5 comments about The Organized Life: Secrets of an Expert Organizer.

1. This is one of those small books I keep by my bedside to read a few pages of tips before I fall asleep. It's an easy book to read in bits and pieces, but if you are looking for a full-blown "how-to" on organizing, this one may not be for you.
   
   The book sections are:
   
   Clutter
   Paper
   Closets
   Kitchen
   Time
   Storage
   Home Office
   Bed & Bath
   Garage, Attic & Basement
   Photos
   Children
   Holidays
   
   I like the "look" of the book inside - colorful pages with easy-read-text, small charts and lists. Because of the type fonts, bolding and white spacing of the pages, it's really easy to get information from the pages by just a glance. (So you can read what you want and skip the rest).
   
   The content is really a collection of tips and ideas, not a full-fledged plan of organizing everything top to bottom. Some of the information may be things the reader already knows (sometimes, though, I have to see it in print for the obvious to become useful). However, I did find a number of useful new ideas. This was probably the book that convinced me that keeping department store "bonus" makeup sets was more of a storage hassle than it was worth. I also started taking more notice of what was already in my closet and giving careful thought about new purchases to be sure I don't already have something very similar. I like the author's idea of using my Inbox only for items that have not been reviewed yet. Why look at something twice?
   
   I enjoyed reading this book and although I didn't use every idea, I did pick up a few and got to thinking about how to better organize my life. However, if you are looking for a more thorough book, you may want to check out Donna Smallin's Organizing Plain and Simple: A Ready Reference Guide with Hundreds of Solutions to Your Everyday Clutter Challenges or books like it.



2. If you were able to follow the dozens of random tips in this book, you would probably enjoy a more organized life. On the other hand, if you are able to follow the tips in this book, you probably already have a well-organized life. For example, the author suggests several solutions for dealing with children's artwork, including mailing special items to grandparents, "...What you've chosen ... should be sent on its way quickly. A personal note on the back or a signature makes it that much more special." The assumption here is that one has packing tape, mailing tubes, address labels and suitable note paper readily at hand and that one has a system for remembering to take packages to the post office when one is headed in that direction.
   
   A more ludicrous suggestion involves the "paper exchange," which entails setting up a filing system on one's kitchen desk so that children can file their school announcements and permission slips each afternoon; a parent then reviews these papers in the evening, signs any necessary paperwork and returns the forms to the children's backpacks. I could expend several hundred words picking apart the unrealistic assumptions underlying this proposal; instead, Dear Reader, I leave it to your imagination to consider whether this program could be easily implemented in your household. If it could and you haven't thought of it yet, perhaps The Organized Life is for you.
   
   To her credit, Ms Denton does include some suggestions that are useful to those of us whose dispositions make us susceptible to clutter. She devote several pages (p. 100, p. 150) to ideas for reducing clutter and analyzing whether an item really needs to be stored or could better be discarded. She warns of the perils of accumulating needless toiletries. She tells an inspiring anecdote about a man who maintains a clean basement by regularly removing anything he could replace for less than $5 because he recognizes that the benefits of a clean basement outweigh the risk that he might someday havie to spend a small sum on replacement items.
   
   In short, Ms Denton's attractive little book with its brightly colored pages and easy-to-read typography makes a diverting browse for someone who enjoys domestic organizational tasks. It is unlikely to provide any transformative guidance to the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free of their own wretched refuse and teeming to-do lists.



3. This is my favourite organisation book (and ive bought a bundle!). It is an attractive, compact book with modern graphic design & images that make it fun to read. The content is simple and 'straight to the point' and instructions/strategies/tips are in easy to follow point form.
   Don't waste your time with the many wordy,text dense organisation books that you have to search thru to uncover just a couple of good ideas... buy this book instead!



4. This book was good in the aspect that it gives many easy-to-do tips on how to get organized. However, many of the tips were too basic or outdated. The paper management section was very outdated, but gives good ideas on how to filed effectively. I especially liked the section on time and the home office section. Both of these had great ideas on how to use organization to make a better environment in these areas. "The Fingertip Test" in the Home Office section is a handy and useful tip.
   
   I am a professional organizer in Honolulu, HI (www.organizedislands.com), and I will certainly use this book for helpful hints for my clients.



