5 comments about Roofing The Right Way.

1. Like many roof texts, this one is helpful if you are installing plain 3-tab shingles to a simple gable roof with maybe a valley and a dormer.
   
   If you have a hip roof or hip roof section, or if you are installing shingles other than a plain 3-tab type, this text won't help you much.
   
   I'm a chronically addicted do-it-yourselfer for everything. I learn everything by gathering multiple texts on a subject: electronics, mechanics, carpentry, among others ... and now roofing.
   
   I think that no single textbook tells you all you need to know about anything so I have to recommend that you not rely on just one text for your roofing project. With that in mind, let me say that this text I'm reviewing titled "Roofing the Right Way" is helpful towards broadening your roofing knowlege base but it's not comprehensive enough to be your "bible."
   
   As another reviewer has said, this text feels, to me also, a little dated. However, if you are installing plain 3-tab shingles or plain roll roofing to a simple gable roof, you might be able to rely on this text alone. Not many of us fall into that category, however. If you are installing dimensional shingles on a hip roof, you'll definitely need other texts besides this one.



2. This book does a decent job of explaining roofing to the novice. It covers all the basics of planning, tear-off, prep, and installation, including a variety of specific types of roofs and sections. It felt a bit dated to me as it has very limited coverage of laminated (architectural) shingles and use of power nailers. There is a greater amount of detail on hand-nailing and alternative traditional materials than you see in some other books. The pictures are all in black-and-white which makes it very hard to tell what is supposed to be conveyed. More drawings or color photos would make things easier, particularly given that some of the methods are complex and the descriptions aren't always written clearly. All-in-all this book is adequate to the task for most do-it-yourselfers, but may not be ideal depending on your specific project.



3. This book is loaded with helpful pictures to assist any DIY with a roofing project. I gave it only 4 stars because the BUR section is too brief with no cold app section and the use of cap nails is pictured but not in text for BUR. The book was still helpful in many areas that are part of BUR. If you are doing shingles, buy this book. If you are doing BUR, buy this book and consult your manufacturer's website and technical division for installation instructions and questions.



4. This book has much info on traditional roofing methods, but if you want useful, up to date info on applying metal roofing, forget it! In this whole book, there are only a handful of pages dedicated to metal roofing( and even they appear outdated). I was very disappointed ...had nothing useful on metal roofing!



5. Because to date 25 of 26 people found misleading comments submitted by a "reader from upstate New York" to be "helpful," I would like to respond. I assure you that the upstate New York reader's comments are completely without merit. Apparently, this individual never actually took the time to read my book. No text, caption, or illustration in my book promotes "poor roofing techniques" or "directs you to flash with roofing cement." My book describes accepted roofing-industry practices and proven techniques. Such standard industry practices includes the appropriate, limited application of roofing cement to enhance the weatherproofing of metal or other roof-surface flashings. For unbiased comments about my book, please see the many posted editorial reviews from sources such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Midwest Book Review.

No comments about Solar Water Heating.

1 comments about Lathes and Turning Techniques (Best of Fine Woodworking).

1. We have purchased other Lathe books but this one helped our 14 year old and his parents fine-tune their lathe skills. Great choice.

5 comments about Houses by Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company.

1. This book is amazing - actual floor plans, and Sears would send you absolutely everything you need to build whatever house you choose.



2. I have had this book since it first came out and am now on my fourth copy of it as I have totally abused the others in my search for Sears Homes and while doing research for my book. This book is a valuable source of information and no true Sears Home Lover should be without it. This is the first book ever written about Sears Homes and it is still the one I turn to when I have a question. The author and I have been in many of the same interviews and videos but have never met, I have to rectify this. Let's meet Katherine!!!



3. This book is a great collection of designs and illustrations but what disappointed me most was that some houses did not have floor plans at all while some only had a downstairs and no upstairs floor plan illustrated. I was especially disappointed about those without any floorplans since I have seen floorplans elsewhere on the internet on various archive lists, the same goes for interior illustrations which I really expected to be many more of. I hoped it would be a 'Bible' or ultimate reference book to Sears homes but I guess I need to complement it with my own internet research.
   I am not sure if I would recommend it to somebody who has high expectations and such a great love for these old homes like me.



4. I found Houses by Mail to be very helpful and informative.



5. This book probably provides useful information for persons otherwise unfamiliar with this genre of house and architecture, but personally I found two things about it particularly annoying: first, its small size. Many plans are reduced to the point where they might just as well be heavy line diagrams, and second, I find direct reproduction of original text to be far preferable to the uniform re-typing found here. Original text tends to be just as legible and lets the reader know with no uncertainty what is, in fact, original text. In all fairness, I have to say that since I am an architect and very familiar with house plans in general, my review may not apply to all readers. I much prefer the direct reproductions, and without a doubt favor a larger format.

