No comments about Elementary Structures for Architects and Builders (5th Edition).

4 comments about How to Build with Bamboo.

1. Very disappointing when it comes to the projects; I found the designs crude and not at all anything I'd want to put on display. The author obviously loves his subject and offers some very good tips on working with bamboo, but the overall style is very dated looking on most.



2. This book was a serious disappointment. Definitely search elsewhere if you want to build with bamboo.



3. I bought this item for my mother-in-law who is interested in making small furniture and decor from bamboo. She states that the book is helpful and has easy to understand directions and diagrams to guide the user through the process.



4. Nice photos and clear dirctions. Several projects will be on my to-do list. Nothing earth shattering but nice hobby-man projects

5 comments about Designer Birdhouses: 20 Upscale Homes for Sophisticated Birds.

1. Great for grandparents to make a special project with grandchildren. You can premeasure & cut as needed depending on their age and ability. The houses are made with common materials which makes them very do-able. The designs and colors are fantastic. Inspirational for all!



2. I recieved this book as a christmas present and I love it. It's really easy to follow, the pictures and diagrams are wonderful. My favorite birdhouse is the Board and Batton Shingle house. I recommend this book if you enjoy interesting and stylish birdhouses.



3. I can't believe this book didn't come up as one of the first when I was looking for birdhouse building ideas. If you like contemporary innovative designs this is the book for you. The designer is an architect and it shows in the original designs. Colorful photos and detailed instructions. I highly recommend.



4. The adjective that leaped to mind when I firsst read Designer Birdhouses by Richard T. Banks was: impressive. This book is a visual phenomenon...with instuctions. Whether one is a master carpenter unequalled or a would-be carpenter challenged by a hammer and nail, Designer Birdhouses is unrivaled in its beautiful illustrations, ease of understanding as well as clarity of instructions. In a brief perusal of the book, it becomes readily apparent that Banks executed a brilliant accomplishment in his ability to tie together the relationship between birds and their nesting habits. This relationship is imbedded in the many birdhouse designs.
   Banks is a professional architect, author and artist. There is some evidence in the pages of Designer Birdhouses that he has accepted Southern culture, language and some of the humor, e.g. in the design element called "Baffles" he wrote "it's from below that you need to thwart those clinbing critters." For the unfamiliar, "climbing critters" may be squirrels, possums or cats. Later on, in forgiving the would-be carpenter's faulty transgressions he wrote "birds are creatures of he wild...they don't go about measuring holes or potential nesting boxes. So, Mr. spprentice, stop worrying about your mistakes.
   Designer Birdhouses covers all aspects of design, building and placement of the completed birdhouse. Note the clever idea of starting many of the designs with a "basic box". this concept would show the apprentice carpenter that he has the ability to recognize and build a "basic box" then move forward with various design embellishments. To assist the apprentice carpenter even further, Banks asks the question, "What makes a good birdhouse?" He answers that question in simple relevant terms. Wow! What more can one ask for in a specialty book such as Designer Birdhouses.
   Designer Birdhouses sets a new standard and ranks in the summa cum laude category. It would make a wonderful gift for bird enthusiasts as well as do-it-yourselfers and other hobbyists.



5. As of date, built the cedar lattice & pine bracket birdhouse illustrated on the cover. I enjoy working with cedar, using cheap cedar fencing which I put through a planner bringing out a smooth nice wood grain finish. A coat of Tung Oil further brings out the wood grain and seals the wood.
   Electric tools I used were bandsaw, drill press, 12" planner and belt sander.
   The instructions are easy to follow. All 20 birdhouses are of unique design and easy to make. I will probably make most of these just to add variety and color to my yard.

5 comments about Potty Training for Dummies.

