Home Books

real laymen terms. easy to understand. not as detailed as i expected, but got me on the right track for information. highly recommended for beginning medical or non-medical home use.

What a great reference. I had the first edition but this second addition includes more information. Easy to read, find and understand.

This is a book every home should have. We've used it for years and just gave copies to two of our daughters.

The Merck Manual you sent me was a gift to my sister, who just graduated from nursing school. She loves it, and knows she will use it often in her nursing career. Thank you! jeanne

The Home Edition of the Merck Manual (the Merck Manual is used by medical professionals) gives you the newest (look at the year of the edition) detailed and specific medical info with causes/ symptoms/ diagnoses/ prevention+treatment. For treatment, the Merck Manual generally tells you what a doctor might or should do and what tests could and should be done and what kind of drugs might be used, but it generally does not tell you how to treat yourself with home remedies. But it tells you a lot of things doctors don't want or forget to tell you (like the duration or the outlook of certain diseases or side effects of drugs or accuracy of tests). If you are paranoid, you do not want to read a Merck Manual (you might identify yourself or others with all kinds of diseases).

This was my favorite book of the Heiress Brides. The characters were well developed, very likeable, the plot quite interesting with a surprise at the end.

Sophie is the last unmarried cousin of the Heiress brides. She feels she is plain and ugly, in fact has been told so by her "chaperone" and is tall and coltish. She never aspired to enter into the race with her cousins to be the first to marry a Duke and receive the inheritance. There is a man though that she is absolutely enthralled by, Graham, a fourth son of a Duke, who knows he will never inherit the title because there are so many waiting in line before him.

I liked Graham's effortless charm, his wit and his carefree attitude. Sophie who is incredibly serious minded and bookish needs someone like Graham and he needs her to keep him focused and grounded. Graham is totally unaware that Sophie has any feelings for him other than friendship.

Their lives change dramatically when Graham inherits the dukedom when his father and brothers all die. Graham discovers that his estates need money and must marry quickly. Sophie knows she can provide funds if they marry, however she cannot tell Graham about the will or she loses the inheritance. Therefore she needs to win him. She turns to a dressmaker, an early "What not to Wear", gown designer and she is changed into a graceful lovely woman. Graham is stunned but still must marry for money.

He is about to ask a rich widow as his bride but Sophie has something to say about that. Sophie is fearless in her new role but she also needs some protection from herself too which causes Graham to step into protector role. Their romance is sweet and the way they go about engaging in everything from flirting to lovemaking is atypical.

There is a plot twist toward the end of the novel I never saw coming but I felt it added flavor and depth to the story. I have always been a fan of Celeste Bradley and she finishes up her trilogy quite nicely.

This is a book that begins very well. Sophie and Graham started to be friends in the last book, and Bradley develops very well the transition from friendship to love.
It's also well written the development of Graham's character, because he becomes a Duke after the sudden and unexpected dead of his father and brothers --it's a very hilarious scene, although there's nothing laughable about death, but it was written in such a way....
Graham must grow up fast, considering the sorry state the finances and the properties of the dukedom are in.
The only 'but', and a very big 'but' is a plot twist towards the end of the book, completely unexpected, illogical and out of place. It almost seems as if the author felt the necessity to put a 'big misunderstanding', 'conflict' or 'something' to complicate the HEA.
It's a pity, because until that, the book was really great, and the twist ruins it.
The only 'good' thing about it, it's that it doesn't drag eternally and doesn't cause lots and lots of problems. At least it gets resolved pretty quickly.

Despite this, Duke most wanted is the book I enjoyed most in a trilogy as easy to read as to forget.

This third and final book of Celeste Bradley's Heiress Brides trilogy focuses on the last of the three cousins and granddaughters of Hamish Pickering who have tried to win the sizeable Pickering Trust by marrying a duke. Sophie Blake is plain, bookish, and awkward, which suits her fine as she never assumed she would marry; coming to London only to escape the drudgery of Acton. Everyone knows her beautiful cousin Deidre has very nearly won the prize having married a man who will soon inherit the title of duke. Instead Sophie can simply sit back and enjoy the company of Graham the only man she's ever felt completely at ease and comfortable with.

