House

This is, so far, the best collection of Santas and Father Christmases I have yet encountered. The charts are color coded, and there are a great variety of designs. This is perfect for someone who knows a collector of all that is Father Christmas! I have even kept several to display myself.

Great book for all the cross-stisches crazy, like me. Sorry for my englis

This is one of my favorite cross-stitch books. I have already stitched 3 of the Santas from it and hope to eventually stitch them all. The photography is excellent and the charts are very well done. Along with each photo is some history about the various renderings of Santa. It is a great book for stitchers and Santa collectors alike!!!

As a real fan of Arnold Weinstein's terrific lectures on both American and World Literature (from the Teaching Company, but which I borrow from my library), I had high expectations for this book. My expectations were exceeded. That's because in the lectures, Dr. Weinstein focuses almost exclusively on literature. That's not a bad thing. It's a solid traditional approach. But in this text he is also free to draw in art, theater and film where appropriate, and to treat his material thematically, instead of on a book by book basis, a practice which tends to marginalize overall thematic observations. Also, in this format Dr. Weinstein can engage in digressions, and not worry about taking up too much time doing so, as he might in a lecture situation.

Here's an example of a short digression that I found particularly insightful: "One of the ironies of modern culture is its peculiar treatment of high art. Either we subject it to the rigors of modern critical theory, so as to disclose the hidden ideological arrangements it contains; or we piously commit it to the scholar's care, with the implicit view that we "laypeople" do not have the tools of access to frequent such work with any degree of profit. It would be better if we taught our students to view all art as fair game, to approach the most formidable and hermetic works as an aspiring thief might; with intent to break and enter, to discover, steal and possess what is there." Page 334.

Summarizing his insights at the end of this highly engaging text, he meditates on the tragedy of modernity, which he sees as a surfeit of consciousness combined with a lack of human connection. Weinstein illustrates this observation most dramatically through Faulkner's Quentin Compson. First, he cites Robert Penn Warren as having gotten it right when he said that it is not that Quentin suffers from a consciousness of doom, but rather the doom of consciousness. Hamlet was perhaps the first hyperconscious modern, and Weinstein does a fine job of showing how Hamlet and Quentin are connected, too.

Implicit in this, at least in my opinion, is that hyperconsciousness has been promoted by the consumer society. It has filled the world with things, variations of things upon things, filling up our lives with endless vexed choices and in so doing both stokes and attempts to put out the fire of hyperconsciouness. In either case we are seduced into ignoring the fast beating heart of our own humanity as this world of things muffles the scream that goes through the house of our bodies and consciousness.

Weinstein reminds us why we read--to access alien subjectivities and begin to understand the world in which we live. This beautifully written book legitimizes the discipline of English and compels us to marinade in and reflect on the fascinating phenomenon of consciousness.

Professor Weinstein is one of the great teachers of literature, and one of the great humanists as well. His new book offers a compelling approach to literature, one that is not common in the academy by trying to de-intellectualize the reading of literature by connecting it to living, not thinking, our lives. His interpretations of Edward Munch's art are particularly compelling and novel, while his readings of literary works such as Toni Morrison's BELOVED are original and make one want to run out and read the book immediately. This is a completely original and human book and I recommend it highly.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about getting some land and moving to the country. It covers all the basics of farming, raising livestock to building a farm pond.

It is written in a style that is conversational and his approach is "this is what has worked for me". Many books on the subject assume that you have some starter knowledge on the subject; this one covers the very basics for people that have grown up in the city or suburbs.

I agree with the 1st reviewer...great book! What I find handy is that after most chapter, the author includes a list of resources for further reading, just in case (not likely!) you find his coverage of the topic lacking. This book is great not just for homesteaders, but for any one who lives, or aspires to live, in the country! It covers some topics not covered in most other books of this type, including attending an auction, Country games and pastimes, tractors, atvs, and firearms, in addition to the "usual" homestead topics of water, food preservation, etc.
Buy this book now if you want to live in the country!

This book is an absolute msut for homesteaders, weekend gardeners, hobby farmers, etc. Think of this as an up to date version of popular earlier works of this type.
Sanders' writing style is easy to read, and the book is chock full of good advice. Use just one or two of his ideas, and you'll more than pay for the price of the book!

My daughter loves this book...especially the page where Bert is at the Doctor's office. It helps her know exactly what is what at the Doctor's office and loves to impress the Doctor with her medical vocabulary. All the pages are great and the illustrations are absolutely WONDERFUL!

We bought this book when my son was 1 1/2. We all fall in love with this book. The colorful pictures really draw his attention. He especially loves the pages with planes, boats and construction equipment. My son is now 2 1/2 and still enjoys the book. However I would hope the publisher would have the board book verion. The thin pages would be torn easily because we read it everyday. I highly recommend this book to all parents.

