5 comments about The Woodlot Management Handbook: Making the Most of Your Wooded Property For Conservation, Income or Both.

1. The Woodlot Management Handbook has some good ideas but the gist of the book could be presented in one third the space. Many common sense observations are previewed, presented, and then recapped. Although written for the novice, this book
   anoyingly talks down to the reader. Common Sense Forestry by Hans Morsbach covers much of the same material with a clear and concise style and also manages to be far mor informative.



2. I found this book to be an incredibly valuable asset in the managing of my newly acquired 10 acres of woods. I had no previous experience and didn't read this text until I had owned it for several months. Unfortunately, I had learned the hard way many of the common sense facts the authors share in these pages. It is a well-written and well-documented work that is perfect for those of us who wish to conserve and preserve deciduous woodlands. I have opened mine up as a guide and reference several times after finishing it.



3. This book is essentially applied common sense. If you have ever thought about balancing multiple uses on your land or public lands then you don't need this book.
   
   Extremely remedial and basic stuff -- nothing really actionable in the book. I much preferred Working with your Woodland by Beattie, but have not read Morsbach.



4. This book offers a solid introduction to woodlot ownership. The book covers conservation, measurement, and some legal/inheritance issues. The book takes you step-by-step through the basic process of each of these areas. I found the chapter on measurement to be a good quick-and-dirty guide to measuring your timber. Other reviewers have faulted the book for being too simplistic or referring woodlot owners to professional forresters, but I found it to be a good starting point for a complicated subject.
   
   Each chapter and many special sections contain references to other sources of information. I found this particularly helpful in the measurement section. I have a couple of other books that are very detailed in the area of measurement. This book summarized the process in one chapter and provided numerous other sources for more detail in the form of state forestry articles that would have otherwise been dificult to locate.
   
   The book is simple on some levels but it is clear that the authors love forestry (particulary stewardship) and want to convey both the knowlege and the joy of woodland ownership. A GREAT book for beginning your journey into this complex subject.



5. This book will help anyone who owns property and wants to improve your timberstand.

5 comments about How To Teach Your Baby To Read: The Gentle Revolution (How to Teach Your Baby to Read).

1. I have been a remedial reading tutor for 13 years and have seen the damage that sight word teaching such as this does--it produces poor spellers and readers who do not enjoy reading and who do not read as fluently as those taught with phonics.
   
   Try instead Sidney Ledson's Teach Your Child to Read in Just Ten Minutes a Day Teach Your Child to Read in Just Ten Minutes a Day or any of Leapfrog's fridge phonics products--start with LeapFrog Fridge Phonics® Magnetic Set then LeapFrog Word Whammer Fridge Phonics® Set, also try Starfall for free.
   
   You can read about how the brain learns, dyslexia, and why sight words are harmful at The Phonics Page, and more information about phonics and dyslexia at Don Potter's Education Page and some free phonetic programs such as Blend Phonics that produce lasting reading achievement.



2. Sounds great....We loved it at first. Then my daughter decided (whom is 17 months) that she was to busy to look at flashcards. Soooo all my hard work is on the shelf for now.



3. The step by step instruction of this book is a proven thing that the method are really easy and it works.
   
   After just 2 months we notice significant development over her cousin who is 5 months old that never got any stimulation such as; able to focus on objects better, can track moving objects, hear better, and interact much better.
   
   This is the best investment for your child and give her a jump start in live so later on the child does not have to struggle so much later in live.
   
   Down side of this method;
   - Really consume your time seriously
   - Funding may becoming and issue since you are constantly out of material so fast.



4. Bought this book for my daughter to use with her son. It's a great reference book that she uses often.



5. I taught mt daughter to read 36 years ago, when she was 3 years old, using this book. It works. The author explains the biological reason why children generally cannot read, until they are older, and gives practical, detailed ways to overcome the physical limitaions preventing them from learing to read earlier. Thanks to early teaching, and exposure, my daughter still loves to read.

