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.

5 comments about The Cob Builders Handbook: You Can Hand-Sculpt Your Own Home.

1. This book is a fantastic resource, and full of practical tips on building with Cob in general, as well as site preparation, drainage considerations, roofing.
   
   Definitely something to add to your alterative building methods resource collection.



2. I completely enjoyed this book, it is informative, practical, and consistently puts forth the message that ANYONE can build a home. I bought some acreage and have started my own. When I get overwhelmed, I reread this book, step back, and break it down into smaller steps. One of the easiest, most encouraging books I've read on any subject, and the best of the dozen books I've read on this subject.



3. This book will definitely get your gears turning if you have a love of building. It is simply written with descent illustration. This style of building isn't a difficult concept. However, it is a different concept that I found very intersting. A great book for smaller outdoor projects such as pavillions or outdoor cooking areas.



4. This book will give you some great building ideas for your home, especially for simple outdoor structures.



5. I found this book invaluable. With it's simply put illustrations and descriptive nature. It's a simplified context that compliments "The Hand Sculpted House" wonderfully! Between these two books and a little research on site and with consideration to additional components of the structure to be erected, I feel confident that even a novice builder (with proper planning and a little guidance from some pro's) could complete a humble starter home of their own. I only speak from my little (16 years as a builder) experience with completing homes. *never built one like this till now* With another couple years of planning and designing, hopefully mine will be completed.

No comments about Green Building Products, 3rd Edition: The GreenSpec Guide to Residential Building Materials-3rd Edition.

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.

1 comments about Cost Analysis and Estimating for Engineering and Management.

1. The author of the book goes over the top in derivation in his calculations. It's almost as if he's trying to show off instead of keeping the math simple and relevant. However, considering the other books for this topic, there are no better.

2 comments about Step-by-Step Outdoor Stonework: Over Twenty Easy-to-Build Projects for Your Patio and Garden.

1. Twenty different projects are presented in color photos and detailed drawings. Lawrence concentrates on patios, paving, steps, garden walls, stone furniture and decorative ponds. These are all projects that homeowners can handle themselves with this concise guide.



2. This large paperback book may only be 96 pages but it is incredibly detailed and the color photos and illustrations are excellent. For each project the author covers types of materials, site preparation, design, estimating quantities, measuring, as well as step by step instructions on building the project. Projects covered: Garden Walls, Arches, Patios, Paths, Steps, Planters, Rock Gardens, Seats and Tables, and Ponds. A section on "Small Weekend Projects" shows how to make a mounting for a sundial, paving around trees, laying stepping stones, and building a patio planter out of rocks.

   A "Reference" section in the back of the book includes detailed information on tools, natural stone, man-made wall blocks, paving slabs and blocks, mortar and concrete, dry mixed materials, mortar mixes and ready made concrete.

5 comments about Building a Straw Bale House: The Red Feather Construction Handbook.

1. I first became aware of straw base houses when I visited friends who had built one high in the Colorado rockies. In spite of the bad winters in that location, they reported that they very rarely used any heating beyond opening the drapes on the south facing windows. I don't know what the R-value of a bale of straw might be, but it is high.
   
   They also reported that in the few years they had lived there they had had virtually no maintenance. I had imagined little cracks in the exterior covering and furry little critters living in the walls. But they reported that nothing like this had occurred.
   
   This book is put out by the Red Feather Development Group. They are a non-profit group chartered to provide low cost but efficient housing on indian reservations. They have been developing straw bale contruction for houses over many years, many buildings.
   
   This handbook is not exactly a complete primer on building a straw bale house, to me it is an idea book. There's not much here, for instance on plumbing, heating, wiring and so on. Fair enough, those things are much the same for any house, and well understood by architects and contractors. What this book does is talk about building the house itself, the wall structure, supporting the roof, the things that are unique to building with Straw Bales. There are lots of pictures, illustrating lots of points that you wouldn't think of unless you had been there and done that.
   
   Highly recommended!



2. This book gives an over view of the process to build a home using straw bale construction that is used by the Red Feather Development Group. Modeled after Habitat for Humanity they help tribal members living on Indian reservations achieve home ownership. The book takes you through the building process with many photos and diagrams. There is also pictures and discriptions of straw bale homes that are still lived in after 80 years, showing that sustainable housing is not a passing fad.



3. This was really a good book and I would recommend it very much.



4. I found this book to be very helpful with pictures and building concepts easy to understand by the layman. The chapters are well layed out on each step of the building process and gives a lot of good tips both in dealing with the building code requirements and common sense ideas to building a straw bale house. While the houses in this book are architectually simple, a rectangle shape, the ideas can be use in more complex designs.



