3 comments about Housebuilding: A Do-It-Yourself Guide, Revised & Expanded.

1. After contracted builders let me down and stole my deposit, I decided to build an extension to my house myself. Having never built anything more than a kids playhouse, I went in seach of books to help. I'd taken out many from my local library, but they only gave brief explanations on various items--nothing from the ground-up. Then I bought this Housebuilding book--it is absolutely wonderful! It covers everything from footings and foundations, walls and sheathing, to the cupola on the rooftop in clear, concise grammer and very easy-to-follow illustrations. It gave me enough confidence to go ahead with my project and it turned out beautiful! Even though my extension is done, I've kept the book handy to help me with my next project--a new shed/workshop. Bottomline--if you want an all-in-one guide and straight forward instruction in quality building, this is definitely the best reference manual you could get.



2. Put 'House Building' into Amazon Advance Search and you'll end up with over eight thousand titles, make it one word and you'll get a more manageable fifty plus. This book is one of the fifty and at the Amazon price for 702 pages I think this is an impressive buy. Luckily for the family I'm not going to attempt to build my own. I bought the book essentially for reference: I wanted something that explains (and reveals through Tom Webster's brilliant illustrations) how a home is constructed.
   
   The twenty-nine chapters cover it all in what appears to be the basics for each area. If I was to built it myself though I reckon I would have a look at books covering some specific tasks like: framing, drywalls, flooring, plumbing or electrics. The author wisely recommends that for plumbing and electrics professionals are hired.
   
   Other books I've seen about house building and DIY use photos to explain things. This book uses very attractive illustrations (nearly 800) which visually do a better job than photos and with the two column format all the information is very accessible. Perhaps it would have been better to include some sidebars about specific things: an illustration showing the range of nails and screws used, types of sandpaper and tapes etc.
   
   For my reference needs I'm very impressed with this book. I'll be keeping it next to Francis Ching's classic Building Construction Illustrated.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



3. Will this book teach you everything you need to know to build a house? Yeah, pretty much.

5 comments about Cordwood Building: The State of the Art (Natural Building Series).

1. Too much anecdotal fluff - relates boring stories and information about people that I found irrelevant as a reader. It was irritating the way the authors kept obsessively giving compliments and acknowledgements to friends and contributors throughout the book; almost like it were a club writing the book for themselves and not for paying customers. I am instinctively suspicious of people that try to sell me things, and the fact that the authors kept making plugs and product endorsements made me doubt their credibility. Because of all the aforementioned sludge, this was a hard book to get through; I found I couldn't read it; I had to skim through it to get the useful information. Which was there, but like I said, it was to deeply buried. This book should be edited down to half its length. The book is worth checking out of the library, but probably not worth buying: 2.75 out of 5.



2. I'm from Germany and cordwoord buildings are uncommon here. Horizontal log homes are booming but as expensive as ordinary home building not a choice for people without a lot of money.
   So cordwood may be a solution if we can get a permission with our restrictive rules and regulations here.
   
   The book provides the builder with every detail he must know, it's really great.
   For getting some practice we will start building a small shed with cordwood. ;-)



3. I have only read a few chapters, but I feel the honest and open discussion of the Author will only enrich me and others as we follow in his footsteps. To build ones own home is always a dream. To be empowered with the knowledge to do so is a gift. Thank you! And If I ever follow my dream...you are always welcome for supper. (dinner, tea...we call it tea...although it is the evening meal...tea does sound funny)



4. This book is a great read. Enjoyable and yet it seems to give plenty of info on the different aspects of the cordwood building process. More than half way through I found out that there was a glossary in the back which helps explain some of the terminology. I would highly recommend this book for anyone thinking of building a cordwood home. This book will give you most of the know-how to build it and most importantly it will help you decide if you do want to build cordwood. It worked for me. My wife and I are presently saving up to build a cordwood home. I think it would be a good idea to watch the "Complete Cordwood DVD" before actually building.



5. This book doesn't tell you everything that you need to know about the subject but it gives you a whole lot of information and sets you on your way. The information is very good. If you are a beginner and have never tried this kind of thing then this is where you start.

5 comments about Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Parents' Guide.

1. I bought and read this book when my son was first diagnosed with CP approximately 10 years ago. It contained a wealth of useful information and was easy to read. I especially enjoyed the parents comments at the end of each chapter which helped me relate my own feelings and frustrations with other parents.



