5 comments about Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women.

1. I bought this bought because I am designing my own studio and wanted some ideas. I found this book VERY inspiring and full of great ideas! I recommend it to anyone designing their own creative space!



2. This book was very inspiring. I definately got some good ideas that I'll try for my own studio (when I have one that is). And some nice ideas for around the home creation areas too. I love to create. This book is about others creation spaces. I can definately appreciate that!
   Create on!



3. This book has the best cover and it looks like a great idea book for setting up a creative space or improving a space. I was not as happy with it as with a few other craft space books out there. It you like reading about women who are already professional in some form or another and thier craft spaces this is your book. For that is truly the gist of the book. I enjoyed it and while it wasn't exactly what I was looking for I found some great motivation from it. Jnetti.



4. Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary WomenThis book is a lovely, feel-good sharing of women in their home,creative workspace. Packham's books are well worth the space on my bookshelf and ones I look to on rainy afternoons.



5. This book gave me a lot of ideas on how to organize my sewing/craft area.
   It was interesting to see how other women had arranged their personal creative/work spaces, how to store various items and the layouts that were most efficient. I would recommend this book if you are planning or trying to set-up a crafting/creating space.

5 comments about Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing (Complete Illustrated Guide).

1. I have been working with wood for more than 30 years. The descriptions, explanations, and charts in this book are wonderful. The illustrations are superb -- a typical Taunton Press production. Highly recommended.



2. Before I read Jeff Jewitt's book on finishing I knew almost nothing about the finishing process. After reading this book cover to cover almost five times now, I feel confident about applying a finish to my first project. Jeff's writing style and knack for explaining make learning the often misunderstood art of finishing a pure pleasure. You will learn all types of finishing and application styles from padding, wiping, brushing and spraying. Jeff covers preparation of the wood surface all the way through staining, filling, sealing, top coats, and finally buffing. The plethora of color photos really gives you a good idea of what he is describing and enhance the text tremendously. You will not be disappointed with this encyclopedic description of wood finishing.



3. A must have reference work on wood finishing. High quality photos. Covers everything I can think of, and then some.



4. The Taunton's Guides are well written and illustrated with many color images. This one has a tremendous amount of information, but beginners may be put off by the large number of finishing materials and heavy machinery that are discussed; if you've just built a table and want to know a couple of ways to finish it, this book may be excessive. But if you want a full discussion of finishing techniques and you can sort out which ones are for you, this book is fine.



5. Tiene una explicación sencilla y muy gráfica, los libros de Taunton tienen un gran nivel, sólo echo de menos una versión en español para asimilar más rápidaente los conceptos.
   está muy bien explicado para la parte más complicada del woodworking puesto que un buen acabado marca la diferencia de un trabajo.
   lo recomiendo como casi todo lo de Taunton.

4 comments about The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker: Shop Drawings and Professional Methods for Designing and Constructing Every Kind of Kitchen and Built-In Cabinet.

1. I have years of experience in residential carpentry and furnituremaking, and I've installed dozens of kitchens, but I had never actually made a set of kitchen cabinets. We are renovating our house, and replacing our cheap cabinets is one of the items on the list. I spent hours at my local Barnes and Noble and Borders stores looking for a comprehensive book that focuses exclusively on kitchen cabinetmaking, and couldn't find one out of the dozens of books on cabinemaking that thoroughly covered both the cabinet design and production processes. Then I took a chance and ordered The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker, and found exactly what I was looking for.
   Lang writes well and, just as important, is a good teacher and explainer. The book is well organized, and the abundant illustrations, both photographs and drawings, are clear and detailed. Measured drawings abound. He describes both general types of cabinet, frameless and face-framed, and lays out efficient production processes for both, indicating where potential problems lurk and the consequences of inaccuracies at crucial points.
   This is head and shoulders the best book I have seen on the subject. If you are even considering building your own kitchen cabinets, or starting a small cabinet shop, this book should be your first purchase. It will be the best money you spend on the project.



