Maintenance

If you are rebuilding your chevy motor in stock form, this book is for you. If you plan on modifying your motor to any extent, it is too outdated and its suggestions for machining and assembly do not apply.

Written from this guys personal experiences. Could use more details/options for the rebuilder and less of his personal gabbing. Otherwise, it's a great book to start with.

I have used this book in my business for about 10 years. It is used both as a reference and a training aid for my customers. It is indispensible and there is no other book in my extensive library to compare with it. I highly recommend it to both the novice and professional.

Now here is a book that can save you money. On the shelf behind me are about 15 books on Mustangs - Mods, Tuning, Rebuilding, Projects, Upgrades, and a complete set of Shop manuals. Many were not worth the time to read, much less the money, I took a chance and purchased a copy of The Offical Ford Mustang 5.0 book. Here is a book that covers all the years, and gives the good and bad points of each. What worked, and what did not.

A case in point - There is a lot of books out there that tell you to go out and get a set of 24# or 30# injectors as a start. This book at least give pros and cons, 19# will work just fine up to 300HP@39psi, or 330HP@60psi, using a larger injector reduces atomization of the fuel, and can cause problems with low speed driveability response, oscillating idle, and loss of fuel economy, without any HP gains.
In my case I am in the process of rebuilding a 1995 GT-40 Cobra engine for my 1986 stang, I do not expect more than 300HP with the mods I am using, so the injector may have been a waste.
This book is a gold mine of information on what went in which year, Ford Part numbers, and Ford Racing upgrade parts. There is a section on each component part, most with history, There was even a section on which parts I would need to change my '86 brakes for '87-later, with additional upgrades of which year/make Ford had larger calipers and rotors interchange with OEM brakes. This book will not tell you how to install a mod or rebuild, but at least you will know which parts you should use.
I would recommend this book to anyone about to start a project. It will save you time and money. I find I now have a lot of parts that I did not need, and should not use. The book is geared to people like me who are looking to improve their existing car/engine. but are not building a drag/strip car. A car that will perform, but still take a trip to the store, (if it make the trip a bit more fun, so be it).

This book has all the information you need to keep your mustang stock or modify you mustang. Covers all Fox body Mustangs to include SVT, SVO, and the police stangs. I woould recommend this book to anyone who loves Fox body Mustangs

When I saw this book offered in the back of the Ford Racing Perfomance Parts catalog last year, I wasn't sure what to make of it. After all, the Probst book on the EEC-IV seemed over my head...As the new owner of an ex-police '93 5.0 LX coupe, I consider the handbook a must-have for any 5.0 owner.

The section on Special Service cars like mine was excellent and cleared up a few things, while the illustrations scattered throughout were sufficient for all but the nittiest nit-picker. While I'm not sure Mr. K is correct in referring to the '94-current body style as a hatchback, the information contained in his pages probably couldn't be more accurate...you wouldn't believe all the folks he thanked for their help in the back of the book!

If you're still wondering about grabbing a copy, wonder no more: get it now!

This is a very good book, but the subtitle needs a small addition so that it reads: "A Home Renovation Survival Guide For The Affluent". The author, a contractor in Manhattan, is expert at dealing with problems most of us never have to deal with, such as the mob-influenced/socialist-inspired New York City building code and cutthroat clients poised to fleece him with the stroke of a pen. If you've got plenty of money and you want to spend it prudently on a renovation of your home, this is the book for you. If, on the other hand, you are strapped for cash and struggling to add space for a growing family, or you are interested in doing it yourself to learn things and save money, look elsewhere. This is a book for the elite. To John Rusk, there is a right way and a wrong way to do every project. If the right way is too expensive for you, then you should forget about it until you have enough money. Now, if most of us were to follow such advice, nothing would ever get done, except in the posh neighborhoods. Still, it's interesting to read, if only to find out how the other half (other tenth) renovates. The structure is composed of three parts: Rusk lays out his theory and methods in one; the other two are fictional narratives of a pair of young marrieds--one bright and the other foolish. The foolish ones get into squabbles with everyone from the architect to the carpenter; they are unfailingly pennywise. The bright ones, after a few missteps, submit to the Rusk method, and are rewarded with an excellent renovation. These fictitious episodes are naturally less dry than the how-to sections, and make for highly enjoyable reading at times. That technical contractual stuff may go over well at the Harvard B. School, but let's face it, it's not the kind of thing you want to read when you're gearing up for a big construction project. Most people I know would rather take the contract out of contractor. "Let's get on with it!" is their rallying cry. In just a few words, Rusk masterfully sketches the character of the "good" contractor: Giovanni DeTomaso, who sits, Brutus-like, sharpening his chisels and waiting for the phone to ring. As a sometime contractor myself, I relished the scene of the irate male of the bright couple being brought to heel. Mr. DeTomaso threatens to sever a support beam that was discovered inside a wall unless Mr. Finley shows more respect. All too often, we contractors allow clients to bully us just because it's their house. And the downward spiral of the foolish couple was also gripping in a morbid sort of way, reminiscent of the reversal-of-fortune plots of Dickens or Thackeray. As I read, I thought of how the foolish element could give an edge to "This Old House" when it gets dull. Imagine a Farrah Fawcett or Mary Tyler Moore character fighting with Norm Abrams over the placement of a sink. In fact, this could easily be expanded to a full-length feature where a couple of plutocrats from Manhattan or Cambridge receives its comeuppance from an unwashed pushy pair from Queens or Medford.

