1 comments about DIY to the Rescue (DIY): 50 Home Improvement Projects (DIY Network).

1. Does any homeowner not have at least a short list of things they would like to change in their house? This book is a description of 50 do it yourself projects that just might include what you're thinking of.
   
   In my case it is windows. My house has windows that are single pane (and very heat inefficient), painted so many times that there's no way they'll ever open, and non-standard size. Page 132. - Making a Custom Window.
   
   Garage a God-Awful mess. Try Gardener's Garage. Page 256. And that's just two of the 50 projects that are discussed, illustrated and described well enough that you just might be tempted uo schedule a trip to Home Depot tomorrow morning.
   
   A particularily nice thing about this book is that the book was done by the hosts of DIY to the Rescue. The co-hosts of the show are Karl and Amy. Note Amy, a girl's name. In this day and age there are a lot single women living alone. Here is a bit of home repair, One of the co-hosts on the series is female. Seeing her in these pictures and on the show, there is no reason that snothre coman the same skills can't do a lot of similar projects.

No comments about Ultimate Guide to Fences, Arbors & Trellises: Plan, Design, Build (Ultimate Guide).

5 comments about The Woman's Hands-On Repair Guide.

1. I found this book to be very helpful when faced with a leaky faucet and a defective oven heating element. It is simply written and easy to understand. The illustrations are especially helpful and clear. This book is a wonderful reference and makes a great gift for all occasions.



2. This book isn't as comprehensive as I would have wanted. The information is basic and geared towards someone who has never held a screwdriver in her life. Although the repairs she reviews are thorough, I was hoping for something that focuses on more complex issues.



3. I got this book from a relative for Christmas and since then I've actually known what a hammer was for! Up until then I was using it to tenderize meat for my big guy (he beat me up when he found out I used his hammer this way - dummy me). Anyway, now my small woman - sized brain can almost - almost - understand the things that men do. I feel so much closer to being human now, though I would never let on to my mas..., er, husband. I'm sure that's what the author had in mind. After all, she must know what it feels like to be a woman, too.



4. I thought this book was fantastic! I like to consider myself "handyman challenged", but with this book, I actually took apart a sink drain and put it back together! Correctly and working I might add.
   
   This book has lots of tips and tricks for basic maintenance and household repairs. It describes what you need to do step by step.



5. Well, this is the deal here. I didn't order this book, but when it came I kept it because it looked interesting. It was, I guess. The information is simple and easy-to-grasp. I am somewhat offended by the implication that women need special books written in 5th grade language to accomplish tasks around the home that must be easy for men. Something wrong with that thinking. Nevertheless, the book is in my repairs reference section of the bookcase in case I need a quick look sometime.

2 comments about Ceramic Tile: Step-by-Step Projects (Smart Guide).

1. 
   I did not see a review on this book on Amazon, so I bought it used through one of the other Amazon retailers. I am so glad I did not spend much money on this book.
   
   I was very disappointed in this book. The book was almost entirely illustrations. The only pictures in this book were on the first page of each chapter and even that was a letdown. In chapter 3, there a photographs of three floor designs, one with a set-in square. Nowhere in the chapter did they tell you how to make that design, just generally info on laying out the design you want.
   
   I gave it 2 stars for the information, but feel it would have been a really good book with actual pictures of the steps. In these types of projects, pictures are much better than diagrams for me. For a great guide on laying tile that INCLUDES photos, I recommend Working with Tile by Tom and Lane Meehan. It is a Taunton's "Build Like a Pro" series.



2. Used this book for the first time doing tile work. Book looks a little old, but covers everything you need to know. The work I did came out nicely and I am very satisfied.

5 comments about Katie Brown Entertains: 16 Menus 16 Occasions 16 Tables.

1. All I have to say is who is going put together these decorations? If you come over to my house for a party, don't worry about having to eat on sod place mats, it just won't happen. I would never put in this much effort to decorate for a dinner party. I was so turned off by the goofy-themed party ideas, I didn't even read any of the recipes - they might be good, I just couldn't handle looking at this book any longer.



2. I think that Katie Brown is way better than Martha Stewart ever will be. Katie's ideas are actually her own. They aren't pretntious. I have made the lemon square recipe many time and they are always the first sweet to go.



3. I watched Katie Brown's show every day and even taped her show and begin a library of my own to share with my family. She shows you how to take the simplest things around your house and create the most unusual decorations. Everything I have ever made was complimented on and I always told every one about Katie. So many women wish that Lifetime would re-run her shows, especially with the holidays coming.....I think she's great..and you don't need to be rich to afford warmth, elegance and spirit into your home..SHE'S THE BEST
   Marge DeSimone. Tobyhanna, PA



4. This is a must have book. I have used it many times and I highly recommend it. I think she has Martha Stewart beat by a longshot.
   This is a book I won't lend out for fear of it not being returned to me.



5. I saw Katie on Oprah and Katie's personality seemed very exciting.
   
   Katie's entertaining book has some wonderful photos.Each of the 16 chapters shows ways to decorate your table, and also shows some menus & crafts that would go with each of the celebrations.
   
   Many of the crafts and menus have been done and seen before in other entertaining books. However, the best part of this book (in my opinion) are the photos of the table settings.
   
   If you are new to entertaining, though, this book would be helpful because Katie takes the reader through each craft, in a step-by-step fashion. Crafts are easy to follow. However, if you are a more capable & experienced entertainer, then some of the ideas in this book may be too basic.
   
   All in all, I give this book 4 stars because this book could be quite helpful to those new to entertaining, but somewhat redundant for those of us that have entertained before.

No comments about Tables, Desks, & Chairs (Woodsmith: Custom Woodworking).

