5 comments about The Japanese Bath.

1. This book helped me design my Japanese bath and provided a wonderful resource for my ofuro-Sea Otter Woodworks in Alaska. I love the book and my new bath.



2. Delight your every sense by checking out this book. The beautiful photography will help you design your relaxing bath space.



3. Beautiful pictures and instructional text. However, one wonders why the authors included some of the "Resources" they did. Some of these have no website or catalogue. Example: Soko Hardware in San Francisco. So, if you don't live in the Bay Area, including them was almost useless. I would have liked to have seen more sources with which one can view and buy items.



4. This is a beautiful book, but not very practical in terms of how to build your own japanese bath. Having spent some time in Japan, I don't think my relatives, or others in a public bath would appreciate having someone get into the tub BEFORE scubbing down - GROSS! Only rinsing off is not good enough, as the book instucts you to do. Please scrub and rinse before you enter the tub.



5. The book the Japanese bath gives the history and the culture of the Japanese bath. Fabulous pictures which show the peace and beauty of the Japanese bath. A must-see and read for anyone contemplating building a bathroom.

5 comments about Letitia Baldrige's New Manners for New Times: A Complete Guide to Etiquette.

1. I originally requested this book for Christmas because of both Ms. Baldrige's conservative reputation and the fact that it was said to address the roles of gays and lesbians in the family. I was not disappointed. It is a fabulous general etiquette book that my mother could respect and would read. And it includes my lifestyle too!

   With so much controversy going about these days regarding the definition of family, Ms. Baldrige provides us with guidelines that allow all of us to congregate in peace and without shame. Her anecdotes effectively illustrate her points and are quite funny at times. She also obviously knows how to have a good time-- and in a way that is level-headed and won't alienate those at the more conservative end of the spectrum.

   Ms. Baldrige is one of those sort of people you really have to work hard to dislike. And her years of experience lead to a wise commentary that is hardly dated. In her own way, she gives all family members permission to love one another without a bunch of anxiety over who is doing what that isn't anyone's business anyway. And she provides all the tools you need, in the form of advice, to throw a great party. When's the next family reunion? I actually want to go now! :-)




2. In this updated guide to ettiquette for modern times, she addresses marriage etiquette in "blended" families. In her NEW Etiquette for Executives, which is a bit outdated, a woman should dress according to her profession. Seeing a woman move up the ranks at the local transit system, going from old-fashioned denim dress with boots to cover the rest of her, to dressing like a common street walker, I had to make a comment, "You need to dress professional." Her boss, attired in orange pants and ball cap at a special "Meet the Manager" day, dressed down to what he perceived is the level of the riders; he asked me, "Do you think I should be wearing a suit?" and I merely said, "I will tell you what I did Ms. P, "You should dress professional." The rudeness of some transit employees show their disrespect for the older person of different races and for their job. When we get on that bus, our lives are in the hands of these rude, surly, prejudiced persons who say derogatory remarks to and about passengers in front of others. They can refuse to stop to pick you up at their discretion, and they take advantage of that. It's not just bad manners. It shows how regressed a certain percentage of the population has become. They are ignorant and uneducated, and show it.
   
   A man should never wear frayed shirt collars and cuffs no matter what the occasion is. I saw a local celebrity on the sidewalk outside his office with a torn place on his pants leg. Some people have no pride in their work or position in the community. Her advice: "Know who you are" and dress accordingly. In the Northeast, you must never wear white shoes and accessories after Labor Day, but that doesn't apply to the South.
   
   A good rule for both sexes is 'Never dress in clothes that are too tight; they make a thin person look gaunt and a large person twice as heavy. Well said.' Those people not interested in how they are perceived dress according to the weather and, even in public, wear ill-fitting casual wear. If they could just see themselves from the rear!
   
   Ms. Baldrige has lived a glamorous life as a diplomat for the United States government, has been there, done that, and knows how to help others to act in a manner befitting a Queen. Her non-fiction book, OF DIAMONDS AND DIPLOMATS, relates her years with the Kennedy administration.



3. Author Letitia Baldrige worked as Social Secretary to an ambassador in Paris, Special Assistant to an ambassador in Rome, and the Social Secretary to the White House and chief of staff for Jaqueline Kennedy - and this book reads like it.
   
   If you live on Manhattan's swanky Upper Eastside, throw lavish dinner parties for visiting dignitaries, and vie for a place on a high profile hospital or not-for-profit board this is the book for you. If, on the other hand, you feel a little clueless about the basic rules of etiquette and would like to use the right fork at a fancy dinner party, you might want to try a book like "Etiquette for Dummies." Baldrige comes across as a very warm and friendly person. She write eloquently and engagingly about the very heart of etiquette - respecting other people's feelings and acting accordingly. But most readers really don't need a book of this length that outlines the proper behavior for dinner with the president (no exaggeration). Comprehensive - yes. Entirely practical to most mere mortals - no.