2. Children with Cerebral Palsy - A Parent's Guide saved my life. My beautiful 2 yr. old daughter had just been diagnosed with CP and I felt as if she had been given a death sentence. After reading this guide for my child I was able to mourn the loss of a "normal" child and get real with the fact that she had Cerebral Palsy and that this disability would not go away. I gave a copy of the book to my mother so she could better understand CP and not to be afraid of it. Emily is now 10 yrs. old and in 4th grade (regular schooling). She is getting A's and is walking with the use of a walker. Emily has been a real "teacher" for kids not familiar with CP. THANK YOU Elaine Geralis from the bottom of my heart for all of the research and unbelievable information you put in your book.I no longer see CP as a "death sentence", but an opportunity to educate others about Cerebral Palsy. I have recommended your book to several "newly diagnosed" families and you have helped them too. I recommend this first and foremost to anyone that knows someone with CP or is a caregiver of someone who has Cerebral Palsy.



3. This is an excellent "from the beginning" book. It is a great resource for parents with any special needs child to help them navigate the services available for their child.
   
   The information on CP was written in a format that is easy to follow, and gives you the vocabulary as well as the questions to ask of your providers.



4. What a great book, it covered every issue that we have experienced with our child and made me feel better as a parent!



5. This was the first book I bought when my grandson was diagnosed with spastic diplegia. I found no hope in it and continued looking until I found Advanced Bio-mechanical Rehabilition. Their web-site is www.blyum.com. We have been doing ABR for six months and the changes are miraculous. Finally something to actually help our kids physically instead of teaching them to deal with less and less movement as they age.

5 comments about Trim Idea Book.

1. Nothing defines a room like trim, and Trim Idea Book offers not just wall trim ideas, but tips on handling doorways, ceilings, stairs, mantels and more. Enrich and add color to different kinds of ceilings, trim a door to frame a view, and understand how informal and formal casings affect appearance in a photo-packed idea book which covers all kinds of styles and options.



2. Nothing defines a room like trim, and Trim Idea Book offers not just wall trim ideas, but tips on handling doorways, ceilings, stairs, mantels and more. Enrich and add color to different kinds of ceilings, trim a door to frame a view, and understand how informal and formal casings affect appearance in a photo-packed idea book which covers all kinds of styles and options.



3. Projects and ideas are realistic. They are not handy-man projects but look finished and professionally designed. I got a good idea for a window seat from book.



4. I was marking things in this book and walking him through my ideas for my home. He borrowed it and still hasn't given it back. I guess that means we both liked it.



5. I enjoy that there are several pictures that give ideas of the different directions you can go into with a trim project. I've purchased several of the Idea Books and I haven't been disappointed yet. Each one is referenced often while I'm working on my condo redo. This is a great series for anyone who is a DIY guru or anyone working with a contractor (I've been doing both).

No comments about Materials for Civil and Highway Engineers (4th Edition).

2 comments about Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual.

1. Detailing is difficult for young design professionals. College education does not cover enough detail design, the only ways to learn how to develop details are: 1) learn through working experience in design offices; 2) teach yourself by reading good books.
   
   "Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual" can alleviate this problem. When they wrote this book, Nicholas T. Dines, FASLA was a professor and director for the graduate MLA program at the University of Massachusetts, and already had 32 years of professional experience. Kyle Brown was an assistant professor of Landscape Architecture at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and held a Bachelor and a Master degree in Landscape Architecture and was a Ph. D candidate in regional planning.
   
   "Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual" covers athletic surfaces (natural and artificial turf, athletic paving), curbs (asphalt, brick, wood, stone and concrete curbs), drainage inlets (catch basins, area drains, trench drains), drainage swales (concrete, stone and vegetated swales), lighting (accent, pedestrian and vehicular lighting), paving (aggregate, asphalt, brick, concrete, stone, wood and synthetic paving, reinforce turf), paving dividers (brick, concrete and stone paving dividers), paving edges, paving joints, pedestrian ramps, planting, ponds, retaining structures, seatwalls, steps, and walls. There is also a useful detail index at the end.
   
   The details in this book are useful, but you still have to adapt them per your specific project condition. For example, some of the paving details call for "reinforcement as required." If you just copy and use these details, I guarantee you'll get change orders for your job. You should adapt these details per the soils report and tenant or developer criteria of your job and / or consult your structural engineer to actually specify what kind of reinforcement you are using for these details in your job.
   
   "Time-Saver Standards Site Construction Details Manual" has 416 pages and 350 common site details. It is a good Site Construction reference book for architects, landscape architects and engineers. Like any other books, it'll not cover every situation for your job. As a design professional, you should still review and adapt these details for your job.