As someone planning a remodel, I found this book to be very good reading and educational. The two examples of Good/Bad remodel are excellent. I learned alot. Then only negative thing I can say is that he had, in my opinion, a bias towards the contractors position (he is a former contractor). He tries to be fair and in general is, but with a little bias towards his former perception. That being said the book was great.

John Rusk's book is easy, even entertaining to read, and full of insights into the motivation of home owners, architects and contracts. Don't start your project without reading it.

Larry Sandberg does an adequate job of taking the reader through the "basics" of acoustic guitar design, maintenance and history. However, his obvious bias towards Martin sometimes overpowers the strengths of the book. Anyone who is remotely familiar with American acoustic guitar history knows that Martin has always been a leader in the industry - few would dispute this. But, Sandberg's prose would have us believe that Christian Fredrick Martin brought the holy-grail of guitars down from the mountain with the 10 Commandments! Obviously at odds with Sandberg, some of us feel that Gibson has been at least as influential, if not more so, on guitar design and the buying habits of the 20th century guitar-buying public. What elusive credit Larry gives to Gibson generally arrives in a back-handed fashion, making sure that the reader is left believing that Gibson is always a notch below the "real" leaders, such as Martin (of course), SCGC (Santa Cruz Guitar Co.) and Taylor. Please, Larry: a little less Martin-droning and a bit more objective review. The book is worthy of reading however, if you can seperate the facts from the opinions.

Face it - you can't hang-out with guitar people if you have
no idea what nut width is! I decided to get one book
to comprehend the "acoustic guitar', and chose this one.
It is fantastic.

It's not necessary to read beginning to end. The author
organized it so well that a quick look up will fill you
in on the spot. I have become knowledgable enough about
guitar construction, woods, parts you name it, that I
can carry on an intelligent conversation with any guitar
head out there.

The author is a wonderful writer. He keeps it simple,
very informative, and he has a fun personality which
makes the reading fun. It sounds strange to say but
it's an exhiliarating read too because the information
is vast and very interesting.

Anyone planning to buy a guitar in any price range
should read this book first. Making a purchase will
be much easier for you. You'll know so much that
you won't get taken, and you'll know how to know
if you like a guitar or not.

If you want the skinny right now without any
blah-blah-blah or difficult to understand
technical terms, here's your book. It will
be something you'll look at for years to come.

As an "older-boomer-beginner" returning to guitars after a thirty-year absence, I read about this book in the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum ....

This is a very readable book for anyone thinking of purchasing a high quality acoustic guitar that wants to understand much more about what they are buying. This Second Edition contains just enough up-to-date technical and historical background to give you what you need to select a great new or used acoustic guitar. It clarified many things that I found confusing when I first started reading about model sizes, nomenclature, woods, strings, and everything else. I now feel like a very informed buyer, even though I'm not much of a player. I suppose there is a certain slant towards Martin guitars, but I think that is unavoidable given the history of the company.

Mr. Sandberg is correct in that no book full of adjectives will help you evaluate either sound or action. You need to go out and play as many guitars as you can. However, this book gives you a great start, and gives you a lot of good reasons to pass over a lot of what is on the lower end of the market today. Highly recommended.

Art Reblitz should be on the Christmas card list of many a piano technician for writing this book.
In its pages you will find coverage of just about every aspect of piano tuning, repair and rebuilding- all presented in an easy to understand and follow format.

