar Handbook by Mazria, Rainwater Harvesting by Lancaster, and ecocities to Living Machines by Todd. Even if you aren't specifically interested in making a swimming pool (which you will be after reading it) the insights into the workings of hydro-ecologies and how to design natural systems are invaluable!
   
   If you aren't interested in the whole range of sustainability but just this particular topic of pool design then this book is STILL A MUST READ. If you're an ecologist who wants to make a pool, or a pool designer who wants to do something ecological this book provides an excellent layman's understanding of ecological design, with good technical and artistic advice for how to do it, and good technical and artistic advice for swimming pool construction.
   
   I would still advise you to also purchase the book Poolscaping as a companion to this one.
   
   This is an all around excellent book buy it now.



2. Great book for all aspects of creating a variety of green/natural pools. Beautiful pictures and good illustrations and copy to help in decision making.



3. THIS BOOK IS REALLY GOOD BUT IT DOES NOT GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY WANTING DIRECTION.



4. Lovely inspirational book, good pictures, diagrams and technical info. An excellent planning guide for natural swimming ponds and pools



5. The fantastic photos go on and on. The architectural plan and section views are very helpful. This book has all the information you need to come up with a good plan and list of needs/desires. You'll need to convert to metric and also research specific climate concerns, like temperature and regionally appropriate plants - everything listed in the book is for Europe.

5 comments about Backyard Idea Book: Outdoor Kitchens Fireplaces Sheds & Storage Play Spaces Pools & Spa (Idea Books).

1. I haven't finished reading it yet but so far love it. It has many photos along with a paragraph about why/how this works - the type of landscape and things to make sure you do/don't do. I am buying a copy for my sister for xmas.



2. This book has excellent photo's of backyard ideas. It is a great book if you are just looking for ideas. I had expected a book with a little "how-to" mixed in.



3. I'm satisfied. More than enough pictures with detailed analysis for each. There is nothing missing.



4. This is a wonderful book with beautiful photos and great ideas. It is not a how to book, but it does inspire!



5. The book clearly states that it is a 'Backyard Idea' book, not a how to or a design book. So for the 2 star review before, it is just plain silly. However, this is a great book if you like to sit back and dream ideas for your backyard. It has some ideas that may be out of reach financially for some, but it also has some budget tight ideas as well. And you can create a combo of both if you'd like! I love designing my own backyard landscapes and this book certainly adds to even more ideas. Recommended for those who sit in their yards dreaming what they can do to make them fun and relaxing.

5 comments about The Outdoor Shower: Creative design ideas for backyard living, from the functional to the fantastic.

1. Just getting ready for another project and this book sheds great light on outdoor showers



2. Terrific ideas and with great pictures to go along with....great book to day dream with. Also very practical information and instructions for doing your own project.



3. SAVE YOUR $$$ and skip purchasing 'THE OUTDOOR SHOWER'. I bought and then returned this book as I found it to be lacking in fresh, new ideas on the subject of choosing and installing an outdoor shower. The text was blah and un-engaging and the all-important photo-illustrations were badly shot and not at all inspirational. I purchased this book thinking it would give me an overview of styles/periods/designs from which I might be inspired to install my own outdoor shower. Instead, what I found were amateurish, candid photos that were mundane, souless and frankly BORING. Avoid this book and head instead to your local newstand or library to find imaginative ideas in the shelter magazines: Coastal Living-MS Living-Yankee-Sunset all have featured pieces on this topic with a fresh outdoor lifestyle slant. This book was a dud with a capital D.



4. This book is a practical guide to putting in an outdoor shower. I would've liked more photos of what people have done to create great outdoor shower spaces- the book seems to mostly focus on Martha's Vineyard- but this book has some good advice on plumbing from the house, drainage, and partitions. It is a good place to start if putting in an outdoor shower, but I found the internet and my local guys at Home Depot to be better resources for some things.



5. The book has some interesting ideas and nice pictures, but it really comes up short in planning and building an outdoor shower. Eventually I did it myself and, by the way, there were some plumbing errors that should be pointed out to the author, specifically there are two kinds of PVC pipe, one for hot and cold and one just for cold water.

5 comments about The Dock Manual: Designing/Building/Maintaining.

1. I gave up trying to find any useful information on dock building and then happened across this book not long ago. Max Burns has written a very comprehensive reference book that covers almost any imaginable dock/shore situation including the one I was looking for . If you're thinking of building your own, add this book to your library!