Out of the blue, Graham the fourth son of a duke gains the title along with a mountain of debt and an estate so neglected it would take a miracle to bring it back from ruin. Graham needs to find a wealthy wife ASAP. Sophie who has fallen in love with Graham, knows she can save him but he's never looked at her romantically and she can't tell him the conditions of winning the Trust or she would forfeit it. With the help of a kindred spirit, Sophie gets a dazzling makeover that makes her a star attraction, but the only one she wants to attract is Graham.

*** This last of the series could almost be called a Cinderella story, where a fairy godmother appears to turn the ugly duckling into the proverbial swan. Sophie had not come to London with any intention of marrying, least of all to such a lofty noble. From the very first book there was always a hint that Sophie was hiding a secret and the twist towards the end of the story was somewhat of a surprise, though several statements led me to guess the outcome earlier.

The author took a gamble with Sophie and what started out as a very pleasant read where one tends to want to champion the underdog, i.e. the ugly duckling, Sophie's character comes into question when her very big secret was revealed. Sophie and Graham's romance was so natural progressing from a comfortable friendship to love that her lies to Graham were a bitter pill to swallow, not only for Graham, but for the reader as well.

The recurring character of Lementeur was a delight, his beautifully described couture creations and advice on how Sophie should conduct herself were captured both vividly and at times with great amusement. Bradley also brought to a nice conclusion the miss-adventures of the nefarious solicitor Wolfe who tried his best to prevent any of the cousins from winning the Pickering trust and cutting off his monthly stipend.

Bottom line: While the last of book of a trilogy is usually the best (i.e. save the best for last) this didn't happen. On the whole, each book of the trilogy is stand alone and entertaining but this series is nowhere near as exciting as previous Bradley series (The Royal Four, or Liars Club) have been.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

Sophie Blake never really joined the quest to inherit her grandfather's fortune. As her cousin, Dierdre seems to be the winner, the bookish and reticent Sophie is able to relax and enjoy her translations and her time with the very handsome Graham.

When Graham unexpectedly inherits his father's title and an estate consumed with debt, he knows he must marry a rich bride. Although Sophie never envisioned herself married to Graham she cannot bear for him to wed anyone else. So Sophie puts her books aside and enters the battle for her fortune and her man.

Duke Most Wanted is my favorite in this trilogy, which is saying a lot because I loved them all! I identified with the plain and bookish Sophie and long for a Graham of my own.

Celeste Bradley rounded up this trilogy with a Cinderella styled romance that filled my heart with joy. Duke Most Wanted is most wonderful. The Heiress Bride trilogy is an engaging trio sure to please historical romance fans!

Annmarie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I really enjoyed this book until the surprise ending.

This is an ugly duckling into a swan story. I always enjoy what I call the great make over. I love it when the hero suddenly sees his friend in a new light for the first time and then....

Then the author has to go and destroy it all with a surprise ending out of no where. It compeletly changed the way I viewed the heroine, and not for the better. I found my self really disliking the heroine at the end of the book.

I have read all her books and they are all 5 stars, but this is my favorite. This is so jam packed with good information I would love to listen to it over and over while walking or driving.

The author gives very specific, relevant ideas and information that is easily usable. Excellent!

love the book so far. it is very well written and there is a lot of useful information.

When my brother recommended this book, I was skeptical about reading it as I've read many other books on the subject and felt I knew pretty much all there was to know on the subject. I visited Amazon and read the reviews and based on the reviews and my brothers insistence, I went ahead and purchased this book. Let me just say that this was the best purchase I've made in quite some time. This book is unlike any other book that I've read on the subject. Secrets of Success is life changing and discusses the law of attraction in a way that is easy to apply from the moment you start reading. I have recommended this book to everyone I love and care about and everyone has had the same kinds of aha moments that I experienced. This title is highly recommended.

