Home Books

This wonderful book provided the inspiration and encouragement to use the methods described to build a timber frame structure. Not quite as grand as some of the homes pictured, but the the concepts and lessons provided were very useful.

This is a great book. Either you are about to build a home and considering a timberframe, in which case the book is backed with useful information, or you are like me, and dreaming of a timberframe home and only reading the book thinking about how grand it would be to go through the process described in the book. Either case, the book is wonderful for what it is.

After reading the book I concluded I have zero hope of building one and I need to contact the author to build it for me. Brilliant brouchure for his company. I would take off stars for the flagrant selling but you know what it is just that good a book on the subject and the fact is its hard work and he is good at it. Hell just buy the book and have them build it.

This book contains wonderful pictures of homes that are mostly 5,000 sq ft and larger. With one exception it completely ignores fine smaller timberframe homes. I was reminded more of ski lodges than homes by the places featured. But the pictures are nice and if a 5,000 sq ft plus size house is what you're interested in I suppose this book has some interesting ideas.

Whether you are going to act as general contractor, or hire it all out, this book is a great over view of all of the aspects of building a Timber Frame. While not dwelling in great detail, it has lots of drawings, photos, and descriptions, to acquaint the reader with construction techniques, electrical and plumbing considerations, and room layouts in a typical Timber Frame home. Definitley another fine book from Mr. Benson.

I enjoyed this book. I will be going back to Italy in the fall and will probably visit some small hill towns. Since this book, the Mates are now living in another part of Italy. It was fun to read. Once you read this one then read the next book "A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover's Dream".

I thought this book was an easy read and pleasant. It was just kind of a diary of the day to day life the author experienced when he bought a home in Tuscany. It was not an in depth study of life as a foreigner in a foreign country but then again I don't think that was his purpose in writing it.

Very enjoyable reading, especially if you have vacationed in this area. I could picture the coutry side and the town of Montepluciana that he wrote about. I loved the area and loved Ferenc Mate's book, "The Hills of Tuscany". Some of us wishes that we could trade places with him, living there sounds devine.

What a delightful arm-chair journey The Hills of Tuscany is! Máté's descriptions involve all senses and beyond that they make the reader yearn for something simple, ancient and cozy, -- to be close to earth and to our fellowmen, and to rediscover the joy of unpretentious things. His enjoyment of life is so obvious that his book would be a pleasure regardless where he settled, be it the Arctic Circle or the rainforest of Costa Rica.

Reading "The Hills of Tuscany", Ferenc Mate's exuberant, joyful ode to his adopted country, makes one eager to join that expatriate band. After occupying a series of dwellings a "houseboat, sailboat, mountain cabin, that garage in Laguna Beach, the attic in Paris, the cubbyhole in New York, and a whatsit in the Bahamas," the Hungarian-born Mate and his artist wife, Candace, deemed it time for a permanent home.

Central Italy's countryside, where "Everything was small to the measure of man," beguiled them; there "reigned the gentle Tuscan light, and silence, and a calm." They became contentedly sated by "pranzo," the four-course daily meal that resembles in quantity "our average Thanksgiving dinner," and decided to buy a farmhouse, to put down roots in the idyllic Tuscan hills.

Their enchanting dream was a challenging task. Mate spoke no Italian and was woefully ignorant of the vagaries of an agrarian existence. Nonetheless, he set about his search for their perfect home with a Quixote-like zeal, undaunted by a real estate agent cum undertaker who stored his listings with names of the recently departed in a shoe box. A parade of touted homesteads in abject disrepair didn't discourage him. Collapsed fireplaces and gaping roof holes were the norm. Mate zigzagged his way across unfamiliar terrain, following unmapped rutted paths, bouncing over rocky roads until he found his utopia, "a structure with perfect rhythm." La Marinaia The Sailor's Wife. Once that purchase was accomplished, attempts to have utilities turned on introduced him to an implacable, inscrutable Italian bureaucracy. It was explained that there are an almost infinite number of regulations in Italy, " . . . many dating from Roman times, some contradictory, some incomprehensible."

