Reviews (10)

Packing Iron
Excellent book on period gun leather.It was a great help to me in establishing period items for cowboy shooting.

A must gave for the holster maker or shooting enthusiast!
Whether you are a cowboy action shooter, single action shooter, cowboy/ western fan, or like myself a budding holster maker and leather worker, this book is a must have for your library. The photos are wonderful, and it was quite clear the author had done his homework researching the subject. Probably the finest work on holsters and gunbelts to date.

A fascinating reference to an oft-neglected subject.
There are hundreds of works describing the weapons used in the Old West, yet those treating the subject of how those arms were carried are few and far between--a handful of articles in magazines and collector's journals that defy easy access on the part of the average reader. Enter "Packing Iron," a single source examining frontier gunleather from early saddle and belt holsters of the early nineteenth century to the end of the cowboy era and beyond (20th century examples from Hollywood and television receive some coverage). The book is copiously illustrated with full-color photographs of historical pieces from a variety of collections supplemented by period images illustrating gunleather as it was worn in both studio and field. For the western historian or enthusiast "Packing Iron" is a fascinating book, and for Cowboy Action Shooting participants seeking authenticity in their interpretaions it is almost indispensable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Firearms & Weapons    3. Firearms And Gunsmithing    4. History    5. History: American    6. Holsters    7. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    8. West (U.S.)   

Reviews (21)

The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home
Book has many outmoded products and procedures. Needs updating.

complete guide to contracting your own home
Great guide book seem to cover everthing,worth the money

Very specific information on limited areas
I used it to write specification to give to contractors so we can get bids. The specs are detailed but I still added lots of my own stuff to customize it for my needs.
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Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Building    3. Building Construction    4. Construction - Contracting    5. Construction - General    6. Contractors    7. General    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House construction    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Selection and appointment    12. Superintendence    13. Technology    14. Food & Drink / Cookery   

Reviews (6)

Basic
The projects in this book are more basic than in other books I've seen. There aren't any unique or remarkable designs and those that were interesting, I have seen done much better in other books. Also, I'm the type of person who likes to look at a project, figure out how to do each step, and do it my own way(feels more fulfilling at the end when you do succeed!). Hence, I found that this book was much too hand-held and at times the steps were so minutely set out, that I lost track of the 'bigger picture'. However, I would highly recommend this book to beginners.

The essential guide works
This book is really good to follow instructions and to figure out what supplies you will need and shows you how to create something but giving you basic instructions which are good. It's isn't too wordy and you can follow unlike other books I've purchased. If you are a beginner you will enjoy looking through the pages and creating projects.

Nice with great directions
This books is full of visuak instructions that show each and every step for each type of book covered. There are some very interesting styles in here that are possible for any level of bookmaking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bookbinding    2. Books    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Personal Growth - Success    7. Self-Help    8. DIY   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Construction - General    3. Design and construction    4. Engineering - Civil    5. House & Home    6. Outdoor Structure Construction    7. Repair    8. Swimming pools    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Architectural structure & design    11. Building construction & materials    12. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc    13. Swimming & diving   

Reviews (14)

A Wealth of Knowledge
I picked this book up based on an exhaustive search for a guide that met a few simple items of criteria:
Many Topics, Little Detail
This book had many topics but only provided very basic information on the topics.

Storey's Basic Country Skills
Good book to put the subject on the map for the beginner. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country life    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. Home economics    4. Home economics, Rural    5. House & Home    6. Personal & Practical Guides    7. Reference    8. Self-Help    9. GARDENING / Reference    10. Home & House Maintenance    11. House & Home / Reference    12. REFERENCE / Personal & Practical Guides    13. Reference works    14. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (1)

The FREE CD-ROM is fantastic
Having to study for an exam that differs slightly for each state is hard enough. After a while the words on the page start to merge with my anxiety on the test.
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Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself - Electrical    2. Electric engineering    3. Electricians    4. Examinations    5. Examinations, questions, etc    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Licenses    8. Study Aids    9. Study Guides    10. United States   

Reviews (9)

Best Book for All-PurposeElectrical Wiring.
If you need an excellent book for understanding domicile wiring and most other applications,then PEW is for you.The NEC book reads like Black's Law Dictionary ,fairly dry and abstract information.This electricalreference is the most facilitative wiring book ,i had the pleasure to read through yet.The most dependable wiring information listed around.

