5 comments about Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture: 27 Stickley Designs for Every Room in the Home (Shop Drawings series).

1. Ever since building our first piece of "Stickley" style furniture I've been looking for a book with more ideas. This one certainly filled the bill. Given the time, I could outfit my whole house with these attractive pieces! Mr. Lang's style helped make it an enjoyable read while his hints and advice came in useful from the start. An added benefit was the facinating history of the Stickley company. It really gave me some insight as to the designs.



2. This book is an excellent compendium of arts and craft style furniture, but boys and girls, check your measurements when you start some of the pieces. I built the wardrobe No112 and have pretty good shop experience. I found errors all over that particular wardrobe. I can understand bad measurements but some were obviously the planners fault.
   Admittedly I have not built anything else in the book and this is a fairly elaborate piece. But I found myself shaving off full half inches where I shouldn't have to. Triple check any measurements made and you will be fine! It is unfortunate that such a detailed book with great ideas for plans does not have its measurements doubled checked. The scales for the furniture in the book do not match some of the drawings either. When I get a series of drawings I expect the measurements to be tried and tested. The book does have a good set of suggestions to build the furniture. Sometimes drawings are missing though that would clarify the project. The economy of pages makes the carpenter lose out.



3. I built the #332 Morris Chair from the plans in this book and found a huge mistake in the measurements: the chair was fully 4" too wide (I caught this in time to fix it, thank goodness). In Mr. Lang's drawings the seat area is measured at 27" wide; in all the Stickley catalogs, it's clearly labeled as 23". Several of the other dimensions were also questionable.
   Much of the information in the book, in the text and the drawings, is very valuable. I've enjoyed the book and would buy it again in a minute. Just make sure, if accuracy is important to you, to check his details against every picture and description of an original piece that you can find!!



4. I have enjoyed looking at the plans and for the most part are very well done but I have built some of the pieces and have found errors in the measurements - as you should always do Measure Twice and cut once
   
   Overall I would buy other books from Mr. Lang



5. 23 pages of "how-to's" and then detailed 2D and isometric drawings with dimensions and with cut lists. Cheap paper, no color, but clarity is very high because the plans are in drawing form rather than photos. Could have been improved with exploded diagrams of through-tenon joints, but Stickley's craftsmen didn't need that evidently. The projects are authentic, and work for woodworkers who don't want any style upgrades and only want the 1rst generation Arts and Crafts that the book represents.

5 comments about Dining Tables: Outstanding Projects from America's Best Craftsmen.

1. I bought this book looking for a design I could use for a dining room table. What I found was not only a design that I loved, but clear step-by-step instructions, drawings, and great photographs. The section on table building basics which covers table size and clearance, wood movement, and torsion box construction was extremely informative.



2. Taunton puts out great books with great authors, this book is no different. Great layout and information.
   I can't add much to what was already stated in the earlier reviews except that Kim Carleton Graves was easy to contact through email. He responded quickly, professionally and was very informative.
   In summary, buy the book you wont be disappointed.



3. Anyone interested in making any kind of a table should get this book. This book covers it all. There are so many things you think you know but are not aware of. This book shows how to design and make tables with ease. I read it and went on to make a table. This is a must for every woodworker.



4. Dining room tables are different in complexity than smaller tables, so its apropos that Taunton chose to put these tables in a separate book from their Tables book. I have both, and have built projects out of both. The Dining Table book deals has a nice layout and design section in the beginning where it describes the minimum and ideal dimensions for tables built for certain numbers of people.
   
   The book contains a nice selections of projects, including a trestle table (pictured on the front cover), a shaker style kitchen table (which I built), various expandable tables, and a boat table constructed using a torsion box.
   
   I would also recommend reading the Tables book by Taunton, as it has a dining room table designed by Frank Klausz which is awesome.



