2 comments about What to Do When Your Mom or Dad Says "Clean Your Room!" (Survival Series for Kids).

1. This book didn't work as well as my parents wanted it to(my room gets messy), but it has been over 12 years since they gave it to me and I still use it for reference sometimes. The book and series do a great job of opening communication between you and adults. They give kids a place to start and a laugh (great pictures) at the same time. Every thing is friendly and lets you understand why your parents are upset about the dump your room is, encouraging you to keep it clean. It gave me a structure. I still start cleaning by making my bed. The book talks about doing laundry, too. Clearly laid out directions on what to do and where to go next keep you going.



2. This book appeared in our church library at a time when I was frustrated with my children and they with me! "Clean your room!" was all I could think to say, and they didn't know where to start. But they couldn't express that, especially when we were all upset. This slim little volume had words of wisdom for all of us, and a simple plan that my 7-year-old could follow. I can't say that it worked equally well for all my children, but they each got something out of it. And for me, it showed that kids need a complex task broken down into simple steps. Very basic idea, but I didn't know! I couldn't remember learning how to clean. I just did it. My parents didn't have this book, but maybe they were wiser teachers than I thought. Anyway, I recommend this series of books, and "Clean Your Room" in particular.

No comments about Ideas for Great Rooms (Ideas for Great).

5 comments about The New Independent Home: People and Houses That Harvest the Sun (Real Goods Solar Living Books).

1. "The New Independent Home" is a cornucopia of good information and thought provoking discussion. A thoroughly enjoyable read, I found myself (currently in the throws of re-evaluating where and how my family and I live) unable to put this book down. The author covers not just the technology of independent homes; there is extensive discussion of the whole sustainable living philosophy of independent home dwellers. The numerous interviews with folks actually living in these homes, many of them off-the-grid even when that is not a necessity, add a very real dimension to the author's presentation. This is not just some "chuck it all - back to the land" book either; the info (and interviews) cover the spectrum of not only remote living but also the quite urban; the thoughts, ideas, and technology here are applicable to all situations. And community building is an important part of sustainability; none of the independent homeowners presented here are hermits. There is a real sense of their place in their communities, both the local one, and the wider community of like-minded folks wherever they may live. For someone thinking about their place in our crazy world and how to move toward a sustainable, ecological, sane way of living, this is the best book I've found. Buy this book! Read it!



2. Being an architect I am really concerned with sustainable living and green design. Once upon a time I was thinking that alternative energy sources would be the future of the energy sector, but as I read and read about these kind of energy sources lots of question marks appeared in my mind. As I deepened my studies about the subject I came to a conclusion that hoping to achieve our energy from sun, wind etc. is a very romantic idea (I am not against romanticism) and it is not very realistic. Now I know that THE CLEANEST AND CHEAPEST SOURCE OF ENERGY IS NUCLEAR ENERGY. This book tells stories of ordinary people who tried to achieve enough energy from sun, wind etc. for their daily use, with too much effort which I really appreciate. But just baking a cake in an oven or any other simple daily event musn't require that kind of effort and money. I thank to this book for awakening me about nuclear energy by showing the other side of the coin. Anyway if you are living off-the-grid and really really want to use PV's or wind mills to turn your TV on this book may help by telling how others succeeded(?) to do that.



3. The book was easy to read without much detail regarding brands, specifics and the 'devil of the details'.

   writing, after installing our new energy star washer we noticed that we could wash clothes even during cloudy days. Not exactly a comment that would relate to the 90% of the masses.

   I thought this book would cover all sorts of homes, but instead the well versed marketing tricked me into believing that.

   No where did it cover a relatively normal house, builder etc, that incorporated the inxpensive changes necessary for a home to be more energy efficient, nor cover what appliances, were good or bad to avoid. It was a buy a plot of land in nowhereville, 'sell' part of it to other earthies, and build a straw or dirt filled tire house.

   Um, where's the information about manufactured homes that come super-insulated with low power appliances, and PV from the factory for the other 90%.

   If you want to see the types of people that are the ones that the congress, senate, DOE, and EPA see as pro-independent, it's no wonder there's little public knowledge of solar, wind and water power.

   As for the pro-nuke guy, if my first exposure was this book, I'd be as short-sighted as him, the solar and wind CAN make a difference, but it's gotta be for the masses.




4. As a person beginning my education in sustainable home building, I found this book refreshing and encouraging, informative and conversational. Lots of other books are more technical and appropriate at certain times, of course, yet I found this authors style of creation simple in its ability to reach the novice and beyond, to anyone who learns by stories. Simultaneously, I found it a dynamic read, in the way that the stories he included spanned years of experience, trial and error, and wisdom of what our forefathers and mothers in this movement would have done differently. I enjoyed the basic education in how electricity works, and the emphasis on how important and simple (although maybe not always easy) it is to be ENERGY INDEPENDENT.



5. I was surprised by just how comprehensive this book's knowledge base was. I'm not the new kid on the block either, I've been involved in several solar installations and many others with mixed-systems comprising micro-hydro and wind power as well. But this book still had a lot to offer, things I hadn't thought of, many that I will seek to apply in future installations.
   
   One strength of this book is the author's reliance upon the experiences of others. Many points in the chapter are highlighted by interviews conducted with people (of various backgrounds and experience levels) who have lived and worked with renewable energy sources in their homes. It is as if the author, knowing that people listen to more sources, found a bunch of great people and added their thoughts as a way of saying,
   Hey, if you don't take my word for it - listen to what people like you have told me." This aspect is great because I, at least, find it much easier to relate to the people and get a feel for how their experience went rather than the omniscient author telling you that everything is roses all the time.
   
