4 comments about Christopher Lowell's One-of-a-Kind Decorating Projects: Fast & Flexible Ways to Personalize Your Home.

1. All of Christopher Lowell's books are five-star material, in my opinion. His humor adds to the text and colorful display of photographs His creations are so simple to follow. He is one of a kind. I miss his TV-Discovery program.



2. As usual Christopher's book was great!No matter who you are You can do it! with these great ideas and projects and make your home look like you had a professional come in!



3. Christopher is back with a powerful inspiration, new look, and great ideas. The book is not only a tutorial for a new home make over ideas, yet it introduces an inspiration for people who want to glance their homes with their personal touches. Whether you are movng to a new house or re-decorating your existing one, this book has a lot more to give. I recommend it to every home owner.



4. Christopher Lowell is great. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, just one of these ideas is worth the book!

5 comments about Building the Greenland Kayak : A Manual for Its Contruction and Use.

1. If you want to build a greenland kayak then this is all you need. Instructions are clear and not wordy. It also has sections on making paddles and paddling clothing. The style shown in this book has slight deviations from the original greenland technique but he specifically states all the changes. I built a kayak from this book with my only help being a second pair of hands, and i am only 15. The boat was exactly to his designs and it is fast, fairly stable, and responsive.



2. My daughter and I are building kayaks in an Adult Ed class using this book as our bible. Luckily, there is an instructor who has built 2 kayaks before using this book. The book contains all you need to know, albiet that you have to spend time reading the words repeatedly because there aren't enough sketches to show what is intended. There are lots of photos, but they don't convey the same amount of info as a sketch with dimensions. But, if you keep re-reading the book to figure our how to make the jigs, you'll end up with a piece of art, that you can kayak in.



3. This is the basic book everyone shold read to built the wooden kayak. Step by step, piece by piece, tool by tool. But remenber, your hands make the spirit of the water.
   Este libro es el "básico". Todo lo que hay que saber para constrir un kayak tradicional, paso a paso. Pero recuerda, no hay que ser tan preciso, tus manos le darán el espíritu del agua



4. I have a small library of building skin on frame kayaks. Some are better than others; this is one of the best. Another reviewer commented that this book along with Robert Morris's Building Skin-On-Frame boats would be all you need for a successful build. He has a good point. Cunningham is, of course, extremely knowledgeable and his book while small in size covers a wide range of other kayak topics very well. He is particularly good on using various tools for the same task. It helps a lot since many of us do not have extremely well equipped tool shops and need workarounds.
   
   Fine book, nicely written, with good pictures. I'm glad I bought it.



5. I have almost finished making my first Greenland kayak and this book has received it's fair share of use. I bought this book together with the book from Robert Morris and the books do differ quite a bit. I would recommend you use both of these books, however if I had to choose one book and I only wanted to make a greenland kayak, this would be the one. This book was worth it just for the jig on bending ribs, an area where i really struggled to get consistent results until i built the jig.
   
   Overall i found this book extremely detailed and exacting, with precise jigs and tooling to ensure a quality result. In comparison, Robert Morris describes more different boats and makes you aware of the many different methods of building a kayak. If you have a solid appreciation for the working characteristics of wood and experience with kayaks to know how your work will affect your boat, Robert Morris provides alot more encouragment for experimentation.
   
   Great book, if you want a Greenland kayak, and info on paddle building, equipment making and technique relating to the Greenland kayak, this is the one.

2 comments about Barn: The Art of a Working Building.

1. This book is truely an inspiration... the images and descriptions will bring great memories of Barns to your mind, will bring tears to your eyes if you spent childhood fantasies in "the barn", and might inspire you to save, build, or restore a barn someday... thank you Elric, Alexander , and David, whoever and wherever you are for presenting such a work...It stays on the table, within easy reach...



2. Endersby and fellow authors, using an intelligent combination of pictures, drawings, and text to successfully depict both finished buildings and structural detail, have written the definitive book on barns. They trace the lineage of American barns from their European roots in a lively, readable, informative format. In addition to it's functional qualities, the book is quite handsome, a stunning addition to the library of anyone who likes barns. Quite simply, this is the best book on barns I have ever seen.

5 comments about The Natural Child: Parenting from the Heart.

1. I loved EVERY single word of this book. It seems like this should be taught on schools instead of some of the things they teach. I felt very in tune with Jan and her philosphies, as I have done this kind of parenting intuitively already. It is nice to see (read) that somebody else has had the same experience and/ or that there is another way besides letting "baby cry it out" or bombard the kids with toys, when all they really want and need is being part of the family.
   This book is an easy read and very hard to put down. I have read it while nursing and was always "sad" when my daughter was done and I had to put the book down. A must have!!



