5 comments about The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling.

1. This book is excellent and received in great condition. Thank you. - jac



2. My copy of this book is a mess. It has highlighting and notes all throughout the pages and looks well worn even though I've only had the book for a year.
   
   When the time came to do some studying on solar design, this was the book that was recommended to me. And for good reason - it packs a wallop and provides SO MUCH great information in its pages. At the time I got the book I was somewhat of a novice to solar building and was concerned that the book would have too much jargon or concepts that I didn't understand, but Chiras does such a great job explaining everything in layman's terms that by the time I finished the book I felt like an expert myself.
   
   I HIGHLY recommend this to ANYone looking to building solar/green. I consider it the best of the bunch.



3. Everyone I talked to stated this as the first book someone should read to come up to speed on passive solar designs. And it is a good overview. But only an overview, providing lots of concept and a few "rules of thumb" only. Taken for what it is, this is a very good introduction to passive solar concepts. You'll have to look elsewhere for more detailed information if you plan to participate in the design phase of a passive solar building, or to learn enough to evaluate another's design. There are a few good references in the book to other materials as well.



4. This book covers much more than Solar Energy by including many energy saving features to build into a house. I bought a copy for both my Architech and General Contractor.



5. I've read many other green building books. What I liked about this one was that it really goes into the nuts and bolts more - it give more detail than other books including some of Dan Chiras's other books - which I guess makes sense since it is about a limited area/topic.

3 comments about Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building.

1. 
   I've always respected Jerry Yudelson. He is a fixture at USGBC and an active proponent of intelligent green building. Jerry has done the industry a service by writing his book.
   
   This book provides one page on each term so people new to the industry can follow conversations about sustainable architecture and urban planning. It decodes green building terminology. I recommend it for first year architect students or any old AIA dog trying to learn new tricks.
   
   It is even a good title for people who think they know it all, just to make sure they didn't miss anything.
   Sometimes we tend to know concepts so well that we can't explain the simplest of terms, A to Z saves the day.
   
   The appendix provides a great list of books and websites. For anyone wanting to shorten their learning curve (like the Regents of Higher Education perhaps?? or city commissioners??) this book is an easy one to flip through and is comprehensive enough to save hours and hours of fumbling around on Google. It is sort of like an abbreviated wikipedia of green building terms.
   
   -Jane Talkington
   PhD Student of Sustainability at OSU
   www.Trifecta-Consulting.com



2. As a national trainer and a former national board member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Jerry Yudelson is a nationally recognized leader and expert in green building. He summarized his many years of professional experience with green building design and renewable energy systems in "Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building."
   
   "Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building" covers the history, importance, benefits and costs of green building. It also covers some key elements of the LEED building rating system in plain English, such as water conservation, reducing energy use, solar energy, locally sourced materials, natural ventilation, zero-net-energy buildings and creating a conservation economy, etc.
   
   "Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building" has 240 pages packed with useful information. It is an indispensable and accurate guide for anyone who is interested in green building!
   
   Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated," LEED AP, AIA



3. This would be a great book for non-technical people who have reason to work with building industry professionals on green projects. It provides an easy-to-understand overview of multiple aspects of green building, and explains what makes a building green, including various certification processes such as LEED.

5 comments about How to Build Your Own Greenhouse.

1. I am always looking for ways to improve my gardening and this book offers excellent instructions on building several different types of greenhouses.



2. Any who would build a greenhouse will find HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE: DESIGNS AND PLANS TO MEET YOUR GROWING NEEDS offers up the hope of year-round gardening as it explores a range of greenhouse designs and options, from simple cold frames to elaborate freestanding tropical constructions. Chapters cover basic freestanding and extension designs for greenhouses, include lean-tos and garden shed blends, and discuss not only construction of independent structures, but how to incorporate them into an existing home. From floor to ceiling options, HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE covers it all, includes design tips and basic plans, and is a pick for any library strong in homeowner's or gardener's construction references.



3. I originally bought this because I am thinking about making a greenhouse. The book is very comprehensive with lots of drawings and pictures. It was well worth the investment.



4. I finally "sprang" for this book because I read a good review on a garden club website. It is a wonderful book on all aspects of greenhouse design. I am sure glad I spent this money before we started spending the serious money, and hard work, on the real thing.



