5 comments about ManSpace: A Primal Guide to Marking Your Territory.

1. A cool book to get ideas from. Fun to read. A lot of cats in the book obviously have much more disposable income than the average joe looking for a place to call their own but it has some cool ideas. Worth checking out!



2. This book makes a great gift for the man who has everything. Great ideas for men to carve out their own space in a home usually decorated by women.



3. An excellent book, long overdue. I highly recommend; you will enjoy.



4. ManSpace is a call to action for men: a call to build a 'personal space' outside of the usual woman-controlled home, where you can keep your stuff without fear of its being converted to a 'more useful' nursery or sewing room. MANSPACE: A PRIMAL GUIDE TO MARKING YOUR TERRITORY can be a recording studio, a workshop, or more. Men are invited to view sample houses and homes which reflect 'manspaces', from music rooms to campy man-oriented gadget-filled abodes. Samples from all types of 'manspaces' appear in full color and offer inspiration, insights and a range of options, making MANSPACE perfect for any general-interest lending collection.



5. This book is very enjoyable. I purchased it for my husband. He likes it a lot. It has tons of photos and interesting stories about each man's space. The only complaint is that many of the man spaces belong to men with money to spend. Still, it is a very good book.

5 comments about How to Build A Small Budget Recording Studio From Scratch : With 12 Tested Designs (TAB Mastering Electronics Series).

1. I own a previous edition. I read it very carefully. The book is very useful, if we understand the word. I mean that if you want to build a Recording Studio, fast cheap and easy, read this book. There were serious incongruences in the previous edition I hope to find renewed in this one. For example, the cutoff frequency value, which in the Master Handbook of Acoustics is set to a certain value, in this book has another value! both books have been authored by Mr. Everest. I will try this new edition and more comments will come up. Anyway, buy the book. If you use the recommendations given by Mr. Everest, you will earn money.



2. For example, the only help this book give you as far as treating the acoustic of a project studio is to tell you to buy a certain particular brand, RPG, and get 4 of their bass traps, 4 of their absorbant panels and 2 diffusors, and where to place them. No different option is discussed, no alternative....

   And when you find out that this option amounts to around $3,000.00, and the author concludes: "this option represents the very minimum defense against the effects of early reflections, the minimum of bass absorption and the minimum of rear-wall diffusion. Much potential improvements remains."....you start wondering about the "budget" he's talking about in the title.

   I wish he'd mention the fact that a couch or a love seat make for a great bass trap, that pannels of 703 or 705 fiberglass covered in burlap fabric make much greater absorbants than foam for much cheaper, and that a cluttered shelve makes for a great diffusor....

   The rest of the book is filled with mathematical equations and tables and graphs that lack some clear explanations. The book is discouraging at best, boring and not reflective of it's title.




3. I used this book as a reference to build a private studio where I record the CDs for my label. It sounds great, reverberation is under control and low, over the whole spectrum. And it cost me HALF of what I'd expect. I used two regular doors instead of a professional grade studio door (I got this money saving idea in this book), I designed my air condinioning using his ideas (it is quiet and has no sound leakage), the cables go into the recording booth using ideas that I found here. The studio has been in operation for four years and everybody loves the sound. I can't praise it enough. My label's web site is outrosdiscos.com.br in case you want to know what was recorded here.



4. This book was a big disappointment. I was hoping for detailed instructions for the construction of a studio, and what I got was a refresher course in Acoustics 101. The book has a lot of theory which could be helpful to someone that doesn't already know about diffusion, absorbtion and reflection of sound waves. What it doesn't have is room dimensions, angles of walls, or decent illustrations. The illustration for a garage multi-track studio was literally a line drawing of a square with a bisecting line across the corner signifying what would be a disfunctional control room. If you're not ready to build a studio and want some good information on room modes and acoustics, this is a good enough book. If you want to apply these principles and actually build a studio, there are better instructions on several free websites.



5. I thought it was going to cover the entire aspects of the recording studio including the suitable equipments, unfortunately it was just directed toward the construction. I'm not the construction engineer so why would I care too much on the details. I think basic theory on the construction is enough and more elaboration is needed for the furniture and equipment selection.