2. I'm a firm believer in attachment parenting and gentle discipline. My children have been breastfed and coslept as babies. However, I believe some of Jan's views on mainstream parenting are a bit too offensive. To say that a child who attends public school is more likely to end up in prison or a breastfed baby that is weaned by his mother may end up as an alcoholic 20 years later is ridiculous. Even her views as cribs as "lonely cages" is too extreme for my taste, and I have co-slept with my children.
   
   I did learn a few things from this book so I hesitate to not recommend it, but I have found more helpful books out there that don't make me feel like I'm a bad parent for not following it exactly. Kids, Parents and Power Struggles by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka and Playful Parenting are my all time favorites.



3. "The Natural Child" is a collection of articles written by Hunt for various publications from 1988 to 2001. Each is very short (2-5 short pages). She refers regularly to the writings of three authors who have inspired her greatly. Because of this style, many of Hunt's statements become repetitious. Some people like this style because it drives home important points, but I found it quite tiresome.
   
   This book is meant to promote natural parenting (also called attachment or empathic parenting). The basic philosophy is to treat children with the same respect that you would use for adults. It is usually associated with no spanking, extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, positive birthing experience, minimal separation, extended spacing of children, etc.
   
   Hunt sets the tone of her book in the first article. She states that "getting it" about children is on a scale of zero or one. Parents either "get it" about children or they don't. In her explanation of "getting it" she implies that anyone who agrees with her beliefs 100% "gets it" and anyone who disagrees even a little doesn't. If you "get it" you are a good parent and a good person. If you don't, you are destined to completely ruin not only your own child, but also all future generations.
   
   When I was pregnant, I read many different books on parenting styles. I have come across this book now that my daughter is 15 months old. If this book had been the only attachment parenting book I had read, I would not have used this style. "The Natural Child" offers no practical advice, no wiggle room, and it is very unforgiving. Instead, I was lucky enough to read the Sears Library version of attachment parenting, which outlined the ideals and encouraged parents to tweak what didn't seem right to them. I am now using my own version of attachment parenting that is working extremely well for my family, but that Hunt would greatly disapprove of.
   
   A few pros: Hunt is passionate about children and truly wants what's best for them. It is an easy read. Hunt's views, though extreme and perhaps oversimplified, do lend themselves to a feel-good, world peace, flowers and smiles, happily-ever-after result--and it's nice to fantasize that such a result may be possible someday.
   
   A few complaints: Hunt talks about babies and then children but she leaves out the toddler stage, when children aren't crying for what they need, but also can't understand lengthy explanations. In her discussion about education she mentions only traditional public school and home-school. A mention of Montessori school would have been perfect, as it is very much in line with her ideas. The book is not at all scientific in that she offers very few facts to back up her opinions, she makes sweeping generalizations, she offers few specific examples, and she gives no fact-based comparison of the long-term outcome of her style versus any other style.
   
   "The Natural Child" is a feel-good, easy read for those who agree fully and completely with Hunt's ideas. For those who more-or-less agree with her, it is likely a fine book, although the reader may occasionally feel attacked. For those who mostly disagree, it is likely offensive. Hunt not only puts forward her own ideas, but she regularly puts down the ideas (and even the people) of the opposition.



4. This book changed my life, my daughter's life, and my husband's life - all for the better. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
   
   Having grown up in an authoritarian family and having seen and felt the results of that kind of parenting, when I had my daughter I knew that I needed to find another way to parent. I just didn't have the slightest idea which way that was. I wasn't particularly impressed with the options I read about in many other parenting books. They implied that there are only three choices: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive. Permissive seemed like neglect and authoritative seemed like "authoritarian lite" - I didn't find either of these inspiring. I thought that I could do better for my daughter.
   
   When I read Jan Hunt's book, I felt like my eyes had been opened for the first time. The short essays in her book helped me to see children differently. Instead of seeing them as being born "broken" and needing to be "fixed" through remedial parenting, I began to see them as whole people, deserving of respect and kindness, who are doing the best they can with the resources they have. This book helped me to see through a child's eyes - to understand that they have good reasons to behave as they do and to see how they perceive their parents' treatment of them. By the end of the book, I was convinced of the wisdom of applying the Golden Rule to children: of "doing unto them as you would have them do unto you."
   
   This book started my journey toward becoming the nurturing, empowering parent that I want to be and has been providing a guiding light along the path. It is by no means a comprehensive "how-to-parent" manual, nor does it attempt to reduce parenting to a simple formula. But it did provide me with a positive, joyful, fulfilling vision of parenting that has stayed with me and grown as I have read and learned hands-on about being a parent. I am eternally grateful to Jan Hunt - and I suspect that when my daughter is grown, she will be as well.