A Must Have Step-by-Step Guide on Professional Techniques and "tricks of the trade"
This book is an excellent reference for anyone who is engaged in electrical work of any kind. This edition is updated with the latest National Electrical Code.
Excellent Electrical Reference
Of the many reference and educational books I have read, this is one of the best. This book, the NEC Code and the Illustrated Guide To The National Electrical Code by Charles R. Miller have given me a thorough understanding of the NEC and the essential things I wanted to know before wiring a new residence.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself - Electrical    2. Electric Power Distribution    3. Electrical Safety Codes    4. Electricity    5. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Technology    10. Technology / Electricity   

Reviews (32)

Sophisticated style
This book is perfect for the advanced home owner or individuals who have developed a mature and sophisticated style.I find myself returning again and again to the advice of Michael Smith.The more I know about design the more I appreciate his unstructured yet very elegant and extremely discerning method of putting a home together.A terrific resource from a very talented designer!!!

Don't be fooled by the reviews.... like I was!!
This book leaves me cold.I ordered it as an 'add-on' because I was getting a couple of others and I guess it's what I deserve, for buying it sight unseen.This is the first time I have been compelled to write a review... and it is really just as a warning to others to look through this book first, before purchasing.I don't even like the pictures!

Michael Smith Elements of Style
Disappointed in the overall look and content of the book.Would rate it a C+.
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design    7. House & Home / Decorating    8. Individual artists   

Reviews (41)

Feng Shui for Dummies
The book is simple to read and easy to follow for those of us who knew nothing about Feng Shui.I do recommend it along with other books on the same subject in order to get a well-rounded reading.

Too much text, not enough diagrams
This book buries its content within a rather non-attractive format having lots of text and not enough diagrams.Does not do an adequate job of conveying important information.So much unbroken text ends up becoming bla bla bla.

Purchased for a family member.
I purchased this book for my mother and she can not stop talking about this book.What I have heard from my mother, this is a great book.It is easy to understand and read, also, it is easy to stop reading and then start back up again later.Great book for beginners. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. Feng Shui    4. Feng-shui    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Interior Design    8. Interior Design - General    9. Parapsychology    10. Parapsychology - General    11. Body, Mind & Spirit / Feng Shui   

Reviews (2)

A knowledgeable and "user-friendly" study of domestic Japanese architecture
Superbly illustrated with photography from Aya Brackett, Building The Japanese House Today by Peggy Landers and Len Brackett is an outstanding collection of beautiful and decorative architectural designs drawn from the Japanese traditional and contemporary architectural ideas and ideals. Deftly co-authored to provide a wealth of usable and informed perspectives, Building The Japanese House Today offers such particulars as preliminary design decisions for building a Japanese home; design directions based on living with or without furniture a chart showing the relative proportions of components of the traditional house; lumber selection, drying and milling; design and construction of a Japanese bath; technical drawings showing how to make traditional architecture conform to western building codes; sources and contacts for materials and craftsmen; and twenty pages of professional plans and diagrams to guide readers through the simple and elegant procedures of construction. A core addition to any professional or academic library Architectural Studies reference collection, Building The Japanese House Today is very highly recommended for non-specialist general readers searching for a knowledgeable and "user-friendly" study of domestic Japanese architecture.
Informative Guide! (Adds a touch of logistical reality to creating a dream home)
For anyone who has dreamed of building a Japanese style house, this book is a must! The book takes you through the construction of a building from start to finish. All the things the customers and builders had to consider in construction. (From design, to permits, to materials,to assembly and finally finishing) This is a good way to get an idea of what building a traditional or westernized version of a Japanese house would entail, in terms of time and resources. It would also provide a neat book for house design to see the way traditional Japanese design styles have been incorporated to fit into American style homes.
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. Architecture, Japanese    5. Design & Construction    6. Do-It-Yourself    7. Domestic    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House & Home    10. Japanese influences    11. Residential Buildings Architecture    12. United States    13. Architecture / Domestic    14. Architecture / General    15. Building construction & materials    16. Japan    17. Residential buildings, domestic buildings   

Reviews (12)

Excellent
I read and re-read this book then handed it over to my sales and marketing manager.A MUST for a faux business owner.

