5 comments about Arts & Crafts Home Plans: Showcasing 85 Home Plans in the Craftsman, Prairie and Bungalow Styles.

1. I just have a big warning for anyone thinking of buying this book: it is a catalogue for blueprints that you can buy from the Hanley Wood Company. For some reason Hanley Wood calls their catalogues "books." Their choice, I guess.
   
   I will get to what this catalogue is in a minute. What is important is what it is not. It is not a book about the Arts and Crafts movement. It is not a book of photographs of Arts & Crafts homes since almost all of the pictures are architects' renditions of what the finished houses might look like, not actual photos of what they do look like. It is not a book about Arts and Crafts interiors, which is what I thought it was. When I read about getting 85 "home plans," I was so excited to think that I would be getting 85 ideas for room paint jobs, furniture and fixture ideas, etc. None of that. There's just a handful of photographs of interiors and no real attention paid to that side of it: the dominant imagery is of what the building might look like on the street (curb appeal).
   
   There are a lot of other books about the Arts & Crafts movement that can give you ideas for decorating or redoing an existing home. This just is not one of them. I'm now taking a look at "Living the Arts & Crafts Style: A Home Decorating Workbook."
   
   If you are planning on hiring a bunch of carpenters to build you a house in the Arts and Crafts style, I would buy this book for sure, even though a lot of the plans are not very original Arts & Crafts looking. They have a lot of 2000s details like "great rooms" and three car garages, and some of them look like McMansions with some Arts & Crafts features added in. A lot of them though are original looking and rather nice. You just might find your dream house and won't have to hire an architect. Even if you are planning on hiring an architect, I would buy this little catalogue anyway just to keep him or her honest!



2. This book is a catalog of home plans. Operative words: "home" and "plans". Plans with which you can build a home. The other reviewer missed that somehow.
   
   If you want a book of painting tips and decorating suggestions, don't buy this book. This is a catalog of plans for a future home that you might be considering to build.
   
   Just wanted to clear that up a little. Thanks.



3. I really wish that however disappointed Kathleen might have been with what she GOT vs. what she thought she was getting, she would have rated it based on what it was, not what she wanted it to be. It sounds like she thinks it's an OK book of plans, but she only gave it one star. I can only assume that's because it's not a decorating book. That's a little like going to see Citizen Kane and calling it a crappy movie because there weren't any good battle scenes or car chases.
   So... even though I haven't read it, I'm giving this 5 stars just to counterbalance Kathleen because it would be a shame if someone looking for a book of plans didn't check this out because of an artifically low rating.



4. The book is plainly marked "House Plans." That's exactly what you get: plans to build a house. Not to decorate nor historically analyze it, but to build. To rate it low because she wanted it to be something it's *clearly* marked that it's NOT is unfair.
   
   Good stuff working looking at.



5. First off, kudos to the authors for getting the facts right regarding Sears and Aladdin kit homes of the early 1900s. I was so pleased to see the honorable mention of these companies and accurate factual info that I nearly swooned from pure joy. I truly appreciate their giving the kit home companies of the 20s and 30s their due.
   
   As to the designs of the houses pictured in this book, I was pretty impressed with that, as well. Those are some good-looking homes. As to the other reviewer's comment that the houses had big garages and great rooms, the fact is, old-house purists buy old houses and spend 43 years restoring them to their original condition, replete with monitor-top refrigerators and old gas stoves with pilot lights and porcelain tear-drop handles.
   
   The rest of the house-buying public may want something with an exterior look that gives them warm-fuzzy memories of Grandma's house, but with innards that are much more modern (and easy to manage and maintain). The plans offered in this book meet that criteria.
   
   Having spent much of my life in old homes and a small time in a new home, I can see the advantages of a newer home. There is something to be said for being able to pay a utility bill without taking out a second mortgage.
   
   The houses pictured in this book had a nice look. I don't think they'd ever be mistaken for OLD houses, but I was surprisingly impressed with their attention to detail. And the floorplans are spacious, practical and appealing to people who like 21st Century homes.
   
   Rose

5 comments about Smart Love.