3 comments about Hamptons Havens: The Best of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens (Hamptons Cottages & Gardens).

1. The book was purchased for an anniversary gift for my daughter who resides on one of the Hamptons. She liked the book and even was familiar with the owner of the garden on the cover.



2. This is a beautiful book which is as entertaining to read as it is to gaze at the pictures! I would have appreciated it more had all the houses featured been in a similar style to the one on the cover. There is quite a large spectrum of different designs. I wished they had presented more photographs of each individual home, but overall there is plenty to feast your eyes on.



3. A lovely book with interesting stories but I was after beach gardens and there are very few. The title is misleading as it is from the magazine by this name.

4 comments about Complete Photo Guide to Window-Top Treatments: Do-It-Yourself Valances, Swags, and Cornices (Complete Photo Guides).

1. Very nice book with easy to follow instructions. Great photos. I haven't made anything yet, but I have looked through the book. I can't wait to get started.



2. I combined several books for both ideas and how to guides. Window Top Treatments is an excellent resource for a nice variety of ideas, many of which are classic window treatments, but the how to instructions are definitely worth the purchase.



3. The designs are great. There are good, clear pictures throughout the book, How-to directions are easy to understand. The only flaw is there are no pictures of the final product at the end of the how-to tutorials. After following the directions and pictures for the how-to sections, there are no pictures of the final product. It would be more helpful to see a picture of the final product to get a better idea of what the window treatment should look like when completed.



4. As a beginner sewer, I found the book to be pretty comprehensive with its instructions. There are a few treatments which are beyond my abilities at this point. My only complaints about the book would be that some of the sewing terms were not explained in the glossary and there were no photos of the finished products.

3 comments about David Charlesworth's Furniture-Making Techniques: A Guide to Hand Tools and Methods.

1. I eagerly anticipated the arrival of David Charlesworth's third volume, and was not disappointed. It is, in my opinion, even better that his first two excellent books on the "art" of fine woodworking. He explains in clearly understandable detail the use of "cutting edge" (no pun intended), state- of-the-art tools by Lie-Nielsen. David's books are a necessity in any workshop intent on exhibiting fine workmanship in its products. As an avid woodworker, I look forward to future volumes from David Charlesworth. I have Charlesworth DVD's which are instrumental in maintaining, sharpening and properly using Lie-Nielsen planes. No shop should be without these "learning tools". Keep up the great work, David.



2. I am a big fan of David's and I must confess that I was a little disappointed in this book. I also own the first two, and the material there seems much more common and useful. This book includes material such as making a metal plane from a kit. The company that offered the kit is no longer in business, so the material is somewhat less relevant. There is an article on making a spokeshave adjuster for the Boggs shave. In my opinion, this is a solution looking for a problem. A small tap with a hammer like with any wood plane is a simple adjuster for the spokeshave. I just didn't find much of the material useful overall.
   
   I guess I would much rather see more material on furniture techniques such as drawer fitting, veneering, dovetailing, and hardware fitting. But I guess this would be a different titled book!



3. Even though I like reading about David's woodworking abilities, I didn't much care for this book. Wasn't much in it for me.

No comments about Home Office, Library, And Den Design (Schiffer Design Book).

2 comments about Rustic Carpentry: Woodworking with Natural Timber.

1. Learn how to bring out the beauty in unfinished wood-work. Whether you need a new table or tool-shed this book is tells you step-by-step how to build whatever it is you want to build. The illustrations are great, and even the most inexperienced person can follow along and become a master carpenter.



2. This book has some great project ideas in it, but it is somewhat lacking in content. I was expecting some better "how-to" information than the book presents.
   
   Not a bad purchase, but it wasn't as informative as I was expecting.

3 comments about About the House With Henri De Marne: How to Maintain, Repair, Upgrade, and Enjoy Your Home.

1. Every year, for over 32 years, Henri de Marne has been fielding thousands of questions from homeowners. As a result, he knows better than anybody else what problems people encounter, the mistakes they make, and the issues they face when repairing or upgrading a home. This book belongs in every home as a ready reference, because you never know when you'll need the information it contains.



