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.

No comments about California Design: The Legacy of West Coast Craft and Style.

3 comments about Audel Questions and Answers for Electrician's Examinations.

1. This book is very informative on a wide variety of subjects in the Electrical Trade.It has helped me in the preparation of numerous exams and interviews.The drawings are well detailed.



2. I am currently in school to advance my knowledge in the electrical field and this book has been an asset.



3. Perfect for journeyman test prep, and excellent for multi-craft exams. A companion to the NEC and Tom Henry books.

5 comments about Richard Raffan's Turning Guide: Turning Wood, Turning Boxes, and Turning Bowls (Three Books, Boxed Set).

1. A great set of books for the beginner or the experienced turner. These are clear, practical and easy to follow guides.



2. I am new to wood turning of bowls and found these books very useful in guiding me through the necessary steps.



3. "FANTASTIC" !!!!!!! Great for beginer and experienced woodworker. Covers everthing you have to know or would want to know.



4. The three volume work is well done and was written by one who knows his subject. He approaches each topic with an organized process and was easy to follow,even for a beginner, which I am. I have just finished the first two volumes with one to go. I like the way he works in his cautions about turning ,with humor and not preaching. I know I'll re read sections a second and third time as the need arises. The work is complete and much more than I expected. Happy I made the purchase.



5. These books provide a very thorough and well-written guide to turning just about anything. They include detailed examples, and wonderfully clear color photographs and illustrations. If you are looking for some help buying a lathe, choosing tools, sharpening, selecting wood blanks, making and practicing cuts - this is the boxette for you. If you are a more experienced turner looking for some advanced techniques, design elements, marketing ideas - this is the boxette for you.Here is the deal: you don't know me from Adam, and never will. Furthermore, you have no evidence of my woodturning book critic qualifications. But if you are looking for a complete guide to woodturning you should get this set of books. Enjoy!

5 comments about Home Wine Cellar.

1. Parts of the book were helpful and the photos were interesting. However, aside from asthetics, the critical issues in building a cellar are the vapor barrier, insulation and cooling system. It would have been helpful to have more technical advice or at least technical advice that was easier to follow. For example, an explanation of why the vapor barrier must be on the outside everywhere (to keep condensation away from the insulation) would be more helpful than just a bald statement that it should be. The diagrams are clear as far as they go, but the explanation on how to put a vapor barrier up and insulate a ceiling is confusing in the absence of an explanation of the purpose of the vapor barrier. For example, if you have wires, pipes and ventilation ducts in your basement ceiling as most people do, what is the best approach? Should you drop the ceiling and then install a vapor barrier followed by insulation or is there something else you can do? Likewise, a discussion of the pros and cons of using a glass vs. solid door, whether to have electrical outlets inside and if so how many and why, whether to place the light switch inside the room or out, and a discussion of how to properly ventilate the cooling unit to optimize operational efficiency all would have been helpful. Finally, since the author is in the business, I would assume that he uses particular brands of cooling units and has specific recommenations regarding size, makes and models--all of that would have been useful information.
   
   To be fair, I did a lot of research and nobody seems to be able to write clearly on this subject and there is a lot of conflicting information on various aspects of design and construction. Still, now that I've been through the construction process, it seems that someone with expertise should be able to write a sufficiently detailed publication to give a novice or a novice working with a general contractor who isn't a wine cellar pro an understanding of the critical elements of design and construction to help them anticipate the issues involved in building a cellar. The book falls short in that regard.
   
   I agree with the reviewer above that this book could have been half as long. As someone who was already inclined to build a cellar, I was already familiar enough with wine to know how to serve it. I wasn't looking for a contractor's advice on that subject. What I was looking for was detailed information on planning/design issues and construction methods. The information in this book that I found helpful on those topics was less than complete and was limited to about a dozen pages.



2. This book focuses only on certain techniques and material (timber). A bit disappointing.



3. I am planning to build a 2,000 bottle cellar myself and have found the published literature on the subject inadequate. After purchasing this book, I am no better off than I was prior to reading it. The book is so general that unless you do not know what wine is, it will tell you almost nothing you do not already know. It spends an inordinate amount of time discussing things like how to install and use a wine cooler. I own two wine coolers already and I assume almost everyone planning a wine cellar knows what a wine cooler is and how to turn one on. It spends a bunch of time on wine drinking, selection and pouring which is not what anyone buying this book is looking for. It also spends time discussing how to put shelves in a closet or under stairs, all of which is common sense. I need help on what type of vapor barrier to buy, how thick the studs should be, what is the best lighting to use, what coolers are best, what insulation will handle moisture the best, how to level a basement floor prior to installing tile, what types of wall finishes are best, what wood is best for racks, what stain is best, what themometers and humidity sensors are best, most efficient and best looking floor plans, etc. This book offers no solutions to the real issues with building a cellar. I found more real information doing a few hours of web blog searches than I found in the same amount of time reading this book. I found the Richard Gold book on the subject much more informative even though it focuses on passive cellars and has no pretty color pictures.



