The American Family Home, 1800-1960
by Clifford Edward Clark
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1986)
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Reviews (1)

Excellent foundation for understanding American Housing
Few books, in my experience are written as clearly as this one.Clark leads the reader carefully and thoughtfully from 1800 to 1960, and shows why certain styles of home were popular in each era.His word choice isexcellent and his sentence formation is flawless.He gives many examplesand the book is well illustrated.For anyone wishing to understand whyAmericans have bought and built the houses they have, and what they hopedto get out of them, this is the book to buy.Get two. ... Read more

Isbn: 080784151X
Sales Rank: 267585
Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Architecture and society    4. Design & Construction    5. Dwellings    6. General    7. History    8. History: American    9. Photography    10. U.S. Architecture - General    11. United States    12. United States - General   

Authentic Decor: The Domestic Interior 1620 - 1920
by Peter Thornton
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 June, 2001)
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Reviews (2)

Authentic Decor
This is an essential tool for anyone interested in historic European (incl. England) interiors.From a discussion of spatial relationships, to room arrangement, to the minutiae of room decor - ceiling to floor- Thornton describes interiors from 1620 to 1900 with fluidity and wit.The book reads like a good novel, but the information is rock-solid.

Engrossing Study Of The Domestic Interior.
Authentic Decor: The Domestic Interior 1620-1920, is far more than ahistory of the evolution of the domestic interior.Written by PeterThorton, of the Victoria and Albert Museum, it showsfirst and foremostthat an interior is a reflection of its owner.Everyone is wellrepresented in its 408 richly illustrated pages, from the poor, to themiddle classes, to the rich & the grand.Much valuable insight is tobe gained from reading this book.I have kept it on my coffee table foryears and have guarded it with my life, because people are so engrossed byit.I hope that somebody will use all of their powers of persuasion toconvince Viking Penguin, Inc. to re- issue this stunning & informativebook! ... Read more

Isbn: 1841881090
Sales Rank: 353598
Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - General    6. History of art & design styles: c 1600 to c 1800    7. History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900    8. Home furnishing & decoration    9. House & Home / Decorating    10. Interior design    11. c 1600 to c 1700    12. c 1700 to c 1800    13. c 1800 to c 1900   

Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?: American Women and the Kitchen in the Twentieth Century
by Mary Drake McFeely
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (July, 2000)
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Reviews (1)

History meets cooking meets gossip
What a great book!Mcfeely's writing is so effortless and chatty you may not realize how much there is too learn.

She takes you, historically speaking, from the time when women HAD to bake the family bread (and had to remember the correct, locally produced flour that would actually work) to where we are blase about our optional and hands-off bread machines.

She gives mini-bios on people important in cooking history, and also her opinions on them--she cheerfully skewers Irma Rombauer (Joy of Cooking) for being opinionated yet admires Rombauer's personality just the same.

She is strangely taciturn on Martha Stewart--arguably the best known cook today. A criticism here and there on how Martha's _techniques_ are difficult, but nothing like her pleasant gossip on Julia Child and on Rombauer.Is Mcfeely, too, afraid of Martha's wrath?

This is a history book and a social criticism that is also a lot of fun to read. ... Read more

Isbn: 155849250X
Sales Rank: 938573
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Cookery    3. Cookery, American    4. History    5. Home Management    6. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Women cooks    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Women's Studies - History   

Gardening for Dummies
by MikeMacCaskey BillMarken
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 February, 1999)
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Editorial Review

Starting off with ultrabasics, like "how do I get my plants to live rather than die?" Gardening for Dummies is a terrific textbook for the novice gardener. Explanations are laid out simply, and all terms are defined as soon as they are first used--if you've never grown so much as a houseplant, this is the book to get you started. Emphasis is on choosing proper plants for your zone (it's OK--the color map will show you which zone you're in) that are fairly low-maintenance and high-success. Large sections on both seeds and bedding plants will give you lots of options and specific instructions for getting good results--seeds, especially, are treated as persnickety little critters that require some extra effort in exchange for low cost and large variety. The big downside to this book is its lack of pictures. There are lots of line drawings, but they tend to show particular stages of a process, rather than each step. Color photos are limited to two sections, and most of them are close-ups of various plants. While it's nice to see what the bark of a paperbark maple looks like, it doesn't particularly add to the value of the book. For folks who learn best with straightforward reading, the sections on mulching, pruning, soil preparation, and tool choices are all extremely helpful. With bullet-point lists, icons for highlighting categories like ecofriendly or time-saving, and simple tables and charts, how-to photos aren't essential, but if pictorial aids are what you need for learning, look elsewhere. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Just right...
I am a novice gardener who is trying to figure out how to maintain a well-landscaped property that I inherited. After the first couple of years of letting the place "rest on its laurels" (i.e., get by on its past grandeur and do nothing to maintain it except to water it every now and then, but otherwise neglecting it and letting it get weedy and rangy), I have finally tackled the project of educating myself about gardening and trying to restore some freshness and style to my garden. This book offers a very skillful overview of everything I need to know in order to take on this project. It gives an overview of pretty much every fundamental of gardening, giving enough explanation to help you understand the logic behind the "rules" of garden creation and maintenance, but without the kind of technical detail that would make it tedious or would glaze the eye of the beginner. I have found this an excellent "starter" book--gives the lay of the land, as it were, so that you can establish basic competence and understanding before you go onto more specialized knowledge. THANKS!