5. This is a delightful book. She gives us organizational tips in a simple, easy to read, easy to follow format. And I have to say the book is just a beautiful book. Nice to hold in your hand and very colorful. It makes you happy to think about organizing.
   If I had to say something bad about it, I would say that it is a bit on the basic side. It doesn't go into great detail.

5 comments about Santa Barbara Style.

1. Such a beautiful book, recommended by our architect and builder for obtaining ideas on building a real Spanish Colonial or Revival house. The landscape designs were fantastic as well. Another reader wanted to see "beach shacks" and was disappointed by this book. I lived in Santa Barbara for 6 years and I can tell you have never traveled there. No beach shacks in Santa Barbara. Try along the eastern seaboard coastline.



2. This is an amazing photo essay about the Spanish Architecture of Santa Barbara. I own several books like this and this is my favorite.Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente



3. Im building a santa barbara style house and I was disappointed. Not a lot of details. Sure some pics of some SB mansions but not enough photos or details to actually do anything with this book. I guess if you are into SB history it might be OK, otherwise save yourself the $. You will be done browsing it in about 10 minutes and never use it again.



4. As an interior designer, several of my colleagues mentioned that this was the most requested style from their newer clients. I thought there would be more current interiors, referring to a new style. It was more of a historical chronicle of design in Santa Barbara, for exteriors and interiors. It is a nice book, but not exactly what I expected.



5. you just can't go wrong with these series of books, I have them all and they are outstanding

5 comments about Montessori Read & Write: A Parents' Guide to Literacy for Children.

1. Montessori Read and Write is a terrific book and is stuffed with many, many great ideas and suggestions for teaching your young child to read and instilling a love of reading. The content of this book can actually be a bit overwhelming. I suggest a very slow reading of this book, interspersed with trying the ideas slowly with your children. As with all children, some of these ideas will work better individually than others, but I think most children will benefit very much from this book. Happy reading to you and your children.



2. This is a easy to use book to use with lots of games to play. In keeping with the Montessori way, kids will not know they are learning. As a parent, the games and instructions are easy to follow. The book encourages you to follow the games in sequence, as they build on eachother. I liked that short explanations were given for each game reagrding what it would teach the children. One thing, it does assume having some of the Montessori tools/toys such as sandpaper letters which you can buy or make yourself. But many of the gamse require only you and your kid. Good book, I am moving toward a Montessori house and hope my kids will benefit from it.



3. This book really helped me to support my kids and their teachers as they moved through their primary years at Fayette Montessori.
   
   Although I did not have to work with them at home, understanding the methods they used in the class made me a hugh Montessori advocate.



4. A wonderfull book, full of practical idea's to help children to develop a love for language, books and reading. Great for parents and teachers.



5. "Montessori Read and Write" is written by the director of the oldest and many people think the most thorough Montessori teacher training center in the world, MMI (The Maria Montessori Institute) in London, England. It is extremely valuable to Montessori teachers, other teachers, and parents. And now it is available NEW in this country from the Michael Olaf Montessori Company in Arcata, California.

5 comments about The Home Water Supply: How to Find, Filter, Store, and Conserve It.

1. I bought this book based on the review from the NC reader. This is a great book on the topic. Easy read, good examples, great information. If you are looking to get into well work or building a lateral system, get this book.



2. A new age approach to the subject of water. Campbell's need to share his philosophy kept me from wanting to read the entire book. What it has to do with water is anybody's guess. But if you're into new age, and don't mind reading spiritualistic trash, this might be your book. Technically correct, the book attempts to be everybody's introduction to anything you ever wanted to know about water. That broad stroke is it's best and at the same time, worst feature.



3. This book covers nearly every situation one may encounter in water procurement, perhaps the only subject not covered is hauling water to a completely dry site.

   The focus of this book is necessarily on shallow wells, as deep wells require professional drilling, never the less the author covers well pumps, casing, storage devices and filtration systems with enough technical detail to meet most needs. Deep wells and methods are covered, just not in detail.

   If you need to know how to identify and correct contamination you'll find it here. Need to compute water needs? Pump and storage specifications? Those are also here. In fact, you'll be pleased with the technical details and comparisons in an easy to read style.