4. The negative reviews here mystify me. This is a wonderfully illustrated book, that covers the details - such as the requirements for exterior walls - that other books miss.



5. A perfect book with lots of ideas how to construct and finish a wine cellar. Good pictures and layout. Excelent carpentry.

4 comments about Sauna: A complete guide to the Construction, Use, and Benefits of the Finnish Bath.

1. It's important to know before you buy this book, or his book about Underground Homes, that they use the cordwood masonry building technique, more or less to exclusion. Roy has saved this technique from oblivion but he tries to pass off his books as "complete" in the sense of including various techniques. They don't. I'm not saying not to get them, but remember that caveat.



2. I wouldn't feel compelled to write a review of this book, except for the low star rating of the only other reviewer of this book [at this writing anyhow]. This is an excellent book for building a free-standing sauna--as long as cordwood masonry building style works for you. Rob Roy is the master of this technique and written much about it in a number of books. He has an easy style and knows his material. But yes, if you're looking to build a wood-only sauna, look elsewhere.



3. When I decided that an outdoor wood-burning sauna was in my future I sought a book that would contain detailed information on sauna construction, stove usage and evaluation, and the like. Instead, Roy's book, though enjoyable, was far less than a "..complete guide.."
   
   An enormous amount of time is spent on cordwood construction (inappropriate for us living in hardwood areas) and virtually little or no space devoted to selecting, evaluating and using the many stove options that are available on the market.
   
   I am certain that Mr. Roy could write such a book. His passion for and knowledge of the sauna is apparent throughout the book. It's a disappointment that this "complete guide" fell short of my expectations.
   
   Though I don't feel that I wasted the book's purchase price (I am now more enthusiastic about my yet-to-be-built sauna than ever), I wish that Roy's book would have imparted more of his obvious knowledge about those matters that are of interest to us non-cordwood oriented neophytes.



4. 
   We bought this book hoping it would give us the basic information we needed to build an outdoor sauna (ex. materials list, basic dementions, review of different types of stoves, etc). While there was some of this information, most of the book was dedicated to Cord Wood construction. This was interesting, but not the way we wanted to build. I wish there had been a more balanced amount of information on all the different types of sauna construction (log, cord wood, conventional framing, etc.)

2 comments about Building Construction: Methods and Materials for the Fire Service (Brady Fire).

1. Being a firefighter involves a pretty wide range of "Knowledges". Nobody could say that they know everything or else that they are self-confident 100% in each areas of "Knowledges". For my part, building construction was (and is still!) an area that I have to study hard. This book, is an excellent tool. Even if my primary spoken language is french (I sure have some basis in english...), I can say that I have improved my knowledge of building construction with the help of that great book!



2. A very detailed and exhaustive text on building construction. This book goes a long way to bring all aspects into play so the firefighter can understand building construction very well.... I am still in the process of finishing the book but it appears to be very good.

No comments about Stenciling the Arts & Crafts Home.

5 comments about The Bathroom Idea Book (Idea Books).

1. Being in the home improvement business, I felt odd needing ideas when it came time to upgrade the bathrooms in my own home. Perhaps making a living building the bathroom of everyone elses dreams helped to fog the picture of what I wanted my own to be. Taunton Publishing puts out a trade magazine that I swear by. So when I decided to purchase a book on bathrooms I thought I couldnt go wrong with this one. How wrong I was.
   This book is little more than a collection of photographs of high end and ultra high end bathrooms. Here in my neck of the woods a complete bath renovation ranges in cost from between ten and fifteen thousand dollars for an average bath. Very few of the rooms displayed in this book would make that budget.
   Aside from the introduction there is almost no text to assist the "reader" in understanding requirements or even necessaties pryor to planning a bath remodel. Perhaps the fact that I am in this line of work colors my opinion of the book, but if photos qualify as ideas, Id recomend picking up a few magazines on bath remodeling and get a fuller picture.



2. That's why there are only two stars!

   First idea, the shape of a single cupboard. The second idea, a way to add counter space over a toilet. That's it. I guess I could have gotten both from any other magazine on the shelf for a lot less than I paid for this silly picture book filled with pictures of _pieces_ of bathrooms. A more appropriate title would have been:

   Bathroom Parts Picture Book
   A guide to bathrooms for those who can't read.

   The most I'll get from this book is the enjoyment my children will receive from cutting out the pictures for their paper dolls.




3. This text has many wonderful photos to inspire the professional. It is also full of basic info homeowners can use. It is not too technical, but covers most of the features needed in a bathroom.



4. An incredible amount of information with beautiful pictures of how to plan a new bath / shower OR how to update / remodel an existing bath....Hundreds of illustrations that can be incorporated into any bath depending on budget and desire...



