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The book is a great addition to your library of David Bach books or as a stand alone book for anyone that is unfamiliar with David Bach's advice. I do not know of any other book on the market that combines environmentalism with creating personal wealth. Mr. Bach pulls it off nicely showing how living "green" causes one to quit over consuming and save money that can be invested for growth over the years. The book shows fifty quick and easy ways that living more simply will save you money while saving the earth. Whether it is saving $884 a year by getting a car with better gas mileage or $2,250 a year by bringing your lunch to work, you will be reducing Co2 emissions and trash into landfills. He also believes that green companies will be great investments in 21st century the way tech stocks were for the late 80's and 90's. I am an avid investor and stock trader but he introduced me to green mutual funds and ETFs that I had never heard of. His final piece of advice is to start your green business if you have a million dollar idea of how to do something better to save the earth. I am by no means an environmentalist or "Green", but I love to live frugally and simply, this book really made me think in ways that I have not in the past. I highly recommend reading this book to people interested in wealth building and to environmentalists (this is a new spin, a convenient truth:going green saves money). I am looking forward to David Bach's next book.

The book is very good and gives a lot of ideas to improve our lives and our planet in the process.

This book lists 50 ways you can make your life greener. Readers who are already convinced of the need to act ecologically will be its best audience. The ideas are useful, if not deeply innovative. Most of them will indeed help the environment and save you money. And that's a good thing. However, author David Bach (writing with Hillary Rosner) uses many semi-statistical claims without giving enough data or context to lend meaning to his numbers, though they may still encourage true environmental action believers. Some of the book's statistical conclusions are based on fairly unrealistic extrapolations of averages. For example, saying that the average family works two to four months out of the year to drive, insure, fuel and maintain its cars does not seem to capture the fiscal realities and practical options truly available to such families. Bach's real message, of course, is to drive thoughtfully, save money and go easy on the planet, so getAbstract suggests focusing on the good to be done, and being a little forgiving about the math.

Easy and quick to read. Simple to follow. Read a page or two a day and implement these ideas. I have shared this book with others and they have appreciated it as well. This book has many wonderful ideas on how to help our amazing planet and this is something we all need to do NOW. Let's Save Our Earth!

Many tips fall under the category of obvious, such as maintaining your home and automobile to save money and resources. This wouldn't be too bad on its own, but many of the extreme green tips are questionable in practicality or point. For example, Bach suggests taking your home off the grid by going completely solar without any mention of what to do at night when the sun doesn't shine. The silliest suggestion is using recycled toilet paper instead of the soft stuff made from "virgin fiber" that comes from "old growth trees, and entire forests of them are clear-cut in order to produce it". This forty year old argument is just plain wrong considering that the forest community plants over 1.5 billion trees a year in the US and forests are growing at rate faster than they are harvested according to [...]. Overall the book is disappointing compared to Bach's previous works. I was really hoping for some innovative, practical, and well researched ideas. It seemed like if an organization said something was green then it made it in the book regardless of what more thorough research might have said.

Comprehensive plans for many types of oasis. Well laid out, useful diagrams & photo examples.

If you are a revolutionary and innovative thinker that respects the preciousness of water and its integral relationship to the planet earth; and if sustainability and conservation are forces that impel you in your daily life...
Then this is a must have.

After reading the numerous reviews on this site prior to purchasing this book, I thought I was getting a very thorough book that would assist with "legal" system design and reclaimation strategies. While this book does gloss over them, it refers you to a sister publication for all "legal" builing issues and concentrates on illegal or 'radical' methods as they call it. Take this in mind of you are looking to design a 'legal' system for your home.

I liked this book. It is short, fast reading and worth the time. I want to start my own catchment system because of this book. I have a need for understanding with some other environmental issues that were not addressed in the book, but overall, I am excited about the possible options for recycling water regardless of it's state (rain, grey, black) on my homesite. This book addresses my needs.

I found this book more for someone looking to convert their existing house and plumbing to run on a grewater system, as opposed to for someone looking to build a house around/incorporating a greywater system (which is my situation).
Still, an extremely specific and informative book for those who are interested in knowing every nuance of making a greywater system out of any situation.

This book helped explain persecution without being difficult to read. It's a must read for anyone who cares about the inhabitants of "mother earth".

Although this book sheds a very informative view of the home churches across china, I found that the characters were not easily identifiable. In addition, the last quarter of the book seemed that is was written for a fast ending, almost as if the author became bored and just wanted a nice simple ending. I had my hopes up in the beginning, but by the end I was also bored and really wanted it to end.

If anything, read it for a better understanding of the home churches across China.

Safely Home puts into perspective as to what is important in this life. It is a window that allows the reader to view religious persecution in today's world both here in the U.S. and abroad. Once you begin to read, it will be hard to put the book down.