Settling in also meant becoming a part of the nearest town, Montepulciano, "built for humans not for cars, so the main street was just wide enough for conducting daily affairs, evening promenades, and small festive processions." The couple delighted in exploring closet-size shops run by often absent, usually amiable owners. Their nearest neighbor welcomed them with fresh goat cheese covered by a large fig leaf, and they attempted to improve their Italian by watching Telegiornale, the local televised news an "Italian version of reality, a flexible amalgam of fresh headlines, old footage, and clips from Steve McQueen movies."

More than an enthusiastic tribute to the ever astounding beauties of the Italian countryside, "The Hills Of Tuscany" is a paean to the pleasures of the palate as Mate describes in rapturous detail ravioli stuffed with ricotta and wild mushrooms, crostini spread with tuna and capers, rabbit ragu "spicy with tomatoes" plus a legion of dishes bathed, basted, stir-fried, swathed in or caressed by olive oil. He is also unreservedly passionate about the local wine, "wine as robust as the clay," "wine with a deep complexity that tingled all the taste buds."

Today, Mate lives with his wife and young son at La Marinaia, tending his olives and vineyard. It is there, he writes, that "we learned to live and enjoy life as the Tuscans do piano, piano, con calma." Slowly, slowly, with calm. The author's enthusiastic prose is infectious. His word pictures are captivating, as he unveils a Tuscany that is both serene and seductive. "The Hills Of Tuscany" is an invitation to follow your dream . . . especially if it leads to Italy.

- Gail Cooke

I use this for teaching a class on study skills. It is probably best for kids 7-9, but could be adapted for younger or older kids.

This has some great reproducible surveys and tools to teach study skills to kids. It's a menu of ideas on what they need. While it can be a little detailed or wordy for some kids, I think useful for teachers getting started on what topics to cover and possible tools to use.

The book was easy to read. It provided clear, reasonable guidelines and suggestions for students to organize. read, take notes and generally improve study skills. Specific strategies and examples are presented. It is a practical blueprint that will be useful for struggling students and those who simply want to be more effective.

This book arrived in three days. I was really impressed.

I have had this book before, but I'm afraid another teacher liked it even more than I did. This has graphic organizers that really work for the everyone, not just the learning challenged. My high-schoolers, as well as my elementary crowd have found this book helpful.

This is a terrific book! The strategies in it are useful and easy to follow. In being able to understand how each student learns, you can better teach that child. Also, when the students themselves understand how they learn, they can adapt their studying to fit their personal style.

The book is well written and very easy to follow. Steve walks through the history, design considerations, math, and knowledge needed to get started. I've read lots of Timber framing books and this is the first book I grab for reference. If you are trying to decide which book to buy...Look at "A Timber Framer's Workshop" FIRST!

Excellent book, very thorough. Lots of good info on engineering, stresses and design of joints. Also good info on timbers, where they are cut in the log, shrinkage, and more. Would not ignore any of his advice if you would like your frame to be safe and last for generations.

In A Timber Framer's Workshop: Joinery, Design & Construction Of Traditional Timber Frames is a complete instruction course under one cover in the carpentry craft and architectural art of building with timber framing technology. Included are engineering basics, builders math, tips, techniques, tools, and structural design considerations. Chapters are devoted to Bent Framing & Joinery Design, Tension Joinery, Roof Framing & Truss Design, Joinery Details, and more! A Timber Framer's Workshop is a core title for any professional, academic, or community library carpentry, architecture, and woodworking collections.

I actually used the methods in this book to build my 40 X 30, four-bent barn. I can't say enough about this book. From the dedication to the index this timber frame manual was crafted in the same manner as author Steve Chappell's structures: solid, precise and with artful beauty. This book teaches everything from the basic tools to advanced joinery and details everything you need to build a traditional timber frame structure. The illustrations are great and the exercises are extremely useful.

"A Timber Framer's Workshop" is an essential reference tool for anyone who's serious about timber framing.

