5 comments about Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing.

1. This is a great book. Fun to read with fabulously fresh methods for cleaning the house. It truly is a ZEN experience. I read it quickly and refer to it often. Fully recommend it!!!



2. "CLEAN" is an amazing example of how each of us can take responsibility for our environment--home, neighborhood, city, state, country, planet. It provides easy and safe recipes that replace commercial products, but more than that, it's creating a grassroots environmental movement. We all hear about Global Warming and figure, "What can I do?" or even worse, "the government will fix it." Environmentalism begins at home, and "CLEAN" is a great guidebook to get us started--if everyone exchanged just ONE commercial product for ONE "CLEAN" recipe, the process of de-toxing our planet would begin. And we all have the ingredients in our homes already--baking soda, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar and borax (OK, so maybe you don't have borax, but believe it or not--it's in every grocery store right beside the commercial laundry detergents and bleach!) You have to clean anyway, so why not do it in a way that is safer for your family, pets, neighbors and the other billions of people who share our planet!



3. I keep a copy of this book on my coffee table in my country house. I always enjoy it when my guests are curious and I can share this precious gem of a book with them. The author is genuine and exremely knowledgeable.
   I have incorporated several of the recipies and they work without hurting me or our planet. I have purchased several copies to give to friends when I visit their homes.



4. "Clean" is a true gem. When I first read the book I thought to myself sure, sure baking soda and lemon is going to do the job of the store bought cleansers I've been using for years. Well imagine my surprise when I gave it a half-hearted whirl and soon found myself surrounded by a wonderfully fresh and spotlessly glistening bathroom and kitchen. And here is the part I really enjoyed, that overbearing scent of the cleanser I normally use wasn't there. I'm sold. I've mixed up my own batches of cleansers, refer to the book on a regular basis and am converted. Thanks to Michael DeJong's book not only is my home bright and clean and I am saving money but I can help save the environment.



5. If you care about the environment and/or your health (or your family's health) you'll find the cleaning recipes in this book very useful. I remembered some of the cleaning techniques from my grandmother when I was a little girl, then they were all forgotten until now. You can find all the ingredients in your grocery store, borax f.e. is in the laundry isle. These ingredients used in this book work just as good if not better than the store bought. My grocery store offers nowadays eco-friendly cleaning products but they are very expansive, your home made version will cost you very little to make, and it's very easy. The A-Z cleaning key section is a quick way to look for a cleaning problem you have with the necessary ingredients and a link to the pages where it describes more about it. If you ever got a headache using those toxic shower cleaning products, think again, your body is telling you something...use nature's own...

5 comments about Small Woodworking Shops (New Best of Fine Woodworking).

1. At first when I started reading the book I thought I was in store for a long treatise on how to build a professional workshop. If you are in the market for that information, I am sure this book will get you started. Where I found the book most useful was in seeing how each person used the space available. In one instance, the shop design was a professional spread with a specific location for each step of the woodworking process. In another instance, the shop design was for a professional who had limited space. Both extremes helped me visualize how my home workshop (my garage) might be better used. I gained a lot from reading the book. Reading it is not a necessity, however. You may gain the same information the authors did by making the same mistakes as they did or you can learn vicariously from them and the examples.
   
   Now, one thing I recommend for most hobbyists; while reading the book, do not get discouraged or dismissive. Read the book for ideas about how to make your workspace more usable and more efficient. If you do, you will not be disappointed.



2. When the first couple reviews for a book are all 5 stars, I tend to wonder whether the author's friends and relatives are doing their part to pump up sales. I'm writing this review in case you're like me in that regard. Fear not, I've got no connection whatsoever with anyone involved with this book.
   
   As a new woodworking hobbyist, I found this book informative and helpful. The writing was clear and readable, the photos and graphics well-done. More importantly, for me the breadth and depth of information was just right. Example: there was a simple, informative piece on the best power tools to start off with -- and then there was another to offer a different perspective. Some goes with coverage of dust control, with several different angles presented.
   