I purchased this book for my 20 month old daughter. She is captivated by it and picks it up 10 times a day. The book is recommended for ages 4-8; however, it is excellent for younger children as well, who learn words and concepts from the elaborate illustrations. This is a MUST have item.

Ever since building our first piece of "Stickley" style furniture I've been looking for a book with more ideas. This one certainly filled the bill. Given the time, I could outfit my whole house with these attractive pieces! Mr. Lang's style helped make it an enjoyable read while his hints and advice came in useful from the start. An added benefit was the facinating history of the Stickley company. It really gave me some insight as to the designs.

Professional cabinet maker and draftsman Bob Lang's Shop Drawings For Craftsman Furniture: 27 Stickley Designs For Every Room In The Home is an a draft book filled with precise, exacting line drawings that can be used as models to create a wide variety of elegant and practical home furnishings. A beginning section aptly introduces novice builders to the art of interpreting shop drawings, and the drawings themselves come with brief commentary and instructions. Overall, Shop Drawings For Craftsman Furniture is a superbly presented, highly recommended do-it-yourself guide, and especially useful for building a handmade holiday gift when store-bought gifts just won't do.

There are a lot of books about making Arts and Crafts furniture, but only a few really good ones. Some offer inspiration, some offer detailed instructions, and all offer a brief history of the Arts and Crafts movement. Very few offer the kind of detailed drawings it takes to really build the furniture pictured.
I'll confess that I haven't built a piece from this book yet, it's simply too new, but a review of the drawings tells me that I could start on a piece tomorrow knowing that the dimensions are accurate.
Here's where the experience part comes in. There are no step by step instructions. It is up to the reader to interpret the drawings, decide on the construction techniques to use and plan the project before starting. This book won't tell you the order in which to assemble the parts you make, you'll decide that, among many other decisions. To me, that's part of the fun and challenge of building furniture.
If you are inexperienced in building furniture, buy this book for future projects and also buy one with some detailed instructions in it for your first few pieces. (I'd recommend "Authentic Arts and Crafts Furniture Projects" by the editors of "Popular Woodworking" magazine.)

I have been researching the NC furniture scene for a while and had not found anything comprehensive yet. I just read this book and it really is an EXCELLENT guide

This is a great guide to shopping for furniture in North Carolina, no question about it. But the best part of the book is when Shapiro acts as guide for the other parts of your trip. Where to stay, especially if bringing your dog, covered. Where to eat in the various towns, covered, including how to order like a local. This book is tremendously helpful!

As a 20-year veteran of the NC furniture biz I'm pleased at the author's ability to present the nuts and bolts of discount furniture and home furnishings shopping to the consumer. There are some other authors who have come down here and tried but they have not achieved an insider perspective. When Ms. Shapiro interviewed me for this book (she was down for a long time doing the research and spoke to people in all the stores) I had my doubts about a New Yorker writing this book. But she really got inside the business and the book has great information and is a good read unlike your regular garden variety dry guide book. As the title promises you will save 50-80% if you follow the guide.

This bizarre and seemingly well-documented book discusses the frightening phenomena which plagued a Maryland family for ten years. Ron and Nancy Stallings moved into the impressive old home on Evergreen Avenue thinking it would be the perfect place to raise their large family. Before long annoying knockings in the walls and unexplainable electrical disturbances escalate to sightings of apparitions, ghostly voices,and a most disturbing "partial materialization."

The book is packed with numerous and detailed accounts which would send the sanest person screaming into the night: Two of the Stallings' young daughters complain of a man with a sword who stares out into the night from their bedroom window. An unknown occupant rudely warns neighbors away from the property while the family is on vacation. Nancy's elderly grandmother is awakened late at night by two middle-aged female wraiths, etc., etc.

Financial constraints preclude moving so the Stallings seek to oust the demons with help from the religious community and famed ghost hunter Dr. Hans Holzer. All efforts to evict the unwelcome tenants fail. They finally succeed in selling the house, apparently with the help of the entities,and you don't want to miss the new family's comments.

Nancy Stallings has crafted a real page-turner which is frightening, intriguing, and at times even funny. Also has great photos including two of eerie ghostly hands flipping light switches and reaching for an investigator's clipboard. Some of the incidents reported by the author strain credulity. In addition, the discerning reader may note that as a novice writer Mrs. Stallings overuses some trite phrases ("frozen with fear" is one), but don't let that stop you. This is an entertaining book!

P.S. Many believe (myself included) that such phenomena is inspired by the ultimate evil - never attempt to communicate with it through ouija boards, auto writing, seances, witchcraft spells, etc. Such activity can invite tragic consequences.

