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The beginning of the book is "off target." It begins with politics and hyperbole: through the end of chapter 3 can be skipped without loosing context (chapter 3 may be of interest to history buffs). Chapter 4 and 5 can be skimmed -- 4 for its tables and pictures of conversions and 5 to get an idea of available sources. Chapters 6-10 provide a significant amount of conversion information: the reader will want to concentrate on these chapters. The last 2 chapters provide some areas of concern that one should think carefully about before a conversion is attempted.

I am using this book as a research and knowledge base for my pending Plug In Electric Vehicle (EV)project. I am converting a 1992 Mazda MX-3 to a plug in fully electric auto.

This book is the best place to begin, it conceptualizes the whole environment surrounding the need for conversions providing historical back ground, economic understanding, and environmental impact information. Although the book was published in the early 90's it's predictions of the future for energy dependance and economic turmoil are right on. The Books prime function is as an excellent technical reference on the "how to" of EV conversions. This book goes into great detail about chassis selection, energy calculations, motor and component selection, range and speed expectations, and gives many examples, tips and techniques to use in building an EV.

This book also goes through from beginning to end a conversion of an auto conversion (a light pick up truck) from internal combustion engine powered to plug in electric powered. It is impressively simple to do and this book shows you just what to do. It also provides a great amount of contact information for parts suppliers and businesses already engaged in the conversion market place.

So if your sick of paying high fuel prices, want to do something personnally to reduce the effects of human impact on the environment, or are an engineering weenie who wants a fun and cool project to obsess over then pick up this book and start today!

Have Fun and Good Luck!

David Fink "Shade Tree Mechanic"
My first EV conversion project (1992 Mazda MX-3)

A good review of history of the electric car, best vehicles to convert, lists of sources for kits and parts, diagrams of how to do it, etc.
Highly recommended.

I've read several books on Electric Vehicles and this is, by far, the definitive resource for the DIY Electric Vehicle designer. It provides details and pictures on every topic necessary to design and build an electric vehicle from an existing gas vehicle.

A good place to start if you prefer to look at paper vs. the computer screen. Much more & better info available on the internet.

Does cover the basics - what exactly is involved in a conversion, batteries, controller, charger, motor & the "extras" - main contactor etc.

Others complained about too much math, but I found it was too basic to make any engineering decisions or judgments.

There's a little something for everyone to knit in Mason-Dixon Knitting. I love the concept of two friends, from different regions of the country, sharing their knitting experiences. The patterns vary from simple to challenging and cover a multitude of household to wearable items. I like the authors' encouragement for knitters to break free of patterns and create our own works of knitted "art." The book is like an excellent blog on knitting!

Interesting book with fun projects. The illustrations are enticing, making a knitter want to try creating using the easily understood directions.

I follow Ann and Kay's blog, and this book did not disappoint. Beautiful pictures, well written patterns, funny and touching stories, I would recommend this book to knitters of all skill levels. I think there's something for everyone here, and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of their next collection.

I LOVE this book - and frankly have an addiction to many items. I come back to them over and over. I have also forced my addiction onto others who now know where my addiction comes from. The ballband dishcloth, the burp cloth, the mitar square - how did I live without these in my knitting world? I have made the patterns in the book as well as making modifications to them over and over. You will never get sick of this one. I will treasure this book FOREVER! Get this book - you won't be sorry! And don't forget to check out the ladies' blog - great stuff!

I love this book! I bought it for myself, and then bought one later for my sister-in-law for her birthday. It has some easy patterns and some for the more advanced knitter. If you are looking for something different - not the same old sweaters, scarves, and mittens - you'll find this is a great book. Most of the patterns are for the home, but there are patterns for a house coat, gown, and baby sweater. The writing has a certain witty charm, and these ladies have found interesting things to use for yarn, and interesting ways to involve their families in knitting. I don't think you'll be disappointed with Mason-Dixon Knitting.

This book has wonderful ideas to help us build fantastic fairy houses out of materials found in nature. I have had lots of fun creating these houses for the fairies who live in my woods and I just gave my mother a copy of this book so she can create houses for the fairies in her garden. This book is absolutely enchanting and my fairy friends love their new homes!

This was a wonderul little book that inspired my son and nephews to create several fairy houses down at our river. Not only did it inspire them but my nieghbor and myself found fairy logs as we call them and are creating fairy houses in our gardens. You will love all the different woodsy fairy houses found in this book. Using the outdoor elements to create each one was a great tool to teach kids about nature. Simply enchanting!

Anyone with an imaginative child with fairy aspirations will love this book! Share an architechtural adventure with your little one as the two of you build a home for your fairy.