San Luis Obispo guy is a Snob and a Ja-k-ss.
Darn good Book for the intended audience:those new to gardening.I have a huge backyard and needed some simple, straightforward advice on gardening- this fine tome provided it.If you are a professional horticulturalist perhaps you don't need it, but for the other 99.9% of humanity, this book provides the essentials.If I were a physicist, I wouldn't bother reviewing books on elementary mathematics to illustrate my relative excellence.Sheesh!

I was one of those Dummies
I don't know how it happened but I thought I had not inherited the green thumb that my parents and Grandparents all had. That is until I found this wonderful guide to beginners gardening and it answered all the questions or told me simply how to find out the answers. I believe my local nursery was also happy that I took time out from trying to do it on my own and read the book.My mother said that she even learned a few new things while glancing through. It is also a good brush up guide before the spring thaw. ... Read more

Isbn: 0764551302
Subjects:  1. Flowers - General    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. General    6. Home Gardening    7. Reference    8. Gardening / General   

Grandma's Wartime Kitchen : World War II and the Way We Cooked
by Joanne Lamb Hayes Jean Anderson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (08 November, 2000)
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Reviews (3)

The Greatest Generation of Cooks
Those of us living in this age of plenty have no idea what it was like to cook during World War II when sugar, butter, meat and oh, so many canned foods were rationed. I was a very little girl then and didn't understand so many of the hardships my mother endured. This book answers so many of the questions left unanswered and for me it is a joy to read.I do remember many of the recipes included here and for old times sake, I plan to give many of them a try. This book is a must for anyone interested in food or food history. We may not cook this way today-- we don't have to.But these old make-do recipes can teach us all a lot.

A look back in time to our "home front"
I just purchased this book for my mother as a Christmas present, as she was born just before the USA's involvement in WWII.I gave it to her yesterday at our family gathering.Once she saw the cover, it was VERY difficult to get her to stop looking through it...she had to force herself to put it away!

I did check it out before I wrapped it...like Mom, I enjoy reading cookbooks in general, as well as being an American history buff.I don't know if I would actually try any of the recipes in this book (just not the kind of stuff I usually eat these days) but the chapters on food rationing and wartime entertaining (usually just glossed over in most books about the era) were very interesting!I just gave this book three stars since I would have liked more historical photos, as well as pictures of some of the completed dishes.If you enjoyed this book, I would also recommend the "Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook" which was first published in the 40's, as another view of American cookery at that point in time.

THE WAY WE WERE
With Grandma's Wartime Kitchen, Joanne Lamb Hayes has filled a void in the culinary history of the 20th century. Those of us old enough to remember WWII, food rationing, victory gardens, and canning marathons will welcome this book, which puts between two covers so many of the meat-, butter- and sugar-stretching recipes women cooked in those lean years.They will also love reading the stories of how women coped and cooked, often working in munitions factories all day, then coming home to cook for their children.What imagination, what grace-- and all of this without dishwashers, microwave ovens and so many of the time-saving appliances we take for granted in this pampering age of plenty! The recipes look wonderful, as on-target today as they were in the 40s and I, for one, am eager to try them.But even if you never cook from this book, you'll love curling up with it. No dose of history was easier to swallow.Take a hard look at this book, Gen Xers.Keep it on a handy shelf. You can learn a lot from your grandmothers! ... Read more

Isbn: 0312253230
Sales Rank: 58841
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American cooking    3. Cookery, American    4. Cooking    5. Cooking / Wine    6. Food supply    7. History    8. Military - World War II    9. Regional & Ethnic - American - General    10. United States    11. World War, 1939-1945    12. Cooking / History   

The Mother Dance: How Children Change Your Life
by Harriet Lerner
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 May, 1998)
list price: $25.00
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Editorial Review

How does motherhood change you?Who or what do you become when you become a mother?"We can't begin to know what our children will evoke in us until we have them," says psychologist and psychotherapist Dr. Harriet Lerner, author of the bestselling The Dance of Anger. Lerner set out to write a book on parenting, and ended up with a thoughtful and honest book focusing on the experience of being a mother--a woman's experiences, needs, and changes as she travels through the trials and pleasures of pregnancy, birth, power struggles, guilt, anxiety, relationship challenges, sibling struggles, and separation.Filled with personal stories and case studies, The Mother Dance offers mothers-to-be a guide for the road ahead, and women who are already mothers will recognize their own dilemmas and situations, and gain clarity about their experiences. Throughout, Lerner is wise, personal, and truthful about her own failings.This book is a welcome addition to the recent discourse on the mothering experience. --Ericka Lutz ... Read more

Reviews (20)

the extended phone call
I read this The Mother Dance in order to "review" a book for a family relationships class. unfortunately, i felt so unmotivated by the authors writing style and lack of factual infromation and studies that i had to skim through it just to be able to finish my paper. Lerner breaks down the book into stereotypical highlights that many mothers come across in parenthood, but does not allow for single mothers or stay at home moms. also this is writen strictly from her vantage point. the majority stories are from the view of a feminist psychologist, who got pregnant later in life and had not really planned to have kids at all. Her testimonials are support for her narrarations and all come from a Heterosexual couples standpoint (which is smart, cause that is most likely who will buy this book). and when she does talk about minorities or underclass mothers, it is to preach about how there are too many social injustices in the world. the flow of the book seems like one never ending phone call, with one woman complaining about her kids, and the other one saying that she's been there too.If i was able to, i would return this book and try to get my money back. if you plan on buysing this, please at least brows through the first chapter at your local library or bookstore before you invest money into it!