2. This is a great book that I use all the time in my design work. It's organized really well making it very easy to use. Like Gang Chen mentioned in his review, you can't just copy and apply each detail as is, you have to adapt it to your specific climate and design program. That said, the details are a great starting point. I recommend this book to not only landscape architects working in large LA firms, but also to the residential designers who incorporate a lot of detailing in their plans.

4 comments about Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors, Gates & Fences (Rustic Home Series).

1. The illustrations were very good as a first time person to trellis making, I found this book very exciting. The author made it simple for people to follow and do the project. I liked the detail he gave for making each project. Making arches to gates for your flower garden, they are all nice pieces of art. He tells also what is great to grow on the trellises. Thanks



2. If you love the romantic look of twig trellises, arbors, gates and fences (not to mention wattling), this is the book for you! Using raw materials that most people have or can get for free (and Jim Long tells how to do this, too), the reader is led through the step-by-step process to make a variety of pictured designs.

   Long also tells what tools and materials you need, how to make a work space, how to construct the basic trellis, and how to install it (including securing it in the ground). There's even a chapter on selecting plants for your new trellis. Best of all, Long reveals the trick for actually getting your creation to look like the picture (hint: it involves a picnic table).

   This is a book for dreaming and doing!




3. This book gives good directions and shows many attractive ideas. I am going to try a living fence and some supports for pole beans in the garden-that should be much prettier than the metal posts and twine I used last year.



4. A little disappointing. Great if you want to make most things with heart shapes in it. I didn't. Good for explaining how you go about putting one together, and a few nice designs. The recipes in the back where odd - a nice idea, and i suppose better than another six pages of a heart shaped patterned trellises. Also a lot of diagrams rather than pictures - Pictures would work better i think - obviously dearer to print though.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Reinforced Concrete Design.

1. This reference is useful as a review of various types of concrete construction. However, it was last revised in 1993 and refers to the 1989 American Concrete Institute code, so while the content is generally correct, many of the code provisions have since changed.



2. College texts only provide so many good examples and are sparse on the details. Schaum's fills in a large explanatory gap.



3. Typical of the Schaums series- It's a little bit out of date but the information really helps to fill out scribbled lecture notes and textbook examples.
   
   Good stuff.



4. This text was originally composed in 1966 and was updated in 1987 & 1993. Since the last update the design procedures recommended by the ACI have been radically revised and this book is therefore essentiall useless to today's designers. It might have some elementary applications, but the buyer should be warned major revisions in design procedures in the late 90's and after render the book outmoded



5. Wow!!! Schaum's and Noel Everard really missed the boat on this one! I really wish engineers would learn how to write and cohesively put ideas down on paper. Noel's concept of writing is to regurgitate a bunch of formulas that cross reference other formulas. If you are looking for concepts.... this is NOT the book for you.
   
   I'm disappointed in Schaum's on this one. After using other outlines of theirs I had higher expectations. This one is really bad! No wonder it only cost 12 bucks.

2 comments about Pottery Barn Workspaces (Pottery Barn Design Library).

1. The cover is certainly misleading. The photo on the cover makes the book seem like it will show graceful, traditional, colorful, fun rooms. Do not be mislead. The rooms in this book look drab, dusty, and musty. Yuck! It really is a book full of junky looking old things. I am not talking about antiques here, just flea market junk. Certainly nothing modern or colorful or even traditional. A real disappointment. Frankly, the free catalogues have better ideas than this.



2. This book uses many of the retail stores' and catalog's current and (unfortunately) discontinued products. If you have often looked through the catalog or the store and thought you wanted your office to look like it does in the book, there are inspiring ideas here. For example, the designers show us new uses for old items (candy jars used to store binder clips, for example).
   
   The downside of the book(s) is(are) that some of the items featured are older Pottery Barn items that are now discontinued. Perhaps you can find some on eBay, but some are several years old and probably can't be found. However, it still gives the reader new ideas.
   
   The reviewer who said that it is all "junky looking old things" may not appreciate Pottery Barn's sense of whimsy and incorporating new with old. This book does plenty of that.
   
   The one gripe I have with the book (any decorating book) is that it appears that computers, monitors, and phones do not have wires. It's very easy to arrange these staged offices and never have to plug in the cables and power cords. This book therefore makes it look a little easier than it really is.

No comments about Cabinets, Shelves & Home Storage Solutions: 24 Storage Projects Plus Ideas for Organizing Your Home.