Great natural photos. My pre school daughter loved the ideas and created her own fairy house by gathering natural elements from the woods. She adds to it every weeek.

This book is nice to look at and does give you some ideas about making your own fairy houses, but doesn't do anything in the way of "how to". In fact, there isn't much text at all. It would have been nice to know more about the project that inspired the book.

Well written and he knows what he is talking about. I have started doing the cleanse and it is just as he described.

this book is a wonderful tool, very clear on what to do and where to get the simple products to do the cleanse, even my husband is doing it!!! It really is easy!!!

Specially now that its role on gallstone disease isn't that clear. But then the author doesn't make it easy on himself. The very few studies he references aren't even identified in detail, he merely redirects the reader to his other book, time and time again. Though there seems to be some good advice in the book, some of these studies are way too old.
He points to a single circadian rhythm, not even acknowledging the current assumption that divides people into "owls" and "early birds". He lumps every alcoholic beverage together, not caring for studies that wine may have huge benefits. And he seems to have skipped the whole debate on the needed amount of water per day, which may not be the 8 glasses accepted until now. He also seems to believe that green tea has no caffeine in it -it has almost as much as black tea. In fact he regards caffeine with the same disgust that doctors show for cholesterol, when the current view is that it functions as the very delivery system for tea's antioxidants.
He repeats over and over how his other book reveals the "true" causes for this and that; and the bibliography section consists merely of his own books, with just two or three more, mostly dating from circa 1990. Not surprisingly, he also considers the spiritual method he devised to be "the most perfect way to harmonize the physical and the spiritual" or whatever. I think it's absurd that, having not properly followed a thorough, source-contrasting method of research or exposition on the physical realm, he then feels no qualms about casually veering off into spiritual matters, even going on to "design" sacred chanting. I'll bet he takes credit for that as well. His method for removing gallstones is obviously "the best", if only because he "tested and improved upon" it. But then he's not really a great communicator, his English is sometimes lacking. That may be one reason. Yet his solipsistic disregard for even quoting external sources is apparent from page one. In fact, if you go to his website, you soon find out that he no longer answers questions, due to "his schedule being too busy". I tell you, spending your time re-reading one's own books is clearly a time-consuming, fast-lane way to oblivion.

ONE LAST QUESTION !!!: If cholesterol's only role is to repair arteries, as the author emphatically states, why does it keep attaching itself to the walls long after they are oversaturated to the breaking point with it ?

All I can say is that this really works! I actually am looking forward to my second cleanse. I feel great and have more energy. My Gallbladder pain has dissappeared. You owe this to yourself to try, you won't be dissappointed! Everything he said would happen did, and I was dubious at first.

This book provides a very detailed explanation of all the affects of Liver and Gallbladder congestion. Andreas comes across as very knowledgeable and experienced in this area. Even though you can find the recipe for a cleanse on sites like curezone, it is very helpful to become fully informed on the reasons for the cleanse. I had heard of this cleanse years ago, but didn't actually have the "guts" to do the cleanse until I read this book.

This book is all you need to drywall. I found it to be very comprehensive, I learned more about the different thicknesses of drywall and the different types than I ever cared to know. It did its job though and provided enough info to drywall from start to finish.

I started out doing drywall back in 1980 and I've been doing it professionally ever since. I thought I knew everything, but Myron has shown me some methods that have improved my work. The guy who gave the 2 star review is right, it doesn't teach the pro mud applications and if you need to tape and mud 5 houses a week, you won't need this book. For the rest of us though, it really helps and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn drywall and drywall finishing very highly.

My husand borrowed this book from the library and loved it so much he wanted me to buy it for him for Father's Day. He is in the process of finishing our basement and found it very helpful.

We bought this book to help us "finish" our garage with insulation and drywall. This book was great. We were first timers to this type of project. The book was very informative from choosing our supplies, tools we would need, all the way to taping and finishing off the joints. We were able to complete our project from start to finish with just the help of this book.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone taking on a drywall project for the first time.

I noticed that the 3rd Edition of this book has a copyright date of 2008 and the cover of the book notes that it is completely revised and updated. Any review written before 2008 is almost certainly for the second edition. The 3rd edition is a reasonably hefty 210 pages of content; it is printed on nice paper, is nicely organised, and has an index.

I am an experienced do-it-yourselfer and bought this book to get an update on the latest corner beads made of vinyl and some made of metal and paper. I also wanted a little more knowledge on available types of drywall and joint compounds.