5. I bought this book to learn about dining table construction.
   The instructions are clear and concise and includes ALL the steps required to make 9 tables.
   Kim Carleton Graves is obviously a very good teacher and it really comes across in this book.
   I found this book a great learning aid and I'm sure I will refer to it time and time again.
   Please publish a book on chairs.

5 comments about The Log Home Plan Book.

1. I bought this early on in the planning stage of our log cabin as a resouce. After looking through dozens of books and magazines I actually used one of the plans in the book after modifying it slightly. This has many plans that give you some great ideas and has enough difference between them to be a nice starting point in the design process.



2. My husband and I are in the preliminary stages of planning our dream log home. There are many pricey books out there to peruse, but none were as helpful as this one. It helped us to understand construction and budgetary compliance. By planning with this book, we curbed our budget, without compromising quality and beauty. The information was easy to digest and the photos were excellent and instrumental in the implementation of design and decorating. This book is definitely a MUST HAVE for anyone who is planning to build a log home.



3. This was the first log home book my wife and I purchased after making the decision to not settle for any old house on the market and to build our dream home. It was a great way to get the ideas flowing. I appreciate the layout of the book: lots of exterior and interior photos, floor plans to put the photos into perspective, text descriptions of the houses, and great side bars on everything from windows to roofs to heating. The photos and descriptions are inspiring while the floor plans and side bars are practical. Buy this book early in the process and continue to refer to it as your design comes together.



4. I expected the book to have more plans under 2000 sq ft. If you want a mansion than it has lots of good plans for you!
   
   Rose



5. Stay away if you are looking for floor plans...I would have rather spent my money on three good magazines.

5 comments about The Japanese Bath.

1. This book helped me design my Japanese bath and provided a wonderful resource for my ofuro-Sea Otter Woodworks in Alaska. I love the book and my new bath.



2. Delight your every sense by checking out this book. The beautiful photography will help you design your relaxing bath space.



3. Beautiful pictures and instructional text. However, one wonders why the authors included some of the "Resources" they did. Some of these have no website or catalogue. Example: Soko Hardware in San Francisco. So, if you don't live in the Bay Area, including them was almost useless. I would have liked to have seen more sources with which one can view and buy items.



4. This is a beautiful book, but not very practical in terms of how to build your own japanese bath. Having spent some time in Japan, I don't think my relatives, or others in a public bath would appreciate having someone get into the tub BEFORE scubbing down - GROSS! Only rinsing off is not good enough, as the book instucts you to do. Please scrub and rinse before you enter the tub.



5. The book the Japanese bath gives the history and the culture of the Japanese bath. Fabulous pictures which show the peace and beauty of the Japanese bath. A must-see and read for anyone contemplating building a bathroom.

5 comments about The Woodcut Artist's Handbook: Techniques and Tools for Relief Printmaking.

1. I found the previous reviews to be helpful and true. I read it cover to cover immediately and can't wait to try some of the tips and to find a couple of tools I found quite interesting.



2. Walker has taken woodcut, arguably the oldest of printing techniques, and brought it into the twenty-first century. Albrecht Durer would certainly recognize everything that goes on in a woodcut artist's shop. It's the tools, inks, papers, and especially subject matter that have changed. This book steps clearly through every step, combining very readable text, illustration, and samples of original prints.
   
   The book starts with the block itself. That can be something as homely as a cut slab of potato for a child's effort. It can also be linoleum, a wood plank, or a piece of plywood for regular woodcut. Wood engraving, which differs mainly in the fineness of the cut marks, requires fine, hard surfaces: end-grain boxwood, maple, or cherry in traditional technique, or man-made materials that may be lest costly and more predictable. The rest of the book continues in equally exacting detail: tools and especially their sharpening, cutting with hand or power tools, papers, classic and modern inks, taking the impression with simple or complex presses, and deciding on the edition. Although specimens appear thoughout the book, the last chapter is a gallery that shows the variety of people, techniques, and subjects in contemporary woodcut. Back matter is very helpful: glossary, artists' biographies, bibliography, access to resources, and a helpful index. The resource list may age quickly, as art suppliers come and go, but everything else has lasting value.
   