3 comments about Specifying Interiors: A Guide to Construction and FF&E for Residential and Commercial Interiors Projects.

1. 
   Pretty Good information. However, the book would have been much better if the photos they used were more current.



2. The book looked new even though it was used. I was glad to know that the rating of the book actually did match the final product!



3. I am studying for the NCIDQ exam and I found this book very insightful. It is a great review of information I learned in school and in my experiences in the field. The book covers a wide range of information and is very concise!

No comments about Piet Boon: Beach: Beach.

5 comments about American Castles: A Pictorial History.

1. I enjoyed the book. The photographs iside were excellent. The only reason I gave it three stars is because it was WAY TO SHORT. I only wish there was more pictures and backgound. As far as its delivery goes. The book came on time and in perfect shape.



2. 
   This is a nice hardback book with beautifully photographed pictures of the "MAJOR" USA Castles (or mansions) . Please note that most of the photos in this book are of the exteriors.
   
   There are many other mansions still around in the USA, but this book contains the most well-known "mansions",photographed on the outside.



3. Though I greatly enjoyed a visit to Hearst's "Castle" in San Simeon some years ago, as a European one tends to be unaware that it isn't the only building of its kind in the USA. This book provides an excellent overview of what's on offer, and for me truly opened up whole new perspectives on architecture. The shameless display of wealth is very much to the fore in several of the houses that are documented. Though the results are sometimes in questionable taste, or even childishly naïve, and architects apparently weren't always able to articulate the difference between a hallway in a private dwelling and an opera house lobby, there is also an exhilarating buoyancy to it all that's rarely found in European buildings, weighed down as they are by historical and stylistic consciousness (barring maybe a few Victorian extravaganzas in the UK and of course Ludwig II's castles in Bavaria). Confections like the dining room at The Breakers or the ballroom at Marble House might have been cooked up in Hollywood as sets for some million-dollar fairy tale movie and are simply mind-blowing.
   Still, of even greater interest than these would-be Versailles' are quintessentially American buildings like the Carson House in Eureka or the bizarre Winchester "Mystery" House. All of these are shown to excellent advantage in this book, with an occasional Italianate Palazzo and the odd gothic monstrosity thrown in for good measure. Both interiors and exteriors are (selectively) documented. Texts are brief and to the point. The photography is more than serviceable, though of somewhat variable quality and rarely quite top-notch. Still, at the price nobody interested need hesitate to pick up this slim volume. If you are seriously interested in the subject I would however urge you (also) to invest in the McAlister's more comprehensive, scholarly, and visually stunning "Great American Houses", which includes floor plans, unfortunately missing in the present book.



4. For $10.36 you simply cant beat the value of the beautiful photos in this book. Grand 'modern' castles & mansions of the Guilded Era with pictures of their interiors also. My favorites are the Hearst mansion/castle & the Hammond castle. I gave it less than 5 stars because it is only 80 pages long. I gave it more than 3 stars for the exquisite photos.

   See other books I have reviewed if you want more suggestions for books on castles & architecture.




5. A variety of architectural styles are represented in this full color book, including gothic castles, victorian mansions and palazzos. Each building represented contains a brief history and beautiful photographs. A few of the castles highlighted are the monumentous Hearst Castle, the Winchester Mystery House and Ca'd'Zan. Newport's mansions are well represented also. It is an absolute bargain for the price. Short and sweet it is a great way to start a library of castles. I would highly recommend.

3 comments about Japanese Castles in Korea 1592-98 (Fortress).

1. Stephen Turnbull's Japanese Castles in Korea is definitely one of these weird unknown subject matter that is worthy of Osprey's Fortress Series. In this short book, Turnbull managed to give a pretty good summary account of history of Japanese castles that were built during Hideyoshi's Korean invasion between the years 1592 to 1598. The book explained how these castles were built initially to support the invasion, support the supply lines, to control and policed the area around it and finally to support the withdrawal of Japanese troops from Korea after Hideyoshi's death.
   
   Stephen Turnbull managed to do all this in this short book with clarity and understanding that don't bogged the reader down. Turnbull also stated that Japanese castle designs at that time proves to be quite capable of withstanding the might of the Ming armies from China. From what I understand, lack of artillery consideration appears to be the major weakness of the Japanese military when defending their castles. Still, three major sieges of Japanese castles in Korea all ended with Japanese victories. And according to the author, the Japanese forces also adapted Korean cannons to their defensive lines as well.
   
