Book Description
With a little imagination and creativity--and without hiring a professional--almost anyone can transform a small living space into a comfortable and stylish environment. Whether decorating a dorm room, an apartment, or a little cottage, what we strive for is a look and feel that expresses our individual personalities. Part style guide, part idea sourcebook, this handy volume--designed to meet the needs of real people with real budgets--is packed with smart ideas, basic design principles, and enough inspiration to get you off the sofa to make it happen.
In her lively, informative text, design guru Marisa Bartolucci takes readers inside 33 small homes from cities across the U.S. to reveal how a strong sense of style--rather than design know-how or unlimited resources--is the most effective tool for transforming an ordinary cramped living space into a smart yet functional private sanctuary.
Customer Reviews:
Lots of inspiration.......2007-09-22
Love the way the book shows apartments of varying small sizes and multiple solutions for small-space dilemmas (like little room for sleeping, tiny kitchens). I was able to brainstorm a solution for my own apartment after one look through this book.
My only complaint is that there are no product resources listed--just designers' names and contact information.
Fabulousity on a budget.......2007-06-01
Well, I guess I'll add my voice to the chorus of reviewers for this book:
This is a jewel of a book. Lots of fabulous examples of small spaces with a lot of character. People who love art, collect books and appreciate unexpected decorating ideas will enjoy this book."
A lovely book that could use a bit of fine-tuning to best serve its intended readership.......2007-04-06
I really liked this book, but it only gets 4 out of 5 stars because I think the definition of "small spaces" is too broad. This book would be better if it showcased twice as many spaces from 100-600sqf, rather than going all the way up to 1000. Maybe for people who don't live in cities, 1000sqf is tiny, but I think a lot of the book's target audience would find that amount of space to be truly palatial. Many of the larger spaces had yards or terraces, sometimes doubling the real amount of living space, so that feels like a "cheat" to me. I got the most ideas out of the first half of the book, and the rest of the book was enjoyable as a general interior design book rather than a "small spaces" design book. Many of the featured homes' remodels involve knocking out walls and really re-working a space, so if you're a renter looking for what you can do with a small space you don't own, you might be disappointed. All in all, a very nice book with wonderful photographs, I just wish there was a greater focus on spaces under 600sqf, and more creative rentals being showcased for readers who are renters.
Really small spaces!.......2007-03-26
A small but pretty coffee table book with great content and some good ideas for living in tiny, tiny spaces.
1) 16 of the 33 profiled spaces were 500 sq ft or less! The other 17 were 600 - 1000 sq ft in size. I haven't seen many books on small space living that focus on this size range. Most books seem to present 2000 sqft houses as tiny.
2) The owners of these spaces didn't all have an unlimited budget. Many were in rentals so gut renovations, moving walls, etc was not an option. Many did have expensive or design worthy furniture and art but quite a few were heavily furnished with IKEA and thrift store finds.
3) Most of the owners had to be very carefull with clutter and picking pieces that would work in the space and that they really loved. Some of the other Amazon reviews found this to be somewhat unrealistic but I think that when you live in such small spaces, you are going to have to keep things very neat and tidy.
4) Part of the title is "expressing personal style". There is plenty of that in the book mostly clustered around what I'll call "modern" (eams etc), "drama" (red, red everywhere), "eclectic" (high design items mixed with garage sale items) and "standard" (danish). Many of the owners have extensive collections that are well presented and show off their unique personal style.
5) Most of these places are inhabited by: architects, artists, interior decorators, makeup artists, writers, curators, floral designers, etc. Essentially those who are in the "profession". I got the impression that hiring someone is de rigur if you are an accountant or fireman.
6) I liked the organization of the book by size of the space, architectural diagram of the space, lots of well shot photos, a narrative of who the residents are and how the space came to be and a picture of the residents.
