5 comments about Handyman In-Your-Pocket.

1. This book is not what I expected. I saw it advertised in a newspaper for a good gift idea for a new homeowner. I thought it was a "how to" book for things around the house. I got two for my grandsons. But it is a very technical book; some of the topics it covers in the index are, Anchors, Belts, Pulleys and Gears; drafting symbols etc. and etc. I think it is for an engineer.



2. The "handyman" must be an engineer and you need to be one too! I was really disappointed as I was hoping for a "how to" manual. The are literally hundreds and hundreds of tables of, for me, totally useless numbers and specs. I don't even have any friends who might find this level of technical detail useful that I could give the book to. This is NOT the resource for your everyday handyman/woman.



3. This book provides the many little used or remembered variables to get projects completed correctly. Going to provide irrigation for your green house 118 feet out in your back yard? This book lets you know the friction losses of various types of water pipe you might use so that you end up with a stream instead of a trickle.
   Got 6/12 roof meeting a 10/12 and need to know how to use that combination square to get the right cut? This book has it. As Chuck Yeager says, don't wait for trouble; look it up and get it right the first time. A few bucks for this helpful little book can save you big in the long run.



4. We own a professional handyman service in Scottsdale, AZ and thought this might be handy to keep in the trucks. However, the information in this book is so technical, it is of no real use on a day-to-day basis. If you need to know (and even know that you need to know) the distance across squares and hexagons OR Maximum Horizontal Roof Rafter Spans, then this is the book for you. Otherwise stick to the practical books you can get at Home Depot or Lowes.



5. Thought it a real handyman's book that give a rule of thumb in simple tasks. It consists of pages upon pages of screw sizes and other very useless info. Buy for reference in regards to what size of this comes in, but for assistance in actual installation it's a big O.

5 comments about The Table Saw Book: Completely Revised and Updated.

1. This book is simply excellent. I can't say enough about it. The one slight negative thing I could say is that the last chapter does not read as well as the rest of the book. Reading the last chapter you almost get the impression that it is written by a different person or that they felt they were rushed and didn't do as good as the rest of the book.
   
   Overall though I just cannot believe how this book reads so well, easy, straight forward, no nonsense. I wish more books were like this.



2. The Table Saw Book was a great book to read as I began to get into doing some basic woodworking. It was extremely clear and an easy read. However, I found the information very good and on a level that I could understand. I would recommend to anyone who is just getting started in woodworking to read this book first. You will find that you refer back to it time and again.



3. After reading all of the positive reviews, I was a bit disappointed after securing my copy of Mehler's Table Saw Book. Maybe my expectations were a little high, but I was left wanting more. I was hoping for something similar to Hylton's Woodworking with the Router.
   
   The first two chapters (Introduction to and Buying a Table Saw) can be completely skipped by anybody who already owns or is familiar with a table saw. I felt Mehler spent WAY too much time touting European saws. These pages would've been much more useful on topics more relevant to most of us. I also wasn't particularly impressed with the Crosscutting chapter.
   
   On the bright side, the book does contain some valuable information. The chapter on Safety is excellent. Mehler also consists of some good tips on maintaining your table saw. I liked the chapter on cutting various joints. Lastly, the book includes very good color photos and black-and-white diagrams.
   
   Pros: Cheap, good newbie information, alignment and maintenance tips
   Cons: Too much pre-buying info, infatuation with Euro saws
   
   Recommendation: If new to table saws, this book is great. However, for experienced woodworkers, I'd look elsewhere.



4. While the box covers the basics of a table saw, I was expecting a broader section on the design of jigs for use with a table saw. The jigs provided, however, are the basic ones commonly used.



5. I found this book very disappointing. As others have pointed out he's very dismissive of anything other than top of the line equipment and he's nearly obsessed with "European" saws. I feel certain that many people buying this book are like me and have already purchased a mid-level "American" saw. It really doesn't help me to tell me over and over that I've wasted my money on a piece of garbage and then sing the praises of expensive equipment I can't afford. I really get the idea that he feels that if you can't afford a $3000 saw using $200 blades and a thousand dollars worth of dust removal equipment you're just throwing your money away. This teaches me nothing about how to make the best use of what I have.
   
   I was also put off by his dismissal of working with plywood and would have liked some more examples helpful to those of us who aren't master carpenters working with unlimited funds.
   
   I guess I should have saved my money (and taken out a second mortgage) for a better saw instead of getting this book.

5 comments about Habitat for Humanity How to Build a House Revised & Updated(Habitat for Humanity).

