Maintenance

I have had this book for just about a month now and have used it to upgrade my processor, level 2 cache, video memory, RAM, and change my clock battery. I am fairly proficient with Macs (14+ years) and I own 4, which I keep in excellent shape. This book is an excellent reference for the do-it-yourselfer who is not afraid to "get under the hood" of their Mac.

After skimming through other sections, I found many more tips on improving MacOS performance and Web browsing performance. When I think about an upgrade to any of my Macs, I look through my book to see what is involved, and if it is worth the trouble. When my Macs start "acting up" I can usually find the solution to the problem in my book.

All in all, this is an EXCELLENT book for any Mac product owner. It comes with its own CD of demo software and is well worth the cost. If you can find the "Mac Manuals 2.0" CD from James Engleby, you have a pretty complete collection of the tools, manuals, specs, and software you'll need to fix-up ANY Mac.

I can't believe you really read that book. I found tons of things in Mr. Steinberg's book that I didn't know and I've been working with Macs for years. I couldn't name five people who know how to really set up their monitors, for example, yet "Upgrading & Troubleshooting Your Mac" told me how to use the onscreen menus, what all those strange functions mean and how to calibrate the color. I don't know of any other book with this sort of information. Maybe that reader from San Francisco knew all this, but most folks dont.

Being computer litterate, but knowing just a few facts on Macs. This book has helped me through the transition from "the other platform" as Gene describes it. Easy to follow and fun to read(even for a non-native english speaker as myself). You feel as having an informal conversation with the author thougout. Hard to put down, you will want to finish it as soon as you read the first chapter. If you know a bit of hardware this book is a great guide for conecting and upgrading your Mac.

Perhaps the best book of its type, the postwar Lionel train owner should have it in his library. It tells how to bring those old trains back to life, run them and enjoy them. Beyone rudimentary repair is everything from layouts to wiring to operating accessories. The author has the ability to explain detailed concepts succintly and understandably. In a genre that's usually repetitive, Beginner's Guide to Repairing Lionel Trains stands out as unique, fresh and useful

This book not only will help you learn to repair Lionel trains, but it also serves as a great introduction to Lionel for the newcomer. Very easy read, but packed with info.

Good Book but wish it had a little bit more on switch repair.Some of my older switches have bad return springs and the text talks about it but has no diagrams.

This is a great instructional book for bicycle maintenance. It is written so that a novice in bicycle repair can understand the procedures. There is a chapter on how to disassemble and repair each aspect of your bicycle in detailed form. The book covers all different types of components on both road and mountain bikes. The instructions are easy to follow. The pictures are clear, and one can easily see what the authors are talking about. As a necessity, specialized bicycle tools are required to do many of the more complex manipulations. Each section has a troubleshooting guide, and chapter three is nothing but a troubleshooting guide. This book makes a great reference manual and will enhance one's basic knowledge of bicycle mechanics.

You can learn a lot watching bike mechanics "operate". You can learn what tools to use, and how to apply them, and what pieces fall out when you take something apart. But who has time to hang around a bike shop? Wouldn't it be nice to have a book that shows you what to expect, and how to deal with it? This is it, in Technicolor glory.

Every page of this book has clear color photos showing exactly what to do. The book is broken down by chapters for the various mechanical systems of the bicycle. Each chapter goes through the various technologies in use. (Example: five kinds of brakes.) Each one is ripped apart and put back together with you. Each chapter has a section on what tools you will need (and recommendations on saving money).

Haynes is famous for automobile and motorcycle repair books, and this is even better than those: All photos are in color, the steps are broken down and illustrated clearly, with the use of tools shown explicitly. (This is not always the case with the automotive books, which assume a certain proficiency with mechanic's tools.) Very nicely done. I hope they update it periodically as bicycle technology evolves.

I have a 1999 mountain bike that I love and want to maintain. This book is perfect! All of the problems that i've encountered have been addressed in the book, even though there's little information about "Y" frame suspensions. Each chapter on repair has a quick reference diagnosis chart. Before buying, I compared this book to the other top ranked repair books at the store, and this one was much easier to understand and use because of the clear way it's written and illustrated. If you don't already know much about bike repair, but love your bike, this book is for you!

Do you want a book with pictures of gardens you can emulate at home? Keep looking. This book has no pictures, only close-up black and white illustrations of flowers.

After receiving this book as a gift, I felt obligated to try to turn my brown yard into at least a small spot of color. With the guidance and help from Laara's book, my drab fenceline is now lined with beautiful perennial flowers that are low maintenance and high color bringing joy to my family and the songbirds in the area. I even tried buying and growing a rose plant and this spring intend to plant more. The instructions about planting, mulchign and feeding the roses really made a difference. They were beautiful all summer. The book can even make a brown thumb like mine green.