From repinning flanges to setting temperaments, from fitting and drilling a new pinblock to proper let-off distance, it's all here.

A number of years ago I decided to try my hand at rebuilding a player piano that I had come across. After searching for a good book on the subject, i came across Reblitz's book on Player Piano Rebuilding, and in the book he emphasized the importance of restoring the piano to as good a performace level as possible, as even the best restored player action could not make an old delapidated clunker sound good. So I bought the book I'm speaking of now, and it opened a whole new world and insight into the instrument.

Now mind you, I had never had any personal instruction, nor had I taken any correspondance course, but by using the advice and instructions put forth in the book I was able to disassemble the piano, completely restring it, hang new hammers, install new action parts and felts, install new key covers, reassemble the piano and regulate the action to near perfection. And having been a professional pianist for 24 years, I think I know what a well- performing piano feels like.

Now, years after my first player piano, I am a proud member of the Piano Technicins Guild, and tune actively on a part-time basis. And I still refer back to the book on ocassion.

In all, I'd say I owe a lot to the knowledge I have gleaned from the pages of this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to enter the field of piano repair and tuning. Lots of solid material, great illustration and pictures, and many words of wisdom.

The only thing that I could humbly add to Reblitz's book is this advice: read, read, read- study the material- apply the knowledge patiently and meticulously. To study is to learn, so carefully apply what you get from the book and you WILL be able to do.

This is a well-written, straightforward text in the best tradition of introductory hobby and industrial-arts books. Illustrations and explanations are clear, the organization is logical, and all terminology is properly defined.
But this book is more than an instruction manual. It is written clearly, yet thoughtfully. We learn of the author's passion for his instruments, his affectionate humor at the hoary myths and legends that surround the piano business, and his intense desire that old 'trade secrets' finally be revealed.
I am a beginning piano student and an inveterate disassembler of mechanisms, hence my interest. I read the book--skimming it at first, as I tend to do, then digesting the high points and ultimately absorbing the important details. My courage progressed with my knowledge, and much to my surprise I recently succeeded in removing and improving the action of a mistreated baby-grand piano of my acquaintance.
But even non-tinkerers can benefit from Mr Reblitz' book. He discusses not only the instruments' works, but the instruments themselves: construction, design philosophies, and styles. All of the advertising claims cast into the gilt piano plate ("Capo d'Astro Bar") are explained here. The reader, thus empowered, can enter any piano showroom and fear no salesman.

I purchased this book several years ago subsequent to acquiring a 1919 Howard baby grand. This fantastic book enabled me to do some minor examinations and repairs, and gave me a much better appreciation for those truly skilled piano rebuilders out there.

If you've ever wondered just what an upright or grand piano action really did, or why all those levers, pinioned joints, felt pads, etc. needed to be there, or what that third pedal is for, this is the book to own. The piano is the last great analog machine out there, and I hope it remains with us for generations to come.

I just purchased this book and what i want to know what is the difference between isbn #076210192 and the updated versing isbn #0762101938, other than one is hard back and the other is soft back.Has the information changed in the two book?

June 2000

I have been using Mr. Wing's book for about 9 months for remodeling my house. It is an absolutely indispensable source of information about remodeling or rebuilding. You will easily get your money back from the saved time that this book will provide. It also will provide you with guidelines to check against what the contractor(s) you hire tell you they are going to do. Unfortunately, many contractors are not worth spit and many are dishonest. This book will help you to avoid them.

It is not a perfect book. The section on plumbing, while quite good, is minimal for the remodeler. E.g., Do-It-Yourselfers need more information on how to replace 50 year old(i.e., Cast Iron or Concrete) DWV plumbing and the MAJOR pitfalls of Galvanized piping and items like Drum Traps. It also does not have explanations or formulas for calculating flow rates and pressure for water supply lines. It should. One cannot install an irrigation system or even the house water supply without knowing that info in advance.

The electrical section is missing the worksheets for calculating the house loads, proper techniques for rewiring an old house, i.e., where should all those runs go and how to properly install the wire so that nobody can 'accidentally' pull them loose, and could use more diagrams of wiring techinques for lights and switches. The short section on circuit theory is a joke, I think. Mr. Wing must have felt obligated to put Ohms law in the book. If you don't understand circuit theory and the basics of electrical wiring, do NOT use this book to do your wiring - hire a contractor or go to school for a year or two and learn about them.

