Design Books

The concept is great, and I'm glad I have the book. But it was quite difficult to use because of the need to keep flipping back and forth. This should ideally be presented as a searchable CD, or even better, as an online database with a membership fee. That would also allow for more pictures, which would help greatly in identifying plants.

I just finished reading and reviewing Safe Sex in the Garden, the newest book by Thomas Leo
Ogren. I had already bought and read (several times) Allergy-Free Gardening. I am becomming a real fan of this author, who I would say knows more about health and horticulture than any other writer I've ever read.
Seriously, Ogren is that rare find, an original thinker who can write well. In both of his books the
text moves right along. It is almost like reading a good novel, except that as you read it,
you are learning so many remarkable, often quite incredible new things.
I have a friend who heard this author speak, at the Huntington Museum and arboretum, and
she told me that he is a fantastic speaker too. But that doesn't surprise me at all.
In Allergy-Free Gardening you will see what has happened in modern landscapng, where
tidy plants (male) are so much favored over pollen-free plants (female). There is a huge
section in the book where many thousands of garden and landscape plants are discussed, and
each one is given an easy to understand allergy (1-10) ranking. Everyone I know who owns this book has put it to use, making their own yards allergy-free. I count this book as probably the most useful
gardening book I own, and find that I refer to it over and over, and not just on health matters
either. The culture of plants, how to grow them best, all this is well covered.
I just can't recommend this book too highly. I wish that every single gardener, landscaper, allergist, doctor,
and horticulture teacher owned a copy. The city arborists need to read this book too, since
so often they are the ones who are planting all those allegenic, male, pollen producing street trees.
This is a good one (as is the super intersting Safe Sex in the Garden) and if you have a
garden and care about your own health, you'll simply love reading it.

As someone who has a history of allergies to almost everything, this book truly has become the Bible of allergies for me. In my opinion, this really is the best book ever written in regards to allergies. Tom Ogren outlines the allergy potential for every plant you've ever heard of, and a few you probably haven't heard of. When we moved into our new Southern California home a couple of years ago, we used this as a bible for landscaping -- if the book gave it a good pollen rating, we planted it. If it was a high pollen rating, we didn't plant it. The result? My allergies are better now than they have been at any time in my life, and this book has played a huge part in that! Even if you're not allergic to plants, get this book if you do any landscaping -- if everyone would follow his suggestions, there's no question we'd reduce the amount of allergic reactions by a huge amount. I can't say enough good about this book!!

I have owned this book for several years now and couldn't do without it. I do a good deal of gardening and before I buy any new plants at the nursery, I consult Allergy Free Grdening. My allergist suggested I buy this book, and I am very glad that I did. AFG helps me pick out trees, shrubs, vines, & flowers that will not cause allergies. It is very easy to use, interesting, useful, and surprisingly, kind of fun to read. There is also a good deal of solid advice on how to grow different kinds of plants.
Several of my friends also own this book and we all find it terribly useful. If you have allergies or asthma, or if you have a husband, daughter, son, or good friend who does, this is the book to own. It would also make a wonderful present for your favorite doctor, especially so if he/she is an allergist. I highly recommend Allergy-Free Gardening.

Allergy-Free Gardening really did change the way I look at plants. I have a background in both horticulture and botany and yet there was so much new material that I learned from this book that I was frankly, amazed. I knew a bit about plant sex, but in retrospect, very little.
In Thomas Ogren's eyes all plants are not created equally--or at least they certainly are not equally of value to us. In the past I planted and never gave much thought to whether or not something would be causing me rashes, allergies or other plant-triggered illnesses. I look at trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, lawns different now though. I use this book to find the best plants, the ones that will be attractive and useful in my garden and that will be healthy choices for me and my family.
I like the way Allergy-Free Gardening is set up. Everything is easy to find, easy to understand, easy to use. This author has a real talent for taking the very complicated and putting it all into easily understood layperson terms. His writing is fluent, personal, interesting. You have the feeling he cares deeply about what he does. I haven't read his newest book yet, Safe Sex in the Garden, but I have two friends who have and they thought it was excellent. I've ordered a copy of it also. But, if you garden or you are concerned about your health, I expect you will enjoy this book. I also find that I use it over and over as a general gardening reference book, since it is full of good, solid, down to earth horticultural advice. This is one of the best gardening books I own, and certainly the best thing written on allergies, asthma, and avoiding pollen.

