No comments about Early Stone Houses of Kentucky.

4 comments about The Owner-Built Adobe House.

1. If you are going to build you own adobe home, this is a great book for the first time adobe builder.

   Had details on all aspects of the house. From electrical to pouring bricks to septic. Details as in the formula for a perk test, and footing sizes for load weights.

   I have a lot of adobe books, this is second "good" one I have seen.

   Very good.




2. good book for the beginner, but very little in the book for those in need of advanced adobe info.



3. Great book. It has excellent drawings and photographs. It is a good basic manual for adobe building.



4. This book tries to cover every aspect of building a house instead of focusing on the details that are particular to building with adobe. I would have prefered the author refer me to other books and reference material for surveying, electrical, plumbing, etc. It is impossible for anyone to do a thorough coverage of all aspects of building so why try.

3 comments about The Flooring Handbook: The Complete Guide to Choosing and Installing Floors.

1. This is an excellent book, by far the best I have ever bought on flooring maintenance and installation (I wish I had bought this one first). This book offers great comparisons of different types of materials, well written and simple instructions on how to install them and advice on when to get a professional if your an amatuer such as myself. This book is a great resource and will help you make an informed decision if your putting in a new floor, whether you do it yourself or not.



2. We're refinishing our hardwood flooring and adding laminate to the playroom downstairs, but I wanted to do some research before spending any money. I checked out several books on flooring from the library, and this was the only one that was so thorough I immediately went out and purchased my own copy. Not only does it cover hardwoods and laminates, it covers just about every flooring material you can imagine (leather, rubber, cork, bamboo, etc.). Every material gets a solid description, several pictures, a list of pros and cons, and installation instructions. Also, a big chart in the front tells you which floors can be installed yourself and which need professional installers. It also gives number ratings for the difficulty of the task (should you take it on yourself) and for how much you can expect to spend in comparison with other flooring materials.
   
   This book is simply the definitive resource on the subject.



3. This book provides a very good overview of the different types of flooring. It also provides some useful tricks. I recently installed 17'x17' hardwood bamboo floor for a friend whose house is on a slab. We had to install a vapor barrier and if you read this book you'll notice that the author and the references are generally from the UK. So if you walk into a flooring distributor and ask for some of the products Jeffries mentioned, you will get some weird looks. But the trick about using tape to hold the boards while the glue dried was invaluable.

No comments about Black & Decker Complete Guide to Floor Decor: Beautiful, Long-lasting Floors You Can Design & Install (Black & Decker Complete Guide).

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Building Your Own Home, 3rd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. I *love* Dean Johnson's HOMETIME TV show! He makes an idiot like myself figure out how to do repair jobs around the house. Now he has a rival: Dan Ramsey, author of an idiot's guide to building a home. Dean even wrote the foreword to Dan's book! Lots of practical advice on building a new house including whether to, instead, buy a kit home or a manufactured home. Thanks Dean. Thanks Dan!



2. This book is strong on charm but weak on expertise. For example I think whenever your explain there are two styles of wood framing, balloon (as in light as a ...) and platform, you should point out the former, requiring studs two stories long, was replaced by the latter a hundred years ago, and is virtually unused today. On the other hand he recommends having a portable toilet on site so as not to "upset your new neighbors". Best as an introduction for beginners. You'll need to read others.



3. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Building Your Own Home does okay as an introduction; it is an easy read and has some good tips and refreshing humor too. However, it seriously lacks in its commission when it comes to actually doing anything beyond the 'kicking the tires' stage of building.



4. Still going to try. Nice materials. Nice layout. Easy to follow. I think I can.



5. My wife and I are working through a construction company to build a new home. This book provided such great, specific suggestions, we are buying the book as opposed to borrowing from the library.
   
   If you want to pick up a hammer and nails and build your own house, this won't get you there. But if you want to negotiate specific terms w/ your construction firm and build a house economically, the book is great help.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design With Cooking in Mind.

1. If you're stuck in a "kitchen work triangle", then you're stuck in the 1950's. This book is all about adapting your kitchen to work for your type of cooking, baking and/or entertaining.
   
   Outstanding concepts presented on refrigerators: i.e. side-by-side and how to put one in your kitchen properly
   
   A bit short on tips such as these, however. Left me wanting more (without paying $500 for his services).
   