This particular book is an overview. Nothing wrong with that, it's merely that I do not even approach the level the overview allows. Again, a fine book for an intermediate but not for My particular position in the process of learning timber framing. A book that is far more to My liking is called "The craft of modular post and beam." Written by James Mitchell. Way better for a beginner and a lot more incisive all the way across the learning horizon. Listening to Paul Butterfield's "East west" and am being pulled away from the typewriter! That is all!

I read this book years ago and forgot about it. At a recent book club meeting, I noticed a similar picture on the book of a friend. I went in search to find it. It's second only to her first book, Plain & Simple, which I've enjoyed immensely and purchased several copies as books. A good book for our times.

I was given a copy of this book many years ago..it sat on a shelf for a number of years before one day I picked it up and started to read it. It is one book both men and women should read. I have given it as gifts at least 60 times and just recently purchased 3 more for gifts. It truly hits the soul...if you want to do something for "yourself"...read it!! You won't be sorry.

It's a great description of the Spritual Cure.... but we never analyze what was wrong in the first place... it's a type of Narcissism which in her case comes into conflict with her religious values and forced her to develop her spritual walk as a cure.

And it's a good cure, often overlooked because we neglect to name the Beast thats at the core.So the spiritual cure goes untried.

"Everyday Sacred; A Woman's Journey Home" by Sue Bender is a book about the author's spiritual journey while living amidst the Amish. Bender highlights that each day, and the 'everyday' within each day is sacred. There are many opportunities to experience sacred encounters in one's life, by focusing on appreciation of simplicity and the little things in life such as enjoying a warm cup of tea or noticing the beauty of flowers in your garden. All in all 'Everyday Sacred' offers clarity, optimism and hope amidst our modern world that is all too often hectic and stressful. What I enjoyed most about 'Everyday Sacred' is that reading the book really did take me on an experiental journey into the sacred; most remarkable! Congratulations Sue Bender on writing such an inspiring and successful book.

If you like 'Everyday Sacred' then you'll love NEXUS by Deborah Morrison and Arvind Singh, a successful, new age debut novel, an absorbing guide to the dazzling universe of spirituality in terms of life's joys and sorrows. NEXUS enriches our understanding of heart-centered, soulful living, enlightenment and compassion. All over the planet people of all faiths and backgrounds are suddenly experiencing an intense attraction for the wisdom and knowledge of NEXUS, a book that has already achieved top 100 status on several bestsellers lists! Nexus: A Neo Novel

After witnessing the recent horror (school massacre) inflicted upon the Amish community, "Everyday Sacred" is a timely reminder that they and the human spirit will endure.

It reminds us to ask not what we lack, but to appreciate, daily, what we already have. My favorite quote from the book is: "Don't try for perfection. Trying to be good enough will be plenty."

I am giving it my highest recommendation because it is more than good enough - it is a spell-binding read!

Reginald V. Johnson, Author, "How To Be Happy, Successful And Rich"

Comprehensive and approachable. Good index and highly illustrated.

I found myself as the Outlook support for a new small business and I had only used Outlook for e-mail and contacts previously. This book has quickly become my total reference guide. It has helped me solve several problems. It's easy to read, well organized and very complete.
I recommend it to anyone who needs to support an Outlook installation or an Exchange Server installation.

Previous reviewer's comments are noted well, but I was somewhat disappointed in the coverage of forms development. I really wanted to learn to move/place fields on a contact form and designate them drop-down, etc. Simple enough, I thought, for a book of this coverage. But even though the author talked about the abilitiy to do this, there were no directions, no examples, and no description of the 'Controls' options required to do it. For a book of this size and price, I had hoped for more meat. No, not to the detail of VB scripting, but certainly more detailed coverage of Outlook's powerful forms and macro abilities. To my chagrin, I'm finding my answers under the Outlook 'Help' section in the program itself!

Too much said about the various steps. Not brief and to the point. Found it difficult to go step by step without reading, and reading, and reading.

A most comprehensive treatment of Outlook. Extremely well suited for an experienced Outlook user, with many details on the use in a server/business environment. Describes the interrelationship with Windows Outlook Express. Probably a little too comprehensive for the single system user just trying to read and write a few email messages. Subject matter is exceptionally well presented and thorough.