5 comments about Decorative Murals with Donna Dewberry.

1. Being a huge Donna Dewberry fan, I was not at all surprised when I opened this book. The pictures are fabulous and Donna's murals provide the reader with a plethora of ideas for many aspects of home decorating. Donna's books seem to have a magical quality about them making even the novice painter feel as though he/she could paint anything!

   However, after I was mesmorized by the artwork, I felt disappointed with the lack of directions for each project. All of the other Dewberry books give explicit instructions, worksheets and patterns, this one does not. After studying this book intensely, I was left with the feeling one gets while looking at an Art book, like " gosh, what a talented artist, I wish I could create like that." In otherwords, instead of inspiring me and building my confidence as her other books have done so consistently, I felt overwhelmed and unsure of my budding talent. I think I'll stick to her other books and just use this not for reference, but as an addition to my coffee table.




2. Donna Dewberry consistently produces fine detailed instructional books.........this book on murals is not much more than a "see what Donna did" book, the photographer did a brilliant job......... No patterns, no detail, I could care less what part of a house has these painted walls ,(content is divided by rooms). I bought the book to learn HOW she did it. Lot of pictures, beginners beware, you admire her, you wish to paint her technique, this book will tell you next to ZIP!



3. As a decorative artist I found this book somewhat revolting.Then again, I didn't know Donna Dewberry's work before.Well,she is great at the one stroke painting tecnique if that's what You like, You'll find some of that, but She can't draw at all.Wherever any basic drawing skills are required ,she just doesn't cut it.Her colors are in place though,and the book fills You in on the basics,here and there, but it's not detailed enough for a complete beginner, or would mislead him/her, and just useless for a pro.I keep it as a reference for clients, who like this folksy style,but I find it rather primitive.



4. Although this book was visually nice to look at I found it lacked in teaching me how to paint murals. I have stumbled across a great site that has free tutorials on it. I hope you find this helpful. The site is [...]



5. Had I not obtained a copy of this book for free, I never would have come to own a copy. I was going to toss it in the trash when we moved, but my children begged me to keep it for comic relief. I am a trained working artist and in my opinion, Ms. Dewberry needs some serious lessons in perspective, depth of field, tonal values, and drawing before she undertakes a book about mural painting. Even my kids could pick out numerous blunders. The cover shows a mural on an exquisite floating staircase in a bazillion dollar home....with edges slopped with paint because they were not even taped off. If I was the new owner of that house, even if I knew nothing about art, my first investment would be some wall paint and a roller.

2 comments about Construction Jobsite Management 2e.

1. It was the book I needed for class & it helped me get that A



2. This used book in like new condition. No markings and in great shape. Thank you for the prompt shipping as well.

5 comments about Great Wood Finishes: A Step-by-Step Guide to Beautiful Results.

1. the book is very good.Very detailed very easy to folow the steps.
   What more can you ask.I am very happy.



2. A must have for anyone that finishes wood. I refer to this every time I get ready to finish a project.



3. To begin, this book has really helped me achieve greater finishing results. One of my favorites is a technique for antiquing maple, which helped make a blanket chest turn out extra beautiful. The book has lots of photos and well-written instructions.
   
   In the past, I would rely on the paint rep in the local hardware store (or home center) for my finishing questions. While helpful, my experience is that they usually only know the basics. Anything else, and you're on your own. So for me, Mr. Jewitt became the next "guide". His advice has helped me reach a whole new level with finishing.
   
   If you haven't experimented around with using many finishes or tried many finishing techniques, this book just might be for you. He focuses primarily on beginning and intermediate levels. (Advanced woodworkers may find other books more helpful.)
   
   Now for the reason I'm not rating it a 5.
   
   The main beef I have with this book is that the page references in the index are almost all wrong. For instance, I was recently trying to find information on "Sealing Glazes", something I wanted to know for a coffee table project. The index referenced two pages, 229 and 333, both of which are pages in the index! I'm still not sure I ever found that section. This is just one example of the many page referencing problems.
   