   Would've appreciated more examples, especially any examples (or pros/cons) of putting the cooktop/prep area on an island.
   
   Overall, well recommended.



2. I burned through this cover-to-cover in one evening! Simple, thoughtful, insightful and straight-forward; everyone truly must begin their kitchen remodel with this book. Forget about the exhalted "work triangle" - well, sort of. It will have you thinking about the correct processes like no other book.



3. The very first book I have seen (and I have read a LOT of them) that truly approaches kitchen design as if someone was really going to cook! We are planning a new house (and thus a whole new kitchen) and really get frustrated with the "pretty kitchen" designs in magazines and books. Appliances with no counter space within 5 feet to lay down a pot or set out ingredients?, High powered cooktops with gorgeous copper pots hung right on the backsplash where they will be messy within 2 meals?! This book avoids all those situations and sets up a scenario for a kitchen that will be a joy to cook in.



4. I don't agree with all his method, but I agree with all his topics. How to think about different areas, what you need next to each other in an efficient kitchen and how to layout the kitchen are all topics that are covered. Don gives his input authoritatively on how things need to be done, but his advice needed be taken as law. But what should be considered is everything question that he poses. They are all important to the functioning of a kitchen.



5. I was introduced to this book by a client whose kitchen I am designing. This kitchen design guide is for those who really like to cook. The author started out as a chef, so his insight comes from experience. I am a residential designer who also happens to cook. I learned a lot about why many kitchens look great but don't function well. The focus on the book is not so much on aesthetics, but on the mechanics of kitchen design. Most kitchen designers' work I have seen have focused exclusively on the look and little or no attention has been paid to how you would cook in the space. The author describes how to make a kitchen work in a small space. I also found his discussion on ranges and cooktops especially helpful. I would recommend this to homeowners, kitchen designers, contractors and architects.

1 comments about The Black & Decker Complete Guide to Landscape Construction: 60 Step-by-step Projects for Creating a Perfect Landscape (Black & Decker Complete Guide).

1. I compared several landscaping books before buying this one. I viewed them in bookstores and at home depot. This one has excellent ideas and instructions, and I especially like the photographs which are very detailed and add clarity to the instructions with visual aids. I am very happy with my purchase.

2 comments about Stoneview: How to Build an Eco-Friendly Little Guesthouse.

1. If you aim to build a guesthouse and seek specific instruction, not just general design ideas, then STONEVIEW: HOW TO BUILD AN ECO-FRIENDLY LITTLE GUESTHOUSE is for you. It offers up step-by-step instructions for building an octagonal cordwood masonry guesthouse with a living roof and floating slab foundation - for under, $6,000. Whether a guest cottage or a studio, the authors 30-some years of building experience pack a fine guide filled with specifics on everything from timber framing and pouring a floating slab to making the lightweight living roof. A top pick, this offers builders far more detail than the usual general pictorial and is a highly recommended pick for any public library catering to homeowners and builders.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. I have not read this book cover to cover but have browsed it pretty well. It seems to be very thorough, giving building estimates, lumber needed,etc.
   I found the book much cheaper here, thru Amazon.

5 comments about Modular Mansions.

1. probably, the writer doesn't have any background of architecture. i am very disappoited.



2. I purchased this book along with another book about "modular" homes by the same author titled "Prefabulous: The House of Your Dreams Delivered Fresh from the Factory". I am terribly disappointed by both the books and I am leaving this same exact review for the other book as well.
   
   The book is nothing more than pretty pictures. It offers very little in substance. While the book does profile several large houses constructed in a modular fashion, the author seem to have neither the inclination nor the construction background to discuss the meat and potatoes issues. The book is sprinkled with platitudes and how various home owners chose to decorate their homes. I would have liked to see discussions about how the actual construction was accomplished, what the pitfalls have been, some rudimentary floor plans etc. An in-depth profile of at least one of the houses including perhaps a sit-down with the architect as to how the pieces fit together would have been better than the sheer fluff that fills the pages.
   
   It seems the author was exposed to the modular way of building homes rather by accident and while she seems genuinely enthusiastic about this method, she does not possess proper education/training/experience to guide a reader properly. Instead, she chose to produce this coffee table book that is pretty to look at but offers little else. I was suckered by the promise of modular homes into ordering both the "coffee table" books by this author at the same time and both are equally disappointing.
   
