5 comments about The Book of Masonry Stoves: Rediscovering an Old Way of Warming.

1. As mentioned, the book is not a modern day catalog, but a historical look at masonry stoves dating back to the first harvesting of fire by humans. Fascinating look at the historical developments, especially around the middle ages
   to the nineteenth centtury. Also includes many examples from non-western cultures. Many informative diagrams and photos portraying the myriad styles. Appropriate for the uninitiated.
   Not an overly technical review.



2. I wouldn't have thought a book about stoves would be such interesting reading, but this really is a good book. I bought it in hopes that I'd be able to attempt to build a stove myself. That did not happen, in fact I'm not even sure what type of stove I'd like. However, the book has increased my faith in a wood stove keeping my home comfortable, and be environmentally sound. I liked the writing style, which is pretty rare for a book of this type. There were times when I couldn't put it down. Honestly, I was on this page again to sell my book, but now I find I'm not ready to let it go, so I'm writing a review instead.
   
   While it is old and could probably be updated, the art of the wood stove is also old, so much of the most valuable information may be old as well. Certainly, history has a lot of lessons to teach us about masonry stoves. Also, the book talks about past mistakes of masonry stoves, so if you're thinking about building your own, this would be good reading.



3. great refrence book, it goes back to the beginning of the use of fire indoor as heat, then goes into masonry heaters. lots of nice pictures also.



4. This is an outstanding and comprehensive book on a timely subject which is gaining renewed interest. Even though it's a bit out of date on the calendar the information is still right on target.



5. When I started flipping through this book, I became excited -- very excited. This is not a Black & Decker complete guide to masonry stoves. There are no step-by-step instructions on how to build a masonry stove. You cannot walk into the Home Depot and buy a masonry stove or a masonry stove kit. But this book is an absolute treasure trove of theory and diagrams (many historical, but we learn from the past, right?) which, with a little imagination and chatting with your local building inspector, can potentially yield results in the form of energy-efficient, high quality heating for your home -- and, depending on your execution, much more aesthetically pleasing than the forced-air beast currently occupying your basement.

3 comments about Energy-Efficient Building (Best of Fine Homebuilding).

1. I found this book beneficial. I believe that people doing either new construction or remodelling will find it helpful. It covers new ideas as well some often overlooked but simple, inexpensive methods that should be used in all construction.

   In particular, the first chapter is about energy efficiancy in general and performing an energy audit on your house to see where the energy is wasted or lost.

   For the price of this book, even if you only used one idea from the book, you would more than pay for the book in energy savings in one heating/cooling season.

   My reason for not giving 5 stars is, "There should even more ideas included in this book!"




2. Okay, I'll confess I don't own this book, but there are two reasons I wouldn't buy it, and each one knocks a star off my rating:
   
   1. This book seems a little old for this particular topic. Energy efficiency is an increasingly important issue in home building, and the various materials and technologies continue to evolve. There have been some advancements in the eight years since this book was compiled, and since it's a "best of," that means the articles in it are even older. I want the latest information available as I research this topic.
   
   2. Based on the table of contents, the book seems targeted toward saving energy in colder climates. I live in central Florida where we air condition most of the year. Our biggest concerns here are keeping the heat out, not in, and controlling the humidity (which is 91% outside as I write this) inside your home. This dictates doing some things differently here, and chapters on topics like fixing a cold, drafty house, preventing ice dams, and building an efficient fireplace just aren't applicable here. ;-)



3. This book is really a book. It is a collection of magazine articles from a well respected building magazine that cover different building techniques. One chapter per article. There is an article for every currently used, but not quite mainstream building technique to improve energy efficiency of a home.
   
   Since the articles are written independently and were later compiled into a book, there is no comparison and contrast between techniques. Since the articles are very well written and go into depth on each technique, then comparisons between similar techniques can be extrapolated out, but some things like cost comparisons may be difficult to gather from the articles alone.
   
   Overall a very good overview of what is out there and working in practice today.

5 comments about Sun-inspired House: house designs warmed and brightened by the Sun.

1. A 'sun-inspired' room is sunny, open, warm in winter and cool in summer, and integrates sustainable design principles with efficiency and useful design basics. And THE SUN-INSPIRED HOUSE illustrates a range of concepts related to the sun, using fifty house plans to demonstrate integrated concepts. This is a collection of home designs which blends floor plans and modification ideas with sun-inspired homes for all climates. Blends of design and construction information provide an architect's expertise under one cover. What it lacks in glossy color photos is more than made up for in practical application designs and insider information paired with homeowner testimonials that they actually work. A top pick.
   