This is a nice piece of work. The book does spend far more time than I wanted justifying the multitude-of-interests person. But it was quick reading at the beginning so not much of a burden.

There are some exceptional insights here, and some wonderful tactics for dealing with your range of interests.

The introductory exercises (Five from Fifty = prioritizing, Many Circles = weighting, Birthday Party = accomplishments) can help clarify things for those caught in the mire of doing. Clarifying your interest, no matter how many there are, is an important aspect of this work.

I particularly like the idea of Focal Points - temporary assignments you give yourself in order to have the freedom to learn or accomplish.

Reverse flowcharts are great in that they force you to see what you are doing that gets in your way. Basically think of how you can ensure something will not happen - there you go, many times that's what you're doing.

I think the concept of Four Frames - which is applied to volunteering - can be used in a far greater sense as well. Not simply limited to convincing a potential volunteering opportunity, but if you look at your larger goals, and your place in your journey - this approach can be used to convince your spiritual self what it is you want to contribute, and why that would be a good thing for all.

The crux of the entire message of the book is "I'd love to help you feel fulfilled rather than overwhelmed."

The author states "Renaissance Souls work best when we can match our activities to our energy flow." I think this is true for everyone, but it isn't something we value in the US all that much (instead we're told to bang our heads for 14 hours and meet that deadline, many times producing a lower quality result). So, without having a specific prescription for each moment of your day, the approach here allows you flexiblity in choice based on your motivations at that time. Yes, balanced planning - I've been waiting for someone else to say it.

My favorite story in the entire book is the one on Mozart, and his pursuing his purpose, becoming what he could be in the midst of all else going on. The author weaves an intricate connection about how this benefited so many others than if he were to try and be something he were not. Very nice... "One of the best things you can do for other Renaissance Souls is to keep growing." And I would add, the best thing we can do for all beings.

Toward the end of the book I felt the work there was less inspired. It focused on examples, whereas I think a book works much better if at the end it brings us back up to that higher-purpose and leaves us with lofty placement. We end on a real high then.

I could not be happier that I ordered this book! I'm 26 years old, and so far the only thing I've partially identified with is the "Twenty-Something" feeling, kind of lost, but full of potential. When I got this book, I read the first hundred or so pages right away, I was just hooked immediately. I really loved the tests and used them and now I do feel much more clear about my (current) focus. I'm definitely a Renaissance Soul (18 out of 20 on the Quiz in the book). I have done everything from Retail to Real Estate to Banking to Social Work to starting businesses, etc. I just got married, so that took up a lot of time and energy for a while, but now I have new goals and clarity. I really loved her example of the ice cream shop, likening the choice of ice cream, etc. to the choices of things we're interested in. She says it would be just as hard and paralyzing to try and choose one for the rest of your life as it would be to try and choose them all, that's why you need a "sampler", which is free to change, but that will give you focus. So, my current sampler is: Studying for and taking the GRE and applying to Grad School, writing a business plan for the business I want to start, spending time with my new husband, learning how to make soup (I just want to learn how to make soup!), and making healthier choices regarding food and activity. So, Thank You, Margaret! I think you are right on with your idea of a Renaissance Soul, and I'm so happy you wrote this book. It was my pleasure to read it! =)

It was the subtitle that drew me in...urged me to pick up the book... begged me to take more than a glance at it. Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One. Hmmmm, someone must be writing about ME! I discovered this book while browsing at the local library on a day that had me grappling with a way to explain to my husband that which is almost inexplainable to me: I have so many creative interests, and I am so passionate about them, that I allow them to absorb me (his words, not mine). I don't know why that is. I don't know how that is. I don't know when that started. And I don't know how to change that, or if I even want to change that. Why should I have to? To a person who isn't so inclined, I guess it seems more than a little odd that I can't "pick one thing and be the best at it."

And so it was that Lobenstine happened into my life with important information and answers to unspoken questions at just the right time. As she so wisely points out, our society tends to foster the idea of becoming an expert in one area and sticking to it. Society tends to look negatively on the concept of the "Jack of all trades and master of none" life. But Lobenstine contends that line of thinking is exactly the reason it is hard to undertand some creative souls and their passions for so many different avenues.