I recently cameto Southern Iowa and was struggling for what to plant in the Midwestern garden that had been left in a sad state of ruin by the former occupants. With my busy family, I needed something low maintenance but also wanted something really lovely to showcase my old Victorian home. Midwest Gardens is the perfect book- well written, beautiful photographs. I felt just like a good friend was leading me by the hand through my land showing me what to plant. I got the book last fall as a gift and followed all the suggestions. Now that spring is coming, my beautiful daffodils, crocus and other flowers are peeping up to be followed by the other flowers recommended. I was so happy with this book that I've decided to try my hand at vegetable gardens. I received that book, too and now that I have been successful wtih flowers, will try that advice and try to raise some great vegetables. Thank you for such a valuable resources.

I liked this book a lot and would highly recommend it apart from their attitude towards safety. Their advice on self-sufficiency is valid, but I feel their attitude on safety equipment is irresponsible. In particular their suggestion to do without an EPIRB. With their experience they may get away with it but most of the readers will be relatively inexperienced.

There should be no compromise on safety equipment. It is no use saying you don't want anyone to come looking for you if you get into trouble, because the SAR orhanisations have both a moral and legal obligation to do so. In addition there is the feelings of loved ones to consider.

Some countries are sensible enough to insist on minimal standards of safety equipment. New Zealand's "Category 1" standard provides a good guide to minimum requirements.

World class advice from world class cruising sailors.

According to expert and experienced small craft sailors Lin and Larry Pardey, successful cruising is the result of the right people on board the right boat, along with proper preparation, gear maintenance, and seamanship. The Capable Cruiser is a compendium of thirty-three informative chapters divided among such issues areas as "Preparing to Go"; "Maintenance at Sea"; Safety Aloft"; At Anchor"; Choosing Gear"; Care of Self and Crew"; and "Seamanship". The Pardey's analyze cruising disasters such as the Cabo San Lucas, discuss finances and how to pay your way on a voyage, and a great deal more relevant to anyone who has ever set sail on a cruise of their own. If you are considering embarking on a cruise with family or friends, begin with a thorough and careful reading of Lin and Larry Pardey's The Capable Cruiser.

Steve Ettlinger writes books that are basic lists of explanations on various subjects. Such as:
*Beer For Dummies®
*The Hardware Cyclopedia (not published yet)
*The Kitchenware Book
*The Restaurant Lover's Companion:
*A Handbook for Deciphering the
Mysteries of Ethnic Menus
*The Complete Illustrated Guide to
Everything Sold in Marine Supply Stores

Like his previous books, there is just enough detail of all the gadgets, tools, and other "stuff" that you find in (duh) Hardware and Garden Centers. He doesn't spend pages on a particular item, just a simple explanation and description of it's use. Like walking through a large home center's departments, the book is broken down into ELEVEN Parts:
Part I: Common Hand Tools
Part II: Power Tools
Part III: General Hardware
Part IV: General Materials
Part V: Paints, Stains, Finishes, Wall Coverings, and Related Products and Tools
Part VI: Wood and Wood Products
Part VII: Wall, Floor, and Ceiling Materials and Tools; Doors
Part VIII: Plumbing Hardware, Materials and Tools
Part IX: Electrical Products and Tools
Part X: Masonry Materials, Products and tools
Part XI: Safety Equipment

This format with the line drawings of the items remind me of the home medical books all American homes had during the 1950's & 1960's. This is a fun book to peruse through when you can't get to your home center and I can't compare it to any other book out to inform you on tools. It isn't COMPLETE though (and never could be with as quickly as items appear in home remodeling, etc.)
...Overall a fun purchase with lots of information in a familiar format.
John Row

The _"Complete Illustrated Guide to Everything Sold in Hardware Stores and Garden Centers"_ (published by Running Press/Courage Books imprint, 2002) has two parts: 1: "Complete Guide to Everything Sold in Hardware Stores" (729 pages, originally published by Macmillan in 1998) and 2: "Complete Guide to Everything Sold in Garden Centers" (368 pages, originally published by Macmillan in 1990). Because they were originally published as separate books, the two sections of this book each have their own introductions, tables-of-contents, indexes, and pagination. If you see this 2002 title/edition listed as only 368 pages, do not despair - it actually has 1,097 pages. So far, all the reviews I've seen have only reviewed the _Hardware Stores_ section.