7) One of my favorites were Francisco Parod and Ximena Orozco, the couple from Mexico living in a 450sqft NY apartment...with a baby! Not only did it look comfortable and open, they furnished almost everything at IKEA. My other favorite was Karen Meyer. She had translucent screens that could slide between the living room and dining room. This provided flexibility to the spaces by making it more expansive or more private, as needed. A murphy bed that was behind a shelf unit in the dining room could be opened up to create a guest room. A nice example of rooms doing double duty.
All in all, the best book I've found for realistic ideas for very small spaces.
Living Large in Small Spaces.......2007-03-19
Although I was not overwhelmed with inspiration, I liked the set-up of this book. The spaces are grouped by square footage complete with pictures of all areas of the space and a floor plan so that you can visualize how the spaces fit together. I also liked the fact that there were various design styles. However, I could not visualize myself living in the majority of the spaces displayed in this book. The majority of the homes displayed were homes of designers and artists. Since I myself am not a designer or an artist, I could and would not begin to design like what was displayed in this book.
Book Description
The best available guide to saving money on a home construction project, The Owner-Builder Book shows you how to contract your new home, remodel, or addition at phenomenal savings. Contains a step-by-step description of the process, including how to find and hire good subcontractors, how to get a construction loan, and how to estimate costs and choose features for your project. Includes 85 planning steps and 100 new construction bargain strategies to save you thousands. Includes contracts, agreements, budget and schedule forms and worksheets. Super-index provides 1,500 search terms for total utility. Winner of the National Association of Home and Workshop Writers Silver Hammer Award for Books.
"...16 easy to read chapters with lots of charts, lists and examples...More practical advice..." Nancy Cook-Senn, The Shawnee News-Star
"...this is the book which will tell you how to design and build your own home just the way you want it. It also tells you how to save thousands of dollars in the process...You can also save up to 50% of the cost of a house by becoming an owner-builder...goes through the stages of how to plan, planning, how to buy, developing a network for purchasing your materials, how to get bids, what to look for in bids on different areas, how to supervise your sub contractors, etc...seems to leave very few, if any, stones unturned." Curtis Rivers, Vero Beach Press Journal
"Assuming you have the same costs that a general contractor will have, you will save the profit (more than 10 percent average) and the overhead (two to three times the profit) paid to a general...The Owner-Builder Book discusses just how this can be done." Ask the Experts, Country's Best Log Homes
"If you don't want to sorry, follow the process outlined by Mark Smith in his book, The Owner-Builder Book." Builders Showcase, Northwest Herald
"...covers every aspect of the building process, including planning, scheduling, working with subcontractors, financing, building permits, etc....has, perhaps for the first time, demystified the home-building process for the layman. Consider this to be a textbook." Prince William Region Home Focus
"...highlights techniques for materials shopping (what he calls "commando shopping") and planning your home room-by-room to maximize savings." Home & Real Estate Weekly, Daily Times-Call
"This new book gives a step-by-step approach to building your own home and saving up to 50 percent on construction costs. Chapters show how to beat contractor pricing tactics, how to deal with paperwork (contracts, permits, and legal and insurance protection), how to manage home building project on a daily basis, and how to avoid common owner-builder mistakes." The Henry Herald
"Great practical little book filled with tips to save money when building a home. If you want to take on the project yourself, it's good to know the tricks of the trade first. You'll learn to manage bureaucratic paperwork, how to get subs on your side, and even become privy to "commando" shopping techniques. The Smiths explain how to benefit from new tax laws and how to prepare yourself to get loan approval." Simple Living Quarterly
"If you ever have thought of building your own home, The Owner-Builder Book is for you because it is a step-by-step guide for the amateur and covers all aspects of building a home." Robb Northrup, Kitchener-Waterloo Record
"When it comes to building your dream home, sweat equity a.k.a. doing it yourself, can help economize. But you don't need to swing a hammer to nail substantial savings. In The Owner-Builder Book Mark Smith leads home-owners through a step-by-step guide of planning, scheduling and financing a custom built house." Michelle Mahfouri, American Press
"The 16-chapter book takes [you] from putting a materials list together and putting out bids to subcontractors to shopping for bargains and close-outs on framing lumber, fixtures, concrete and appliances. It also discusses how to avoid first-time mistakes." Kansas City Star
"...guides you through...building...and saving considerable dollars that will build [your] wealth without the [typical] risk..." Rocky Mountain News
"What are the secrets to...save money on the construction of your home? This book tells all." Kansas City Daily News-Press
Customer Reviews:
Good book! Could do without the "optimistic fluff...".......2007-08-21
I've just started in on this book, so my review may change after I've read the rest; but my initial opinion of this book is that while it contains a lot of useful information, it also contains information that is based on favorable chance events and optimism; these should be toned down or at least balanced with conservative planning. One instance shows how to "trade up" or "flip" houses to use the equity of the flipped house to get better properties at lower mortgage payments. This is an optimistic assumption, as is apparent in todays real estate market as of this review, there are a lot of home buyers who thought they could do this and are now stuck in expensive properties they don't want. Information presented like this reminds me of those "get rich" books. Many of the other reviewers have said the same thing: Too much junk information thrown in trying to make you feel good about the book and what you are doing. This space could have been eliminated, shrinking the book, or filled with more useful information.