5. I enjoyed this book and felt it did provide good information, contrary to other comments and I felt it was well worth the money.
   
   My mother is remodeling her bathroom and it gave us good ideas of what she liked and didn't like. I do agree with another writer that many of the most beautiful bathroom photographs were of "high-end" bathrooms, but I believe most anything can be modified to fit within a budget. The book was useful in providing the bones from which to work. I mean if marble is too expensive or is not your thing, then maybe travertine would be a less expensive option. I thought the book provided good info on things like sink placement, vanity and cabinet styles, flooring and even toilet options and shower head choices.
   
   The only slight negative, is that the book I read was published in 1999 and did include some older style bathrooms, but I would expect that in a book that was six years old, so I didn't count off for that...just because I'm late in reading it. :-)
   
   There were lots of informative sections in the book. On page 80, it talks about some of the differences in fiberglass vs acrylic showers/tubs. On page 95, there is some discussion about low flush toilets.
   
   To me, the book title indicates exactly what this book provides "Bathroom Ideas", and I think the author delivered.
   
   Even though most of the pictures don't have much detail about how to construct a particular type of bathroom or what foundation needs to already be in place, this book is not called Bathroom Construction and Remodeling. I think this book does a great job at explaining what you are looking at and includes corresponding numbering on the text and pictures. I found this book very useful and it provided just what I was looking for....ideas.

5 comments about Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook.

1. It is astonishing to read the slam pieces here about Dr. Atkins so-called obesity and overweight condition at the time of his death. Here are the facts:
   * He previously had a heart condition called cardiomyopathy -- a serious disease of the heart muscle which is unrelated to diet.
   * He died of a head injury because of an accident falling on slippery ice and not of being overweight.
   * His actual weight was 200 pounds when he was admitted to the hospital at the time of his accident. The erroneous reports of him weight 258 lbs was based on his weight at the time of his death. The extra weight was not fat, but an accumulation of body fluids linked to organ failure during his coma.
   * His previous reported heart attack was due to a viral infection and not diet related. He spoke openly of his condition on various national news programs.
   * The report that was released about him being overweight was leaked to the press by a group named "Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine", which is an ardent opponent of the Atkins diet. In short, they distorted his weight by reporting the weight at the time of death - 258 lbs, and not at the time of his admittance - 200 lbs...an obvious attempt to discredit and distort the facts surrounding Dr. Atkins death.
   * A formal complaint has been filed by the Medical Examiner of New York regarding the suspicious leak of this information to the public by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine."
   * The disinformation surrounding Dr.Atkins untimely death is politically driven by the AMA and other detractors of the diet.

   Dr. Atkins book, New Diet Revolution has turned the AMA and other nutritional views upside down and has created a furor over the standard edicts of the medical profession. What is not said among the detractors of the Diet is that it is safe and it works. The information contained in this book will not only help you lose weight, it could save your life. The food industry, especially the bread and pasta industry have lost hundreds of millions of dollars because of the low carb revolution. Is it any wonder that this diet is under so much fire? Keep an open mind and read the book.

   As a side note, ignor the mumbo-jumbo rantings and ravings of the "Elixir Diet" system (see below). The hatred and mis-information spread by the reviewer is evidence enough that the Elixir system is phony as a three cent penny. Nuff said. The guy hasn't even read the Atkins book!




2. I absolutely love this cookbook! It is in great condition and shipping was very quick. Can't beat the price, either!



3. I found this to be chock full of delicious recipes that have the added benefit of being low in carbohydrates. My husband and I look forward to which one I will try next, and thus far each one has turned out delicious. Not for the Atkins skeptic as many of the recipes use sinfully rich ingredients such as heavy cream...as for everyone else, you will surely enjoy. Bon appetit!
   
   Since I have been on this diet, all the cravings for junk food have gone. I was someone who lived for sugar and now I do not want any of it. I use to crave coffee in the morning as well but realized I didn't want that wired up feeling & acid stomach. I switched over to a caffeine-free coffee substitute made from soyabeans I found on the net at www.
   S o y c o f f e e.c om. It so easy for someone to tell you to eat less, but if you are craving bad foods, eventually you will fail. In the first five days I was on this diet all the craving ceased and I was already 8 lbs down. If you were like me and cannot wait for your next slice of cake and at the same time really want to change your lifestyle, Try this.



4. There are only a few recipes that I liked in this book. I didn't like the way it relied on artificial sweeteners, plus preserved meats (like bacon). But I guess that's Atkins! There are a lot of better (and healthier) low carb cookbooks out there.



5. Though I have my own diet plane I've prepared some of this books recipes and they were very good, I made most of the salads and the Paprika chicken is a regular for me. If you don't live near some gourmet or specialty supermarkets you will loose half the recipes in the book. The chicken dishes were my favorites.