No comments about Home, Health & Garden Problem Solver (Jerry Baker's Good Home series).

5 comments about The Stanley Complete Step-by-Step Revised Book of Home Repair and Improvement.

1. I recently moved into a new home that needs a lot of repairs, and this book is the absolute best resource I've found! I am especially grateful for Stanley's clear, step-by-step instructions (no scratching my head or throwing down my tools in despair!) and detailed illustrations. The book describes the whole gamut of household projects, from painting to patios to roofing, in terms a novice can understand, but won't offend a pro. I'd stake my foundations on this one!



2. I highly recommend Stanley's new Guide Book to Home Repair. After recently renting an unrenovated loft space in Brooklyn, I found myself facing a litany of home repair "projects". My budget was too small to hire a contractor and though I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to anything involving tools, I decided to give it a go on my own. Although there were a few mishaps, I have created a liveable space and the Stanley Guide was a huge help. They cover most common household building and repair projects in a fashion that's very easy for a layman to follow. Even one that doesn't know a sprocket from a ratchet.



3. This book is a must-have reference for the novice to the expert do-it-yourselfer. It contains well presented, step by step directions to everything from simple, routine fixes to more advanced around the house projects. The clear photography really helped to clarify the sequence of the work. Would make a great gift.



4. This book is a must-have for anyone who owns a home. It offers clear, step-by-step instructions and expert advice for a wide range of projects.



5. This book is a real good addition to every carpenter's library. You could even use the woodworking section of this book (Chapter 3) to help you build library shelving that you could then use to place this book (or similar woodworking books) upon. Hot dog!

   The illustrations were fun, but they fell short. Any good profesional worth his spackle knows, not every project goes to plan. Aluminum foil covered pennies installed incorrectly in the fuse box, or sump pump flooding, or what to do when you drop a running bandsaws in the crib, the illustrations never tell you about what to do then. But they're part of any job, yet the book really leaves you out to dry. There isn't even a single section on Stop! Drop! and Roll! What if you forgot? What if you mixed them up? What then?

   It's still really helpful and comprehensive though.

   And while helpful and comprehensive, I do have a few points of "disagreement" about this book too. Mr. Huffington is the profesional, I know, but consider: when it comes to hanging the wallpaper, your standard staple gun work just as well as Mr. Hufnagel's more traditional glue methods. And shingles aren't nearly as complicated as he makes it out to be. Am I the only one who has ever used a tarp to stop leaking? I doubt it. And particleboard cabinets do, too, work. You just need to paint them yellow or black. Mr. TV-money never tells you that. And you might as well rip out the chapter on replacing clogged drainage pipes. It's a waste. Just use the chemicals you have left over from sealing your grout (Chapter 13) and pour them down the drain. Drop in a lit match, leave the room, and you just saved time and money.

   And while I didn't care for the salty langauge he chooses to describe his various chores, I forgive him. He should just clean up his "blue" act some. Kids might be reading this.

   Although maybe more kids should read this. With their dainty hands they could replace you when it comes to cleaning the gunk from stormdrains (Chapter 23) and dislodging chunks of wood that might jam up an otherwise perfectly good Skill Saw (Chapter 3).

   I highly, highly recommend this book!!

1 comments about The Home Owner's Diary: What Was Done, Who Did It, & When.

1. My husband and I bought a 2-flat, and his parents gave us this book. This is our first house, and the diary made us realize how many things there are about a house that we need to keep track of. The space to put wall and floor covering information is especially helpful, since we'll probably be painting the rental unit a lot. The book provides plenty of space for writing, but could use some pages with folder-type pockets for receipts. I'm sure we be better able to list the selling points when we're ready to move out as a result of using this book.

No comments about Exterior Home Repairs & Improvements (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library).

No comments about Major Appliances: Installing, Troubleshooting, and Servicing.

No comments about Major Appliances (How to Fix It , Vol 2, No 20).

5 comments about Ergonomic Living : How to Create a User-Friendly Home & Office.

1. Ergonomic Living gives you the tools to make healthful decisions. This book cuts through the mountains of adhype that surround virtually every home and office product. I would like to see the author write a sequel.



2. I can see how Gordon Inkeles, the great massage author, became interested in this health-oriented subject. Co-author Iris Schencke is an ergonomics expert. Their collaboration produced a winner-a book that you will turn to again and again to make your life less stressful. Unlike so many self-help programs, the suggestions here really work.



3. How can you NOT love a book with a chapter called "How to Sleep?" Believe it or not, there is zero hype here. The authors have done their ergonomic homework and the solutions they come up with will amaze you. Highly recommended!



4. This trade paperback is chock full of practical advice and downright wisdom. It tells us how to structure home and office to fit the human body, all its limitations and wondrous powers. Ergonomic Living follows its own advice such that form follows function and use.
   
   The book has two major sections, home and office. There are eleven chapters: How to Enter Your Home, How to Relax, The Inner Circle. Each briefly introduces a series of concise, well-designed modules: The Deafening Kitchen, Wiring and Cables, Effective Ambient Lighting, Choosing the Right Pillow. The photos and illustrations are excellent. "You have a right to an ergonomic kitchen in which your personal needs, both physical and mental, come first." The authors show you how to exercise that right. Right on!

   For many parents, the chapter on creating a child-friendly home will, by itself, be worth the price of the whole book.
   
   My edition is a little out of date on some things, but the principles remain sound, the information useful. For example, someone ready to buy a DVD recorder will profit from the section on selecting a VCR. The summary still applies: "Difficult to memorize controls are never used. Remotes keyed to newspaper codes will be used frequently. Remotes keyed to instruction booklet diagrams will be ignored. Tactile well balanced [sic] remotes will remain near your hand. Slippery, flat remotes will end up on the floor. Basic controls should be immediately obvious."

   _Ergonomic Living_ is a warm, pragmatic and, yes, wise book. It concludes, "Change, movement and grace. This is a friendly world; we built it, and now we have the tools to live in it on your own terms. We can choose to inhabit healthful, comfortable environments, amicable places that serve our needs. We can be the masters of our own possessions, the actors on a human-centered stage. We can feel good all day."
   
   Whether you are new to the home office or a seasoned pro, this brilliant book can help you feel better all day.

   Ken Graff
   ©2003, Words in Action
   www.wordsinaction.biz
   (626)755-3067




5. While I did learn several things about ergonomics, I finally put the book down when I got tired of the preaching. Many of the author's topics were not on subject and, instead, were rantings about the time we spend watching television or other pet peeves of the authors. It got really old. I was looking forward to learning how to design my home. I didn't need the nagging. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

No comments about Renovating & Maintaining Your French Home, Third Edition: A Survival Handbook.

1 comments about Plumbing: A Guide to Repairs and Improvements (Easy-Step Series).

1. great easy way to use this book very goo

No comments about Home Fix-It 101: The Anyone-Can-Do-It Guide to Home Repair.