Floor

I found the instructions in this project book to be extremely useful and easy to follow. My wife and I have completed most of the projects with great results. Great Christmas gift for the home crafter! I gave a copy to my sister and she was able to transform her 60's rancher into a sanctuary.

I had no idea I was so creative. Weekend projects not only added value to our [] starter home, they saved my marriage (and my wallet!) I am anticipating more great ideas and simple tips from Ennis and would gladly pay double for another book if it means more home equity in the future. Thanks for sparking my interest in home renovation.

I got this book from my local library and read it from cover to cover. It was informative, clear and made the process managable for non-painter types (like me). I had to have the book!

I read this book from cover to cover. I am not a painter and have never attempted anything like this before. I wanted to be sure that I was getting all the information I needed to be prepared in painting my first floorcloth. This book is a must have for anyone that wants to start painting floorcloths. The information is very detailed with step by step instructions for many projects. I learned so much about the differences in canvas,paints,techniques,what different tools to have and what they can do. You must check out kathy coopers website. It's great. She has given me the confidence and the background information to enhance my skills as a crafter and artist.

Although this is an enjoyable read the book is absolutely riddled with unacceptable mistakes. Carbon dioxide once dissolved in the sea forms the carbonate ion which combines with calcium (not carbonate) to form calcium carbonate (p.12). P.67- the cape of good hope is at the tip of AFrica not South AMerica. And lastly (I have only read to page 80!) the positive charge of the water molecule is on the hydrogen not oxygen (negative on oxygen), and the hydrogens in water don't bind to one another-like charges repel each other , not attract. The hydrogens (+) bind to the oxygens (-) to adjacent molecules!!!!!!!!!! Ugh!!!!!!!!

I have already written a review. I think I may have been sort of mean. Now that I have read the entire book I feel like I should write a new review. I did enjoy the book. The mistakes I refered to in my previous review did not continue throughout the book. I read it to my son at night and he enjoyed it. Overall it was a pretty decent read. So, I've changed my mind.

I bought about 5 books at the same time and this is the 3rd book that I have read. It is full of lots of information but I am finding it a little slow to read. Kind of text book reading. None the less full of useful information regarding the Ocean from the beginning of time! I think it is a good building block for someone like myself trying to delve into the Science of the Ocean.

KILLING FLOOR is a real page turner and Jack Reacher is a man's man. It has a lot of action and great fight passages...Reacher whupped 5 guys at once in chapter 7 alone! The plot twists and turns and leads you away only to bring you back in a totally surprising way. Mr. Childs is an excellent writer and knows how to keep the reader interested. OK I noticed a few things which bugged me, the excessive use of the word "shrug." I started to count the shrugs and gave up after about the thirtieth time Jack or Finlay or Roscoe shrugged before, or instead of speaking. The other thing that bugged me was something Jack mentioned about his background, his youth. He and his older brother Joe were Army Brats. They traveled around the globe from base to base wherever their Dad was stationed. Mostly Europe, Asia, and the US. I assumed they were army posts. On page 188 of the paperback, he says the Marine Corps took care of his father's funeral arrangements. As far as I know there are no Marine Corps units stationed in Europe, since we have no US Navy ports in Europe. The 6th Fleet does something called a "Med Cruise," which means the fleet goes to the Mediterranean for a few months. They are not based there, hence no US Marines stationed in Europe. Both Jack and Joe served in the US Army as officers. Where did the Marine Corps come from? Just a few flaws, but nothing that ruined the excitement for me.

This was the first one and I can see now why Lee has a cult following. The Character Reacher is cliched and the offputting thing for me abt my reacher exploration was that it was comic book type. Reacher, an ex-army man with no place , nothing but the shirt on his back, I mean cmon no one lives like that. Ever a wanderer, never settling down. Its unrealistic. And in all the sequels, I wondered that Reacher must be the most hazard prone guy, coz he always seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time too many no of times to be really credible, so much so that the Reacher series is now a capstone achievement in an author striving for the longetivity of the one character he seemed to have got right. Honestly, I cant believe that with the display of fine plotting potential that Mr Lee shows, that he did not go on to write a completey different story with different story and different plot. I read the Killing floor, then I read the vistor . I loved both. But then it got too much for me. Th coincidences of reacher always getting caught in accodental set of circumstance which propel him into a storyline was becoming laughable and completely unbearable. I stopped reading tripwire halfway and then made up my mind to never read Lee Again. But if there is one Lee novel that you should read , then read the Killing floor. Exquisite. I think Lee had the potential to be somehing great. Look at the other guys, Grisham, Crichton...etc always experimenting, trying new thing, putting flesh to fresh ideas. After all is said and done, KF is a commendable effort and an amazzing first novel hit which probably sealed Lee's early retirement plans. I just feel he could have given us something special if he had not continued to find the easy way out and dish out more farcical stories the same character and attitude. Sort of like he was lazy enough to think up somehting new. Well atleast enjoy KC, This was the best and last from Lee, who has already been forgotten. The greats are different. They take a chance. Repetitive and routine is for the uncreative mind

