5 comments about Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop.

1. A very good book on how the many design elements used in the manufacture of Greene & Greene furniture come together. The color illustrations and accompaning text are easy to understand and easily guide any interested woodworker or patron of this arts & crafts furniture builder. The only small comment would be - when's the next add on edition coming?



2. An outstanding book which combines history with practical techniques for creating your own G&G style furniture. Peart is truly an outstanding craftsman and now an author/historian. Excellent photos and ideas...and some plans.



3. Before I bought this book, I owned another book call In Craftman's Style. It was such a great book that I thought this book was just going to be another great book. However, soon I realized that my expectation was unrealistic. First of all, this book did not offer me with any new information. Most of what it talked about in the book was already covered in the other book. The other book also offered many useful project plans. This one offered no such thing. It may seem unfair to judge one book base on another one. However, this book came out several year after In Craftman's Style repeated half of the materials. So even if I don't consider being cheated by buying this book, I was truly very disappointed at best.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to doing a piece in the Greene & Greene style. Peart makes gorgeous furniture, and his treatment of design and construction of G&G stuff is clear, intelligent, and sensitive.
   The first section, on the history of Greene and Greene, is perhaps less compelling. I read it with interest, because it's the first book I've read on G&G, but Peart's strengths as a writer are more in the direction of design and technique than in biography. Readers most interested in biography and history might want to look elsewhere.
   This is not a serious drawback: the book delivers what the title promises--design elements for the workshop. It does this so well that I ask, with another reviewer, when volume two is coming out.



5. I have built Arts and Crafts style furniture for many years and have always loved the Greene and Greene style. This book gives some history and background on the style but it's real value is in the very detailed explanations of how to execute the details Greene and Greene. It's practical and well written. Where jigs are necessary they are described and photographed in detail. I have now purchased the plans for the author's bedside table and plan on making that when I get the half dozen pieces I am working on now finished. A fun book even if you never build anything.

5 comments about Deerproofing Your Yard & Garden.

1. This book has become the bible of deer resistant gardening for good reason. I have yet to find a more thorough text regarding deer behavior, deer deterrents and, deer resistant fences. If you have a deer problem you should defiantly read this book.

   The one chapter that could be improved is the one entitled "Deer-o-Scaping", which discusses landscaping with deer resistant plants. The list of deer resistant plants provided in this chapter is divided into plant categories (i.e., annuals, perennials, etc...) and delineates the zones where each plant grows, as well as the plant's soil and light requirements. While this is certainly more information than I have seen provided in most deer resistant plant lists, it nevertheless assumes the reader knows what the plant looks like and is familiar with its' habit. The novice gardener will need to reference other publications to learn more about the plants in this list before he/she can plan an attractive deer resistant garden. The experienced gardener will undoubtedly wish the deer resistance of more unusual and exotic plants were discussed.




2. This book is concise, well-structured and highly informative. It begins with an analysis of how deer think (if you can call it that!), and how they use their senses. The author then uses these insights to derive numerous strategies for avoiding attracting deer and deterring them if they do find your garden. These vary from what I would call defensive (avoid planting things that deer like to eat, using the exhaustive list provided as a guide - there are even some roses that deer apparently dislike!) to highly combative (electric fences, self-activated noises or sprinklers). She also offers numerous ideas for upsetting deers' reliance on their sense of smell, including stringing up highly scented soap bars, and spraying plants with homemade pepper spray or stinky egg mix! There is an edgy humor to the book that makes for a fun read. A very intelligent approach to a very exasperating problem. Buy it.



3. This is simply an excellent book that tackles a critical wildlife management issue intelligently and without politics and rhetoric. The scope of the book and the author's skill as both a gardener and a keen observer of deer antics is impressive. As a master gardener and garden designer, I use this book in almost all my consultations because the problem is so prevalent, and because Ms. Hart provides some really smart answers to customer's questions. Though I agree with the reviewer who thought the book lacked information on more exotic or esoteric species of plants, the list of deer resistant species is quite extensive in light of the other information provided. There will probably never be an exhaustive list of deer proof plants because of harsh winters and continual clearing of natural habitats to make way for housing and commercial expansion.
   Ms. Harts' suggested strategy of using deer repulsive plants around more deer desirable plantings is smart. I was able to grow my beloved tulips surrounded by alliums, whose foliage emerges as the tulips start to bud. Kudos to Ms. Hart.