   Diane C. Donovan, Editor
   California Bookwatch



2. Debra Rucker Coleman's book, The Sun Inspired House, showcases passive solar houses that are comfortable the year around, light filled, beautiful, healthy for the residents, and good for the environment. These houses cut energy bills in half and cost very little additional to build. Coleman inspires the reader to want to live in a passive solar house, and walks them through the process of making that happen. Her reviews of current books, design analysis software, and websites point the way to more detailed information on all aspects of the design and construction process.
   With over 25 years experience working and living with passive and active solar systems, this is the book on passive solar design I recommend for prospective homeowners, architects, and homebuilders.
   Daryl Bergquist, Earth Steward Solar Consulting, Blountsville, Alabama



3. I really like this book and their web site also. I am in a planning stage of building a house and at this time I think I will use the author to design my home when I am ready. They have many good ideas. Buy this book, it is a good one.



4. i like the book a lot. it has good beginning information, and good resources in the back.



5. This book defines the basic components of a pasive solar home and provides guidelines for building a home with plenty of house plans as examples. It also lists lots of references for more technical information about both passive and active solar heating and cooling.

5 comments about Welding: Principles and Applications, Fifth Edition.

1. This is book is basically a college text on welding-- and a fine one at that. It covers the theory of all the major welding processes (MIG, TIG, Stick, Flux-cored) in dazzling detail with beautiful color photos and diagrams. This includes some simple-to-understand physics of each welding process, explanations of various types of welding equipment, weld joint designs, welding positions, weave patterns, etc. If you read this book cover-to-cover, you will have a thorough grasp of all the theoritical aspects of welding. No other text even comes close to this book in these areas.
   
   The book is short on practical advice in some areas, perhaps because it is intended to be used alongside an instructor. Numerous example excercises are given for every type of weld process and weld position, but actual welder parameters are strangely missing. For example, if you want to butt weld two pieces of 1/8" steel using stick welding, then a)what is a good diameter electrode to try, b)what is a good welding current? The book doesn't really say, it's left up to the reader to experiment on his own and determine by trial and error what works best.
   
   The author probably takes this approach delibrately because he knows that the best way to become the most proficient welder is to learn by experimentation, rather than following tables in a book every time you want to weld something. But beginner welders will undoubtedly find this approach frustring at times when you just want some general guidelines on where to start on selecting electrode size, amperage, voltage, wire-feed-speed, etc.



2. Book was in very good condition. Prompt shipment. Ordered on a Friday, recieved on Monday. Very happy. Will definitley do business with this person again if such a need arises.



3. This is a college course book but it has much information about welding. Very good for a reference book. Wish I could get the workbook and answers.



4. This isn't the kind of book you give a quick read. It is more like a class text or reference book if you are welding now. I love it and have already gotten good use from it.



5. This book is a must for any welder. It is filled with info. and the price is unbeatable!

3 comments about Fire Places: A Practical Design Guide to Fireplaces and Stoves Indoors and Out.

1. Fire places seem evoke some kind of hidden memories out of our distant path when the fire at the mouth of the cave kept the tigers away. This has become so important that even apartments now seem to come with fire places.
   
   This book, as is usual with this publisher is a beautifully illustrated, beautifully printed collection of fire places that range from a simple rock lined fire pit out in the yard to fire places that are the design center of the house, wood stoves that meet the new EPA regulations, to antiques that may have come from grandmothers house.
   
   Besides the beautiful photography, this book also includes design tips, and the regulations that come from building codes. And there are discussions of more types of fire places than you could ever imagine without seeing it.
   
   I got this book because my house does not have a fire place, and it's the next major extension that I plan to add. This book answered all the questions that I had, except do I want something indoor or outside. We have a long season for entertaining outside.



2. I was excited to find this book but once it arrived I was a bit disappointed in it. It has tons of photos of a variety of fireplaces, inside and out, exaplins the different types well but I was looking for more information on unique fireplaces, ones which could be placed in the center of a room. So if you're wanting a more traditional fireplace setting, this book might be great.