Easy reading and easy to follow her approach on changing your thoughts and emotions and thereby changing your life....the Law of Attraction. Very well done and also would recommend Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook because this book too has a different approach (workbook to reinforce) and you should read both.

Paul Gipe has provided a thoroughly readable text presenting all details necessary for selecting and managing a windfarm. It is clear that he has dedicated his life to this technology.

This text provides charts and equations for sizing windmills. It includes numerous recommendations for selecting vendors and contractors for installing a windmill, and lots of maintenance details. What I found particularly interesting was his descriptions of past failures and why they failed. He warns you of danger signals when buying a windmill such as:

The maximum capacity for generating electricity from a windmill is determined by its rotor not its generator.

I am still in the process of reading this massive text but the first 200 pages have been enlightening. I highly recommend this text for anyone involved in establishing a windfarm for municipalities and others. This is a must read.

If this review was helpful, please add your vote. Thanks.

This is a very technical book. Loads of details. Eye opening for any amature thinking "Oh, I'll just get a windmill and I won't have any more electric bills!" Worth reading if you really want to produce green electricity. You need considerable land, about a year's worth the wind data for your particular site, more than a few thousand bucks, and even then, you may still find that it won't pay for itself. One thing I didn't think about is that ice can form on the blades and fling off- hitting your home, a neighbor's home, or a car...
Is it a good book? Yes. Very clear, complete information on the topic.

Wind Power, Revised Edition: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business

This book is the bible for learning the history and current configurations of wind power and a welth of information as to how to set up your windmill and problems you may run into with your utility company. It is required reading for anyone thinking about setting up a wind generator.

Are you starting from zero knowledge regarding wind energy? Do you want to get up to full speed in a reasonable amount of time? If yes, then this is definitely the book for you. Paul Gipe has captured the essence of not only the fundamental technology but also the industry in general. Once done with this book, you will have the cranial capital to dig deeper into the engineering, the municipal or national scene, or the fundamentals of financing including energy-cash flow analysis. There is plenty of nitty-gritty for whatever side of the technology you prefer to understand, including building your own system. And there are many specific and anecdotal examples to support the many scenarios described. Yours is sure to be one of them. To paraphrase the late Abby Hoffman - *Buy This Book* You'll be up to 60 mph (26.8 meters/second) in no time.

Paul Gipe truly knows his industry. Whether you're thinking about installing a small wind turbine or want to invest in a megawatt model, you should make this your first purchase. You'll feel like you've completed a college course on wind power after reading this book.

I got this book to help with a drama camp that I was teaching. It helped me organize and plan in a way that kept the kids focused. They had a great time and so did I. I highly recommend this book.

This book is amazing. It gives great instructions for many fun games. The instructions are brief,but fun,and give enough information to make the games easy to implement. I have used the book twice for a group of kids, ranging in age from 9-14, and they have loved the activities! I've purchased a couple other similar books that were not nearly as fun and well-put-together as this one.

I bought this book to use to teach a drama class in my homeschool co-op, and I'm so pleased with the fun games and ideas for teaching basic drama concepts. The kids are loving all the games and I think that the games and exercises really spark their creativity.

I never take the time to write reviews for books but I had to for this one! EVERY activity is great--you don't have to search through picking and choosing. I know this will be an invaluable source for me in teaching drama to both elementary and high school students. Thanks to the author for such a great resource!

I purchased this book before I started teaching creative dramatics in Recreation deprtments teaching K-8. It was wonderful. I loved it. I would reccommend it to every teacher (theatre or not) it has wonderful classroom activities.

Learn to layout. Really just a good reference book. If you are a carpenter then you must know how to layout correctly. Different techniques, good practice.