2. I used this book along with _The Complete Cabinet Maker's Reference_ by Jeffrey Piontkowski to build a set of nice garage cabinets. The two books are very different, and, I think, compliment each other well. This book contained information that allowed me to refine the basic cabinets in the other book. I was very pleased with the results! The project would have been much more trouble for me if I hadn't read this book first.



3. I'm researching the possibility of making the cabinets for our new home and have found this book to be an excellent resource of information and tips by someone who has "been there and done that". Mr. Lang uses easy to understand language and examples on drawer construction, door construction, case construction and installation. Lots of time-saving tips, too!
   
   A very practical guide that will help anyone with just a little experience making cabinets.



4. I purchased this book based on recommendations from Amazon reviews, and because I have the interest to learn more about furniture design and building techniques, basically focused in frameless type of cabinets, and this book covers both face-frame & frameless.
   It provides a lot of pictures and drawings of how to layout, design, build, finish, and install face-frame or frameless cabinets.
   Bob Lang made this book very easy to understand and I think is a great resource to beginners because of the structure of the book.
   The book includes techniques and jigs that are great for cabinet construction. Several aspects of cabinet construction are covered with multiple options for joints, fasteners, materials, attaching doors (hinges), building drawers, etc.

5 comments about Workbenches: From Design And Theory To Construction And Use (Popular Woodworking).

1. This is an excellent book and probably the best book on building a workbench that's ever been written. If you're searching for an idea book that has hundreds of pictures of different workbenches in it, then this book may not be for you. However, if you want to design and build a workbench for your specific woodwoking needs, then this book is a must have. It details not only the "how to" but more importantly, the "why to" build one bench design over another. An excellent, quick, enjoyable read.



2. This is a must read for anyone building a worbench for hand tool work. The section on materials is worth it alone. This book is great because it explains why things are done and what the goal of the design is.



3. I bought this book the day it was released, knowing it would be good, and now am convinced that it's one of the finest woodworking books I have ever read! I built the English bench that's in the book, and it is by far the best bench I have used in my 30+ years of woodworking. The author tells you step-by-step what to do, and why, and the bench works exactly as it's supposed to. I do woodworking with hand tools only, and this book has taken me to another whole level of woodworking. Even my wife thinks this bench is cool. If I ever meet Chris I will shake his hand and buy him a beer or two!



4. Yes, I really do rate this as the best woodworking book of all time. That said, as a matter of disclosure, I must admit I have not read EVERY woodworking book ever written, so it is admittedly possible there is another one out there that I would rate even higher, but I doubt it. I have read hundreds of these things and like this one the best of all.
   
   Now obviously my claim that this is the best woodworking book of all time is a darned strong claim, and strong claims require pretty strong evidence to back them up. This is what has slowed me up on writing this review. First, I'm not as good a writer has Chris is, so however I try, I'm afraid my review won't do his book justice. Second, I got this book when it first came out, and just loved it immediately, but I wasn't sure exactly why. Since then, I have re-read the book several times and I think I now have it figured out.
   
   This really isn't a book about workbenches, but rather a book about workholding. Now workholding might seem like a rather pedestrian subject, certainly not as exciting as the latest golly gee whilikers gadget or jig, but it is fundamental. Like sharpening, good workholding makes learning new skills or learning to use new tools far, far easier than it otherwise would be. I would go further and say that the truly fundamental skills are those that make good work even possible. And, after having been a hobbyist woodworker for over 25 years, I have slowly come to realize that workholding is indeed one of those fundamental skills.
   
   Now the fact that this book is well-written and addresses what I consider an issue of fundamental importance in woodworking may explain why I rate it highly. Indeed, when I mentally review my list of favorite woodworking books, the ones I keep returning to, they are nearly all concerned with developing fundamental skills in such things as tool preparation, sharpening, etc. But this fact alone does not explain why I rate this book to be at the very top of a select list of extremely good books. What brings this book to the very very top of the list is the fact that the author is, so far as I am aware, the first to present a systematic, deeply thought-out, and well-researched treatise on this subject. Thus, Chris gets extra points for having the genius to recognize how fundamentally important this topic is.
   