Wonderful enlightening book!
The Mother Dancespoke so clearlyto my own experience of being a mother, including the highs and the lows. I especially loved Dr. Lerner's personal stories. She's one of the few national experts on families who doesn't write from "on high." Best were the parts about how fear and guilt operate once you become a mom. She also writes more clearly and candidly than anybody about exactly what happens to your marriage once a baby comes a long.Lerner writes from the heart, shares her own quirks and struggles and wisdom. She had me laughing and crying. I loved this book, and I gave it to my sister, who loved it as well. What mother wouldn't?

A Must Buy for Parents
Get this book NOW and give it to every Mom you know regardless of how old their children are!I read this book before I had kids to try and understand what my own Mom might have gone through.Now that I have 15 mo. old twins, I have re-read it during the long hours of breastfeeding!It is falling apart and my highlighter ran out of ink!Harriet Lerner has once again written a thoughtful, insightful, warm, and inspiring book.Through her experience raising 2 boys, she tells it like it is!I was so tired of parenting books giving me "steps to success" and rules for engagement - none of which work consistently.Harriet seems to be the first to recognize that we are all human and it is bringing this human-ness fully into our parenting that connects us with our children.Her real life stories demonstrate how being honest, curious, revealing, and loving can help us raise kids.I loved how courageous she was to reveal her own times of doubt and fear, and then to know what the outcome was for her.She also talks a lot of her husband's involvement and how they are in their different ways of being with the kids.It's just one of those books where you go, "Yeah, that's what happens for me, too."After reading this book, I felt as if I had been inside Harriet's home and seen first hand what it's really like to try and raise kids using your values, knowledge, and self awareness while simultaneously trying not to fall apart when they do something crazy.Thank you, Harriet, for helping me be a better Mom. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060187689
Subjects:  1. Child Care/Parenting    2. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    3. Family relationships    4. Mother and child    5. Motherhood    6. Mothers    7. Psychology    8. Psychotherapy - Couples & Family    9. Reading Group Guide   

Spirit of the Home: How to Make Your Home a Sanctuary
by Jane Alexander Tim Goffe
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 April, 2000)
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Reviews (14)

Great approach, with a bit of everything
This book pulls together a variety of spiritual concepts - feng shui, goddesses, purification/smudging, creating altars, use of stones and crystals, aromatherapy/scents in the home, and colors.It's really a great overview.Activities like spring cleaning and decluttering are covered as are specific rooms like bedrooms, kitchen, etc.There are some terrific photographs throughout the book which really inspire.I like that the author put all of this together into one book.I have other books that talk around all this - one on feng shui, one on crystals, one on potpourri, etc.This book ties them together and I feel like now I can go back to those other books and apply them better.

One of the best "sacred space" books I've read
This book was a real "find" for me.I have several books on feng shui and space clearing, and this one was intuitive, yet practical at the same time.It is spiritual but loaded with remedies for clearing one's space on this earth while we are here!I never thought to talk to my house, yet it makes perfect sense!It reads almost like a novel and is just full of information.I wish I could go home from work now and continue with the "read"!

Great Overview of different spiritual aspects of home
When I first looked over this book I did not get into it.But as I began to buy new furniture for a new home and pulled together my tastes and sytles (The Domain Book is great for that!), I found this book to be awonderfully insightful book that helped me to consider Feng Shui andblessing my home and many other spiritual and tangible aspects of thisplace called my home. I have ordered a second one today for a friend. ... Read more

Isbn: 0823049019
Sales Rank: 308547
Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Feng shui    4. Feng-shui    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration   

Today's Creative Home Arts
Average Customer Review:
Magazine
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Features

• Magazine Subscription

Reviews (14)

Very disappointing!
It sounded promising, so I did paid $ 24.00. But all I got was a thin catalogue with projects that I did when I was little. Maybe there really are products that are being tested but I haven't had the pleasure to receive any to do so myself. I did receive books I didn't ask for and even if I would have been interested I would have bought them on Amazon...:-)

I also received an offer of $ 24 'credit', and a promise for presents worth more than $ 300.00; after reading VERY carefully I found this was a 'premium' membership for $ 25.00 A MONTH that was offered to 'only a few very privileged members'.... Very sneeky!!!!

Bottom line: definately NOT worth the money. If you want to spend a few bucks, just go to Michael's or Jo Anne's and buy some stuff you really like.

Great ideas + now have a website
I've really enjoyed my issues of Creative Home Arts.Issues have been clear and informative.Not having a massive income, I have really enjoyed looking at low-cost ideas for around my home.I received my gift, and my pot that I bought (though it did take a while to get here).They also now have a website at www.creativehomeartsclub.com .They have sent me one book, which I am very satisfied with, though it was unsolicited.I am able to send it back at no cost to me but I'm going to keep it.Some confusion over dues.

Is this an "Arts Club" or a way to sell books?
I joined the Creative Home Arts Club with a check for $24.I was promised products to test and great ideas from an innovative magazine.There are some pointers in the issues, but nothing I couldn't pick up at the home improvement or craft store.My gift for joining was a distasteful kraft paper frame with some colored paper leaves & little paint pots.The latest magazine had only 64 pages and so far I have received two unsolicited books, the most recent with a bill for $29.17, which I must return at my own expense or pay for.
I joined in Oct 2003 and received a renewal request today for more money.I am not so sure that what I am receiving is in direct proportion to what I am paying. ... Read more

Asin: B000066T19
Sales Rank: 659
Subjects:  1. Home (Houses, Homes)   

Home Comforts : The Art and Science of Keeping House
by Cheryl Mendelson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 November, 1999)
list price: $35.00 -- our price: $23.10
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Editorial Review

Virtually everyone enjoys a crisply ironed dress shirt, clean sheets on a well-made bed, and a savory home-cooked meal. Yet housekeeping today stands as a somewhat neglected, if not maligned, job. But as author Cheryl Mendelson points out in Home Comforts, keeping house well can be a rewarding position--it allows you to provide for the physical and emotional comfort of loved ones. It's also not an easy job--there's much to be learned about properly managing a home, and Mendelson has set out to provide a guide to doing just that.