1. I am a complete novice and therefore I have looked at many books. Three things stood out about this book that I did not see anywhere else:
   1. It has a cookbook approach. After looking at other books I was not completely clear when in time to do what task. This book arranges all the tasks in the chronological order. That facilitated for grasping the whole process mentally before beginning to build.
   2. This book is exceptionally lucid, it is written in an unhurried language. The author has a gift for explanation.
   3. Finally, this book is inspirational. It is more than a house building it aims to teach - it teaches building a home as a small step toward betterment of the world.



2. This soft-covered manual provides a remarkably concise overview of the elements of home building from A to Z. I have been a weekly construction volunteer with Habitat for 5 1/2 years, so this book is particularly appropriate and useful. Don't expect any coverage of plumbing or electrical work, but the remaining trades are very well done. Foundations, floor systems, walls and roofs are all covered, explained well, and accompanied by good pictures. For non-Habitat purposes, there are ample applications that can benefit from this book. These would include shed construction, decks, door and sindow installations, etc. There are many other books that deal directly with projects such as decks, but this text is definitely helpful as an overview of home construction.



3. Excellent book to help beginners understand to 'How Tos" of house building.



4. As a shop teacher I looked forward to receiving this book both from a practical sense, but also from a academic sense.
   
   You could practically build or do a remodel of an existing home with this book. Nice step-by-step processes and with good supporting pictures.
   
   There is information for the season contractor, builder as well as superb information for a 1st timer.
   
   With some basic building and tool knowledge a person could build a simple building or at the least be informed as to how to guide others in the process.
   
   Highly recommend



5. Even if you're not building homes for Habitat for Humanity, the processes, hints and reference material from this book will help you build your own, add on or simply unravel the confusion of house building. I DO work for Habitat for Humanity and this book has been by my side for 8 of my 15 builds. It's one of the three references that I recommend to any of my new project leads. It's geared for the inexperienced volunteer not the professional. Don't build a home without it.

5 comments about Simplified Engineering for Architects and Builders.

1. This Book is excellent. easy to read and understand. this book has given me all the info i needed and then some. i highly reccommend this book!!



2. The book explains the fundamentals of structural analysis well, mainly statically determinate structures. The book also covers design fundamentals for various materials, mainly: wood, steel, concrete and masonry.
   
   I used an earlier version of this book many years ago, as an introductory book. The book is good for the beginner.



3. GOOD: The book does an excellent job presenting steel concepts and is adequate in concrete.
   
   POOR: As an instructor for structures courses for architects, this book is simply disastrous. The wood section, also, is incomplete. Errors run rampant through the book's text, examples, and problem solutions through the book. Even within the same edition, book answers can vary book to book. Furthermore, current methods are mixed with the old leading to an incorrect presentation of the subject matter. In short, this book falls far short of the reputation which preceded it.



4. The book's title claims to be simplified engineering for architects and builders, members of the latter group often having no engineering training. As such, I expected the book to cover key structural and other building engineering issues in engineering terms in an appropriate tutorial format. Instead, the book is a collection of reference materials, distilled down. I majored in EE in college and took several semesters of static and dynamic engineering courses, and still had problems with this book because of the lack of contextual information to the presentation. This book does not at all deliver on the goal defined by its title.



5. This book is very helpful in clearly understanding the process of sizing materials for construction. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Decorative Concrete (Sunset).

1. I've purchased other books on decorative concrete, but this is the first one that I think is worth what I paid! It has excellent discussions of different techniques and materials, something that other books lacked. And, since they are not promoting some specific product, they provide information about products that are not as expensive as some of the systems that are being sold. The pictures are not as detailed as would be helpful on some pages, but that is a minor issue. There are enough step by step instructions to make it possible to do projects from the book as you learn the techniques. I highly recommend it.



2. Just purchased a home with painted concrete countertops and wanted to learn more. Lots of pictures and information on how to start outdoor and indoor projects. I don't know if it is quite detailed enough for doing your own countertops but lots of pix and ideas for someone interested in the subject. Gave me the information I was looking for in expanding the use of concrete into other parts of my home and garden.



3. This author really helps those who want to "Do It Yourself" or gives outstanding examples and ideas. We used this as a resourse
   guide and by trial and error ( as the book states ) have successfully updated our exterior, interior flooring, kitchen/bath
   countertops and sinks to model home quality for pennies on the dollar.



4. This book was great! It has all the necessary information needed for making stepping stones and other neat projects, including types of cement and sand and stuff needed for those projects. A must have!!



5. I bought this book in conjunction with another book so I wasn't really expecting it to be very detailed. What this book does for me is offer a lot of ideas with great pictures and some steps to achieving the end result. If you've ever read a more detailed step-by-step book and then you read this book you'll see that this book leaves out a lot of detail but it does serve as a good book for concrete project ideas and works great in conjunction with other more detail material on working with concrete.

