5 comments about How To Teach Your Baby To Be Physically Superb: From Birth To Age Six; The Gentle Revolution.

1. I feel compelled to write a stern warning about this book. I was excited to order it to help out my twin daughters - born 2 months premature. My jaw hit the floor when I read the very dangerous misinformation in the first couple of chapters. The author begins with a criticism of hospitals' handling of newborns. He states that nurseries should be made more like the womb to comfort babies, kept moist and at 90 degrees. He then states that the only reason that babies are put on their backs is so that nurses can tell if they are still breathing, and recommends that babies sleep on their stomachs.
   
   This is all good advice if you want your baby to be at significant risk of death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS). First, the only safe position for babies to sleep on is their back. The author seems to believe that SIDS is only caused babies smothering themselves with blankets - this is not (although smothering is always a risk. Current reccomendations are to keep healthy babies' environments on the cool side (68 deg F.). One of the major causes of SIDS is apnea due to immaturity in the brain stem. Current sleep reccomenadtions are designed to alleviate this.
   
   Not even incubators are kept at 90 degrees. When babies are born, they go through physical changes - such as separation from the placenta. They have the largest dose of hormones running through their bodies that they will ever have in their lifetime. Very quickly, healthy babies are able to regulate their own temperature - they are mammals and not snakes after all.
   
   Infants in intensive care units are sometimes put to sleep on their stomachs - but they are connected to heart and respiration monitors that alarm when they stop breathing or their heart-rate drops.
   
   I am completley shocked that someone billed as a child development expert has absolutely no knowledge of the risk of SIDS. Granted, back-sleeping is not the best thing for physical development, which is where there are exercise programs to compensate for this. Tummy time is important while baby is awake and supervised.
   
   Please do not follow the newborn advice in this book. I can't get past this, and maybe there's good advice in the rest of the book.



2. if you want your child(hopefully the child will want it too)to be the next huge baseball,football,soccer or olympic star,then this is the book for you.
   it is packed with information on how to 'grow' your childs physical development so that by age 2.5 to 3(and maybe sooner)he or she will have the physical developmental skills of an average 6yr old achieved in half the time it takes a 6 year old to do this.
   it takes time and patience,not to mention equipment,but i feel that it is worth it.
   also,this is the book to help your child avoid the problems of childhood obesity that is a huge problem in europe and america now.
   team this book with 'teach your baby to swim' and also 'how smart is your baby?'also by the domans and youll most likely see your kids name in lights one day.
   your child will thank you for it someday.



3. I do not get enough time to follow all the methods, but I still did few things as per book. My son stands by himself at eactly 7 months. He started climbing stairs at 7 month. I put him on the floor more often. This book is surely helpful.
   Only thing is it's difficult to make things like dowel between doors, track. They should sell those items too as part of the kit.



4. I was somewhat disappointed with this book. It has one simple tip, keep your child on the stomach as much as possible. Ok, so thats great, the child will grow faster physically, maybe grow faster mentally also, as per what he says.
   
   But I expected the book to be much more comprehensive. There are not that many exercises. Its largely a single point agenda on keeping the child on stomach. I can tell you that in one line.



5. THIS BOOK TEACH THE PARENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING THE BABY OVER THEIR
   TUMMY SINCE BIRTH. THE IMPORTANCE OF CREEPING, CRAWLING AND BE ON THE FLOOR.WE ARE LIMITING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FOUNDATION OF THEIR BRAINS.
   THE FIRST YEAR IN THE MOST IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVES, IS WHERE THE BRAIN
   MAKES THE FIRST SYNAPSES STRONGER. WITH THIS DISCIPLINE WE AS PARENTS CAN
   PREVENT ADH AND ALL THOSE SPEECH AND LEARNING PROBLEMS THAT ARE SO COMMON
   TODAY; BECAUSE TODAY THE CHILDREN GOES TO DAYCARE SINCE TWO MONTHS ALL.
   THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S BEEN DOING SINCE 1947.
   IF SOMEONE OUT THERE CAN HELP TO EDUCATE MORE ABOUT "HUMAN NEUROLOGICAL
   ORGANIZATION" THE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER. THANKS

5 comments about Quality Toolbox.