2. Yes, this book provides a well-illustrated overview of approaches to dock building and choices of materials. But it doesn't go far enough if you have a significant tidal range or if the wind blows. What's missing is any introduction to engineering. How to make sure the ramp doesn't fall off your float when the tide goes out. How to figure the static forces on your dock caused by 4 knot currents. How to estimate the wave heights and dynamic forces in 80 knot winds. And how to design a dock that will survive this abuse. You might want to involve a professional engineer in these situations, but that can be true of pretty much anything to do with docks. A book with this title should at least introduce you to these subjects and provide references for the gory details. Like some others, the author believes books like this should be peppered with jokes. Personally I find this annoying, but I must admit his jokes are above average. So if you want a funny introduction to building docks in gentle places, this book is for you.



3. Very thorough. Just the information I needed to determine what type of dock to build on my lakefront property.



4. I've built decks and docks in the past and I find this text to be of immense value as I prepare to build a new system of decks and docks at a new location. I'd suggest this this one to anyone who was about to build near or on the water.



5. As a handyman I like to bulid my own things. This book gives you a lot of insight. It shows an easier way of doing things by using things you would not have thought of. It is an excellent book with a lot of ideals.

5 comments about Building a Deck (Build Like A Pro).

1. I am a firm believer in the KISS method of doing things. (Keep It Simple Stupid") Every step is covered in this book so that anyone can learn from it. The "Build Like A Pro" series of books are all laid out like this one. The "Expert Tips" are great. They show you short cuts to help you do the jobs right, but in less time. This is stuff you only learn by doing the job everyday. They are trade secrets.



2. My wife and I successfully built a deck using this book 2 years ago. Planned, submitted plans to village got building permit and final inspection. It felt good to accomplish such a large task with only 2 people who are not carpenters and haven't built a deck before. The deck is around 300 sq. ft. so it is not small. The book has all the information you need to build a solid deck. It also includes information on problems you could run into and ideas for customizing the deck. We are now building a smaller 100 sq. ft. deck for the front of our house. Believe me, we could not have done this without this great book.



3. This is a good book for beginners. Wish there was a little more variety of design style. Haven't built my deck yet, but either way if you follow this books suggestions I imagine it will be a very good deck.



4. Building a Deck (Build Like A Pro)
   
   My construction experience includes home additions, house remodeling/renovation, and many indoor upgrades, but only one deck. So, when we decided to replace our own old deck with one using the latest materials, a how-to book was in order. After reviewing deck books at local stores, this one stood out as the most useful.
   
   Cons:
   
   - This book was written in 2002 and needs a major revision to incorporate current building materials. For example, the deck railing chapter talks mostly about building railings out of wood. The same is true for decking, where almost the entire focus is on wood. The author devotes a page or so to Trex and a few other materials available in 2002, but a host of newer products are now available. Today, there are a wide variety of composite planking (plastics & wood) choices; all synthetic decking such as Azek deck "boards"; PVC and perma-cast balusters; and metal-reinforced vinyl/PVC railing (stainless steel cables, aluminum, steel).
   
   - The book explains attaching the top of a staircase to the deck and methods for anchoring the stairs bottom to a concrete pad; without addressing the frost heave issue. In my area, outside concrete pads frequently frost-heave upwards up to an inch by mid-January. If the author's approach was used here, heaving would jack up the stair bottom, weakening or destroying stairs-to-deck connections. This was inexplicable since the author addresses the frost issue in other places.
   
   - There were a few techniques described that, lacking a diagram or photograph, were too ambiguous to be useful.
   
   - One book can't cover every construction scenario, but it was frustrating that it didn't cover some of the things I needed. E.g., in the section on how to flash the ledger board, the examples show houses with siding above and below the ledger. There were no examples of having siding above the ledger and a masonry wall below.
   
   - If a ledger is lag-screwed against the house sheathing (through to a rim joist), our county building code requires flashing (metal, butyl rubber, etc.) between the sheathing and the ledger. Following the book's approach of having nothing at all there wouldn't pass inspection.
   
   Pros:
   
   - The main focus is teaching the reader how to build a deck, rather than how to deal with a contractor that will build your deck.
   
   - Intelligently organized, with excellent "pro-tips", details, safety tips, building codes, diagrams, and photographs throughout.
   
   - I didn't want a deck book for the novice. Not to worry; the author uses a writing style that worked for me, but should still work for a novice. The book may be too basic for a decking contractor, but it should be helpful for anyone else.
   
   - Multiple approaches are described for most aspects of a deck project, versus having one this-is-the-way-to-do-it, approach.
   