1. This book is great. My daughter trained her son in a week with the suggestions from this book.



2. This is the 3rd book we've read on the subject, and this is my favorite. I really appreciated the examples of how to respond to my child so that she would be encouraged and not pressured. It also helped me be less frustrated by accidents. The positiveness and enthusiasm is working really well for my daughter. After 1 month of potty training with other books she still didn't tell me when she wanted me to take her to the potty. After 2 days of this book, she told me she wanted me to take her to the potty. Hurray!



3. Loaned this to a friend and have never seen it again! I liked it for the basic ideas. If nothing else, it confirmed that my thoughts were correct.



4. I bought this for my daughter and son-in-law. They have twins, so this should help. She really likes this book. With twins time will tell, but I think she's really learned a lot already.



5. This book has a lot of super information in it, but what it lacks is organization. I kept thinking "but didn't I already read that?" because it repeats the information in several different ways and places. I would have rather had the book keep every thought, issue and subject distinguishable and not so cross-referenced. It made it difficult to look up an exact issue I was dealing with, and I would lose track of where I was. We have been working on potty training with our 2 1/2 year old for two months now, and I am now looking for a more substantial book. The one thing I have learned is PATIENCE.

5 comments about Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature.

1. This book is stunningly beautiful! I want to move right into the rooms, homes, and gardens featured in this book. The photographs alone would make this book worth owning. But on top of the great beauty, the book is filled with helpful information on how to improve our homes so we can feel more grounded, serene, and joyful. I have used some feng shui techniques in the past, which is why I was interested in this title. I made a few changes recommended in the book and have experienced an enhanced feeling of well being. The biggest change has been in our bedroom. My husband, who has historically been a poor sleeper, and I changed the direction of our bed. He is now sleeping much better and sometimes even sleeps through the night, rather than waking up 3 or 4 times as he used to. I also moved the extra books out of our bedside table, which makes the bedroom feel more peaceful even though the books could not be seen where they were. Next, I plan to investigate "yantras," which the author recommends for making our homes more sacred and correcting problems that we cannot correct because of the limitations of our homes or budgets. In summary, I highly recommend this book and recommend that you use some of the Vatsu principles. You will definitely feel the benefits!



2. This is a well written book that offers the lay person a great deal of knowledge about Vastu. It is concise and easy to understand and provides tools to create a more harmonious home. Sherri Silverman did a superb job!!!



3. Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature is an exquisite work of art from the front cover to the very end. Extremely informative in conveying ancient knowledge, yet easy to read and understand. A "must have" for those of us seeking to create beauty, balance, and harmony in our everyday life and surroundings.



4. Sherri Silverman's VASTU book is not only erudite but also practical - and absolutely gorgeous.



5. Finally, I had purchased a few Vastu books to enhance our home as well as to plan designs for a new home in the future. This book answers all the questions in a sensible, practical and logical format.
   There are many resources as well. The photos are beautiful and it seems to put it all together.
   Highly recommended.

5 comments about The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries.

1. 
   The author Mark Lehner has written or contributed to a number of historical books, several of them on Egyptian history and this I think is the best of them all. The pyramids were one of the seven wonders of the world and still are one of the world's wonders, although far removed from the glorious sight that they must have been in ancient times.
   
   It is probably true to say that more has been written about the pyramids than any other man made structure on earth and that includes the Great Wall of China and our own Stonehenge. Much of what has been written about the pyramids has been conjecture and to put it kindly stretching the truth to make a good story. The author himself is no stranger to putting forward theories of his own regarding the pyramids and it is up to the reader's how much credence they place in these and other theories. What we do know is that the pyramids were built to precise measurements, so accurate in fact that even today with all the modern building equipment at our disposal we would struggle to emulate the ancient builders. They were also aligned in a particular direction and calculations of where exactly the stars appeared in the Egyptian night sky at the time of their construction, could suggest that at least one of their uses was astronomical
   
   This book quite rightly concentrates on the main Egyptian pyramids and the sphinx and covers all the latest data formulated by today's archaeologists and scientists. This includes how the pyramids were thought to have been built, a Herculean task in itself. Also there are exciting computer generated images of the inside of the pyramids, in fact just about every question you could ask is answered for you in this superb book, even down to a guide for visiting the pyramids themselves.



