5 comments about Unclutter Your Life in One Week.

1. This book is great! It has great suggestions for how to get rid of and maintain clutter. The only thing I would have liked more of is how to organize kid's room with lots of toys and clothes, particularly for toddlers. Also, I could have used more tips on how to organize the laundry room and garage, but otherwise great book. If you have issues with organization, how to get started organizing and how to maintain clutter, this book will be good for you.



2. At age 80+ it's about time we get around to the difficult process of downsizing, a.k.a uncluttering. A friend recommended this book as having saved their marriage. To my knowledge our marriage is not that much in trouble, but my wife suggested we read the book. It had the desired effect on our lifestyle, but as my wife reminds me daily--"We are just beginning, dear!" And it's already been over a week!!! Nevertheless, I say it it is a good read.



3. The idea that you will be able to completely unclutter your bedroom closet, then head off to work and work on your office desk clutter AND THEN return home in the evening and clear out your "reception station", all on Monday, is so laughable I struggle to see how this book was even published. I am a person who does not tend to have clutter to begin with, but like to read new ways in which I can improve the flow of my and my families lives. When I go to redo my closet it takes at least a half day, where my desk may take an hour or so and the same with or backdoor area. But to think that someone with a clutter issue can accomplish one major and two smaller tasks in one day is beyond ridiculous. And lets not forget the tasks for Tuesday through Sunday and having to go to work each day on top of it.
   
   There are some interesting facts scattered throughout the books and an idea or two that have some potential to help you stay clutter free. Although I feel there are many other books out in the marketplace which are more realistic in terms of time and emotion that will help individuals to achieve better results verses wasting money on Unclutter Your Life in One Week.



4. In comparison to other books on organization, I didn't find anything particularly new and the writing style is average at best. Also, for those who really need to unclutter their home, office, etc. It will take longer than a week unless you have a small place and can devote yourself full-time to the task.
   
   I also am deducting a star for the higher price of the Kindle edition while being a very average book.



5. I think the book was awesome! I think it had great information in it. While a week, is a little unrealistic, because who wants to get up early enough on a Monday to unclutter you WHOLE closet, not I said the fly. Especially if it is followed by a whole day of work and more uncluttering. Instead I split it into two weeks, did each task on the day it was assigned with the AM things the first week and the PM things the second week. It worked great, even though I think I could go even further in a few more months..
   
   HOWEVER! Kindle purchasers beware, there are charts that are not Kindle friendly. They get cut off and aren't on the next page like I thought they might be. While you still get the idea, it is annoying since you only save yourself a dollar from the paperback version.
   
   But you do save yourself more clutter(hahaha)

5 comments about The Pocket Parent.

1. I will never send myself to my room which is what this book says to do when angry. This certainly is not a technique to deal with the situation. It just separates you from the situation instead of managing it. It also repeats other parents are going through the same challenges as you are going through. No kidding. I was expecting much more from The Pocket Parent. "Parenting with Love & Logic" is by far a better book!!! I started trying the techniques suggested in Parenting with Love and Logic immediately with amazing results!!! It eliminates all anger and frustration plus addresses all the challenges of raising children of all ages.



2. This is a great book to keep on your night table and read as problems arise. There is a good section that correlates the problem behaviors to books for kids/parents to read which is very helpful. Also enjoyed the many reassuring commentaries regarding parent guilt and frustration-positive reinforcement for parents!!



3. It has some good suggestions and it's pretty exhaustive in terms of possible problems you would encounter.



4. It's a handy book with easy-to follow instructions, good examples written with a good heart. Lots of information for little money. It's the kind of book you'll take off the shelf again and again whenever you need advice.



5. The cover of the book indicates that it offers advice on dealing with kids from age 2 through 5. I was disappointed though, because I was hoping for some helpful advice in dealing with my 5 year old, and I felt the comments were not all that helpful for her age range. Comments like, saying something in a positive manner, using the words "I feel....when you do...." are things I've heard before.
   
   In my opinion, this is a book that would be helpful to read when the child is younger, say 2 or 3 years old. For some parents it might be great advice for dealing with a five year old, but for me, not so much.
   
   Please don't take this the wrong way. All of the info is very relevant; I was just hoping for something more.

No comments about The Home Within Us: Romantic Houses, Evocative Rooms.

1 comments about American Modern.

1. Refreshing and inspirational. Does not disappointment. One of the best I have purchased in a while.

5 comments about Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition.

1. Basic middle-age technologies that could be very handy indeed if a bug or something else gets a big chunk of us humans and the survivors are left to fend for themselves from scratch.
   
   Put it in my survival kit along with first aid and farming book...



2. amazing book, if you ever wanted to know how to make it yourself, or go off into the wild and be self sustaining, this is for you. Fast delivery, in great shape.



