Floor

I enjoy looking at architecture from the late 1800's to the early 1900's in America. It is possible to see how families of the past lived by viewing the floor plans in this book. Many of them would be very livable for today (updated with modern mechanics and appliances, of course!) for young families and retirees. My personal goal is to select one (the hardest part of all!) to build for my wife and myself to retire to (in about 15-20 years).

Whenever I'm out driving through my neighborhood, inevitably another charming older home catches my eye and I race home to grab my copy of this great book. It's turned out to be a wonderful resource for my husband and me as we search for our first home. We already have an idea of the floor plan before we walk through the door. Also gives a lot of information about original fixtures/features that tend to change as homes are renovated through the years.

As all of history is cyclical, so is home architecture in America. Authentic Small Houses of the Twenties shows wonderful possibilities for houses that capture the "Not so Big House" ideal, a movement gaining momentum in this day of the McMansion. The product of a joint venture by the U. S. Dept. of Commerce and the American Institute of Architects after WWI, these house plans show marvelous use of interior space, detailing and economy. Although the house plans with sketches or photos of each shown are not available, as far as I know, in blueprint form for purchase, they furnish tremendous grist for the creative future home owner. A treasure!

Gettin to the dance floor is a book full of stories which can create inspiration in any golfer. To truly appreciate the game of golf you must know something about its past. This books covers the stories of Bill Spiller, Gene Sarazan, Sam Snead, and much more.... If you are curious about them or the history of golf this is a must have book..

Gettin' To The Dance Floor is a unique and memorable history of American golf by former editor of Golf Magazine, Al Barkow. Included are first-hand accounts from legendary golfers such as Lighthorse Harry Cooper, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, and others. Gettin' To The Dance Floor describes how much of a grind it was for a player to be part of the Tour. Scraping up enough cash to eat, finding a ride to the next tournament, finding sleeping arrangements, all the while searching for a better golf swing with nowhere to practice and not time to do it. All this while keeping a club job and a family together while traveling around the country in the middle of the Depression. Gettin' To The Dance Floor is "must" reading for anyone who ever dreamed of going on Tour or who has admired those who did.

I had an opportunity to read "Gettin' To The Dance Floor" five or six years ago, having found it in the golf collection of the main branch of the Washington, DC, public library.

Barkow's extremely interesting profiles of historic golf figures rekindled my long-dormant interest in the game, and had me checking out 5 or 6 books at a time !

One of Al's profiles, on "Wild Bill" Melhorn, a star of the '20s and contemporary of Walter Hagen's (Hagen rated Melhorn's 2-iron as the best in the game, in a listing of the best players with each club), provided information allowing me to contact the author of a privately-published book on Melhorn.

I ordered 2 copies, one for a friend, and was extremely delighted to read of the exploits of one of the very good, but lesser-known greats, of golf's transitionary era from the wooden shafts of the'20s to the introduction of steel shafts in the '30s.

If Tiger hasn't read "Gettin' To The Dance Floor" (and he probably has !), he should. There are several compelling profiles of little-known (today) black golf pioneers.

Every fan of golf's history in America during the period from 1920 - 1960 will enjoy this book. A great read !

I feel that Laughter on the 23rd Floor is funny but the jokes are probably too American. One of the biggest flaws of the play is that the characters are stereotyped. They lack depth and therefore, the audience don't really feel for or associate with them.

"Laughter on the 23rd Floor" is a very funny play, with its dramatic points strewn along. The dialogue is extremely funny and witty, but the language at times can be profane. I can see Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" in there a bit, and he doesn't stray too far from a writer's life and dream. A nice play - I recommend.

