Subjects:  1. Attitudes    2. Design & Construction    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Home Maintenance And Repair    8. House & Home    9. Interior Design    10. Interior Design - General    11. Interior architecture    12. Men    13. Personal space    14. Remodeling & Renovation - General    15. House & Home / General   

Editorial Review

"Voluntary simplicity" has become a catch phrase for what seems to be a yearning for a simpler, more self-sufficient and economical way of living in the late 20th century. This book, first published in 1981 and recently updated, was probably many folks' first in-depth exposure to the idea of a simpler life, making things by hand, and enjoying a stronger sense of control over personal budgets, home projects, and lifestyles. Hundreds of projects are listed, illustrated in step-by-step diagrams and instructions: growing and preserving your own food, converting trees to lumber and building a home from it, traditional crafts and homesteading skills, and having fun with recreational activities like camping, fishing, and folk dancing without spending a lot of money. This book will have you dreaming and planning from the first page! Read more

Reviews (51)

What a great book
I have owned this book for 18 yrs and am buying another copy because I wore the 1st one out.It covers Just about everything a tinkering homeowner could want.It has a great amount of info useful to the homesteader or anyone interested in the way things used to be done.I have used it for raising chickens,grapes,gardening and making maple syrup.I also like the firewood section.I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes to tinker.

Best book ever for diagrams and pictures
I loved this book.I'd previously read many homesteading style books and had only been happy with one of them (Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living).This book is different in it's own special way.I didn't have as much printed information but the diagrams and pictures were just what we needed to get a few things started that the encyclopedia missed.

I'm adicted it's brilliant
I own the book since 1980 or 1981 it's red tried and red again. It's an absolute must for every one enjoying to trial and error and sometimes suceed at skills that where so common once and now seem so difficult. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arts And Crafts    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Food crops    5. General    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Handicraft    8. Hobbies/Crafts    9. Home Economics (General)    10. Home Improvement / Construction    11. Home economics    12. Home economics, Rural    13. Power resources    14. Reference    15. Remodeling & Renovation - General    16. United States    17. Crafts & Hobbies / Reference   

Editorial Review

Whether you identify with riot grrrls or Rosie the Riveter, you'll love the tackle-it-yourself empowerment style of Read more

Reviews (30)

I fixed my toilet!
While I'm a little terrified of major repairs, this book is great for the kind of things that are too small to deal with theexpense of calling a plumber but too big to just leave it alone.Good instructions, fun to read.Make sure you have all the tools before you start! I read over the instructions, wrote down what I needed, went to the hardware store and stopped by own damn toilet from running.

prefer reader's digest book
I didn't find that there was enough basic information in this book to be useful to me.I think the author is trying to make money off of the "concept" rather than provide lots of informative information.And I admit, I was lured into the "concept" and bought the book, with much disapointment.
A Very Empowering Book
I bought this book for my Mom for Christmas last year. She was on her own for the first time in her life. When I visited her this Christmas, she was complaining about her toilet running. I said, "Mom, get the book" She got the book out, I read the instructions out loud to her, and she fixed her OWN toilet. She was so proud of herself. Everyone that called on Christmas got the blow by blow account of how she fixed her own toilet. Buy this book. You will learn how to fix alot of those annoying household problems. Save money, and get a feeling of accomplishment. Buy it for your Mom, Dad, everyone. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Do-it-yourself work    5. Dwellings    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Maintenance and repair    9. Remodeling & Renovation - General    10. Repair    11. Women    12. House & Home / Repair   

Reviews (3)

A great resource for selectingthe best RE options for your home
This is a great introduction to essentially all the renewable energy resources available. Chiras takes a sensible, realistic look at a number of options for both reducing your dependence on fossil fuels as well as saving money. He talks about which solutions work best in which climates and gives tips on where to begin wading into renewable energy.
great book!!!
we are looking at building an underground home and getting off the grid...this book has a wealth of helpful info to help us...we would highly recommend it to all!

The ultimate book on Renewable Energy
If you only intend to buy one book about renewable energy this is the one for you. It clearly explains all the different RE technologies and gives you all the information to decide which technologies fit your individual situation. For people more familiar with RE, it acts as a great reference book. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design & Construction    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. Reference    8. Remodeling & Renovation - Energy Efficient    9. Alternative & renewable energy sources & technology    10. Home & House Maintenance    11. House & Home / General   

Reviews (11)

Most helpful book
I have recently been collecting and reading cabinet making books.This book has been the most informative and helpful book in my collection.

