Reviews (17)

Great Idea Book for Window Treatments
This fifth edition has all the sketches in color.Just to give you an idea of how comprehensive this is, there are 19 pages showing valances, with five per page.I love this book, as it really opened our minds to the variety of styles available for windows.No more boring windows.
Picture guide--okay but not complete
This is a book of window treatment sketches.Unfortunately, it is far from complete and lacks many styles. We do use this book in the trade, but I wish it were more complete--I find it lacking with many new styles.It also lacks many of the current styles being offered by the professional pattern companies.

Encyclopedia of Window Fashions
This book has great ideas and beautiful pictures and drawings.It is, however a little outdated in my opinion.Would like to see a revised edition by this author with more up to date styles. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - Windows    3. Draperies in interior decorati    4. Draperies in interior decoration    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Reference    7. Window shades    8. Interior design    9. Soft furnishings   

Reviews (78)

Excellent and flexible system
After trying FlyLady twice, I realized that it would never work for me.Instead of having more time, I felt like I was always supposed to be doing a little here and a little there, but was never done.Being nagged by email only made it worse.And the final straw was the fact that FlyLady's "inspirational" messages were increasingly just annoyances -- either a reminder to purchase some product of hers, or a lot of Christian-oriented jargon.What I took from this system was:work in small segments, plan a day for each task, jump in wherever you are, and do a little, even if you don't finish the job.Since most of this was taken from the SHE sisters, I decided to investigate the SHE system.I found this system works better for me.Being able to move a card into the "done" section and seeing the pile of tasks that were left worked much better as a reminder for me than emails, which I often didn't get to read until well after they were due.And when the cards are gone, I'm done!As the daughter of a cleaning-impaired mother, I also appreciate the SHE system's instructions on what to clean and how often to clean it.The SHE sisters are not at all preachy, just "regular folks" trying to get their acts together and sharing a bit about themselves.It works for me.

Even better than FlyLady!
This book changed my life.
GREAT!!!
I have struggled with my house for years.Finally, I am getting it straigten out and feel comfortable having guests again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home economics    6. House & Home    7. Housewives    8. Self-Help    9. Time Management    10. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    11. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (14)

Really helps
Unlike a lot of other books about design and interior spaces, this one doesn't give you photos and examples of what you can do with the space... it really helps you evaluate what it is you feel/have with your living space and steps to take to make it into the space you feel better living in. It's as insightful into your self as it is where you live.

User friendly and inspiring.I loved it!
Its hard to find books that are accessible and inspire you to find your own aesthetic (rather than imitate the authors).In many ways this is a very gentle and non-judgemental book - its not flashy, hasn't got photos, but it gets the job done.My apartment is coming together beautifully.
A Great Recipe
As a reviewer previously noted, there really isn't anything new here. But like a chef who takes ingredients we are well familiar with and combines them to give us a new experience, so too does Maxwell. There are the little gimmicks--calling people warm and cool, talking about the house like a body when he could just say he's writing about attending to repairs (bones), arranging and organizing the stuff in your space (breath), figuring out the functions of each room (head) and decorating (heart). But this is not a meal of last night's leftovers. Instead it is packaged into another gimmick: the eight week cure. There's a lot to do in your eight weeks: and the work seems unbalanced. It starts out slowly (throwing out one thing, making lists) and ends slowly (preparing for a party) but in the middle there's almost an impossible amount of things to do. But it's all laid out. There are worksheets and practical tips to begin. Maxwell has taken all the steps to transforming a living space and laid them all out sequentially. This book is about more than just fixing up your place however: Maxwell aims to change and enrich your experience of your home. And that's the spice that makes the book worth consuming.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Interior Design    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Psychological aspects    9. House & Home / General   

Reviews (19)

Excellent content, Repetitious Photographs
As a non-designer, this is an excellent design book in that it explains how we can make changes to our homes (or use this as a tool during initial home design prior to construction) to make the home more cohesive, more welcoming, more comfy.The concepts are well described; the biggest weakness of the book is its photography.The small photographs did not bother me per se, but the repetition of photographs really took away from the book.The same photographs are used multiple times to highlight different aspects in different chapters.The homes are primarily architecturally gorgeous, and they are wonderful to look at, but I would like to see these concepts described with less elaborate homes and a wider variety of homes.Most of these have a lot of wood, beautiful views, and lots of investment in design features.Using the same photograph more than once is unnecessary, it would be more helpful to show another home to explore the concept.That said, the content is sufficient to recommend this book to others.
Great support for dreams
As usual, Susanka's books are worthwhile and support in depth looking at pictures and thought.It arrived promptly - 3 weeks faster than another book ordered on the same day.