In an easily readable, most enjoyable format, Lobenstine offers hope to the creative souls who hope to be able to "have it all." She contends that it is possible to incorporate those passions and a paying job and be happy. Simple quizzes allow readers to identify what their individual values are and where those values can lead. Case studies of actual creatives offer guideposts and encouragement to those of us who struggle with the expectations of others vs the expectations we hold for ourselves.

The Renaissance Soul is divided into four very interesting, practical and engaging sections. Part I, Claiming Your Renaissance Soul, provides readers with characteristics of the renaissance soul personality: defining success by mastered challenges rather than how far up the ladder a person has climbed, casting aside single-minded focus in favor of variety. Lobenstine also includes a section that dispells myths about what a creative soul is and is not... Renaissance souls are not superior to others, nor do they fall into that diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder personalities. While some may be, not all renaissance souls are geniuses. They do not use their many and varied interests to avoid the realities of life, and they are NOT job-hoppers!

To substantiate her theories, Lobenstine offers examples of well-known individuals who fit her definitions for a renaissance soul--Ben Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Thomas More and Maya Angelou, to name a few.

Part II, Thriving on Many Interests Without Feeling Scattered, was perhaps one of the most valuable sections for me personally. Digging into the heart of what drives creatives, Lobenstine challenges us to take a good hard look at ourselves and to clearly identify our personal value systems. She offers several revealing quizzes for her readers, including choosing five out of a list of fifty values and identifying the five values that are most important at the particular moment, or writing not the well-known self obituary but writing toasts to one's self by four individuals who know the creative person best. Scrutinizing personal values even more closely, Lobenstine asks her readers to consider how their own life meshes (or not) with the lives of those other individuals who are part of the creative's inner circle. She stresses the importance of identifying whether an individual's activities are reflecting personal values or the values of others. She offers practical ways to not only evaluate this but to move closer to a place where personal values take precedence over the values of others.

Part III, Practical Realities: Career Design for Pursuing You Passions, is the nitty-gritty for those creatives who want to give up their day jobs but just can't. The author points out that, while it is not always possible to give up the day job, it sometimes is easier than one may think to secure a day job that will help the creative soul move closer to realizing their passions and dreams. How would you like to get "paid for your passion?" How would you like to be able to focus on your passions, sell yourself, find non-traditional ways to indulge your creative side without compromising self? All of these areas are presented in a revealing way that caused this reader to experience several ah-ha moments along the way.

Part IV, Successful Life Design for Renaissance Souls, takes the creative spirit one step closer to realizing goals and dreams by helping readers make a commitment. Lobenstine offers a unique and comfortable way to put desires into action--the PRISM test. As she explains, "The PRISM test puts your current set of Focal Points through a rigorous evaluation. Just as light bursts into color as it passes through a prism, this test allows you to examine your Focal Points from new angles, therby clarifying and confirming your eventual selections." PRISM is an anacronym for Price (How much will it cost you to get to your Focal Point?), Reality (What will the day-to-day, nitty-gritty of engaging in this Focal Point really involve?), Integrity (Why does this particular Focal Point seem particularly worthwhile to you?), Specificity (When you are specific about constitutes success, you can articulate your desires to yourself and others), and Measurability (Setting specific dates for attainment of your goals allows you to map out a plan and take specific steps toward passionate productivity).

Margaret Lobenstine is the perfect person to walk creative Renaissance Souls through the process because she, too, is a Renaissance Soul. Not only is she a motivational speaker, writer and life-coach, she has been a successful bed-and-breakfast owner, a family business consultant, and a literary specialist. She encourages renaissance souls to be role models to others. To learn more about the author and her work, visit her website.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I consider myself the very model of a Renaissance Soul: I love to read about lots of subjects; I used to garden quite fanatically; I'm in a knitting/crocheting phase right now; music is a big part of my life; and I've been doing agility and other training with our dog. Oh, and I have a day job, too! My answer to "what do you want to be when you grow up" changed so often when I was younger that it made my head spin! So I was hoping this book would help me sort out how to feel fulfilled and yet not too diluted pursuing my many interests.

And indeed it did. Here are just a few helpful tidbits I took from the book: You do have to choose a few interests at any given time, based on the things you value most, but those choices don't have to be forever. You should quit doing things that don't fit with the values you hold most dear. You can combine interests (for example, I like to write and cook -- maybe I should write about food?). You need to block time for your interests, but not be inflexible about which interest you pursue at a given time. There are lots of creative ways to get where you want to go, even if you pursue many different careers over time, without starting at Square One each time.