   This book doesn't try to be all things to all people. I doubt anyone with serious woodworking experience would find this book worth buying. On the other hand, if finances or space limit your tool choices to a circular saw and a drill, look elsewhere -- this book really is for folks setting up a shop with the tools to go with it. Its also more oriented towards power tools than hand tools.
   
   I think the ideal reader would be someone with a garage to fill and a $5000 budget to spend. That's not me on either count, and I do wish the book had focused more on small hobbyist starter shops and less on professional, two-car garage shops with every tool.
   
   But I still got a lot out of it, and I'd buy it again without hesitating. However, I don't own any of the other books on setting up a shop, so can't compare their relative merits.
   
   
   --- Coming back to this review a month later, I think I was wrong to give it only 4 stars. This has been the one book I've turned to the most as I continue setting up my shop, and I get something useful out of it every time. Amazon doesn't seem to let you change your star rating after the fact, but now I'd give it 5 stars without hesitation.
   



3. This is a 'second-stage' book suitable for those with potential for plenty of space, time and machinery. It has minimal coverage of basic workbench and hand tools practice, and simple handyman projects, although storage and space-saving ideas are well covered. The book is ideal for those aspiring to make the big jump to a larger, machinery equipped, productive work place, with better and safer work practices (and will certainly guide my future and hopeful aspirations).



4. This book has its positive points, but encouraging someone who wants to create a small workshop is not one of them. Instead it tends to make you feel bad about not having 1000+ sq. ft. of space to allocate to a wood shop. They've reprinted six articles that describe wood shops, but only one fits my definition of "small." The rest describe spaces 600, 720, 1296, and two at 2400 sq. ft. I guess if you are making a "small" commercial shop, 2400 sq. ft. is not out of the question, but if woodworking is just a hobby, 200-400 sq. ft. is a more common limitation.
   
   It also has two (related, overlapping in content) articles on dust collection; one of the articles is useful, but another seems redundant. Seems like the editors were looking for filler articles.
   
   I would have given this book more stars--3 or 4--if it hadn't claimed to be about "small" shops. However I wouldn't have purchased it in that case, because I already have general woodshop design books--and in fact almost all the information in this one I've seen in my other books. And it really is just a collection of articles rather than a coherent whole.
   
   In particular, I find How to Design and Build Your Ideal Woodshop (Popular Woodworking) to be much more appropriate. It talks about how to design a small workshop in much greater detail. I also have an earlier edition of Setting Up Shop, Completely Revised and Updated: A Practical Guide to Designing and Building Your Dream Shop, which is quite good.



5. Like many of Taunton's books in the woodworking arena, this one consists mostly of reprints of Fine Woodworking magazine (FWW) articles. That's not bad in itself, of course, as FWW is a fine magazine, and one to which I subscribe. It does mean that even though the articles are all small shop themed, there isn't a logical flow from beginning to end or article to article. Each stands on its own merits, is written by a different author, and has its own emphasis and style.
   
   Approach this book and these titles as idea and tips generators. This book is most appropriate to those who are not already FWW subscribers. If you are a long-term subscriber, you will have already read the articles. You can also get at most or all of this content by subscribing to FWW's online site.

5 comments about Tea & Etiquette: Taking Tea for Business and Pleasure (Capital Lifestyles) (Capital Lifestyles).

1. I find this book very useful and informative. The author presents the material in a concise and down to earth manner. The etiquette portion of this book contains do's and do not's that leaves no questions. The tone of the book is conversational just like the topic it explains. If you are thinking about having a tea party for the first time or attending to one, this book is a must read!



2. I am starting a small catering business doing tea parties! This book is perfect! It has everything you always wanted to know about preparing, enjoying and serving tea. From the different types of tea from Cream Tea to High Tea and what to do with the tea bag after you've taken it out of your tea cup. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to serve and to enjoy a proper afternoon of tea. Thank you for being so thorough.



3. This is a very informative and enjoyable book. A pleasure to read, it gets right to the point and does not waste time. I would recomend this book to anyone interested in Tea for Business and Pleasure!