This book is very comprehensive and covers drywall techniques, tools, and materials. Consistent with the reviews of the earlier edition(s), this book focuses almost exclusively on drywall (which is also consistent with its title). There is a section on soundproofing which I believe is very useful.

I would rate this book as a must read for anyone who wishes to learn about drywall techniques. The text is clear and there are many photographs to illustrate the points that the author is making.

I would have liked it if the author covered skip troweling but this is a little tricky to learn from a book (so this omission did not bother me much).

I already had a good amount of knowledge about drywall and this book has given me another step up in knowledge. I am completely satisfied with this book.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell is a trippy field trip to both the exciting and the mundane locations along the way to three presidential assassinations--Abraham Lincoln's, James Garfield's, and William McKinley's. Vowell, the NPR commentator, is forthright in her disdain for our current president, analyzing her feelings against the backdrop of those just crazy enough to commit murder for their ideology. Vowell is humorous and her opinions are clear without being overwrought, but more than anything she is informative. She's fascinated by presidential history, and reveals details both obscure and eye-popping. Even after reading Manhunt, the excellent analysis of Lincoln's murder by James Swanson, I still picked up new insights from Vowell, particularly the preponderance of evidence against Dr. Samuel Mudd, the doctor who assisted the fleeing John Wilkes Booth. The life of Garfield's killer, Charles Guiteau, is explored and the reader is acquainted with the odd Oneida Community cult of the 19th century. Guiteau was a frustrated failure at this free-sex community where he was often referred to as "Get Out" by the non consenting ladies. Finally, McKinley's murder in Buffalo (by Leon Czolgosz) is explored, a story which features the assassin's punch-out by a waiter and the dramatic ride of Theodore Roosevelt from the crest of the Adirondacks to take command of the country. A great read through-and-through, Assassination Vacation scores an A-.

I usually don't write reviews, but when i saw that this book didn't have 5 of 5 stars i was shocked! I loved it. Not only do I own the book, I own the author narrated audio version!

America needs more Sarah Vowell. Perhaps more importantly, I need more Sarah Vowell. I know this review won't exactly make me one of Amazon's Top Reviewers. Nevertheless, I'm just saying. Sarah Vowell, here's five stars -- for you.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It focused on Abraham Lincoln and took the author to some interesting places. I found it educational and entertaining, even though it isn't something that I would normally read about.

I am not that into recent American history, and that may be why I didn't enjoy the second half of the book as much. Presidents Garfield and McKinley aren't that interesting to me. I didn't think that it was any fault of the author, for she seems to really get into geeking out at historical sites, and likes things that make my eyes melt from the boredom.

I think the book is worth reading, just for the first half, and if you are interested in the other two men, you will enjoy it even more.

This book makes me want to throw my kids in the car and drive them as quickly as possible to the nearest historical memorial/museum/old graveyard/bronze plaque and giggle, tell stories, do ANYTHING other than fret over their brains turning to mush on a Webkinz/Sims diet. Assassination Vacation is not just history for a witty leftie reader. Can you imagine how someone in the future will write the history of OUR time? Do you want just the mentioning of a war in Iraq and details about the number of people who died, or do you want someone to read the part about missing weapons of mass destruction? If you're the kind of person who thinks details like missing WMD's makes the story of our time come alive, you'll really 'get' Assassination Vacation. And you might also learn to love James Garfield and his special, comfy reading chair, which is worth the price of purchase by itself. Great writing.

I am very pleased with all the products I purchased through Amazon.com. Amazon has consistently been reliable, efficient, and reasonably priced. I recommend Amazon.com for all your shopping needs.

I highly recommend this history series for kids of a wide age range. 5-13ish. The kids just don't get this kind of exposure to the world and its history in traditional Public Schools anymore. You will really want to get the book to go with this if really get into it. (to create a time line and see maps and so on...)
We Love this!

I have the Story of the World book and workbook, and I thought having it on CD might be nice for the car. I have very much enjoyed the smooth voice of Jim Weiss in several other story cds I have by him. So it made sense to try this one.
Sadly, Jim sounds rushed in this cd. I think that kids will just space out much of what he says, because there are so many facts packed in at such a fast pace. I wish he would have taken his time, and ambled through history at a leisurely pace rather than the slightly tense and frenzied reading that he has done here. I felt compelled to take rushed notes, and stop and replay - not appropriate for this age!

Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer is incredible. It is an entertaining, informative, spectacular way, to a journey through history.
My daughters ages 8 and 6 love to listen at home or in the car. I am drawn in to listening as well. Thanks!