I thought this book was very well writen.I found that once I started reading ,I could not put the book down.I believe this to be the interesting and believeable book on this subject yet.If your a NON-BELIEVER [like myself] you have to read " SHOW ME ONE SOUL" and you will start believeing,atleast I did.

This book, since it is a real life experience, is a real eye opener. For those who have any doubt, in hauntings by entities of a bygone era, will be believers after reading Nancy's book. Written in an easy to read manner. After reading this book I will be sure to ask "Is this house haunted?" when purchasing a house.

I first checked out this book from the library, and after having to renew it a couple times, decided to purchase it. I made beautiful curtains for my daughter's bedroom. Even though I am a novice at sewing, the instructions were easy to follow, and I learned a lot of stitching techniques that got me real excited about moving on to my next project. I think Katrin Cargill is very knowledgeable and at the same time keeps the novice sewer in mind.

This is the best book on curtains that I have seen - and I've looked around quite a bit. I was looking for several things to help me make curtains for my new home. Although I have some sewing experience I would not call myself an expert sewer. Many of the books currently available are really geared towards people with my level of experience or less, including this book. I wanted good pictures of the end product, so that I could really see what I was going to be making. Again, this is something most books on curtains have. However, the two things I wanted but which I only found in this book were: cool modern ideas (no ruffles or huge jabots, please!) and great instructions.

The majority of the curtains in this book were really neat ideas that would fit in really well in homes today. If you have very traditional tastes or have a very formal decorating style, you probably wouldn't find much in this book. I wanted something less formal and some unusual/different ideas and definitely found that in this book.

The best aspect of this book was that the instructions were written really well and were completely designed for customization (different window sizes, different material use). Material use, how to's, and general sewing instructions were all included. There is also a great section at the end of the book (referred to often in the instructions) going over the common techniques used in the book and how to do them (with illustrations).

The book has wonderful ideas that seem easy to follow beginning with measuring windows to how much fabric you will need. Each curtain has a page that opens up to show detailed directions. The color photos are great! There are even template designs to copy that help design a more creative curtain. The book truly teaches you how to sew simple and easy to make curtains. I am looking forward to getting started sewing curtains for every room in my house.

Doug Maxwell is an expert. This book rocks.

WoodShop News, December Library section: SIMPLY BOARD FEET by Douglas E. Maxwell, is a resource for calculating board feet for material from 1" to 25-1/2" wide by 1' to 20' long, and for thicknesses of 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4, 10/4, 12/4, and 16/4. Maxwell is a purchasing manager for a large custom cabinet manufacturer in southwest Florida and was looking for a method to quickly calculate board feet, as opposed to using a lumber stick. He's compiled charts to provide board feet calculations based on the lumber's length, width and thickness. The results are inteded to help a craftsman figure material for a cut list and inventory material for billing purposes. The 59-page softcover sells for $9.95. Contact: www.simplyboardfeet.com

N The Magazine of Naples, January Inside Scoope Section: Just the facts... and the board feet. Sometimes a new book comes out that we cannot afford to ignore. Simply Board Feet is one such tome, The innovative book by the Neopolitan Douglas E.Maxwell is a unique reference and resource for calculating board feet for material 1" to 25-1/2" wide by 1' to 20' long, and for thicknesses of 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4, 10/4, 12/4, and 16/4. As a purcashing manager for a large custom cabinet manufacturer, Maxwell searched for a method to quickly calculate board feet, as opposed to using a lumber stick. In this book he has compiled charts to provide board feet calculations based on the lumbers length, width, and thickness. The results are intended to help a craftsman figure material requirements for cutlists and accurately inventory materials for billing purposes. The 59 page softcover is sure to draw rave reviews and is something no one building a home (or even cabinets) should ignore.
For more information visit www.simplyboardfeet.com

Talk about taking the hassle out of board feet. All my woodworking friends will be receiving this gift for thier holidays.

Absolutely a great buy! Terry Willits offers practical, easy advice on making your home warm and inviting for Christmas. The pictures in the book are beautiful and classy. Every page is so well written. Your heart will be blessed by each page in this book. I highly recommend buying it!

Terry Willits offers affordable, easy, and yet classic and elegant ideas for creating a sense-sational Christmas. You can have a Martha Stewart home without the fuss and the expense. And it is much more than a decorating book. Organized around the five senses, the book gives you ideas how to make your home not only LOOK sensesational, but SMELL and SOUND wonderful also. And you'll find ways to tantalize the TASTE buds and tease you to TOUCH. The book--repleat with full-color photographs. I highly recommend this book.

This is an excellent source to find inexpensive ways to create a cozy home for the holidays. I am passing mine around to all of my friends. As someone who is lacking in creativity, I love the easy ideas that Terry shares.