4. I found the book very informative and helpful in coping with dear problems. The deer behavior section was very close to our actual observations on our property in Roche Harbor of the Washington San Juan Islands.



5. This book is very well written with a lot of information in it. I thought I knew a lot about deer until I read this book. I thought the book would be boring but it was anything but. I haven't had a chance to put into effect a lot of the deerproofing measures but they sound logical and with a combination of some of them, I'm sure we will have success.

2 comments about The New Complete Guide to the Band Saw: Everything You Need to Know About the Most Important Saw in the Shop.

1. This is a must have book for anyone who uses a bandsaw. If you ever had a problem with your saw this book will help fix it!



2. I really didn't find anything useful in the manual. My Rikon manual covered the info in the book. Directions on the few jigs that were covered were a bit confusing and appeared to be missing info. There are not nearly as many jigs discussed as the cover implied.

4 comments about 125 Brain Games for Toddlers and Twos: Simple Games to Promote Early Brain Development (125 Brain Games).

1. This book, written for parents of children ages 12 months to 36 months is packed with fun, simple, creative, and educational games to enhance and promote your child's brain development at this monumental time. Author, Jackie Silberg does a superb job of offering parents an interactive approach to helping their child activate synapses in the child's brain. After reading this book, you'll be pleased to see that as a parent you and your child are probably already willing participants playing many of these games and activities, but after reading the crucial brain research that backs up the importance of these games, you will feel even better. Ms. Silberg provides facts and evidence that clearly indicate spending time with your child at this very young age nurturing, playing, learning, and bonding together will lay the groundwork for a lifetime of learning and positive experiences.

   Readers can easily flip through this step by step manual to sections of brain based learning games targeted to the child's age range and development. Since a child's brain development is explosive at this tender age, parents and caregivers must do all they can to foster a love of learning. These activities will stimulate your child's brain development by creating important neural connections for future learning, develop thinking abilities, language skills, fine and gross motor skills, and problem solving abilities. During this amazing brain growth, your child will be learning, creating, experiencing, and the two of you will be growing closer together. Utilizing the five senses, you are sure to find new and exciting mind games to delight and entertain you and your little one. My child and I have had tons of fun and giggles playing these games and you can adapt them anyway you wish. This book would be a great gift for a parent or caregiver.




2. This book really comes in handy when you are in between activities. It fills in small amounts of time really well. I just wish I had bought it sooner!



3. Very redundant...any normal parent would already do these things. Not worth the money. =(



4. cute book, well done, good information, but the activities aren't always stuff that people will actually do, just ok in that department.

2 comments about Complete Patio (Complete...).

1. I like this book because it has it all. If you want to make a quick patio by laying some flagstones directly into soil and letting plants grow in between them, here is everything you need to know to design it, get the materials, and put it in next weekend. If you are thinking of something elaborate, like pouring a concrete slab, cutting flagstones and embedding them in mortar on it, again, this is a great guide. In between, there is a whole range of possibilities from a round brick accent patio to tuck in the corner of your yard and set a table and chairs on, to detailed instructions for doing the traditional dry-laid stone method on base aggregate with various edgings.
   
   Besides building patios, they have ways to spruce up old concrete slabs like staining them to make them spanking new and pretty, and treatments to make your flagstones last longer and easier to clean. All of this is shown with great, clear color photographs that make it fun to think about all the different possibilities for making your back or front yard more useable. This is a keeper.



2. Excellent book for refurbishing an existing patio or installing a new one. It features good, clear instructions with plenty of illustrations. I was able to get more landscaping ideas from this book than some of my so-called "idea" books. The suggested materials are readily available, in California at least, and there is good analysis of the pros and cons of each type.

1 comments about Modern Masonry : Brick, Block, Stone.

1. Be aware this book is "job practice manual" & not an actual text book. It is designed for actual workshop practices and does not get into actual howto, specifications, and code rules.