   There are a few oddities. For example, Walker uses the term "monoprint" to describe images from uniquely inked cut blocks. I can't argue that usage, even though the term is more widely understood to describe prints from inked but uncut surfaces. And, despite otherwise complete coverage of multi-block printing, he omitted the idea of the counterproof. That technique inks the key block and prints it on paper, then uses the paper to transfer wet ink to the blocks to be used for other colors. Although traditional, the technique may lack the precision needed for wood engraving, and may have been overtaken by photocopying and other modern techniques.
   
   I recommend this to anyone who appreciates woodcut, as an observer or as an active printmaker. It's beautifully printed and bound, and, despite the antiquity of the technique, completely up to date.
   
   //wiredweird



3. I have just begun engraving wood and found this book to be extremely helpful. It describes the differences between carving and engraving and gives ample information on tools and printing processes for a beginner.



4. How any book claiming to cover woodcut prints could fail to mention the works of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin, yet show half-baked attempts at wood engraving, or champion Barry Moser's soul-less technique as "mastery" is fundamentally lacking. While I thought the love of the medium did show through, and the coverage of the tools and techniques was sound, I think many lesser artists were mentioned, and without these two, it yields an anemic visual source for the interested artist.



5. This is in response to the Jeffery C. Chase review in which he incorrectly states that the work of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin were not mentioned in the Woodcut Artist's Handbook. They were mentioned and their work would have been reproduced in the book as well if the publisher had been granted reproduction rights. Frasconi's work is referred to on page 20 and The Complete Prints of Leonard Baskin by Alan Fern and Judith O'Sullivan (1984) is suggested reading on page 150. We tried to include as many artists as possible but because of copyright restrictions and limited resources we could not include everyone. Thank you for your comments.

5 comments about Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat.

1. The Bounty Hunter breakin here in Phoenix in '97 prompted me to take up the defensive shotgun. I found a local school and began the thrilling task of learning how to operate the 12 gauge pump not only as a formidable tool for things that go bump in the night, but to learn its capabilities and shortcomings (hostage rescue). Suarez' TSG addresses all the best techniques and provides much supplemental material for applying these techniques using different operating systems (Rem/Mossberg slide/pump, semi-autos).
   
   It's all here: patterning with buckshot/shot, one/two-hand operations, slings and modes of carry, tactical and emergency reloads, indexing, loading a slug on demand, position shooting, and transitioning to sidearm/secondary weapon. The book is filled with excellent photographs which document the above techniques. Suarez' skill as a trainer clearly shows in the effectiveness of presentation.
   
   Although I'd recommend studying the defensive shotgun in a practical setting, this book is a great way to see what should be covered in such a course. If you don't have social shotgun skills, there's no time like the present. Social unrest, home invasion, nuisance animals--do it now.



2. Check out this guide to the defensive shotgun while you take a class on the subject. This book emphasizes all the important techniques.



3. Gabe Suarez covers a wide range of topics: Shotgun Types, Ammunition, Accessories, Loading, Shooting Positions, Malfunctions, Close Quarters Defense, etc... It's an excellent overview of tactical shotgun shooting for those just beginning to learn and a great review for those with more advanced skills.
   
   There are numerous illustrations, a list of resources and suggestions for further reading.
   
   Overall a well written book that covers a lot of ground.



4. good educational product, it enhanced my general culture, this guy really knows his stuff, great buy



5. Gabe Suarez has written several books on shooting, and like the others, this book provides a solid introductory base to the who, what, when, where and why of employing the shotgun. Many have criticized his works because they can't get past "the basics", which he presents in each book. However, it's these "basics" that you're most likely to remember, use and be successful with. If you have his other books, you'll read through some familiar territory including the psychology of using a weapon against another human being, the risks and considerations and the common-sense practical aspects of being prepared for the time you may have to do so. Then he launches into the specialty of this book, suitable equipment (guns and accessories) and successful employment of the equipment to survive the encounter. Before you buy this book, beware, Suarez does not believe in point shooting (neither do I). If you're as stubborn as I am, only you're in the point shooting camp, don't bother with this book. Suarez is a student of Cooper and believes in using your sights. He does little to nothing to address the other point of view.