And so much of what the author said validated the way I approach life, even toward the end helping me understand why I sometimes feel unmotivated to do anything at all.

My only complaint is that the book starts to sound branded or jargony, with its Renaissance Soul Way and Focus Points Notebook -- kind of like the Chicken Soup series or the Finish Rich series. This Renaissance Soul finds that stuff kind of annoying. But the content was so rich and sensible that the annoyance was minor. This book has really gotten me thinking about what I need to do to more fully enjoy my many interests.

This book helped me to understand myself so much better. Some parts of me that others and even myself had considered negative attributes, turn out to be good things. The Focal Points part was especially helpful, helping me to take the 3 zillion things I'm interested in down to 5 to concentrate on. I have have had a little sign on my refrigerator for years that says, " Not all who wander are lost." This book helped me feel very validated and feel better about myself. I'm very thankful to the author, Margaret Lobenstine. Thank you so much.

Pass on this one. Monticello itself takes a back seat to the Levy saga of buying the estate.

Saving Monticello by Marc Leepson is a definitive history of the fate of Thomas Jefferson's home from the time of Jefferson's death in 1826 at the age of 83, to 1923, when the home was purchased and turned into a memorial and destination for visitors.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello is perhaps the most elegant and unique home in America. What happened to the marvelous home is a fascinating story that Leepson tells in ground-breaking depth. In his old age, Jefferson found himself about $100,000 in debt (some $1.6 million in today's dollars), mostly due to overspending over a period of many years. Tragically, Jefferson lived long enough to realize that his business mistakes were going to result in the loss of his beloved mansion, and that his daughter and grandchildren would be left destitute. Even while Jefferson still lived, Monticello began to fall into disrepair.

After the old man died, the house sat neglected for a number of years until it purchased by a most unusual man: Commodore Uriah Levy of the United States Navy. A New Yorker and proud descendant of Spanish Jews, Levy lived in the house only part-time, but did much to preserve the home from ruin. He lost possession of the home when Monticello was confiscated by the Confederate government due to Levy's active-duty service in the U.S. Navy.

It was during this time that Monticello entered its darkest period. Levy died during the war, leaving a complicated will. That and the Confederate seizure led to a clouded title and a lawsuit. For some seventeen years, the property was not only neglected, but openly abused. A trustee in Charlottesville, hostile to the Levys because they were Jewish and Yankees, hired a slovenly caretaker who stored grain in the parlor and allowed students from the University of Virginia to wreck the place in drunken parties. By the time Jefferson Levy, a nephew of Uriah, took possession of the house in 1879, Monticello looked like a haunted house.

Leepson's account of Jefferson Levy's restoration of the mansion gets a little tedious at times, but that's a forgivable sin in a book that aims to be the last word on a topic that's received very little attention. The struggle between Levy and those who wished to make Monticello a shrine lasted for decades and involved unsavory levels of anti-Semitism and gender politics. Eventually, Levy fell on hard times and sold the place to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation which continues to own and operate Monticello today.

It's interesting to realize what a close thing it really was to losing Monticello altogether. Although the Levys weren't cuddly or lovable characters, it was they who stood between Monticello and ruin for years in which other Americans could not have cared less what happened to the place. Thanks to Saving Monticello, the saga of the Levy years at Monticello can now be known and fully understood. This book will be of great interest to anyone interested in Monticello or in historic preservation in America.

This is a great book. A saga that is more than the story of how Monitcello was passed on through the years, but rather, a reflection of broader political and social history from the 1830s to the 1920s. Very detailed; interesting facts; some surprises; and as one editorial review has noted "rich with memorable, larger-than-life characters." If any serious Hollywood producer happens to be reading, the book offers a terrific story that could be made into a movie. I can't wait to read Marc Leepson's next book.

I highly recommend Marc Leepson's book 'Saving Monticello' because it gives credit to the Levy family without whose help and stewardship Monticello may have been erased forever.
His detail and insight of story serve to hold the reader's interest of not only Thomas Jefferson, but of the history of the time. Mr. Leepson very patiently educates us about the Levy family and their unwavering loyalty to Monticello. I had often wondered what had happened to Monticello during the years after Jefferson's death until the Memorial Foundation took it over and now is supplied to us a fascinating history, a thread which we must all be tempted to follow and remember as part of our own history. I cannot imagine looking at Monticello in the same way as I did before I read Mr. Leepson's, "Saving Monticello".