Optimisim and "can do" spirit is definitley necessary to build your own home, by all accounts it is a very trying process. When using this book as an element in your DIY homebuilding planning, I'd follow the author's suggestions, plan like crazy, plan for the worst and hope for the best. The information in the book is very good. I'd still recommend it.
motivational garbage.......2007-06-18
This book is garbage. Nothing more than motivational fluff and a complete misrepresentation of the homebuilding business and process. The Author convinces readers that they can't control or trust an individual contractor to build a house for them but can easily control dozens of individual subs and suppliers without being cheated. Yeah right. The book is chock full of statistics and statements that have no support or reference. It is not surprising that the book is self-published because no reputable publisher would publish a book with so many unsupported facts and figures. If you need motivation and someone to tell you you can do it and you are the king of the world and contractors are the skum of the earth, buy the book. If you want real guidance and grounded advice on how to build your own home, look elsewhere.
Wow...this puts it into perspective.......2007-06-01
I always wondered what the profit margin is for a builder and also how much waste they have. Now I know when you compare it to what can be achieved following the items in this book.
Big on promises, but mostly self-serving.......2007-05-15
This was the first book I read when I decided to retire and in some way become very involved in building our retirement home. I ended up reading about 4 others - all of which were more substantive and helpful. The most obvious problem from my point of view is the exaggerated claim on the amount you can save. You would have to substitute a great deal of your own time plus a few other person's in place of the building tradespeople to even approach the author's claims. The other problem is since the time since I read it (2003), the book has become a platform for the author to expand his marketing. Finally, the pictures of the home the author built on his own were very unimpressive to me. I thought it looked really dull.
There was one thing I took from the book - that you needed 1,000 hours to do the job. I did that and a bit more since I had the time. I had a fantastic experience on my house, although I had to pass through ideas of being my own GC or getting someone experienced to act as a mentor. Dispensed with the first as unrealistic and ran into significant problems with after starting down the second path. I ended up using a builder who simply let me participate extensively in the process since I had done so much preparation. I ended up designing, planning, and participating extensively with all the subs. It ended up being done on time, on budget, and with a quality level that exceeded my expectations.
The Owner-Builder Book: How You Can Save More Than $100,000 in the Construction of Your Custom Home, 4th Ed........2007-04-11
This book is an amazing resource. Of all the books I've purchased, this is the one that will help me the most!
Book Description
Michael Payne--popular host of the hit HGTV's hit series Designing for the Sexes--brings his unique talent and expertise to this beautiful and practical reference designed to help homeowners find stylish solutions to today's most common and challenging home design dilemmas.
YOU ASKED HIM, NOW HE'S ANSWERING
Through emails, internet chats, and attendance at his seminars, Michael's fans have directly asked him to solve their most difficult design dilemmas. This beautiful reference delivers the answers they seek in a style that captures Michale's trademark wit and charm. Questions range from the common to the outrageous, providing always informative -- and often amusing -- reading.
