No comments about 2006 International Plumbing Code: Code & Commentary.

2 comments about Mastering Anger and Aggression - The Brazelton Way.

1. I have many of "The Brazelton Way" books. I love them all and now give them as baby shower gifts. This one has really given us insight into our 5 year olds recent outbursts and we now have the tools to enable us to give him the loving guidance he needs to work through this stage and master self control.



2. I love Dr. Brazelton and have for years. However, this book was very disappointing. Luckily, I picked it up from my local library before I purchased it on here. It states a lot of facts about the "how and why" children act out, but it is VERY short on solutions. The book is "all over the place" and not logically organized. There are a few places where the same suggestion is repeated numerous times. My suggestion is to pick it up from the library...it's a quick read...and see if it helps your situation. I can say that the section on biting seemed extremely informative, but that was not an issue with my child.

5 comments about Letitia Baldrige's New Manners for New Times: A Complete Guide to Etiquette.

1. I originally requested this book for Christmas because of both Ms. Baldrige's conservative reputation and the fact that it was said to address the roles of gays and lesbians in the family. I was not disappointed. It is a fabulous general etiquette book that my mother could respect and would read. And it includes my lifestyle too!

   With so much controversy going about these days regarding the definition of family, Ms. Baldrige provides us with guidelines that allow all of us to congregate in peace and without shame. Her anecdotes effectively illustrate her points and are quite funny at times. She also obviously knows how to have a good time-- and in a way that is level-headed and won't alienate those at the more conservative end of the spectrum.

   Ms. Baldrige is one of those sort of people you really have to work hard to dislike. And her years of experience lead to a wise commentary that is hardly dated. In her own way, she gives all family members permission to love one another without a bunch of anxiety over who is doing what that isn't anyone's business anyway. And she provides all the tools you need, in the form of advice, to throw a great party. When's the next family reunion? I actually want to go now! :-)




2. In this updated guide to ettiquette for modern times, she addresses marriage etiquette in "blended" families. In her NEW Etiquette for Executives, which is a bit outdated, a woman should dress according to her profession. Seeing a woman move up the ranks at the local transit system, going from old-fashioned denim dress with boots to cover the rest of her, to dressing like a common street walker, I had to make a comment, "You need to dress professional." Her boss, attired in orange pants and ball cap at a special "Meet the Manager" day, dressed down to what he perceived is the level of the riders; he asked me, "Do you think I should be wearing a suit?" and I merely said, "I will tell you what I did Ms. P, "You should dress professional." The rudeness of some transit employees show their disrespect for the older person of different races and for their job. When we get on that bus, our lives are in the hands of these rude, surly, prejudiced persons who say derogatory remarks to and about passengers in front of others. They can refuse to stop to pick you up at their discretion, and they take advantage of that. It's not just bad manners. It shows how regressed a certain percentage of the population has become. They are ignorant and uneducated, and show it.
   
   A man should never wear frayed shirt collars and cuffs no matter what the occasion is. I saw a local celebrity on the sidewalk outside his office with a torn place on his pants leg. Some people have no pride in their work or position in the community. Her advice: "Know who you are" and dress accordingly. In the Northeast, you must never wear white shoes and accessories after Labor Day, but that doesn't apply to the South.
   
   A good rule for both sexes is 'Never dress in clothes that are too tight; they make a thin person look gaunt and a large person twice as heavy. Well said.' Those people not interested in how they are perceived dress according to the weather and, even in public, wear ill-fitting casual wear. If they could just see themselves from the rear!
   
   Ms. Baldrige has lived a glamorous life as a diplomat for the United States government, has been there, done that, and knows how to help others to act in a manner befitting a Queen. Her non-fiction book, OF DIAMONDS AND DIPLOMATS, relates her years with the Kennedy administration.



3. Author Letitia Baldrige worked as Social Secretary to an ambassador in Paris, Special Assistant to an ambassador in Rome, and the Social Secretary to the White House and chief of staff for Jaqueline Kennedy - and this book reads like it.
   
   If you live on Manhattan's swanky Upper Eastside, throw lavish dinner parties for visiting dignitaries, and vie for a place on a high profile hospital or not-for-profit board this is the book for you. If, on the other hand, you feel a little clueless about the basic rules of etiquette and would like to use the right fork at a fancy dinner party, you might want to try a book like "Etiquette for Dummies." Baldrige comes across as a very warm and friendly person. She write eloquently and engagingly about the very heart of etiquette - respecting other people's feelings and acting accordingly. But most readers really don't need a book of this length that outlines the proper behavior for dinner with the president (no exaggeration). Comprehensive - yes. Entirely practical to most mere mortals - no.