1. This is just about the most relevant and useful quality book I have come across. It provides a comprehensive library of tools to use to solve different kinds of problems. Many of the tools covered in this book are covered elsewhere, but in this case the author has a knack for guiding the reader through a set-by-step process in a way that it was very easy for me to instantly apply the tools to my job.
   
   I also welcomed the fact that the book covers the overall history of the different quality methodologies. This is important because there are many choices to be made when it comes to choosing a quality methodology, so knowing where a tool came from helps you determine whether it applies to your particular problem.
   
   If your job relates to quality, this is money well spent.



2. This is one of the best books I have ever reviewed. It is so easy to know the quality tools but understanding the tools is the key to effective implementation. The book provides a comprehensive review of all the tools in the quality profession with indexed case studies and applications. I use the quality tools while training Meirc participants on Total quality, six sigma, simplification of work processes and procedures in Dubai seminars and it is certainly has gained our participants lots of benefits on applying these tools. I would highly recommend this book for all quality professionals in the quality management and training.



3. This book is so well done. For Six Sigma and Quality professionals it will become one of your most well worn books.



4. I got this book as part of a college course i was doing, but in reality it is so good it has helped me out in my job. There are times in our jobs when we dont get a chance to do new things and this book actually makes it very simple to introduce new initiatives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering a career in quality mangement.



5. I am a CQE & Six Sigma Black Belt and have owned this book for a little over two years now. This book provides a very handy and useful reference for the tools used in problem-solving, quality management, six sigma and project management as well. The Tool Matrix in the first chapter divides the tools under various categories and helps to identify the right tool needed for a certain stage or situation.
   
   The chapter on Quality Improvement Stories show the use of these tools in successful continuous improvement projects. The quality tools are arranged in alphabetical order with details like when, what and how with a very relevant example.
   
   This text is recommended for anyone in the area of quality/process improvements. It is a learning book for beginners and reference for advanced users.

5 comments about Great Book of Woodburning: Pyrography Techniques, Patterns & Projects for All Skill Levels.

1. This book contains the work, mostly in one style, of one artist, mostly on one surface (birch plywood), using (apparently) two brands of burners. The author has a great understanding of how to coax a good range of light-to-dark from the variable heat nibs, but I found her use of texture to be lacking, whenever a smooth or gloss effect was appropriate. Her practice board includes a remarkable 81 stroke and stipple variations, but nothing there will help the pyrographer depict anything that glows or shines or relects. So the leather boots look like suede, the old car looks covered in fur, the eyes of her angry, sullen 'green men' and wildlife look dead, and the pond looks like a board. There are dozens of nibs, but this author uses just two in most of the work in this book, and most of the time we have to guess which of the two is being used in the projects.
   
   If you want textures that shine (or whatever else you want them to do), check out Pyrography Workbook: A Complete Guide to the Art of Woodburning by Sue Walters. It has much less tedious repetition between text, captions, and exercises, and it covers a much greater variety of technique, including a whole chapter (rather than a paragraph) on the three basic pen tips, skew, writer, and shader, with a nib chart that briefly explains many more. Still, there is just one artist's work in what is boldly titled a 'complete' guide, but I do think Walters gets far closer to a complete guide than Irish.



2. Great book for the beginner or expert many valuable tips and ideas Highly recommend it to others



3. Is a very nice book and has help trouth out my proyects, so check it out



4. This is a very interesting and instructive manual in the art of pyrography. There should, however, be a notation that most of the examples are done with a variable heat burner. With that exception, this is a great book.



5. Since I am new at this, I found the book very good and it showed me a lot that I could not have figured out as well on my own. I would give it a 5 star rating.

3 comments about The Salvage Studio: Sustainable Home Comforts to Organize, Entertain & Inspire.

1. This book is fun to read, the projects look like a blast, and I am so inspired by the photos and all the authors' great suggestions for decorating inside and out, making guests feel special, and just making life more interesting. It's all I can do to not raid my mother's silver chest and start a fork-pendant necklace THIS INSTANT. The instructions seem easy to understand and complete, and I can see where these projects(those birdhouses!!!) will be great jumping off points for transforming cast-off bits into really cool art.