1. I am a clinical psychologist with expertise in developmental psychology. I have been impressed with the Piepers' work, both Smart Love and Addicted to Unhappiness, because it is the only approach to child development and self-help that actually draws from current empirical research. For example, Regina Sullivan's work showing that rat pups learn to love odors that are paired with electric shocks supports the Piepers' argument that we are all born to love the care we get. Meltzoff's work on imitation in newborns as well as the cutting edge research on "Motor Neurons" supports the Piepers' discovery that all babies learn to treat themselves as they are treated, which is why conventional discipline is harmful. There is an enormous amount of research showing that babies (and other primates) who are treated with consistent kindness are less vulnerable to stress and better learners. I could go on and on if space alllowed to illustrate that current thinking in child development solidly supports the Piepers' work. In addition, they make clear that they base their work on their own clinical work, which is also both scientific and widely published. The assertion that the Piepers' work is not empirically based is either motivated by ill-will or is very ill-infomred. Take a look yourself to see how well-reasoned their arguments are.



2. This is the first parenting book I have read (and I read them by the bushel-full) that offers a coherent, scientifically based view of childhood and the parenting relationship and then develops practical, doable parenting strategies based on the findings. Most parenting advice is so ad hoc that contradictions abound. The Piepers have an empirically based view of the unique nature of the baby's mind and how parents need to respond in ways that account for that immaturity. The same holds true of children all the way through adolescence. Take a look - you will see how different and truly helpful this book is!



3. Excellent book. How refreshing to hear, from profesionals, what we all know in our hearts but struggle to trust in a society that values punishment and feeds its economy by exploiting human suffering rather than creating solutions to it.Smart Love is the theory I've been waiting for. Congratulations to the authors for getting it out. When it arrived I coudln't put it down untill I'd finnished it. Now I'm reading it again with my partner and already it's making a difference to our daughter who has struggled with anxiety and insecurity. Smart Love points out our mistakes without giving us a hard time for them. Highly recomended.



4. I live in Chicago, where the Pfeiffers have written a column for the local parenting magazine for years. Their comments made such sense to me that I was eager to read their book....and I'm glad I did. My only quibble with this book and this approach is that there is a lot of psychoanalytic discussion which may not always 'reach" the non mental health professional.
   
   I'm in business and I've managed teams. A lot of "Smart Love" to me seems like good management:
   
   . Good managers know that you have happier teams when you focus on the positive..that for every criticsm, there should be 5 positive comments.
   
   . Good managers know that responding to people is the way to foster the best communication with them. A good manager, e.g., would never put an employee in isolation ("time out") for bad behavior. A good manager would look for ways to increase the chances of that employee's success, nurture that person's strengths, offer support and praise.
   
   For those of us who grew up and were managed through fear and punishment, this may be radical. But having been managed by "Tough Love" types and being managed by Good Communicators/Positive Supporters...I know that my work just flowed for the Communicators, and I did everything grudgingly for the Tough Love types.
   
   Incidentally, the Pfeiffers have a Parenting Center (I have no affiliation), which offers hourly by phone parent coaching. They also have a very helpful website. For information on both please see: http://www.smartloveparent.org



5. I read this book a few days ago and I loved it. It's awesome. I rarely agree so much with a way of rearing children. Though I'm not a parent I could take a lot of useful information from there, both regarding my own childhood, my future parenting skills when I need them, and the way how we should relate to each other.
   Smart Love focuses on rearing children based on the principles that children are individuals whose minds are still developing, but who we should with respect nonetheless.It's not permissiveness in the way that this methods don't advocate we should let children do everything that they want, like put their lifes at risc, etc. And it's totally aggainst punishments in the way they won't make children grow as happy adults, that it will only correct their behavior but that it will cause unhappiness in the future. This and much more on the book.
   I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Building Small Barns, Sheds & Shelters.

1. If you are a "do it your selfer" you need this book. In my opinion, the title is no accurate. This book contains much more than just info on how to build small buildings. It includes how to build a good fence, how to build a smoke house, how to wire a two way switch, ect. It contains everything that is not common knowledge to the common man, and it has lots of pictures. If you live on the farm and do most things yourself, this book is a required tool.