5. If you're operating a small or a LARGE greenhouse - this will be your "bible"...... for operation.
   
   I have 2 copies! In the house and greenhouse.

5 comments about House Framing: Plan, Design, Build (Ultimate Guide).

1. This book provides good and valuable advice for those who, like me, have zero knowledge about the involved techniques for building a framed house. From beginning to the very last page, the book is full of color pictures and didatic explanations that help the reader feel confident enough to get started. As wood frame houses are not common in my country (it's pratically non existent) and as I am thinking of starting a business based on such construction technique, I am sure this material is providing me with the most important information. Strongly recommended!



2. Lots og information in an easy to read layout. Well written and easy to flow. I plan on using the inforation to build my own cabin in northern Wisonsin.



3. I have a ton of home improvement type books, since I am a pro handyman - largely self taught. This book is hard to get through. It is cumbersome and poorly organized. Not recommended.



4. I thought that this was a very good book especially for the novice carpenter or do-it-yourselfer. This book is very informative with easy to understand pictures and drawings. It does not go too in depth on certain subjects, but it is still everything you need to at least get started on a project. The only thing that I noticed as I was reading, was that a couple of the roof rafter calculations were incorrect, but they were not hard to figure out.



5. I am not a carpenter nor in the building industry. I have built decks, but a building (shed) was beyond my ability. This book made it easy and I was able to understand all of the construction concepts presented. A very good resource for the money.

5 comments about The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live.

1. I was expecting her projects to downsize to ~1000 square feet. It felt like she was reducing large McMansions to smaller McMansions. Good photographs though!



2. This book was absolutely awesome. Beautifully illustrated, excellent content, and I totally agree with the idea that McMansions are not the way to go. I'd much rather have a smaller home that has been personalized to me and made beautiful than some big, cold half-empty McMansion.



3. The Not So Big House was given me by a craftsman friend who had used it building his new, wonderful home.
   I kept this book through my new addition / remodel project of 7 months, using it as the reference for my decisions.
   The ideas are sound; easy to understand and implement. I recommend The Not So Big House to anyone embarking on a home building project who loves good design and is on a budget.



4. First of all, I bought this book used and it was not in very good condition. A page that I really wanted to read was missing, for one thing. Unfortunately, I can't recall the seller's name now but I left a bad review when I received no response to my concern.
   
   But anyway, the book itself was very good. My husband and I are remodeling a house built in 1949 which used every nook and cranny for some function. It doesn't fit the modern concept of lots of empty space, so we are working on creating a little more empty space while using some of Susanka's ideas for making certain areas more compact. We are expanding our kitchen into a porch, but the ceiling in the porch is lower and this book gave us the idea to just keep it as it is because lowered ceilings add character and are something Frank Lloyd Wright used. I also like her recommendations for wood trim and moulding to warm up rooms and use many windows to bring the outside in. As my title implies, some of the details are pretty outdated such as any picture involving a computer and the kitchen chairs, but that can be overlooked since the overall ideas are still very usable.



5. I ordered this book after reading great reviews since I was in the middle of trying to work out the purchase of a turn of the century home where space was the size of just that, turn of the century. The Amazon review picked all the best photo's in the book and the only pages worth reading in it, so I bought it. I was extremely disappointed to receive a book that had too many 1980 - 1990's dated, uninspiring interiors and not so much in the way of smart architectural choices to think about, as was advertised.

5 comments about Creating a New Old House: Yesterday's Character for Today's Home (American Institute Architects).

1. This book was very interesting to look at. The pictures were great if you like old style homes. The title is deceiving. I was looking for a more modern looking style but this book is still a looker but if you're looking to modernize an old home, I would recommend Colonials: Design Ideas for Renovating, Remodeling, and Building New (Updating Classic America) by Matthew Schoenherr.



2. When building our new house; we turned to this book for inspiration.
   The brand new homes in this book feel rooted to the ground. They have quirks and nooks like an old house full of character would have.
   There are rooms with a brick wall, hinting at an addition built on over time, although it's a new house.
   The subtle character that gives an old house its charm, is on full display with this beautiful book.
   I couldn't recommend this book more!