4. I bought this book because I was never a tea drinker, but always felt left out as the popularity of now drinking tea started. I knew nothing about different types, how to serve it, what to serve with it, and just the simple things everyone knows. This book helped me with all of that and now I even like tea. After a few hours of reading, I know more about tea etiquette than anyone I know.



5. This is a wonderful little book. If you enjoy "all things tea" then this is the book for you. Easily read, with details about proper etiquette for every type of social and business situation. It truly would be a nicer world if people (including children) were more often taught these things. Mrs. Johnson intersperses the chapters with interesting personal stories and recipes. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Jim Tolpin's Table Saw Magic, Second Edition.

1. The book was very good a need to have in the shop



2. This book is a more a of brief review of table saw technique and jigs. The chapters are not very detailed and don't actually contain any directions for doing most of cuts or processes. The most frustrating thing is where he will say "just use this very handy jig" and then gives a very crude drawing of the jig with no explanation of how to build it or even a basic layout. A MUCH better book is Kelly Mehler's The Table Saw Book.



3. Several good reviews on this book, all are correct IMO. This book is very thorough.... I thought I knew a LOT about TS's, but this book taught me even more. Some very useful jigs, safe work methods (very critical when cutting small strips), great set up instructions, and, great charts on type of blades to use. If you use a TS, there is something extra you will learn if you buy this book...



4. Tolpin has put together a grand book on the table saw. A little bit of tricks, some jigs, when it's good and possible to use it and things to build for safety. Some things he wrote about I would not use. I believe that it's safe to use, but... I don't think I'll be cutting any circles with my saw, but if anyone asked me if you can, I'll say "Yes", you can do it safely. I'll keep this publication close to my saw for the future.



5. As a new owner of a quality table saw and following the suggestions of a woodshop instructor friend, I purchased this "manual" to better understand the proper and safe use of a powerful table saw.
   Most of my woodworking education has been, "self-taught" and as I age I appreciate the benefits of following safe practises and still having ten fingers.

3 comments about Gooseberry Patch Christmas: Book 7 (Gooseberry Patch Christmas).

1. I'm addicted to Christmas books & magazines, so I wasn't sure if I'd really find anything new or unique in this book. This is the first Gooseberry Patch book I've ever looked through, so I can't comment on how it compares with other G.P. editions, but I did find many cute and clever craft ideas and recipes that were new to me. One idea I plan to try is the Framed Hankie Card Holder that uses a wood frame and 3 Christmas-themed hankies to create pockets to hold received cards (sounds odd, but it's cute). Other ideas I liked for my home using red & white fabrics and holiday-themed tea towels include a Quilt, Tea Towel Gift Bags, Table Runner & Chair Back Covers. A clever gift for kids to make is a covered chip can filled with chocolate-dipped potato chips (the kind of chips that all have the same shape and line up in a tall can). Lots of snowflake-themed gifts, a few pet gifts, wrapping and card ideas. Plus, there are dozens of great, new recipes for food gifts, holiday meals and entertaining (hot drink mixes, decadent desserts, soups, and some new side dish combinations).



2. If you're new to Gooseberry patch, if you don't buy another thing, be sure to buy this cookbook! I use it all year long and the recipes are just fabulous! I have used this one now for 3 Christmases, cookies, meats, New Year's, etc., and the reviews on the food are just awesome. They have a recipe for a cherry-filled, pecan crusted pork roast that is absolutely incredible. However, I suggest covering it when you put it into the oven so it doesn't dry out. The cookies are outstanding, especially the peppermint pinwheels. Oh, I could go on all day about this one - it's just such a great book and investment. Highly, highly recommend!



3. I love all the Gooseberry Patch books, they really get you in the Christmas spirit. Maybe this year I will be ready for the Holidays a lot sooner since I have been reading the Goosberry Patch Christmas books. I would love to own them all. Santa are you listening?

5 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part I - Automatic Pistols (Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly).

1. This book is an excellent guide for disassembly. It is worthless as a guide for reassembly. There are no step-by-step instructions for reassembling a firearm. At best, the book assumes that reassembly is the reversal of the steps involved in disassembly. This is not necessarily so. I would not recommend this book to a hobbyist.