Sew Fast Sew Easy Sew On by Elissa K. Meyrich is an all-out, hip manual to the art of sewing and serging. Made by the founder and president of SewFastSewEasy, a company renowned for helping everyday hipsters become competent seamsters, it is a thorough and appealing handbook for novices to the art of garment creation.

The first thing you notice when you open up the book is that it just looks good. The illustrations, even for highly technical things like threading an overlock machine, are compelling to look at. The subtle use of colors and the intriguing lines are quite frankly, cool. It is a strange experience finding yourself admiring an illustration of a seam ripper, but definitely not an unpleasant one, nor an uncommon one, when reading this book.

As for content, Sew Fast Sew Easy Sew On thoroughly covers the basics of the sewing process, from choosing tools and fabrics, to understanding patterns, to instructions on how to use a sewing machine and serger, to tips on simple sewing techniques like sewing on buttons and how to make a hem. It also includes very handy charts and a glossary. Most importantly though, it contains step by step instructions and included patterns for five projects, such as a simple T-shirt and an iPod holder. I personally, am a big fan of the "hipster drawstring pants," and although it would not be flattering on me, I do appreciate the look of a "scarf halter wrap-around dress" on members of the fairer sex.

The instructions for these projects, and in the book as a whole, are very thorough, and it is very clear that Elissa K. Meyrich is a veteran teacher. Her hours teaching classes at Parsons School of Design and at her company in New York City show through. One of her instructions for threading a sewing machine tells you to turn the handwheel slowly "TOWARDS" you, and just hints at the many, many novices who must have turned the wheel the wrong way.

Her instructions are generally very good, but in a few instances can be a little difficult to understand. For example, early in the book she mentions the right side of fabric, without ever defining it. After a reading a little farther you can figure out it is the side of the fabric that is going to be on the outside of the garment, but in the meantime it can be confusing for a beginner. Such problems are minor though, and do not seriously hamper the book. For those who really want to make something neat, this book will help you do it.

Sew Easy Sew Fast Sew On is a thorough, useful, and stylish book for those intent on learning the art of of clothes creation, and is available at www.sewfastseweasy.com. Also, check out the lessons on the website for some of the best DIY clothing training in New York City and on the web.

Sew Fast Sew Easy: All You Need to Know When You Start to Sew
Rip It!: How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct the Clothes of Your Dreams

This book compliments the first Sew Fast Sew Easy book. I had bought that book to learn to sew and had great success with it. I knew this book would have some great tips and projects but I underestimated it. The projects and patterns that are included were perfectly challenging for me. I learned more techniques with the box cushion. I hadn't ever sewn with heavy fabric let alone turn a corner. Learning about overlock machines and what there used for was an eye opener and I'm now on the hunt for one. I have a new passion and am proud of my progress with sewing. I acredit it to these books.

This book is written for the beginner sewer wanting to do some more advanced sewing projects. It's written really well and therefore easy to follow and understand. The images are helpful to the instructions. I'm happy with my new book. I bought this book with Sew Everything and there is a major difference in the techniques and descriptive writing. Sew Everything was harder to understand and the techniques come out looking more "home ec" style. I'm much more pleased with the end result of the projects from Sew On.

My Home-Ec teacher recommended this book to our class for learning to sew. I've been learning to sew with it for the past week. My mom loves the stuff I'm making. This book has been easy to understand and the images help out a lot.

I was looking for a book to learn a little more about sewing and something to inspire me. I came across this book and thought it looked pretty cool. My girlfriend thinks it's funny that I sew and she doesn't but when she sees the stuff I have been making from this book, she's been straight up impressed. I have been sewing Tshirts on my Juki overlock machine with the pattern from this book. I've made them for me and my GF. She's totally into them. The warp dress isn't her style but I made it anywase for the practice and experience. It was really easy and came out great. It was also the first time making a button hole for me. It's crazy the little things that you end up learning with such a simple project. I've also learned to sew with leather and i've been making leather wallets and clutches that have been selling on etsy. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to be inspired and up their sewing and serging skills.