3. Great book on how to update older or run down homes. The pictures are beautiful. It is a book on fine taste in home building.



4. My husband and I are just beginning the process of building a custom home, and this book has been a wonderful resource for me. It is helping me to learn what it is that makes an old home feel so established, and how to achieve the same permanence in a new structure. The photos are gorgeous, and the accompanying text is useful (unlike the frou-frou text of many home design books). If you don't mind that all of the homes were clearly built with extravagant budgets, this book provides fodder for beautiful fantasies...and some nuggets for inclusion in a more modest home, as well.



5. My husband and I are thinking about building a colonial revival home. I was hoping this book would give more examples of what it really takes to make a new house old. What I found was that there was one BRIEF example of each different architectual style with a very general description. There wasn't much to sink our teeth into. The pictures were pretty, but
   the information was too general.

5 comments about The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction.

1. I found this book very disappointing. The pictures were very pretty but that is pretty much it. The illustrations were confusing and of little use. It gives too much of an overview and no real specifics. I found woodworking for dummies to be a much better book for the beginning woodworker.



2. I don't buy many woodworking books because most, especially the ones sold by home centers, aren't very good. They lack detail, they're incomplete, and I often get the feeling that they're just cranked out without much thought. But this one caught my eye in a local bookstore and I'm glad I bought it.
   
   First of all, the book can be used either as a reference or as a complete primer on woodworking. There's lots of information there, but not so much that you get bogged down. At first I just used it to brush up on specific topics, and then I went back to the first page and started reading it straight through. It's well-written; words are used well and not wasted. Photography is superb. Despite the reference to generic "Furniture" in the title, the book is heavily oriented toward cabinets, which it covers in great detail, even to the point of describing how to construct multi-light glass doors.
   
   The first few pages are a little off-putting as the author describes what he considers an appropriate collection of tools and a space to put them in; unfortunately, many woodworking books assume that the reader has acres of space in which to set up a shop. As you read on, though, the text is more friendly toward the hobbyist.
   
   In short, this is a great woodworking reference or tutorial. Don't be put off by the beginning of the book; it gets better. And the Amazon price for this book is much lower than the $40 I paid in the bookstore.



3. Got this for my husband for his birthday and he loves it. Hasn't had a chance to build anything since, but it will definately come in handy. The quality of the book itself is very good especially for how low the price was. There are good pictures to follow and very thorough information and directions.



4. Given the scope of this work, I'm not sure what I expected, but I feel like, after reading a book on furniture and cabinet making, I ought to have some idea of how to construct a basic cabinet. While this book covers a wide variety of general techniques and types of joints commonly used, at no point does it tie them together; it discusses possibilities, but never synthesizes them into anything tangible, leaving me, at least, wondering which of the book's assorted grab bag of clever tricks might be combined to actually produce a cabinet. I already knew what a sliding dovetail was before I bought this book; what I sought to learn was the architecture and structural elements needed to design a cabinet. Strangely, I feel like I'm no closer to that knowledge than I was before I read the book.



5. Had some ok spatterings of information , but overall I found it a bit dissapointing. Its a fairly big book but doesnt seem to really show anthing ground breaking. If I had seen it before hand I wouldn't buy it again. Thats not to say in the right hands this book wouldn't be handy .Has some interesting info on how to make your own hinges, apart from that the rest is pretty standard stuff.

5 comments about Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies (For Dummies (Home & Garden)).

1. Green architect Eric Corey Freed knows his stuff and it shows in Green Building and Remodeling for Dummies.
   
   Freed makes green building and remodeling approachable and very doable.
   
   I like the checklists throughout the book and the perfect green rooms, both of which make understanding the big picture easy.
   
   Freed does an excellent job in explaining the advantages of building green for the health of the occupants and the environment.
   
   If you've ever wondered what the true environmental cost of a particular product is, Freed does a great job of explaining it in "the life cycle of materials from cradle to grave." If you didn't "get" greeen before, this section will show you how important it is to look at the entire life cycle of a product to determine how green--or not--a particular product is.
   
   I also liked the handy list of green material substitutes which make purchasing very easy.
   