5 comments about Mortgages For Dummies, 2nd Edition.

1. As a first-time homebuyer, I was looking for some in-depth knowledge of mortgages. This wasn't it. It gave a very broad overview and told me very little that I didn't already know. It is fine for the true dummies out there.



2. This book saved me about $22,000 when I purchased my house. It prepared me to know what to look for and what to ask for when searching for a mortgage! I had purchased the home buying for dummies book and while reading that I learned I needed to know so much more about the financing aspect. Since it was my first home purchase I was clueless. This book walked me through and helped me discover what my personal needs were. I found my dream house, a perfect fit mortgage, and closed all in 2 weeks. AMAZING!



3. Very well written... useful not only for mortgage shoppers but also for professionals working in fields related to Financial Services!



4. The book touches on the very basics of buying a home. Lots of industry terms defined - this solves a communication barrier to often seen in this industry. Often times, some lenders forget to check the literacy of there clients and breeze through the whole process without defining some key terms. With this book, loan officers/brokers/agents and clients are on the same page.
   
   First time buyers who read this book will feel a little more confident, especially with reading articles and books pertaining to buying/investing in a home.



5. I learned nothing from this book that I didn't already know. After talking with friends and family and finding a good mortgage banker I trusted, I knew what I needed to. I was very disappointed in it!

5 comments about Growing Up Again - Second Edition: Parenting Ourselves, Parenting Our Children.

1. This book is meant for those that need help to see what they are missing in their life and how that relates to how they parent. I like how they have redone the entire book and still kept the same excellent content. This a workbook type study manuel and it is worth getting. So many parents didn't have superior parenting and this helps fill in the gaps without making the parent feel worthless or stupid.



2. I picked up this book before having our first child thinking I would get some insights into how to raise our daughter. What I found was that the book was really for me. Through it, I learned about how I have some of the same needs as children--needs like recognition, feeling valued, loved for who I am, unconditionally.
   
   What's more,it helped me understand better what my needs really are and how to get them met by myself and from others who love me. Most importantly I learned that in order to parent my daugther the I way I want her to grow up, I needed to parent myself and make sure my actions are congruent with my what I want for her. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to create a solid, loving, nurturing environment for themselves and their children.



3. This is the single best guide for parenting ever developed. As a retired school counselor, I continue to use this material when working with parents wanting assurance they are doing the best parenting possible.



4. I have used this book for parenting groups, for high school students studying human development, and for individual parents trying to understand how their parenting styles affect children's behaviors. Two illuminating charts illustrate 6 parenting styles for care & nurture, and for providing structure. One of my favorite features is an "Ages & Stages" section in the appendix. Each stage roughly correlates to Erik Erickson's stage theory and outlines the developmental tasks for that stage, a list of helpful as well as harmful parenting behaviors, signs that the stage may not have been successfully completed and ideas for "re-parenting" yourself to revisit that stage. People cannot help but come away from this books with new insights into their own behaviors -- in parenting their own children or reflecting on how they were parented. The writing is engaging, not pompous or stiff. I'm a family therapist, and this is one of my favorite books -- one that I frequently recommend to parents.



5. This excellent guidebook promotes respectful relationships! It contains both affirmations and explanations of hurtful interpersonal behaviors. Parents and teachers will become more skillful as they realize the importance of providing both realistic expectations (nurture) and sturdy boundaries (structure).

5 comments about Metal Fabricator's Handbook.

1. This book is a good start for those wanting to know more about metal fabrication. Author sells alot of the handtools he mentions in the book. Lots of good info.



2. This book was written in the early eighties, and it shows. There is some valuable information, but it is aimed at the sheet metal shaping world- for instance, how to put compound curves into metal.
   
   Some of the information is fairly folkloric.



3. This book paid for itself at page 3 and has continued to do so ever since. Why no 5 star rating well its because I cant afford some of the equipment and he provides no poor mans alternative.



4. My purpose for ordering this book was to gain the knowledge of how to do this type of work. While the "how to" is limited, the advantage to me is to learn what can be done and this book covers this well. Overall, I am pleased that I ordered it.
   The delivery time was short and the condition of the book was excellent.
   Thanks;
   Dennis Osborn



5. I never saw someone doing this job before, so, I could'nt understand all the procedures the author explained. The fotos are dark and hard to see. I will try another one.

5 comments about A Splintered History of Wood: Belt Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers, and Baseball Bats.

1. I noticed this book in the new release section of my local bookstore and picked it up to take a look-see and I am glad that I did! This book truly was a fun and enjoyable read. It is broken down into chapters that talk about different types of wood, it's uses and qualities which turn out to be infinitely varied and really interesting. And just as interesting are the stories of the people, the cultures and even the author who we get to learn about in this book. I really enjoyed picking this book up learning about table sander races, maple bats, how Venice was built, bow and arrows, mysteries and miracles.
   