This was our first Lee Child, and his first work introducing leading man Jack Reacher. Jack is a retired homicide investigator for the military police, and as this book opens, just roaming the country looking for something to grab his interest in life. We meet him minding his own business eating brunch in a diner in Margrave, Ga., where after a few minutes, the police storm the eatery and arrest Jack for murder! We all know he's absolutely innocent, but our attention was riveted by Child's technique of having Reacher actually start working the murder case as he himself is being interrogated as a suspect!

Spending a day in the slammer as a material witness, along with an unfortunate banker named Hubble, whose phone number being in the murdered man's shoe makes him a suspect as well, Reacher kills (in self-defense) another inmate, the first in a series of brutal slayings depicted throughout the novel. So now we know Reacher can more than take care of himself both physically and mentally.

Soon the police discover Reacher's got an airtight alibi for the murder; then it's discovered the victim is by total coincidence Reacher's brother Joe, a US Treasury special agent in charge of counterfeiting. And so the plot is off and running. Before it's over, some bad cops are unearthed, with we readers often getting to smell out the rat in advance, which was fun. Police Officer Ms. Roscoe, who took a shining to Jack upon sight, provides our hero a stirring and sexy romance, which was an interesting sub-plot with which we anxiously awaited resolution.

To us, Child's writing skill, his pace and ability to sustain action and suspense, and his crafty plot with just the right amount of complications, has given us a page-turning, stellar new series to enjoy. Can't wait to read our next Reacher!

Trading Reality is OK.

The story is about a Brit financial-type who takes over his murdered brother's start-up in Scotland's Silicon Glen. He is forced to deal with the conflict of honoring his brother's wishes and his own mercenary instincts.

The bond trader turned entrepreneur reminded me of Po Bronson's last two novels merged into a who-dunn-it, but without the humor. Merging the bond trader and high-tech startup entrepreneur together and layering that on top of a mystery was too blatant a play at a info-novel for me. And it was too predictable. Finally, there were some quirky things about the story. No marital relationship of the story's characters past or present either worked-out or was working out. And the final love-interest did not appear to imply any commitment. Hmmm?

This book is OK, but there are better things to read.

I do not read many fiction books, but I was recommended to Trading Reality. I could not put it down. The characters were extremely believable, both in their thoughts, actions, and in their reactions to situations. I will not spoil the story line, but the ending was strong, yet a little predictable. This book was an excellent blend of bond trading (of which I know little) and computers (of which I know a bit more). It was also very thought provoking; just where will virtual reality take us? I shall certainly be reading other titles by this author. Go on read it, you will enjoy it.

I found Trading Reality to be very exciting and entertaining - from beginning to end. The plot is great and it's difficult to guess what's going to happen next. You constantly think you've worked it out only to realise that you've been had once again. I found the detailed descriptions of life in The City combined with the interesting world of high technology to be an excellent cocktail. Well written and definitely worth a try...

You can find the information on the internet or from any place that sell hardwood. I thought the book would show you to do special thing, but ... nothing useful.

I've done three rooms so far and saved a bundle. Will end up paying about 2.75 a square foot for 5.25 inch red oak planks. Looks great, don't believe it would have come out as well without the book.

Great book. Covers all you need from actually installing the floor to the final coat of finish. I'm a first timer, but installed and finished my pine floors and saved about $7000.

I'm now planning to install ceramic tile for first time and hope to find book on this subject as good as Don Bollinger's book.

Robert

While not as horror-filled as some of Barbara Michaels' earlier books, THE DANCING FLOOR does not disappoint lovers of mystery. Unfortunately, the Michaels fan will find this book a bit predictable. The theme of witchcraft could have just as easily been some other plot device - it was not as essential to the storyline as it at first appears. Too, certain aspects of the story are not fully developed. The reader is left wondering why the "lord of the manor" invites Heather in so welcomingly. The coincidence of a name does not appear to be sufficient, and later events makes this line of reasoning even more questionable.

Ms. Michaels is very adept with American dialog, however, the English characters spoke with the same American idioms. This was somewhat confusing for the reader. Although most of the main characters are in fact American, the British characters would be far more believable with more of an English "accent."

This book makes a comfortable rainy-day read. Unless you are a loyal Michaels fan, it should keep you guessing!

Heroine: husky

American school teacher Heather Tradescant has journeyed to merry Olde England on a trip that is anything but merry. She is living out her father's last wishes and visiting the famous ancient gardens as they had once dreamed of doing together.