3. This is a great book - beautiful pictures, but excellent information as well. Best book on fireplaces I've seen

5 comments about The Easy Guide to Solar Electric Part II, Installation Manual.

1. I found this book at the public library in my search for a good guide to solar electric systems. I found a small amount of the information useful but, most was a waste of my time. The writer does not explain ideas in a very coherent manner. He uses a great deal of book space attempting to be funny and expressing his political views. If you are interested in a good solar electric book this is not it. I am still looking.



2. Pieper has a lot of practical knowledge but some things he writes are plain wrong. On page 17 he writes: "The frequency of the sine wave is measured as Hz per second" (should be cycles per second which is Hz). On page 18 he says: "the sine wave [is] 220 volts between two peaks" (should be 311 v; 220 is the RMS voltage). On page 23 he says: "amp hours [are] also refered to as amps per hour or amp/hours" (not true). In page 27 he writes: "At some point, the resistance gets so high that it creates heat inside the conductor" (there is always resistance and heat, the problem is the temperature rises too high). He also is convinced the minerals in petroleum jelly help conductivity on the battery terminals (pp. 123&159) and says "search current" when he means "surge current" (pp. 120&125). Whole pages are such confusing technical nonsense that it is impossible to to give a short account. He self published - he should have had a technically competent person help him with theory and a good how-to book editor help with the practical stuff. I'm sure he is a very competent electrician and there is some good practical information in the book, but it is nowhere near as advertised.



3. This book is great. It covers the bases and gives the information one needs. It's a core book for this subject.



4. For me, this book was terribly bad; not worth the buy. It might appeal to a different crowd.



5. Having just recently moved into a solar house I've been trying to broaden my education on solar electricity. Both of Mr. Pieper's books, part one and two have been very educational for me. Very easy to read and understand without previous technical knowledge!

5 comments about Passive Solar House: The Complete Guide to Heating and Cooling Your Home.

1. This is the first book on solar house design that I've seen where the author is a professional engineer who worked in the housing industry. He built houses of the conventional design when energy was cheap. When the price of energy started going up he began looking into solar heated homes and eventually got a patent on a passive system that is remarkably inexpensive when compared with other systems.
   
   Basically he designed a large mass of concrete that acts as a big heat sink. That is, when the house is warmer than the concrete, heat flows into the concrete, cooling the house. When the house is cooler. Heat flows out from the concrete, warming the house.
   
   There are a lot of solar systems that work this way, the advantage of his is that it uses standard, i.e. cheap, concrete blocks and a poured slab. He further designs the layout of this concrete so that air would flow through passages in the concrete blocks without the necessity of having blowers to force the air through.
   
   All in all, the book contains some very clever ideas, and has both simple explanations of how it works with enough theory and mathematics to enable you to design your own house. This is made easier through using the software contained on the CD supplied with the book. Here is a fairly complete, fairly simple design tool that will allow you to do a lot of the basic design work of your own solar home. This is not the style of your home, it is the design of the solar aspects.
   
   Anyone thinking of a solar home would be foolish to not spend the few dollars this book costs to get and understand Mr. Kachadorian's concepts.



2. A more accurate title / subtitle would be: The Passive Solar House: The Complete Guide to Heating Your Home. I say this because there is only a page and a half out of 224 pages given to cooling (that is pages 110-111). I realized that I may have purchased the wrong book when I read in the Preface the following:
   "The knowledge imparted in this book has been accumulated from over 30 years of data gathered from several hundred solar homes located in the northern tier of the United States, from North Carolina to and including Canada and west to the mountain states. These are locations that are primarily focused on heating."
   I live near the gulf coast, and was interested in learning about passive means to cool my home, in addition to heating. (As I write this just after midnight, at the end of November, my Air Conditioner is necessarily on!) This is probably a 4 to 5 star book for those living in the cooler regions of the country, and I do not intend to discourage those living in such areas from reading this book. And, if I move to a cooler region after retiring, I will probably pull this book out and review it.



3. I have been using this book as a text book for my class - Solar Home Design for the past several years because the thermal analysis worksheets are an excellent way for my students to learn the fundamental principles of energy & thermal performance of various building envelope systems. The worksheets allow my students to calculate any size or type of building and design for any location desired. Students conclude via the worksheets the Solar peformance ratios per month and annual solar performance , plus the needed supplemental heat required from a variety of heat sources.
   This is an excellent book for teaching thermal performance and energy balances of residential buildings to adults interested in designing a comfortable Solar Home.