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 Beyond Baby Talk: From Sounds to Sentences, A Parent's Complete Guide to Language Development.

1. I absolutely loved this book! I devoured the entire book, then went back and reread the section that pertained to my son's age group. It was so refreshing to hear that you don't need a bunch of gimmicks, flash cards, or tapes to help your child learn language. They really focus on what is gained from every day interaction and play with your child, and how to use daily situations to enhance language development. Loaded with commom sense information that takes you out of the competetion mind set and helps get you in sync with your child. This was the first book I have read specifically about language development, and I am so glad I chose this one!



2. My daughter is six months old. I enjoy reading the book esp. the part in dialect, effect of TV, how to choose childcare. Most part of the book can be shorter. My husband got the same feeling.



3. The information is straightforward and clearly summarizes the research out there. It's a great resource for all parents, not just those families with language development issues. This book partnered with How Babies Talk by R.Golinkoff, Ph.D and K.Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D is a must!



4. There wasn't much practical information for what to do if your child has a language problem. This book is more a resource for parents with children with normal language development.



5. The goal of the authors is to inform parents about: how children (birth to age five) develop language, the factors that influence language development, and possible causes of language problems. They also hope to show how miraculous language development is and how important a role parents play. The book is not intended as a reference for parents of children with language development problems.
   
   The first four chapters cover the language skills that children develop in their first year, second year, third and fourth years, and fifth and sixth years. There are also chapters regarding the influence of gender and birth order, culture, and the media; language development and childcare; and where to get help if you suspect a developmental delay. There is also a reference chart showing developmental milestones from birth to age five. The focus is on spoken language, although there is some discussion on the beginnings of reading, writing, and spelling.
   
   The basic message of this book is that language is developed, not taught. That is, parents and caregivers should rely on everyday interactions with their children, not lesson plans and flash cards, in developing a child's language skills. Parents should follow the child's lead in play and conversation, provide age-appropriate models of language, and show respect and understanding for what the child says.
   
   Apel and Masterson are experts in their fields and they are very passionate about children and language development. Their passion is contagious and I found myself reading "Beyond Baby Talk" eagerly and with great interest. I was even able to overlook their generous usage of exclamation points.
   
   Apel and Masterson wanted the book to be easy to read, but in my opinion they went a little overboard. Each chapter is filled with preview, discussion, summary, review. It was tiresome to read the same information over and over again. However, upon skimming back through the book, I realize that I learned more than I thought and that it stuck pretty well. Still, I would have liked less preview and review and more examples and specifics.

5 comments about Silver Spoon Kids : How Successful Parents Raise Responsible Children.

1. I work in the field of philanthropy have hosted many workshops on issues of children and money. The four hours I spent reading this book were the most educational and fruitful four hours I have ever spent on issues of how to raise children!! Whether your family is middle class or affluent, you will benefit from this book. In my opinion, the lessons offered by the Gallos on values and raising children go far beyond issues of money. I believe it is really a guide to raising well rounded and socially responsible children. I know I will return again and again to the chapters in this book both personally and professionally. Buy this book and read it!!



2. You do not *need* to give your children an allowance to teach them how to handle money. Really. The author's position is that you simply have to--and it makes you wonder if she also thinks it is okay to experiment with drugs in order to learn how to use them the "right" way. Just as you can educate children about the dangers of drugs without giving them any, you can also educate children about how to spend money wisely. One way is to take them grocery shopping with you, for example, and let them help you with calculating the best values for the money you have.
   