   I must have missed the new age stuff or at least forgot it as I read the whole book.

   If you want to find water in a rural area, and develop it yourself, this is the book. I would not recommend "Cottage Water Systems" if you want detail on well systems.




4. This book doesn't contain the data needed for developing even a simple design for a home water system. For example, there is no data to calculate friction loss from water moving through pipes. The book notes that friction loss is easy to calculate using a table. The book includes a table that lists friction loss for valves and fittings in equivalent length of pipe. But, I can't find a table on friction loss per length of pipe. A third of the book and most of the bibliography is devoted to the author's opinions on water politics, he is no Marc Reisner.



5. worth the price, will save you a fortune, if you have the need for water.

5 comments about New Decoupage: Transforming Your Home with Paper, Glue, and Scissors.

1. This book is an exact copy of his 1998 "New Decoupage" but in paperback form with a new cover. I was very disappointed and am returning mine today.,
   Gerry Waites
   Hattiesburg MS



2. This book is fabulous and long overdue. The original is not available and this is a beautiful useable new paperback edition from the best in the business and master teacher of the craft. I am buying additional copies as gifts!



3. Years ago I discovered this book in its original hardback version. New Decoupage was a breath of fresh air to the entire world of decoupage !..This was the first ever book where I have experienced making the art of decoupage a FUN journey!! Mr Rice also has a creative eye that feeds the soul, opens creative eyes to a world of possibilities while generously sharing his genius with wit and making the entire experience comfortable.
   This book made me want to try new things and have FUN while learning. . I can now testify that I am a successful decoupage artist and my work is making people HAPPY!! I had never ever known that all of this creativity was locked inside of me until NEW DECOUPAGE manifested itself in my life!! ...I even loaned out my last copy and somehow it was not returned. It was such a thrill to see that we can get this TREASURE now in a paperback version....a portable version. Even though Mr Rice on his website had expressed that it was the same text as the original.....when I received my new Paperback version ....I spent hours just absorbing how wonderful this book was!! New things will be discovered on EVERY journey into New Decoupage and I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am that an entire new audience will now be exposed to this Book of Wonder!!



4. This book is the best. Durwin Rice has written an informative, humorous decoupage book with alot of great ideas.
   
   Thanks alot Durwin. Love the new edition.
   
   Charlotte Seigerman



5. This was a truly beautiful book, full of terrific instructions, but it didn't suit my purpose of teaching crafts to senior citizens. I was looking for group projects instead of expensive, individual works of art.

5 comments about The Preemie Parents' Companion: The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Premature Baby in the Hospital, at Home, and Through the First Years.

1. Our son was born at 26 weeks (3 months early) and was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) until one day past his due date. We were given this book after he'd been there one month. Let me tell you what a life-saver it was! We had been given a "crash course" in the care delivered to a premature infant... very scary stuff. Wires, machines, noise, drugs -- and in the middle of it all this unbelievably tiny human being who is your child. This book took much of the fear away and instead educated us. Preemies don't stop being preemies when they come home! This book gives the technical data in an easy to understand format that is not condescending and also focuses on the emotional as well as physical needs of the baby. Additionally, it gives contacts and information on potential problems, how to spot them early, and how to handle them. There is also a good referal list in the back. I would recommend this book not only to preemie parents, but to anyone in contact with a preemie and their family. PS. As of this writing, our son is one year old and doing great!



2. I am both a physician and a mother of a son who arrived 11 weeks early. This book has helped in every facet of my premature parenthood from breastfeeding (or, in my case, my ongoing attempts) to just feeling I was not the only preemie parent out there. In addition, the explanations of the various medical problems premature babies may face are excellent. Truly, a book that every premature parent would benefit from having.



3. We bought this when our son was born 10 weeks early. This book is very well written and easy to understand. It takes you through the early NICU days all the way to school age. This book was very helpful to us during the NICU time because when it first happened we were clueless (and we sometimes found it hard to get answers from doctors). It gives you information so that you know what questions to ask your baby's doctor. This book explained pretty much anything preemie related.
   Highly recommended for any preemie parent!