I have just finished reading "Saving Monticello" and want to say just how much I enjoyed it. I am a long-time fan of Jefferson and particularly his architectural endeavors (the subject of my master's thesis) so I go out of my way to find new items on the subject. It was great to learn about those "lost years" of Monticello that up until now have barely been touched on and I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in American history. The author has clearly delineated what a tenuous hold we sometimes have on important landmarks and how easily they can be lost to future generations if we are not careful.

I am a novice. If you are a novice, have never built your web page and you want now to do it and you are computer savvy look no further. What you learn here are the basics that you will have to learn no matter which book you choose. Do not waste your time learning just HTML, it has to be XHTML from the start which is easier and the latest so your Web Page downloads fast. The author, Ian Lloyd, knows how to keep your attention and writes in an easy and non-technical way. He shows you by example, step by step instructions to build a real Web Page, from the 1st brick until fully functional. He gives you a lot of information were to go after you read this book if you want to progress more. Believe me Mr. Novice, this is it.

It's been such a long time since I did anything with HTML and I needed a no nonsense approach to brushing up on it. Well, this book is right on target for me. The hands-on method of teaching in this book is so great that it feels like you are taking a course on HTML. The format is like a work book so you are always working with the material as you learn it. This author does not dumb it down to make you feel like if the material is for "Dummies" either. There are a few puns in there to maintain levity but the author is always on task.
So far I am in Chapter 4 and have learned quite a few fundamental techniques in CSS that I will use on my work center intranet. I definitely recommend this book to get the basics of HTML and as a bonus being taught to do things the right way to meet standards, what a concept! I tell you if the rest of the Sitepoint books are like this one, then they have just earned themselves a loyal customer!!

I attempted to learn web page development self study beginning with a couple of " for dummies " books. They were interesting - and had some value - but the information within these books were not as well organized to learn from. There was also important issues for beginners in web page development that were left out of the book. Things like selecting a website - and loading files etc. I had gotten to the point where I created a very basic site with my text editor - but when I went to upload it to a web host - I could get the pages uploaded / but I could not figure out where to put things - how exactly everythign works.

I'm only on page 80 - but so far I've learned some basic HTML - inline style - Embedded style elements - and External Style sheets - with brief projects using each of these structures. It's very hands on and basic to learn so far, I'm quite satisfied with the purchase.

I don't expect it will teach all teh tricks of the trades and how to work with each and every element throughout the book - but it sets you up with the basic framerwork of knowledge and structure of which to build upon and the hands on approach is very user friendly for learning markup.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in learning web page markup and CSS from scratch.

I had already built a website using a "user-friendly" site builder offered by the hosting service. However, it was almost impossible to make changes to the site and the markup created by the program was bloated and often contained errors. So when I bought this book I was desperate. Within two days I had completely re-done the markup for the site so that it's now compliant with all current standards.

The book lays out in simple terms, with great examples, exactly how to use CSS and XHTML to design a website that meets your needs. It's easy to read, offers good tips, and you can customize the look of your site by simply playing with the examples to see how they appear on a page and then adapting the markup. Using a style sheet, as illustrated in the book, makes it VERY easy to change the look of all pages in a site with one or two alterations in markup.

I recommend this book highly for anyone who knows little or a moderate amount about using CSS and XHTML.

I loved this book, and I'm a pretty experienced web designer. There are a lot of other reviews saying how great it is, so I thought I'd add a few comments not mentioned. First, this book is really intended for people who are starting from the ground up. As such, it only describes strict XHTML, so if you're going to be working on an existing site, you're not going to learn about a lot of what is out there, like frames and using tables for positioning elements on the page. It describes an elegant design philosophy that will get beginners on the right track. It also covers, in just enough detail, finding a web-hosting site, getting a domain, using FTP, etc. Second, as others have mentioned, it is not a reference manual. Third, it assumes the web tool you are going to use is Notepad, or a similar editor. Personally, I think that's the best way to go, but it's good to know before you buy the book. In other words, you are going to be writing XHTML and CSS to build your pages, not using some fancy tool. Lastly, where I think the book really shines is in the sections describing how to add extras to your web site, like search, blogs, and getting web statistics. It does all this only describing free utilities.