Mendelson, a homemaker, lawyer, and mother, learned about housekeeping from an early age from her grandmothers, one Appalachian, the other Italian. The two grandmothers taught her that although different ways of keeping house can be appropriate, there are generally smarter, faster, and more creative ways of housekeeping that make it less of a chore and more of an art. In a practical, authoritative tone, Mendelson discusses the ins and outs of homemaking, such as washing dishes, recommended cleaning methods for various surfaces, housekeeping for those with pets or allergies, and emergency preparedness and safety procedures.

Mendelson's well-researched book includes meticulous sections on food (for example, which foods belong in the fridge versus the pantry, food storage times, picking the freshest fruits and vegetables, and keeping your kitchen and food sanitary) as well as laundry (caring for various fabrics, how to read--and read between the lines of--clothing care labels, and removing stains). Mendelson covers a lot of ground, and as she herself points out, readers shouldn't feel required to do everything mentioned in the book--simply pick the activities that seem appropriate for your particular home. This is a comprehensive reference book that should serve homemakers well and induce a greater appreciation for the effort and specialized knowledge that go into keeping house. --Kris Law ... Read more

Reviews (198)

A lifesaver for the clueless housekeeper
This book changed me from a clueless, frustrated homemaker into a capable home manager.I cannot recommend it enough.It is good for every person who is tired of trying to keep house and not understanding why they fall short.It explains things that our grandmothers were taught and we were not.Many women raised in the 70s and 80s like me were just not taught how to be homemakers. Yet, many of us now find ourselves with homes to keep and no idea how. The author of this book understands and fills in the many gaps in our homekeeping knowledge.It just isn't cool to talk about why the laundry comes out grey or why we can't seem to get dinner on the table. But it is important to the well-being of our families to find the answers to questions like these and more. This book explains everything I wanted to know but was not sure who to ask.It is like advice from a wise grandmother.I would never part with my copy but I will be sure to get one for my daughter when she starts out on her own.I wish someone had done the same for me.

Highly Recommended
It sounds trite, but this book has changed my life. Growing up I was lucky enough to have a mother who kept a very clean and comfortable house, unfortunately I never paid any attention to how she did it and I considered all housework a drudgery. Fast forward to the present day - here I am a woman in my late thirties with two young children and who hadn't a clue how to keep house. It seemed I was constantly just trying to "keep up" and whenever we have company I was frantically running around trying to get the house in order. It wasn't until I received this book that I realized that not only is keeping a clean and organized house NOT a drudgery, but there is a methodology to it. I didn't know you scheduled a cleaning day every week, or a marketing day, or anything like it. This is probably obvious to many people, but I used to only do the laundry when it was piled so high it wouldn't fit in the hamper or we ran out of clean clothes! Thisbook has changed my family's life for the better. Not only do we get to enjoy living in a clean and comfortable house every day (no rushing around when company is coming over!), but I find I have more free time to do other things. Yes, my house still gets messy. My four year old spreads his toys all over the living room carpet. I don't really consider that mess though, I mean that's just living. I also know that underneath those toys he gets to play on a clean carpet.

This book has taught me how to wash everything from clothes, dishes, to floors. It's really an invaluable reference, plus it's just plain inspiring. It goes over every detail about how to keep a home, not just cleaning, but how to really create a place where you feel rejuvenated. I remember when this book first came out it was considered antifemminist, the fact is it's just the opposite. This is a feminist book. In a gender neutal manner it shows how to keep house. I consider myself a feminist and I'm glad to see someone finally showing the value of something that has been considered "women's work" all these years. She explains why this kind of work is so important for our physical and mental health.

My only real criticisms of the book are similiar to other reviewers. She gives parenting advice occasionally which has no place in this book. (She's against the family bed, which as an attachment style parent myself, I disagree with her.) Also some of the advice goes a little too far. The thing that sticks out in my mind is her notion that you should never use the kitchen sink for anything but food preperation. That means no washing your hands in the kitchen sink. This is kind of silly I think. Maybe for people living on a farm who's hands might be soiled with manure I could see this, but for the average person today it's not something I would follow. My criticisms are minor though. I use this book as a reference constantly and I think even a person seasoned in the art of keeping house would find it useful.

5 stars -- but with reservations
Although I find this book thoroughly worth the purchase price, I was surprised to find it less of an enjoyable read than I had expected. It is textbook-like in its physical size, and in the sheer amount of material covered, and therefore -- like a good textbook -- would benefit from a neat summary at the end of each chapter, a few more easy-to-reference charts, an attempt to separate out the "must know's" from the "might be interested to know's." That, or a good working over by a strict editor (am I correct that there was none?). The reader has to slog through so much (albeit pleasant) chat and anecdote that it's a fairly tedious read. One might argue that it's a reference work and not a novel, and therefore not intended for a read, however there's truly valuable detail buried in all the verbiage.

I'd greatly welcome the "Cliff Notes" on this book, frankly.