This is a well written book, in plain language. It will help any amateur considering building, or constructing brick, or wooden structures, or extensions. John Carroll makes the reader think about accuracy when approaching any building project. He provides many simple easy-to-understand methods on how and what, to measure.

He shows many examples of how simple miscalculations can result in costly errors. Unlike other American DIY books, that pretend the metric system does not exist, Carroll covers imperial for the home market and metric conversions for the rest of the world. This factor, and his humble writing style and experience as a craftsman, will make this book an international best seller for anybody who will pick up a saw, rafter gauge,or masonary hammer. The book is a must for anyone who needs important tips on construction methods. In conclusion this excellent book makes you think and visualize what you want to achieve before you start the job.

Carroll does a wonderful job of explaining in clear language the concepts of layout, marking, and measuring. This book is great for anyone in any trade who is new to the construction industry or for anyone who wants to work on their home in a professional manner. From handyman to carpenter to construction manager, you will get some great tips and info from this book.

This is probably the most important book I own in my "how to build it" arsenal.

This author is in the dark ages with respect to the use of the metric system. As a country, we've been there / tried that. We can't help it if the rest of the world is backwards using the metric system! Why was at least a whole page WASTED in talking about this? How ridiculous! It is an okay book, but mostly black and white drawings and lots of text. Perhaps if the author, and Taunton, had spent more time with the content of the title and included some color in a book that is the same price as their other titles with LOTS of color, they would have had a good book.

This book is very well illustrated and gives some great examples. I was looking for more examples on built ins and hints on what to do when you have a crooked wall. This book did not have an hints or examples of what to do in this situation. However for individuals that have other questions on how to do trim this book would be an excellent addition to your collection.

This book is very attractive and informative, but I found it lacking some of the very basics, and the production steps are often not laid out chronologically. In the crown molding section, there is no suggested nailing plan, so as someone who has never done crown molding but is planning to attempt it, this book alone does not suffice.

I bought this title from the Build Like A Pro series based on a good experience with their "Build a Shed" book, which was like having an experienced carpenter explain how he would approach and resolve each construction issue.
This title was written by a guy who obviously has the years of experience under his belt but needs a strong editor to map out the writing process. The author uses terminology several times before defining it many pages later, and in general doesn't leave the reader with a full understanding of how to proceed.

I am a firm believer in the KISS method of doing things. (Keep It Simple Stupid") Every step is covered in this book so that anyone can learn from it. The "Build Like A Pro" series of books are all laid out like this one. The "Expert Tips" are great. They show you short cuts to help you do the jobs right, but in less time. This is stuff you only learn by doing the job everyday. They are trade secrets.

I'm new to trim carpentry and wanted a step-by-step book to accelerate my learning and minimize mistakes while improving quality.

Within 10 minutes of reading, I picked up several great new ideas and one new and important technique. I was amazed that after completing two full rooms of crown moulding that there were so many shortcuts, secrets and techniques I hadn't picked up and wouldn't of ever learned on my own.

Inside, there are many color photos, expert tips described in the margins and step-by-step instructions on how to best complete the project.

I recommend this book for begginers BEFORE you start putting up crown moulding or starting other trim carpentry projects.

I have always been very organized until I had my second son. I am not sure what happened but I lost control of everything in my home. This book is quck and easy to read. The best part is you don't need any hard to find or expensive items to put this system to use. I can't say enough about this book. I even used it to organize my homeschooling lessons.

I initially bought this book 15 years ago and my home was so organized, even with three children. I bought it again recently because we downsized homes and everything was chaos. My home is in order again, and it isn't even difficult! Great plan!

Easy and entertaining read, plus tons of great, practical ideas for getting your home and life, organized!

Loved this book. It's an easy read and I've implemented the organizational strategies immediately for my whole family. It's working so far!