2. A well written and well documented information on the pyramids. It does not cover ALL of the pyramids in Egypt, but does cover many less-visited ones also. A great reference work and printed on glossy paper that holds small details in photographs well. Many black & white photos along with some color photos.
   Has well thought out diagrams of each pyramid and cutaways of important areas along with surrounding temple plans.
   A MUST for your reference library!



3. I think this is a very fine book. Mark Lehner is an excellent Egyptologist and is well renown in his field. The book explains a lot about how the pyramids were built and debunking some old myths.
   
   Excellent!



4. Good value for the money. A quality product with good text and very good color values on the photos and graphics. A nice addition to my ref. collection.



5. This book is everything it is advertised to be. Gives so much information and was delivered in just 4 days.

5 comments about Shelters, Shacks & Shanties: And How to Build Them.

1. This book is geared towards building structures that were used by outdoorsmen from years past. It covers how to make a bed from natural materials, a log cabin, Native American log house, and how to work an axe just to name a few topics covered in this book. The drawings of the dwellings in the book are simple (but not in depth plans or charts). The author does a great job of explaining how to construct these devices, but as I said a drawn picture is all your going to get if your a visual learner. Over all the book does what it says it will do, gives the reader good information, and I personally wouldn't be caught dead without it if I was trapped in the middle of nowhere by myself.



2. I know that most people will find this book to be anything but "green" however, I found this concept to be perfect in a world that sometimes forgets what it is like to be young at heart. Some of the shelters are not safe and one should always supervise young children who if left alone will build forts and such, yet there is a certain allure about thinking you are back in time and surviving on your own wits. Great ideas for survival campouts or if you like getting out "there" and just might once or twice get too far out "there" and find yourself in the need of an overnight shelter. Loved the book and will use or adapt many of the detailed plans.



3. This book is great! I would recommend this to anyone 12+, because the shelters are quite hard to build. It is excellent for boy scouts. I got this for Christmas and in my troop were starting on plans already! Great for any wilderness lover and I recommend all the related books!
   1/16/08



4. This book is great! I would recommend this to anyone 12+, because the shelters are quite hard to build. It is excellent for boy scouts. I got this for Christmas and in my troop were starting on plans already! Great for any wilderness lover and I recommend all the related books!
   1/16/08



5. I was looking for ideas on simple structures for the homestead. The book is a bit dated, but you have to go back to find simple, uncomplicated ideas. We have grown so accustomed to specialized fasteners, tools and other hardware. Building a simple shed can be expensive when you have to buy materials. We have an abundance of raw materials and this book provided some ideas towards cost effective structures.

1 comments about At Home by the Sea: Houses Designed for Living at the Water's Edge.

1. Home built by the water are as popular today as they were throughout the whole of recorded human history. Superbly enhanced by two hundred color photographs taken by Brian Vanden Brink, "At Home By The Sea: Houses Designed For Living At The Water's Edge" has architect Bruce Snider taking the reader on a spectacular tour of twenty sea-side homes from Canada's Bay of Fundy, to the tropical splendor of St. Barthelemy, to such landmark sites as South Carolina's Hilton Head, Massachusetts' Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard, to California's Belvedere and Carmel, to several stunningly beautiful locations in Maine. Floor plans and site planes for most of these showcased homes are provided, as well as seaside vista views, home interiors, decks, porches. Windows, mirrors, building materials and decorative items are set within the context of interior designs. A beautiful book for browsing, "At Home By The Sea" is replete with inspirations and examples for those seeking ideas for their own projects and a welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.

5 comments about Room and Furniture Layout Kit.

1. We found the book to be a good tool, but limited in its use. Many of the pieces we have didn't fit those provided, so we had to improvise (you punch our standard funriture pieces for placement on a grid of your room). Also, the paper isn't a standard graph paper, so it's limited (unless you want to copy it)... other than that it was a good tool...