* Beautifully illustrated with 175 full-color photos
* Features a logical room-by-room approach
* Convenient format features each problem and solution presented across a single two-page spread
* Covers living rooms, family rooms, master bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, work spaces, child's room, and more
* Packed with advice, ideas, and tips on lighting, upholstery, storage, and accessories
* Includes an informative Basic Questions chapter
Customer Reviews:
Good question anwer book.......2007-02-11
The book is a list of problems and solutions. I enjoyed reading it.
WONDERFUL!.......2004-09-01
whoever gives this a so-so review is downright silly.
This book is absolutely wonderful! for people who know nothing
about design as well as design students. There are loads of
wonderful ideas.
MIchael Answers With Inspiring Decorating Ideas.......2004-03-27
Our TV fav host and ID does a neat thing: he answers emails and the publishes them with his answers and graphics.
The show is really Michael's wonderful personality and design flexibility. Here it shows in advice on all rooms from kitchen to bath to living room to bedroom to dining room to family room and all others. His adept touch is in them all, such as this suggestion in regards to breathing new life into stale furniture on a tight budget: "have it professionally painted." It's answers like this that endure this guy to us in HGTV's audience.
The index here is critical, since it cross-sections his answers not just by room, but by style, by topic e.g. wall color, by furniture piece, etc.
100 of them with good color shots and sketches and Michael. Only thing wish he'd included was a recommended bibliography for us who would like to go deeper.
Easy to Understand & Pratical Answers.......2004-02-03
At last an easy to understand interior design book offering a lot of worthwile information. Michael Payne delivers the same informative solutions "Designing For The Sexes" offers. This book walks the reader through design projects in such a way everything becomes possible.
Really enjoyed this book!.......2004-01-15
I read most of the reviews here before purchasing this book but had to see it for myself. I liked that the pictures and emails were from his show or private clients because it's a great point of reference. I'm a graphic designer, so he always made sense to me about color selections. Michael really listens to his clients and comes up with wonderful solutions, especially for couples with different tastes. I also don't think that you have to be a millionaire to incorporate his ideas, just smart about your budget and creative.
Book Description
Readers will learn how to use the antiseptic and antiviral properties of herbs and essential oils in safer, more economical alternatives to commercial cleaning products. Recipes include laundry and dishwashing detergent; bathroom cleaners; wood, glass, and metal cleaners; air and carpet fresheners; car and pet care products; and insect repellents.
Customer Reviews:
REALLY helpful.......2007-08-27
I love this book. There are so many benefits- least of all HUGE money saver. Also less harsh for skin, olfactory, and dear mother earth. Really easy, cheap solutions...
Good, but not great.......2007-08-23
The recipes in this book aren't too bad, altho many are things that you'd have to mix each time. I had a book a long time ago with a few better solutions, but it'll do for now.
Good user friendly cleaning recipes.......2006-11-14
First off, I want to say that I am NOT in any way, shape, or form an environmentalist, in fact, I skipped the first chapter so that
I wouldn't have to be subjected to environmentalist rhetoric/propaganda. That said, my main motivation for purchasing this book
was to save money on cleaning supplies. I have been purchasing Caldrea products because they were recommended by a friend because my husband has severe allergies and certain scents bother him. Because I am a stay at home mom, Caldrea became much to
expensive, thus the purchase of this book.
Now, for the book review. I thought the information given was helpful and easy to follow. Lots of recipes so that you can
choose which scents you prefer. The author organizes her chapters well so you can reference different cleaners for
different rooms in the house. I haven't read any other like-minded books but I think this one will be all that I need for now.