   All in all, this book really WAS surprisingly comprehensive - covering all the basics (and thensome) of the renewable energy sources that one would want to put into a home. If you read this book before you built your home (even if you weren't thinking about adding in renewable energy) I PROMISE you would get ten times your money's worth in energy savings. Because that's the bigger part of using renewable energy - saving as much energy as you can so that the little you can glean from the earth is used as wisely as it can be without running out in the middle of a shower (for instance).
   
   I highly recommend this work, and will be buying copies for my friends (many of whom will be, or wish they could be building houses soon).
   
   Be well!
   
   Dr. Dominic Ebacher

4 comments about The Sauna.

1. I ordered that book because I wanted to construct a sauna in my basement. Based on the publisher's recommendation I felt very confident that I will find all the necesseary information to help me with my project. To my deepest disappointment this book deals only with a very specific type of a sauna : one that is constructed from logs in a cement base. That is one of the limitations of the internet store : you never know what you are getting.



2. With the history of the Sauna going back one thousand years, it is no wonder they are embedded in many cultures. Cordwood masonry construction is a method of building that is both inexpensive and highly efficient. Containing both qualities of insulation and mass, a cordwood masonry wall is both highly energy efficient and suited to the construction of a sauna. The owner-builder will have no trouble learning the contruction methods presented here and will built a structure that can last over one hundred years. Great detail is shown in order for the owner to construct a sauna that uses no electricity and will be a favorite of all of your friends and neighbors. Cordwood masonry is also a great building method for your home also as detailed in Rob Roy's other fine owner-builder books.



3. This a great book for DIYers. It's simple, encouraging and gives good practical information. There are photos and diagrams of the steps in the building process and of completed saunas. I have had this book for two years now and every once in awhile I open it up and dream. The author convincingly explains that the cordwood sauna is really the only way to go.

   I think the best thing about this book is that Mr. Roys' advice is very encouraging for someone who only has weekends to work on the project. He writes that you can put a tarp over what you've completed and come back later.

   You may ask why my title isn't, "I HAVE BUILT THIS." Let's be honest. While I don't think this a technically hard project, it will be a time consumer. Wish me luck.




4. Roy Rob is a master builder with a style that makes practical info go down easy. Check out the updated, newest edition of this book:
   ISBN-13: 978-1931498630.
   enjoy!

No comments about Mastering the Business of Design Build Remodeling.

2 comments about Architectural Plans for Adding On or Remodeling.

1. Although the book states you can buy the plans for the designs in the book and you can make minor changes in the plans, none of the plans I have called for have been available. If you want ideas the book is wonderful, but don't expect to be able to buy the plans.



2. The book is a good source for ideas. However, I bought the book with the intent to purchase general plans which I could modify for my application. Don't make this mistake--the plans are no longer available.

1 comments about Your Dream Kitchen: Stylish Solutions for the Home (House Beautiful).

1. If you dream of remodeling your kitchen, don't start until you look at lots and lots of idea books and magazines. There is so much to consider (layout, storage, colors, and more) and this is an expensive project. Many of the examples in this book are the latest in dream kitchens and that will get you thinking.
   If the budget won't stretch to something as fancy as these, there are other books that might help scale down the concepts, but at least you know what the possibilities are.

1 comments about The Home Workshop (Woodsmith Custom Woodworking).

1. This book is a compilation of articles and plans from previous issues of Woodsmith. If you go to their web site, you can download the individual plans, but you're much better off buying this book. The book gives you twelve plans, including the workbench and cabinet, router table, table saw and miter saw stations, and a pretty good lumber rack, among others. The plans are well laid out, you get materials lists and cutting diagrams, and they include enough text to guide you through an entire project, start to finish. What I particularly liked were two things: 1) They warned you in advance of what NOT to do and what to watch out for, and 2) they gave you additional plans for jigs to make the job faster, easier, and better. Each project shows multiple exploded views, with plenty of closeups of the tricky parts. Additonally, they ocassionally offer alternatives ways to build things, usually faster, cheaper, and/or easier if your skills aren't quite up to snuff. A real bonus are the Shop Tips. These appear about every three or four pages and convey some little tidbit of information that usually applies directly to the project you're working on.

   I built the workbench and cabinet from the plans, and everything went smoothly (well, as smoothly as you could reasonably expect). I'm not a cabinet maker (yet), but this bench was the first step to move me in that direction. I learned a lot about joinery and ended up building the most valuable tool in my workshop. Unfortunately, to build a truly excellent bench requires a pretty good bench to begin with. (As with most jigs, you wish you could use the jig you're building to help you build it.) It's such a beautiful bench that it's almost a shame to do work on it. This is a work of art that could easily live in the living room. I'll be laying down a piece of melamine on it before I do anything involving glue or stain or anything else that could potentially hurt it.

   The pages are high-quality and won't tear out easily. The book binding is loose leaf, held together by 32 rings. This means the book lays flat and stays open at whatever page you were reading. Of course, it also means you have to take care not to crimp the inside edge, as with any loose leaf binding. Like with a three-ring notebook full of paper, you need to help the pages a little. Small potatoes, though.

   The cover is adequate, glossy over heavy card stock, and it seems to hold up okay. I've not abused my copy much, but I believe it will take a fair amount of punishment so long as you keep it dry.

   In summary, if you're looking to learn about fine furniture crafting, this is where to start. If it doesn't help you, I'LL give you your money back. The only complaint I could find was that the authors have access to many more tools than the Average Joe, and so you may need to beg, borrow, buy, or rent additional items to complete your project. Use good materials, take your time, do it right, and you'll be rewarded immensely.

No comments about Black & Decker Flooring 101: 25 Projects You Really Can Do Yourself (Black & Decker 101).

No comments about Smart Guide Plumbing: Step-By-Step Projects (Smart Guide).