2 comments about Construction Project Management: A Practical Guide to Field Construction Management.

1. this book is instructive!



2. I recommend this book for its full coverage on all the aspects of construction management, approaching the real field problems, solutions, tips and the very well explained example that is built chapter by chapter.
   
   Theory and practice merge in a very palatable way. Any one who read it carefully, may become a consultant on Construction Management.

5 comments about Home Decorating for Dummies.

1. Good,Solid advice on actually decorating your home instead of fatasizing about the unaffordable and unattainable. I found a lot of helpful information to get me through each stage of a project. I really liked the way the authors wrote...very down-to-earth and freindly, unintimidating and real. I only wish there were loads of pretty pictures too!



2. Like all the "handbook for Dummies" series, this is good, basic, straight forward information for the novice, written in a very friendly, unintimidating style.



3. After checking out many books from the library and pouring over glossy photos of rooms as large as my whole house, I felt more discouraged than inspired. If you can get past the name of this series of books, this particular "Dummy" book has all the same information about interior design as the books that cost three times as much. Get those out of the library and look at the photos for free. There are only a few photos of rooms in this book. It is mostly just the basics of what you need to understand very basic interior design concepts. Is everyone but me living in a house with 12 foot ceilings, rooms that are 400 square feet and windows looking out on the ocean!



4. This book isn't bad at all. I find myself picking it up when I'm trying to watch t.v. It has pretty good details about different things...fabrics, lighting, flooring, walls, etc. As another review stated, 'I wish it had more pictures', and I also wish it were longer. I really don't think it could have had any more detail though. It's well worth the money, no doubt. My next book will be "remodeling for dummies"....



5. This is trash! These two "writers" don't know anything but copying other designers... and they can't even get that right! Don't buy this book unless you want to be truly uninspired.

No comments about Santa Barbara Living.

5 comments about Horses Don't Lie: What Horses Teach Us About Our Natural Capacity for Awareness, Confidence, Courage, and Trust.

1. A friend and fellow horse lover loaned me this book. I found that as I read it I learned more about my equine partners. Being a trainer, horsemanship instructor for people and certified in equine assisted psychotherapy, I am always trying to learn more about horses, people and the interactions between them. I found this book helpful especially in understanding some of the confidence and fear issues that my clients have when it comes to working with their horses. It is not always easy to empathize with them when you have never experienced these same issues. This book gave me a deeper perspective and awareness when it comes to working with both horses and their owners.
   
   I think every new horse owner should read this book before they buy a horse, because there is a lot more to horse ownership than getting the horse to do things physically so that you can ride them. There are plenty of books about the physical and mechanical aspects of training, however many leave out the mental and emotional stablility of the horse and rider. This book is a nice bridge to fill that gap, because it helps us understand how the horse thinks, and why he does what he does.
   
   Thank you Chris for sharing your experiences and insight about the psychology of horses and how they can make us more aware of our own issues. I have quoted from this book in the equine psychology classes that I teach my students.



2. This book presented good insight into the horse/human bond and the understanding that can occur between the two. It was helpful especially in the presentation of the point of view of the horse as a prey animal. The author is particularly aware of this viewpoint as he deals with horses and is able to make it clear to the reader. He is amazed, as we are when we read his accounts, of the unusual trust that the horse has in humans, since we are predators. I found that this point of view stuck with me as I worked with my horses after I read the book. I found myself more aware and grateful to my horses for their trust.



3. I'm sure that the author is a great horse person. However, I never got the relationship between horse traits and our traits. Yes, horsses teach us patience, awareness and leadership. However, there are not a number of examples that demonstrate how that happens in the author's experience. The book rambles. The author speaks mostly in generaalites. Interwoven is the facts of Irwin's life with horses. I work with horses. I've read many "Horse" books. This is not one I'd recommend.



4. As a horse person,riding instructor, and seeker, I was happy to see a man writing about his journey. Everything he spoke of, I have experienced with horses. It was good to have it in words.



5. This book is not a "new age" feel good book. It doesn't only tell you about why horses are good therapists for those of us who are hooked on horses. It talks about training issues that arise because Man is a Predator, and horses are Prey animals. Our "language" toward them is always naturally predatorial! We are SO rude!! It gives you a lot to think about.

5 comments about A Roof Cutter's Secrets to Framing the Custom Home.