2. This book and all the others in the series are invaluable to the professional gunsmith, firearms hobbiest, or the casual gun owner who just likes to "see how things work" but can't always quite remember whether this little spring went in here, or over there.



3. This book is very good at step-by step instructions. The pictures are well taken of the actual part you are working on. There could be more model numbers to go over, but the ones they have are very good. The author is exerienced in gun repair and it shows up in the "tip" portion of every model. I think a list of specialty tools would benifit the author in this book, since each model of firearm needs at least one special tool. Not all, but most. Listing those would benifit the less experienced gunsmith. Thank you



4. "...Some points in complete disassembly and reassembly may require the special tools and skills of a gunsmith.
   It can usually be managed by a very knowledgeable amateur, but there must be some mechanical aptitude.
   SINCE THIS BOOK IS INTENDED FOR BOTH THE AMATEUR AND THE PROFESSIONAL, even the simpler operations are often described and shown in detail....."
   [from the book of the introduction]



5. I have a small collection and was asked by my neighbor, to clean his Colt 1903 32cal automatic. Well, it's take down is not like more recent weapons and the the step by step illustrations were a great help in getting that puppy cleaned and rearing to go.
   
   Andy Davis

3 comments about House Beautiful 750 Designer Secrets: Exclusive Design Ideas from the Pros (House Beautiful).

1. House Beautiful Magazine specializes in award-winning interior design presentations, so you know that when they lend their name to a collection, professionals are involved. Their top designers reveal secrets, provide room makeovers, and pack in over four hundred color photos from selected superior interiors. Utility blends with art in 750 DESIGNER SECRETS: EXCLUSIVE DESIGN IDEAS FROM THE PROS, which tells how to shape and tailor a design project for maximum efficiency and best visual results.



2. I love looking at House Beautiful books. I find the pictures to be inspirational. However, I usually don't think the text is very informative. I was pleasantly surprised to find House Beautiful 750 Designer Secrets to be an exception to the rule. It does contain beautiful photographs, but the "secrets" are useful and/or inspirational comments by designers. I have to admit I don't recognize the names of most of them, but I find the information to be consistent with other interior design/decoration books I have read. The quotes may not always be particulary earthshattering, but there were enough good ones to justify giving House Beautiful 750 Designer Secrets a 5. Out of 750 quotes you are bound to find something that is useful to you!
   
   Now, just to give you a clear picture of what the book does and does not have to offer: no where is there a set of explicit instructions for how to incoporate the comments dirtectly to your home, but that is not the intention of the book. It is suppose to make you think for yourself how to add your own sense of style to your house. The book is set up so that there is a picture or two on a page and quotes by several different designers. The pictures illustrate the comments. I choose the following quotes because I thought that they are good advice and/or they made me rethink how I decorate my rooms.
   
   "The most important thing is what you feel when you walk into a room." Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz
   
   "Not interfering with views is decorating 101." Scott Salvator
   
   "You don't need a lot of elements to create a dynamic effect." Jeffrey Marks
   
   "Anchor a large room with a sense of symmetry." (quote from the author).
   
   "I edit rigourously for scale, form, and color." Celeste Cooper
   
   "Incorporate a common thread-such as a neutral color-to unify electric furnishings." Kelly Harmon
   
   The one drawback to the book for some people might be that the pictures portray a similar style of decoration. If you like a mix of modern and antique, you will probably like the book, but those who like other styles, may or may not enjoy the pictures in the book. However, I think that the information given by the designers applies to any style.



3. The book is lovely, but it could've been so much better if it had more desciptions of what you're looking at. Instead, it's full of little phrases that may be helpful, but they are also somewhat pithy. I wish I had purchased a couple of magazine subscriptions instead.

5 comments about The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living.

1. The average person needs to feel empowered to make change at their level. Let's face it, most people don't write letters to their politicians or participate in local debates about the environment (more people should do this). The reality is many of us are caught up in the race of raising children, paying bills, etc. I like how this book empowers the average citizen to make better choices. If we all think that our minor impact is unimportant, then we are taking a few steps back. Who cares if being green is trendy? I rather have it become trendy than unpopular like it was 35 years ago (reserved for only hippies). The important thing is that the trend begins a wave of change around the planet as to how we see the resources that are available to us and how we can best use them. Great Job Josh!