2. The Salvage Studio: Sustainable Home Comforts to Organize, Entertain, and Inspire is a guide full of do-it-yourself projects for turning excess scrap into beautiful and functional crafts for home, yard, or garden. From silverware hooks made of old serving utensils, to a birdbath crafted of a lampshade, to a trellis composed of disused golf clubs, these projects encourage both responsible recycling and artistic flair. Full-color photography showcases the many ideas for projects around the home, and the text offers additional tips to stimulate one's creativity and literally turn trash into treasures. Highly recommended.



3. What struck me about "The Salvage Studio" was the authors incorporation of unusual items in their crafts. These ladies are all about forks and bedsprings and scrabble pieces. Recycling junk for art projects is, the authors purport, is a sustainable practice and a good way to express creativity. Two practices everyone should engage in regularly, right?
   
   Many of projects have their best application in party setting (particualrly buffets) so that's a plus, too. Fun-looking projects, whether you do them as pictured or put your own spin them.

5 comments about Colonials: Design Ideas for Renovating, Remodeling, and Building New (Updating Classic America).

1. Readers interested in historically authentic renovations or new construction of colonial, federal or classical revival style houses will not find much of interest in this book. The houses and furnishings pictured for the most part present eclectic blends of contemporary and historic styles. I would describe many of the "colonials" pictured in the book as postmodern eclectic. A number bear no recognizable relation to the colonial style.
   The text is typical of what you would see in popular shelter magazines like Southern Living or House Beautiful: pleasant, generally informative and upbeat but not very detailed, and of little interest to more advanced readers.
   One should examine this book in a store rather than buying it online, because the content suggested in the title is not what the book contains.



2. Colonial style homes have been built since -- well you can guess when. Modern colonials are built to suit modern taste. That is, the kitchens are large, there is a lot of storage space, it has a multiple car garage.
   
   But if you have or are buying an older home, it may well not have all of these modern features. This book is a picture book with a fair amount of text showing how some colonial homes have been made more contemporary in the inside without changing the classic colonial front appearance. In many cases there are additions at the rear of the house to give the desired additional room.
   
   Some of the houses being updated really go back a while, the earliest I noted was built in 1741. The level of remodelling/updating varies from house to house, some are really extensive, some done within a smaller budget. There's even a section on building a new colonial home.
   
   I found this to be a great idea book.



3. Great inspirations and pictures that are very helpful.



4. The author, Matthew Schoenherr, is an architect who not only admires the colonial style, he has a lot of experience with remodels, renovations and new construction. There are lots of photos, floor plans, diagrams, and useful text in this book. He covers all the basics about what makes a home a colonial. There are explanations of various styles of roofs, windows, doors, chimneys, moldings, and other details that make a house "colonial."
   
   What is kind of odd about this book is how few of the homes end up looking really colonial after the work is finished - especially the interiors. Most of the photos show rooms with lofty and/or vaulted ceilings, banks of windows, curved doorway arches, and other stylistic anomalies. Apparently his clients like the "idea" of a colonial style home but they want a very contemporary interior. The rooms are beautiful, but they tend to look like "Martha Washington meets Judy Jetson in Tuscany" more than they resemble anything I've seen in Williamsburg, VA. This is something that goes beyond having a colonial home with a multi car garage, large bathrooms, and a spacious kitchen. Schoenherr refers to this as blending colonial design with modernism.
   
   The book is very logically laid out. (Well, he is an architect!)
   
   Chapter 1 discusses the history of the colonial home in America, and covers what makes a home "colonial" style. He covers everything; the Early American Saltbox, Georgian, Dutch Colonial, French Colonial, Federal and Adams style, Classical Revival, and Post WWII Colonials - even the differences between northern and southern colonials.
   
   Chapter 2 is about remodeling an existing house. What types of additions work when you need to expand? Do you really need to expand at all? What are the planning and zoning considerations? He mentions the difficulties involved in getting the vaulted ceiling look, especially on the first floor since most colonials have two stories.
   
   Chapter 3 deals with renovating an older colonial. There are special considerations for colonial homes that were built in the 17th and 18th centuries, such as how to hide the wiring or how to create a 21st century bathroom. There are different problems involved for someone trying to renovate a colonial home that was built in the 1950's. One interesting example shows a saltbox house believed to have been originally built in 1694. The owners were attempting to undo a series of previous renovations that had occurred over the years and, in the process, made some very interesting archaeological discoveries about their home which they have done their best to preserve.
   