1. This is the best book currently available on roof cutting. It is enhanced through the authors extensive experience and inspirational passion for his craft. It is written for those who already have an understanding of framing and would like to grow in their knowledge. The layout makes it an easy to use quick reference guide for the particular aspects one might wish to inform themselves about on any given day.
   I was impressed and encouraged by Will Holladay after purchasing his book. He showed me the joy, the satisfaction, and the excellence that can be achieved by doing what one was created to do.



2. This book really helped me work through some issues I was having with cutting
   a complex roof. I don't know if I could have done it otherwise. Beginning framers would also benefit from the book as it offers some advice in that area as well. Be sure you get the Journal of Light Construction edition NOT the edition published by Craftsman Book Company. I don't think there is a better book for advanced roof cutters.



3. Very detailed with corresponding illustrations. My favorite construction book out of 10. Covers all variations of complex rafter roofs. Also check out Roof Framer's bible for tables and corresponding math if u hate those construction calculators.



4. Well when i got the book i was amazed on the amount of diffrent Roof Framing situations that are in it . Stuff in this book not to many people know how to do. Even if i just use the book once to refer to the 20 i spent on it was worth it ... If you are Into cutting rafters and find the Common Gables and Hips fun to do then you would love this ....



5. It is a great book. I used it for building a covered porch and found it indispensable.

5 comments about Simply Slipcovers (Simply...).

1. I have never seen such a wonderful and varied collection of slipcovers in one place. There are examples of slipcovers with piping, ruffles, bows, ties, swags, borders, pleats, fringes, scallops, cording, tassels, and flanges. And then there are some plain, unadorned slipcovers for those who prefer that style. Then there are excellent and easy directions for creating the slipcovers. The photos are all in color and the drawings are very good, and also in color. My one complaint about this book (ISBN 0376015144) is that the pages are glued to the paperback cover and they are coming loose. What a dreadful way to put together a book that deserves so much better!



2. As both a novice seamstress and an avid thrift store/ antique mall/ flea market shopper, I needed to learn to make a slipcover. After reading the reviews, I bought this book - and it's been amazing. The instructions are clear, and my confidence (and competence) has grown immensely. I've been slipcovering everything that will stand still long enough.



3. Very interesting book - can't wait to see if it's as straight forward as it appears. The directions are clear and encouraging. Some of the covers are really beautiful. Great value for money and the fabric calculator is very helpful.



4. I have been studying this book and plan to begin my slipcover project just as soon as I find my perfect fabric. This book is of great encouragement to me and I believe I will be successful on even my first attempt at slipcovers. Sandra R.



5. This is an OK book, just be sure it offers what you are looking for. For me, it did not.
   
   It has detailed instructions to replicate the patterns listed in the book, all of which are the shabby chic, home sewn, type looks. Even the "tailored" cover is really a loose fitting sheath. By tailored, they mean devoid of ruffles and frills, not tailored precisely to the chair. The ottoman slipcover is an elasticized throw with tied corners. These are some very cute looks and if they are the look you're after, it is a good book.
   
   However you may be disappointed if, like me, you are looking for a more fitted, clean-lined, professional look to your slipcovers. The only thing for you are the basic instructions that you find with a quick Google.

3 comments about Audel Millwrights and Mechanics Guide.

1. I'm a shop foreman and I need to know A to Z about everything mechanical and how to fix it. This is the only book I could ever find with millwrights information in it and blacksmithing, but all I had was my dog-eared, ancient copy. Until now. Finally a new edition and none of the good material has been disturbed. This a must-have for every shop-every shop foreman.



2. I wondered where the great Audel brand had gone until I saw this book, probably one of the most known books of all the old Audel's I have in my collector's library. Anyone who does anything with his hands, whether at home in the garage or on the shop floor should buy this book.



3. I bought this book new about thirty years ago. It was $11 then, if I remember right. I ordered it from a catalog; amazon.com and home computers didn't exist. So the edition I am writing about is the one thirty years ago.
   
   This book contains all the hints and kinks and even secrets about setting up machinery that you would normally have to learn by working with someone experienced who knows what he is doing.
   
   The book touches on just about everything. The rigging section tells about how to take care of rope, how to tie knots, how to estimate the weight of something by lifting it with a pinch bar. There is a blacksmith section showing the tools used and some basic forging techniques.
   
   There is a lot of discussion of power transmission, such as flat belts, V belts, shafts, bearings, couplings and such. It shows how to align an electic motor so that the pulleys on the motor and the machine will be in line with each other.
   