1:
I would like to add a couple of comments to colobbfan's May 22, 2003, nice review of that section. In the introduction, the author specifies that this buying guide is meant to assist your average/traditional do-it-yourself, renovation or restoration projects. He states that in this book "[y]ou will not find heavy construction materials, or professional tools, or esoteric cabinetmaking tools, or hobby materials." He also says he purposely did not include automotive, boating, electronics, home security or house-wares even though those items may appear in some hardware stores. Appendix A, "Metals and Finishes", is a glossary of 20 terms related to describing metals from "blued" to "zinc-plated". Appendix B, "Basic Tools and Materials Every Homeowner Should Have", is divided into three parts: Hand Tools, Power Tools, and Materials. Stars (*) next to some items on the list denote absolute basics one should have. The starred items would make an excellent gift to college students moving to their first apartment or home. (Don't forget that us ladies need to be self-sufficient, also! Often then index (or lack thereof) makes or breaks a reference book. This one has an excellent, easy-to-read, well-organized index with numerous cross-references. Part of the _Hardware_ section's 37-page index is included in Amazon's "Browse Sample Pages" area, so go take a look at it. The typeface of the hardware section is easy to read and the format is suitable for quick browsing.

2:
I venture to say that despite the difference in page length, the _Garden Center_ section has just as much information as the _Hardware_ section - the difference lies in smaller type with less space between lines, and fewer illustrations (they aren't needed when you are talking about different types of fertilizers, pesticides, and mulches). The Table-of-Contents is separated into three areas (Supplies; Tools Equipment & Accessories; Appendixes) with detailed headings, subheadings, and sub-subheadings (see Amazon's sample pages - since that is available I won't talk much about the different types of garden center items included). The introduction of the _Garden Center_ section states you will not find "pet supplies or farming equipment or landscaping materials [in this section]... Regular home gardening, with a slight nod to decoration is the limit." While the title states that plants are not included in this guide, Appendix A is a 7-page "General Buying Guide for Bulbs, Seeds, Plants, Shrubs and Trees." The main area of the book is chock-full of general buying tips in broad categories as well as for specific products, use tips, and descriptions of specific products. Sometimes popular brand names are listed (not as endorsement but as an aid) and where applicable other terms that may be used to describe a specific item are included. The _Garden Center_ index has much smaller type than the Hardware Store index, so you may want a magnifying glass for it. Overall, I would say that that the format of the _Garden Center_ section is less suited to browsing and more suitable for reading full sections because it includes more discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of particular products.

The arrangement of both the _Hardware Stores_ section and the _Garden Centers_ section is to group the contents as they are usually grouped in those respective stores, which makes the guide very user-friendly. My one complaint is that thumb-tabs or coloration on the page edges would have been useful to distinguish the two indexes from the rest of the book (especially since the index to the _Hardware_ section is in the middle of the book). This book is one of the best gifts I have ever received, though I wish I had discovered it 10 years ago when I first moved out on my own. I expect it to be useful in all my new home repair and gardening projects and it has already earned a prime spot on my closest bookshelf.

If what we've lost in the move from small neighborhood hardware stores to "big box" home centers is help and advice, this book is a wonderful substitute. Describes in just enough detail all the gadgets, tools, and other "stuff" that one needs in completing home fix-up projects.

No, it won't tell you how to build a deck. This book will, though, be thoroughly helpful in explaining everything that you'll use to do it.

If I had the money I would love to have a garage like most of the ones shown in the book. Well there are actually quite a few cheaper ones, and the book does give a person quite a few ideas what a garage can be made into or used for. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it doesn't get into the really nitty gritty construction type stuff, telling you exactally how to build certain things. Then again maybe it was a good idea to exclude that kind of stuff. If you are looking for a book on how to build for small spaces buy the book Small Spaces: Stylish Ideas for Making More of Less in the Home by Azby Brown, which shows how the Japanese make use of every inch (cm) of space.

Kira Obolensky finally gives the garage its due as a room with potential far beyond its obvious use in her beautifully photographed, straight-forwardly written book. Great source of inspiration for anyone looking to eke out an extra room or anyone who enjoys spending time in his garage. Fun gift for lovers of architecture, home and style as well as garageophiles (my realtor says it's the #1 room for most men). But beware: your own garage will likely feel inadequate after you peruse these handsome pages.

This is an excellent book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in garage or home design. The book covers many upscale garages that have been converted to a variety of uses other than just parking cars. There is also a chapter on garages that are used for car storage. I found the book especially useful for ideas on how to smoothly integrate a garage with the rest of the house.

The inclusion of edited material from ZAMM was welcome. I found I was distracted when I was actually reading ZAMM andreferencing the guidebook. My suggestion - read ZAMM completely then refer to the guidebook to explore a section more deeply. The reviews of ZAMM were of passing interest, from the early reviews published after the book's release to later ones and their criticism.
I'm not a deeply devout person of any given persuasion, so the religious comparisons and references were of lesser importance. I think they would be helpful if one were looking to delve deeper into Buddhism or other philosophy. This Guidebook DID ADD to my overall understanding and enjoyment of ZAMM.