5 comments about The Tuff Chix Guide to Easy Home Improvement.

1. I was very pleased with the quality of service I received. The book was received in excellent shape and in a speedy manner.



2. I started reading this book yesterday. It is enormously helpful and easy to understand. I wish I would have had it many projects ago. But, it is going to help for my next home improvement endeavors. I'll put it in the tool caddy for easy referencing. I'm a do-it-herselfer and urge any woman to give it a shot. Way to go Paige! Thanks for doing the book.



3. I purchased this book because I recently bought a new house and would like to lay ceramic tile flooring and make a kitchen backsplash. The cover specifically refers to laying tile, so I thought this would be a good choice. Tile is mentioned exactly twice, neither time telling you how to lay it. This book isn't really about home improvement, it's home maintenance - how to clean your gutters, fix a hole in drywall, etc. Fine if that's what you want.



4. I thought the book and it's advice a little too basic. I guess if you have no experience with fixing things it's probably fine. More pictures would have been helpful. I did like the Tuff meter and the info at the beginning of each project.



5. Page has created a wonderful "how to" primer. I especially like the featured icons that summarize the project by difficulty, estimated time to complete the projects, what tools you'll need, shopping list, total price, and HAP- if you had to "hire a professional" cost. This book has many easy-to-follow diagrams and drawings. Thanks Paige!

1 comments about HVAC Instant Answers.

1. I am not an HVAC expert or technician, but I was looking for a book that would give me enough information to be able to troubleshoot and work on residential and small commercial units.
   
   This book has a TON of information in it. Charts, graphs, photos, and a great deal of in-depth topics related to HVAC. It is probably too deep for the average home-owner, but it does cover a lot of the basics, especially in the heating realm. For air conditioning, it leaves a tad to be desired. I was hoping for more detailed schematics of the wiring of modern A/C units and it doesn't really get into that very much.
   
   I have the Plumbing "Instant Answers" book which is very good (it's the only one I saw that covered how to install natural gas lines!) so I bought this hoping it would be as useful. So far, it remains a good reference tool, but you do need to know a little about HVAC basics to understand it. It's not a Dummy's Guide!
   
   For me, I think it was worth the money and will come in handy the next time I am able to nail down a problem and save hundreds of dollars in technician fees.

1 comments about Reparaciones y Proyectos de Plomeria.

1. El producto es barato y de gran calidad gráfica, muy bien explicado y aunque en Europa tenemos algunas diferencias, es francamente bueno, lo recomiendo.
   Por parte del vendedor muy buen servicio, bien empaquetado y ha llegado en plazo.

5 comments about Woodworking with the Router: Revised & UpdatedProfessional Router Techniques and Jigs Any Woodworker Can Use.

1. I'm a total beginner in woodworking. I purchased "Woodworking with the Router", to get a basic understanding on how a router is constructed and how it operates. The 1st few chapters were just what I was looking for. What I expected next was descriptions of the most commonly used bits, and how to use them. Instead I got jigs. Ultimately, this book is going to be a valuable reference for making your own jigs, but in the meantime I've got to find out what to do with the bits.



2. This is an excellent resource for the beginning woodworker interested in learning about the router.



3. Normally these kind of books, I end up reading the first couple of chapters and putting it on the shelf to collect dust. I actually brought this into the office one slow day, and was 3/4 of the way through the book in no time, and taking notes!
   
   My router (used) actually didn't come with a manual. With this book I was able to get by just fine. The book teaches you the fundamentals of the router, and in doing so is teaching you how to safely operate it.
   
   I did buy into the Eurekazone System which I highly recommend that you look into. This will save you from buying a router table, combined with this book, it'll save you a lot of money.



4. One of the reviews I read here said that this book was all about making one's own jigs and not buying commercial jigs. I wanted to make dovetails but really didn't feel like spending a ton of cash on a jig and a bushing. So I bought the book primarily hoping to find a good way make dovetail jigs or even a trick for cutting them by hand. Well, the book told me to buy a jig. I guess I should have just bought one, it's just that it's awfully hard to spend almost $100 on something that will be used so infrequently.
   
   One the positive, the book had plans for a small table-top router table. It worked out very well and even though it was a very simple design, I sure didn't think of it. That was a good find.
   
   If I ever wanted to really get into woodworking, I think I'd find the book more useful. While I enjoy woodworking quite a bit, I don't have time to really get into it. Most of my woodworking is done as part of larger projects. I think that limits the usefulness of the book, at least for now. But I'll keep it around and who knows, I might find more goodies when I am ready for them.



5. I like this book for a lot of reasons. That includes clear and enjoyable writing, good pictures that support the text, minimal non-usable material, and content that extends my vision. This is not really positioned as "Router 101" type of book. While it does have some introductory material in the opening chapters, it doesn't stop there - far from it, in fact! The number and types of jigs the book covers is just amazing, plus it manages to convey how to build them without wasting enormous numbers of pages on unnecessary details. Multiple approaches to many jigs are also presented, too. There is useful advice embedded throughout the book, ranging from bit selection to the depth of carcass sliding dovetails. I particularly appreciate perspective advice like the latter, as a simplistic presentation of how to cut a sliding dovetail alone will get you plenty frustrated once you try fitting one a half-inch deep and 12 inches long!
   
   This is a Reader's Digest book. Don't let that hold you back. They've had some pretty good woodworking titles, and this book is well-made in addition to being really well-written. Another is Bob Flexner's Understanding Wood Finishes book. I used to regard Taunton as the gold standard in woodworking books. Lately it seems as though 90% of what they publish is retreads of Fine Woodworking articles.