   - Occasional mention of the applicable building code (e.g., balusters can be spaced no farther than 4" apart), with advice of how to exceed standards, when the author believes building codes are too lax.
   
   - Every aspect of a deck project is well discussed, except for financing. It starts with deck planning, and things you should consider, and progresses logically through foundations, ledgers, posts, and beams, joists, decking, railings, stairs, and custom details.
   
   Summary:
   
   This book was clearly worth its small cost, even though it didn't [adequately] cover newer materials or all construction issues. I improved several aspects of our planned deck, based on ideas in this book, and, found out most of what I needed to know in order to do the detail plans required by our county building inspections department.



5. I bought this product because one of the reviews of the other deck books said that this was the best book. My husband has learned a lot from it, and hopefully one day, we will actually have a deck in our yard :) Seriously, this is a good book, it is very thorough from beginning to end of the project. Highly recommended.

5 comments about House Colors.

1. This book is destined to be a classic for professionals and novices alike. Rather than another "pretty" book to ad to the shelf, it is an extensive resource that can be used for years. If you've ever chosen a paint color only to have to change it several times, this will save your sanity and money. Susan is a professional who does the work for you. The resource section in the back of the book is amazing. If you want your house to be the one other's drive by and admire, buy this book. Bravo!



2. This book will be very useful to laymen and professionals for use in selection of exterior colors and materials for new houses, remodelings, and even when the house is getting re-painted.
   
   Laymen, when re-doing their own house to whatever degree, would love the book because Ms. Hershman clearly and simply explains her points by use of examples (in beautiful photography) as well as the written word. For professionals, the book offers a collection of images and ideas that can presented to their clients so that they can understand that color is not a "paint job". Rather, exterior color is really an integrated system of materials and colors--and that system can range for the very simple to the very complex.
   
   This book would be wonderful addition to anyone's library.



3. Design can be exclusive and this book breaks those rules by sharing the hard earned house color information from nearly 200 homeowners. I have selected an array of homes from many style of architecture to help the reader to hone in on colors that would work for their style of house. It's a must have for every homeowner everywhere. Exterior color is the most difficult color to achieve for anyone. This book is a priceless resource with information that isn't usually shared with the public and that's why I did it. Let's see great color everywhere! Enjoy!!!



4. This is the best reference I have ever seen for exterior colors. The pictures are of real houses, not staged for photography and the book gives you the paint brands and numbers of the colors used on each house. Very very helpful. I found colors to paint my home I would have never thought to consider and I am a decorator. Thank you Susan!



5. This book by Susan Hershman has been invaluable in many ways. Since we live in a Victorian City, the book is a way to show off ours and other similar cities. We use Susan's book for ideas and suggestions for our neighbors when they are improving their homes. Visually, House Colors is so stunning that it is now our number one cocktail table book. We can't imagine anyone undertaking a project involving painting without utilizing House Colors.

5 comments about The Treehouse Book.

1. This book is just as good as the front cover picture suggests: pie-in-the-sky treehouses. The kind that you dreamed about as a kid? Its obvious from this book that some adults still think about and make their dreams become beautiful structures in reality. If you ever wanted a pictoral book of treehouses representing your wildest imaginations, this is the book for you!



2. This book along with Treehouses of the World are inspirational page after page. If you are a fan of treehouses, this book is a must in your collection.



3. This book has the best pictures and if your looking for ideas
   and inspiration, this is the book to buy.



4. This is the third book from Peter Nelson of Treehouse Workshop. His previous two delved in depth into treehouse construction. This work is more a survey of the many wonderful treehouses to be found throughout the world. It is crammed with quality color photographs and, unlike a previously reviewed work, has a unifying narrative throughout.
   
   Peter starts you off with a very useful section entitled "Choice of Tree". There he briefly touches upon suitability of various tree species to treehouse construction and provides a mini sketch of each tree species with a treehouse. Immediately after comes some very accurate arboriculture advice from Jonathan Fairoaks. It's nice to find a treehouse book that gets this part right for a change.
   
   For me, the real value of this book is in the tour it takes you on of many notable treehouse. I bring this book to meetings with clients so they can see the many incredible things possible. And for those who've never considered it possible that a treehouse could be any more than a small, roughly built box, this book will blow their minds.
   
   What this book lacks is building advice. It's not a "how-to" book. There really is no great "how-to" book out there. Even so, highly recommended.