Buy this book, take a day off, and read it. I read it 2 years ago and I have bought or loaned this book out to at least 20 friends since then -- all of whom have loved it. If you are a Christian, I trust you will be convicted and challenged as you read it.

I can't imagine this book failing to put a burden,on the hearts of all who read it,at least for prayer, for all the Christians who are being persecuted(often in horrifying ways)around the world.

I also couldn't help thinking maybe such persecution here, is exactly what it will take to destroy all the 'false doctrine- Prosperity Preaching' churches,and the appalling apathy of many Christians here in America!

This book grabbed me from the beginning and never let go until the end.Would love to see this made into a movie.

An amazing,eye and heart-opening book. May God continue to bless Randy Alcorn,and continue to use him to further His Kingdom.

I received this book when I graduated high school in 1995...and used it just last night! I am planning on purchasing several as Christmas presents this year for some of the young adults in our family. Come to think about it, this is a must for everyone, not just those just starting out on their own. I guess everyone will get one this year. Best book I ever received!

My son just moved away from home the first time and he said when he got it he sat down and read it from cover to cover for 2 hours. It was a great help to him

Easy recipes, stain removal, and first aid are certainly three areas of importance to a lot of people, not just those who recently left home, so the title does itself a disservice by limiting the audience unnecessarily. The book was initially published in 1983 and the recipes show it. They do not represent popular food choices of the 21st century, and an update is needed. For example, there is a Vienna Macaroni Delight recipe that actually uses Vienna sausages - they come in a can! (I often wonder who buys those things when I see them in the store.) There are also casseroles made with mushroom soup, and a Tangy Spam Loaf recipe. Like I said, the book needs a serious update.
That said, if you like comfort food you may find these recipes helpful. And the stain removal hints and first aid guide could prove handy for those who are new to doing their own laundry and nursing themselves back to good health. 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother

I bought this book for my grown daughter, she loves that it is ring bound & is thrilled to have it. She had one that got loaned & never returned.

I recieved this book as a highschool graduation gift in 1996. It was used often at my first apartment and after I got married. My mom taught me a lot about cooking, but as the title emplys she was a long distance call away. I am still using this book today. One of the most helpful sections Is an extensive list of substitutions for those times when you are 1/2 way through a recipe and are missing something. It has saved MANY quick trips to the store thus $$$. Also added bonus, sections on medical info and treatment, basic car and bicycle repair, as well as cleaning and laundry tips. There are also blank pages to add you're own receipes. I am buying this for my neice's highschool graduation and will add some of her favorite receipes of mine. What a great gift idea for any grad.

The sloppiness in the spreadsheets on the included CD is incredible and extremely frustrating. There is some value in it, however, in that it forces me to figure out how to make the example agree with the text. Still, I'm sure there are better books out there.

The book was in excellent condition and I received it in a timely manner. It was exactly what I was looking for.

A great book for review, concise,and easy to read. Provides one with multiple shortcuts and practical ideas.

This book was a solid introduction to Excel 2003. I have used Excel since about 2000 and found the first parts of the text to be information I already knew. Even so, I went through every single exercise and picked up a few shortcuts - mainly right click tips along the way. The introduction to PivotTables was helpful. Also, importing and exporting data is a good introduction. Toward the end of the text, as expected, the exercises get a little more challenging. The breadth of the text is good. I'd recommend for beginners. The back of the book says for Beginning to Intermediate users, which is accurate. There are very few typos in the text. Opted to buy Excel 2003 Inside Out for more advanced Excel knowledge.

As with many Microsoft products, this book comes very close to being a useful tool, but fails because of the lack of attention to the little details.

The first place you see this in the book is the Microsoft Office Specialist Skills Standards section.

Each of the skills tested for on the MOS exam are identified by their Skill Number and description, and a page number directs you to that skill. That's the theory. About 20% of the time, the phrase is mentioned on that page with no detailed explanation or there is no mention at all. That is just sloppy proofreading.

As has been mentioned in other reviews, the instructions in many sections are wrong. Either there are flaws in a formula or a description of the results does not match what you see on the screen.

In at least one section, the spreadsheet used to illustrate the problem is not the one that you are instructed to open for that task.

The section on XML was useful simply because it seems to be one of the few available. But even here, there are flaws in instructions and a disconnect between what you see on the screen and what you are told you should be seeing.

The best thing you can do with this book is go to the library and photocopy the Microsoft Office Specialist Skills Standards section. At least you will know what you should be studying and you can find it in better written books or online.

I am planning a root cellar, and this book was a big assist. I am a little farther south, and so it had a lot of information that is less applicable to me. Valuable for the northern half of the U.S.

Having a root cellar in your back yard is like having your own private supermarket of fresh fruits and vegetables. Any time you need potatoes for dinner or an apple for a snack, just open the door and walk inside. Anything you need is right there on the shelves.