FANTASTIC introduction to building face frame cabinets
I did a lot of research prior to building my own kitchen cabinets earlier this year and this book was what inspired me the most as Udo's Schmidt's cabinets are simply BEAUTIFUL encompassing many custom details like: mitered corner returns, beaded inset face frames, raised panel doors/drawer fronts, dovetailed drawers and arched mullion glass upper cabinet doors.
great book
very interesting book with a lot of knowledge put into the writing.Helpful, full of comments and pictures to explain complicated cuts.
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Subjects:  1. Cabinetwork    2. Carpentry    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Do-It-Yourself - General    6. Home Maintenance And Repair    7. House & Home    8. Kitchen cabinets    9. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    10. DIY    11. House & Home / Carpentry   

Reviews (11)

Good info but ....
We found the information very useful, however, very disappointed in the "manuscript" construction(I wouldn't call it a book) considering the extremely high price. Don't expect this to hold up for any lenghth of time to use as a reference manual due to poor quality (such good information deserves better). No publisher, no ISBN, pricey

Helpful book.
I am glad I bought this book.I found the information to be accurate and simple to understand.The book could have had more projects and pictures for the money spent.Overall, I would recomend it.

Just What I Was Looking For
I am new to mobile home living since I had to retire early from health problems and did't want to aquire alot of debt at this time in my life. I was an experienced bluilding rehabber and maintenance man. I read the reviews here and saw the Formost guide was higher rated and cheaper... I recieved it in the afternoon and by evening had it listed on ebay and sold it .It was 3/4 full of things I already knew.. I was hoping for a more mobile home specific manuel. I checked back at Amazonand saw Mark's book was offering "seconds" and I snapped one up. Should have got this one first.. It is more mobile home specific. A few of the pictures looked like they came from a home just like mine.. It was written like I would have written it with excellent pictures and illustrations(like correct fastner torquing in the roofing section).Excellent heat tape section.. Anyway I just had to give my two cents.. May God Bless You..Jesus is Coming Soon..Kim ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Do-It-Yourself - General    3. House & Home    4. House & Home / Repair    5. Remodeling & Renovation - General    6. Repair    7. Amateurs' manuals    8. Maintenance and repair    9. Mobile homes   

Reviews (5)

Excellent resource
It helps to know some basics about construction and drywall work to get the most out of this book. That said, it is a very well presented, comprehensive how-to guide for hanging and finishing drywall. There is good information on materials and a professional approach to technique, with emphasis on the details and getting it right. This book does not talk about shortcuts or taking the easy way, but tells it like it is when it comes to drywall finishing. Very useful and highly recommended.

READ HERE FOR DETAILS
This book is very comprehensive. I noticed one reviewer said that the book was good for a beginner but lacked information. I disagree. I feel as though the book has plenty of information, except for the use of furring strips when studs or joist do not line up.
Simply the best drywall book I have found so far...
I've had this book for some time now and have been doing various drywall projects around the house, including crack repair, patches and even replacing a full panel. I found that by following the instructions in this book, and by taking great care to work neatly, all of my repairs are invisible. There is no way I could have done it so well without the help of Mr. Ferguson's book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Design & Construction    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - Carpentry    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. Drywall    6. Drywall construction    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Remodeling & Renovation - General    10. DIY    11. House & Home / Design & Construction   

Reviews (7)

A great place to start dreaming
This was the first log home book my wife and I purchased after making the decision to not settle for any old house on the market and to build our dream home. It was a great way to get the ideas flowing. I appreciate the layout of the book: lots of exterior and interior photos, floor plans to put the photos into perspective, text descriptions of the houses, and great side bars on everything from windows to roofs to heating. The photos and descriptions are inspiring while the floor plans and side bars are practical. Buy this book early in the process and continue to refer to it as your design comes together.