Kudos To The Naturally Clean Home!.......2006-09-25
I just purchased "The Naturally Clean Home" and like many of the other reviewers, immediately was curious to begin making my own homemade recipes. I must say that I am impressed with the results: The Lavender Soft Scrubber was easy to make and even easier to use in the bathroom, leaving my toilet, bidet, tub and sinks spotless with little effort in scrubbing and rinsing. I also made the Liquid Laundry Detergent and was pleasantly surprised by how clean and soft it left towels, sheets and even my husband's smelly and dirty golf clothes. I noted that another reviewer said that this liquid laundry detergent recipe didn't work for her but my experience was different: I substituted borax for the baking soda in the recipe and found that this worked just fine. The resulting liquid laundry detergent has to be shaken before use and doesn't suds up like other brands of detergent. But do not be fooled by the lack of suds: it works just fine and leaves no residue on clothes that can cause skin reactions and depending upon the essential oil you choose (I used a combination of cedarwood and patchouli), the fragrance left on clothes is subtle and not overwhelming; just a fresh clean scent and softness. You may find that you don't even need a fabric softener with that particular recipe although I am curious to try her fabric softener recipe next.
With just a couple of essential oils, and few other ingredients, you can have what you need to clean just about the entire home without breaking the bank. It's important to note that essential oils have different uses and functions and while it looks like the recipes are repetitious, they're not when you look closely at what essential oils are used and why.
Although since both "Clean House, Clean Planet" and "The Naturally Clean Home" were written, there are more green choices available commercially, they can be admittedly pricey. These homemade recipes are a wonderful, cost-effective alternative to what's out there and certainly result in products that you can make easily with what's on hand without having to run out and buy expensive commercial products whenever you run out of a product.
I recommend this book highly, along with "Clean House, Clean Planet", as a wonderful addition to anyone's "Green Clean" library of references.
The recipes are pretty straightforward although "Clean House, Clean Planet" has better instructions as far as how to properly mix ingredients to get the right results and what containers will work best.
Great Book .......2006-05-25
Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier
Another easy read. She comes from an herbalist angle and uses more essential oils and actual herbs from her garden. A different laundry soap recipe for me to try. Since I love herbs and oils a very good addition and bach up for Clean House Clean planet. She even uses vitamen C tablets in her tub and tile scrubber. Very good book to have and another reference book for my shelf. She comes from the same environmental opinions as the first book.
Book Description
In The Painted Ceiling, Graham Rust shares his secrets for creating a wide range of painted ceilings: daytime and nighttime skies; birds and animals; cloud formations; rustic schemes featuring flower-decked trellises; trompe loeil architectural details such as plasterwork, paneling, and coffering; simple geometric patterns; and allegorial scenes in a grand manner. He also explains how to choose just the right design for the area you wish to paint.
Book Description
The 100 fabulous homes carefully selected for this volume represent contemporary residential architecture in all its myriad forms. Vast differences in location, climate, culture, style, materials, interiors, and even furniture result in a collection that showcases, with full-color photographs, plans and drawings, the best in
Customer Reviews:
very good.......2007-05-09
Very good, but for my, maybe to much big spaces. Good photos and ideas!
great book.......2006-06-30
This book is the third instalment of this book series. This book continues impress me with its unique and impressive designs around the world. This book shows that there's more to resedential design than cookie-cutter homes.
Book Description
Those piles of papers, clothes, and other things you thought you'd suc-cess-fully de-cluttered have returned, and this time they brought friends. What's the use of trying to fight the clutter? Is there a better way? This powerful and useful guide delivers solutions that work, no matter how overwhelming life gets. The answer isn't an elaborate new system, or a solemn vow to start tomorrow. Instead, psychotherapist and organizer Cindy Glovinsky shares one hundred simple strategies for tackling the problem the way it grows-one thing at a time. Here's a sampling of the tips explained in the book: -Throw away coupons -Purge deep storage areas first -Store it where you use it -Rethink photo habits -Practice toy population planning -Leave it neater than you found it. Written in short takes and with a supportive tone, this is an essential, refreshing book that helps turn a hopeless struggle into a manageable part of life, one thing at a time.
Customer Reviews:
One Thing at a Time - book.......2007-09-25
I have barely begun to read this book so I don't have much to report. This book was recommended by my sister who read the book and enjoyed the content. She reported it motivated her to get more organized and get rid of the clutter.