5. Frankly, I like this book, despite my 2-star rating of it. It has some excellent information in it as well as excellent photos, and it is well laid out. However, it is intended for very specific and limited uses, which are not really disclosed in the product description. So, read on to learn what I had to discover about its limitations through trial and error:
   
   This is NOT a book on the theory and history of straw bale construction. It spends very little, if any, time outlining the different styles of bale construction, nor the variety of techniques and details that have been tried over the years, nor the many factors - environmental, structural, practical - affecting a particular construction project that might make the builder choose one technique or detail over another. If you are a new owner/builder at the conceptual stage, trying to decide if a bale house is right for you, or how exactly to build the bale house that is best for you, this is NOT the book you want.
   
   This book focuses on one philosophy of design only. It is a guide, not on how to build a bale house, but on how to build one specific bale house. What I find troubling is that it does not even explain, in most cases, why the methods being described were chosen. If you already know a good deal about bale construction, you will quickly read between the lines to see why the authors consider their chosen techniques most suitable for their situation - I did, and quickly determined that little in the book was applicable to my own situation. Ok, fair enough. But, if you do not already understand the basics of straw bale architecture, I can easily imagine the reader following this book down what might well be the wrong path for his or her own project and, at best, wasting a lot of time in the design stage considering inappropriate techniques. At worst, the reader could end up making some very poor and costly choices without realizing why they are poor.
   
   So, what is this book good for? It presents a straight-forward, step-by-step guide to project planning for a particular type of builder attempting a particular type of project. It does not present enough technical details or drawings to be a comprehensive construction manual (what book does?), so it will not take the place of preparing blueprints or having them prepared for you. But, it is nonetheless an excellent place to start IF AND ONLY IF you are...
   
   1) ...Poor, or otherwise interested in building a small, simple, budget-oriented house for a single family. Don't get me wrong: the house this book describes is perfectly sound, perfectly livable, and should last longer than most conventional houses, but it is definitely "no-frills." Frankly, all Americans should be focusing on more modest, economical, and sustainable housing, regardless of income level. Be that as it may, if you are wanting something bigger - multiple stories, luxury oriented, more architecturally unique - you will not find it here.
   
   2) ...Part of a large community or very large family interested in helping you build this house quickly through a massive and intensive volunteer effort. If your access to volunteer resources is more modest and your construction schedule, therefore, more relaxed, you could well run into serious problems trying to follow the path laid out in this book. If you plan on hiring only professionals to build your house for you, well, you probably shouldn't build a bale house in the first place, but at the least you will need to find different books.
   
   3) ...West of the Mississippi and building in a very dry environment. All throughout this book you will find details - 3 string bales, metal rebar inserted into the bales, moderately sized roof overhangs, cement-based plaster with ground-to-ceiling stucco mesh - that are either unique to the West or generally appropriate to a desert or prairie climate. For builders in other areas, most of this book likely does not apply to you.
   
   4) ...Interested in a load-bearing straw bale design. See my note on rebar, cement plaster, and stucco mesh above. There is also much in the book on full structural window and door bucks as well as building a roof-bearing-assembly top plate. Of course, there is nothing wrong with load-bearing bale walls, but in many parts of the country they are no longer the most widely-accepted design solution.

5 comments about What Color Is Your Swimming Pool? A Homeowner's Guide to Troublefree Pool, Spa & HotTub Maintenance.

1. I own a home with a large spa in the basement. When I purchased the home, the spa was not filled with water, and since I had no experience maintaining pools or spas, I read this book to give me some general operating tips. Although the book is not written to explain details concerning all complex pool and spa maintenance procedures, it is an excellent introduction for the novice pool or spa owner.
   
   It is true that the author sometimes refers the reader to a trained pool professional, but I think that is appropriate given the range of possible complications. He also recommends getting a periodic professional water analysis (most pool shops will do this free or at very reasonable cost) as the chemical sticks are good for only fairly basic information. One of the strengths of the book is the explanation of the basic applied chemistry involved in pool maintenance.
   
   After reading this book and getting a water analysis, I have been confidently enjoying the hot tub. Overall, I recommend this book for all pool and spa owners, especially novices. People with a lot of experience with pools may desire a more advanced text, but I think this one works great for probably 99 percent of the pool and spa owners out there.



2. This book was written in layman's terms. Everything was explained in easy to follow step by step directions. I feel much more in control of my pool after reading this book. I will definitely keep it around as a reference book.



3. Middle of the road. I preferred the Ultimate pool guide, but as a newcomer to pools this book also helped me understand a lot.



4. This book quickly answered some vexing questions I have had for some time concerning the correction of imbalances in my pool water. It clearly explains what steps are needed to put things right. Good value for money!



