1 comments about The Homestead Builder, Second Edition: Practical Hints for Handy-men.

1. This is one of many books I bought to learn more about self-sufficient living. The book has a few good points, but the language is hard to understand. The author describes in words how to build log cabins. He doesn't draw diagrams or give diminsions. He makes a few good points about things like where to place fireplaces and bedrooms in order to keep a home as warm as possible. If your looking for a book with hints on building a self-sufficient home, you could get some tips with the book. If your looking for a book on how to build the log cabin, keep looking.

5 comments about Swimming Pools And Spas.

1. Southern Living's Swimming Pools & Spas is a nicely illustrated and useful reference for those new to swimming pool or spa ownership. Not only does this publication provide useful information to the novice pool owner, the topics range from pool and spa construction, maintenance, repairs and safety. I knew what to expect and what questions to ask before I contracted to have a pool installed at my home after reading this publication. The many photos of a variety of swimming pools was very useful in the design of my pool. Even if you own a pool and want to remodel, this publication is an excellent resource for new ideas and inspirations.



2. Be aware that this book and the book of the same title published by Southern Living are exactly the same book.



3. If you want to buy 1 book to take you through everything you need to know about building a pool, this is the book to buy. The book explains all aspects of pool building allowing the reader to understand all aspects of pool construction, front start to finish.



4. Great 101 book for somebody who just got a pool or is thinking of buying/ building a pool. Will demonstrate the basics and definitely get you pointing the right direction.
   
   As mentioned we are a Miami Swimming Pool Builder / Miami Swimming pool Contractor. And down here there are many Miami Swimming pool Companies who deliver a pool with no instructions only to be back a few months later to replace major components in your Swimming Pool.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Miami Designer Pools, Inc.
   
   http://www.miami-swimming-pool.com
   
   Miami Designer Pools, Inc.
   12 E. Flagler ST.
   Miami, FL 33131
   phone: (305)951-7218



5. Swimming Pools And Spas, which covers building, maintaining and landscaping a pool or spa. From how to choose among different pool or spa options to understanding its mechanical systems and using landscaping to integrate it into a backyard, by including both under one cover, Swimming Pools And Spas provides a much wider-ranging set of discussions than competing titles with narrower focuses - and enable homeowners to contrast and choose between a pool or spa.

2 comments about New Sustainable Homes: Designs for Healthy Living.

1. This is a great book for people who want to build unique, beautiful homes and, at the same time, avoid wasting or damaging our natural resources. It showcases ten different homes (inside and outside) in ten U.S. locations and is beautifully illustrated. It explains how each craftsman used only environment-friendly products.



2. I purchased this book in hopes of finding some solid examples/information on sustainable/green systems for residential projects. With the exception of a couple of projects, the sustainable qualities of these homes are somewhat questionable. Do not expect much technical information.

2 comments about The 1912 and 1915 Gustav Stickley Craftsman Furniture Catalogs.

1. The photography is the old original work, and while it's not up to today's standards it is nice. There are prices for each piece, which is amusing, seeing a $12 price for a table.

   There are measurements for most of the pieces, which is not surprising as the furniture was sold via catalog. There are no plans, this is from a catalog to sell furniture, not plans. But, between the pictures and the measurements you can develop your own plans.

   There is also some history and text pages from Stickley's catalog/magazine.




2. The best candidates for this book are those who have purchased or are planning to purchase a Craftsman-style home; however, that should not exclude those who just want to replicate the style in their decor. Although there are many style characteristics of the Arts & Crafts era that are easily identified, this book sheds light on a wide spectrum of pieces with literal authenticity.

   While not a complete collection (items such as light switch coverplates and heating register covers are not included) these reproductions of Stickley's catalogs are the perfect foundation for those looking to purchase Craftsman-style interior accents.

   If you desire to maintain as much as possible the look of the Arts & Crafts movement in your interior design, this book should definitely be a staple in your library.

2 comments about A Guide to Business Principles and Practices for Interior Designers: Revised Edition.

1. Having a grasp of design is essential in the interior designer's profession, but it is only one element of a successful practice. Grasping the principles of operating a business is equally important. Here, in a newly revised edition of his fourteen-year best-seller, Harry Siegel together with Alan M. Siegel show how to run a design shop smoothly and effectively. The book, the first and most' respected in the field, continues to be a must for all interior designers, architects, space planners, and certainly students.

   Thoroughly updated to reflect current practices and procedures, the book is divided into four parts. In Part 1 the Siegels discuss how to establish an interior design practice. In Part 2 they describe how to carry through a job and charge for it. Included are a new checklist to help the designer handle initial contacts with the client, new descriptions of the use of combinations of fees and allocation of budget amounts, as well as three completely new chapters, Analysis of Scope of Services, Approach to the Flat Fee, and Sales Taxes. Alan M. Siegel, a partner in the law firm of Levy & Sonet, which is legal counsel to the American Society of Interior Designers, Inc., has completely revised the chapter on residential letters of agreement.

