5 comments about Scroll Saw Workbook: Learn to Use Your Scroll Saw in 25 Skill-Building Chapters.

1. i am still waiting for the book to arrive. where is it?



2. Good book for the money. If you are new to the scroll saw this book is just what you will need to get started.



3. I've wanted to learn how to use a scroll saw and I wasn't sure what to look for or how hard it would be to use. I don't have one yet but wanted to find out all that I could before I puchase one. I actually checked this book out at the library first to see if it would be worth while to buy it, and I haven't been able to set it down. My dad is pretty good in woodworking and I showed him this book and he agreed that it is a really good instructional book. The author makes you feel confident in doing the exercises. He also explains about the different scroll saws and what to look for in a scroll saw. It also explains the different types of blades, wood, and material that can be used. Then it gives different exercises to do, starting with the beginner and if you make a mistake the different ways to fix it. I will definately buy this book, it will be an excellent reference.



4. The book contained good example patterns to explain what I should be doing. The book's intended audience is the novice.



5. I just got my first scroll saw and then a few days later I got this book. It is SO much better than the instructions that came with the saw!!
   I highly recommend this to any one new or considering purchasing a scroll saw...Even better if you don't have one as they describe what to look for in a scroll saw when shopping. Good lessons in here too !!

No comments about Kick the Clutter: Clear Out Excess Stuff Without Losing What You Love.

4 comments about Estimating in Building Construction (6th Edition).

1. Excellent condition, great price and arrived just in time as promised. Great deal compared with my university's bookstore.



2. Yes this book contains just about every material involved in building a structure and has many formulas to figure out anything you could possibly imagine, from materials to labor. The downfall is in the review questions and exercises dealing with the provided blueprints, which are very vague and difficult to interpret, thus making any of your estimating practice next to useless. There's got to be a better book out there...



3. I highly recommend this book for preliminary education on the art of construction estimating. The book is clear, concise, and extremely well illustrated.



4. The chapters, which roughly correspond to the CSI format, was a good structure. The coverage of each of the topics was competent and understandable.
   
   Lacking was analysis of labor productivity which is usually the largest cost determinant for most line items. The discussion of profit caluclation was divorced from the real world - the actual calculation method is as detailed as calculation as any other line item.
   
   Some discusion of conceptual or rough order of magnitude estmating would have been helpful. This skill is used to determine if a project is worth bidding, so must be discussed a little.Choosing Project Success - A Guide for Building Professionals

4 comments about Cabin in the Woods.

1. Will someone please beat this man with a stick and take away his yellow filter and indian blankets. All the outdoor photo's are very nice and clear. All the interior shots would leave one to believe every cabin or rustic home is lit by yellow lamps, and has a colorfull blanket draped in every room. Enough already. I have all his books and do enjoy the homes and cabins, but am sick of his constant use of yellow filters. Like having to much cleavage showing, no one wants to tell that person. Someone please tell this man his yellow cleavage is showing. Without the filter his book deserves a 5.



2. Wow! I loved this book. The pictures are the best yet in a Kylloe book. The architecture captured therein is amazing! I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the evolution of rustic architecture and the speed with which it is developing, just by perusing Ralph Kylloe's books over the last several years.
   
   First, a note about the dimensions of the book itself. It is only about half the size of previous Kylloe works. His books are usually the size of coffee table tomes, but this one is much more manageably small, and I have found myself pulling it out and looking at it much more.
   
   My favorite cabin in this book is the Copper Cabin. I have seen this cabin featured in two magazine articles and was impressed the first time I saw it reviewed. But the photography used in Cabin in the Woods to highlight this cabin is breathtaking. It is a small cabin, and in my favorite picture, Kylloe shows it overlooking a Montana mountain range. This particular effect highlighted the beauty of the design while also setting it perfectly within the Yellowstone Club in Montana where the cabin is located.
   
   Great book, Mr. Kylloe! I hope there are still more ideas in your head yearning to be published!!!



3. Many thanks for stocking Cabin In The Woods. Amazon has it together as buyers can find books and music CDs to match or dreams. Author Ralph Kylloe has done it again for us dreaming of a rustic cabin hide away in the woods. The photos in the book are great as you get to see how others designed and furnished their cabin hide aways. The key to Kylloe's books is that he foucuses on the rustic wonders of living in a cabin. He's also an expert in natural furniture that goes so well in these rustic cabin settings. Keep up the good work Amazon. Your the greatest.



4. Visually stunning tour of wilderness get away's. The selection was excellent. One can only dream about owning any of these cabins.

5 comments about Log Construction Manual: The Ultimate Guide to Building Handcrafted Log Homes.