Heather particularly desires to see the seventeenth century garden of one Troyton House, but is denied access by the owner. Determined to at least get a glimpse of the fabled grounds, she gives in to impulse and trespasses on the property, blundering her way through a monstrous prickly hedge that does far more damage to her than she does to it.

Arriving on the far side of the vegetation Heather is left with a deep-seated sense of uneasiness extending far beyond that of merely breaking the law. She senses that perhaps God's own laws are somehow being broken at Troyton House, but by who or what she does not know--and is desperately afraid she will find out.

What worked for me:

I give Heather big points for being a teacher, and a lover of gardening, traditional Regency romance novels, and chocolate!

I enjoyed the fact that the story was steeped in the lore of several cultures. I wish it gone into even further detail in some cases, it was so interesting.

Size-wise Heather describes herself as being big-boned but flat-chested. But it didn't seem to lessen her appeal to the other gender, as she had four men interested in her at one time or another.

What didn't work for me:

Reading this story felt like mentally traversing a maze with its twists, turns, and false leads. And yet, it wasn't that highly suspenseful for me. I think I went into it expecting something shocking, like a "Blair Witch" meets contemporary gothic romance sort of hybrid, and when I didn't get that kind of intense, high-speed action I found it to be a bit draggy.

Overall:

"The Dancing Floor" didn't quite have the zing the back cover blurb really promised. Still, it's definitely worth the searching out at the library if you are a fan of witches and/or gardening.

Warning: There are several mentions of the occult in this novel and don't expect many mentions of floors, dancing or otherwise in this oddly-named story.

If you liked "The Dancing Floor" you might also enjoy "Thornyhold".

---- THE DANCING FLOOR Barbara Michaels Harper Collins, Mar 1997, $23.00, 422 pp. When Heather Tradescent's beloved father suddenly passed away, the bereaving woman decides to see the British homes and gardens that she and her deceased dad had planned to visit. With her vacation almost over, Heather visits Troystan House, which is not open to the public, but somehow she manages to find a way inside where she meets the eccentric rich owner, industrialist Frank Karim, who makes her part of the family. At first, Heather has her doubts, but ultimately the warmth of the place makes her feel that she finally has found a place where she belongs. As she gets more comfortable, Heather falls in love with Franks's son, Gordon, but doubts he reciprocates her feelings. However, things turn bad when a child turns up missing and the evidence indicates that a coven is behind the event. Instead of finding a heavenly home, Heather may have placed herself in mortal danger. Barbara Michaels can always be counted on for writing an entertaining book and her latest novel, THE DANCING FLOOR, will augment her growing reputation. Heather and the support cast are all great characters, but it is Ms. Michaels' ability to increasingly build tension while tossing hints of potential supernatural involvement that makes this an exciting romantic suspense drama. Harriet Klausner

I purchased this book after reading all the good reviews on this site. I consider the book a complete waste of money. It included suggestions like matching the colour of the siding on the suite to the rest of the house, and ensuring that you follow the building code. It was full of such ridiculously simple comments.

The "80" floor plans are in fact 40 floor plans and 40 mirror images of those plans. All of the plans are simply a rectangular structure with rooms placed in various locations in that rectangle.

While this book is geared toward setting up elderly parents near you, I think it could be useful for other types of families as well, such as multiple couples who wish to live together or multiple adults who wish to live together but still lead separate lives. In most ways, this is a book about adding an apartment onto your house. The plans are rather dull to look at and a lot of the advice is rather commonsense but they are a useful place to begin research if you are interested in such construction. I wish it had examples of houses and suits created by people today though -- some more realism to the entire book and some good ideas of how such an arrangement might work between families.

I thought this book was great. It covers everything from the reasons why an in-law suite is a good idea, to designing the plan, incorporating handicapped fixtures, etc. Yes there are only 40 separate plans (the other 40 are mirror images) but the plans are well thought out and encompass sizes from 300+ to 1000+ square feet. The plans are simple, straightforward and can be easily modified. I sent a copy of this book to my parents after buying one for myself, as we are considering building an in-law suite onto our house for my parents. My husband sells lots in a new subdivision and is keeping the book at his office with his other house plans because it's so useful.