This is a high-level overview of related to the ZMM philosophical material, fairly interesting both as a commentary to the book itself and by itself, as a means of general edification. Part of this book is an extensive bibliography that can be resorted to to in order to go beyond the information in the book itself. The page-by-page commentaries and fragments of the original manuscript lost in editing are interesting too. One section of the book that I found unnecessary was reprints of the ZMM reviews in the press, not much of interest there. All in all, a very curious book, if you've read the ZMM itself, you'll like this one too. And btw, even though I did read the ZMM, I did not like it, I found it artificially obfuscated, pompous even, with too many literary tricks at the expense of the original thought. What I'm getting at is that the "Guidebook..." is still interesting to read, whether you liked the ZMM or not, or even read it at all.

For fans of ZMM, this is an incredible book that summarizes various aspects of the ZMM book. First and foremost, it gives you the necessary background on philosophy to get a better understanding of where the Pirsig is coming from.

Secondly, it is great studying material for those of us who're interested in getting deeper into the issues that Pirsig gets to in the ZMM. Particularly, I liked the section in this book that relates Quality with Taoist principles.

A must have!

It can be read without reading ZMM, BTW.

This is not a book for the average mechanic it has advanced mods for 2 stroke engines. I would also say that a lot of the book does not partain to all 2 stroke engines. It has an excellent carburation section. Overall for me I do not think it was worth the money to me.

An excellent academic book on the theory behind performance tuning for 2-stroke motorcycles. Geared specifically for GP and Kart racers, this hardcover treasure has turned out to be a great reference source for questions on the logic and concepts that pertain to tuning a 2-stroke for maximum performance.

This doesn't always mean maximum horsepower. As is stated by the author, every great 2-Stroke racing machine is a compromise of power -vs- function. This concept alone makes the book well worth the purchase price.

A "must-have" if you race a 2-stroke, especially a Yamaha TZ250 or 125. Includes tons of pictures, charts, graphs, comparisons, numbers. formulas, theory, examples, stories, and more!

Excellent primer on understanding the workings of two-stroke engines for racing. If you are a novice/beginner then this book is for you. There are only a couple books like this ever made and that makes this one well worth the money. I learn a little more every time I read it.

Locke does an excellent job of discussing the process of building a new house. As a builder/contractor, his perspective is clearly that of the contractor, but he admits his bias and if you read it with this bias in mind, it is extremely helpful.

His detailed explanation of the foundation, framing and roofing process (the areas he has direct experience building) are very interesting and will help anyone know more about what they are buying/building. I recommend this book to anyone thinking about building or remodeling a home.

I originally thought the author might have been capitalizing on his fame from being the subject of another book: Tracy Kidder's House. I was surprised to find it more intelligent than the competition. And I was put off by the title, thinking the book was only about those things that make a house a work of old-fashioned craftmanship. But it's a complete tour of the housebuilding process, seemingly written from memory, so easily do the words flow.

He shares his opinions, and they're always sensible. Mostly he eschews the cheap stuff, and telling you *what that is* is invaluable. He prefers plywood to OSB, wood to vinyl siding, and steers you away from roof trusses, vinyl windows, wooden countertops (not cheap, but not practical), and fiberglass tubs. He tells you where to install thicker plywood or wallboard, and tries to talk you into a real masonry chimney instead of a metal lined firebox. His style is succinct, never offensive, and witty. Best of the dozen or so I'm familiar with.

Sure, there were a few chapters that we skimmed over--too much detail about construction techniques for our current pre-planning stage. But we read the bulk of the book with a "REALLY glad that you mentioned that" mental response.

A major feature of this book is its discussion of design and hardware features in your future home. We will be able, now, to have an informed discussion with our architect and builder about many essential aspects of our home design.

The extensive discussion--occurring throughout the book--about relationships between the owner, architect, builder and subcontractors was worth its weight in gold. MAN, the mistakes we are going to avoid!!

This book gives extensive insight to the perspective of the general contractor, and of problems that the general contractor faces--with the architect, the owner, and the sub-contractors.

As a result of reading this book, we are now contemplating the choice of a builder before we decide upon an architect--directly contrary to our earlier thoughts. As we read and contemplate more, we shall see.

We are planning our first experience in building a custom home--and it is the home we intend to live in until.... So, this is a BIG deal.

We learned SO much from this book. If there is a more informative book on the subject, we would like to know!!