2. Written by home improvement columnist Henri De Marne, About the House with Henri De Marne is a comprehensive homeowner's manual written in plain English for lay readers. From crawl spaces to roofs, doors and windows, plumbing, electrical systems, kitchens, baths, interior surfaces, insulation, and more, About the House with Henri De Marne provides "how-to" solutions to common problems and recommends when to do it yourself and when calling in a professional is recommended. A small amount of black-and-white photographs and sketches illustrate this money-saving, question-and-answer format guide. "The best way to clean an oil stain from concrete or asphalt is by sprinkling a layer of TSP-PF crystals onto the stains and sprinkling hot water onto the TSP-PF. Scrub with a stiff bristle brush and let stand for a half hour. Rinse with clear water. If the oil is deeply embedded, you may need to repeat the procedure." An excellent resource of tips, tricks, and techniques for keeping one's home in top condition.



3. Henri De Marne publishes a nationally syndicated column called "First Aid for the Ailing House," in which he answers homeowners' questions about how to maintain, repair, upgrade, and enjoy their homes. If you are a fan of the column, buy this book pronto. De Marne has over three decades of experience with home maintenance and this volume collects all his advice into nine chapters organized by section of the house (roof, exterior, plumbing, etc.). It includes an extensive index which cross-lists items under as many names as possible. If you have a question and De Marne has ever answered it, you can locate his advice in a few seconds with this book.
   
   This reviewer purchased About the House not because she was a fan of the column, but as part of a search for a good new homeowner reference book. This has been recommended as a great gift for a new homeowner, and I disagree with that recommendation. This is a great book for an experienced homeowner or a regular reader of the column. It is not organized in a fashion that is relevant to new homeowners, who need step-by-step maintenance and care instructions and would be aided by illustrations (which this book lacks, for the most part).
   
   Know what you are getting into, and buy this book if it meets your need. This is not a gift book for the first-time homeowner.

5 comments about Complete Guitar Repair (Guitar Reference).

1. This book covers several areas about guitar repair, but only vaguely. It does not go into details that are needed before even trying most repairs. I was hoping to find help on removing binding and fingerboards to replace a truss rod. It touches in these areas, but that is all it does. I still have no clue. I already know the board and binding needs to come off, but how? Not enough info to even try attempting this feat.

   The book is 23 years old. Something that is not shown on the Amozon.com site before buying it. If you buy this book you're reading history, not up to date facts needed for guitar repair. This is more a reference book from the 60's and 70's and not a repair book at all.




2. This is the seminal book for luthiers the world over. It doesn't matter that it was published so long ago; it is still relevant. The joy of this book is the plain language used and the unpompous descriptions. I understood everything and have benefited from owning this book.



3. This outstanding book gives the reader the backround knowledge and theory to professionally address guitar repair issues.
   It is important to note that skilled guitar repair requires years of practice and trial and error so don't expect to pick up this book and replace your fret board with no prior experience.
   Knowledge is your best ally however, when diagnosing a problem and deciding on a proper repair aproach. This book will help the individual do the simple repairs and adjustments to his instument and know when to delegate the more complex ones to a professional.
   The section on tuning and intonation is by itself, worth the price of admission. If you think tuning a guitar is as simple as plugging into a tuner and turning the machines, this book is for you!
   There are other repair guides available but I would reccommend this one as the first reference as it will enhance your understanding of these additional texts.



4. This is a book that any guitar player should own. It's a great basic manual. I don't know why the other person was complaining about its "age". If you look at the publishing date it states quite clearly "1975". But that shouldn't matter. The basic repairing of guitars hasn't changed in that time. As for more complex problems, like changing a truss rod, as another reviewer mentions, this book isn't what you need. This is about the basics and truss rod change-outs aren't basic. If you're new to playing or an old pro who wants to take good care of his axe, this book is a worthwhile addition to your library.



5. This guide is the most needed, useful, great helper and bible for the guitar repair and maintenance. I had already browsed it once or twice and been advised with some tips from people who had it or read it. It's the best guide of the genre with many "old innovative" techniques still applied currently, for technology can't do much about this subject.
   I'm loving it!!

No comments about How-to Book of Birdhouses and Feeders: Attract the Birds You Want with 30 Easy-to-Make, Clever and Sturdy Projects.