2. Good book, lots of info & websites and references for those of us who are lazy, but want to help the environment.



3. This book is good for the person who wants to see what they can do for the environmental movement. In a non preachy way it informs the reader on different programs to use from transportation to home remodels. Some of these are know some not. I liked the idea of a co-op owned car to be used only when needed so you don't need to pay for insurance and parking in municipal areas where parking is hard to find or expensive.
   
   I would say that we should all read this book. It would change the way we look at the individual and the environmental movement.



4. One of the few environment frienldy-go green books that I am actually hanging onto. Great resources listed for the consumer from clothing, to energy sources, to food. Compact, easy to read, and makes going green doable.



5. The cover and description of this book makes it sound like it details easy and painless ways to be more environmentally friendly, or possibly a book telling you how certain things you think are environmentally friendly really aren't. In reality, it is an advertisement for companies that bill themselves as "green." All it does is list companies in different categories that bill themselves as environmentally friendly. If you are interested enough in the environment to pick up this book, you probably already know about a lot of them. You can find everything this book tells you for free on the internet if you are interested in making a purchase in one of these categories. But even easier (and lazier) is to just not buy this stuff in the first place. Don't waste your money on this book- just think of the trees you'll save!

4 comments about Danny Proulx's 50 Shop-Made Jigs & Fixtures: Jigs & Fixtures For Every Tool in Your Shop (Popular Woodworking).

1. Make your woodshop safer and more effective by producing jigs and fixtures to work with in 50 SHOP-MADE JIGS & FIXTURES: JIGS AND FIXTURES FOR EVERY TOOL IN YOUR SHOP. All featured jigs can be easily made by even novice woodworkers, and can help with everything from sawing to routing. Advanced jigs even include a band saw fence that adjusts for blade drift, and a adjustable miter-gauge fence. Color photos accompany every step of the process, so you can't go wrong.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. No book will provide everything for everybody. some of the jigs in this book, I'll never use. But, it has many, many that I will. I have already built 6 jigs to help me with chores or make the work safer. I recommend the book to woodworkers.



3. This is the best book of jigs I have ever used (including De Cristiforo).
   
   They are practical and easy to buid. A must have for every shop!



4. It's getting to the point that every new jigs and fixtures book is a rehash of some previous one or its content is made up of stuff you've already seen in the wood working magazines. This is the last jigs and fixtures book I will buy because I now have five and mostly they all cover the same thing. Some actually include pictures and plans which have appeared in earlier books. If you don't have a book on jigs and fixtures, this one is OK but there are better ones out there.

5 comments about Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times.

1. This book was incredibly thought-provoking and practical. Weil has an extremely positive energy that eminates through the pages of this book.

   Whether you possess little to great concern about the upbringing of your children, this book has something for everyone!

   I wanted the book to be longer because I enjoyed it so much. When is the sequel coming out?!




2. "Above All Be Kind" is a wonderful book for anybody who cares deeply about the future of our children. Being a teacher myself I would like to recommend this book as a must read for teachers and parents alike. The book reminds us what is really important in life. It invites us to raise our children to become compassionate and caring people who understand and welcome their responsibility for our Earth and all living beings.



3. It's not an easy task to raise compassionate, non-materialistic, and socially conscious children in today's prevailing culture. Above All, Be Kind is a guidebook for parents trying to do just that.

   Author Zoe Weil is the co-founder of the International Institute for Humane Education, an organization that teaches young people about more humane ways of living and about how our daily choices impact the world for ill or good. She says living in humane ways is all about living up to the highest human qualities.

   Weil gives examples of situations parents will likely encounter with their children ("What do you do when your son asks for a toy gun?" "What do you do when you find pornography in your teen's room?") and how parents can handle those situations with wisdom.