Thank Heaven for Rebecca Pittman
This book gave me everything I need to start my own faux painting business, including confidence!Thank you Rebecca for the insight, the humor and the weekly accounting ledger located in the back.Great, superb, and HIGHLY recommended.

excellent
starting out as a muralist, and i bought the book before i landed my first job. i found it amazing how DETAILED and ENTERTAINING this book was. i knew nothing about how to start being in this business, and this book served as a complete guide. as i was reading it i thought that there were suggestions what i would never never need in life, BUT !!! boy, was i wrong. every word this book has in it is worth the pennies you pay. if you are startin out and have no clue how to manage your own business, this is a must for you!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Careers - Arts    2. Construction - Contracting    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. House painting    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration firms    8. Management    9. Small business    10. Technology    11. Texture painting    12. Advice on careers & achieving success    13. Fresco   

Reviews (10)

Try another one.
This book is alright for certain aspects of drawing, but the book itself has some of the worst drawings I've ever seen. And, if you are truly a beginner, you'll want to recieve more instruction than this offers. I wouldn't suggest this to anyone.

Funny and helpful book!
I love to draw, and when I got this book for Christmas, I was a little discouraged by the title.Of course, the old saying "never judge a book by it's cover" came into play.I decided to open it up and skim through the pages.This book was GREAT!Drawing for Dummies covers all of the basic and advance techniques of drawing ANYTHING!Catergories it covers include perspective, 3-D drawings, shading, texture, and more!There are picture examples along the way incase you don't know what the auhor is really talking about.There are many exercises from the simple practicing shading, all the way to drawing a VERY REAL looking three demensional teddy bear (listed in easy to follow steps).I really enjoy this book, and anyone who loves to draw or needs to improve, this is the book for you! 5 stars!

Try another drawing book first!

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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. Drawing    6. Technique    7. Techniques - Drawing    8. Art / Drawing    9. Art techniques & principles    10. Drawing & drawings   

Reviews (4)

Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Turning
Excellent book covering many begining to intermediate aspects of turning.Good book for learning new techniques or technique review.Every turner should have (and use) this resource

almost complete
This is a very good book:
"Til by turning, turning, we come round right."
I've avoided lathe work for a great many years, satisfying my lust for sawdust by cabinetry and furniture.But in the back of my mind there has always been a little voice that would ask me 'why not?' every time I looked at a block off wood with beautiful grain.Well I finally broke down and spent the sizeable amount of money needed to buy and equip a good lathe."While I'm waiting for it to be shipped," I thought, "I'll read a book about it."After all this is how I've taught myself just about everything else.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. House & Home    4. Lathes    5. Turning    6. Woodwork - Tools    7. Woodworking    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    9. House & Home / Woodworking   

Reviews (20)

A great learning tool.
This book fits perfectly into a series called for Pro's by Pro's.
Great addition to the handyman's library
This is a great book!After having read it cover to cover a few times now, I feel very comfortable to tackle most of the plumbing work I am doing as I remodel my house.It explains everything not only step by step, but also explains why, when and where different materials out perform eachother.

Some useful information
I am building my own house and find myself frequently referring to this book. There is much useful information; I only wish it were more up-to-date. It was published 12 years ago, but much of the info was out dated even then. And plumbing isn't exactly a rapidly changing field. The sad thing is that there aren't really any books out there that are much better.
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Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Do-It-Yourself - Plumbing    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. House Plans    6. Home & House Maintenance    7. House & Home / Plumbing   

Reviews (1)

An awsome photographic book of pools around the world
I really enjoyed this book.There were very beautiful pictures of pools from all over the world.Every pool was an art piece in its self.I really enjoyed the pictures of the cascading pools that seemed to almost goto nowhere in particular.If you can get a copy of this book I highlyrecommend it for the photo or pool enthusiasts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections Of Photographs    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Photo Essays    4. Photography    5. Photography, Artistic    6. Pictorial works    7. Swimming pools    8. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (16)

Outdated Book
This book appears to be full of good information. I used it to construct two small cellars, both using refrigeration. They measured up to 7' x 12'. For my third cellar (the collection just keeps growing) I hired a consultant, and discussed the cellar with several others. All disagreed with some of the very basic principles in Gold's book. He may have been first out with this information, but the book is not up to date. If you are undertaking a serious project, especially if it is underground, you are better off hiring a consultant with experience. As another reviewer pointed out, some of the information in the book is contradictatory. Some is just wrong. Some is useful only for cold weather climates.