But a root cellar is more than a convenience. In addition to providing the security of having a year's supply of fruits and vegetables on hand, a root cellar offers sanctuary. In an emergency, it could shelter your family for a few hours, a few days, or even a few weeks, if necessary.

A well-built root cellar can be a good investment. It will save you money for years to come, yet if you build the cellar yourself, the cost of materials is less than you would spend in one winter buying food at supermarket prices.

I really recommend this product as an excellent resource fo starting a root cellar project. I had considered just winging it, but the materials list has proven invaluable - mostly because it allows you to utilize found materials and save money. The step by step planning is very helpful. A great book for the money.

This book was helpful in helping me to overcome my orgasm difficuly. The good thing about this book is that it describes all the problems women have orgasming in depth, and instructs the reader on how to overcome these problems. My only complaint about this book is that the author feels the need to constantly remind the reader that you don't have to orgasm if you don't want to. I found that continous restatement annoying. If I didn't want to orgasm I wouldn't have bought the book.(Hence the four stars instead of five.) However, this book was very helpful to me personally and I believe that it is the only book of it's kind for helping women overcome orgasm difficulty. I would definitely recommend it.

As a practicing gynecologist with a speciality in sexuality I am thrilled that this invaluable book will now be available to a wider audience. Its practical suggestions, presented in clear and straightforward language, cannot help but improve the sexual satisfaction of everyone who reads it. And sex therapists will also benefit from the wisdom Dr. Cass has accumulated over decades of clinical experience.

The female orgasm seems to be as rare as a dodo bird. I was afraid I was the only one who needed some help in this area, given the fact that sex information is readily available these days. This book gave me all the information I needed and more. It was presented in such a way that I could put it into practice, and I recommend it any woman who may not be having the orgasms she deserves. There are tons of books about this subject, but another one I found very helpful was Five Minutes to Orgasm Every Time You Make Love: Female Orgasm Made Simple. It is specifically about a woman having an orgasm while engaging in intercourse. The simple, three-step technique works very well indeed. Buy them both, and the fireworks won't just be on the 4th of July.

This was a good read in that it reaally helped dispell the problmes that might be in conjuntion with lack of orgasm. It was a quick, easy read. I highly recommend it, along with Good Sex: A Woman's Guide to Losing Inhibition.

With all the books on sex available on Amazon, it's hard to weed out the really good ones. Well, this one is one of those rare finds. It's easy to read, quick and to the point and actually tells you how to find that elusive orgasm. A must read! I also liked and would suggest Good Sex: A Woman's Guide to Losing Inhibition

To me, Candice is one of the best designers of today. She makes a room feel classic with a punch of todays trends. None of the to trendy, cheep looking items that will be out dated by the time you finish your space. She is a master of timeless beauty. I love her book!

This book is the information we all want to know about how Candice creates the beautiful rooms seen on Devine Design. The advice she gives in her book anyone can follow to get the results we all want. This book is a keeper to anyone who wants their surroundings to fit their lifestyle, without ever haveing an outdated look. Plus there is great information about Candice herself.

I love Candice's show, but was disappointed in this book. There were only a few designs covered, and not enough information to make the book worthwhile. I like the tips and tricks she gave, but would have liked more insight into how she makes her rooms amazing.

As an Interior Design student, I found this book was helpful with learning how to render floor plans and elevations. The design projects were done well, and were realistic types of projects that I might work on in the future, so it was fun trying to copy her sketches, to learn how she made them so beautiful, and figure out how to do it myself.

The text is well-written in conversational syle, without being patronizing and she has a good sense of humor, so it was a welcome break from standard text books, and I felt like I actually learned from it too.

I would suggest this book to people who are interested in design on a hobby level, as well as students and designers.

What makes Candice Olson so appealing on TV, her vibrant personality and animated and often humorous character-is the only thing missing from this book. Everything else you would expect from such a talented individual, even if we have already seen most of it through media, shines through with greatness. Along with this purchase I had acquired another new decorating book on the market, Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint, by Curtis Heuser - and though I had never heard of this unique up and coming designer/decorative artist, I was equally impresssed. Heuser's book, a unique blend of how to and professional enlightment, follows the unbelievable artistic make over and restoration of his personal historic home in KY. As does Candice's book, it is also filled with amazing photography, and tons of before, during and after shots - which tremendously helps the reader better comprehend, relate and borrow from the subject. What Olson does with fabric, furniture and lighting - Houser uses decorative paint finishes and custom murals, to breathe new life into tired spaces. I was never so thrilled with both of my purchases, as both authors demonstrate uniquely different approaches to looking at and restyling home interiors with great admiration and obvious know how and success. If you love home interior books with overloads of eye candy, and concept from which to learn and of course borrow from again and again - then you can't go wrong with either of these. ENJOY!!!!!!!