1 comments about Drywall: Hanging and Taping (Fine Homebuilding DVD Workshop).

1. I had already purchased Myron's essential Drywall book when I happened upon this video at the San Francisco Public Library. If there were one video to learn the basics of hanging sheet-rock and mudding I highly would recommend this video. This video is excellent. You gain enough knowledge from this dvd to get you up to speed. Of course good drywalling takes much practice, but you feel as though you're an apprentice drywaller at the heels of a master. The section on mudding is particularly good in this video, which is the most crucial part of any drywall job. I liked the Taunton dvd on trim carpentry equally as well with Craig Savage. While I would have appreciated a longer video in both regards, the series is very useful, and Myron brings things to life by demonstrating how it's done.

4 comments about Affordable Remodel: How to Get Custom Results on Any Budget.

1. I started out by using the book, Affordable Remodel for a redecorating/small renovation project. I wanted to turn a small, nothing room into a guest/office for myself and found it to be a wonderful resource. Well as the project progressed I noticed that I could use the photos as sources for my students' class research project on Homes/then and now. The photos are wonderful illustrations of how far we have come along!



2. Love the book. Very detailed, great photo's. Great ideas! This book is very easy to read and understand because they are shown with photo's which really help. it is so well written that I will look at doing projects that I hadn't thought about doing. There are so many things that I do love and the book is so accurate. Page 194 shows a sink refinished with a coating and shows a before and after picture. My friend actually did this to her bathroom tub and tile and it looked NEW afterwards. The mirror trim is awesome too (mirredge) page 198.



3. some good ideas but not worth the purchase, i have done quite a bit of remodeling,just my thoughts.



4. This is very useful if you are contemplating a remodel or at the planning stage. It has great photos, ideas and considerations for each phase of the remodel. It is only an overview of the process so you will need a different book if you want a how-to-manual.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Reinforced Concrete Design.

1. This reference is useful as a review of various types of concrete construction. However, it was last revised in 1993 and refers to the 1989 American Concrete Institute code, so while the content is generally correct, many of the code provisions have since changed.



2. College texts only provide so many good examples and are sparse on the details. Schaum's fills in a large explanatory gap.



3. Typical of the Schaums series- It's a little bit out of date but the information really helps to fill out scribbled lecture notes and textbook examples.
   
   Good stuff.



4. This text was originally composed in 1966 and was updated in 1987 & 1993. Since the last update the design procedures recommended by the ACI have been radically revised and this book is therefore essentiall useless to today's designers. It might have some elementary applications, but the buyer should be warned major revisions in design procedures in the late 90's and after render the book outmoded



5. Wow!!! Schaum's and Noel Everard really missed the boat on this one! I really wish engineers would learn how to write and cohesively put ideas down on paper. Noel's concept of writing is to regurgitate a bunch of formulas that cross reference other formulas. If you are looking for concepts.... this is NOT the book for you.
   
   I'm disappointed in Schaum's on this one. After using other outlines of theirs I had higher expectations. This one is really bad! No wonder it only cost 12 bucks.

5 comments about Walks, Walls & Patios: Plan, Design & Build.

1. This book is pretty good at showing you how to accomplish building well... the title of the book. I find it's best attribute are illustrations and examples.
   
   This stuff is pretty fun to do after you read this book.



2. I love the tons of pictures of samples but most important is that it have a step by step for each projects. Walls, retaining walls, patios, concrete floor, and more. I'm looking for to purchase the other books in this series.



3. I cannot review this book, because it was not received. It may not be the vendor's fault. The item was ordered after we moved to a new address, but it should have been forwarded by the post office. I have never been stiffred by an Amazon vendor. I prefer to think it is the post office that is at fault.



4. I am a 46 yr old female with no prior experience and I laid a beautiful stone walkway over my ugly concrete walkway and it looks GREAT! Suggestion: buy odd shaped flat stones (I used slate)and you may not need to cut them, I didn't! and don't add too much water to the mortar mix. Good Luck!



5. This book is jammed packed full of photos. Whether you're requiring basic information to do it yourself or looking for ideas to share with your landscaper, this book will inspire you. Well organized and easy to follow diagrams make this book a pleasure.