4. If you're looking for just one etiquette reference, this is the one. It touches on everything without being intimidatingly exhaustive. Baldridge offers additional helpful thoughts on situations one is likely to encounter in today's life--multicultural celebrations, funerals in other traditions, wedding invitations to same-sex couples--without being sappy or condescending. Having perused several similar books, I also found that this one has the best treatment of business and professional etiquette. Easy to read, entertaining, helpful, and never loses sight of the main point. Was an excellent gift for my soon-to-graduate-college sister--those pesky etiquette dilemmas start popping up quickly.



5. This book is terrific. It has everything in it. Before I do anything (go to a wedding, a funeral, write a thank you note or condolence note, throw a party), I look it up in this book. It really is wonderful. I never feel as though I don't know what to do. She gives advice for how to dress, how to act, what to say when you are at a loss for words, and anything else you need.
   
   I'm not an upper-crust socialite, and this book is my guide to life. I love it and would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone.

1 comments about Hacienda Style.

1. This book like their other Yucatan books is very nicely put together with beautiful photos and text. However, the overall appearance of the book seems to be a repetition of the same homes, hotels and discussions about the same designers/architects as their other books. I got the impression that the main purpose of this book and all its content was a payback to anyone that the writers (Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr) owed a favor to. That being hotels that gave them free accommodations, restaurants that gave free meals, architects that gave them free design work for their own properties and furniture dealers that gave them furniture.
   My advice is that if one is looking for design and idea books on Mexico is to search Amazon for alternative books. There are a good assortment to choose from at reasonable prices. If you have a copy of the earlier published Casa Yucatan that book is an adequate collection of the Carr/Witynski publications. Save your money and don't buy this book.

5 comments about The Cob Builders Handbook: You Can Hand-Sculpt Your Own Home.

1. This book is a fantastic resource, and full of practical tips on building with Cob in general, as well as site preparation, drainage considerations, roofing.
   
   Definitely something to add to your alterative building methods resource collection.



2. I completely enjoyed this book, it is informative, practical, and consistently puts forth the message that ANYONE can build a home. I bought some acreage and have started my own. When I get overwhelmed, I reread this book, step back, and break it down into smaller steps. One of the easiest, most encouraging books I've read on any subject, and the best of the dozen books I've read on this subject.



3. This book will definitely get your gears turning if you have a love of building. It is simply written with descent illustration. This style of building isn't a difficult concept. However, it is a different concept that I found very intersting. A great book for smaller outdoor projects such as pavillions or outdoor cooking areas.



4. This book will give you some great building ideas for your home, especially for simple outdoor structures.



5. I found this book invaluable. With it's simply put illustrations and descriptive nature. It's a simplified context that compliments "The Hand Sculpted House" wonderfully! Between these two books and a little research on site and with consideration to additional components of the structure to be erected, I feel confident that even a novice builder (with proper planning and a little guidance from some pro's) could complete a humble starter home of their own. I only speak from my little (16 years as a builder) experience with completing homes. *never built one like this till now* With another couple years of planning and designing, hopefully mine will be completed.

5 comments about Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House.

1. What first draws one to this book is the wonderful new photographs presented. This is also what I keep going back to see after reading the text. The perspective of many of the downstream shots is not exaggerated as are the older black and white ones taken in the 1930's although when I visited the house I was unable to get the same view or position. They must have been taken with a special camera. I appreciate the helicopter photos as it really shows the site, a deep ravine. The house always seemed to be up on a promontory but is set deep into the forest. The lighting on the interior is a little misleading when the shadows and light direction are altered. These photos overall are the most naturalistic that I have seen and to see all the seasons represented makes me want to goback for the others. It looks as if the insect screens were removed for most of the photos which gave the house a cleaner, more modern appearance than in person. I only wish the breaker pages, the ones with the large green background, were larger although I believe I have seen the winter view on a recent calendar by the same photographer, Heinz, great work on his part. I always wish there were more books like this on great American buildings, especially on the photogenic ones by Wright.



2. Fallingwater, in and of itself, is a name that commands awe and respect. This book epitomizes that notion.

   Simply, this is it. This is the be all, end all of texts on this masterpiece by the late F.L.W.

   I have been an admirer of F.L.W. since I was in the fifth grade, and had to do a report on earthquakes and buildings. Living in S.F., I guess this was a hot topic. But, in a showing (foreshadowing?) of extremely good taste---if I do say so myself, I chose F.L.W. and the TransAmerica building. For those of you out of the loop, that's the "pyramid" building you see when looking at (virtually every) snapshot(s) of the S.F. skyline. I hadn't yet discovered Fallingwater, but I would eventually be shown the way...

   This is such an incredibly beautiful house. Honestly, I could not imagine the blessing of owning that house and living there. This text, however, sets it all out.

   EXCELLENT photos, both inside and out....in different seasons as well.