As I read this review, I've actually come to appreciate the book better. I can think of no other book that takes a complete novice from almost nothing to a complete, rather sophisticated web site that meets CSS and XHTML strict standards and even has a few bells and whistles, all in about 400 pages. There's even a bit of humor, and the author has a relaxed easy-going, re-assuring without pandering tone.

I think this is one of the best books on this subject that I have read so far- very practical, very useful. There is a lot of information, real-life examples and experience from the .NET framework design team.

As a professional I have worked many times on building re-usable and extensible frameworks. Therefore, I had to read several books in order to make sure that the framework I was building was doing what it was supposed to do. However, in all these years I had never the luck to get a complete guide of "building a framework the right way" and I had to always put together pieces from different articles in order to make my own guide. Well, there you have it! Buy this book, read it and you will have a complete guide of how to do things the right way. Another great thing about this book is that different professionals make their comments about almost every guideline. As a result you are not only exposed to writer's view but also to the views and opinions of many well respected software professionals. Do buy this book and as hard as it might seem try to apply its recommendations to your daily development process.

If you need to write C#/.Net or even Java, this book is a must have.

In my role as CTO of a software firm, many developers ask me 'what can I do to move up to the architect/team lead role'.

Unfortunately it has as much to do with 'soft skills' in many cases and hard ones. Not good with people? It will be tough no matter what you read. This book however, is mandatory in my opinion if you are in this domain (and even in others as it is such an excellent example of what building a good reusable framework is all about, be it Java, COBOL or C#).

I would like to add something I believe others have missed. Although this book covers one dimension, you really need to cover the 'Domain Driven Design and Development' aspect for true optimal OO Framework reuse. Although this book is excellent, it should be supplemented with Eric Evan's work on Domain Driven Design in my strong opinion. Otherwise the full benefit would not be reached. This also adds complexity as it is assumed that an ORM framework is used, which today (early September 2007) means NHibernate. Perhaps some day Linq to Entities will work, but NHibernate is really a non-optional aspect now in reusable framework development (as are Mock frameworks, inversion of control and dependency injection, automated build server infrastructure, and much more that NEITHER book covers).

It's not for everyone, especially the lone wolf writing in his garage in a team of 1. If you have any code that would ever even have the chance of being reused (and even if you do not, you should write code such that it will), and if you are on a team of 2 or more, it is very, very hard not to implore you to read this.

Kind Regards,
Damon Carr

I don't personally think that all developers will find this book useful. In fact, I have a feeling that some may find it highly useless and disruptive as it is abstract in a sense (one must apply the lessons to each library and scenario independently, taking into consideration many different aspects of usability and readability) and it does require some "retraining" of bad practices which have been long since ingrained due to years of usage.

But whether this book deserves a five star rating or a one star rating - whether this book is for you - can be answered by asking yourself the following question: are you obsessed with quality? Quality in the sense of creating a library that is:

- Easily reused by others, even first timers encountering the library or even first timers to .Net
- Well thought out with well designed classes
- Consistent within itself and consistent with the base libraries from Microsoft

The importance of the little things like naming classes, properties, methods, using one type of construct over another, using one type of accessor over another, etc. cannot be stressed enough in the overall picture of creating a library to a higher standard of quality, usability, and extensibility.

As Confucius is to have said:

"If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.

"When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music do not flourish. When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move hand or foot.

"Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect."

As I wrote in an e-mail to my team, I think that digesting this book will lead to: higher quality public facing APIs for our customer development teams seeking to extend the functionality, increased readability and more consistency internally in our teams, increased usability and decreased maintenance costs for the support teams as well as new developers on our team, and of course, increased skill, knowledge, and competency as developers of each of the team members.

I had never heard of Sears homes until I found out that a home I had previously lived in, was one! Since that day, I have read and researched these fascinating timepieces and how they fit into our American history. Whether a history buff, architectural/house buff or if you simply love to learn, Rosemary Thornton's love for these homes and their value comes through in her books, teamed with her obvious extensive research, to provide a wonderful read. Any book where you can feel the authors passion, and have it rub off on you, is special. I also own, and recommend, her book "Finding the Houses that Sears Built", which has some of the same information, but more pictures of actual home styles and plans. Both books are worth it! I have officically become a Sears Home advocate!!!! Thanks to Rose!!