Mr. Wing tends toward 'hiring a contractor' to get those jobs done. As an engineer, I appreciate the wisdom of the advice, but that does not help the person that is going to do it but has never done it before. In short, you are going to need other references that provide more detail. In other words, the title of the "Only" Guide... is false. It should be the "Best" or "Greatest".

The book is really more of a reference guide and not a "how to" book. It may be all the experienced do-it-yourselfer ever needs, but not the novice. I'm a novice at many of the remodeling tasks but have many years of training and education as an engineer, so this book really helps me a lot. I'm pretty sure that anyone in the remodeling business would find this book to be complete, even though their professional opinions might differ from Mr. Wing's advice in certain sections.

I have to agree that the span tables are overkill for just about anyone because LOCAL codes overrule any data that is in the 50 pages! of Span tables and Truss information. Mr. Wing must have had a good source for Span information.

I should also mention that this book sat on my shelf for many months, unused, while I gathered basic information on remodeling. Once that info was absorbed and I needed more, I opened the book. It has not been closed since then - I can't close it because it has too many notes in it.

It is a great book. Not the "only" book you'll need, but if you don't get it you are going to kick yourself later.

Charlie Wing brings his ample expertise into this book. It tells and shows everything you need to know about building or remodeling a house. It has span tables, code checklists, instructions on estimating materials, etc. I've been in the construction industry for more than 5 years so I know what information is essential. You name it....it's in this book.

This book provides detailed descriptions of most V8 models (it leaves out the 355 and 360) and the year by year changes. It is useful for somebody who is trying to select a specific model to purchase or possibly as a reference for concours preparation. As a book to read cover to cover, it isn't terribly compelling because only objective facts are given and there is no hint about what it is like to drive the cars. There also aren't any performance figures. I'm certain the author never actually drove any of the models, just looked up the detailed facts. There also are frequent repetition of facts in the book -- the same point might be explained 3 times for a particular model. It's a good book for contrasting the models, but don't expect to get any insight about how the different models drive.

If you're thinking in buying a Ferrari V8 this book will help you and ask your questions every time. It gives you the opportunity to overview all the original equipment and specifications of your dream car. It also will tell you which spares are the most likely to break down and what's the one needed exactly for your car. Plenty of information (in fact many useless information, true), nice pictures and some restauration technique will help your Ferrari come again to an "as new look and feeling". Only complain is the lack of information on some "rare" models.

This book provides a thorough overview of original equipment and specifications, but it is disappointing in its lack of perspective. It would be more useful if it compared and contrasted models and gave would-be purchasers and restorers an idea of what to look for in a potential purchase.

This book is something of my bible. It's clearly written, has excellent illustrations and, above all, treats the reader with respect and intelligence. I've used this book successfully with doing large electrical projects, plumbing, sanding floors, laying out a brick garden path, and many many others. The detail provided in this book to guide you is both extensive and clear. An excellent choice that will serve you well for years to come.

I bought this book for its section on electrical wiring. I had a problem with a couple of outlets at my house, and looked at several books that dealt specifically on home electrical wiring (ie Ortho, Black & Decker, Time-life and Better Homes) Pop Mech's "Home-How-To" book in my opinion far exceeded all other books on electrical wiring. This book went into more wiring configurations than the other books and explained them in simple step by step instructions with color diagrams to help. This book also explained alot about the different circuits (120v,240v,small appliance, lighting and individual) that are in your house and required by the NEC. There is even a small section on the process of getting a permit for adding extra circuits to your house. If your completely new to electricity the first few pages in the elecrtical section explains what amps, volts, and watts mean and even how to read your electric meter. So if you are new to home wiring and just want to know how to replace a switch or outlet then this book is for you, but if you are more knowleged and want to add a indoor or outdoor circuit line with a seperate circuit breaker in your main elec box, then this book is also for you. On a last note, I must again state that I am only rating and giving a 5 star rating on its electrical section, I have not had the chance or need to read into the other chapters.

This is the only home repair book I've seen that doesn't treat the reader like an idiot. By assuming that the reader already knows how to use a hammer, the editors are able to devote far more attention to actual home repair projects. For example, this volume devotes about 8 pages to plaster repair - a critical task for anyone maintaining an older home, yet one ignored by every other comparable book on the market. This book fills a needed gap between beginner do-it-yourself volumes and advanced instruction for the professional tradesperson.

I've thought a lot about what audience would find this book helpful, and I can't come up with one. It seems intended for people who know zero about PCs. (For example, the author explains how to pronounce CPU - "See Pee You") He also makes an extreme effort to present PCs as non-intimidating. (The book promises "If you can open a bag of Cheetos, then you can upgrade and repair your PC".)