3. This book is very helpful. Though I don't use most of the information in it, the stuff I do use has been accurate. Gardening section is great, so is the livestock section. Want to try some of the things like, basket weaving and rug making. Highly recommended for anyone interested in self sustainability.



4. A classic addition to the homesteader's library, and still one of the best resources--my parents had a copy of this book, and I'm thrilled to have my own!



5. Some parts of this book are not needed and spend to much time on inconsequential information, but still a handy guide to pre-1900 tech.

5 comments about It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff.

1. This book goes beyond the usual "decluttering" books... it gets to the root of the hoarding/cluttering habit and leads you in a direction toward a much healthier and happier life! Thanks for sharing your experience and expertise!



2. Thanks to this book I'm able to get rid of things that I never use but I always keep "just in case"...In my office everybody is laughing because I bring lots of stuff to give away but my basement is every week cleaner and the most important is that the less clutter I have the more relaxed I feel. Great advice...buy it



3. What a great mix of humor and helpful advice. We didn't think we had That much clutter..and filled our subaru with a load to good will and over 10 garbage bags of just "stuff" that needed to be thrown out. Highly recommend this book!



4. It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh is not the typical how-to-organize your clutter book (e.g. the ones that send you scurrying to Wal-Mart to stock up on plastic storage boxes). Rather it is a call to purge the clutter. Walsh's philosophy is to focus on "the costs of clutter." These costs include the emotional (clutter causes a stressful environment and discontent in relationships) and the financial (wasteful spending on "stuff" rather than meaningful experiences or purchases).
   
   One by one Walsh debunks the top excuses for keeping clutter:
   * I Might Need It One Day:
   Answer: Clutter keeps us from living in the present.
   * It's Too Important To Let Go:
   Answer: Clutter makes us forget what's really important - families, friends,
   relationships - NOT things.
   * I Can't Get Rid Of It - It's Worth A Lot Of Money:
   Answer: Clutter robs us of real value.
   * My House Is Too Small:
   Answer: Clutter steals our space.
   * I Don't Have The Time:
   Answer: Clutter monopolizes our time.
   * I Don't Know How It Got Like This:
   Answer: Clutter takes over.
   * It's Not a Problem - Someone Else Just Thinks It Is
   Answer: Clutter jeopardizes our relationships.
   * It Isn't Mine
   Answer: Other people's clutter robs us of opportunities that should be ours.
   * It's Too Overwhelming:
   Answer: Clutter erodes our spiritual selves.
   
   Who knew that clutter caused all of these issues?
   
   After reading the excuse-busters I was convinced, but where and how to start? This is where the nitty-gritty work begins. First, Walsh advocates a Kick Start day which basically encompasses a massive surface purge and a lot of trash bags. While this might make for good TV in real life I prefer to go a bit slower. And Walsh does concede that you can accomplish the same purging in smaller increments with "a little bit everyday."
   
   Once you have surface purged either via the Kick Start or little by little, Walsh then tackles decluttering the average house room-by-room. Every chapter starts with an admonishment to set up a "Room Function Chart" as a floor plan to reconstructing the room. While it is helpful to consider each room's purpose, the formality of making a chart that all household members sign off on is for most people an unnecessary extra step. In the room specific chapters I most enjoyed the practical tips, such as, hanging all clothing in one direction, but in another after wearing (to determine what clothes you actually wear).
   
   As a booklover I also appreciated Walsh's discourse on book ownership. Specifically, Walsh asks: "What was it that you were purchasing when you bought this reading material?" According to Walsh, some people purchase books simply to read. These people can usually part with a book after they have digested it. Others, however, buy books "to acquire the knowledge contained in the book." To these people parting with the book is tantamount to surrendering this knowledge. However, as Walsh aptly notes "when you buy a book you do not suddenly own the wisdom it contains - all you have bought is words on paper." I'm going to keep Walsh's wisdom in mind when I prune my book collection.
   
   In short, It's All Too Much is perfectly divided between the emotional reckoning with the costs of clutter followed by the practical-step-by-step advice. For these reasons, I highly recommend It's All Too Much!



5. 
   Every once in a while a really timely book comes a long that just catches the wave of culture, but in a surprising way. Peter Walsh's book is perfect for our current world: It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff.
   
   He has correctly pegged our world in so many ways! In addition to being an excellent self-help manual for de-cluttering, organizing simply, and conquering our homes and stuff, he has managed to produce an excellent social commentary.
   
   On first read, this might not be obvious. But look deeper and Walsh teaches us something profound. For example:
   
   
   It's All Too Much
   
   It really is. Our lives, the pace, the frequency of change, the drive for more. The way we treat four-year-olds, our expaectation of them. The politics, the economy, the news, the technology, etc. It's all too much.
   