   The book is virtually encyclopedic in its treatment of workholding for hand-tool woodworking. The author does not, however, address the needs of either the luthier or the patternmaker. And I suppose Chris really should master these two vocations in his spare time so he will have additional material for the second edition. Neither does Chris address workholding and set-ups for machine woodworking (or for machinists on milling machines for that matter). But he does do an absolutely superb job of presenting workholding methods and the equipment necessary (workbenches and their accessories) to implement them that are useful for hand tool work in cabinetmaking.
   
   The first time I read this book, I kept exclaiming to myself: "Yes, yes! that's exactly it!" My reason for this reaction is that I've been working for years on a modern commercially available workbench. I've made all kinds of stuff with this bench including entry doors, interior doors, and a full set of kitchen cabinets. But I've found the workbench somewhat awkward to use and inadequate for much of my work, and I've gradually been becoming more and more dissatisfied with it. I've considered replacing it numerous times, but I never could quite get motivated enough to do the hard thinking and research necessary to figure out what features would make a workbench work for me and why.
   
   Chris has done all that hard work for us. The book is almost scholarly in nature (as a Professor in my day job, I appreciate that!), and is clearly deeply and thoroughly thought out. It is indeed impressive. One conjecture I have since reading this book is that Chris must be largely a self-taught woodworker who did not learn "the one best way" at his master's knee. Only someone who had to figure out things for himself could possibly have had the idea for this book. Only someone who was deeply committed and quite intelligent could possibly have written it.
   
   The book is profusely illustrated with photographs, and that is the source of my only minor complaint. Sometimes photographs obscure relevant details rather than bring them out as do well executed line drawings. (To see an example of the sort of line drawings to which I refer, please take a look at any of David Charlesworth's books.) And I am afraid that this book could have benefited from having a few more line drawings in place of some of the photographs.



5. Starting from the basic elements of how a woodworker performs his craft to a review of several of the most popular design styles, Mr. Schwarz provides the history and the information for you to make your own decisions regarding the most personal of woodworking tools, the workbench.

5 comments about Mid-Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details (Conran Octopus Interiors).

1. this book is very good if you are interested in retro, modern design. I highly recommend this book.



2. An absolutely stunning book & a must for any mid ce
   ntury enthusiast. Fabulous photographs & narration.
   Very inspiring.



3. This book is filled with spectacular color photos of mid-century modern home interiors. Lots of ideas here for color schemes, furniture layout and incorporating mid-century aspects into any room of your home.



4. A beautiful book, I see something new each time I flip through it. It may not be the perfect encyclopedia for specialists, but for people like me who just love beautiful things, it is great fun to have and contains a lot of interesting facts about mid-century design.



5. I wanted to learn more about my newest interest and this book has been great. A good overview balanced with enough details without being overwhelming - so happy I bought it!

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging your Home to Sell (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. This book is great! Especially in today's real estate market, your house has to stand out from the crowd, and this book gives you the tools to make that happen. The authors give you general tips for the whole house, then a room-by-room section helps you fix up each room to its best potential. Lots of before-and-after photos help you visualize what you need to do.
   
   "De-clutter" is a regular drumbeat that goes through this whole book, and we seriously did that. The result was that nearly all of our potential buyers commented on how clean the house was. Well yes, it was clean, but the appearance from the de-cluttering was more important in causing the look of cleanliness.
   
   A psychological plus for us: after the staging, the house was now just a house, no longer our beloved home. That may sound negative, but it helped us see a low offer for the house not as an insult, but just as a starting point in negotiating for this object. We could be much more objective in the selling process.
   