1. I own every book, set of DVD's and video tapes on how to build handcrafted log homes. The information that Robert has put into this book takes all the mystery away that all the others will leave you with. Some say it's too technical, but it really isn't. It is very concise and to the point. It is step by step from start to finish. No other book on log building says very much about sill logs. This is one of those mysteries the other books leave with you. It's a sure bet that you will ruin thousands of dollars worth of logs if you don't have this book by your side. Bottom line is, if you just want a library of books on log building, buy all the others. If you are really building a "Handcrafted Log Home" this book is a must! You'll be sorry without it.



2. I bought this book for my dad for Christmas. He's planning to build his own cabin, so this has tons of information for him in the planning stages.



3. I purchased this book to help me learn about building a log cabin. This is a very comprehensive and detailed book for the do it yourself log home builder. After reading most of this book, we decided not to build a log home because of the work involved. In that respect, it was money well spent. I gave it 5 stars because of the technicality of this book. The author does seem very knowledgeable, and this book would help someone who is hand selecting each log and not using a log home kit.



4. Wether you are restoring an historic log cabin or building a new one from scratch, this wonderfully illustrated book really helps you to understand what is inovoved in log home construction. Understanding the basics can also be helpful in planning restoration of existing log cabins. This book is a must read.



5. I read and re-read this fine work, incorporating its ideas and experience into the design and construction of my own home in the Alaskan wilderness. It is an excellent help for any contractor and builder.

3 comments about The Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs (Consumer Reports: You Need to Know).

1. This book covers the basics of what consumers need to know to reduce their utility bills and reduce their consumption of Greenhouse Gases. The one section that is outdated refers to heating your house using cord wood. Please do not cut down trees and burn them to heat your house! Trees are the one carbon-capture technology that actually exists, everything else is smoke-and-mirrors. We need trees to help clean up the mess we are making of the environment!



2. This is an excellent and complete overview to the improvements you can make in your home to make it more comfortable and more energy efficient. By following it's advice, you can improve your efficiency by up to 30% - depending on the age and condition your home is - I've personally experienced 27% savings on a 2800 sq ft home built in 1989. This has been a hobby and passion of mine for over a year, I've used various resources on the Internet. This one book covers all the topics I've discovered elsewhere, educates the issues well, instructs how to make the efficiency changes based on expert experience, all in a layman's language that's easy to understand and follow. I wish they would have published it a year ago - would have saved me significant amount of time that I've spent researching and learning the hard way.



3. This is a great comprehensive guide. But if you're already energy conscious, there's not much new in this publication. For the general homeowner, it's definitely a must-have. Here are the most significant facts: new window replacements don't usually pay for themselves; CFL bulbs save a ton of energy and reduce carbon emissions at a low cost; front load washers save water but not much energy; your home loses energy through electrical outlets and switches; central cooling and heating is most efficient (don't use space heaters); and upgrading your central a/c and heater may be economical.

4 comments about Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series).

1. The text is well-written and can appeal to a wide audience. It's simple enough to understand for those without a great deal of knowledge in sustainable design, yet interesting and usefull enough for the professional who's more trained in sustainability. The text covers sustainable homes in a logical order, first stressing the foundation concepts like siting, orientation, passive solar, and building envelope efficiency, BEFORE moving on to less critical (but more popular) topics such as green materials.
   
   I am a professor of Environmental Design and am currently building a passive solar, zero-energy home, and if I were to write a text that comprises the whole of the process and goals in sustainable home building, the format and breadth of topics would be similar to this book.
   
   One negative of the book is the absence of color images to illustrate some points. The simple line drawings get the point across, but photos might have a better impact - especailly in sections discussing more advanced systems such as renewable energy systems or rainwater catchment systems.



2. This book was a overview/introduction to building a green home. Should be a must read for builders and anyone planning on building a new home. Not all strategies will work for every situation, but there's lots here that would apply for any situation or budget.



3. I am an interior designer and work for an architectural firm. Because of the information I have learned thru my education and professional experience, I found very little new information in this book. If you have no knowledge of green building practices, this book would be beneficial.



4. I thought this was a good primer on the subject and got several helpful tips. While I already knew a lot of the material, nevertheless It inspired me to make some changes in my own home.
   
   I was also inspired by The House That Faux Built which showed how to give your home a facelift without ripping things out (and filling the landfills) It showed me how to paint and plaster over cabinets, tiles and floors for a complete update. the 2 books together made a big difference.

5 comments about Building the Timber Frame House: The Revival of a Forgotten Art.