   I am not a wood worker and before I read this book I would never have thought to have listed "wood" as a hobby or interest but after reading this I realize we all are. And I already caught myself looking at the wood of my cello which I don't think I had ever done before and thought about the chopsticks I used last night. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys "characters" because this book is full of them- the people and the wood kind. The book is conversational and you read it that way; you also learn a few things along the way. Whether you are wood worker or just a curious kind of person.



2. 
   This is a book about wood that will amaze you, inform you, make you wise and make you laugh. Where else, between two covers could you hope to learn about the history of the catapult, the worlds largest wooden airplane, a model city built of 2 million toothpicks, how a grand piano is made, the world championship belt sander races, and much, much more. On top of that you will get more solid, well-informed information about wood and trees than you ever thought you'd want to know. And you'll keep reading right to the end because it's beautifully and smoothly written and great fun throughout.



3. Because this book is as much about people as it is about wood it's incredibly readable -- and funny. The author got out from behind the desk and got into the stories as much as possible and shares self-effacing tales along the way.
   
   The book is set-up as individual essays so readers can pick and choose where to start. I was drawn to the one on Jimmy Carter and how wood forensics helps to solve crimes.
   
   It's good for the Cliffy Claven in your life as well as the public radio essay listener looking for a human lesson behind the facts.



4. This is a book on a huge topic, and thus not easy to review. It is sparingly illustrated, mostly with B&W photographs, which come across moderately well as they are printed at an adequate size.
   
   It covers an admirable breadth of material, and it reads very well, moving right along, in a chatty tone (it is a very American book). Not sure about the depth, in a few cases it was very noticeable that the writer had missed out on the best half of the story he was telling.
   
   I see no reason why this should not be very popular with the American woodworker, or person with an interest in wood.



5. Spike Carlsen took a topic that could have been as exciting as, well watching wood grow, carved it into a well written story, with lots of humor and tales of how us humans---our very society itself---would not, could not be the same as it is today without this precious resource. This book, and the folks in it (and their unique personalities), and the woods themselves (each exotic specimen having its own incomparable story) is written with the same reverence an author would bring to a well researched and documented historical novel. He explains in exquisite, easy to read detail why certain woods are used for specific applications and how highly skilled craftsmen produce one of a kind pieces, which because they are made from material that were once alive, have taken on a life of their own. Great book I know will enjoy as much as I have!

5 comments about The Cure: Heal Your Body, Save Your Life.

1. After seeing Dr. Brantley appear on Oprah and Montel Williams, I was intrigued to get his book and understand more of his philosophy. I wasn't able to write fast enough and digest it while he was on the talk shows ! This is a very easy to read informative guide for healthy life changes.He tells you exactly what foods to eat and why and also how to obtain them. That's why it would be like attending a conference with Dr. Brantley, except missing the questions and answers.I didn't want to put it down and plan to be in his audience one day .



2. Easy to read and follow (read in 3 days) I found this book accidentally (library search - health, detox, etc) & ended up buying it right away. I was sick of feeling sick and tired all the time. Much of what he writes about a friend and former colleague of mine (pharmacist, naturalist, and nutritionist - I know what a combo, couldn't decide what she wanted to be when she grew up) taught me many of the things (sprouted nuts, processed foods & the effects, etc) I have been sharing with friends. It is not easy to break old habits that have been engrained since birth so I am not saying it will be easy but if you are committed to be healthy and feeling better, stick to it, take it slow so you make it a part of your daily routines you will see a difference. I saw the other reviews that talk about him promoting his products. Oh course he will tell you about his products, they are a part of the program. But he also tells you in the text that you can get similar herbal products from natural foods stores. I went on his web site (there's all kinds of free info, health evaluations, suggestions, recipes, etc) I emailed a question about a product I recently saw and the very same day someone called me back!!! This has never happened before. They genuinely seem to care and did not push any products or try to sell me anything.



3. Reading this book changed my life. I wondered why I hadn't read it sooner. It is very well written and I think that everyone in America should read it. Even if you don't change your diet, at least, everything you put in your mouth, you are doing so, informed. I changed my diet about half way through and went totally raw. Which is not recommended, and I may have had an easier time of it had I done as suggested. But, my vision has improved, I have much more energy, I don't get sick. I feel more connected with nature and actually, this is what my body has been waiting for, for 32 years.



4. I saw him on the Rachel Ray show and so I bought the book. It did have some good info. in the book but, in my opinion it it just unreasonable to follow "the program" for anyone who has a family or a life in general.



5. After seeing this book on TV, I searched for it online. It has some great things in it.