I was immediately impressed with this work. It follows that God would do this since He put the story of redemption in the star constellations, why not also in the earth? "Deep calleth unto deep..." Many people will not see it (admit it) no matter how obvious it is. I also think it interesting that the band "YES" has an album from 1973 called "Tales From Topographic Oceans" which I think is exactly what this is. And like two of that albums four songs titles say: "The Revealing Science Of God" and "The Ancient Giants Under The Sun" I'd say YES to both. It's for real.
I have put a map of the world up on my wall and bought several map books. I even showed the people working in one book store the face in a very good map book as I was checking out, where the ocean floors were displayed and showed them the Kneeling King. I don't think they were convinced but I am. My roommate thinks I'm off on yet another flight of fancy because I believe this is true. Well, I just see God's handiwork. I see also Lloyd Carpenter's sincerity in all that he says and how he presents everything. I believe God has revealed these things to those who are humble and hidden them from others. I will never look at a map of this Earth the way I used to but now with tremendous awe and wonder and humility and thanksgiving to our glorious creator who loves us so much. To me the figure of Jesus is so clear. I spot it every time I see a map of the world and I say, "There's Jesus!"

After reading Lloyd S. Carpenter's contribution to the people of the world, "The Amazing Mystery of the Great Face on the Pacific Floor," I was puzzled about the truth of this mysterious face as it revealed itself to me. I could see a believable representation unfolding of the face of our Father, our living God, and the Creator of all things. I asked God, " where have you been hiding this man, Carpenter, all this time?"
The obvious question is, how does all this comes into place? Surprisingly, this happens when we read the amount of biblical and topographical lay out relating to the Face on the Pacific Ocean Floor. I believe that if God did lay the foundations of earth and it is his footstool, he is fully capable of giving us physical evidence of this king. God is fully able to say what he is about by carving his weeping face on the Pacific Ocean floor. "Where wasn't thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou has understand?" (Job 38:4) (Isaiah 6:3; 1 Cor. 10:28; Isaiah 66:1)
Because of scripture, the concepts of the eye of God, weeping and tears flowing, God's affection, God's praying hands, and his final revelation through Jesus Christ is spiritually, topographically and archeologically plausible.
I write this as a tribute to Lloyd Stewart Carpenter, who has done a superb job of a full investigation of the mysterious phenomenon of God's face on the Pacific Ocean Floor. This book is worth billions of heavenly treasure. I urge everyone to read this book with the highest degree of discretion, because it is a piece of work well crafted.

Dr. James Mbuva, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Teacher Education Department
School of Education
National University

The author has the talent to combine topics from different fields in an astonishing and interesting way. The face on the Pacific Ocean and the other geographic features combined with the God of the Bible is a very strong hint for non-believers that God is reality. The book shows profound proof for God's existence - however, some ignorant people will probably say "I can't care less" or " Oh - that's interesting". I recommend this book for any person who is interested in real facts - it shows valuable insight in a topic which a generation ago could not be written about due to lack of technological advance.

This review concerns the revised 1964 edition. Mr. Hardy gets Frank and Joe to help him track down a gang of jewel thieves. The trail leads Frank and Joe to the old Perth mansion on the outskirts of Bayport and into another mystery: what caused the death of Clarence Perth, who died in the mansion shortly after inheriting it from his uncle. This book wasn't bad, but with its appealing title and spooky mansion, I expected it to be better than what it was; although, most often, the books with the very appealing sounding titles don't live up to my expectations. This book is average; the mystery is interesting enough, there is a moderate amount of action and at least this edition wasn't confusing, unlike the original edition which was hard to follow at times. Some fans, like myself, might feel that this book wasn't as good as they had expected, but I don't think that any Hardy Boys fans would be bored reading the book.

This review concerns the original 1940 edition. Frank and Joe help their father track down a gang of vicious bank robbers and stumble upon a crazy man's mysterious, old mansion filled with his strange inventions. This is easily the most imaginative of all of the Hardy Boys books, with all of the interesting gadgets that the author included in the book; however, it is not a very well written book. There are a number of cases of people meeting in the most unlikely of areas, plot points that are totally irrelevant to the book and never explained (Frank and Joe find an envelope with a $100 bill in it at the beginning of the book, it is never mentioned again until the end of the book and it is never explained to whom the money belongs) and, at one point, Frank, Joe and Chet are at the mansion, Chet becomes frightened, runs off and is not mentioned again until Frank and Joe return to Bayport. The whole side of the book that concerns the mansion is not that important to the story, even though it is the most interesting part. It seems as though the author had a great idea for this weird house and then had to write in the bank robbers to provide bad guys for the story, because the first 80, or so, pages, until Frank and Joe first arrive at the mansion, drag on a bit. From that point on the book is pretty good. If nothing else, though, the book is interesting enough because of the strange gadgets and most Hardy Boy's fans would not think the book a waste of their time.

Personally, I enjoyed this book. It was pretty exciting. There are many exciting things that happen, like a car chase, a smoke screen, a dying man, mysterious robberies, a hidden tunnel, an errie ghost, a disappearing floor, a plane crash, a sabotaged boat, and a strange message. All in all it was a pretty good book.