1. I have read all the major timber frame books on the market, including both titles from Jack Sobon. Benson's book is packed with information on how to build a timber frame and has an index in the back that allows one to figure out what size timber is needed. This book is one of, if not, the best on this subject.



2. The details on this are excellent. Sketches, plans, perspectives, maths, tables, formulas, theory, you have it all. All graphics hand-drawn! Each joint has a photo, a drawing and cutting details and dimensions. Focused too: nothing outside the scope of the *classic* timber frame.



3. My husband loves this book. He said he has learned so much and that this was the best book to learn how to build a timber frame house by.



4. If you are expecting a book full of glossy sharp pictures, this is not the one to buy.A lot of drawings and BW pictures that inform what they need to. This is a very good manual for those who want to venture in a timber frame project.



5. My friend is a master carpenter and he saw this book at a recent trip to Hanford Mills museum.
   He is an avid reader and loved the book so much that I am inclined to read it as well!! Enjoy.

4 comments about Building Stairs (For Pros by Pros).

1. This book covers every aspect of stair building very thoroughly. Some of the topics covered are both open & housed stair construction, winders, handrailing, & exterior stairs. Much attention is paid to detail. There are literally hundreds of excellent photos & clear, concise drawings. The text is easy to follow & along the way the author shares plenty of tips & techniques for building beautiful, durable stairs. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned carpenter, you'll find plenty of good information here. A great addition to my library!



2. A nicely organized and well laid-out manual that covers everything from stairbuilding basics up to complex railing and finishing details. Written in an easy-to-read casual tone with clear photos and drawings, helpful sidebars and useful appendices. Definitely recommended.



3. This is truly a well-written book on how to build stairs! Mr. Engel explores every aspect of stairbuilding and describes each step in the process in great detail. I highly recommend this book for the novice and the expert, alike. There's always something new to be learned by any of us and this book is chock full of new and interesting methods and tips on how one can build a stair the right way and without error! Well worth the price to purchase!



4. I am a serious DIYer, and when I decided to tackle a stair construction project in a two-story addition, I looked through my collection of books, downloaded stair building codes, and found whatever else I could on the internet. I also had back issues of Fine Homebuilding Magazine, where I found various articles, including the March 1998 issue which has an article by Mr. Engel, "Bulding Finish Stairs." Despite having these resources, I still lacked the confidence to tackle the project, and I wanted a better book. I bought this book based on the excellent reviews, and I haven't been disappointed. If you need to build some stairs, indoor or outdoor, this book has everything you need to start the job, provided you already own a shop full of tools and know how to use them. The book fully explains the trade-offs between various types of construction and details how to accomplish the job with illustrated clearly-written text. As an example, I located a local source for engineered stringer lumber after going to a URL listed in the book. I had some initial confusion as to whether I should buy this book since there is another book by almost the same name, "Building Stairs (For Pros by Pros) by Fine Homebuilding Editors", that received horrible reviews. That book appears to be a loose collection of former Fine Homebuilding articles, including the previously mentioned March 1998 article. I have a collection of similar books from Fine Homebuilding, and they are of somewhat limited value.

4 comments about Bazaar Style: Decorating With Market and Vintage Finds.

1. I love this look and find it a fun and easy way to decorate, HOWEVER, I caution those less adventurous folks to find a more mainstream book for reference. This book focuses on the flea market, ethnic look which is not a look based on balance or anything cohesive...it's an "anything goes" kind of look which is perfect if you are just starting out and trying to put a home together with odds and ends available to you from friends and family. Since I am a huge garage sale, antique mall or tag sale fan, I love seeing how these type of things can be show-cased to look fun and stylish. Since my style is a mix of this bohemian style with antiques and newer, modern furnishings and accessories mixed in, I find it a good point of reference when I'm looking for new and fresh ideas.
   
   This is a wonderful book to spark some creativity and make your imagination run wild!



2. I never write reviews, but this book is just fantastic!
   I love unique and different things with lots of color, so this book is very helpful. I can use the things I have for a vibrant fun filled home.
   If you are an avid flea market, rummage sale, & import store shopper, you are going to really enjoy this!



3. Although the book itself is beautifully produced and photographed, the 'style' gives Eclectic a bad name. Even the most avant-garde professional designers know that the eye needs someplace to rest. "Calm" and "rest" don't appear here.



4. I¨m not a vintage/fleamarket style person when it comes to interiors, but it's refreshing to see that personal and unique homes can be created without a lot of money. A lot of ideas can be picked up here. You don't have to have a home that's entirely Bazaar/vintage style, but quite a lot of us do have a piece or two that can come to use in our home and make it our own. A lot of pictures - a book that gives you value for money.