1 comments about Black & Decker Complete Guide to Custom Shelves & Built-ins: Build Custom Add-ons to Create a One-of-a-kind Home (Black & Decker Complete Guide).

1. This book is what I expected and has lots of great ideas for shelving options which is why I bought it. I may end up having someone else build them, but the book is still a good one.

5 comments about The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy-Efficient, Environmental Homes.

1. Dan Chiras has done a number of things I really like in this book.

   The first part of his book provides a chapter on each of several natural building technologies with enough information to help novice readers understand what is involved. Moreover, he adds a pro and con table at the end of each to help readers compare and contrast them - and to make a decision about which is best for their particular situation.

   Chiras also provides an ample helping of "food for thought" material to help potential natural builders understand the "why" of their prospective natural building projects, an essential process for anyone who is contemplating an out of the ordinary building project.

   Chiras serves his readers well by acting as a "fair broker" of natural building as a concept as well as each of the technologies he presents. This allowing his readers to make their own informed judgements about which natural building method, if any, they will use. Chiras additionally provides numerous references so that readers can find more detailed material for further research and project planning.

   I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is in the process of considering or planning construction of a natural home, especially to those who are not already familiar with conventional construction materials and methods and at least reasonably familiar with natural construction alternatives.

   It's easily worth the price.




2. If you're interested in building a natural home (cob, rammed earth, straw-bale, earthship, whatever), this is your primer. The author has done his homework and presents the description, pros/cons and pitfalls of each type of construction. He is very honest about just how "do-it-yourself" each type can be, and how much it will cost you. He also covers passive and active solar design, natural water capture and other alternative technologies to go with your natural home. This is an excellent overview on all these subjects.

   The best thing about this book is that he refers you to other sources for more detail - books, videos, newsletters and organizations that will support you, give you a workshop or just give you more detailed information than belonged in this primer book.

   I highly recommend this as the first book you read on the subject. Once you know which type of house you are interested in, you can pick up some of the other books he suggests on that building type.




3. Being an architect already, I found that the book was an excellent introduction, even for me, to the various alternative building techniques emerging. It gave the author's honest opinion about many of the techniques, which was very appreciated. Don't expect it to be a precise how-to guide for any of the methods. It is an excellent overview, though, that can help you evaluate which building techniques you would like to explore further. The references at the end are vast and helpful.

   However, I found that for a book about the "Natural House", it often suggested many un-green building materials (OSB, polypropylene bags). Sometimes their "ungreeness" was mentioned, sometimes not.




4. I've recently become interested in green building. My local library system provided a lot of interesting books, most of which weren't really worth buying.
   
   Daniel Chiras' book is different: comprehensive, well-organized, and sincere. I purchased a copy as this is a definite keeper.



5. My husband and I are building a new house and we were looking for a good resource for information about eco-friendly options for our home. This turned out to be an excellent resource, but a little outdated. There have been so many advances in various eco-friendly technology since this book was written and it would be great it Daniel Chiras would update this book to show that. However, this book did provide us with the basic information we needed to make most of the decisions for our house. I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to build green or do a green remodel to their house. In addition to this, I would recommend getting a subscription to Smart Homeowner Magazine and/or Mother Earth, both of which will provide you with the latest in green products and technology, along with a lot of other valuable information. They make a great update to The Natural House.

5 comments about Scotts Lawns: Your Guide to a Beautiful Yard.

1. Excellent practical resource for maintaining your home lawn. I found many good practical applications in this book. I would recommend it for anyone that just wants to use for making sure their home lawn is well maintained.



2. This is a fantastic book. Better than many that cost much more. My dad reads it, looks at the photos and drawings, and is making plans for the spring.



3. We bought a brand new house last year with an acre of land and had no idea how to take care of the freshly laid lawn. A year of trial and error and the lawn is covered in weeds and missing patches. I just started reading this book and am already very impressed. It has simple steps and is written so clearly that I, someone who killed a lawn, feel comfortable starting over. If you want an easy to follow book with wonderful hints this is your book. I cannot wait to start fixing our lawn!



4. I was looking for the perfect all in one book but that's really impossible right? Well, this is a really good book but the one thing I think it misses are the "organic" options to things like fertilizers and pest defense. All in all it's a great help but I would have liked to see organic fertilizing options and organic pest control. In any case it will get your lawn green again.



5. The book is quite solid, well written & illustrated. No qualms there.
   
   However, Amazon sells both the 1st & 2nd edition for the same price -- but makes no mention of there being a 2nd edition here. This is the FIRST edition, get the second instead. Do a search for "Scotts Lawn".
   