2. From permits to the finish coat of paint, this book will guide you through your building process. Burch describes the advantages of different framing methods, roof styles and materials and backs his text with useful reference tables and concise construction details. The book presents plans for five small barns, two two-stall stables, a root and storm cellar, a carport, a tool shed, a woodshed, a smokehouse and shelters for hens, pigs and rabbits.



3. This is not a bad book, but about half is on basic building skills which anyone who is going to build a sizable strucuture ought to have acquired first. You can get that from a Time Life or Readers Digest 'Home improvement' book on basic carpentry skills. Very general instructions without a lot of detail- for example, window fininshing details, roof details- you have to figure out the details yourself, and everyone knows that is where the devil is! And when the chapter on electrical wiring starts out by reccomending that you shouldn't do it yourself, well... it's just a sign of too many lawyers in the USA.
   The sections on barns and other strucuture are interesting, with lots of ideas that one can adapt to your specific needs. Most are reworked from USDA Cooperative extension plans- which you can view a huge number for free from Univ of North Dakota at this link-
   http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/index.htm
   Since I found this website, my opinion of the book has gone down a lot, since so much is not original material.
   The other challenge I would have is on pole frame constuction- all his plans show huge concerte footings 16-24" dia 8-12" thick under poles for his buildings. Digging/drilling and pouring these negates the advanage in work/cost saving of pole frame building. In the area where I live, poles are commonly set in our heavy clay with a little cement or just well tamped soil around them. I understand the concern about bearing ability, and I'm not an engineer, but these poles function as pilings- they hold up the load not just from their bottom surface area, but also from the friction of the post in the ground. Any professional can correct me if they feel otherwise.
   
   All in all, it is an interesting book but he could omit the first half and flesh out the rest.



4. I was under the impression that it had COMPLETE plans It shows you bits and pieces of the constrution .
   The book itself (for being used was in ex condition almost new condition).all in all it was worth the 8.00 bucks



5. I bought this book for my Dad when he wanted to build a new lean-to for his tractor. He read it cover to cover and then used it many times for a manual. A very well spent investment that paid out many times over.

5 comments about Creating Beautiful Boxes With Inlay Techniques.

1. A woodworker with little experience with inlay technique often thinks these beautiful projects are beyond their capabilities. This book takes the mystery out of inlay design with its copious photos and descriptions of work in progress. As a modestly experienced woodworker, I found the projects somewhat challenging, while the end result was truely magnificent. The book is a course in appreciating wood for its natural beauty. The boxes are relatively plain, however the projects represent nature's most beautiful art form. A definite must for any wood library.



2. I bought this book hoping to cull some ideas for an idea I have for a box with inlay. However, this book is just straight ahead projects. The book does cover other things, like hand made dove tail joints, and making wood inlay - but they weren't as in-depth as I was hoping. If you have a shop full of various power tools and chisels and saws, etc - this book is for you. If you're looking for ideas on box designs/construction, and have a limited set of tools - I wouldn't recommend this one.



3. The book has some really interesting ideas for boxes. It is definitely worth getting for that reason alone.
   
   This is not a good book for an inexperienced woodworker. Many of the router table techniques shown are incredibly dangerous---I can't believe the author has gotten away with doing things the way he does without losing a few fingers along the way. I shudder to think what might happen to a new woodworker who tries these techniques.
   
   The projects described are somewhat incomplete and quirky. One project, for example, has panel doors---the cutting list contains dimensions for the rails and stiles of the doors, but not the panels. Not a problem for me, since I normally use these things as a source of ideas/inspirations for projects of my own design. But for someone who is looking for a step-by step project guide, this will prove disappointing. As another example, one project mentions using "brainerd hinges"--not a knife hinge, a slot hinge, a quadrant hinge, etc, but a "brainerd hinge". But the author neither shows the hinges in any of the illustrations nor explains them in the text. I was quite puzzled as to just what exactly a "Brainerd Hinge" might be and asked several woodworking buddies. Nobody had any idea. Finally, out of desperation, I "googled" the term "brainerd hinge" and found out that there is a "Brainerd" company that makes hinges. Apparently the author meant a simple butt hinge made by the Brainerd company. The book is full of these quirks and one can either be frustrated at them or view them as part of the book's charm.
   