   And here's where/why it gets annoying.
   
   My favorite section is the last, Section 10 Specialty Finishes. I go here all the time for ideas. It has great examples and techniques such as antiquing maple and cherry, two distressing methods, ebonizing, whitewashing, etc. These mini sections are written in "overviews" style, and so you need to have either read the entire book beforehand (and remembered it all) or, like me, thumb back to find out where he talks about glazes, or sealers, or dyes, or... In other words, I really need to rely on the index because I use this book as a reference. Unfortunately, as explained, the index lacks the finishing touches.
   
   I also wish the author had more examples in section 10, but the ones he includes are great.
   
   It's evident that Jeff Jewitt knows his stuff. Overall, a very helpful book to own.



4. Great guide for specific techniques, I used one of the recommended finishes for Cherry and couldn't be more pleased with the results. I never would have tried a dye stain under a glaze without this book.



5. I have only just scratched the surface (no pun intended) of the information in this book but it's been a great introduction to wood finishing. Before this book what I knew about wood finishing I had read off the cans of stain I had bought. This book did a great job of laying out all the different products available for finishing wood. Plus how to properly prepare the surface and which tools to use. Now when I go to the hardware store, I know what I need to buy for my intended result. This book gave me a big boost in confidence to try finishing techniques I wouldn't have considered before.

4 comments about Restoring a Home in Italy.

1. While this book may look more like a coffee table piece - and it could very well be - I read it cover to cover. The stories were very informative, telling of the beauty and the challenges of restoring one of these fine homes. After each of the functional sections there was a great write up on the details of the topic, such as; roofing, swimming pools, heating, etc. Naturally, you can tell I loved it and would recommend it to anyone interested in fine Italian home. I hope the author reads this and realized what a great job she did. ....



2. After our house burned in San Diego county, during the waiting time for the insurance company, the architect, the engineer, and the city approval, we purchansed MANY books on Tuscan design and architecture, as that is the style we want to emulate. Restoring a Home in Italy provided may examples that helped us though the selection process.



3. What a great book! The author Elizabeth Minchilli has done has superb job in creating this wonderful book. Although she's not Italian, she now lives in Italy after marrying an Italian architect. Her love and passion for Italy is obvious and the wealth of information that she has gathered is priceless to anyone thinking or planning to buy and/or restore a home in Italy. Her informative writing is beautifully coupled with fantastic photos from the well known photographer Simon McBride. The setting of some of these homes is spectacular! There are many books out there on Italy, but this is truly a must for any fan of Italy or old rural architecture. I highly recommend this book even if you don't have any intention in restoring a home in Italy.



4. Since we live in the southwest, but don't particularly want to decorate SWestern ..I like this book because it uses the same materials found here but in a different way... Wood, stone, tile..flagstone for the patios..
   They use simple uncluttered lines in their decor inside and out..
   There is a type of tranquility built in. Something we look for in this complicated world.

5 comments about Making Working Wooden Locks (Woodworker's Library (Fresno, Calif.).).

1. Cool book. Not exactly what I originally wanted but one I will keep around anyway.



2. I have only read thru the project list for the first of the 5 locks but I'm already itching to try my hand at constructing several of them. The instructions are very detailed and with full size drawings, the only difficulty will be finding the time to get started. Although the plan dimensions will generate seemingly large locks as compared with their metal counterparts, it should be of little difficulty to scale down the plans.
   
   One reviewer commented about how two of the locks are fairly similar and I would agree that a unique type of lock should have been included instead. Hence the 4 rating.
   
   Of special consideration is that the cover posted directly on the Amazon ad is not the accurate cover. However, if you "Look Inside" the book, the scanned cover is correct.
   