I've read many books on organization (and hope to someday accomplish all I've read!), but this book will always be my favorite. Pam and Peggy have "been there." There's nothing worse than an organization or "decluttering" book that's written by someone who was born organized (or a "B.O." as Pam and Peggy would call them!). You have to have walked a mile (or waded through the clutter) in the shoes of someone who is easily sidetracked, organizationally-challenged, and wasn't born with the organization gene. Pam and Peggy make you feel like you've found a kindred spirit who somehow waded through all their stuff and found a better way! I wish they'd re-release their original kit that included a de-junking video and a few other goodies!

Great book. I will keep this book on my self for future use.

Our children want us to keep the beach house in the family. This terrific book explains how to do it and how to avoid fights and bad feelings among the children after you are gone. We still had a lawyer draw things up, but this was an enormous help to us. We bought copies for each of the children and have recommended it to friends with vacation homes.

Good basic introduction, with good insights into the issues that need to be understood and addressed. Tends to be repetitious, and is strong on advocating LLCs (limited liability companies) as the best way forward. Would have been more useful if additional material had been presented on alternative solutions (trusts, corporations, etc.). Would also have been more helpful to have explained the different elements that should be included in LLCs (the elements are listed in an Appendix) in more detail. Bibliography and notes provide a good basis for more research.

All in all, well worth the investment -- learned a lot. Would give it an extra half star (3.5), had it been possible!

This book is a great resource for familites who want to try to keep a family second home over multiple generations. Wish we had read this before putting our family property in a trust- after reading it, we will probably be changing to an LLC holding entity instead! Heartily recommend this book, we got 2 copies and are passing it around.

My wife and I have been wrestling with how to make sure our cabin can stay in the family. This books discusses all the issues and helps you think about the way you would like to manage your cottage in your estate.

Very Informative!

This is a good little book. It is well worth the read for anybody interested in estate planning. People who have a cottage, a vacation home, a farm, a retreat or some other form of real estate that the family tends to enjoy should read this book if they want to keep that property IN THE FAMILY for generations to come. And attorneys that do estate planning work would do themselves a favor to read this book so they can provide the best legal help possible when providing their services. This book is not a form book, but it provides enough information on the topic that any competent attorney can put together the appropriate Operating Agreement templates in order to carry out what this book explains is possible.

I must say I think the author is to be commended for writing this book. Clearly it is a marketing piece for his law practice. But it is not just that - it provides provides value in a niche that has not been written about before. The book is broken into four parts:

I. Cottages at risk (1-3)
II. Choosing the right path (4-7)
III. Cottage plans in action (8-14)
IV. Creating a cottage legacy (15-16)

And the book is comprised of 16 chapters:

1. Trouble in paradise
2. Avoid the worst: A partition parable
3. Plan for the best: Cottage succession goals
4. How to plan helps save the family cottage
5. No plan? Then 600-year old law controls the cottage
6. Other animals in the property law zoo
7. Short-term solutions
8. Choose the right legal entity for your cottage
9. Welcome to the club
10. When and how to organize the Cottage LLC
11. The cottage safety valve
12. Cottage democracy
13. Scheduling and use
14. Renting the cottage
15. Minimizing the federal tax bite
16. The ultimate gift: A cottage endowment

I found the book a bit repetitive. It was not tightly written. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the problem of partitions had been stated once up front, and then the book could have moved on. Instead I kept hearing about partitions throughout the book.

In estate planning there is much written about how it is nice to put your major assets in a living trust so the courts (probate court) cannot get involved in the estate settlement process. Whenever courts have to get involved in a matter there is such a loss of control by the litigants. In the instant book, the author explains that it is nice to put your cottage, vacation home, or family retreat into a Limited Liability Company (LLC) so family squabbles down the inheritance line typically won't be mediated by the courts. The other nice thing if the Operating Agreement is drafted well is that there probably won't be family squabbles. What the author proposes is really a good idea. When the original owner of the cottage dies, the beneficiaries of the estate will take title to membership interests in an LLC, not ownership interests in real estate. As a result, partition of real estate interests is not an option in a dispute. 4 stars!