   One final comment---many of the boxes appealed to my design sense, but some others seemed rather clunky in their proportions. But that's easy enough to change on your own. I say this to stress that the strength of the book is in providing a number of interesting design/construction ideas that can be adapted in many different ways.



4. The Inlay book is an invaluable resource for beginning woodworkers. Very informative and well written. The author demonstrates methods for using pre-made inlays, as well as providing instructions for making your own inlays. I highly recommend the book. I have all of Doug Stowe's books on box making and enjoy them all.



5. Good tips and beautiful boxes. The directions are sufficient to be able to make the boxes in the book.

3 comments about Daily Candy A to Z: An Insider's Guide to the Sweet Life.

1. i absolutely love this book...quirky cute topics...gives you advice on daily things from money to being a good date or hotess...if you love their e-mails than you'll def want to buy this book...i can def see myself using this book as a reference in the future :)



2. I think this book is a must-have for all women! It is full of useful insight, funny anecdotes and real-life know-how...



3. Loved being able to dip into this book at any time and read a little more. It takes all my favourite things about Daily Candy and crams them into one book!.

5 comments about Kayaks You Can Build: An Illustrated Guide to Plywood Construction.

1. Kayaking has become the latest popular fad, with many discovering them easier to transport than canoes, and lower-impact than motorboats: for those avid kayakers who would customize their own design, her comes Kayaks You Can Build: An Illustrated Guide To Plywood Construction, an illustrated guide to plywood- constructed kayaks. You don't have to start from scratch: kits are widely available, and KAYAKS YOU CAN BUILD assumes one of these kits is the starting point, providing the authors' expertise as kayak builders and boatbuilding instructors as it follows the process.



2. There are so many tips and good ideas in this book. It is definetly worth it, Starting with building the ideal workbench, the ideas for using the templates to hold in the sides to fiberglass it as one piece instead of cutting it up to fit inbetween the bulkheads. Lots of nice color pictures, beautiful presentation. I'd definely recommend this book.



3. Great book. Invaluable tips. Great color pictures really help you understand things you might not get from just reading your instruction manual. If you have this book, you don't really need any others, as there is little in the rest of them that isn't in here. And this one is easier to read, and has useful full color pictures.



4. The title of this book implies that you will know how to build a plywood kayak after reading it. However; it only tells you how to proceed after buying a prefabricated kit from one of three suppliers. (One of which was founded by one of the authors)
   Nowhere does it give you the dimensions you need to start from scratch and build your own. If you have lots of money and don't mind buying a kit, this book is an excellent reference. But for builders on a budget like myself, I don't recommend buying this book.



5. I wish I had had this book the first time I built a stitch-and-glue boat. Loads of really good advice and neat tricks. I'm often approached by people after they've seem my boats asking me for advice. This is now the book I'll recommend first to someone who wants to build a kit. As another reviewer noted, this book is really for someone who plans to build from a kit, not from scratch. If its your first time building, I recommend you follow the author's advice and go with a kit - building from scratch, while exciting, is tough the first time around (unless, perhaps, you're a experienced woodworker). I've seen too many scratch built boats that ended up costing about the same as a quality kit - and looked like crap to boot.

5 comments about Remodel This! A Woman's Guide to Planning and Surviving the Madness of a Home Renovation.

1. What a surprise this woman's guide turns out to be! It is not only entertaining, but is also chock full of hard-core legal, financial, relationship and practical advice and gets down to the nitty-gritty for anyone contemplating a remodeling of a house or apartment. There are neat reminders-and tips-for just about everything, from how to size up a contractor, to keeping your 'cool', as well as a helpful glossary and compilation of sources.This woman's guide is not only a solid reference book, but at the same time a humorous read by two thorough, common-sense women.



2. As a contractor with 23 years of experience, I think this guide hits the proverbial nail on the head. I am always interested in understanding what my clients are most concerned about so I can address their needs. It is also helpful to have a client with reasonable expectations. This book provides a fair and unbiased assessment of many common misconceptions and provides guidelines for a good relationship between client and contractor. This is an essential first step for anyone contemplating even a small remodeling project.