Past that, my compliments to the author for having attempted to right a wrong in bringing housework back to the level of a worthwhile occupation requiring significant knowledge, skill, and loving attention to detail. And although I can't help but wonder at her fixation with microbes, I admit I'd rather spend time in a home which errs on the side of over-fastidiousness than under.

I do pity those lost souls who were not raised with the advantage of a mother or grandmother for whom these many finer points were a way of life. Ms. Mendelson has made me aware of what a blessing it is to have a sixth sense about the myriad details of the various jobs she covers, thanks simply to a childhood spent doing those jobs side by side with women in my family who did them "properly." Again, however, especially for the uninitiated, it would be valuable to have the book organized in such a way as to faciliate several depths of absorption of the material. Easier said than done, no doubt -- but I fear the content might be overwhelming to those who would benefit from it the most.

(A note: the layout, font, and illustrations are handsome and well-chosen and greatly enhance this book.)

... Read more

Isbn: 068481465X
Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home economics    6. House & Home    7. Repair    8. House & Home / Repair   

Organizing Plain and Simple: A Ready Reference Guide With Hundreds Of Solutions to Your Everyday Clutter Challenges
by Donna Smallin
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (September, 2002)
list price: $16.95 -- our price: $11.53
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Reviews (11)

Staple for every home!!!
This is the best organization book ever.I have been joked about being OCD but there were things in this book that I have learned.

I think every home should have this book.

Great Ideas for Organizing!
This book is great for different ideas on how to organize your home and keep it organized.For even the messiest of homes, this will help! I own several organization books and really liked this one a lot - rates in my top 3!

It should be: All the things to know about organizing
What a book! It shows you so many way to get things in order. She makes you feel like it is so easy to be organized. It won't make you feel like it this huge job that needs to get done. The one statement from the book was, to have boxes set around you (labeled)and just sort the things you want to keep, and get rid the rest. Its such an easy thing to do.But when you need to get organized you just forget. Some of the organizing tips that didn't pretane to me. I just passed it on to my girls friends.Such as traveling with infants.
Any sorting job you may have from small to big, this is the book. The office section was one part that I read 3 times because it was filled with so many good ideas. I just had to read it again. The section on cleaning solutions was great also, I am always buying either too much or to little. This book helps you to define everything. I give the writer a 6 for this book, but the scoring doesn't go that high. Since this book was so good. I bought another one and bought all of her other books. Can't wait for the shippment!!!! Super Job
... Read more

Isbn: 1580174485
Sales Rank: 5868
Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Home economics    5. House & Home    6. Organization    7. Storage in the home    8. Time management    9. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Checklists for Life : 104 Lists to Help You Get Organized, Save Time, and Unclutter Your Life
by KIRSTEN LAGATREE
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 November, 1999)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $9.71
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Editorial Review

At some point in our lives, we all wish life had come with an instruction manual; a little something to help us navigate the labyrinth of this complex world with a touch of grace and dignity. Is it so much to ask? Luckily for us, Kirsten M. Lagatree has risen to the challenge.Checklists for Life offers 104 lists that can help you with all those nagging little uncertainties, from organizing your closet to choosing a lawyer."Show me a successful person," asserts Lagatree, "and I'll show you a list-maker.... Lists ensure that the job gets done correctly and completely--and with the added finesse that springs from an uncluttered mind."

Categorized into personal safety, getting organized, stocking up, home maintenance, housework, flowers and plants, social life, correspondence, death, children, moving, travel, health, the law, your money, professional life, your computer, and your car, many of the lists in this book consist, as she points out, of commonsense advice. Others, though, are less obvious.For instance, her advice on extras to pack when you go abroad (electricity converters, adapters, pre-addressed envelopes and Benadryl, just to name a few) and choosing realtors (Do they insist on a buyer/broker contract? Do they use a computer to help find homes?) are clearly the product of experience. While all the lists are highly helpful--the checklist for organizing your workspace alone is worth the price of the book--the best seem to be those for less common events, such as buying and moving to a new home or preparing for court. Lagatree has clearly done her research on these topics and her advice will save you time, money, and a great deal of stress.--Laszlo Simonyi ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A Good Reference for a Range of Situations
I bought this book years ago and still enjoy referencing it for the occasions that I had yet to encounter.The author's style is simple and concise, yet friendly.No one book, without being incredibly bulky, will cover every possible checklist, but this one proves itself to be extremely helpful.

Very Useful
I consider this book very useful. I am glad that I bought it. I found many useful checklists in it. I was able to use these checklists as a starting point to organizing many aspects of my life. I particularly found the checklists regarding safety deposti boxes, first aid kits, and finances very important to have.I also appreciated that she provided extra resources for more information.

I had two complaints about this book which is why I rated it a four instead of a five.
-The checklists cover too broad a range of information- from How to unclog your sink to how to pick a lawyer to first aid kits. I think this book would have been stronger if it had zeroed in on two or three types of checklists (finances and survival for example) and left the others out.
- The author felt the need to explain many of the items on her checklist. Sometimes these explanations were necessary and important and provided more information about something. However, many of these explanations were unneccesary.

I would suggest that this is a good book to have if you are trying to organize your life and your environment.