A MUST HAVE FOR LOG HOME BUILDERS!!
My husband and I are in the preliminary stages of planning our dream log home.There are many pricey books out there to peruse, but none were as helpful as this one.It helped us to understand construction and budgetary compliance.By planning with this book, we curbed our budget, without compromising quality and beauty.The information was easy to digest and the photos were excellent and instrumental in the implementation of design and decorating.This book is definitely a MUST HAVE for anyone who is planning to build a log home.

I found a plan
I bought this early on in the planning stage of our log cabin as a resouce. After looking through dozens of books and magazines I actually used one of the plans in the book after modifying it slightly. This has many plans that give you some great ideas and has enough difference between them to be a nice starting point in the design process. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Designs and plans    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. House Plans    8. Log cabins    9. Wood Construction    10. House & Home / Design & Construction    11. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    12. Housing & property for the individual   

Reviews (11)

A very BASIC Visual Guide to Lock Picking
It's a very simple book and a short one too. Don't spect to learn a lot of thinks from this book. If you are only looking for an introduction in lock picking and how a lock works, then this book is fine for you. Maybe you can get a more complete book with no more money.

An excellent illustrated guide!
I first tried just borowing that mit guide from a friend.It was interesting reading, but kinda left me confused.So, I decided get some actual books including this Visual Guide.It was so refreshing to find one that so clearly explained everything to me.I had a lot of success at home, though havn't been able to do the advanced locks yet. Beginners should just start here and save yourself a lot of trouble.When it comes to lock picking, this book was really complete and I thought the illustrations helped everything make sense.

Too expensive for what it gives
I was really curious about this book, but what a delusion when it was in my mailbox. Just some pretty 3d drawings and nothing more. Save your money and buy the books of Steven Hampton or, even better, find out the MIT guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself    4. House & Home / Reference    5. Lock picking    6. Reference    7. Do-It-Yourself - General   

Reviews (9)

Great book on workbench philosphy and design
This is a great book for what I wanted - a survey and idea book to design my own bench. Essentially the author surveys a number of different woodworkers and what type of benches they use and why. The book is broken down into logic chapters on various components of the bench including the top, base, vises and holding techniques. He covers ideas on how the bench fits in the shop, ergonomics, tool storage/trays, holding wood, and other issues related to layout and placement. It covers some history of workbenches but isn't a history book.
Buy this book
Though I am a huge fan of Scott Landis' book on this subject, I think I like this book even better.Because I will soon build my third and final bench (yes I am a dreamer), I have been reading a lot about this subject lately.This book does a great job of grabbing your interest, showing you the thought process you should use to determine what design and features are best for you, and then showing many beautiful examples of hard working benches in scores of woodworking shops.
Excellent Book
This is an excellent book.If you are thinking of designing and building the perfect workbench, you absolutely should buy this book.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Design and construction    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. Equipment and supplies    6. Furniture making    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Woodwork    10. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    11. Woodworking    12. Workbenches    13. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    14. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself   

Reviews (23)

Great detail (US)
I've had this book since 1991 and it is still the BEST in its class. I own and have read many other "do-it-yourself" manuals on home improvment and thia one is hands down the best. It's simple to read, yet each new section give lots of details and great illustrations.

Buy the new edition
This is an excellent book for the novice do-it-yourselfer. I was intimidated with a lot of the work needed to be done on my new home, but this book made it all seem possible. It was clear what things I could tackle myself, and what things are best left to a pro. I particularly liked the section on fasteners - it was something I didn't understand, although I thought I should!, and it gave a detailed description of what to use where, and why. I had a lot of lightbulb moments reading this book.
Lots of information
If you like to read and do home repairs this book is for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Dwellings    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Home Maintenance And Repair    8. House & Home    9. Houses    10. Maintenance and repair    11. Remodeling & Renovation - General    12. Repair    13. House & Home / General   

Reviews (1)

Very good!
This do-it-yourself book is very good.It is an excellent resource for the homeowner with some to many handyman skills.My first complaint is that several projects are way beyond the capacity of the weekend home-warrior.Secondly, many of the instructions are not detailed enough.You are forced to figure out internal steps to procedures on your own.I have the original 1973 edition, and its new look and upgrade is amazing.It is a book I wouldn't do without. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Architecture    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Domestic    5. Dwellings    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Houses    9. Maintenance and repair    10. Remodeling & Renovation - General    11. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself   

Reviews (4)