This was a very helpful book as I was able to find the home I was purchasing in Saranac Lake, NY. It's really exciting to know more about it's history. This is a must-have book if you are interested in learning more about the Sears homes.

I am from London in the UK and until not so long ago have never heard of Sears homes. Searching for authentic historic houseplans on the internet I soon learned about Sears homes. I have never knowingly laid eyes on one but immediately felt it was something I needed to find out more about. Before long I arrived at this book. I ordered it not really knowing what I was going to get and I have loved and treasured this piece of literature ever since. I could not put it down first time around and not the second time around and still flick through it every other day unable to shelve it away in my library.
What I loved most about the book despite the intricately researched contents is the love and passion the author manages to convey already on the very first page. I think this is what grabbed me most, Rosemary's love for these homes immediately 'infected' me. It is written in a light-hearted way (for lack of a better expression)as if she talked to each reader personally. She touches on so many different aspects but at a dose that leaves one with sparks and fireworks inside one's head, buring to turn the page and 'hear' more. The book made me want to book a flight ticket into the heart of Illinois and start searching for these homes myself. Rosemary, one part I particularly loved was your little stories from people or relatives of those who built these houses and lived in them. I wished I could read endless pages of such testimonies as they really injected life into the pictures in your book. It fulled my imagination of the times and circumstances when the houses were built and about the people who built them.

As I mentiond, I have never actually seen a 'live' Sears home and as far as I know we don't have a European counterpart, none of such iconic status anyhow, but my partner and I are researching to have a replica built for us here somewhere in the English country-side (pending planning permission, I suppose). I personally feel that it is most splendid that Americans all over the country recognise their architectural and socio-cultural heritage and start preserving these great homes for all future generations to enjoy in the same way we can or even more. I bet there are hundreds more out there waiting to be discovered and I hope there are plenty of people who will start 'scratching' on the surfaces of their own homes to find out if they are inhabiting one such great treasure. Sears homes, and for that matter all historic homes, have found a great benefactor and ambassador in Rosemary Thornton and as an outsider, if I may say so, I commend the work she has done and I truly hope that she will keep it up for decades to come and inspire many more to join her in her efforts to educate and preserve!

I only wished, Sears would still sell and build these old homes especially now with the internet, we would have ordered one in a jiffy!
Thanks Rosemary for endless inspiration and for spreading so much love and joy over what is basically four walls and a roof!
I can't wait for your next book to come out and if you ever fancy coming to lecture in Europe, be sure to let me know!

My recommendation to everyone, buy it, read it, fall in love with it and read it again and again and again and...!!!

This wonderful book gives you everything you always wanted to know about Sears houses. It has photographs of various models as well as some interior views. It shows ways to indicate if the house is truly a Sears house (and not a Montgomery Ward house)! It tells the cities which had a Sears Modern Homes Sales office (where there is likely to be more Sears houses) and the prices that the houses sold for. Includes testimonials and frequestly asked questions about Sears house. Nice book and interesting reading.

I just finished reading The Houses That Sears Built. I was unable to put it down. I grew up in a Sears house, but I did not know anything about them until I read this book. It is obvious that the author did her homework while researching the subject.

This is an outstanding book on a revolutionary designer. Wonderful photos, and "patterns" from the clothing. the only problem is Kirke never bothers to tell you what the scale is, so making these patterns is almost impossible. Her directions for making the patterns are laughable. The patterns are white lines on black. Why include patterns if you aren't going to put them in a usable form? There are people out there who can and have made clothing from this book. You will have to be very smart and well trained to do so. that said it is still one of the best books on a fashion designer I have seen.

Maybe Kirke will redesign the book with the pattern section properly done. Then the book would be worth more then $100.

This book is even better than I hoped. The photographs are stellar and for some designs - a bird's eye view of the pattern peices are included. Try to wrap your head around those non-conventional cutting techniques! I bought this for myself but this would be an excellent gift for someone interested in Fashion History, Fashion Design, Fine / Decorative Arts, etc. Super-Gorgeous book!

A great book on Vionnet's work and life. It has a lot of sewing patterns with instuctions from the WWI era to late 1930's; the patterns include day and evening dresses and frocks, capes and coats, slips and pajamas. Plus there a lot more pictures of Vionnet's clothing. The perfect gift for a fashion student. It is a pity that you do not hear so much about her.