It was de besta times, it was de woista times. It was T.V.'s golden age. It was T.V.'s greatest shame. It was de oily '50s and a roomful of writers was puttin' togedda a weekly T.V. show dere. Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor takes us inside the crazy angry frightening competitive creative wonderful writer's room of an early '50s T.V. comedy variety show. The cast, faced with dropping ratings and red baiting try desperately to keep their jobs and maintain the show's high standards in the only way they know how -- by wisecracking their ways through the crisis. Max Shields, the star of the show, is a thinly disguised Sid Caesar, for whom Simon wrote in the 50s. In Laughter we follow Max's disintegration from exhaustion and alcohol as he tries to cope with interfering network executives who continually cut his budget, shorten his show and try to force him to "dumb down" the content. Under the constant belly laughs delivered by Max and his writers, exists a classicly tragic character whose fatal flaw is his loyalty to the crew of writers that make him look good. Simon uses the ensemble cast to revisit a time when people lived in fear. Each writer makes his or own personal journey in the confines and context of daily writing slams. Milt, the king of the one-line put down, who wears cowboy boots to Christmas parties and outrageous suits to work because he fears he's not as good as anyone else in the room. Stressing quantity over quality as his strength, Milt explains, "When Max laughs, my kids eat." Carol, the only woman on the staff, is 8 months pregnant. Yet, she explains that she has no desire to be known as a woman writer -- she wants to be known as a good writer -- even if she has to be one of the guys to do it. Each character in this Simon masterwork is lovingly drawn and viciously parodied. And it is each character's ability to survive the angst of the red-baiting, money-driven, creativity stifling era that makes Laughter on the 23rd Floor a must read.

Humorous, engaging, and packed with information, this best-selling science series is aptly illustrated with lively pictures. My kids adore the cartoon bubbles and short "reports" from the students in the story. Their teacher, Ms Frizzle, is an amazing character who challenges her pupils and leads them on amazing fieldtrips. Her equally fascinating wardrobe changes with each subject and situation. All this has made it a read-aloud favorite since my eldest was three. In ON THE OCEAN FLOOR, the inimitable school bus undergoes several transformations as it transports us to and through the ocean; from tidal pools, down to the deep ocean floor, and, after a brief visit to a tropical island, home. I was touched by the inclusion of a specimen of fish, well known in my home state of Hawaii. However, I must say OUR lifeguards are nothing like Lenny, who, unlike the rest of the book, is definitely lacking on several points. Real lifeguards patrol their strip of beach and keep watch over the waters from their perch. They also patiently answer my children`s questions about the local sea life (most recently, about jellyfish) and just as patiently patch up even the smallest of "boo-boos." Minus one star for Lenny.

At this point, Ms. Frizzle and her class have explored things like the waterworks, the many layers of the earth, the human body, and even outer space. So it's only natural that Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen would decide to lead their readers on an under-sea adventure. "The Magic School Bus: On the Ocean Floor" is another top-notch collaboration by two people who show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Written in 1992, "On the Ocean Floor" picks up where "Lost in the Solar System" left off. Ms. Frizzle's students are working on their ocean science projects, which makes their teacher very happy. However, it makes them hot and tired; the temperature on this day is soaring!

"I wish we could go swimming," comments one student while putting the finishing touches on a display about how ocean animals swim.

"As a matter of fact, children," says the Friz, "I've been planning a class trip to the ocean for tomorrow."

And, just like that, the class - as well as the reader at home - is being whisked away on yet another magical field trip. The kids think they're just going to spend a day having fun in the sun, but Ms. Frizzle has other ideas!

"On the Ocean Floor" rivals "Inside the Human Body" for the amount of information - not to mention good-natured humor - packed into one 48-page book. Just about everything you can imagine - and anything you can't - is touched on in this compelling romp through the heart of the ocean. At the end of Ms. Frizzle's latest underwater voyage, you will have a better understanding of what hidden treasures abound in the deep blue sea.

Ms. Frizzle's class learns all about ocean life; the kids come across things such as barnacles, grunts, limpets, sponges, sugar kelp, tubeworms, and whelks. More familiar entities include coral reefs, dolphins, lobsters, plankton, sharks, tunas, and whales. The students explore high tides, low tides, continental shelves, continental slopes, the ocean floor, hot-water vents, and waves. And I'm only bobbing the surface of what Ms. Frizzle has lined up for her class.

The end of the book leaves us with two things: 1) a little quiz distinguishing what things were true in the story and what things were made up; and 2) another clue as to what the Friz's next adventure will entail. From the looks of it, her idea of a field trip is so old, it's practically prehistoric!

As so often happens, it is common for the things we love in life to grow stale. Rarely does a book series get better with age. But Cole and Degen have managed to do just that. With each "Magic School Bus" story they produce, the product becomes more polished. I had never heard of even half the things this tale delves into, and I thoroughly enjoyed absorbing myself in the read. "On the Ocean Floor" is yet another high-quality effort from two people who wouldn't settle for anything less.