   Chapter 4 is for the intrepid soul who is building a new colonial home. You have a lot more freedom in the design when you're starting from the ground up.
   
   Chapter 5 is entitled "A Fresh Perspective." It includes such informative subheadings as, "This is not your father's colonial" and "A new sensibility." If you're a traditionalist, take that as a warning. However, you don't have to be as "out there" with changes to your own colonial home and there is a lot of good basic information in this book.



5. I think this book was exactly what we were looking for. We were creating a new front entrance, adding a garage and great room and we also resided and replaced the roof. We found plenty of great pictures that captured the style of colonial homes. I think all the ideas and pictures in this book were perfect, adding the class and style of today but with keeping the old character of this time period. Great for a coffee table book too!

5 comments about Colorful Stitchery: 65 Hot Embroidery Projects to Personalize Your Home.

1. Embroidery projects usually focus on clothing, but they can be used to personalize a home, too - as embroiderer Kristin Nicholas demonstrates in COLORFUL STITCHERY: 65 HOT EMBROIDERY PROJECTS TO PERSONALIZE YOUR HOME. From dragonflies on pillows to lap blankets, egg cozies, and more, these colorful embroidery projects lend to gift-giving as much as home embellishment. Each comes with a full-page picture and easy details on fabric choice, notions and stitches.



2. The projects are so well explained in word and picture...hand drawn by he auhor artist: indeed the whole book is a work of art in itself. Every page a gem of color and inspiration and just plain fun! See page 172 for a fabulous project for oneself or a birthday party activity. This book is like a smile: everyone should have one......Claudia Birkeland



3. I must have 7 bookshelves of sewing/stitchery/needlework books and from among those this book rates an A+++. I *love* the "hand" of wool and she offers many ideas, photos, and clear, inspirational guidelines.
   
   I stitch alone, I stitch in several styles, and I often stitch with a 13 year old granddaughter and we both found several ideas we plan to adapt and/or copy. By next Christmas we'll probably have created over 80% of our gifts, all from this book.
   
   The author's writing is gracious and clear and leads me back to reading her words again and again. There's more to this than just "directions" but the directions are terrific as well.....even a 13 year old can attest to that.
   
   HIGHLY recommended!



4. This is a wonderful book! Kristin Nicholas has taken embroidery to a new level with her colors and designs. Her instructions and diagrams are well displayed for even the novice at embroidery. I have been sewing for years and I can't wait to get started. Not your gramma's embroidery for sure. Love this book!



5. I live in a very small apartment so I can't collect books, but this is one I will keep. Easy to follow directions and nice projects. Detailed information on how to make projects that are more complicated like dying fabrics. I received the book and made two projects over the weekend and have plans for a couple of more. This book is inspiring, well written, and COLORFUL! A must have, you won't be disappointed.

1 comments about Design Ideas for Bathrooms (Design Ideas).

1. I really liked this book. It has many design ideas and great instructions. The pictures make it nice to see the finished project. I would recommend this book.

3 comments about Sculpted Band Saw Boxes: Design, Inspiration & Construction (Popular Woodworking).

1. After going through this book it does not appear to provide much more information on the construction of these boxes than what the first book did. If you didn't read the first one, the second one will stand alone without any problem.
   There are many more beatiful boxes with lots of new ideas on shapes and the use of wood laminates to dress them up. Good ideas inspire other good ideas and that is part of the charm of the book. It will make you want to get to the shop and start work on your next project.



2. If you can't make a bandsaw box after reading this book, you might as well sell your bandsaw. The book is filled with excellent instructions aided by great photos. It also contains lots of plans that I found very inspirational.