   Others have said this book is good for those with middle class incomes. I disagree. If there will be any possible future scenario where your child will have to work for a living in any capacity, they need to know that money is NOT just handed to them, and that money belongs to the person who earned it (and the spouse, in community property states), NOT the children. This means that children need to learn that some things you do without compensation as being part of the family (chores), and other things you do in exchange for money (outside jobs or special jobs around the house) or something else (bartering). In real life, money is not just handed to you, unless you're on welfare. Someone has/had to earn that money at some point in time, and just handing money to someone will never educate them as to how to actually earn it.
   
   This book might be okay for someone looking to leave their child a huge trust fund, where he or she just lives off the interest, but not for people trying to help their children truly make their own way in life.



3. I was introduced to this book while attending a financial seminar concerning the transfer of money to children. I read the book and passed it on to my children to use as a guide in bringing up their children. Money should give children an advantage to become happy and productive citizens. The sudden acquisition of money without adequate training in the use of wealth can have disastrous results as witnessed by the numerous sad stories of lottery winners. This book gives parents a guide on how to introduce children into the acquisition and proper use of money at an early age. Following the authors' advice can help parents raise financially responsible children.



4. If you teach your children how to be financially responsible between the ages of 4 and 18, you have a much higher probability of having them not back at home living with you between the ages of 22 and 35.



5. As someone with direct experience on the topic, I read with great interest the words of the Gallo's as they thoughly covered a wide range of topics having to do with children and money. I found their advice practical and easily applicable for parents that find themselves struggling with the common questions of using allowances, learning budgeting, and consumerism. This book is an easy read and would be a helpful tool for parents who want to teach their children to handle money responsibly.

5 comments about Choosing Colors: An Expert Choice of the Best Colors to Use in Your Home.

1. This was exactly the book I was hoping it would be. It truly helps you choose colors from the popular brands of paint available. I was most interested in colors for a room with only a northern exposure. Every color I tried seemed to turn green on the walls. This book was extremely helpful in this regard. The only reason I gave it only 4 stars instead of 5 is the same reason others have commented on. The paint colors used in palette 28 and 29 were omitted from the reference guide in the rear of the book. It covers blue which is most people's favorite color so the omission is significant. Fortunately, for me, blue is my least favorite color.



2. Kevin McCloud is an authority on residential architecture and design, and his personal choice of the best colors to use in every type of home makes choosing a snap in CHOOSING COLORS, which includes over 700 color swatches and tips for home decor ranging from historical to modern. From early period colors to modern earth tones and mixes, there are plenty of outstanding examples perfect for selecting the right color shade and combination, making this a top pick for any lending library strong in home and garden guides.



3. I bought this book while trying to plan a color palette for our new house. I've always liked houses with some color on the walls and different colors in different rooms. The challenge is finding colors that match the furnishings of each room and yet still coordinate with the other room colors.
   
   The book provides broader and more versatile palettes than I was able to find in any other book. Better yet, it provided some scattered advice about what colors to use in particular situations (i.e. exterior vs. interior, main color vs. accent, cloudy climate vs. sunny climate). It also offered advice about how to put together color combinations that work. For example, I found it's advice about the surprising utility of purple colors in bringing a complex palette together was quite useful.
   
   I would have liked to have found a book that offered more systematic advice or a palette that was precisely what I needed, but using the principles and some of the examples in this book I was able to put a household palette together that I am reasonably pleased with.



4. Save your money and buy the Color Bible. While this does have some historical references, unless you are doing a period home, do you care? I re-read the "how to use this book" 5 times. Couldn't find the numeric references to the palettes ("on palette 17.....etc"). Asked a few friends to help cause I was obviously missing something.
   
   Not worth the work. Buy a color wheel and a painters fan deck instead.



5. This is by far the best color reference book I have ever used. I am a residential design professional and there is a palette for everyone on your list in this book. It even provides you with the American paint suppliers and paint names/reference numbers. The brief histories are a plus as well. It is simply the fastest way to help yourself with color palettes for all architectural styles from antiquity to the present.