   The special requirements of nonresidential work are covered in Part 3. Here too the chapter on letters of agreement has been completely revised by Alan M. Siegel, and the discussion of the designer's responsibilities for purchases has been expanded. In Part 4 the Siegels examine forms, techniques, and special factors including actual examples of the specialized procedural forms used in the design office. The chapter on insurance has been expanded and completely revised, including a discussion of errors and omissions coverage. Also included is a new chapter, The Interior Designer as a Product Designer.

   This book should be required reading for all designers or students, who want reasonable remuneration for their knowledge, flair, and hard work. You can't afford to pass up this valuable professional resource.




2. a very comprehensive overview. Great examples of forms.

2 comments about Remodeling a Bathroom (Build Like A Pro).

1. Remodeling a Bathroom fails at delivering on its title subject...bathroom remodeling. The book's focus is so broad, so wide, as to spend little time talking about things specific to bathrooms, no more than about 10%-15%.
   
   Every other trade skill required to remodel a bathroom gets only a little less coverage. But there are better, much more focused books available specific to framing, plumbing, drywall, electricity, tiling, and trim carpentry. The Taunton Press offers complete and thorough books on these subjects I fully recommend.
   
   Most people will DIY part of the remodel work and subcontract out work they're uncomfortable with or feel unqualified to tackle. Planning the remodel and subcontracting out work get some mention in chapter 1, but far too little.
   
   There's little information on building mud-set showers or shower pans, but considerable information on tiling that shower.
   
   There are chapters devoted to framing, doors and moldings, drywalling, but no mention of removing or refinishing or installing a traditional steel/cast-iron bathtub.
   
   Page 59 illustrates a solderless copper pipe joining system and describes its advantages; It pictures the required electro-hydraulic installation tool, but then goes on to same that this is a system for professional installation only. The same chapter purports to teach copper piping system design and soldering technique on page 56 to 58.
   
   Most of Taunton's "Build Like A Pro" series are really good, but this one misses the mark.



2. I agree with the other reviewer that this book glossed over a lot of things, but I don't find that too big a problem. I've gotten other books on electrical, plumbing, and tiling that fill in a lot of the missing details. What I liked about this book was the top-down project management view it gave, which is helping me strategize what to do when on my bathroom overhaul. I read through it once at the beginning, now I'm part way through the job (demolition done, plumbing roughed in, and subfloor fixed) and still find myself checking back as I get to each next step. That's giving me an idea of what to look out for as I get to each next step (electrical, tub, vanity, and tile), from there I just go to my other books and the internet with my questions....

4 comments about New York Interiors.

1. Ms. Wedekind portrays an interesting cross section of this city's interiors through selected homes and apartments. Unfortunately; she has done little research other than browsing through already published glossy spreads in periodicals. I did not find one interior that had not already been published and was disappointed by this volume after having seen her last on Paris. Hopefully, she will do a little research if she continues this series.



2. This is a wonderful book, showing the range of styles in New York city. It contains many large and magificent pictures, and it is an experience to look though it. Anyone who is interested in interior design would love this book!



3. The forty-two profiled homes featured in this book have at least one thing in common, if only one thing: money. Paragraph-sized introductions relate very basic information about the owners and the homes, while straightforward but revealing photographs are followed-up with some light descriptions.
   
   With the flip of a few pages we go from a 60's psychedelic Fifth Avenue swing-pad to the gritty textures and castle-like feel of a converted factory on Long Island, and it is this type of glaring disparity throughout that is part of this book's strength but more of a weakness.
   
   It's as if the author wished to celebrate the Upper-class abodes in this part of the world, and while the work avoids the homogeny that others in this oeuvre have fallen prey to, one is left with a lingering, indelible question about the interior design of most of these homes: But why? The majority are utterly unlivable ranging from kitsch-heaven to blatant storage receptacles for ill-fitting (if expensive) works of art.
   
   Examples include Brooke Astor's Park Avenue duplex which has an `ungodly-rich-old-granny' flower suffocation theme going, replete with innumerable treasures of art and sculpture; or there's Donald Trump's revoltingly ostentatious gold-dripping suite overlooking Central Park; one Wall-street broker's penthouse has a bench inscribed in large lettering with grade school truisms such as "Killing is unavoidable but nothing to be proud of," amidst a dozen others. The novelty quickly wears thin.
   
   These people, millionaires all, some of them billionaires, have the money to transform almost anything they can conceive into physical reality, and it is quite underwhelming what many of them come up with, indicating a poverty of mind and spirit in many cases. They can afford a Basquiat or Manet but lack the eye of an artist to bestow a sense of proportion or dignity to a room, something not even the contracted architects and designers can give.
   