2. Unfortunately, the pieces in this book are not to the scale of our blueprints. They should be 1/4" = 1 ft. however they are 1/2" = 1 ft. It is not specified in the ordering information on this item.



3. I wasn't as pleased with this item as I thought I would be. It was purchased to use for our homeschooled 16 year old. At the time of this purchase, we also purchased "Home Quick Planner", which was the real find for us. I purchased this with the intention of using it as a supplement to the "Home Quick Planner" after seeing it listed on Amazon as a "goes together" type of item. Unfortunately, the "Home Quick Planner" was scaled to 1/2"=1', and this item was scaled at 1/4"=1', so they really aren't good together.
   
   I was also wondering why they have the subtitle "From Stencils and Notepaper to Flowers and Napkin Folding", since that was not in MY edition, and my edition looks just like the picture in the Amazon ad.
   
   Also, the "Home Quick Planner" has detailed "window cling-type" stickers that you can take off and put back on easily, which is nicer than these cardstock punch-outs, which are very plain. I would suggest that you "look inside", on the Amazon listing, which I didn't do since I impulsively purchased it when Amazon listed it as a "goes together" item. After viewing the "look inside", you may decide that this is just what you want, and the price is very low. It may be nice for somebody who wants to invest a small amount of money to try their abilities at layouts. You may be very happy with it.



4. I love this book and I have used it over and over for years. Who cares if it doesn't match blueprints? Simply measure your room and do the math. I don't have blueprints to try and match - I'm just a woman trying to redo rooms in a house. There are 215 punch out pieces of furniture and if they don't fit your EXACT sofa you can cut them down to size.
   
   I am a perfectionist and need everything to be measured exact. I do not cut corners and I have used this book for at least 5 complete room makeovers. It has been invaluable and many furniture pieces were NOT purchased because I knew they wouldn't fit in the room - all thanks to this really inexpensive layout kit. $5? It's worth the investment many times over.



5. I love this product. It does exactly what I wanted it to do. As always, products from Amazon arrived quickly.

2 comments about Book Smart.

1. This book is the real thing. The author's choices are solidly based and could well form the basis of fourteen to twenty-one year old students' literary education. But two other factors are very much present in this book and provide its true worth--Mallison clearly loves literature and she writes about her choices with remarkable brevity and wit. I do not remember such a graceful combination present in the myriad of Great Books and Great Literature guides published over the past forty years. Much needed and highly recommended.



2. Not reading the books that have endured in their reputation as literary gems for generation after generation of readers is akin to starving in the midst of an orchard of ripe, pluckable fruit. Jane Mallison is a self-acknowledged passionate and life-long reader of books. She was head of the New York Trinity School English Department from 1982 to 2004 and therefore employs a very special experience-based expertise in "Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List For Becoming A Literary Genius In 365 Days". This is a literary guide to be employed every day of a single year, at the end of which the reader will benefit from a month-by-month plan involving 120 of the most compelling books of our universal literary heritage. Presented on a January through December calendar, the suggested titles are organized thematically, ranging from titles that are 'Towering Works to Read in Translation' from Beowulf to The Aeneid; to 'Some Notable Biographies' from Flaubert's Parrot to "The Life and Times of Cotton Mather; to 'Winners of Major Awards' from Herzog to All the King's Men. The authors of these 120 recommended literary works range from Charlotte Bronte, Sophocles, Thomas Hardy, and Benjamin Franklin, to Joseph Conrad, Evelyn Waugh, James Thurber, and Voltaire. Each title is presented with a succinct description that includes historical notes, highlights on key themes and characters. Of special note is the cogent advice on how to approach reading. Ideal as a curriculum guide for highschool and college level English Literature curriculums, "Book Smart" is especially recommended for individual readers wishing to acquire a basic literary literacy. Especially since every single recommended title can be acquired for reading through a local public library, either directly or through their community library's free InterLibrary Loan System.