5. I really liked the whole book, but I especially liked the part about kids treehouses. Some of them were homemade, and some of them were built by an artist. Before I read the book, I was wondering what different treehouses look like. I thought the treehouses with a loft and a ladder would be lots of fun to explore. Some of the treehouses were hotels. One of the treehouses was built by a robber! He had used it as a place to store his disguises. I thought it was a very good book.

5 comments about Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home (Susanka).

1. I come away with the feeling that Sarah was lead astray when this book was in development.
   
   Many of the houses in previous books in the 'Not So Big' series have been rather expensive even if they have not been that big. At least these books have provided me with ideas in redoing our moderate sized/priced house.
   
   In this book I find a 'Not So Big' house with a library, a sitting room, and a sunroom on the first floor in addition to a mudroom, kitchen with eating area, formal dining room and living room. The next house in the book sits on a 4 acre lot. Almost every house in the book has grounds that require hired maintenance professionals.
   
   I would imagine that one of the first chapters in Sarah's new book, 'The Not So Big Life', will recommend reducing the square footage of your house and the maintenance required for your grounds. Reducing the square footage of your house will substantially reduce the work needed for upkeep. The 'grounds' could be turned into a native prairie for which God will provide the maintenance. Half of our 1.3 acre lot is native forest looked after by God.
   
   The subtitle of the new book is 'Making Room For What Matters'. One of the things that matters for me is making time for things I enjoy by spending as little time as possible 'mowing the lawn'.



2. A house and its garden are different parts of the same overall design. Bestselling author Sarah Susanka and acclaimed landscape designer and award-winning writer Julie Moir Messervy understand this concept. They describe it as "opening up the relationship of indoors and out" and demonstrate it with actual case studies in "Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home."
   
   "Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home" covers the landscape of home, embracing the habit of home (playing up the corners, borrowing the landscape, the attraction of opposites, a stream of one's own, shelter and embrace), composing journeys (variations on a theme, Japanese journey, parallel paths, the territory of home, the world behind the walls), linking the inside with the out (living lightly on the land, easy living, a landscape of stone, good fences, rooms inside and out), and crafting the elements of nature (gardens of earthly delight, three cabins in a forest, at home on the range, terraces of grass, a cottage in the city). This book does show the influence of Julie Moir Messervy's training with the well-known Japanese garden master Kinsaku Nakane as a Henry Luce Scholar.
   
   "Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home" has 216 pages and many dazzling color interior photos and plans. It is a good gardening ideas book for both design professionals and ordinary gardeners.



3. Prerequisites: You have a house with some space for plants.
   Pros: if you wanna block your not so eye-entertaining neighborhood.
   Cons: French (glass) windows/doors may have security concerns.
   
   You don't have to have a million-dollar house and 10 acres to have a nice view. The point of this book is "a look from inside out."
   
   Your windows and doors can be a frame looking through your garden, hence the garden/landscape is designed from an inside view of your house, as far as your eyes can reach.
   
   It teaches you how to create a relaxing enjoyment by using your current limited space, landscape, or even a slope with proper plant arrangements.
   
   It greens your house from inside out!!



4. I agree with many of the poor reviews by fellow "Not So Big House" thinkers. I was very, very disappointed by the lack of practical information and very few useful principles for "creating the landscape of home".
   While I agree with and have used so many of the principles in her other books, this one left me with nothing I can use to landscape my property.
   While some of the examples are quite interesting, most are also quite unusual and there is not much to take away for those of us with average-sized, rectangular-shaped lots living in subdivisions filled with tract homes.



5. It is a beautiful book that is well written and illustrated. So I'll give it 3 stars. But I don't believe it belongs in the Not So Big series. It feels like false advertising or misrepresentation. I appreciate the concept of connecting the outside and inside, but I expected to see ideas for small gardens/yards in small lots, not small planting areas within large lots and acreage attached to large houses.

5 comments about In A Mexican Garden: Courtyards, Pools, and Open-Air Living Rooms.

1. I love the pictures and ideas presented, but after 2 days, the binding had pulled away from the pages!! I think that is flaw that needs fixing.



2. I love this book! The beautiful photographs give the reader great ideas on how to design and decorate.



3. I was very surprise whith the quality of the presentation and the beautiful pictures. Excellent!!



4. This book is an explosion of beautiful colours on every page! It is filled with beautiful photographs of Mexican outdoor living and the commentary is concise but clear, enabling the reader to copy the ideas found in the book. I intend to use the book to create my own Mexican/Spanish style courtyard.



5. This is a great book for ideas on designing your own Mexican style garden and as in my case designing an Adobe Dollhouse and courtyard.