4. If you're looking for just one etiquette reference, this is the one. It touches on everything without being intimidatingly exhaustive. Baldridge offers additional helpful thoughts on situations one is likely to encounter in today's life--multicultural celebrations, funerals in other traditions, wedding invitations to same-sex couples--without being sappy or condescending. Having perused several similar books, I also found that this one has the best treatment of business and professional etiquette. Easy to read, entertaining, helpful, and never loses sight of the main point. Was an excellent gift for my soon-to-graduate-college sister--those pesky etiquette dilemmas start popping up quickly.



5. This book is terrific. It has everything in it. Before I do anything (go to a wedding, a funeral, write a thank you note or condolence note, throw a party), I look it up in this book. It really is wonderful. I never feel as though I don't know what to do. She gives advice for how to dress, how to act, what to say when you are at a loss for words, and anything else you need.
   
   I'm not an upper-crust socialite, and this book is my guide to life. I love it and would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone.

1 comments about Residential Repair & Remodeling Costs 2008: Contractor's Pricing Guide (Means Residential Repair & Remodeling Costs).

1. Very well put together. The book is very easy to navigate and the material is assembled in a very easy format. Golad I now haqve my own copy of the book where I won't have to borrow my friend's copy. I use it every day.

3 comments about How to Live in Small Spaces: Design, Furnishing, Decoration and Detail for the Smaller Home.

1. Well organized,liked the pictures and ideas. A little light on actual hard core information, but a nice intro to the ideas that are useful to consider when contemplating a small space remodel.



2. Though I am not color blind, one would be hard to believe that when it comes to color choices I have made in the past. I knew nothing about color and how colors work with one another.
   The first part of this book outlines basic color theory - the primary colors, secondary and tertiary colors and how they work together. The book then goes into how to use color to set different moods or support different themes - for example, what colors to use for an Asian or Mediterreanan look.
   I learned a lot - and finally got it through my head that paint is not permanent - if you don't like it - paint it over. With this book in hand, I won't be afraid to try different color combos. This is a great book with lots of ideas!



3. This book has some very valuable information on getting your life ready to live in a smaller more efficent space. It also shows some very good examples to inspire you.

5 comments about The Poor Man's James Bond (#C-065).

1. This is the greatest book I've ever read. Incredably accurate and helpful, it tells how to practically rule a town with house hold objects. Although some ingredients may be hard to find he gives you ways to obtain them. check out the article on ANTI !!



2. Many do not understand that Kurt Saxon's book is not so much anarchy as it is "survivalist" (as he put it). Also take note of some of the interesting articles presented in it. He proves a point. Man has bred way too far for productivity or sanity. This book is for the more stable and intelligent members of Man who can read and understand the knowledge is for a need-to-use kind of basis. It is not for children or morons.
   
   That said, it is a lot better than "Anarchist's Cookbook" this one makes more sense. But to get a full picture, go to www.kurtsaxon.com and read some of his articles on Fantasy and Weaponary, it puts a lot in perspective. Saxon is a interesting contradiction. He scoffs at full auto weapons yet provides a few plans for them in his second volume. Ironic? Or maybe he just feels he should caution you first. Not sure.



3. I'm not sure I'd try any of the projects oulined in this volumous text, but I certainly enjoyed reading about 40 % of it. It gets very dry, long winded and flat-out BOOOOring when listing page after page of chemical compositions. But I guess if anyone wanted to actually attempt the processes outline, they'd need all that info and probably wouldn't find it as boring.
   It wouldn't surprise me if Tim Mcviegh and Ted Kaczynski had copies (although I think Teddy's exploits started before the publication date) and Tyler Durden's (Fight Club) statement that gasoline and Orange Juice make napalm is an urban legend this book quickly lays to rest.
   A good deal of the material is public domain, like the Marine Corp combat guide, and many of the chapters appear to be multi-generational photo-copies so I find the book a bit pricey. Still, if the subject matter is to your liking it will hold your interest for hours on end. It's big as a phone book. Weighs about 4 pounds. I'm surprised Saxon didn't suggest using the book itself as an improvised bludgen.



4. As a USDI-National Park Ranger I completed a 13-week POST Basic (Police) Academy in the late 1970s. Kurt Saxon was an instructor (sans a few fingers) who showed up one day with a high-powered German pellet gun and proceeded to show us how to kill humans by firing into a very large roast beef. He then cut open the roast to show the depth of penetration (simulating a human skull and brain). He had our undivided attention!
   