A great reference for the DIY homeowner. Lots of drawings to show you the right way to do things from foundations to framing.

This book has a lot of good framing scenarios interesting tidbits. Both a good reference and interesting to page through.

I do a lot of non-professional new construction. For me, visualizing the right way do do something is the problem. Once the skin is on a building I have no idea what lies underneath -- I have no 'guide' to model my construction after. Also, building according to convention is useful -- for instance, it's good to know that you can expect to find a vertical stud in a wall every 16 or 24 inches, regardless of who built the building and when -- and this book clarifies what those conventions are.

This is a great book. The graphic representations are exceptionally clear and detailed. Many alternatives are given, and in building you simply choose the alternative that gives you the most of what you want and follow the diagram.

Have been using this reference for years as an Architect. Probably the best one out there that covers all the basics. Not overly complicated. Could use an advanced version for more complicated details, especially in roofing (half-hips, etc.) and foundations.
Great reference for the nomencalture of all the parts.
Do not expect to build from it as codes and structural sizing are required and vary too much, but good, basic detailing and understanding overall with plenty of illustrations.

This is a good reference for framing details, which I turn to frequently as we work on the design for our new home. That said, there are numerous gaps and while some might be excused as esoteric, like framing a swept roof at the eaves (though it is pictured on the cover of the book), many others are not, such as flashing at masonry entry steps. I would like to see the book updated to include more "Building Science" lessons, OVE (Optimum Value Engineering)and perhaps SIPS. Still a good book, overall.

Were do I begin. I guess that first I will say that I love Mario batali. His recipes are great and come close to "just like grandma used to make". The only disappointing thing that i find is that the description of the cooking processes(as well as times and yeilds) somtimes leave a little to be desired. If your a fan of his shows "Molto Mario" you now that he goes into great detail about the most important parts of the cooking process. This book doesn't really do that. For example taking the lasagna bolognese recipee (which is fabulous). You need beciamella at 3.5 cups (this i believe is the right amount maybe you can go as little as 3 cups) but the recipe in the book says it yeild 3.5 cups from only 3 cups of milk (if you look up mario recipe on food tv he uses 4 cups of milk and says it only yeilds 3 cups) so somthing is wrong there. Then on the bolognese sauce, again amazing recipe. But, if you look uo his wine spectator video (uses a little diferent recipe) but watching the technique and browning the meat, just isn't descrobed well in the recipe, but is of extreme importance. he doesn't actually finish the meat until an hour into it pushing the cooking time to a 2.5 hour mark instead of the 2 hour mark in the book. I blieve the yeild here was different as well but i didn't actually measure out the sauce. Next the lasagna call for 2.5 pound of dough. Which would be 2 batches of dough I only made 1 becasu I wanted only 1 9x12 pan of lasagna (the recipe says it would make 2. the dough recipe was right on my yeild was exactly as it should be 1.25 pounds. So I now had dough for 1 pan but sauce for 2 pans of lasagna. Lol rolling the past to the thinist setting i got enough dough for over 1.5 pans, it would have probably been close to the 1 pan but i only did 4 layers (as i ran out of sauce). Asumming that there should have been enough sauce for 2 pans i was putting very thing layers ( i shouls have half the left over after all). anyway, in doing it again it seems to me that it would make a good sigle 9x12 with 6-7 layers. not the 10 x 20 or 2 9x12 the book would advertise.

so be cautious of the yeilds and the cook times. that being said the recipes are great.

For as complicated as some of the recipe names sound, don't be put off. Most of them are simple, easy to prepare, and easy to acquire ingredients. Really great flavors, and terrific meals to serve to family or guests. Highly, highly recommended!

My husband is the cook in the family, and has wanted Mario's "Molto Italiano" cookbook for a long time. It came in time for his birthday, and he loves the basic Italian & country-style recipes. He has already tried the spaghetti sauce which we loved and is ready to try more.
J. Hahn

I thought this book was ok in the sense it had some good recipes but if you don't live in a city like me I would rather have picked some of his recipes from the food network. I'm also a picture freak when it comes to cooking. Even though I don't follow a recipe to a tee I like to see what it looks like for each of the dishes. He only has a picture for every 2-3 recipes. Also, many of the recipes, unless your a true-italiano, i wouldn't cook a lot of what he has printed. But obviously my opinion only and everyone has different tastes

This is the first Batali cookbook I have purchased and I have to say that I am really disappointed. What a major mistake to prioritize quantity of recipes over quality. Yes, there are 327 recipes in this book, but I found that the recipes are bland or at the other end of the spectrum, too unusual. I prefer Lidia Bastianich instead. Her style of writing is more precise, and the results are absolutely spot on. The only reason why I have not given this book a lower rating is because I have certainly not tried the majority of the recipes. However, I am not sure that I want to waste my time.