3. As an entertainment industry business manager who oversees many remodelling projects every year, I appreciated the way this book conveyed so much incredibly useful information in such an easily understood, humorous way. I am planning to make this book required reading for my entire staff and for every client, female or male, who is planning to remodel their home.
   
   Harley J. Neuman, CPA



4. Anyone who has remodeled knows how it turns your life upside-down, and this book is the knight in shining armor that will save your life. This book had everything I needed in a totally readable - and totally hilarious - format. I'm buying copies for all my friends. Don't risk a remodeling project without it!



5. What a lifesaver! I have been living through going through a major renovation over the past few months and have been consulting Remodel This! literally on a daily basis. Contains detailed information which I've found helpful with each and every decision involved in the renovation process. A must-have if you are even considering a remodelling project.

4 comments about The New American Swimming Pool: Innovations in Design and Construction: 40 Case Studies (New American).

1. Not just great photos and ideas. This book give details on all the pools, including geographical location, size, depth, color of plaster, type of coping and decking/terrace, etc. Although there are a lot of great books out with wonderful pictures, this one doesn't have all tropical pools, which is nice for those of us who don't have a jungle of palms! Very nice designs for those who live in temperate climates or with more traditional yards/homes. Best pool book yet.



2. ...there is absolutely nothing on construction. It's a coffee table book at best!



3. This is a great pool book if you're contemplating building a classy pool with beautiful landscaping.



4. I think the book's inside cover is close to correct...
   
   "Lavishly prodiced, The New American Swimming Pool is an invaluable and practical refernce book [Pool Owner - maybe not practical]. It is a fresh, important source of inspiration for architecture and landscape architecture enthusiasts, homeowners, architects, landscape architects, landscape designers, and pool contractors."
   
   [...]

2 comments about A Contented House with Twins.

1. This is a great book for parents of multiples that need help getting their children on a schedule. They have actual schedules that you can use or modify for your children. It really helped me in the beginning.



2. I think this book is far fetched!!! I think her schedule does not work with two babies!!! She gives no feedback on what to do when it does not work. I tried to do her ideas on feeding and noting worked!! She also tells you babies cry for typical reasons and that's not true. What about a baby who wants to stay up after a night time feed and cries for an hour. No feedback in this book to help you.To top it all off if you go on her web site it cost money to join. I would not recommend this book to a parent of twins...Having two babies is a challenge. This book make it seem like if you swaddle, keep them in a dark room, follow my not so helpful feeding schedule your babies will do great. Better yet pay 50 dollars to join my web site.

5 comments about Woodturning: A Foundation Course (New Edition).

1. Perhaps I simply don't understand the material, but I find some of the information in the book to be conflicting. For example, Chapter 4 "On Sharpening" pictures a parting tool on page 35 that is described as "unsuitable" due to the fact that its bevel is far too acute. Then, in suggesting sharpening equipment, the author writes "My grinder is equipped with two 7in-diameter ... wheels ...". I have never been able to grind an edge on a parting tool, except perhaps for miniature tools, that does not develop an accute bevel using a wheel with a diameter as small as 7 inches. I built the sharpening jig described in the book and find it to be a very useful tool.



2. I enjoyed reading "Woodturning: A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley, especially his concern for the forest. I also appreciated his emphasis on safety. His illustrations could be a bit clearer, and if he used captions by each tool instead of simply a list below the picture it would be helpful. Sometimes the differences in terminology between British English and American English is a little hard to follow.
   
   I found Taunton's Complete Ilustrated Guide to Turning by Richard Raffan to be a bit more useful. Both books would be a good edition to a beginning woodturners library.



3. This book is what it was advertised to be. I am taking a woodturning course and the book was recommended by the instructor.



4. Enough said
   I've been turning for a few years now, and still review this book to remind myself things I should be doing



5. This book is GREAT. I have been turning wood (between center) items since 2003 and from time to time, I had difficulties with techniques and tools. I stated out turning pens and I now turn game calls. I wish had found this book sooner I could have saved myself much time and effort. The most valuable item of interest in this book is the six laws of turning. This is a must read for any level of wood turner.