   The book was very readable and concise and even fun to read. I highly recommend it.
   
   By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet



2. I have a number of the Dummies books on various topics, and had an interest in how one might "green" an existing home, or build a new one. One thing I learned recently is that 50% of the energy lost from a typical house is due to poor building insulation, and that's one area in which most houses, depending on where in the U.S. they're built, could be improved. Since we wanted to beef up our house's insulation, we had a type of insulation installed that was more green than the other choices, and that is equally effective. If you're building a house from scratch, this book has a lot more information on many other topics relating to green building, including materials, construction, design ideas, energy saving tips and ideas, and many more topics on the subject.



3. This book has a lot of great ideas, however it has a very strong bias in certain areas such as wind energy being very poor cost efficient method of energy production. It goes in to depth about solar panels and offers alot of great ideas for cheap energy efficient housing ideas way above and beyond the average methods.



4. A comprehensive run over all the options when building new or remodelling a house and wanting to be "greener". Provides most of the sustainable info you need, and would help for future house rating schemes as much of the content structure seems to be geared around LEED. A possible fault is too much detail on alternative technologies (e.g. straw houses) which the vast majority of even green obesssives will never use. Good for reference or just dipping. As a non-American I found it a bit US-centric but not so as to effect its relevance.



5. A great book to have in your library if you are interested in sustainable building. Excellent overview of all of the different aspects to consider. It did leave out any discussion of log construction.

5 comments about Build a Smokehouse: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-81 (A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin).

1. Good book, but no novel, keeps things very basic and doesn't go into detail about parts that could improve finished product.



2. this book is all a beginner needs to gain a full understanding of self sufficiently smoking and curing meats. short but an excellent read full of practical knowledge.



3. Great Book, very cheap and full of very helpfull infomation, to cover every budget.



4. It is what it says it is. Basic instructions on building a smokehouse. They provide several types starting with simple to a permanent structure. It's a nice straight forward pamphlet.



5. Build a Smokehouse: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-81 (A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin)
   A skiny little book but if you want to build a smoke house it is a nice one to have. I wish i had it fourty years ago before i tried to build my first smoke house. It would have not have burned down if I had followed the advice in this little book.

5 comments about Measuring, Marking, and Layout: A Builder's Guide.

1. This author is in the dark ages with respect to the use of the metric system. As a country, we've been there / tried that. We can't help it if the rest of the world is backwards using the metric system! Why was at least a whole page WASTED in talking about this? How ridiculous! It is an okay book, but mostly black and white drawings and lots of text. Perhaps if the author, and Taunton, had spent more time with the content of the title and included some color in a book that is the same price as their other titles with LOTS of color, they would have had a good book.



2. This is a well written book, in plain language. It will help any amateur considering building, or constructing brick, or wooden structures, or extensions. John Carroll makes the reader think about accuracy when approaching any building project. He provides many simple easy-to-understand methods on how and what, to measure.
   
   He shows many examples of how simple miscalculations can result in costly errors. Unlike other American DIY books, that pretend the metric system does not exist, Carroll covers imperial for the home market and metric conversions for the rest of the world. This factor, and his humble writing style and experience as a craftsman, will make this book an international best seller for anybody who will pick up a saw, rafter gauge,or masonary hammer. The book is a must for anyone who needs important tips on construction methods. In conclusion this excellent book makes you think and visualize what you want to achieve before you start the job.



3. Learn to layout. Really just a good reference book. If you are a carpenter then you must know how to layout correctly. Different techniques, good practice.



4. Stop reading these reviews and buy this book right now. It is indispensable. Once you get it, read it. Read it again a few years later.
   
   Saying this book is outdated is like saying the Pythagorean theorem is outdated. Some of the techniques in this book are centuries old and some are tricks developed by builders of the 20th century. The point of this book is to understand the fundamentals so you can be effective, efficient and flexible at any project you are a part of. It is geared toward home building and carpentry but anyone in construction would benefit from it, even if you use a laser theodolite.



5. I was a bit dissapointed in this book. Being in the building trades I was hoping to get a couple of good tips or techniques i hadn't come across. Much of the information and processes in the book I would consider outdated or too inaccurate for commercial use. May be fine for the novice home improvement crowd.