   Was this book responsible for four offers on the house in one week? Can't know, but we're sure it helped. Also, We thought enough of this book that we recommended it to our real estate agent after the house sold, for her other clients who might need it.
   - Bill McGann, Author of The Story of the Tour de France



2. I always hear people talk about "staging" and wondered what it was. This is a good beginner's guide, and will hopefully give some ideas to sellers to help them in this slowing market. It had some things I hadn't heard on HGTV before, and some were more detailed instructions on following through with ideas I've seen on TV. It also gave you details on which tricks were still in use, which ones (like baking brownies right before someone shows up) were no longer fashionable and why.



3. This book has well organized ideas for completely readying your home for selling indoors as well as out! Many are common sense, but the psychological reasons for potential buyers to buy your home over another are amazing! It would be a pain to live long-term in a home that has been completely staged for sale, but for that purpose the ideas are terrific! I highly reccommend this book for anyone thinking of placing a home on the market, or anyone that may someday, as the ideas for color and upgrades can be lived with long-term!



4. If you are planning to sell your home, this book is a must. Lots of excellent suggestions laid out in a step by step process. This would be a great resource for real estate agents to give to their listing clients as well.



5. Absolutely must-have for anyone contemplating selling their home. Terrific and easy step-by-step methods to increase the sale of your home. Good reading. Don't leave your home without it.

5 comments about Building Your Own Home For Dummies.

1. I had never purchased a book from this series because I knew I wasn't a dummy and figured them to have little useful advice. But I decided to take a chance on this one since I know nothing about building a home. Big mistake.
   
   This book is a waste of money for anyone who is seriously thinking about hiring a contractor to build a home. There is no useful advice, but rather obvious suggestions such as "you will pay a higher rate on a loan if you don't have a high down payment" etc. - information that any 12-year old could find by searching the web. Save you money and instead purchase one of the many other books written on this subject by architects, contractors, etc.. Trust me, a book like this which is written for a "dummy" isn't one that will be useful to anyone with half a brain.
   
   It was so bad I'm doing something I've never done before - I'm returning it.



2. This book has exhaustive information about building a home employing a general constructor and sub-contractors. It's more useful as a reference. I say that because of the way it's organized. It's not a sequential read, and has no logical beginning or ending. I bought this book hoping to understand each step that goes into building a home. However, this book is NOT about that. It's more about effectively dealing with things that come along in each step.



3. I am always a fan of anything that puts the complexities of the world back into your hands. That Rocket Science for Dummies was totally awesome! LOL!
   
   This is one of many that better be on your shelf as a beginnig research tool, if you are planning on building a home. It tends to be repetitious about needing massive amounts of money though. It is not that creative about any of processes. It is very straight to the point.
   
   I do own it and it is a great reference that I had to MAKE myself read.



4. Very complete and logical in total scope of the custom home building process. Eye opener to a number of potential pitfalls in the custom home building process. wrgBuilding Your Own Home For Dummies



5. Alot of information packed into this one. Very practical, detailed, useful information. Recommend for anyone buying land or a lot, and building a custom home. Read this before you do...

5 comments about Learn to Turn: A Beginner's Guide to Woodturning from Start to Finish.

1. I gave this book along with a lathe as a Christmas gift to my Father-in-law. He has a machinist background, but had not used a wood lathe before. This book offered a great starting point for him. I read the book also and found it to be very good.



2. This book is an excellent reference for the new woodturner. It makes no assumptions, and starts from the VERY beginning, so some may skip some of the beginning sections. However, the book is organized to guide you through the process, and includes projects to use your newly found skills. The book reads very well, and will give you the fundamental knowledge you need to get started. It's also filled with excellent photos to help clarify the text. I would highly recommend this book to other beginners (in fact, I already have).



3. This is a grat book with good pictures and texet. It is easy to read and understand.



4. I recently decided to give a shot at wood turning. Being a complete beginner without any time to attend any classes I started by shopping around for different books and DVDs.
   In my opinion, "Learn to Turn" is by far the best book available for starting woodturning.
   It is written in a very simple style and illustrated by numerous color pictures.
   This book is short, well organized and go straight to the point.
   The book is divided in two main parts.
   The first part introduce the basics of woodturning, the tools, sharpening, sanding, finishing.
   The second part is a composed of a multitude of photo essays that show you how to use each tool and drive you through several simple projects.