4. First to address TJ in Houston's cooling problems. 1) movable awnings over windows and walls exposed to sunlight 2) slit windows at the bottom and top of the north side wall will allow heat to escape at the top which will pull cool air in at the bottom, especially at night and especially in a two story building. You might also explore cooling towers which essentially do the same thing.
   
   I've been involved with building houses for several decades, and I've been thinking passive solar for quite some time too. In fact many of the ideas in this book are very similar to ideas I've developed independently.
   
   I've seen everything on thousands of jobs from everyday homes to ultra gigantic mansions. One thing I've learned from the BEST builders is to avoid the experimental. Avoid extravagant shapes. Build simple buildings. Put your money into quality material and hardware... unless you want problems. And please keep the place neat. Nobody likes tripping over or cleaning up garbage the last guy left. Call your subs BEFORE you need them and ask them what drives them nuts, instead of finding out you made the same goof everyone makes, after you've spent a bunch of TIME and MONEY building it wrong.
   
   I have to say the slab thing, and the ideas about the Sun's inclination etc are ingenious. They've changed my thinking considerably.
   
   WHY THEN ONLY 3 STARS?
   
   Well mainly some small, but galling, typos, and the lack of a website, or at least an obvious website. James needs to get feedback on these problems and the revisions need to be posted somewhere so they don't keep driving people nuts:
   
   1) on page 76, Table 6-10 it says "see appendix 4." If you use appendix 4, like I did, it will totally confuse you and give you a headache. It SHOULD read appendix 5. The data on appendix 4 LOOKS like it MIGHT work which makes the problem worse. This one took me almost an hour to figure out.
   
   2) The book has many pictures and come with even more on a CD, many useless, like a picture of a truck delivering stuff. I've seen trucks on roads before James. This is no help. However there is no CLEAR picture of HOW the slab is CONNECTED to the foundation walls. I'd like to see a close up. The diagrams are not clear enough on this issue. I don't have that much experience in this area and I'd like an answer. It seems to me that if the slab is in contact with the foundation wall there will be heat loss thought transmission from the slab to the foundation wall. Isn't that why the wall is insulated on the inside? If the slab does not contact the wall it seems to me that it's free floating which makes me nervous. In the diagram it looks like plywood ties the slab and wall together which make me think termites. Poured concrete slabs are usually tied together using rebar or similar. What is the secret?
   
   3) on page 67 he goes though a series of equations to derive the elegant end equation I=Btus/hr·ºF. However you don't need the last equation to derive the information on the next pages. You need the NEXT to the last equation. It took me half and hour to get past that confusion. I kept looking for the LAST equation. Where oh where was it? The math is moderately difficult for us non engineer people but this typo made my head hurt. Ouch!
   
   4) the diagram on page 46 appears to have a stud that makes a 45 degree turn and then another 45 degree turn??? I really don't think it does this, but I'll be durned if I can figure what they are trying to illustrate.
   
   Anyway James, if you see this please put up a little tiny website with your email address please, so we can contact you about errors. A web appendix with corrected typos would be nice too. Websites are cheap and easy now days and you don't need much of a website really.
   
   Otherwise great ideas.



5. This book is a near soup-to-nuts presentation of James Kachadorian's patented passive solar design. The patent had expired when the author released this book. While his design may not be suitable all climates, the book covers the design with a pretty good look at the parameters and calculations behind it. The sizing and calculation process is outlined step by step, and this process appears to be readily adaptable to other passive solar designs. Like many books on passive solar, it tends to focus on passive solar heating and gives less attention to passive solar cooling. As such, the discussions of ventilation strategies aren't as rigorous as those concerning heat loading and thermal storage. All in all, I'd say this book is a must read for those really wanting to begin an education in passive solar design.

5 comments about Pipefitters Handbook.

1. THIS BOOK HAS BEEN AN UNLIMITED SOURCE OF INFORMATION BOTH IN THE FIELD AND THE CLASS ROOM. IT IS FULL OF VERY USEFUL FORMULAS, CHARTS AND GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE PLUMBER AND THE PIPEFITTER. I WOULD BE LOST IF I LOST THIS BOOK.



2. Mike (piping designer) - Very informative book, helps out alot with my job. Has absolutely everything in it you need to know for piping design. I would recommend this book to anyone in the piping field.