Good overview but can't do it all
This is a nice overview of bathroom remodeling projects. It's targetted at the DIY-er but even if you're contracting out, it will give you some design ideas and help make you aware of the choices you'll need to consider. It contains a number of how-tos with lots of photos for both demolition and construction or remodeling. However, if you are serious about DIY, this book is just a start. It lacks detail in many important areas. For instance, the drywall section is a laughable 3-4 pages and the tub installation is definitely minimal. (Nothing in there about framing to make an enclosed tub fit the space!) I don't regret buying the book, but I ended up purchasing additional plumbing, eletrical, drywall, and tile books for my major DIY bathroom remodeling project. Also, for those who own several other Black & Decker home improvement series books, you'll find recycling of many photos and instruction in this book. There is clear duplication of content with the B&D plumbing and electrical books.

Excellent book
I'm reasonably handy but I don't have any professional construction experience.I'm in the process of completely remodeling a bathroom from the studs & joists in.In preparation, I've read a lot of books on construction and plumbing.This book is my favorite of the bunch.
he Complete Guide to Bathrooms: Ideas & Projects for Building & Remodeling (
This is an excellent book for the beginner through pro. It provides many helpful insights. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Bathrooms    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. Remodeling    8. Remodeling & Renovation - Bathrooms    9. Remodeling & Renovation - General    10. Home & House Maintenance   

Reviews (4)

An excellent choice for building your shed
This book takes you through the steps of constructing an attractive, functional and well-built shed.The sheds are designed for New England snow loads, so they should stand up anywhere you build it, for a long, long time.Anyone with basic carpentry skills should be able to build most of the sheds shown in the book.The gambrel shed in the book is the most complex style mentioned.The shed styles explained are aa Lean-To Locker, a Saltbox Potting shed, Colonial style (shown on cover) and the Gambrel shed.
THIS BOOK IS MOSTLY FOR THE EAST COAST BUILDER
I purchased this book and read many parts of it. I was most interested in pouring a concrete slab foundation. This book covered every foundation but concrete slab, so I was disappointed in that. The sheds that are covered are very elaborate and built to last. I thought a better job could have been done in covering things like roof slope, and altering it from the sheds built in the book. Giving other options in different phases of construction. The pictures are good but there sure could be more of them(this book is nicely printed and color pictures are expensive). I am a picture kind of guy; a picture is worth a thousand words to me. The "pro tips" highlights are good and provide very usefull info at different stages of construction.
Shed Building In a Nutshell
what separates this book from the other riff raff shed building books is its title, its author, and publishing date. shed building is an american pasttime as long as building barns. In fact Truini delineates a nice history between the shed and the barn, two architectural cousins, who, having some rough times in the past, have reconciled. Shed Building cannot be seen as anything other than the construction of a shed with four walls, a roof, an at least one entrance.Shed building is also an activity that boils down to one thing, building a shed. Truini examines the etymology of the word shed, from its incorporation into Indo-European languages by Finno-Urgic nomads in the 6th century b.c., with the word schiiedde, which meant miniature house that looks like a house. Its interesting how in chinese, the word for shed is quang xi, which interestingly enough has a pictogram that looks like a shed, interestingly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Construction - General    3. Design and construction    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Do-It-Yourself - General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Outdoor & Recreational Areas - General    9. Outdoor Structure Construction    10. Sheds    11. Building construction & materials    12. DIY    13. House & Home / Design & Construction   

Reviews (1)

The missing manual that should have come with your router

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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Routers (Tools)    6. Woodwork    7. Woodwork - General    8. Woodwork - Tools    9. Woodworking    10. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself   

Reviews (1)

Insulate walls, update plumbing, install new wiring and more
Part of the outstanding "Smart Guide" series from Creative Homeowner, Basements: Step-By-Step Projects is a no-nonsense, "user friendly" collection of step-by-step projects to insulate walls, update plumbing, install new wiring, eliminate moisture problems and much more in the basement of one's home. Color photographs, diagrams, and detailed instructions distinguish this excellent do-it-yourself resource which is confidently recommended for personal "do-it-yourself" and Interior Design technical reference shelf collections. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Basements    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Interior Design - General    6. Interior decoration    7. Remodeling    8. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself   

Reviews (60)