3. The first two reviews of this book seemed kind of unhelpful to me so I thought I would try to be a little clearer.
   Having read and used her earlier book on bandsaw boxes, I looked forward to more designs and insight. Ms. Ventura, it is mentioned in the book, appears to have had a recent medical setback that has kept her out of the shop as much as she would like. It looks like two other very accomplished box makers consulted with her and completed the book as a kind of team effort. At least that's the impression I got. Don't we all wish we had friends and colleagues like that!
   If you need step by step details and the reasons behind certain approaches, I would highly recommend the first book, "Building Beautiful Boxes with your Bandsaw." If you are familiar with the general ideas of bandsaw box building, are an experienced woodworker, or have read the earlier book, this book will pick you up and move you forward.
   The directions for the boxes are abbreviated in comparison with the first book but there are several new designs to try. That's what I was looking for so I took it and ran.
   I still have several that I plan to try out and getting a good handful of useful designs is how I value a book in this genre.
   The book doesn't have the "mystique" of the first one where you feel like you are truly being let in on a secret as well as her committment to her craft. Since other authors are contributing, I don't think that could be avoided.
   Also, in the world of woodcraft there is a fine line on copyright protection. Ms. Ventura said in the first and again in the second that these designs are intended for personal use and gifting but not for use for profit. In this one area I kind of got the idea that she might have been publishing some designs to get them out there where she can say, "Look, see that one was mine!" I guess in today's business world it is an essential thing to do.
   I hope that the alluded to medical concerns are in the past and that woodworkers all over will use this book to further enjoy boxmaking!

5 comments about Red-Tile Style.

1. There are books out there that cover the spanish revival style, but, most tend to focus on the larger than life homes of people who can afford magnificent, large estates. Finally, a book that not only showcases the large estates out there, but, more importantly for me, the "smaller" more realistically sized homes that I could see myself living in. If you love this style of architecture as I do, buy this book, you will not be disappointed!



2. In researching a Spanish Colonial retirement home for Florida, I've reviewed numerous similar books. As noted in the other reviews most books deal with the top-of-the-line mansions and hotels in this style. This book has a chapter just on examples of modest houses in this style. It has another chapter on small scale courtyard apartment projects. It has tons of the details you might want to employ to give your home the "authentic" feel. Of all the books I read, this is the one I BOUGHT!!



3. This book gives a GREAT history on these "spanish style homes"...as soon as the book arrived, i went thru it just studying the photos ans reading the subtitles - (i was imediately educated on the style). Then i went and started reading it from the beginning. WOAH!!!! It did a great job at explaining the history and the developement of what we just generally refer to "spanish style."
   It is truley an informative book. Especially if you really like the mission/spanish look.
   we are working on our new home, and it will be great to not only decorate it how we like, but also KNOW the background and reason to why we decorate it how we do.



4. Gellner's book captures all the charm of the 1920-1930 Spanish style homes in California. There are hundreds of pictures of this type of home--lots of mansions as well as small bungalows suitable for people of very modest means. Lots of ideas for anyone building a home or doing remodeling. I was especially struck by one "Marina District home ...(which) gives the illusion of depth and complexity despite its constricted urban site". Wish I could find an architect like that one.



5. This book is great....if you're interested in this style in California.
   
   The authors almost completely glitz over the architectural contributions of buildings in Texas and Florida. For example, did they know that there is an air force base (Randolf) in Texas built in the red tile style? Apparently not.
   
   California has a lot to offer, but this book ignores the rich and abundant examples TX & FL have ...so 2 stars.

4 comments about Build Your Own Treehouse: A Practical Guide.

1. Build it and they will come! After having visited Mr. Barkley's truly amazing backyard of creations, we had to buy a copy of his book as a keepsake. The photographs are wonderful...so much better than ours. My husband is currently building a clubhouse on stilts for our daughter and will undoubtedly reference this book for ideas and instructions. You don't have to be a child to fall in love with the tree houses, various swings, many collectibles and gorgeous gardens. Everyone who has looked at our copy of the book has been impressed. If you are ever near Rochester, NY, I recommend a visit to the tree houses and a souvenir copy of his book.



2. I had the joy of climbing in and around the treehouses built by Mr Barkley with 4 of my grandchildren. His book is practical and contains lots of "how to" information with close up pictures and diagrams. His tree houses are a delight, and Mr & Mrs Barkley are friendly and generous hosts to their treehouse neighborhood. Lots of thought and planning went into the book, to make it a pleasant read and useable reference.



3. This is the fourth treehouse book I've bought. If it had been the first, it would probably have been the last. There isn't much he doesn't cover from site evaluation and preparation to safety gear. I like following in detail a single project to completion through the book.



4. The background information is fascinating. The directions are detailed and helpful. Most importantly, the advice and reccomendations regarding safety and use were exceptionally good.