What's their problem?
I bought this book a while back and have used it probably a dozen times over the past year -- including lending it to various friends who were clueless about how to do something (recently it was how to choose a mover).I'm just puzzled by some of the reviews here that are pretty nasty.In fact,a couple of these actually misrepresent what's in the book.What's up with that?Anyway...it's a good book and a great gift for anyone from a young person just starting out to a divorced man or woman, just starting over, to anybody who digs reading lists. ... Read more

Isbn: 0375707336
Subjects:  1. Careers - General    2. General    3. Home economics    4. Life skills    5. Personal & Practical Guides    6. Reference    7. Time Management    8. Reference / General   

Good Things for Organizing (Good Things with Martha Stewart Living)
by Martha Stewart
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (13 March, 2001)
list price: $22.00 -- our price: $14.96
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Reviews (28)

Inspiring ideas
I'm not usually one to buy books about generic subjects like organizing. But this book intrigued me because it brings a dash of glamour and pinache to an otherwise dull subject and one that I needed to study!

All of the ideas are fresh and original.

The book goes room by room through the house: Living spaces, Working spaces, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Basements, etc.

Martha and her team make the task of organizing seem do-able and alsooffer some very stylish ways of keeping clutter out of site, like the hidden book shelves on the sides of a headboard, starting a key corral by the front door or keeping your computer, fax machine and printer in a converted armoire - a 'secret office' you can put anywhere in the house.

There are lots of tips for storage, keeping clutter off desks, organizng a pantry, a linen closet, a medicine cabinet, a spice rack, a clothes closet, a laundry room, your kitchen drawers, etc.

It's a bit of a vanity project, like most of Martha's books, with photos of Martha's homes and rooms, but that's kind of fun too.

Inspiring photos and text!
I got this book a while ago and I really love it.The suggestions are useful and very practical.Thanks to this book I now fold fitted sheets properly, which is a big drawer-space-saver.The photos are very helpful and the text is appropriate and addresses what is shown in the pictures/illustrations.I actually read the book from cover to cover, and found it very pleasant besides being informative.My mother-in-law is in the process of organizing her closets and she has asked to borrow this book again from me.I should probably get her her own copy...

My final point is that this is a great buy and you will not regret it.

Very clever and subtle
I'm a process engineer by trade. Some ideas look obvious, but when you try them you see that they are brilliant.Martha understands usability and good design. ... Read more

Isbn: 0609805940
Sales Rank: 76989
Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House cleaning    7. Storage in the home    8. House & Home / General   

Home: A Short History of an Idea
by Witold Rybczynski
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1987)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
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Reviews (14)

Perfect companion to invite "Home"
Rybczynski's elegant prose makes "Home: A Short History" a perfect fireside companion -- not least because he'll make you think about why you positioned your most comfy chair beside the fireplace, how your nice halogen reading light has transformed your evening hours, and whether you'd ever have even been permitted to sit down at the court of a French king.

If Tom Wolfe's "From Bauhaus to Our House" is a savage indictment of modern architecture, Rybczynski's book is no less disappointed but even more careful to show how far back in history architects went astray from the guiding principle of 'how to keep humans comfortable'. Till I read Rybczynski, I hadn't realized that 19th century women were more concerned with the sensible flow of activity from room to room in a house, and more interested in time/labor saving innovations such as electricity, than were the architects of the time: they were still preoccupied with the regularity of the façade rather than the sensible use of space inside the home.

In fact, I'd add a third book to add to your fireside reading about the home and its development in modern times: "A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder", by Michael Pollan. (His meeting with the unlucky souls who live in a Peter Eisenmann home is worth the price of admission...)

Exploration
This book is an exploration into the meaning of the word "comfort" and its place in the home.Rybczynski begins the volume with an examination of the Sixteenth Century painting by Durer "Saint Jerome in His Study".He describes each of the objects and furnishings visible in the paining in turn, noting that they are not particularly conducive to comfort or reflective of individuality.Rybczynski goes on to describe how this painting may be representative of the era in which it was painted, how houses at the time had many occupants and were spaces where people lived communally, but not necessarily as a family in the present sense of the term.He argues that in the Sixteenth Century, the nuclear family as a residential unit was non-existent, since children were sent away to live and work with others at a young age, and households always included many unrelated servants or apprentices.It was only later, as the concept of the nuclear family became more established that the need for privacy came to the fore, and private and public spaces began to be differentiated within the house.Later developments in technology, especially plumbing, ventilation, and lighting also came to influence housing design.One of the themes of the book is how the field of interior design has often been faced with the conflict between what looks good and what feels good.Rybcynski stresses that often the style of a design wins out, leaving the residents with the very least in comfort (to the point of having to carry their toothbrushes to and from the bathroom for lack of proper storage there, for instance).

Some of Rybcynski's discussion is quite interesting, particularly that concerning the influences French, Dutch, and British cultures have had on the development of houses and homes over the centuries, especially in North America.It would have been interesting to consider some of the influences of other world cultures on housing styles as well.For example, certainly Spanish and Arabic cultures have had a strong impact on house design and interiors of North American homes.However, considering such topics for the sake of completeness might have taken the book too far afield.In order to explore the concept of comfort with respect to design, Rybcynski has selected only a few examples of cultures and designers to explicate his points.

The book is academic in style, although quite accessible and engaging for the general reader.Sources are listed in the extensive endnotes, and there is an index.