Improve Your Finishing Knowledge
This book dispels many myths and misleading thoughts about wood finishing.I've done a few simple finishing projects over many years, daunted by confusing and conflicting instructions, poor results when precisely following the instructions, etc.
Finally, it all makes sense!
I'd read several books on refinishing (I have a craftsman house and am refinishing the built-in woodwork), and though I was learning, it all seemed like like an arbitrary collection of independent facts -- some made sense, some I could not quite figure out, some seemed contradictory -- all very confusing. Then I got Flexner's book and everything finally made sense. He explained the "why" behind all the seemingly arbitrary "rules" so you can truly understand what is going on, figure things out, and make your own judgments. I have 4 other books, and none of them comes close... Really! Oh - and it's nicely organized with a good index too!

For those who like to understand what they're doing
Understanding Wood Finishing is aptly titled.Unlike most books I have read on wood finishing, Flexner's work gives a great deal of attention to understanding the subject.Other books I have read, including one of my favorites, Finishing Methods of Work, are compilations of methods and instructions.Flexner explains the mechanics of the finishes instead of just the properties and dogmatized applications.Make no mistake, he provides instructions on those areas as well, but he leaves the reader with an understanding of the products that will allow him or her to improvise with a high likelihood of success.
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Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Stains and staining    7. Wood finishing    8. Woodfinishing    9. Woodwork - General    10. Woodworking    11. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself   

Reviews (5)

Building Your Own Greenhouse (Greenhouse Basics)
Pretty simple to follow instructions and drawings. Not the most exciting book of its kind I have read recently, but some good information and alternative building ideas.

The Least Expensive Way to Get Started
This is simply a magnificent book on how to construct your own hobby greenhouse as well as other gardening structures such as simple cold frames or installing a bay window with a nice ledge in your home.The main advantage of building your own greenhouse is cost-savings; manufactured greenhouses are very expensive to buy and even more expensive to have assembled.And you don't need to be a handyman to put one together - in most cases you'll be building a frame to hold plastic sheeting to keep out the cold and let in the sun's rays.So what if it's a little crooked here or there?Chances are neither you nor anyone else will notice, but the flowering assortment of vegetables, fruits, and specimen plants will grab everyone's attention!
Just what we need to be selfrelient!
Fun and informative reading. Many ideas to increase you excitement while growing your own food and herbs all year and selling the extra, for a good profitable hobby. See also "Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design & Construction    2. Design and construction    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Greenhouses    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Building construction & materials    9. Greenhouses, conservatories, patios   

Reviews (13)

Suggested title change
This book should be called "101 Uses for C-clamps and yard sticks".
Give me a lever long enough...
Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it,
The pros are right.
While I don't do so at the moment, I have made a living as a contractor.This book may be great for a novice but if you're a pro and don't know most of this stuff already maybe you should find someone to apprentice to...Read more

Subjects:  1. Building    2. Construction - General    3. Decorating    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. House & Home    6. House construction    7. Residential Construction    8. Self-employed    9. Technique    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Building construction & materials    12. Carpentry    13. House & Home / Reference    14. Woodworking   

Reviews (5)

A must have before you start waterproofing
Some contractors recommended the outside fix and others the inside fix.I could not figure out which method would be best for me.After reading this book, I understood which was the right solution for my home.A great book.

Worked for us!
We hired a company that installed our interior waterproofing system just as this book describes.That was years ago, and we've had no problems since.If I had not read this book, I could have really been ripped off not knowing what I needed. So many "experts" claim you can solve your problems with regrading and better downspouts, but that had not worked for us.The author helped me to understand why we really did need a french drain system, and gave me an idea of what the cost should be.The book was actually an interesting read too.I never thought a book about solving wet basements could be a good read, but it was.I even spoke to the author twice on the phone for help (he includes his phone number in the book - unheard of!), and he was super helpful.

Waterproof your basement
Jack Master's book is concisely written and easy for even do it yourselfers to understand. There are many well thought out illustrations which help pinpoint the causes of and remedial actions for water in the basement. A great plus is that the author is readily available by email or phone to answer any questions the reader may have. I heartily reccommend this manual. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Do-It-Yourself - General    3. House & Home    4. House & Home / Remodeling & Renovation    5. Repair    6. Basements    7. Remodeling & Renovation    8. Water