5. New parents, even old parents, everywhere, should read this book. Jan Hunt is at the forefront of one of the most important things a parent should know nowadays - that products and companies everywhere have chemicals that all of us should be without. That gentler, more positive discipline, is the way to go. This book is so very wise, as is she. Check out her website [..] for much more.. and get this book and keep it at your side!

No comments about Roofing, Flashing and Waterproofing (Best of Fine Homebuilding).

4 comments about Code Check: An Illustrated Guide to Building a Safe House (Code Check).

1. This booklet provides a fine checklist for reviewing your own designs or doing home inspections. This checklist is not intended to be a replacement for your building code books. You still need to have a firm understanding of the codes. Code Check does serve as good 'tickler' on thoses codes that you do not refer to regularly and helps make sure that you don't overlook something.



2. Excellent product, received in similar condition. Will serve as a great tool to evaluate homes.



3. Are you a contractor or work in (or with) the trades? I rehab old houses and find this guide without peer. While not for the do-it-yourselfer (it's definitely not a how-to book, it strictly presents the salient aspects of the often confusing and opaque residential building codes), it's a quick reminder and update on codes applicable to electrical, plumbing, heating, and general construction. It covers mutltiple major codes. I've found the individual guides essential and this work combines them in a handy, fits in your portfolio size. Very useful for those who work in the trades, or deal with contractors, as I do.
   
   If you work in residential construction work in some way, buy this book. Considering the price of the usual codebooks or even the books explaining the codes, this book is also a bargain.



4. GREAT BOOK , A MUST HAVE FOR THE CONTRACTOR AND REMODELER . DOVETAILS WELL WITH THE IRC .

5 comments about A Child's Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for Children (Archetype Press Books).

1. Every page of this book has full color photos from some of the most incredible gardens for children I have ever seen, from the large elaborate planned spaces of botanical gardens, to small modest spaces that will fit any space or budget. While this is not a heavy-duty "how to" book, it is a book of ideas--and we all know that ideas lead to other ideas! The cover of this book alone is inspiring!

   The author asks, "How important are the old childhood pleasures of collecting seed pods, fishing in ditches, making bowers, picking flowers, and climbing trees?...long hours of unstructured outdoor exploration are a fast-vanishing aspect of contemporary childhood." She continues, "...the environment [on her uncle's farm] was so complex--full of smells, varied land forms, and mesmerizing creatures. I remember a scooped out pond surrounded by mud in which pigs, geese and ducks joyously wallowed. The strange pungency of the air, the frighteningly gigantic hogs, the mysterious, billowy grasses...still fill my senses." The author talks at great length about the psychology of nature, and of German educational reforms of the early 20th century (but only the good ones ). Each page has a line fron a Robert Louis Stevenson poem, for "...you may see, if you will look Through the windows of this book, Another child far away, And in another garden play."

   The book includes suggestions for water gardens, sensory gardens, vegetable gardens, themed gardens, natural sand boxes, mazes, and attracting wildlife, plus many resources for strange seeds, odd plants, and landscape designers in varied areas of the US and the UK, all geared towards making a child's space a natural one.

   BTW, when I bought the book, my kids grabbed it from me immediately. They love to look at the gardens and plan ours. Oh, and there are two black and whilte photos in the book: One is of children during WWI, tending a large city garden; the other is a 1940's style playground, with the steel and concrete structures that many of us recall from childhood. My 4yo playground-lover looked at both, and declared that he'd rather explore the garden.




2. Our whole family has enjoyed reading this book to get ideas for our Sunflower/Fairy Garden!! Every section offers wonderful ideas that we would never have thought of to add...What Fun our Magical Garden will be thanks to, A Child's Garden : Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents! One section offers the idea of planting different berries around the yard so the children can snack as they play! I have given this book to our landscaper to see what ideas he has for adding water to the garden...Already he has suggested using a water pump to circulate water in order to make a small trickling brook for our boys to sail their boats on! I also got the idea to make a willow archway that will be child size for the children to cimb through! We are so very excited to spend this summer creating and adding to our Enchanted Fairy Garden!



3. I have not read this book, but was disturbed to read, in the description of the book, the suggestion to plant norway maple as a climbing tree for your child. Norway maple is an invasive species in northern forest zones, and is threatening habitat for sugar maple, an important tree for wildlife, tourism, maple sugaring, history, and the regional economics that accompany those. Norway maple became very popular in urban areas for its pollution tolerance. It should not be planted anywhere near natural habitat for sugar maples. American beech is an excellent choice for a hardwood tree with good climbing branches, and delicious nuts. All hardwoods grow much more slowly than softwoods. There's nothing wrong with climbing a white pine tree. And try swinging on birches.