One of the Best Writers Around!
I found Home by accident three years ago.Since then I've become a Rybczyski fan.This man knows how to write and has lots of thought provoking things to say about the relationship between people and their buildings.I recommend all his books.Witold is on my list of the top ten people I'd like to meet at a soiree. ... Read more

Isbn: 0140102310
Sales Rank: 68709
Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Domestic    3. Interior Design - General    4. Sociology   

House As a Mirror of Self: Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home
by Clare Cooper Marcus
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 1995)
list price: $24.95
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Editorial Review

This is a refreshing, unique, and fascinating look at how we feel about our homes, how we shape them to suit ourselves, why some homes make is feel safe and secure and at ease, and others make us paranoid and uncomfortable. This book, in my opinion, should be legally required reading for every architect, interior designer, and real estate agent. For the rest of us, it is a surprisingly interesting look at the meaning of home. Clare Cooper Marcus's extensive and detailed interviews with people living in all kinds of homes, from illegal shacks to mansions, provide eye-opening insights into what "home" is, and how to create the feeling of home for you. It's about time someone finally wrote this book! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Disappointing
This reads more like a textbook for an interior design course.It has little to do with the psychology of your own choice of home/setting.Like another reviewer said, the idea seemed fascinating, but the book disappoints right away, if not for the setup alone; the author overuses the same phrases and form to setup her next example. It is as though this were her thesis for design school.It could also pass for a really good new age book, that's how problem-centered it is.If you have watched "Designing for the Sexes" on HGTV, you have read this book.This book is only interesting and appropriate for interior designers, not for anyone seeking insight into our needs and choices when it comes to home.

Enlightening
I found this book when I was undergoing my own deep personal transformation ten years ago. It helped me understand my own relationship to the homes I had created for clients and my self. As an interior designer and a contractor it is important to understand the calling of the client's psyche and meet those needs. There is so much focus now on the spiritual aspects of one's home, and feng shui does offer up its own insights, but using this book as a primer for understanding what is calling to you will lead you to a different more integrated understanding. A carpenter builds a house, the family makes it a home. Clare gives the reader a path to understanding this complex yet simple process. The book is easy to read and offers many good exercises to dialog with the inner self. I highly recommend it to designers and psychologist alike.

Grossly overrated
I have an advanced degree in psychology and I have renovated several houses. The concept behind this book seemed fascinating to me. However, I have been very disappointed. The focus is on psychology written by an architect. She is an amateur psychologist--it would have been better if she had focused on her own area of expertise. It was a waste of money. ... Read more

Isbn: 0943233925
Subjects:  1. Dwellings    2. Environmental Psychology    3. Home Management    4. House furnishings    5. Jung, C. G    6. Mental Health    7. Object constancy (Psychoanalys    8. Object constancy (Psychoanalysis)    9. Psychological aspects    10. Psychology   

House As a Mirror of Self : Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home
by Clare Cooper Marcus
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 March, 1997)
list price: $16.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This is a refreshing, unique, and fascinating look at how we feel about our homes, how we shape them to suit ourselves, why some homes make is feel safe and secure and at ease, and others make us paranoid and uncomfortable. This book, in my opinion, should be legally required reading for every architect, interior designer, and real estate agent. For the rest of us, it is a surprisingly interesting look at the meaning of home. Clare Cooper Marcus's extensive and detailed interviews with people living in all kinds of homes, from illegal shacks to mansions, provide eye-opening insights into what "home" is, and how to create the feeling of home for you. It's about time someone finally wrote this book! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Disappointing
This reads more like a textbook for an interior design course.It has little to do with the psychology of your own choice of home/setting.Like another reviewer said, the idea seemed fascinating, but the book disappoints right away, if not for the setup alone; the author overuses the same phrases and form to setup her next example. It is as though this were her thesis for design school.It could also pass for a really good new age book, that's how problem-centered it is.If you have watched "Designing for the Sexes" on HGTV, you have read this book.This book is only interesting and appropriate for interior designers, not for anyone seeking insight into our needs and choices when it comes to home.

Enlightening
I found this book when I was undergoing my own deep personal transformation ten years ago. It helped me understand my own relationship to the homes I had created for clients and my self. As an interior designer and a contractor it is important to understand the calling of the client's psyche and meet those needs. There is so much focus now on the spiritual aspects of one's home, and feng shui does offer up its own insights, but using this book as a primer for understanding what is calling to you will lead you to a different more integrated understanding. A carpenter builds a house, the family makes it a home. Clare gives the reader a path to understanding this complex yet simple process. The book is easy to read and offers many good exercises to dialog with the inner self. I highly recommend it to designers and psychologist alike.

Grossly overrated
I have an advanced degree in psychology and I have renovated several houses. The concept behind this book seemed fascinating to me. However, I have been very disappointed. The focus is on psychology written by an architect. She is an amateur psychologist--it would have been better if she had focused on her own area of expertise. It was a waste of money. ... Read more

Isbn: 1573240761
Subjects:  1. Dwellings    2. General    3. House furnishings    4. Jung, C. G    5. Object constancy (Psychoanalys    6. Object constancy (Psychoanalysis)    7. Psychological aspects    8. Psychology   

Geography of Home: Writings About Where We Live
by Akiko Busch
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 June, 1999)
list price: $19.95 -- our price: $19.95
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Reviews (1)

Charming and provocative reflections on how we live
Bravo! Aki Busch takes us on a charming and provocative stroll both through her home and each of ours.Ever wonder why you still have a front door?Or whatever happened to the front porch?Or why your kitchen andclosets and garage are so essential?READ THIS BOOK and find out!! ... Read more

Isbn: 1568981724
Sales Rank: 518272
Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture - Human Factors    3. Domestic    4. General    5. Human factors    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Personal space    9. Psychological aspects    10. Residential Interior Design    11. Room layout (Dwellings)   

Spiritual Housecleaning: Healing the Space Within by Beautifying the Space Around You
by Kathryn L. Robyn
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 May, 2001)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Reviews (16)

Got more than I bargained for
I thought this book would give me specific instructions for what to do in each room to get it together, and I'd follow them and my house would be a nicer place to live. Ha! She talks about how each room in your house reflects a part of you...when I got to the end of the book and realized that each and every room in my house needed serious attention, I finally woke up and got myself the serious attention I'd been needing for a long time. At the time that I read this book, about 2 years ago, I kinda didn't like it because my house didn't get any cleaner. But now that I look back at how many changes I've made in myself, and how I can keep track of my emotional and even physical trouble spots by howI'm maintaining my house, I realize that reading this book was immeasurably beneficial. And what's funny is that I really hadn't put it together till I started typing this review.