   
   An Easy Plan
   
   We want everything to be easy. Maybe that's the only thing we can do in a world where "it's all too much." But why the generational desire for everything to be easy--education, health, relationships, tonight's dinner, our career, exercise, etc. We are a nation and a generation of easy. If it's not easy, not "user-friendly", we'll switch brands.
   
   
   For a Richer Life
   
   That's the goal: a richer life. If we can get discovered by American Idol or outsmart the banker on Deal or No Deal, so much the better. If not, there are other ways to get rich. Our goals aren't to be wise, or even happy, much less good. No; our generation wants to be rich. Ironically, our generation thinks that a job is the best way to riches.
   
   
   With Less Stuff
   
   This is all in contrast to the rest. What does "less stuff" have to do with a culture of "bigger is better" and "more is more"? With the easy path, or a focus on material things? Indeed we are victims of our own driven mania to amass more and more. Mass production, mass consumption, mass distribution, mass transportation, mass media, mass communication, mass education--all touted as the great advances of our time.
   
   We have email, but what of our family relationships? We have bigger houses than ever in history, but what of our marriages? We have high-paying jobs, but our savings rate is a global joke. We have labor-saving technologies, but we work sixty-hour weeks, if we're lucky.
   
   Yes, this book has many valuable and practical helps for taking back our lives from all our stuff. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Step 6: New Rituals; but the books is full of excellent tips and suggestions.
   
   Still, I hope the reader will look deeper. Maybe a good purge of our homes and storage units will have a broader impact. It should. We live in a world that desperately needs this advice: Simple, not Complex.

5 comments about Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy.

1. Since I got this book at Christmas, I have read it cover to cover, put it away for a few days, picked it up again, re-read a chapter, put it away, picked it up, browsed through pictures, put it on the kitchen table, re-read another section...you get the picture. I cannot recall having EVER looked at the same book so many times. Thank you Deborah Needleman - may the gods strike down Conde Nast for cancelling Domino. It was a GEM!



2. "Domino: The Book of Decorating" contains sensible, practical advice on how to create a room that matches *your* style. When it first came out a lot of people reviewed it poorly because it was a "rehash" of images previously shown in Domino magazine. Now that Domino is dead, I only wish the book had contained even more images so that I'd have them to refer back to.



3. This book finally made decorating fun and accessible for me. I was in total anguish before, and buy it as a gift for friends all the time. I especially love all the listings and resources in the back.



4. I got Domino Mag for awhile and thought I'd get this book. It is just as impressive as the mag. Great book for anyone starting to do their own space or a interior designer reference.



5. A great reference for room-to-room design with ideas for making your spaces both colorful, creative and personal. I liked that the approach isn't likely to produce too many generic 'out-of-the-box' rooms for those who take it's lessons to heart! Bravo!!

5 comments about Parenting From the Inside Out.

1. If you can handle some somewhat heavy, technical reading, I believe the heart and soul of this book will shout out loud and clear: Emotional Intelligence and the understanding of Attachment Theory is key to becoming a great parent. As a Christian counselor focused on a developmental perspective, I spend a good deal of my time with the youth and family population. I am also an EMDR therapist working with adolescents and adults with issues of childhood trauma. Multi generational patterns, family systems issues and attachment/relational styles play a key role in effective parenting and this book does a wonderful job of illuminating us to these facts. I plan on using this book as a meaningful reference in my upcoming classes and seminars. An excellent follow up read is "Why You Do The Things You Do" by Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Gary Sibcy.



2. The majority of the grown-ups have vowed never to do and treat their children they way their own parents treated them. Unfortunately, it is not so simple. All of this history has been internalized and is below the level of our awareness. This book gives accurate keys to revealing our `internalized - shadow - parent' and dealing with them. The authors understand our problem and point to very helpful methods of creating the change in the parent model and translating it into simple behavioral approaches with their child. They do a very good job of this. An easy-read, they have simplified a great of technical, psychological material and made it accessible to the average lay person. This is a great book that should be on your parenting library shelf to refer to again and again.
   
   Jeffrey L. Fine, PhD, Psychologist: Author of: -
   "The Art of Conscious Parenting"



3. This book is very interesting and provides a very useful and unique perspective to parenting.



4. Whether you are a parent or not this book is an outstanding read. It is a collaborative work with Daniel Siegel, MD and Mary Hartzell, M.Ed. Simplified read for healing the child within as well as learning new ways to parent our children so they thrive, which ultimately creates a community that thrives. This is a book that will assist anyone that wishes to change the ways in which we understand our experiences and how that understanding creates the quality of relationships we have in the present. It truly offers what the subtitle reads: How a deeper self-understanding can help you raise children who thrive. I would give it a 10 star were it available.



5. Seigel is an amazing author with fascinating insight into the mind and body connections and the importance of attachment. This is a great read even for someone who is not yet a parent, but wanting to prepare themselves to healthfully connect with others.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Country Living.