4. I just received this as a gift today, and I loved looking through the beautiful photographs. So many interesting ideas for treehouses, mazes, theme gardens, and uses for those left-behind stumps and odd-shaped small yards-- it truly encourages people to plant where they're blooming, no matter how less-than-ideal the yard. It does seem to favor northern climates on the surface, but a Miami garden is highlighted, and the basics-- structures and uses of space are more of a focus, rather than specific plants or seasonal values. (This is important to me as a southern gardener-- we just don't have the same gardening calendar.)
   
   Of course several of the featured gardens are owned by professional landscape designers or are part of large public gardens. But that shouldn't deter the novice with a vision; don't we all want to learn from the pros and use them as a springboard? If nothing else, I am inspired to continue creating a fun place for my children to play and roam, as well as consider ways to branch out into other local institutions that could provide these play spaces.



5. I first discovered this gem about 10 years ago in a little independent bookstore in Blue Hill, Maine and I've recommended it to many friends and schools. I'm so delighted it is reprinted and in paperback. It's a book that will enchant adults as well as children. It makes we wish I had acres and acres in which to create these great play spaces. One doesn't even have to have young children to be inspired or create something for yourself.
   
   How gratifying to have authors who know how important it is for children to play--and especially outdoors so they can smell, dig, feel the earth, grow plants, play in sand or water, and build something from their imaginations. I hope they included the same spectacular photographs as in the first printing hardcover. Now if they could only be incorporated in public play spaces in urban settings!

5 comments about Good Things for Organizing (Good Things with Martha Stewart Living).

1. This book is soooo Martha. It has beautiful photographs and the projects have visually beautiful results! But, like some of the other reviewers, I have never used even one of the ideas in this book and I probably never will. I'm still scrambling to get my paperwork filed anywhere out of sight, a meal on the table on time and my laundry put away. I see the projects in this book as the icing on the cake of a very organized home inhabited by a type A personality (Martha). Many of the ideas require a lot of materials, time, money and a carpenter. What I do enjoy about the book is dreaming that someday I will be organized enough to get to the "Good Things" phase. Fantasy is fun!



2. This book is decent. I've read better Martha Stewart idea books. It's a little bit outdated (it talks about organizing video cassettes) and some of the projects require hard-to-find materials (men's suit fabric?) but there are definitely some great ideas and I don't feel like it was a waste a money. I just wish it were a little more practical.



3. I like Martha Stewart alot, but everyone is not as rich as she is and everyone does not have all of the space that she has in this book to organize things. The pictures are colorful and bold, I wish she had put in more pictures with smaller rooms, also I love the way she shows you how to fold sheets and shirts,over all she show a lot of detail in how to organize things you never dream of organizing so that in itself is a good thing!



4. This book is filled with really creative ideas for organizing in every room of the house (or apartment in my case). The photographs are wonderful and the instructions on ideas are easy to follow.



5. I'm a self diagnosed magazine junkie. If you're like me, this book is for you. It's like a heavy duty well laid out magazine without the ads. Awesome!
   
   If you're more of a text-book reader then Martha's Housekeeping Handbook... which I also love... is right up your alley.
   
   Oh and by the way... I'm sort of lukewarm to Martha in general, so I don't give rave reviews based on my affection for her!

No comments about Beautiful Windows: The Ultimate Window Treatment Design Book.

2 comments about Popular Woodworking's Arts & Crafts Furniture: 25 Projects For Every Room In Your Home (Popular Woodworking).

1. I was very challanged to expand my skills after I read this book. The projects were interesting and worthy of handing down to my family as heirlooms.



2. This book has 3 sections: a brief, but good introduction to the major Arts & Crafts furniture makers, with comments on their relative qualities and places in the movement; construction techniques; and projects. All are well illustrated and all pictures are in color (except, obviously, repros of original black and white photos). Alternative techniques are given for a number of joinery types. Helpful advice and tips are given throughout both the techniques and projects sections. The projects range from quite simple (Morris Chair footstool) to middling complex (various chairs). Some unusual items are also included, such as the Limbert Tabouret, which is a table with four interlocking legs, and the "Lost Stickley Side Table", a Stickley prototype with straight legs in back and splayed in front. Only two really modern pieces are included: a Prairie Style coffee table and an outdoor version of the Morris Chair. The included CD has additional plans. Considering the excellent content, the quality of the book itself, and the bonus CD, this book is quite a bargain.