   In segments called "Did you know?" she reveals disturbing facts about hot button social issues such as factory farming, sweatshop clothing, and child-targeted advertising. Besides documenting the facts about those issues, Weil takes the process a step further with pages called "Let Kindness Grow," which offer suggestions about what we can do to make more humane choices in relation to each issue.

   The most important message in the book is to parents themselves. It is the mantra "My life is my message," which Weil says she has used many times to check her own behavior. The Ghandian quote reminds parents that we cannot expect our children to walk any path that we ourselves are not willing or able to walk.

   To that end, Weil lays out a four-step plan she calls the "Four Elements" that can help readers come to a right action for themselves or help their children make about any choice. Essentially, the Four Elements are: Gathering information, using critical thinking skills, turning that knowledge into respect for all, and making a responsible choice.

   One of the last parts of the book is dedicated to personal introspection. Weil created a "My life is my message" questionnaire that readers are to work through to critically look at where we can improve our own life messages. The 13-page exercise is a humbling and valuable experience.

   Weil provides an appendix bursting with solid statistics, valuable reference books, and tons of resources to help parents locate more information, better products (such as a list of companies that do not use animals to test products) and websites that can help us make more humane choices for ourselves, our children, and the world. As a result, this book is not a one-time read but rather a resource to be picked up time and again. --Dana Anderson-Villamagna




4. Many school teachers will tell you that parents will complain to them that their children don't read at home. The teacher then always asks, 'well, how much do you read?' And the answer usually comes back, 'I don't. What does that have to do with it?' Our children do follow our models, whether we think they do or not. And to really provide a good role model requires hard, hard work, and thinking about it, every day, every second. Instead, we all have a tendency to mouth platitudes and give lectures.

   A great read, worth it for any parent, and really, anyone else. This goes way beyond education and raising kids.




5. This is actually my second time reading this book. The first time through, I was primarily looking for ideas to make my household a bit more peaceful, and while I found the book interesting, it didn't address my specific concerns about sibling rivalry and bickering.
   
   Fast forward a couple of years, and this book is EXACTLY what I need. The idea of trying to live humanely and kindly, each and every day, and to extend the concept beyond one's nuclear family to the world at large (and to all living things for that matter), really resonates right now. Zoe Weil talks about the importance of our actions. Having a sense of compassion combined with a sense that our actions DON'T matter can lead to dispair. Having a sense of materialism combined with a sense that our actions don't matter can lead to exploitation of people and resources.
   
   Anyway, the book does discuss how to empower children to consciously choose humane, compassionate choices. Zoe's approach is highly facilitative rather than dictatorial. She says it is important to:
   
   1. provide information
   2. teach critical thinking
   3. instill reverence, respect, and responsibility
   4. offer positive choices
   
   And there are many examples of how to put this in practice, particularly for children in the middle and teen years.
   
   One of my favorite chapters is chapter 3, "Your Life is Your Message". Zoe says, "I'm very aware of the fact that each of us will be faced with emotions and circumstances that compete with our desire to make the most humane choices." She talks about how difficult it is to be a good role model for our children ALL the time. We will fail - we're human! But she writes, "the task before each of us is to choose compassion in the face of apathy that deadens our spirit, restraint in the face of desires that can harm, and courage in the face of fears that hold us back - and to do so in practical, concrete ways that translate our ethics into action. We will not always make the kindest choice, but by staying aware and remaining committed to making our life the kind of message we want it to be, we'll be able to make kinder choices more and more often."
   
   THIS is something that I can do. The fact I will fail sometimes doesn't absolve me of my responsibility to do what I can.
   
   Chapter 3 is also where Zoe exhorts us to expand humane values to include everyone, and these are some choices she says have an impact on ourselves as well as others outside of our family - what we wear, what we eat, what entertainment we choose, what we drive, as well as choices about our homes, furniture, toys, personal care and cleaning products, among others. I'd been guilty of thinking, "Such and Such Superstore will still exist whether I shop there or not, so I might as well get xyz there because they have the best price." After reading this book, that is not a thought I am going to have again.
   
   Zoe also includes a questionnaire to help people get started on their journey to live more consciously and humanely, as well as several interesting resource lists.
   
   I highly recommend this book.