Practical Advice for the REAL WORLD.......2007-07-22
I usually find these types of books to be celebrations of the obvious, written by people who want to sell books. But this one is really different. Cindy really "gets it" and her expertise and experience in working with real people in the real world is obvious.
Instead of addressing the issue of disorganization and clutter by outlining 17 new, onerous systems to organize your life like some authors do (which everyone, including those authors, knows full well no one will ever follow), she gives a series of simple, practical tips that can actually be implemented - even in the lives of the busiest people.
The other thing she does that makes this book unique is that she offers brief, but insightful psychological observations for why we might save useless things, or why we don't clean up regularly, or why we get disorganized all over again right after we've just re-organized our lives.
Last, this is an easy read. She says what she has to say briefly, succinctly - and then moves on. No droning on and on for 27 pages about something that could be addressed in 5 paragraphs. A very easy read, but a wealth of great practical insights. Don't think about it - just buy this book. It's a gem.
Some good ideas........2007-05-12
This book is easy to read and has some good ideas to organize and de-clutter.
Good for those who think they are organized, but aren't!.......2007-04-04
I LOVED this book! Some of the information is something we all know, but it is helpful to see it in written form. Others suggestions are quite clever such as 'keeping items in motion' which really appealed to me.
If you are "domestic systems challenged", you will appreciate this book.
One thing at a time.......2007-03-27
Decluttering is a life long journey. Does this book really work? Of course not!!! The work must be done by me. The book does have helpful hints to use in the process which I am finding of value. I can ask no more of an inanimate object. Yay!!!
Customer Reviews:
Not instructional.......2006-07-03
This is a great book to see what someone else has done using trompe l'oeil, however it is not instructional.
Oh The Possibilities.......2006-01-13
The murals in this book are beautiful, fantastical, grand and WAY above my abilities. :-) I enjoyed this book because of the possibilities and the ideas it fostered versus my ability (or inability) to mimic the designs. I've been looking for a book that addresses how to incorporate doors into murals and this is the first one that I've come across that showed some ideas.
Obviously, this author and muralist is a VERY experienced painter (note his mural interpretation of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe nursery rhyme - pg 82). Many of the murals depicted would be something expected in a museum, hotel or grandiose mansion. In fact, if you look in the back of the book you will notice that many of them are from private collections and the Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford.
The Painted House does not contain much info on techniques or step-by-step instructions. It is more of an idea book to open your mind to possibilities. I do think some of the less complex designs could be adapted to smaller spaces with some creative thinking.
If you want inspiring mural designs to paint, this book is probably only for the very experienced or talented artist. If you are a creative beginner, it's a good resource for ideas to stimulate projects on your own artistic level.
Not useful.......2005-10-01
Although the work depicted in the photos is incredible, none of it is very useful. Nice to look at - not at all practical for everyday painters.
good reference, not for beginners.......2005-07-20
I am a decorative artist, and I found this book to be really helpful when looking for inspiration,or looking up some new themes, fresh ideas.If You are a beginner looking for a step by step guide, don't bother,it won't help.However, it WILL make You want to paint, because it is just so beautiful, it makes You want to grab Your brush and paint all over the place. I also found this useful to show it to clients who want a mural, but are not sure about a theme.
Gorgeous works, terrific for inspiration.......2003-01-13
This book is full of beautiful paintings and ideas. The author gives you layout examples so you could literally paint your whole house, or at the very least all 4 walls of a room. Some of the examples are things like: being in an Arabian tent with one flap rolled back to reveal a beautiful desertscape; an indoor swimming pool circled with mythological creatures; draped fabric on all the walls, etc. There are many more, and they're simply breathtaking. The author has painted murals inside museums in Europe, so you know the quality is there. There are oodles of color photos here, and while this isn't a full blown step-by-step book, with 1,2,3 pictures, it gets 4 stars because of it's incredible diversity of mural use, from small to large, and the inspiration that comes from it. I wish it were a little less costly, but it is a nice book with quality paper stock and binding. I know I will refer to it when I start my mural project. If it had more of a beginner's feel, I'd have given it 5 stars.