   Also, as someone else mentions, this book (1st ed) is an updated version of the Ortho book on Lawns.
   
   Again, the book is solid, but look for the 2007 2nd edition.

No comments about Nantucket: Island Living.

1 comments about Kitchen Makeovers (Do It Yourself).

1. This book has a lot of ideas for working with an existing kitchen as well as a full remodel. This book was purchased as "used" but the seller shortchanged the description-it is Almost New! Depending on what you are doing, this book is worth it just for suggestions.

5 comments about Walks, Walls & Patios: Plan, Design & Build.

1. This book is pretty good at showing you how to accomplish building well... the title of the book. I find it's best attribute are illustrations and examples.
   
   This stuff is pretty fun to do after you read this book.



2. I love the tons of pictures of samples but most important is that it have a step by step for each projects. Walls, retaining walls, patios, concrete floor, and more. I'm looking for to purchase the other books in this series.



3. I cannot review this book, because it was not received. It may not be the vendor's fault. The item was ordered after we moved to a new address, but it should have been forwarded by the post office. I have never been stiffred by an Amazon vendor. I prefer to think it is the post office that is at fault.



4. I am a 46 yr old female with no prior experience and I laid a beautiful stone walkway over my ugly concrete walkway and it looks GREAT! Suggestion: buy odd shaped flat stones (I used slate)and you may not need to cut them, I didn't! and don't add too much water to the mortar mix. Good Luck!



5. This book is jammed packed full of photos. Whether you're requiring basic information to do it yourself or looking for ideas to share with your landscaper, this book will inspire you. Well organized and easy to follow diagrams make this book a pleasure.

5 comments about Vintage French Interiors: Inspiration from the Antique Shops and Flea Markets of France.

1. I buy LOTS of books on interior design and decorating. I pre-ordered this book with high expectations - after all, its title is "Vintage French Interiors." A better title would have been "Junky Stuff from a Flea Market that Could Be From Anywhere." The "Vintage" part is correct if you are interested in old, rusted, chipped, broken, junky "vintage" items. As for the "French" part, there is really nothing that stands out as "French." It looks just like stuff from any American Flea Market. And, what is really disappointing is the "Interiors" part of the title. These are not photos of "interior" rooms using "vintage French" items. It is just a collection of close-up shots of items displayed at a Flea Market.
   
   I am highly disappointed and, hopefully, have learned my lesson on pre-ordering. If you are looking for photos of gorgeous rooms filled with French ambiance, look elsewhere.



2. Having pre-ordered this I was a little apprehensive about its contents, despite its promising description and cover. I was not disappointed! It took me on a nostalgic trip to the flea markets of Paris I had visited and wetted my appetite to visit more. I love the slightly shabby brocante featured and the imaginative displays provide inspiration. The title could be a little misleading; however, the subtitle gives an accurate description of the books contents.



3. This is exactly what the title says.....The book takes the reader from specific flea market or antique area in France. There are addresses, phone numbers and web sites. Several interesting catagories of Flea Market finds are examined such as vintage school posters or handmade tools. The book is divided into areas of France describing the true finds of each region. Great chapter on Isle sur le Sorgue, the altimate French antique treasure trove. I almost didn't open the book because of the bad revirews from people who were expecting a "decorating" magazine. A great addition for those of us who love Fance....great photos too!



4. While the subtitle of this book on it's own is a fairly accurate, the title is definitely misleading. The first two times I spied it at Borders and months later at Barnes and Nobles I was so excited. That's how inaccurate the dustcover is. I was fooled twice! I'm so glad I saw it first in a brick and mortar store because I WOULD have ordered it if I come across it on Amazon. And I would have been very disappointed. It is not about "vintage French interiors" or any other kind of interiors. I'm not saying the book has no value. It provides an interesting survey of objects one might run across at a Paris flea market. Some of the items looked as if they might be available at a Kansas flea market as well. (Isn't that interesting. Some Europeans may have appreciation for things just because they are American, that strike us as "ugly then, ugly now".) But the title does imply that the book will explore at least some examples of these finds being used to decorate interiors. It doesn't.



5. This is an address book with one picture from each source. Takes up a lot of space for a source list. Useful perhaps for designers.

5 comments about Intarsia Woodworking Projects: 21 Original Designs with Full-Size Plans and Expert Instruction for All Skill Levels (A Scroll Saw, Woodworking & Crafts Book).