An Aussie's Perspective
I really love Sarah Susanka's design philosophy.It just makes sense.Here in Australia, there are so many fringe suburbs which are filled to the hilt with McMansions.These houses are built to within centimetres of their boundaries and are generic and worse, shockingly ugly and devoid of character. I loved this book which illustrates the way seemingly small details and good quality workmanship can make such a difference to the feel of a house.If more people embraced these ideals, our cities would improve drastically - more green space has to be a good thing, doesn't it? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. Decorating - General    5. Design & Construction    6. Designs and plans    7. Do-It-Yourself    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House & Home    10. Residential Buildings Architecture    11. Residential Interior Design    12. United States    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. House & Home / General   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Clothing Design    4. Decorating - General    5. Design - General    6. Fashion    7. Fashion design    8. Art / Design / General    9. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles   

Reviews (17)

Don't be home without it
I am glad to see Reader's Digest has updated this essential book. I always, ALWAYS have a copy of this on my bookshelf.
The title says it all!
This book has been amazing so far.I purchased it after carefully checking the various topics covered and available reviews on this book as well as dozens of others like it. Two months ago I paid a plumber $70 to fix a leak on my washer hook-ups to find that all he had to do was tighten a bolt and it infuriated me! I have since vowed to do everything myself as long as I have the right tools and instructions, and this book shows you everything.It includes plumbing, furniture repair, appliances, home electronics, sports and recreation gear, emergengies, and much, much, more!It is well worth the price and I look forward to the things I'll be able to do on my own.I highly recommend this book.

A Useful Book
If you like DIY, it's a book for you.
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Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Furniture    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Home Maintenance And Repair    8. House & Home    9. Household appliances    10. Household appliances, Electric    11. Maintenance and repair    12. Repair    13. Repairing    14. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself   

Reviews (1)

Pricey but essential
Revised, expanded, and essential to anyone in the building industry because these codes apply across the board, including virtually all states in the US.The IBC has replaced state and other building codes.This volume provides information in the English measuring system. I prefer the looseleaf edition to the bound volume because it folds completely open and you can leaf through the pages more easily, as you are constantly being referred from one section to another.Of course you will want to update your other international code books as well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Building Codes    2. Building Construction    3. Construction    4. Construction - General    5. Mensuration    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technology    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Technology / Technical & Manufacturing Industries & Trades   

Reviews (25)

Exceptional, but not perfect!
This book contains a great wealth of information, my only complaint is the data is not referenced for sources of information.Trying to verify or follow up on specific information is not easy.

Excellent book
After you've advanced past the Time-Life 'how to' style books, get this one.
Analise em Lingua Portuguesa (In Portuguese)
Ainda nao li o livro de forma exaustiva, mas do que li pareceu-me um bom livro para Engenheiros do sector das Madeiras ou para pessoas com conhecimentos de Ciencias suficientes para perceber os conteudos abordados. Para os outros, penso que tambem podera ser um bom livro, mas neste caso terao de se ficar por uma analise mais qualitativa. Enfim, estou satisfeito com a compra que realizei, e estou mesmo a pensar comprar o outro livro deste este autor (Identifying Wood - ISBN 0-942391-04-7). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. House & Home    4. Wood    5. Woodwork    6. Woodwork - General    7. Woodworking    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (1)

The joys of one-level living
Another beautiful Alan Hess architectural history that deserves to become the standard work.The book is in two parts, in the first sixty-eight pages he writes a readable and interesting history of this very popular housing concept and being popular it was looked down on by the architectural elite and many critics.The second part (147 pages) is a pictorial study of twenty-six ranch houses photographed by Noah Sheldon.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Design & Construction    4. Domestic    5. History - Specific Styles    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Ranch houses    8. United States    9. Architecture / Domestic   

Reviews (5)

"Du Marivaudage" or about Seduction in french style fashion and interiors
This is a book you will enjoy. It will appeal to anyone interested in decorative arts in France between 1750 and 1789. The fashion focuses on dress and its aesthetic interplay with art, furniture, and the decorative arts of the period. Presented in a dramatic setting, the beautiful pictures of the Metropolitan Museum exhibition explore the dressed body's spatial negotiation of the 18th-century interior as a choreography of seduction and erotic play.

Stunning collection of costume photos
Beautiful full color photographs of the Met's Louis XIV's clothing collection and furniture.Manequines are dressed in beautiful originals and posed in drawing rooms and boudoirs in real life poses, flirting, playing piano, having their hair done, playing cards.The photographs are very well done, clear and the detail pieces will be a boon to any costumer.I highly recommend this book for costumers and other historical clothing buffs.