   This is not a project book. It doesn't have plans on how to build something. But if you have a machine like a hammer mill, a lathe, an air compressor, a blower, a furnace, or whatever, big and mean, this book shows how to put a sling on it, lift it with a crane, move it, build a floor to put in on, put it where you want it, line it with other machines, put a motor on it, line up the pulleys to power it up, bolt it down, lubricate it, and even a little about how to build a roof over it.
   
   You will have to have a big pocket to put this book in.

5 comments about The Everything Toddler Book: From Controlling Tantrums to Potty Training, Practical Advice to Get You and Your Toddler Through the Formative Years (Everything Series).

1. I found this book to be a total waste of money. Sure it has a few interesting pieces of information, but nothing I haven't heard before. This book may be useful if you have never had any experience with children. If you have been around children at all, you will find everything in this book to be pure common sense. I was looking for something with more concrete usable information.



2. This book was good for some very basic info on toddlers. I didn't like the format because it jumped from one thing to another. Most of the info seemed to be geared toward 2 years and up, and the section on feeding was boring. It was mostly about the food pyramid and RDA's. Ugh.



3. This book has been very helpful to me. I plan on using it for several more years as my daughter grows up.



4. Details on everything you need to know and don't know to ask!



5. Parents of toddlers need all the help we can get...and this book isn't helping anyone! I already own all of the "What to Expect" series, and I picked this book up hoping for new solutions to tantrums and potty training troubles for my 26 month old daughter. What a disappointment!
   
   The book has big print, goofy drawings, and bland/boring/short paragraphs full of common sense and sometimes even ridiculous advice. If you are annoyed by the useless advice your mom and mother-in-law give you, then don't even bother with this book. I flipped through it and then took it back to the store. There are no parenting answers here. Try "What to Expect, the Toddler Years" and ask your friends for tips on what works with their kids.

4 comments about Constructing Architecture: Materials, Processes, Structures; a Handbook.

1. I purchased this book for a construction class and as an architecture student, I find it very helpful. The book is not a construction how-to and the images are not very detailed nor are any of the images in color, but it is a compilation of a variety of architectural examples that use different or innovative construction methods. A great supplement to a studio course for inspiration and incorporating interesting structure into projects.



2. The English title might be misleading--this book is not about 'construction', but rather about what the Germans call Baukunst, the art of construction, or the art of 'putting buildings together', considering the spatial order as an inseparable part of that putting things together.
   The book provides a structured approach to the basics of contemporary architectural composition, several essays introducing fundamental concepts and giving you the bibliography to go into them in detail (the key part is making them all fit into an overall framework, and pointing at the sources that normally take years to discover), and illustrate several remarkable buildings in remarkable detail, with excellent descriptions reaching a depth and quality of analysis unfortunately missing in typical architectural publications.
   Andrea Deplazes, the editor and author or co-author of many of the articles, teaches at the Zurich ETH (and I would guess the same must be true for the authors of most of the other articles), which for well over a hundred years has been one of the few true schools of architecture in the world. The book glows with the power of this accumulated knowledge developed in a true academic environment since the times of Semper. It also gives a glimpse at how the ETH consistently produces first class ordinary architecture, and for that matter first class extraordinary architecture too.
   This book will be of huge value to every architecture student, teacher, and architectural designer. I bought it by a fortunate mistake --I thought a construction book from the ETH was sure to be an excellent reference book on technology, and the mail delivered a treasure trove of architectural knowledge instead.



3. I have reviewed many attempts at a comprehensive description of the complex subject of architecture, and this is the best. This book is far better than the exhaustively recommended Francis Ching (all due respect), and even better than Unwin's Architectural Notebook, which is also excellent. This is the very first book I would recommend for any serious architecture student. It covers tectonics and construction in elegant detail but, even more importantly, this book delves into the conceptual intentions behind the tectonics, at every scale. Telling examples, well chosen, illuminate the ideas, and the case studies feature some of the finest contemporary architecture in the world today. Simply the best.



4. Excellent book, everything you wished to know about construction, it's there explained, in theory, in in technical drawings, and with images of contemporary buildings.
   The way it is organized is very straightfoward, good index, with all themes and sub-themes making sense.
   One of the buys of the year for me...

No comments about Modern Americana: Studio Furniture From High Craft to High Glam.