After reading all the reviews about SOTW I was hesitant to buy it. We are a very conservative, Christian, homeschooling family and some of the reviews made me wonder if this would be the best choice for our family. I decided to get the book form of Mystery of History and the audiobook of SOTW to use as a supplement. I haven't opened our Mystery of History yet (though I will soon...) but we finished the whole set of CD's for volume one of SOTW and will start volume 2 tomorrow. We listen to it in the car as we travel. My 7 and 8-year olds beg to hear more history every time we get in the car. My 4 and 5-year olds get a lot out of it as well.

I think listening to someone else read the book makes it more fun for all of us. It helps bring the stories to life. We have all learned so much about ancient history and I'm so grateful. Sure, we've learned a lot of ancient myths and about many of the Greek gods and all, but that is all a part of the history of the various civilizations, and we don't have any trouble explaining to our children what is true and what is make-believe or just plain false.

I would highly recommend this set to any family that wants to increase their knowledge of ancient history.

This boo is chock full of useful information and what to study to prepare for the GED. My daughter used it and passed ALL SECTIONS of the GED on the FIRST TRY! I recommend it!

The shipping was very slow and when I finally got the book, it had a price tag still on it that read $6!!

We love the "Dummies" series for their humor and easy-to-read-and-understand qualties. This one is no exception. It should be noted, however, that this book is NOT a complete study course, but rather a brush-up review with two full practice tests. The practice tests then have detailed explanations for each question as to why it is the right answer. If you think you basically know the material and just need help preparing for the test itself, this is the book for you, especially if you don't have months to prepare. If you are looking for a full study course, I recommend McGraw-Hill's GED : The Most Complete and Reliable Study Program for the GED Tests. It is a huge, complete book, but the pre-test helps you zone in on the areas you need to study the most.

One of the best sources to help students attain GED that I have found. I volunteer at an adult reading center and this book puts it all together in easy to understand ways to help attain that next step in education.

I have been preparing for my GED for quite awhile now and have utilized numerous books. This book was by far the most useless of all. The practice questions we often pointless and the study advice was more common sense than anything else. At the end of the book, they include final practice tests that seem to be more comical than useful. I had a hard time taking the practice tests without criticizing the book consistently. I suggest the Kaplan GED self study guide 2007-2008 edition. At least the Kaplan book seems to take the 5 subjects serious and is successful in treating the reader as if they have a i.q. higher than a newt. Sadly, the GED for Dummies book fails to accomplish this.

I would recommed this book to anyone who is looking to branch out into real estate (residental property). I have 3 properties and they are producing good wealth, plus I never worry about them being vacant.

very good book. organized, but could have been shorter had it left out some of the ideas not related to duplexes, triplexes, and quads. overall, would def reccomend.

Larry Loftus gives great tips in this easy-to-read guide for this type of investing. When my partner and I first decided to buy a second home for an investment, we weren't sure which kind was right for us. This book turned out to be our turning point where we realized this was the right type of investment for our situation. Loftus relates personal experience, regrets and success. Great real-scenario figures, charts for comparison and defining information about who does what in the real estate biz.

Difficult to read due to lack of transitions. Some difficulty with following examples. Otherwise several decent plans on building wealth through rental units.

I have been in the real estate game for 10 years, starting with "flipping" (before it was trendy), then to building "spec" homes (because it was trendy), and finally to "hold and rent" (because I had to!). After the boom, I had several homes that would not sell and reluctantly turned to rentals as a last resort to cut down my mortgage outlay. Much to my relief, it worked!

Since that revelation, I recently set out to find information specializing in "Buy/Fix/Rent" methods and along comes this book. At first blush, it was exactly what I was looking for - and with glowing reviews to boot! Bullseye, right? Well not quite...

THE GOOD: Great introduction for beginners, providing a nice foundation of information. Definitely like his reasoning behind buying multi-family residences. Section on Valuation of Property was a good read.

THE BAD: You need to be fairly well financed for down payments, renovations, margin, etc., and have very good credit. He only buys in middle to upper middle class 'yuppie' areas, that are near where he lives. That may not apply to everyone. He disregards lower income and out-of-state areas as options (I found his explanations a bit unsatisfactory). He also advocates being the property manager, which is a legitimate full time job (believe me, I know!). His long-term success relies largely on appreciation and buying more properties by pulling out equity with refinancing, which is tough sledding these days (not his fault, he wrote this when that was not an issue).

THE UGLY: At the risk of being offensive, his blurb on Selecting Tenants was laugh-out-loud funny. I guess his gut is the divining rod of the rental world. Sorry, I could not resist commenting on that.

In conclusion, this is a quick read and there are some solid pieces to the puzzle (especially if you are a beginner), but I can't quite adapt this to my situation.