4. This was a great book to read while my daughter was in the hospital. It had a good flow and helpful information. The only part that I didn't like was the section on breastfeeding. The author seemed to have a bad experience with her preemie and breastfeeding and her discouragement really came out in this section. I guess it was good though because it motivated me to touch base with a lactation consultant so that I would not share in her breastfeeding disappointment. Overall this book did help me to better understand my new and unexpected life with my preemie.



5. I found this book about a month after we had our son. I would have loved to have it sooner. It was and still is 18 months later a great book. It answered so many questions and brought up things as first time parents we would not have thought of. My husband and I made it through 117 days in the NICU alot more informed and confident that our son was getting excellent care.

4 comments about Lathe Operation and Maintenance.

1. Very well written a approach rto train the novice machinist. I have seen other books on the subject and find this book starts where it should with very good detail , SAFETY.. Book is well laid out and each chapter provides a good question and answer section at the end .. I highly recomend this book.. D Logan owner R F & M



2. As a more senior student as lathe operator I am finding this book very helpful in getting started ,also thank you Amozon for your great service.



3. The book is fine for a true beginner, but hardly worth the money if you already have some lathe skills. I hoped the book would explain how to adjust bearings but any maintenance information was very basic and practically nonexistent.



4. Great book for the "true beginner", me. Very well written, lots of good advice on safety and operations. Just the info you need to get started, now for the next book.......

5 comments about Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?: A Parent's Guide To Raising Multiracial Children.

1. As the mother of 4 beautiful biracial children, I was delighted to find this intelligent, realistic book. My children are often asked "What are you?" and attempts are made to label them as Arabic, Latin, Greek,Black, Italian, etc, etc. This makes it difficult for them when they are at ages where all of us were trying to "find ourselves". My daughter has also had a difficult time, often meeting women who instantly dislike her based on her appearance alone. This book was refreshing and helped me to realize others go thru the same. I was amazed at the amount of research and fact finding this author included. The everyday anecdotes was also most truthful, speaking from personal experience. great find for anyone who knows, loves, interacts with those of more than 1 race!!



2. I have been in an interracial relationship in the past but am currently single and sometimes dating. Sometimes I think about the possibility of marrying out of my race (I am a black-african woman) because of (and in spite of) my previous failed relationship (I guess I'm hard-headed). Over the years I have realized that multiracial situations are filled with unspoken conflicts and tensions and anxieties because this world is economically racist and exploitative... Where people live, how people live, what they do for a living all has to do with their race or ethnicity. It's really deep.
   
   This book doesn't sugar-coat or minimize the experiences of mixed families and peoples. With these relationships the conflicts and tensions do come out in the form of hurtful, mean words, sentiments, and actions. It was so shocking to read about some of these experiences. Someone actually yelled "Eeeww!" out of a car at a mixed black (woman) white (man) family. Another child made negative comments about northern asian eyes that traumatized the author's more Japanese-looking son. There's a real lack of ACCEPTANCE with mixed peoples and couples. It's surreal!!! I think maybe people have a mental block about it or something. People are so focused on their own frame of reference.
   
   The book is good because her writing is really honest and intelligent. She has wonderfully organized chapters including one on improving the education curriculum to be more accepting of multiracial families. I am getting my teacher certification in the next year so this book gave me info that will help me understand the backgrounds of some of my future students. There is a lot of good info on the little things I never knew about like how some very young mixed kids identify race with gender. The chapter on Adolescence delves into the STEPS TO IDENTITY-FORMATION, dating, and more. I recommend it!



3. Thsi book was easy to read and provided a lot of insight to being a muilti-racial family. I think it is an excellent resource for parents of transracially adopted children as well as families of mixed races.



4. this book is, hands down, a great purchase for anyone raising or working with multiracial kids. What a great resource.



5. This is a good, fairly basic book on children dealing with issues of racial difference. Topics such as how and when children start understanding racial differences, how peers begin to react to racial differences in school and some basic strategies for parents are covered well. My one criticism is that the book is marketted for adoptive parents and yet its main focus is on the children of interracial couples. The author says - off-hand - at one point that the differences between these two situations are minor and beyond the scope of the book. That was a bit of a shock. I think the differences are probably vast. Parents of transracially adopted children don't have the basic resource of an adult partner from the child's background. That's an enormous enough of a difference that I really think the issues should be treated in separate books. My other reason for personal dissatisfaction is not the fault of the author. I am in the situation of adopting a minority child in a country where racism is still very overt and raw. I found the book's focus on Asian-Caucasian mixes unhelpful because, although there is some racism in American society, it is not nearly so intense, particularly when it comes to people of Asian background. If you are looking for a hard-ball book on dealing with intense racism, this probably isn't it. This is about dealing with run-of-the-mill basically well-intentioned ignorance, not open hostility.
   -A.F.