5. I bought a new lathe recently and needed to learn how to use it. I bought this book along with Taunton's book. This book was SO helpful. I found it to be direct & to the point, and full of good common sense advice. Within an hour of picking up this book, my lathe work had improved dramatically- pieces that had previously taken me over an hour to turn now take less than 5 minutes. It's amazing what a little knowledge can do! The Taunton book is good too, but I like the organization of this book a lot more; I found it easier to use and more beginner friendly.

5 comments about Use What You Have Decorating : Transform Your Home in One Hour With Ten Simple Design Principles -- Using the Space You Have, the Things You Like, the Budget You Choose.

1. ...and yet I only give it 4 stars. Why? Because first of all, there is very little advice that applies beyond the living room, and that's a formal living area - not the family gathering and watching TV area. I would love to see a book of hers that will address other areas in the house.
   
   Beyond that though, I love this book. I'm a down to earth person, always looking for a quick and cheap way to re-do things. This book taught me decorating principles that were easy to put into practice. I like the before and after pics, explanations and the occassional room layouts. After studying this book a few times, it took me less than an hour to re-arrange my living room. It's so much more inviting and comfortable now, that I don't want to leave it! As for color vs. black and white photos, of course I'd prefer color. But I can live with it, because the content is so helpful. I have the older version too that has a middle insert of color photos as well.
   
   This book will be helpful if you already have a house of furniture or maybe suffer from TMS syndrome (too much stuff) and if you enjoy being creative with what you have. If not, then this book will probably frustrate you.



2. This is a good book for people who have no experience or formal training with decorating. I found the top 10 tips for avoiding design disaster to be helpful and easy to understand. The pictures in the book are very outdated, but made me feel like I might have a fighting chance with my own space.



3. I am a professional interior designer and I found this book great because it provides great information in a easy to read format. I read more than half the book in one evening. Some people have stated that even though they love the book they wished it was in color. I love the book in black and white because the emphasis really is on the placement and not so much the color. I find that when items are related in color it is easy for the eye to make the "connection" and ignore the real placement of the items. When the pictures are in black and white, it forces the eye to look at where and how the items are placed. This is a great book and I would recommend it to the novice, lay person, or professional designer/decorator looking to add an additional service that they can offer their clients. I give it two thumbs up!



4. I give the book a 4 star rating. Would have been good if we had some colour photos and show some living rooms that do not have the fire place a the focal point of the room but some other feature. Also how do you decorate a room with steep dormer features, that create angles. I like Lauri's books though I have Home Therapy.



5. Laurie Ward has hit on a great idea here - redecorating with your own stuff. And she does give some great advice in this book about creating a conversation area situated around a focal point, and about how high to hang art. I have been "tweaking" my house ever since I read the book and for the most part her suggestions are very helpful. I also enjoyed the "before" and "after" photos of real peoples' homes. But a couple things bothered me about this book. The first two-thirds of the book are basically paraphrased repetitions of this idea: create a U-shaped conversation area around a focal point. By the fifth or sixth example, you're thinking "gee, I wonder what genius furniture arrangement she'll come up with this time...SURPRISE! U-shaped conversation area!" She gives only a little information on how to re-arrange a dining room, bedroom, bathroom, or ANY OTHER room in the house (and what about those of us with open floor plans? throw me a bone here!), and what few suggestions she does give seem to have been added as an afterthought. The other thing I did not like is a matter of taste more than anything else: I thought some of her advice was a bit old-school (and not in a good way), in particular her advice about how to arrange and group art and other decorative objects (i.e., "don't mix media"), but also her advice against using fridge magnets and patterned paper towels comes off as a bit snobby. However, overall I do recommend the book if you need some help rearranging your living room.

No comments about Domestic Art: Curated Interiors.