   Modular type of construction does offer some promise in very specific cases for an educated home owner/builder that can take advantage of the efficiencies of this method while avoiding the various pitfalls. But do not buy these books expecting to be educated. You are better of researching somewhere else where true professionals offer advice in this area.



3. Sheri Koones' book shows proof of the benefits, customization and capabilities of modular construction and has been a great publication for this growing industry. As the Executive Director of the Modular Building Systems Council of NAHB, our members have felt a lot of pride in the success this book has had, and the notoriety it has brought to the industry. It is a great book for builders and homeowners alike, whether you own a modular home or are considering purchasing one.



4. Modular Mansion is a great book for prospective homeowners to see what can be done with modular (system built) construction. System built homes are the way to go. It's faster, better, and more energy efficient than on site construction.
   
   My hat is off to Sheri for the great book she put together. First class well done.
   
   Jerry Rouleau
   Terryville, CT



5. The book was a very basic overview of the modular construction process with a few pictures to supplement. It was not worth the money.

5 comments about The New City Home: Smart Design for Metro Living.

1. I've browsed about twenty different contemporary interior books, and I've found this to be most interesting and slightly more inspiring.

   One piece of advice: I don't think any of the contemporary interior books have as much variety as one might expect. Make sure to browse the physical books before making a final decision - don't base you decision on these reviews alone. I've done this with many book on interior design and I've been disappointed.




2. Young people today aren't keeping to the small-town or suburban lifestyles of their parents. They're going to the cities to rent studio apartments. Once there, they're likely to end up moving into family-size spaces.

   City planners and administrators are taking this back-to-the-cities trend into consideration. They're trying to make city living appeal to young future owners. One way is by business building up a neighborhood around it, in brownstones; floor-through flats; high-rise apartments; lofts; offbeat converted places such as autoshops and stables; rowhouses; and townhouses.

   Likewise, architects are thinking about the loss of peace, privacy and quiet that usually comes with city living. They're coming up with designs that meet young needs for shelter and express young personalities. The result really is personal space inside, even with such impersonal space outside as "shadowy" concrete buildings.

   This is done by clearly-defined lines, hand-worked materials, soothing planes, and unusual details indoors. It's also by putting in balconies and terraces and opening up roofs and windows to light and views onto deliberately planted small, green spaces. Similarly, not much space inside looks bigger, for example, by using the same materials in and out, such as cedar flooring, fencing and decking.

   THE NEW CITY HOME even brings working spaces inside, while keeping them attractively and cleverly separate from living spaces. In one case, for example, the outside has cottage-style clapboard cladding for the first floor. Indoors, the kitchen and living spaces have a cozy look, what with simple cabinetry, low ceilings and boldly painted colors. The second floor has plywood panels on the outside. Inside, spotlights, skylights, and high ceilings show the upper level to be for work.

   What if the two can't always be separated, as in bathrooms or kitchens? Space isn't clearly personal or work, if it brings in universal design. This means, for example, lever handles to doors and faucets, rocker-panel light switches, and textured non-slip flooring.

   Leslie Plummer Clagett's book is organized and written in an understandable, user-friendly way. Her choice of illustrations works perfectly with what she says. This practical help to city living is rounded out with Elizabeth Franklin's THE FRANKLIN REPORT, NEW YORK CITY 2003: THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO HOME SERVICES.




3. My dream is to own a loft one day and I have been to open house tours and read many books about this subject. I have a very defined taste, concerning how I want a loft to look and how I want to decorate my loft. I have a very contemporary taste in furnishings and I like an open and airy loft. When I first received this book in the mail, I almost quit breathing. It was if the authors had looked into my dreams and thoughts to create this book. This book truly represents the contemporary feel and look that I like so well. I can guarantee you that if you are interested in a contemporary look to your loft, this is your book. I know that I will probably wear this book out, because it is truly an inspirational vision of a modern loft. The photos are beautifully done, the writing is sharp and concise, and the overall quality is outstanding!!



4. After moving into our new loft in the Pearl District I realized it needed a new "do". It didn't feel right until I did alot of research and made major changes. The New City Home, coupled with a few others fueled the idea bank we now have the place we feel is really US. Nice presentation and beat the expense of an interior designer. After living in the burbs for so long, we feel like we're on vacation everyday.



5. Need some ideas for your loft apartment? This book is full of great decorating plans you can put into action.