1. Kathy Wise breaks down the sometimes difficult art of intarsia into easy-to-follow steps so that any beginner (with a little knowledge of power tools) can achieve satisfactory results. Each step is explained in detail and there are many photographs in the "Get Started" section that show clearly what to do next to create your own piece of wood art.
   Kathy's included patterns range from simple to a level that can be appreciated by any experienced intarsian.
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this very intriguing style of woodworking.



2. I have been doing Intarsia for nearly 10 yrs now. I had ordered a couple of patterns from Kathy in the past. It had been awhile since I had been on Kathy's website and then one day I was looking for new patterns. Wow did her work ever take off to another level. She had just been featured with her animal jungle scene in a wood magazine. I was blown away by that work of art. Well her book had just been published as well, so I had to purchase this book. Whatever tips I could get from this book I knew I needed. I only hope that someday my work can be as good as Kathy's is. Great deal on this book, you get a lot of very cool patterns. Plus all of the tips to go along with it.



3. The author covers in detail step by step projects and the types of woods used and patterns are wonderful! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in doing Intarsia.



4. Refreshing! A friendly guide into the world of intarsia... not at all intimadating or patronizing. Kathy's book gives me confidence to try projects that I otherwise may have thought too advanced for my skill level and as a result of this... My skill level is advancing too!!! Thank you Kathy! Please write more books!!!



5. This wonderful Book has really great patterns and the basic information in the front is very complete. I would and will recommend it to any beginners or woodworkers that want to improve their skill at Intarsia. The 21 patterns are well worth the price of the book. Kathy's designs are bringing intarsia to a new level of art, way beyond the craft stage. It is absolutely the BEST book on Intarsia available in the marketplace today, can't wait for her next book!

2 comments about How To Help Your Child With Homework: The Complete Guide To Encouraging Good Study Habits And Ending The Homework Wars.

1. From Dean R. Garrison, author of "Ending the Homework Wars":
   
   "How to Help Your Child with Homework" provides parents with an exceptional set of strategies and tips for helping children do their best on homework assignments and overcome learning difficulties in specific subject areas. This excellent resource is designed to help children learn and master the knowledge and academic skills covered in children's homework assignments. The book is written by an accomplished teacher to support parents in their important "parent-as-teacher" role. In contrast, my book, "Ending the Homework Wars," focuses on the structure and support children need to get on track--- and stay on track--- with fulfilling homework responsibilities, to put an end to power struggles and procrastination, and to overcome many other homework-related difficulties.
   
   "Ending the Homework Wars" offers a powerful program for achieving exceptional homework results with even the most challenging children and teens. Among the book's unique features are the Homework Success Master Plan, enabling parents to design a step-by-step program tailor-made to the unique needs of each particular child or teen. "Ending the Homework Wars" includes a powerful, proven approach for gaining significant improvement in children's behavior and motivation, step-by-step routines that simplify daily homework tasks and responsibilities, strategies for helping students stay organized and keep track of assignments and materials, re-evaluating children's needs for tutoring services, guidelines for healthy nutrition and exercise, strategies for improving parent consistency, guidelines for addressing children's special needs, including children with ADHD, gifted underachievers and children with learning disabilities, and trouble-shooting strategies.
   
   Together, "How to Help Your Child with Homework" and "Ending the Homework Wars" provide a powerful combination of resources that enables parents both to meet children's specific learning needs and provide the type of structure, behavior management system and support that brings out the best in their children.
   
   --- Dean R. Garrison, author of "Ending the Homework Wars"



2. The title sums up this 193 page book well. It is clear that the teacher-author speaks from experience. I'm glad there is now a revised and updated edition. Parents of regular and special education students in elementary grades benefit from Schumm's skill in showing how to enhance learning abilities in children.

5 comments about Roof Framer's Bible: The Complete Pocket Reference to Roof Framing 2nd Edition.

1. This is a mistake review. This site will not allow me to change the 1 star rating that was accidently entered. Please disregard this review.



2. Had hoped for information as to how roof framing elements join together in various configurations, but found very little on this on this.



3. We ordered a few of these reference for the owner and employees. They are finding the book easy to follow and extremely informative.



4. I am a residential framer and I use my Roof Framer's Bible almost every day especially when I am framing complicated houses. Circular stairs, conventional rafters, round bays, all the calculations and tips are there for you. I have been framing for about 20 years and it is one of the essential tools I use on the site. I am on my 4th copy as the others have been gradually destroyed by weather (and one was stolen). This is the best useful framing book I've seen. I also liked The Roof Cutter's Secrets to Framing the Custom Home.



5. Professional framers will keep this book tucked in their pocket to reference while out on a job.