   Interestingly, the author also spent few paragraphs describing how these castles were built and the hardships of the impressed Japanese peasants and Korean workers forced to worked on these fortresses. Brief outline of the war in Korea was given but the readers would have to wait for the Turnbull's Campaign series (Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-1598) book coming out in July 2008 on the subject to get greater details or read a book already published by him on the subject (Samurai Invasion) that came out in 2004.
   
   Like all Osprey books, this book come well illustrated with very useful drawings and illustrations of these Japanese castles and their designs. Turnbull also inserted many black and white photos of the remains of these Japanese castles, mostly only their stone base remains while using castle parts from Japan to illustrated what they could have look like in Korea as well.
   
   Overall, this book covers a subject that is beyond the common knowledge of most people in the English speaking world and despite of the shortness of the book, I found this book to be utterly interesting in terms of information given.



2. Stephen Turnbull's JAPANESE CASTLES IN KOREA 1592-98 is a pick not just for military libraries but for any specializing in early Asian history. The focus on Japanese-built castles and Korean fortifications follows the design and use of key fortresses and joins the publishers' 'Fortress' history series.



3. I travel for a living and love these books. Easy packing, entertaining airport reads and educational. I have purchased many and will continue to do so.

3 comments about Park and Recreation Structures : Administration and Basic Service Facilities : Recreational and Cultural Facilities : Overnight and Organized Camp.

1. The golden era of handcrafted log construction was 1920's and 30's, and this wonderful book details, in project after project, the structures that had been built in America's National and State parks during that time. Cabins, lodges, visitor centers, even bridges, drinking fountains, fire pits, outhouses, and log benches-they all get photos, drawings, and commentary in this encyclopedic work.
   
   Albert H. Good wrote several books as Architectural Consultant for the National Park Service, and 3 of them are bound into one huge book here--it is the size of a library dictionary. More than 600 pages, and countless photos and drawings, the publisher used high quality paper and library binding. It feels like an expensive book!
   
   For me, the drawings are the gems. B&W photos must be difficult to scan and reproduce from the original, and some of the photos in this book, while generally very good, have suffered just a little. But this is nit picking.
   
   This book is a treasurehouse of handcrafted stone and log structures--these were craftsmen working at the peak of their abilities. And the designs are superb-they have the human scale, the warmth, and the charm that current architects could learn from. Great log homes don't need to be 4000 square feet, or have 20-foot ceilings. This book is proof of that.
   
   Save up and buy this book. Use it when designing your own log home or cabin. Share it with friends. I have been building log homes, and writing about log home construction, for 23 years and each time I browse this book I learn something new.
   
   Robert W. Chambers, author, Log Construction Manual



2. This is a beautiful book and an excellent reference. It is a reprint of the three volume set published in 1938. "Patterns From the Golden Age" is a cheaper reprint of the same thing - but the quality of the photos in this version is well worth the extra money.



3. This is the best source book for the architectural projects and site concepts produced during the 1930's for the Works Projects Administration (WPA)and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Albert Good's narrative provides insight into the motivating forces that employed thousands of out of work architects, engineers, skilled craftsmen and laborers to produce projects that now form the core of our national and state park systems.

   Most of the work produced under this program is enjoyed by today's tourist as the premier and most desirable destinations for outdoor experiences. Few new park facilities can duplicate the environments created by these dedicated workers on superbly selected and planned sites during the darkest days of the "Great Depression". The hand crafted, and sometimes intricately decorated, architecture and natural landscape planning evolved from talented designers and often unskilled laborers who lavished their work with love that only the lack of deadlines, the motivation of an empty stomach, a belief in the benefit for their fellow countrymen and the need to build with on site materials can produce. These buildings are truly "green buildings" before the term and recent politically correct notion became fasionable.

   Any architect, engineer, conservation and environmental supporter or depression era historian can benefit from this publication which brings one in contact with a nation faced with financial ruin and the effect on the hopes and spirit of its citizens. It demonstrates that when given a chance, the work ethic that has and hopefully will always exist in this nation produces fantastic results..........that we can roll up our shirt sleeves and pull on our boots to produce marvelous and lasting accomplishments even under great adversity.

   I recommend this book not just for the professionals whose vocations it represents but also for those who wish to understand the mountains that can be moved with a little sweat and perseverance.

No comments about Urban Spaces No. 5 (Urban Spaces).