   Despite these reservations, there are several well-designed rooms in the mix, and a few gems. The best of the lot is Steve Mensch's windowless Manhattan home that has nature sprawling up brick in a large, central courtyard and a sense of guilt-free luxury and calm. For glimpses of a home like this, this book becomes an asset to any library. -Mark Stark



4. This is a review of the 1997 hardcover edition with a view of the living room/studio in the SoHo loft of sculptress Michele Oka Doner on the dustcover. The 42 residences are shown in alphabetical order, divided into two categories, New York City and Outside of New York - not just the city but the state - which includes Jersey City, NJ, and Greenwich, CT. There is a wide range of personal style presented, from the wonderfully chic Parish-Hadley decorated Park Avenue apartment of socialite philanthropist Brooke Astor, to the 2nd Street tenement of Hells Angels leader Steve Bonge which is decorated with old hubcaps, a neo-lined coffin, and a vintage Texaco gas pump. The Ridiculous to the Sublime is represented by Donald Trump's Trump Tower apartment with back-lighted onyx slabs backing fountains of small geysers - yes, behind the living room sofa - and more indiscriminate uses of gold-leaf detailing that you could imagine, to The Sublime illustrated by Bill Blass' Sutton Place apartment with handsome architecture and each object carefully chosen with the greatest sophisticated masculine taste. The translated text is sometimes stilted as well as inaccurate, but the photos are generally of high quality. The over-all Euro feel of the design of the book is more directed to a desire in invoke a stylish effect instead of a book that is comfortable to read, however. Although many would undoubtedly find hearty nuggets of interesting inspiration, this book will probably appeal mostly to New Yorkers.

3 comments about Turning Ornaments And Eggs (A Schiffer Book for Woodworkers).

1. This is a well illustrated book on 3 very popular projects. These are very popular items for gifts and craft sales. The icicle hollow ornament, egg and egg kaleidoscopes take a little technique. There are jigs for holding the eggs described and the techniques are gone into great detail. The tools, finishing and jigs are straight-forward. These are projects that take a beginner to the intermediate level and are very popular. The gallery pictures are inspiring!



2. This is another of Dick Sing's 64 page 'booklets' that examines specific techniques for several projects. In this case the subject is ornaments and egg shapes. As usual Sing provides a great deal of detailed information, and the accompanying photos demonstrate that Sing is a master of making small, finely detailed woodworks. I followed his instructions carefully, and while I have quite a ways to go before I can equal Sing's work, I was able to impress myself. If I keep this up for another 5 years I too will have people beating a path to my door to buy Xmas ornaments. Well, probably not.
   
   The problem with Sing's books isn't in the writing or packaging, but in the sparse quantity of material. You tend not to notice it, because the price of each publication seems reasonable. But if you add up all the of the volumes of Sing's work that Schiffer has published you will find that the price is stiffer than you thought. It would be nice if all of these thin paperbacks were combined into one volume. So I'm in the same bind I always am with these books a 5 for quality of content, but a 3 for quantity of content.



3. Dick Sing has done it again. This stuff is fun to learn and even more fun to turn. It's nice to have this kind of stuff around the house sitting on tables etc.
   
   GET BUSY.

5 comments about Cranes and Derricks.

1. I found this book most informative towards my work on heavy lift planning. It discusses in depth various aspects of lift planning and crane selection. However, a more detailed discussion on planning on congested sites would have been useful



2. Well written, using language easily understood by the average technical reader with an interest in the field ( unlike many engineering tomes in my experience ). Also unlike many texts, proofreading and editing are skilled and thorough. Shapiro ackowledges in the preface to the first edition the roles of his co-author sons as "militant proponents of the clearly expressed thought". The success of that effort is obvious.

   A very balanced presentation with generous references to actual experience, practical examples, some theory, and lots of photos and illustrations. The authors' subtle humor makes the normally dry genre very readable.

   I was disappointed learning it is currently out of print and am hopeful of a future reprinting so I won't have to keep borrowing my boss' copy !




3. Good overall technical writting,
   lots of fully worked mathematical
   examples. Only book like it available
   in print today.



4. This book is a must have for anyone in the crane industry, I train crane operators and the information is an invaluable resource which covers all aspects of cranage. It is well set out and concise, it covers everthing from basic safety principles through to complex engineering solutions. Save yourself some money in the long run by owning this book & teaching your operators and planners from the lessons learned by these guys. Your equipment will be preserved & costly mishaps will be avoided.



5. The book would be of great value in the design and engineering of cranes and derricks, but is a little cumbersome and is of little use to the men and women in the field who must use this equipment on a day to day basis. I had planned to use it as an educational resource to teach construction site personnel on the general use and safety of cranes, but it was not written for this purpose.

1 comments about Foodservice Organizations: A Managerial and Systems Approach (5th Edition).

1. Need text for course, but actually interesting content. Would recommend to those going into food service/management.