The fifth book in this wonderful series is definitely a keeper, as are the four volumes that precede it. Do yourself a favor, and take a ride on the magic school bus!

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "Wahoo!"

Another triumph for the Magic School Bus series. The class takes a field trip to the ocean (not the beach; the ocean) where they learn about the wondrous creatures that live there. Everything from plankton to mammals, including the strange lifeforms around hot water vents, is touched on in this fabulous book. The inserts on each page from the kids' projects add valuable information. The science is current and presented in an entertaining and easy-to-understand manner. Even though the series is designed for older kids, my two-year-old loves the pictures and carries the book with him everywhere.

When beautiful dancer Lara Trudeau dies while dancing of a drug overdose, the police are quick to write it off as another tragic accident of perscription drug abuse. But one cop isn't so sure--and he gets his brother, ex-FBI profiler and private investigator Quinn O'Casey to look into the case. The obvious suspect is another dancer, Shannon Mackay. Shannon has lost her partner and her lover to Lara several years earlier and an 'accident' on the dance floor had cost her her competitive career. But Quinn likes Shannon--likes her a lot. Of course, there's really only one thing he's sure of--his own judgment is fatally flawed.

Quinn puts Lara's case together with several other drug-related deaths that seem connected to the dance studio where Lara and Shannon worked. It could be coincidence, but Quinn doesn't believe in coincidence. He signs up for dance lessons, starts to fall for Shannon, and learns that she is chased by her own demons--or maybe by something far more real than mythical demons. It's tough enough solving a case, but both Shannon and Quinn have major issues they need to work for before they can deal with the attraction that flows between them like, well, like a dance.

Author Heather Graham writes convincingly of the world of ballroom dance and of sultry southern Florida. Damaged but hunky Quinn makes a great foil for frightened but spunky Shannon. Their issues parallel and they find that working through together gives each of them strength to admit their true goals. Of course, before any kind of long-term romance can develop, they'll have to stay alive. And someone seems intent on making sure that doesn't happen.

DEAD ON THE DANCE FLOOR is an enjoyable romance.

Having attained first prize in every ballroom competition that she competed in, everyone agrees that Lara Trudeau is the dancing queen though all agree that the Prima Donna is a detestable nasty egomaniac. Currently, she is expected to triumph again as she vies for the trophy of the Universe of Champions event. However, this time during one of her classy moves Lara abruptly dies fittingly on the floor where she reigned as the monarch of dance.

Quinn O'Casey heads the investigation into the ballroom dance queen death that seems so suspicious. However, he goes undercover to learn what he can about the regulars, employees and owner of the Moonlight Sonata Dance Studio. His deepest interest is in the owner Shannon MacKay, but he is not sure if he wants to handcuff her as a criminal or as the woman he is falling in love with.

Police procedural romance readers will take great delight with the terrific DEAD ON THE DANCE FLOOR. The story line hooks the audience from the first step until the final pirouette. Because Lara is universally loathed, Quinn has too many suspects to contend with, but Shannon is the most obvious of all. Adding to his tension is he wants to not only believe in her innocence he wants to dance with her preferably in the bedroom not the ballroom. Shannon is his ideal partner so that the audience obtains a fine story that in many ways feels like a modernization of the classic film Laura.

Harriet Klausner

If you are interested in crafting or just want to add that special touch to your home, this book is a good way to get started. Not only does the author explain in detail the tools you will need to create that masterpiece, she also explains interesting techniques and design ideas. Directions are very easy to follow. Really jumpstarts your creativity

A great introduction to the art of making floorcoverings which even a master would appreciate. Wonderful illustrations and straight forward instructions to help anyone turn a floorcloth dream into a reality. Thank you for a well done and helpful work.

If you were like me and you didn't get any advice on how to care for your hardwood floor from your installer then this is the book to get.

My wife and I bought an Arts and Crafts era bungalow with hardwood floors. Neither of us grew up with hardwood floors and were at something of a loss as to what to do with them. This slender volume concisely but fully explains how to care for these floors. It includes methods for assessing the floor and determing what measures are needed for its preservation.

This book is written in a lean manner. It is simple, common and easy to read. It describes ordinary things and ideas very clearly and with one purpose. This book provides all the roadmap, tools and insight needed to allow plants to achieve excellence. The authors take great pains to address common failures issues. They provide a single source handbook that any plant can understand and use, a source with example metrics and tools, with logic and simple ideas to prevent and overcome the daily issues faced by the team that implements Lean.