   Another demonstration was how to clear a room or bar in 30 seconds with common household materials and so forth. His missing fingers only added to his credibility. The result was as if we had been allowed to peer into Pandora's box for a few minutes and then allowed to close the lid without long-term consequences.
   
   For those with maturity, responsibility and long-term ethics, this is a guide on how to be aware of those around you. Just as Mentos and soft drinks are a current curiosity, Saxon tells you what to do and what to be aware of. Saxon speaks from first-hand experience in civil rights demonstrations. Read and enjoy, but be aware, not everyone is well intentioned . . .



5. If you have read anything by Kurt Saxon, or know about him, the content here will come as no suprise. My biggest issue was the horrific printing. Many of the pictures are unviewable. take a copy of copy and do it 10 times and you have many of the pictures in this book. It was like a Rorschach test. This book is dangerous to those looking to try something and not read, so read the book in total, otherwise you too many have a hand that ends up looking like hamburger meet like Saxon did. Book would be great if it didn't lookand read like a bound pile of poor photocopies.

5 comments about The Woodbook: The Complete Plates (Taschen 25th Anniversary).

1. The Woodbook is another welcome Taschen addition to our design library. Long overdue this compilation delivers to the point easy to compare notes and images in varied cross cut and with the grain directions. Even suitability and durability is covered. Brilliant!



2. Excellent Value. I am an advanced hobbist woodworker and this book is an a great reference for a multitude of common & somewhat rare or unusal North American wood. If you buy your wood from one-man or small sawmills, this is very good reference for identification. Additionaly, shrinkage data, 3 view pictures of grain & surface, and application data make this book very important reference work for your personal library.
   
   I could also see where environmentalists and outdoorsmen would find valuble.



3. This is a beautiful book -- almost coffee table quality. It opens with an interesting history of American forests and their trees, albeit from a "we destroyed the beautiful forests and the environmentalists saved them" perspective. The pages associated with each tree variety contains a very limited bit of information about the variety and three nice photos of the grain, one in each orientation -- longitudinal, transverse, and radial.
   
   While the three grain perspective photos are useful, I had hoped for something with more that just a couple of lines of information about each species -- more like Hoadley's two excellent books, the USDA "Wood Handbook" or Peters' "Woodworker's Guide to Wood".
   
   Each opening chapter and each information page is printed in three languages.



4. This book was a birthday gift for my brother, a talented wood worker who built his own home, decks and remodels all over the northeastern US, tables, jewelry boxes, domino boxes, and spectacular bowls. He was delighted with the book.



5. Being born, and lived, all my life in Mexico city I am waht we call a "city rat". The Taschen book fills my lack of knowledge on trees and woods.
   
   Presentation is superb and the case even sounds like wood when you knock it.
   
   I saw the book at Paris last opened museum, the Quai Branly, but due to the weight I waited until I came back.
   
   You can not miss it with this book.

4 comments about Complete Masonry: Building Techniques, Decorative Concrete, Tools and Materials (Sunset).

1. Sunset has published several books on this subject, 3 of them called "Complete Masonry" with different subtitles and a basic one, possibly others. This is the only one that I've actually gone through cover to cover and it is superb. I have the Black and Decker flavor of Complete Masonry too and this one is far better at 1/2 the price.

   The projects described are quite a bit more appealing than the B&D's plain cookie cutter boring wall and walkway offerings. More importantly this book offers better techniques of design that can be applied to your own unique design.

   Another of my favorites on the subject of concrete that is also applicable to walls, walkways, flooring or whatever else you wish to conjure is a book called "Concrete Countertops: Design, Form, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath" It actually offers much more than what the title leads you to believe and suggests concrete as a very versitle replacement for standard brick and tile uses of the past.




2. 
   I bought Sunset's "Complete Masonry" because I am thinking about using concrete for my next kitchen counter top. I had heard on a radio home improvement program that concrete kitchen counters are popular in some other countries. Complete Masonry has one chapter on concrete counter tops, but the example they give is an outdoor barbecue, not a kitchen. The techniques can be adapted to a kitchen, but it's not the same as having illustrations of specifically what I want to do.
   