Why spiritual decluttering leads to an organized home
I'm amazed no one has really written a book like this one yet...the idea of spiritual awareness being linked with an organized, peaceful and nurturing home environment seems so commonsense, so obvious But perhaps that is this author's special talent, that she sees beyond the spiritual clutter and detritus of life to the heart of what matters - and that she also realizes how a peaceful soul leads inevitably to a more serene, simplified environment. In short, those of us who find it difficult to keep our homes decluttered may need to look within ourselves first.
But don't assume this book is just about spiritual matters or that it omits the how-tos of housecleaning. The author also includes valuable tips such as "Always vacuum and dust your windows when you clean your floor" and even suggests you enlist helpers when tackling larger tasks. Finally, she urges readers to actually make sure they have time to just "putter" or do nothing - so that when they do get back to work, it is with a lightened, refreshed spirit.

Enough good to be worth it
This book was really motivational and I keep referring to it.It helped me figure out what I really want from my surroundings and has encouraged me to really decorate (not just giving a half-hearted attempt).I thought the "Spiritual" side of it was a bit much, although she is respectful of other's beleifs, she really delves into the cosmic.I was also disappointed that she would recommend practicing masturbation, yet discouraged "habit forming" practices.That seemed contradictory.All in all, there was a LOT of good in the book, and so I take from it what I choose and leave the rest. ... Read more

Isbn: 1572242396
Sales Rank: 9600
Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    3. Healing    4. Healing - Prayer & Spiritual    5. Home    6. House & Home    7. New Age    8. New Age (Self Help)    9. New Age / Parapsychology    10. Religious aspects    11. Spiritual life    12. Spiritualism - General    13. Personal Growth    14. Psychology   

Interior Alchemy: Secrets to Creating Expressive Ambience
by Rebecca Purcell Kathy Walton Steve Gross Sue Daley
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 April, 1998)
list price: $30.00
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Reviews (6)

My new decorating bible
I adore this book. I found a copy of it mysteriously in my office (I'm a set dresser) and it has completely overhauled my beliefs in decorating. The pictures are feasts for your eyes... There's just so much to look at, all layered so perfectly. I can't wait to create my own lofted bed, my own hooshes, and mysteriously curtained nooks. I feel like I finally fit into a design catagory.

Even if this book doesn't quite mesh as well with your design style, it is still interesting to look at the unique ways of decorating, and the text is lively and quite non-snore inducing (which most decorating books tend to be).

Amazing book. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. It will leave you yearning for another one from the very creative Rebecca Prucell.

Close-to-realistic decorating
I have mixed feelings about this book, despite the 5 stars. I don't actually like clutter myself. I take its presence as a sign that somebody needs to tidy up and/or throw a few things out.

Still, whose home is neat and organized all the time? Through great effort, I can get mine to lose that just-been-burglerized look for about 5 minutes a week.

So I was delighted to find Purcell's book, much of which is devoted to making clutter actually look good, a process she refers to as "hooshing."

She also appreciates that few people's household belongings are new, unstained or well-matched.

--which is (IMO) why the rooms in this book bear some resemblance to places people actually live.

The main deviation from TRULY realistic decor derives from the fact that HER piles of clutter consist of things like old globes, brocade samples, hardcover books etc., whereas most people's clutter is stuff like old newspapers and dead plants.But for an interior decorating book, it's close enough.

Not for the faint of heart
Upfront here:If you're the sort who likes to have your space organized, if you dislike the shabby, the thrift store look, the impression of disrepair, do not bother with this book.Purcell leans heavily on the idea that interior fantasy is built up of layers of eccentric, aged, lived-in objects and artifacts, and the result, while remarkable, is not going to be to everyone's taste.

Purcell's aesthetic is dark, and even a bit threatening.It's eccentric rather than whimsical, and that's not a bad thing.It's just that it can be a bit overwhelming.(If you're looking for a modified version of this, one with a lighter feel, check out Tracy Porter.)It makes heavy use of thrift store finds, but in these days of shabby chic, this look isn't as thrifty as it used to be.One room features a grouping of very large composition dolls.Granted, they're damaged and rather ratty-looking, but all the same, scoring a single large compo doll can be pricey.Half a dozen is likely to set you back quite a bit of money.And that's more or less true of many of the design ideas here.Very nice things (or at least things so odd that you're going to have to go to some lengths to find a good analog) artfully arranged so that they look kind of neglected.Cha-ching!That's gonna cost you.

Over all, I'd have to say that Interior Alchemy, is a great book for those who are not timid about their decorating, who have either some serious spare change or spare time, and who are already more or less on this path of crowded, eccentric spaces.The fantasy level here is enormous, and if it's worth it to you to do the work, then this is a grand resource.To most people, I'd say, start with something a little less ambitious. ... Read more

Isbn: 0688148948
Sales Rank: 92141
Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior decoration    7. Interior design    8. Residential Interior Design