Fusion of Fashion and Style, done with amazing grace
When I was young, I read a biography for children about the tragic Marie Antoinette, last queen of France, and found myself enthralled by the exquisite decorative arts of the time. It was a culture that viewed that every surface and substance was an opportunity to embellish and use. Sometimes the end results were overblown, but also managed to stay on the edge of good taste.
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Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Clothing and dress    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    6. Design    7. Design - Decorative    8. European    9. Exhibitions    10. Fashion    11. France    12. Furniture    13. History    14. History - General    15. Metropolitan Museum Of Art - Exhibition Catalogs    16. Art / Design / Decorative    17. Fashion design    18. Furniture & cabinetmaking    19. c 1700 to c 1800   

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Construction - General    3. Law    4. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    5. Technology & Industrial Arts    6. Financial, taxation, commercial, industrial law    7. Technology / Technical & Manufacturing Industries & Trades   

Reviews (11)

Nothing new.....
I was a bit disappointed, same old stuff rehashed.AND, not full of do it yourself cleaners/remedies like one would suppose.Not nearly as 'Organic' as germ o'phobe...pages and pages on microscopic blah blah....I clean my home with organic products as much as possible,75%,and feed my family organic food...was hoping for a better mix of NEWER info, as there is A LOT of it, just surf the web!

An excellent resource for environmentally-minded people
Ellen Sandbeck's book, Organic Housekeeping, has joined The Joy of Cooking on my bookshelf as a reference standard. It is packed full of practical ideas, written concisely and with humor. When it comes to housecleaning, I need all three.
Good, practical info and fun to boot!
Ellen Sandbeck's latest is a truly practical guide to getting things clean without killing yourself. Some of the tips are oldies, but goodies that our grandparents used, but there's plenty of new, and quite clever, suggestions as well. I also really appreciate that she encourages the reader to find their own comfort level with what they think is "clean." Instead of dropping twenty or thirty bucks on cleaning products that really do more harm than good, buy this book and leave the world a better place! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Environmental aspects    4. Healthy Living    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Home Maintenance And Repair    7. Home Management    8. House & Home    9. House cleaning    10. Natural products    11. Repair    12. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Reviews (3)

An excellent book, easy to read and follow
I have to agree with the other reviewers, this book is very handy, and easy to read.It covers quite a lot of ground for a pocket manual, which is great. A classic reborn!
Audel books have been around forever, but I could never find a revision, at least not of this really well-known book for my toolbox. I had an old copy, but it was really out of date. I'm recommending this new one to all the other guys in the shop!

excellent reference source
this book contains a ton of quick references for alot of things you will use if your in the mechanical trades, or industrial maintenance. some of them are,drawing and print sysmbols,all about belts,chains,gears and couplings,seals,bearings,and pumps, rigging information and techniques,piping andallowances for elbows,couplings,unions ect,sprinkler systems, and a whole lot of other references to other things i cant list here because of time. im in industrial maintenance and i know ill use mine alot. its also very easy to read and understand. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Do-It-Yourself - General    3. Engineering - Mechanical    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Machine Engineering (General)    6. Machinery    7. Mechanical Engineering (General)    8. Mechanical engineering    9. Technology    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Building construction & materials    12. Instruments & instrumentation engineering    13. Technology / Technical & Manufacturing Industries & Trades   

Reviews (6)

A Real Eye Opener
I have only been selling Japanese Antiques for a short time and I found this book is fantastic to show potential tansu customers. It has also helped us (Japanache dot com dot au) with selection when on buying trips to Japan and restoration once back in Australia.
Strong on Art , Light on Craft
I am biased; I am a woodworker.This is actually a terrific book offering a huge collection of beautiful photos, and an extensive commentary about the role of Tansu in Japanese lifestyle and culture.However the craft of making Tansu was not well represented.From the title I would have expected more on tools, techniques and joinery.

A Tansu Tribute
If you are fascinated by the creation of handmade Japanese cabinetry, this is one of the few books you can find on the subject because for some reason, the cabinetry of Japan is one of the least recorded aspects of Japan's woodworking history. Throughout this guide, you will find lush photographs of opaque and transparent lacquered chests, their hand-forged iron handles and the tools of the trade. I especially enjoyed the hand-colored photos of family life, rice fields and the textile sellers. Not only do you get to glimpse this magical world of Zen temples and street merchants selling sweet rice drinks, you will be able to view page after page of stunning merchant chests, bedding chests, clothing chests and mizuya-dansu (kitchen cupboards).
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Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Architecture    3. Cabinetwork    4. Chests    5. Furniture    6. General    7. Japan    8. Antique furniture    9. Art / Design / Furniture    10. Furniture & cabinetmaking   

Reviews (5)

Great ideas!
To make the most of our new home, I was looking for ideas for custom made cabinetry and other storage options.
Great ideas
I want to install severeal built-ins in my older home, as space is limited.This book definitely gave me lots of ideas. The pictures are excellent and really provide inspiration - whether you copy exactly or adapt the ideas to meet your needs.Full of ideas and inspiration - not a how-to.