3. Been plumbing med gas in hospitals for a long time and this book is a must!



4. This book provides lots of information in a compact form that makes it a very valuable tool for anyone involved in crosscountry pipline construction.



5. I purchased this book for my b/f who is a pipefitter with a construction company. It is one of those books that everyone wants to know where to get one. (Those that are in the trade).

5 comments about The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture.

1. I liked this book and I think the other reviews have summed this book up well.



2. The book focuses on very modern designs, which are frequently stark or very heavy on the glass and steel. There are some ideas for creating a "greener" house, but most of the examples ignore the most basic green principle of minimizing the square footage of the house. Also, with a few exceptions, most of the examples appear to be very pricey.



3. Very nice book if you are interested in sustainbility and green architecture.



4. Well designed and easy to use Layout on this Book for People interested in modern & green architecture. I recommend this book without any doubt. A very good source of inspiration!



5. The order was processed and shipped very quickly. The product is just as it was described. Excellent purchase experience!

5 comments about Real Goods Solar Living Source Book-Special 30th Anniversary Edition: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living (Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook).

1. I am an engineer and was looking for a book that has an easy to understand yet fact based and accurate book on solar energy implementation.
   
   i was not disappointed. This is one of the best basic reference book on different uses of solar energy that you can find on the marker.



2. Gave this to a friend getting married; within a week they purchased a solar attic fan. There are many options for solar living, great and small. I recommend this book to check out your options.



3. I wish I had checked out the library copy before buying. If you're looking for a broad-based overview of eneregy options -- Solar, thermal, greywater, micro-hydro, landscape lights, bird fountains, etc -- this can be your one-shop-stop. Real Goods has blended energy overviews with their catalog, so if micro-hydro-electric (!?!?) interests you, then by all means look no further, Real Goods will be happy to retail out their product to you. However, I found most of the energy information available out on the 'net --free and more specific and informative, and alternate sources for energy products and options more abundant and lots cheaper.
   
   If you have a serious interest in something specific, example PV systems, I found no single source, but recommend Kemp, "Got Sun? Go Solar" for helpful overview and great links and resources, and "The Renewable Energy Handbook", a better option to Real Goods. All from Amazon, and more applicable for actually getting greener and saving a buck in the process. These leave searching for the best and most applicable products and options to you, and there's much out there to choose from, and some very informative nuggets to be had along the way.
   
   (FWIW: our city recently held a sustainable living fair, attended by Real Goods. But when I followed up on their "Call us when you're ready, happy to help you go green!", I received an abrupt "We don't service your area.". I guess green refers to the energy movement AND to those ready to cash in on it.)



4. I gave this book to friends for Christmas. They are in the process of building a "green" home, and have found the book very valuable!



5. This book is the absolute best for covering renewable energy on a residential-sized scale. It covers all things solar/renewable energy: converting solar energy to electricity, wind generators, solar water heating, solar water pumping, energy conservation, off-the-electrical grid and grid intertie applications. There's an appendix with charts, maps and worksheets that help you design your own solar home and energy system. It is well written, with the information easy to follow. There is just enough theory included so you can follow the technical descriptions of the system components. It's got 634 pages and there's not much wasted space. The chapter on "Natural Burial" is a little over-the-top, but I guess the editor is just trying to be comprehensive.
   I have lived off-grid for over seven years and teach a renewable energy class at a nearby community college. I tell my students that if they are going to buy just one book on renewable energy, to buy this, the latest edition of the Solar Living Sourcebook.
   Keep in mind, this is a catalog for Giam/Real Goods. Products and services are described and prices are listed. They would like you to do business with them. I have found that many of the products listed can be found cheaper elsewhere, but having the prices listed is a plus...you can put together a system and get a ball-park figure (a little on the high side) on how much the system will cost you. In my opinion, Real Goods is a reputable company, very service oriented, and very knowledgeable.
   If you want more information on residential sized renewable energy systems, the magazine Home Power (www.homepower.com) is superb. They publish six issues a year, with a hands-on type format that makes you want to get out there and build something!
   If you are interested in using solar energy to make electricity, but want the advantages of being tied to the grid, the book Got Sun? Go Solar by Rex Ewing and Doug Pratt is excellent. If living off-the-grid is more to your taste, check out The Renewable Energy Handbook by William Kemp.