2 comments about Beach Homes (Best of Fine Homebuilding).

1. Good short book with a number of high quality photo's and good of ideas for renovating, or building from scratch.



2. As with all Fine Hombuillding boks, Beach Homes is a valuable reference
   book.

5 comments about Extreme Lo-Carb Meals On The Go: Fast And Fabulous Solutions To Get You Through The Day.

1. Those who gave this a good review must not have tried any of the recipes.
   
   The book title says extreme lo-carb meals on the go. It is none of these things.
   
   A lot of the recipes contain low carb breads, pastas and tortillas which is fine if you have no weight to lose.
   
   The book promises fast recipes but tells you in the introduction that to the author fast means that the recipes can be cooked in less than an hour. Many of the recipes require that you prep ingredients in advance, the author calls "make ahead".
   
   Many of the recipes call for expensive, hard to find substitutions for sugar, wheat, and syrups.
   
   The only good recipes in the book, which were few and far between, I already had from free, online, low carb sites. (I saw two recipes out of the whole book that I would try and already had seen them online.)
   
   A huge disappointment and I was very excited by the reveiws given so I thought this would be a good resource for me.
   
   Save your money. Search online for the same recipes without the expensive ingredient substitutes.



2. I own this book and the recipes are bland. Most have salt and pepper as the main seasoning. This book also lacks continuity. What i mean is that each recipe seems to have a unique ingredient. So i cant just stock up on basics and prepare several meals from that. Each time i go to prepare a meal there is some new ingredient which i dont have and now have to buy.
   
   Also some of the recipes arent "extremely low carb". One recipe was 10 effective carbs (ie. net carbs) per small serving and about 25 carbs total. My normal portion size was like 40 net carbs!



3. I always worry when I see poor reviews but still order the book that I will be let down. This was not the case at all with this book.
   
   Being diabetic, I need to really watch my carbs. I thought this book was helpful for many reasons:
   
   1. Snacking - I need to eat 6 times a day to keep my blood sugar stable. I need snacks. Sharon Long gives two lists of snacks. One is those under 5 carbs and the other is under 10. What I liked was that the lists were not just of acceptable low carb foods ( low carb veggies, cooked meat, etc) but were actual recipes of things like (5 carb) orange essence almonds, smoked salmon dip and (10 carb) pumpkin granola and nutty caramel roll ups.
   
   2. Advice - The author discusses the truth about food bars, discusses ketosis and her experiences with both, talks about different types of restaurants and options you have, and gets real about handling cravings. Sure, most of this advice is common sense. However, the author tells it all from her own experiences as she has followed the low carb lifestyle for many years.
   
   3. Set Up - The book is split into sections for breakfast, lunch, main courses and desserts. There are shopping list, smaple menus, sugar conversion tables, susstitution lists and other indexes at the end. I found the book to be very user friendly.
   
   4. Nutritional Info - This is so very important to me in a cookbook. At the end of each recipe there was detailed nutrition info and the substitution to make the recipe low fat with that nutritional breakdown as well.
   
   I think this book is simple and excellent for people who plan meals and do prep work for the week. Recipes are easy to prepare and many can be made in batches for the week. Any specialty items are listed in the back and can be found in most health food stores. While a bit expensive, they are sold in bulk and last for a very long tie after the initial purchase. I highly recommend this book.



4. The book is helpful because it offers quick, very quick, solutions to the "what can I eat?" dilemma we lo-carbers experience.



5. Wow, this is such a good cookbook for those who work, the recipes are fast and easy and they're not short on good flavor, yet they have only a few ingredients. If you are wanting to take weight off fast, there are great combinations for snacks and easy dinners...This is worth the buying particularly if you need ideas for lunch that won't kill your diet away from home!