Talk about IDEAS!
This book, by far, exceeded my expectations!It is full of wonderful photos - cover to cover.We are getting ready to build a new home and we will definitely use a few of these creative ideas.
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Subjects:  1. Built-in furniture    2. Cabinetwork    3. Design & Construction    4. Design and construction    5. Do-It-Yourself    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Home Maintenance And Repair    8. House & Home    9. Remodeling & Renovation - General    10. Storage in the home    11. Woodworking    12. Home furnishing & decoration    13. House & Home / Design & Construction    14. House & Home / Woodworking   

Reviews (3)

Good material...
I recommend this book to all my students who are getting started in working with the AB SLC 500. This book will give you a great start if you are trying to learn about AB PLCs. I also recommend ... for ActiveX driver software to communicate with AB PLCs. The reason I did not rate it at five stars is because the book is a little pricey and it omits some of the more advanced ladder instructions.

Mr. Damase Bouchou (See more about me) from Canada
Here, we can find a lot examples, of basic Programmable Logical. But, no enough examples using advanced Programming instructions such as, PID, Shift Resister, Sequencer. Excellent book for the beginners.

programmable logical controllers
this book contain good valable notes on PLC's so i like to read more . ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automation    2. Electronics - General    3. Equipment, Appliances & Supplies    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Programmable controllers    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technology    8. Automatic control engineering    9. Technology / Electronics / General   

Subjects:  1. Design & Construction    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Remodeling & Renovation - Bathrooms    6. Home furnishing & decoration    7. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (8)

Puts the French on Pedestals
The book is written as if the French have a monopoly on good taste.B. Phillips gushes over the French lifestyle to the point of annoyance.I found myself saying, enough already! I got the book because I've travelled to France since I was a kid and now I'd like to decorate my home with French influences.But after reading her book, with its genuflecting and contradictions, I was turned off.An example of contradiction:At one point the book states that the French are not ostentacious and prefer simple, tasteful items in the home.But from the interior pictures of mansions, that hardly seems to be the case.Also, I couldn't see any children being happy in these homes.They look like hotels and museums.The book had one very redeeming quality.The guides outlining "must haves" are very good.

French Details
"Detail is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary." ~Unknown The Nicest Room is on the Cover
The rest of the book is page after page of heavy, ornate rooms that lack individuality and warmth.The decor is superficially beautiful because all the "signals" of wealth are there:expensive sofas and chairs, brocade curtains, period furniture, "French" bric-a-brac, but ultimately it's a collection of overly-designed showpieces. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration and ornament    5. France    6. History    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Influence    9. Interior Design - General    10. Interior decoration    11. United States    12. Architecture / Interior Design    13. Interior design   

Reviews (18)

Furniture is the Focus
This book has great pictures of West Indian furniture and its focus is only on the furniture. I was looking for some ideas on how to design using this style, but not much can be gotten directly on how to do this from this book. However, I did come away with a good sense of the various influences on the West Indian style.

Moderately interesting
This book had some interesting facts, but as an interior designer who was looking for inspirational pictures for room designs I thought it had moderate value.

FABULOUS!
I have owned this book for over a year and always thought it was an excellent book but wasn't inspired to write a review until just recently, when I received a new book I purchased called "Caribbean Style".This book, "Caribbean Elegance", is everything that the other book is not. I love this book! The photography is incredible, encompasing everything from the smallest furniture detail or accessory, to entire historical exteriors & interiors, and exquisite scenery!
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. Furniture    4. Furniture design    5. Furniture, Colonial    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Interior Design - General    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. West Indies    10. Art / Design / Decorative    11. Caribbean islands    12. Interior design   

Editorial Review

Virtually everyone enjoys a crisply ironed dress shirt, clean sheets on a well-made bed, and a savory home-cooked meal. Yet housekeeping today stands as a somewhat neglected, if not maligned, job. But as author Cheryl Mendelson points out in Read more

Reviews (219)

Simple answers to housekeeping questions
This is a great reference book detailing the best way to tackle everything from cleaning schedules to meals to laundry. Curious as to what your freezer temp should be? How long kiwis last? How to sew on a button? What's the best way to clean your toilet? I have yet to think of a housekeeping question that this book can't answer.

My standard Wedding and House-Warming Gift
I found this book by mistake when I was trying to learn to be a stay-at-home mom after being a "career woman" for 7 years.As wonderful as my mother is and was in raising me, some things cropped up that even she was unaware.Ms. Mendelson answered so many questions for me.
best book ever!
This is easily the BEST. BOOK. EVER.
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Home economics    5. House & Home    6. Repair    7. House & Home / Repair