5. This is a good book if you need to know the basics about a pool. But it's not real technical, it did not provide enough information no how to get or keep the chemicals correct in the pool. But if you're like me and did not know anything about your pool it is a very good starter guide for you.

5 comments about Rightsizing Your Life: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most.

1. I got this book because it was highly recommended. It is a good book if you are 55 years old or older and ready to move out of your house, contemplating retiring or have had a major change in your life. The book is well written and gives good examples throughout it. The author writes about how to go about making a decision about where to move when you are contemplating retiring and when your kids move out. She also explains how to get rid of items in your house that you don't need or use any more.
   
   I am in my mid forties and like to think about my future, but I do not think this book is the right book for me now. I am still working and have kids in school. Once I have an empty nest I might go back to this book for information since it has a lot of valuable information and I do recommend it, but not for someone my age yet.



2. I am almost 50, and my husband just arrived at this milestone, and we are trying to declutter. I found this title on a bibliography and reserved it at the library. I've never been happier not to have bought a book. The main problem is that the title gives no indication that it is aimed at a very specific audience. The author wants you to believe it is for Baby Boomers, but it's not. It's for Empty Nesters. I had our first child at 39 and my second at 41, and my life is full of kid clutter. The author assumes over and over again that anyone in my generation is done raising kids, and it just ain't so. It's such an annoying assumption that it's hard to look for any good ideas in the text, which is full of examples featuring people my age with grandchildren. Just what I need to really cheer myself up! As another reviewer mentioned, the solutions are primarily aimed at those with lots of disposable income. I think the title is targeted to draw a wider audience than the book deserves. It's more about life changes (grown kids or aging parents) than decluttering.



3. As a life coach and someone anticipating a move, I read this book with great interest. It is well written, succinct and timely. If you are in your 50's or 60's and thinking about where you'll be living in the future, you will find this book extremely helpful. I think even those in their 40's would benefit by this book. It talks of what decisions are ahead in regard to your living arrangements, what you need to consider, how to get ready and where to go for additional help. I will use it for my clients and myself!



4. My husband and I build patio type homes..smaller homes for people who want to "downsize". And I find I can relate so much to this book.... I am in my middle 50's and I have carried so many of my belongings and my stuff with me around from house to house...and I am tired. I love my stuff..don't get me wrong...I am a collector and a saver of anything that makes me smile. But we had to move to a smaller house 2 years ago and I had to leave a lot of things behind. When I did, I realized I can live with out so much stuff and it is a very free feeling!!! It is not easy..but it is worth trying. I think this book really covered many different types of people and lifestyles. Rightsizing may not mean smaller for you..but it may mean a new life in a new area. It may mean using your master bedroom as a studio and sleeping in the smaller bedroom..because the light is better in the Master. I would give this book as a gift to my friends and to people who are struggling with a new stage of their life.



5. I'm in the difficult process of preparing to down size and I find this book most informative and helpful. I highlighted certain items and find myself returning to the book for inspiration and motivation.

5 comments about Pottery Barn Dining Spaces (Pottery Barn Design Library).

1. Not a great book for the average person who loves the pottery barn look and wants ideas. This book has few worthwhile ideas. I felt like it was geared to someone who has large amounts of time decorating for every season and every dinner with no budget in mind. If you're interested in typing out menus for a dinner party, making a dockside dining area, or have days on end to kill getting ready for every season than this is the book for you. I got a lot more out of the living rooms book and I now believe if you have one of the books you certainly don't need any others as a lot of the information that is useful is the same.



2. Five stars for the combination of usefulness and presentation of content and the Amazon.com price. I had been wanting the Pottery Barn decorating books but the publisher price ($29.95) was a bit steep considering the number of books in the series. I only started collecting them when I saw a few in a close-out store (a steal at $7.99). I was only able to find a few in the series in the store so I turned to Amazon for the rest of the series. I have scores of decorating books and typically just leaf through them like one would a magazine. I have been pouring over PB Dining Spaces for days now. Folks who entertain frequently will enjoy this book. Room layout, accessories, lighting, furniture and various other aspects are given detailed treatment with regards to how they impact the dining and hosting experience. The language of the text is practical and accessible. The book is filled with richly detailed pictures. If you're uncertain about buying and have a Pottery Barn near you, stop by and leaf through the book. Then, order on amazon for the price.



3. 
   I loved the Pottery Barn book called "HOME", and thought this one would be as good. Unfortunately, this book lacked a variety of ideas, (when it comes to setting a table for parties and such).



4. The book's paper cover arrived home broken. I hope to get help from your team to replace it.
   GOD BLESS



5. Pottery Barn Dining Spaces is exactly what I expected. Excellent business transaction. Thanks