Very informational book on quilting processes. The pictures are helpful and the information is presented well.

Lots of Quick and Easy patterns in this book. Eleanor explains
things so that you can put them together quickly. My copy is a
class book, and my quilt turned out gorgeous. Has hung in my
quilt shop for several months now.

I enjoyed reading this book and learned a few new techniques for building blocks and I have decided to start some of the book's projects as soon as possible.

I have a collection of dozens of quilting books and this has to be the prettiest, most compelling and easiest to follow. I'm on my second quilt from this book and it couldn't be easier. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The instructions of this book are so good that I made the quarter log cabin quilt in just a few days. The illustrations are very helpful.

Very easy read to further understand Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian designs. Great pictures and floor plan presentations!

This is a must have book for anyone interested in this style of building. Wright was, is, and will always be, a genius.

I am building a custom home and I keep going back to this book for inspiration and important details. I have a library of at least 20 other FLW (Frank Lloyd Wright) books, but this is the most up-to-date and most on target reference for new home design. The photographs are large and focused on details, not just exterior elevations. Doors, windows, roofs, entrances and many other important features are explained and given an indepth perspective. This is a must have for any FLW library and I guarantee you will be handing this to to your architect if you want FLW details in your custom home. A great read.

Despite the questionable purpose to show "solutions for making small houses big", as if using Wright's architecture for a DIY book, and the fact that all houses in the book are small like a condo, this is a very good book.
Selection of the photographs, print and layout are excellent and decidedly over the average, even for such a popular subject.
Plans and texts are plain and clear and eventually contribute to making it very easy for quick consultation. Somehow and unexpectedly, in my studio, you can never find this book in the same place.

I'm a Wright fan and an architect, so it was good to find a book the describes and illustrates FLLW's architecture "gems" to be considered in home design. Well done and useful, whether you are considering a "FLLW-inspired" or another architectural style. I think this book is a good compliment to Sarah Susanka's books (i.e., "the not so big house", etc.).

I my opinion, Wright's approach is universal to many architectual style.

This is truly a well-written book on how to build stairs! Mr. Engel explores every aspect of stairbuilding and describes each step in the process in great detail. I highly recommend this book for the novice and the expert, alike. There's always something new to be learned by any of us and this book is chock full of new and interesting methods and tips on how one can build a stair the right way and without error! Well worth the price to purchase!

I am a serious DIYer, and when I decided to tackle a stair construction project in a two-story addition, I looked through my collection of books, downloaded stair building codes, and found whatever else I could on the internet. I also had back issues of Fine Homebuilding Magazine, where I found various articles, including the March 1998 issue which has an article by Mr. Engel, "Bulding Finish Stairs." Despite having these resources, I still lacked the confidence to tackle the project, and I wanted a better book. I bought this book based on the excellent reviews, and I haven't been disappointed. If you need to build some stairs, indoor or outdoor, this book has everything you need to start the job, provided you already own a shop full of tools and know how to use them. The book fully explains the trade-offs between various types of construction and details how to accomplish the job with illustrated clearly-written text. As an example, I located a local source for engineered stringer lumber after going to a URL listed in the book. I had some initial confusion as to whether I should buy this book since there is another book by almost the same name, "Building Stairs (For Pros by Pros) by Fine Homebuilding Editors", that received horrible reviews. That book appears to be a loose collection of former Fine Homebuilding articles, including the previously mentioned March 1998 article. I have a collection of similar books from Fine Homebuilding, and they are of somewhat limited value.

A nicely organized and well laid-out manual that covers everything from stairbuilding basics up to complex railing and finishing details. Written in an easy-to-read casual tone with clear photos and drawings, helpful sidebars and useful appendices. Definitely recommended.

This book covers every aspect of stair building very thoroughly. Some of the topics covered are both open & housed stair construction, winders, handrailing, & exterior stairs. Much attention is paid to detail. There are literally hundreds of excellent photos & clear, concise drawings. The text is easy to follow & along the way the author shares plenty of tips & techniques for building beautiful, durable stairs. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned carpenter, you'll find plenty of good information here. A great addition to my library!