In reality, repairing a PC is a bit more difficult than opening chips, and that's where this book fails. If you truly know zip, zero, nothing about computers, you won't be fixing any major problem after reading this. And if you do know much of anything about PCs, you won't find anything informative here.

What the book does provide is a lot of good, general knowledge to those who know little or nothing about PCs. It might be handy as a guide to a computer novice for something super basic like installing a modem or more memory. I can't imagine it being used as a reference for any serious repair use. If that novice needs much of a repair or upgrade, I suspect he'll be in the market for an experienced tech.

So...if you just want to do basic upgrade (not repair)on your PC and you're generally mechanically handy but timid around PCs, you might find this book useful. If you truly know nothing about computers and expect to fix one after reading this book, prepare to be disapointed.

I first owned a PC when I was 14 and when my mom bought it for me I didn't know the difference between Windows and DOS and didn't even know what RAM or a CPU was. When I bought this I didn't really have any experience with using a PC, so after learning how to use one for awhile I purchased this book and read it.

This taught me a lot about repairing computers and installing new hardware. Anyone who doesnt have a ton of Knowledge about computers and is just starting out with Computers should check this book out if you want to learn more about them. I know for me it helped out a lot. If you've been a computer user for years and already know how to install a Hard Drive, Motherboard, Video Card and Memory etc, then I would skip this one. It's not very technical at all and is obviously for people that don't know much about computers at all. It's really just a good place to start.

I'm now 21 and have worked as a Computer Technician for about 3 years now. I definitely think that this book helped out a ton, it was definitely a good place to start. I believe there are to many people out there are afraid to upgrade/fix their own PC, maybe they are afraid they'll break it. That's all a part of the learning process and you'll never get anywhere if you don't take a risk and attempt to work on them. Most everything I've learned when it comes to upgrading computers is all Trial and Error. If one thing doesn't work out one way, just try it again some other way.

I also have to mention that any of the For Dummies books are worth checking out. Believe it or not, for learning DOS I read DOS For Dummies. For being a Computer Technician DOS is one of the most useful things I've learned. If you don't know it I don't see how anyone could be a very good Technician.

Upgrading & Fixing PC's. That says it right there. I have owned this book for several years, and I have found it to be an invaluble resource in all my times of trouble. Anytime I had a problem, it was right there ready to answer anything I had coming. It's perfect layout, combined with a GREAT index (everything from A/B Serial Port switches to Zero Insertion Force Sockets) make this a GREAT book. After all, would we expect anything less from the Dummies series?

There is nothing new which would add to your knowledge of basic "new age" cliches by reading this book. It would not be bad if he applied new age concepts, in a unique manner, to diabetes management. But , he doesn't. The only thing that makes this a "diabetes book" is the fact that his diabetes caused him to begin a search in the new age section of his local bookstore. Usually, ADA books are excellent, but this is one time satori was missed.

I don't have diabetes and I loved this book! Charles Creekmore writes with such honesty and wit that every chapter is a delight. He offers wise counsel with charming humility, and even when I'd "been there before," I found myself mentally thanking the author for reminding me how to get back on the road to mental, spiritual, and physical health. Buy this book for yourself AND for someone else you love!

Charles Creekmore has lived in many parts of the world, and in this book, he invites us along on his travels - not only from state to state, but through his ever-changing states of mind as he learns to live (and thrive) with diabetes.

The diagnosis of a chronic illness can be a tremendously demoralizing event. But as Creekmore discovered, it might be the exact impetus we need to improve the state of our soul, and how it relates to our daily lives. Being forced to reexamine our priorities, the way we earn a living, the basis of our self-esteem, our relationship with nature, and all the unhealthy little habits our bodies and minds have learned over the years - this can be the "silver lining" of illness. And what's more, this increase in spirituality can, in turn, improve the health of the body (as illustrated by Creekmore's interviews with patients and doctors).

Spirituality means different things to different people and, in spite of the title, this book is not overly biased toward any one philosophy or religion. Never preachy, it simply encourages you to try some new (or new-to-you) strategies for lightening the burden of diabetes, or any other chronic illness. ( I highly recommend "The Grand Silence" - I've found that earplugs can have a huge effect on my level of stress!)

All of us will have to face change and loss sometime in our lives, and this "maintenance manual" can help anyone do that with a little more strength.