This is not a book that deals much about soft issues. It is not a fuzzy warm feeling book about the people side, nor is it a motivational "you can do it" book. It is a frank easy to read book about simple steps and simple ideas that make plants great. It explains the people issues and the fact that unless working teams make the decisions and changes Lean will not happen. It is a long book, more of handbook length, but much easier to read.

Lean Manufacturing: A Plant Floor Guide fills the space between a detailed "How To" text and an overview. It provides coverage of every key issue in moving to Lean Manufacturing, offering rationale, plans and encouragement.

From understanding your customers needs, metrics, building a solid business case and launching a methodical process, this book has all the tools necessary for a sound lean transition.
Perhaps most importantly, it offers reliable advice on overcoming resistance and building an effective team.

This is a good book on how to lay carpet. The carpet on my stairs was wearing out and I wanted to replace it myself from extra carpet I had from the original installation. Eric Larson's book gave me the information to do the job.

I read the rest of the book and, although I did not use the data, the information seemed complete and the instructions were generally clear. It's clear that Eric wrote the book for apprentice carpet installers and I applaud his textbook-like approach with the questions and answers after each chapter. Based on the information contained and the approach used to teach it, I would give the book four to four and a half stars.

My complaint is about the editing, which is attributed to Dr. William G. Burns of San Antonio. The English used in the book is atrocious. Sentences and clauses run together without any punctuation, sort of the way someone would speak in informal speech. Many of the sentences are just fragments, either without a verb or without a subject. Possessive forms do not use an apostrophe (Jacks hammer instead of Jack's hammer). It's clear that this book was written on a word processor and the spell check was used without any human judgment. There are many places in the book where the wrong word is used, but not misspelled. That is, "their" is used where it should be "there". "To" is used when it should be "too". "And" is used when it should be "an" ("three eights of and inch"). The book is riddled with errors of this nature. My favorite is where Eric writes that "...the installer should asses the job..." instead of "assess".

I realize that Eric is a carpet installer and not an English major, and I do not fault him for the poor English usage. I do fault him for not realizing his weakness and finding a better editor, even if that editor would drive him crazy with rewrites and markups. There's simply no excuse for putting out a book, especially one that is to be used as a textbook, with such poor English usage.

However, if you can get past the mangling of the language, the book does have some good information on carpet installation.

I work for a property management firm. We just started doing out carpet in house. I searched for installation training as was unable to find any. I even went to many different flooring tool suppliers and I was still unable to come up with any references on the subject. This book is an invaluable training aid for new installers. A follow up video would be great.

The content within this book is excellent. It takes the mystery out of installing carpet. It's modern, being published in 2002, and the author really knows what he is talking about. It's designed as a training handbook for assistant installers, but it is a perfect resource for the do-it-yourselfer, as well.

The book opens with a section on professionalism, attire, cleanliness, and tattoo's. It's an awkward beginning for the do-it-yourselfer, but the message is well intended, and I found it humorous to read (I agree with the authors view about tattoo's). The organization of the book is somewhat unusual with a glossary being in the first section, but it actually makes good sense, since you will need to know the terms as baseline information to help you get started. I would suggest that the author move it to an appendix and and refer to it within the text.

My ONLY complaint about this book is that there are many typographical errors. As I read it, I wondered if the editor had read it?

All in all, I would say that this book is easily worth twice the price. A well done first effort by Eric Larson.

I normally do not like most books written on the subject of futures trading. All the way from their bombastic titles to the poorly thought out ideas which lose money consistently.This book is different. It contains a lot of new ideas and some pretty interesting information. The chapter on "split openings" is well worth the price of the book alone. It is a very good manual for short term traders, particularly day traders.

I couldn't put this book down for the first 1/3rd...and liked the 2nd third...but the last 1/3rd dragged. Lots of good rules and explanations and ideas from a practical point of view. Well worth the price, and I learned a lot.

the ideas generated from this book, helped me make money right away.Grant drilled into me the importance of what the winners do and what they do is they concentrate most of their time and energy on the opening, which most of us amateurs, the majority, tend to ignore.If you want to succeed in the world of trading, Grant points out, you must start doing what the winners do.I strongly recommend this book for the day trader and position trader.Put away all your books on indicators and buy this book.