   The one thing that should be made clear is that this book does not function as a guide to locksmithing. The plans are clear for building the locks but provide little explanation in terms of how the mechanisms work so a bit of tinkering will be necessary if you want to venture away from his designs.
   
   Otherwise, I'm thrilled with the purchase!



3. This book is clearly written and illustrated with concise instructions from raw material to assembly. When completed these fully functioning locks are beautiful and very unique. I have completed four of the locks and they are quite the conversation piece. This book although easily understood by anyone is not designed for the novice woodworker. However a small compliment of tools, a good working knowledge of woodworking and a lot of patients turns out beautiful work. Thanks to Tim Detwiler and his unique application. Love it!



4. I was having difficulty finding something interesting for my dad for the holidays - he turns wooden bowls, ornaments, pens, and creates so many other things in his workshop, I thought he had pretty much everything when it came to guides and instructional books. Once he started reading through this book, he absolutely loved it, and couldn't wait to get started on some of the examples. The locks look great and actually do function as intended if you follow the steps. There's no guess-work involved, only adding your own creative spin. A must-have for wood-working enthusiasts.



5. This book is awesome. The details are very helpful and the patterns are very unique.

3 comments about Bob Harris' Guide to Stamped Concrete.

1. This is a MUST have book for anyone constructing with concrete. Great tips and instructions. For the beginner to the advanced. It is all here.



2. Given the pricepoint, there was too much filler, i.e. sample contractural agreements and the sort.
   
   I was really expecting more detail and revelation of 'trade secrets', given its speciality book classification. This will probably be the first book I return. The only upside are the photos, but you can find stamped concrete photos anywhere--- certainly for less than fifty bucks. Most of the text is a redundant overview of concrete basics!



3. There is no question the author/producer knows what he is doing But, was long on basic construction procedure, which I already knew but very short on the exact procedure of adding color, stains etc. Wish he had taken more time to help element the pitfalls of the stamping process, how to align, more on matching colors etc.
   But overall it did help me to begin my own learning process.
   Sincerely,
   Larry Thorpe

4 comments about The Family Handyman: Helpful Hints : Quick & Easy Solutions / Time-Saving Tips / Tricks of the Trade (Family Handyman).

1. I recieved my first Readers Digest Helpful Hints five years ago.

   I was so impressed, I got copies for my two sons and son-in-law.

   It is something I would not want to be without.

   It really does have helpful hints found nowhere else.

   I thank you for Readers Digest Helpful Hints.

   Sam Mallett




2. I'm on my fourth copy of this book. Mine tend to vanish like the morning dew juat as my neighbors begin their spring garage cleanup. . . My bro-in-law has one as well, but he insists that the fact that my name is written in indelible SHARPIE marker on the front is just a tribute to me and my helpful nature. . . This book has more helpful hints in introduction than most do in the first 5 chapters. And it just goes on and aon and on!

   With actual real life applications for stuff you'll find lying around your garage (from old buckets to wire to old useless hose), this book is a true boon for anyone looking to clean up their act (and their garage) and make the time they have to spend on projects less of a fight to just keep the cords straight!

   I highly recommend this book for anyone that knows they own at least 4 tape measures, but can't find one to save their lives!

   Well worth the cost, and as well constructed as the book is, it will last a lifetime!




3. When it comes to home repairs, I am all thumbs. I've had leaky faucets and toilets for years. Patching drywall, fixing locks, and replacing glass in windows used to require a call for professional help. Until I bought this book. It contains easy to follow, step by step directions with terrific pictures. I've saved hundreds of dollars since purchasing it. Simply terrific!



4. If you're AT ALL inclined to do your own work around the house, books of this type pay for themselves several times over. Just one repair you read about in this book and do yourself will pay for the entire cost of the purchase. Excellent investment, even for the novice. Instructions are clear and easy to follow.

No comments about The Black & Decker Build Your Own Custom Closet: Designing, Building & Installing Custom Closet Systems (Black & Decker).