A great gift idea
I've been thinking about building a wine cellar and was given this book as a gift.I couldn't be happier.The book is not only informative, it is clear and well-written.What's more, I took Dr. Gold up on his offer to follow up with him with any questions.He got right back to me with some helpful advice, and even an unsolicited wine tip!
Great advice for building a "Wine Bunker"
I spent several months trying to determine what I should do about wine storage. I had accumulated about 300 bottles and was keeping them in our under-house dungeon, but was concerned about the long-term viability of that method.Read more

Subjects:  1. Design & Construction    2. Design and construction    3. House & Home    4. House & Home / Design & Construction    5. Wine cellars   

Reviews (4)

Work in Progress
The author is obviously a person of great vision and enormous generosity of spirit.The book is very good, and I hope that a rating of three stars isn't some insult where no insult is deserved.I was very disappointed because I expected a serious discussion of superadobe techniques, which I regard as possibly more practical than the ceramic constructions.The book has only seven pages treating superadobe.Those are pasted as an afterthought, right at the end.They don't constitute a detailed and serious discussion.As much information can be found on the calearth.org web site.So, I felt that the advertisements of the book were a little misleading. Rebuilding safely in Iran and elsewhere, after earthquakes
If ever a book was inspired by compassion for earthquake victims, this is it. Aware of the bitter experience of Middle East peoples with seismic disasters, architect Nader Khalili pulls together what works in those same cultures to show how we can build affordable housing that will survive major earthquakes. Carry Adobe, rammed earth, and Cob to the next level.
This book will teach you how to make your adobe, rammed earth or cob building a permanent structure that can stand up to the elements. I wish it had more photo's, colour ones to give us an idea how this type of architecture looks in colour. It would be nice if a new edition came out since I am left with quite a few questions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Design & Construction    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Methods & Materials    5. Applied ecology    6. Building construction & materials    7. Building skills   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (167)

I maintain that this book, comprising three books in one huge volume, is definitely worth exploring!
I am pleasantly surprised that the book form of the 'Tightwad Gazette' newsletters, which first appeared inthe very early nineties, is still available. I acquired my first consolidated book issue of 'Tightwad Gazette' also in the early nineties, & the remaining two consolidated book issues, i.e. Tightwad Gazette II & III, during the mid-nineties. I came to know about it probably from 'Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money & Achieving Financial Independence' by Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin.
Bottom Line -- It Works!I am living proof.
I first read the Tightwad Gazette series in about 1995, at a time when I was living hand to mouth in a small and noisyapartment, wasoverwhelmed with my own foolishly-racked-up credit card debt, was afraid to go to the dentist because I could not afford one more bill.
Worth Every Penny
A few years ago I found myself with a new baby, tons of debt, a limited income and a (now ex) husband who had no money sense at all.I was rocketing towards bankruptcy, so I got a few books out of the library on saving money.This book changed how I looked at spending money.It got me thinking of how I could use, reuse, recycle, or find new uses for absolutely everything.I made it through a terribly tough financial time by the "skin of my teeth" and if it werent for reading this book, I doubt it would have happened. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Consumer Behavior - General    3. Consumer Guides    4. Consumer education    5. Finance, Personal    6. Personal Finance - General    7. Personal Finance - Money Management    8. Personal finance    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Reference / Consumer Guides   

Reviews (1)

German through and through
Craftsmanship is to the Germans what style is to the French, tradition is to the British, or independence is to the Americans, and it shows in these books: the drawings, coated paper, printing, and so on are all head and shoulders above the competition.The basic format for all the books is the same--history, followed by science and engineering, followed by examples. In this book, the technical section emphasizes structural matters, with a large chapter on precast construction. There's nothing on reinforcement requirements because they're covered in building codes. Shell structures are discussed, and another chapter covers surface finishes.The translation to English is OK but lacks the nuances that make for pleasant reading.Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Construction - General    3. General    4. Reference    5. Technology & Industrial Arts    6. Architectural structure & design    7. Architecture / General    8. Building Material    9. Building construction & materials    10. Concrete    11. Non-Classifiable    12. Theory of architecture   

Reviews (4)

Wow...A Great Coffee Table Book for Any Firearms History Buff
Just the pictures in this huge volume are enough to make it worth thumbing through, but the written information is tremendous and the author manages to cover all connections to Winchesters' Fathers, including John M Browning, my personal hero (other than my Father, Uncle, Grandfather and all other veterans of WWII and Korea).Probably not all the information on Winchester firearms and ammo history but all that I can absorb and still have a social life.

Eye Candy
Beautiful to look at. Not heavy in the way of company or technical history, but what a great coffee table book. Costly - if you can find it - but wow!

Another winner from R.L. Wilson
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Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Firearms & Weapons    5. Firearms And Gunsmithing    6. General    7. History    8. Shooting    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Winchester rifle    11. Antiques & Collectibles / Firearms & Weapons    12. Militaria, arms & armour    13. USA    14. Weapons & equipment