1. This book is really great, I find answers when I have questions about my cows, my goats, making cheese or butter from my milk. Garden issues, canning and freezing my produce, pretty much anything else I could need to know. It is like having an expert living with you. It is also written in a easy to understand and easy to find format. I suggest it to anyone who has a small farm or is thinking of starting one.



2. I returned this book as it came damaged. The paper stock used is quite cheap- almost like newspaper. i will not repurchase....



3. This copy of The Encyclopedia of Country Living was purchased as a gift for my mother to replace her loaned copy that someone never returned. She gave me and older copy because she had a newer edition and then found herself without one. She was calling me to refer to my copy for her which had to be annoying for her. Mom raises chickens and raises her own fruit and vegetables and I raise goats, chickens and do some gardening. There are many details on how to raise, feed, house, slaughter and cook poultry and livestock. There is information on different types of vegetables, nuts, berries etc. preservation techniques and recipes. I am just scratching the surface of the contents; the book has been an invaluable resource with answers to just about all our questions. I highly recommend it, especially for beginners to country life!



4. I purchased this book for a friend. I have always loved Carla Emery and have her very 1st country living book. This friend just bought a farm and really did not know anything. That is why I chose this book. As a beginner, she takes you through everything. My friend has been amazed at how thorough it is and how every question she has come up with, it has answered for her. It is easy to follow and understand. Perfect for a beginner and experienced homesteader.



5. This is quite possibly the best reference book I have ever bought. It starts by giving you very detailed instructions on how to conduct research, get the proper surveys done, and, eventually, buy a home out in the country. It is very detailed and makes you aware of the intricacies of living out in the country, or off of the land itself. I would recommend it for anyone who is even considering moving out of the cities and/or suburbs. It is worth every penny, even if you decide not to make the move. The instructions on planting, gardening, and preserving the foods that you raise yourself are detailed, with a plethora of additional resources, both online and offline, to make sure you are well-informed. Also, it tells you how to locate groups that do these things and learn from them. An excellent book! I only wish I could tack on a few extra stars to the rating.
   
   -Jason

5 comments about The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!.

1. Now that I am approaching the age of double nickles, I am thinking on what I wanted to do at retirement. This is my niche. I have a small arce in northwest Missouri. I love to be outdoors. I have gardened for the last 30 years and I thought that homesteading sounded like my cup of tea. This book has it all. Plans and how to set up your garden, how to raise small amounts of livestock, how to raise chickens, milk a goat you name it's in here. Now that homesteading is a trend you can do this in a suprising small amount of land (with very little investment) or just a large vacant lot. Have fun with this book. I am going to try my hand at making homemade cheese. If you want a book that will keep you busy and be a asset to your grocery bill buy this one.
   
   Cindi Stratton from NW Missouri



2. Hey!
   
   This book is truly beautiful. I love the layout, and I really found some great information inside. The true treasure of this book is the Resources at the end. It is what I've used to find all my needs in my attempt to have a homestead of my own. However, everyone should know, the information in this book is a little limited in detail, meaning more research will be required. But this is a nice starting point for those of you, like me, who dream of one day having a Backyard Homestead of your own.
   
   Hope this helps all you potential customers, and happy reading!
   
   Luv ya,
   Tashi :)



3. I found this book a good introduction to all things 'homestead,' but I think it is really lacking in detail. Take for example, the canning section. It is 4 pages long, with much space taken up by pictures of necessary equipment. There are brief descriptions of different canning techniques and for what vegetables you would use them, but no deeper directions on how to actually can, unless you want to can tomatoes. Which I do, but I'd also like to learn to can other foods as well! There must be differences. For gardening, there is a lot of info on soil temperatures needed for vegetables to grow well, but not a lot of info on other plant requirements (water and sunlight). What could I grow well if I have patchy sunlight...anything? "Water basil weekly in dry weather?" If I didn't water my basil almost EVERY DAY last summer, it would have died! What about comparisons of raising foods organically vs conventionally? So, while I now have some excellent inspiration for all the different things I can do, I'm not confidant that this book will really guide me to "Produce all the food (I) need on just a quarter acre." I think that would be quite the accomplishment, as well. Has anybody achieved that? Vegetarians not included; I am having a hard time understanding how one could do both meat and produce on such a small amount of land, especially since you'd have to feed the animals somehow, as well.
   I do like that there is a list of 88 other books to turn to if more detail is wanted, even if they are all Storey-published.
   Overall, I'm glad I checked this one out from the library instead of buying.



4. This is a great book for someone just thinking about utilizing their land for food. It will motivate you, educate you on the basics of where to start, how to plan, what to expect and how to plan long term. It covers a great deal of material considering the size of the book. Well-written, inspiring many opportunities.



5. Great resource to have as we develop our homestead within a community development. Super ideas and helpful ideas no matter how much land you live on.