   Other than that, Complete Masonry has lots of information for the home gardener or handy person. You get pictures and details for laying out and construction of walks, stairs, patios, walls, ponds, rock gardens and all kinds of decorative and imaginative masonry work around the home. It's aimed at the home improvement market, not for the professional mason, although a professional might get some creative ideas from it's illustrations. Complete Masonry starts with very basic teaching such as "what is a shovel" and works up to include all the details you would need to construct the projects in the book. Like a lot of Sunset books it's full of ideas and examples of very elaborate projects, though the projects appear to have been done by skilled professionals. Even so, with a little practice you could probably finish any of the projects if you have a little construction skill and are willing to do the work. It's a good idea book, and a practical how-to home improvement book.



3. I was looking for a book on how to build a brick mailbox. This did'nt help much. Thanks anyway.



4. This is a very well done book, and I enjoyed it very much. It has nice projetcs that you really can do by yourself. The pictures are wonderfull, and full of great ideas and details. The instructions are so clear, so anybody can understand easly.

2 comments about Jerry Baker's Supermarket Super Products!: 2,568 Super Solutions, Terrific Tips & Remarkable Recipes for Great Health, a Happy Home, and a Beautiful Garden (Jerry Baker's Good Home series).

1. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through this book. I have not been able to try everything, but what I have tried works. The book is written so that it is easy to follow. There are hundreds and hundreds of "recipes" and tips which can be used to remedy any number of situations around the house/yard/garden. The best thing is that most of the ingredients were already in my kitchen cabinet - at least for the things that I've wanted to try so far. I also appreciate that this book provides alternative methods to the use of hazardous chemicals/pesticides. Additionally, this book provides a wonderful offering of recipes for self-care (pampering) such as lotions and tonics, and hair and skin care. Even if you've never even THOUGHT about making your own "stuff," this book will introduce you to any number of concoctions that you can have fun experimenting with. I highly recommend this book... have fun seeing what works for you!



2. I purchased this item for my daughter.She first used it at the half-way house where she is a care-taker for three young men. She wanted a copy of the book for herself so she could try out different recipes at home. She uses it a lot.

5 comments about Built By Hand.

1. Owning quite a few Vernacular Building type books, I would say that this rates up there with the best of them. I will not say it is the best though, the reason being is that all of these types of books have their own unique photos that you won't find any where else.
   
   This is a very well produced, easy to read book. It is broken up into 18 sections, with lots of full colour photos from around the world. Each photo also comes with a short explanation.
   
   With 469 pages of beautiful photographs not only showing the architecture, but also the people living in these dwellings, this book is a must have for your Vernacular Library.
   
   Hmmm... I'm looking at the book right now and see that the glue has not done it's job and the binding is falling apart!!! Beware!



2. As books go this one makes it to my top ten. People are always using the word venacular out of context, this book puts it right back. The pictures in this book speak a thousand words. Use whats local, works with materials found around you. I live on an Island on the West coast, lots of rain. There are so many people on this Island building 'green houses' with straw bales. There are so many people who are going to have mouldy homes!!! Venacular learn the word. Live in a home made of the materials around you! Buy this book, and learn.



3. For a number of years, Yoshio and Eiko Komatsu have been travelling the world taking high quality photographs of traditionally built homes. At first view, many of the photographs while though pleasant are not especially remarkable. However, what makes these many photos special is that they are combined together to tell a story about houses are traditionally built around the world.
   
   The photographs are gathered together in short chapters dealing with building techniques. For example, the first three chapters are entitled, "Hand Coiling or Coursing Wet Earth", "Earthen Blocks", and "Compacted Earth". Along with a cursory explanations of the building technique are numerous color pictures from around the world illustrating the different techniques.
   
   What makes this such a great book is the sheer number of interesting photographs of vernacular architecture. In a sense, this book is a momument to the creativity and artistic talent of the world's people. These photos stimulate the imagination.
   
   Finally, keep in mind this is a photo collection and not an academic text on vernacular architecture. This is not a book on how to build by hand but a creative homage to what people can make with locally available materials and ancient know how. Highly recommended.



4. superlative book; pictures are top; as I've not enough money to travel in so many places and anyway I'dont want anymore take planes and contribute to pollution that will may kill us; I'm happy to travel with this book and the wonderfullest Dwellings from Paul Oivier. together with too HomeWork from Loyd Kahn, You get the best to study dwellings all over the world and maybe going back to more simplicity and built healthy powerful and sacred places as all dwellings should be !



5. I've been looking for a book on private structures, not public buildings or houses by famous architects but living places of everyday people. I couldn't imagine anything this amazing. Dwelling from all over the world. Places you would never see unless you traveled to the far reaches of our earth. I am thrilled to have found this book.