Amazon.com
Buying a home requires skill in a variety of areas. There's negotiating, financing, inspecting a home, and understanding legal contracts. It's really too much for most people to do by themselves, which, as you know by now, is why most of us pay good money to hire real estate agents, mortgage brokers, home inspectors, and other professionals to help with the process. But that doesn't remove the buyer from the role of project manager, whose job is to understand what each specialist is meant to do and recognize when one of those key players is not doing his or her job right. Books such as 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask help the novice gain a solid understanding of the basics involved in this often complex process. The questions in this second edition of author Ilyce R. Glink's book also make buyers think about their decisions. If you want to buy an older home, for example, do you understand that older windows may need caulking or new sashes, that bathroom tiles may need regrouting, and that an older home may need rewiring, a new hot water heater, or a new furnace right away? Other questions range from the routine (How much can I afford? How do I make an offer?) to some that are hard to anticipate (What if the seller wants to stay in the house after the closing? Who should attend the closing?). Chapters are devoted to key topics, including figuring out what kind of house you want (this effort starts with a "wish list" and improves with a "reality check"), knowing what you can afford, putting together and negotiating a deal, financing your home, closing on the deal, and then doing what it takes to live happily ever after. Of course, living happily ever after requires understanding when it's time to move on to your next home, a process that may find you dusting off this book in the coming years. --John Russell
Book Description
From the most trusted name in real estate, here is the latest edition of the indispensable guide that helps first-time buyers land the home of their dreams.
Ilyce R. Glink has established herself as America’s most trusted real estate expert. In this new, fully revised and updated edition of the book that made her a household name, Glink offers more than 100 pages of new material addressing all of the current trends home buyers need to stay on top of, including:
• The new construction housing boom and how home buyers can make the most of it
• Mortgage lending innovations, such as interest-only financing and the ability to finance 103 percent of the purchase price
• The changing habits of first-time home buyers (purchasing without a broker, using discount Internet-based services, and buying first homes as investments)
• The latest information on asbestos, mold, radon, and other bio-environmental hazards and new, inexpensive testing methods any home buyer can use
In this third edition of 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask, Glink presents new stories of real people who have gone through the home-buying process for the first time and once again offers her trademark friendly advice on how to avoid common home-buyer mistakes.
Also available as an eBook
Customer Reviews:
great expert on buying and selling.......2007-10-11
i read this book and the counterpart for selling. only wish i had read them before i began the process. both are wonderful resources! she even has a syndicated column in the home section of most newspapers. highly recommended!
Perfect for first time buyers.......2007-08-13
I loved this book. It really helped me and my hubbie make sound decisions on what we wanted and needed. A great read if you take the time to prepare before big purchases.
AWESOME BOOK!.......2007-01-12
My husband and I bought this book because we were interested in buying a home and had never been through the process before. This book was so informative! We learned all kinds of things to do and not to do. This book is a must if you have never bought a home before!
Worth every penny.......2007-01-12
This book was my bible during my home purchase. It answers all kinds of questions. Very Helpful. If you are going to buy a home, buy this book.
Complete look at the daunting process.......2006-11-10
Covers many/most of the issues of importance. Only bummer is that since laws vary by state a few things didn't apply directly, would have been nice to get a warning to this effect.
Book Description
Ever wonder how a suspension bridge can cross a gap thousands of feet wide? Want to know how to build a comfortable lounge chair out of cardboard boxes? Or what keeps a massive cathedral dome from collapsing?
Discover the answers to these and many more questions in Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book, a wonderfully comprehensive exploration of design, construction, and invention that will stimulate the curiosity of children and adults alike. Much as David Macaulay's blockbuster The Way Things Work did for machines and devices a decade ago, this definitive volume from best-selling author Steven Caney details the ins and outs of construction in all its fascinating forms.