   VERY GOOD text and dialogue. Provides a great understanding of the dream, planning, undertaking, and completion of this masterpiece.

   This is an incredibly text. I cannot urge you enough to purchase this one. In short, your collection is not complete without it.

   Open this book, and dream....




3. This is a huge heavy duty book filled with all kinds pictures and information about another of FLW's masterpieces. A great gift!



4. Anyone that wants a complete study of Fallingwater will want this book. Lots of detail. Lots of pictures. Drawings are great.



5. I purchased this wonderful book after a visit to Fallingwater earlier this summer. It is absolutely phenomenal with the interesting details, plans, drawaings and photos of the progress of the design and building of the home. It is the absolute best book and hard to put down because everytime I pick it up my fascination with Fallimgwater is rekindled! I would highly recommend this book for architecture students, persons with an interest in art or anyone wishing to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright's passion for organic design.

1 comments about House Beautiful Color Workshop: Decorating Stylish Rooms (House Beautiful).

1. I adore this book. The presentation/organization are great, nice pictures, good color design ideas. I read a lot of home design books--checking them out from my local library--and this is the first one I've been tempted to buy in almost 10 years. I had so many post-it notes flagging pages that I finally decided to order a copy. I recommend it highly.

1 comments about A Patrick Lose Christmas: Whimsical Projects to Deck the Halls.

1. You just can't "lose" with Patrick Lose. His ideas and whimsy are always top-notch and I love his variety of colors and items. I hope to accomplish some of the projects in time for Christmas. Highly recommend if you love Patrick's books.

2 comments about Mastering Anger and Aggression - The Brazelton Way.

1. I have many of "The Brazelton Way" books. I love them all and now give them as baby shower gifts. This one has really given us insight into our 5 year olds recent outbursts and we now have the tools to enable us to give him the loving guidance he needs to work through this stage and master self control.



2. I love Dr. Brazelton and have for years. However, this book was very disappointing. Luckily, I picked it up from my local library before I purchased it on here. It states a lot of facts about the "how and why" children act out, but it is VERY short on solutions. The book is "all over the place" and not logically organized. There are a few places where the same suggestion is repeated numerous times. My suggestion is to pick it up from the library...it's a quick read...and see if it helps your situation. I can say that the section on biting seemed extremely informative, but that was not an issue with my child.

4 comments about Care and Repair of Shop Machines: A Complete Guide to Setup, Troubleshooting, and Maintenance.

1. I've been having some problems getting my jointer tables aligned properly, and happened upon this book by accident. What luck! This book is full of great info on tune-ups and alignment. John White goes in depth into the set up and alignment of primary power tools (jointer, planer, table saw, bandsaw, router table, drill press and miter saw). His writing is clear, easy to understand and follow, with plenty of very descriptive pictures. The book is very complete on each of the tools covered. I truly appreciated that he used many shop-built jigs and common tools to get things done.



2. This is an outstanding book. It is well written, well organized, has excellent graphics and pictures, and serves a much needed role in most woodshops. White would have been a great engineer. His jigs and measurement techniques are clever, well documented, and easy to make and use. I found myself smiling several times at the ingenuity of his low-cost (and effective!) solutions to high-cost measurement tools. I have a middle-of-the-road chinese knock off table saw that wasn't cutting well (burns and lots of resistance). I made the jigs and went through the tune up procedure in an evening, and the saw performs much better afterwards.

   I would like have heard White's recommendations for storage, cleaning, and top protection (e.g., waxing vs. oiling ground surfaces), as well as his tips and comments for shop safety, but they are justifiably outside the scope of this book.

   Overall an excellent book that I am very glad to have stumbled upon.




3. What can I say, the chapter on setting up your jointer is worth the price of the book by itself. The pictures and the diagrams are great, easy to understand, and the text is informative and easy to read. This book makes you a better woodworker, because your tools will be correctly set up, which also makes them more fun to use and much safer.
   I would recommend this book to you, even if you do not own the tool, but are looking at getting into woodworking, with this book you will be better able to understand how the various tools work, and you can buy decent used tools and tune them up, saving you a bundle!
   
   Great book!!



4. John White does a great job with nice illustrations. I recommend this to anyone with a woodworking machine. It's amazing how far off your tools are until you set them up correctly. You'll save time and money by making better cuts the first time when the tool is setup correctly. It's amazing we take the time to measure an angle for moulding and when we cut it and it doesn't fit you think you measured incorrectly when it could have been your tool off by one degree.

1 comments about Woodworking for Dummies.

1. Being a late in life beginning woodworker, I needed something that didn't assume I knew all there was to know about the tools I had and how to bend the wood to my will in order to end up with items I could be proud of. This book helped a lot in that regard. While I won't always use some of the shortcuts and techniques the author recommends, knowing that you can get from point A to point B professionally was a big help. This is a valuable addition to my woodworking reference library and I will refer to it often.