Packed with exciting building projects guaranteed to engage anyone from age 4 to 104, the Ultimate Building Book gives easy-to-follow instructions for creating amazing models and toys that are as much fun to make as they are to play with! Readers are also introduced to a wide variety of household materials and tools that can be used for building, along with fascinating insights into the architectural and design properties of everything from drinking straws to yurts. A mammoth project in its own right, this book has been under construction for more than a decade. The result is hundreds of superbly illustrated pages that will enlighten and fascinate armchair architects of all ages for years to come. Two-color with more than 2500 b/w photos, illustrations, and technical drawings
Customer Reviews:
Do-It-Yourself Heaven!!!.......2007-09-21
What a wonderful, ingenious book. I am shocked this book isn't more widely known, particularly in homeschooling circles (at least, the ones I moved in), where the wealth of creative ideas for making construction toys out of common, inexpensive, everyday materials would seem right up most homeschoolers' alleys. These materials can be used to make simple, elegant, and incredibly appealing projects.
There is also an excellent discussion of structures, both in nature and man-made, of buildings, of bridges and towers and so on.
It is all absolutely fascinating and I'm going to plan a class for the spring using this book as the spine.
Well worth the money. An amazing resource.
great book!.......2007-07-16
my son really enjoys this book, he always has something new to show me. this book is great for kids 9 and up.
Fantastic!.......2007-03-11
I teach art and will use many of the ideas in this book! It's fantastic with so many new and creative activities. They are all open-ended and not 'cutesy' art.
Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book: Including More Than 100 Incredible Projects Kids Can Make!.......2007-01-05
There are projects in this book for young people age 5 through college age, and even for the young-at-heart. Many of the projects use materials commonly found in the home. A child who begins with simple projects and advances to complex projects would be learning geometry and physics and the basic building blocks of architecture and the construction industry. I could see this book used by children who enjoy building projects or as a resource for family nights or home schooling or as a grandparenting resource. Congratulations, Steven Caney!
A 5-Star children's book of creativity.......2006-11-15
Do you have a child who is fascinated by creating? Do you have a child that you wish would be more creative? Have I got a book for you!
Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book is not only a book about how to build "stuff," nor is it a book of "stuff" to build, it is a comprehensive book that answers nearly every question a child (and many adults) would think to ask about structures, how they are built, and how they can do it themselves. Do you want to know what type of tent you see at the side of the lake? Did you know there were actually many types of tents? Who wants to build a greenhouse? Build people out of pasta? How about recipes for various types of modeling clay?
With loads of information about structures from nests to castles and back to musical instruments, this book is a one-stop shop for the creative thinker. My six-year-old hauls around this nearly 600-page tome like it weighs nothing and will lie on his tummy, turning page after page and asking questions for an indefinite period--right up until he finds the next thing he'd like to try to create, and then he's off.
An interesting tidbit that surprised me, but doesn't seem to bother the kids, is that all the photos are black and white and the children in them are from several decades. Though, quite frankly, had the photos been only of the current generation, they would be out of date long before you'll get rid of the book. This one's a keeper.
Armchair Interviews says: The ultimate resource for the creative child. 5 STARS!
Books:
- McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers
- McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers
- McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers
- Morgantina Studies
- Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)
- Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)
- One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
- Paint in America: The Colors of Historic Buildings
- Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design
- Perfect Balance: Ayurvedic Nutrition for Mind, Body, and Soul
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Alternative Careers in Science: Leaving the Ivory Tower
- Swimming Made Easy: The Total Immersion Way for Any Swimmer to Achieve Fluency, Ease, and Speed in A
- Hollywood's Vision of Team Sports: Heroes, Race, and Gender
- History: Fiction or Science
- Marketing Research Essentials
- Somewhere in the World Right Now
- Lonely Planet Scandinavian Europe
- Effective Use of Teams for IT Audits
- Macroeconomics Super Review
- 100 Bullets Vol. 8: The Hard Way
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Decorating Small Spaces: Live Large in Any Space (Better Homes & Gardens)
The "Sunday Times" Small Spaces for Modern Living (Sunday Times)
Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure
Compact Living
Small Spaces: Good Ideas