This book is an absolute dream right through from the beautiful hard cover to the wonderful photographs, history and patterns. I am a Designer/Patternmaker and is the most beautiful book I have ever bought on fashion. Betty Kirke has put a lot of love and care into this treasure and any student of fashion, especially patternmaking and draping has to purchase this and learn a whole lot about bias cutting.

Madeleine Vionnet
A fascinating book on Madeleine Vionnet. Betty Kirke has plunged into the personal story, the career, but mostly the clothes, this avant garde fashion designer has made in the 20's and 30's. All young fashion designers should be grateful to Betty Kirke, the talented author of this book, who has given them the chance to study the patterns, the style, the technique of Madeleleine Vionnet.

This book is easy to get lost in. The art has alot of stuff in it to absorb.

This book is filled with incredible art by Alex Grey. The only problem with the book is the fact that it is listed on Amazon as a HARDBACK and it is not. This is no fault of the artist but Amazon should be sure to correctly list their products.

I bought this for my fiance because he LOVES Alex Grey and He LOVES TOOL. He absolutely loved the book and actually I DID TOO!!! If you are a fan of either or (Alex Grey or Tool) it's a MUST BUY!!!

the images of sacred body - energy currents are incredible! Nowhere else will you find this kind of anatomical imagery. This is an incredible book. Alex Grey is a genius!

Alex Grey's art is unique, provocative, visionary and striking. The anatomical detail, overall composition and beauty is uplifting. While this type of art may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is undeniably creative and powerful.

This book is based on a series of paintings that are approximately 6'0" tall. They were meant to be used as a mirror for an individual to experience different aspects of themselves. In other words, to serve as a lens for a different perspective on what it is to be human. In general, the book proceeds from an outline of the body made up of elements, through the skelton system, blood vessels, nerves, etc. What is unique is that it goes beyond this to subtle and causal realms based on the experience of Alex Gray and the testimony of various mystics. It is meant to evoke awareness of these more subtle dimensions and even in book form could be used for meditations.

This book also contains images of Jesus, the Boddhisattva of infinite compassion and other enlightened beings. Again, these are meant for contemplative experiences where you look for these energies in yourself as part of a contemplative practice. There are also some beautiful images of a couple kissing, making love, a small family, etc. These latter category of images are similar to the cover in that they represent the various spheres of Being from the gross body through the spirit.

This book is on the large side, is printed on very high quality paper and contains a lot of color plates as well as contextual information. It is a bargain at the price it is being sold and some of the text is written by Ken Wilber.

If you are not familiar with Ken Wilber's work, either Kosmic Consciousness or A Brief History of Everything would be a great place to get started. Either of these resources will help you to appreciate Grey's art in more depth and understand what he is trying to achieve.

I grew up on the south side of Chicago during the 80s and had many friends who were "taggers" and got up every chance they got. They had spray-cans, hollowed-out deodorant sticks somehow replaced with ink, fat markers, Griffin, and who knows what else. Though I myself wasnt a graffiti artist or writer or tagger, this book is a great ride down memory lane for those of us who grew up on the streets. For those of us of a certain age, this book, "Subway Art", along with movies like Breakin' I AND II, Beat Street, original hip-hop and old school house music were all of a specific time and place. This book will make you want to break out the Pumas with the fat laces, bring out the tile and start back-spinnin', but it is also one of the the earliest, most definitive and detailed books on graffiti ever.

Wow, this book just took me back to my days in the Bronx and the 2 line.
All the greats are in this one..Doing those T and B's and hitting the yards, and dodging the DT's Now those were the great days of the BRONX.
Long live
MIKE170..TAV 1..ALE..AJAX..SUPER SEX..BLADE..COMET..FUZZ..POPEYE..
MIKE 170....

I started doing graff back in the late 90's; I was 14 at the time and to be honest with you; like all great writers we were all toy's at one time but has time went by and we got better with our skills, we all have read this book at one time or another. On with the book review.
This book is just simply AMAZING...you have old school pieces from the Godfather of Graffiti: SEEN, BLADE (which he has painted 5,000 trains during the golden age of the MTA in NYC; since I saw the graffiti scene on the trains at the tender age of six and seven in NYC, I was simply amazed at that age on how people could sneak in at night and do this with spray-paint but I digress), LADY PINK, and the list goes on. If your just starting out in graffit, this is a great book on to connect letters, bubble letter's, block's, and some old school color schemes, though I would not call it the Bible of Graffiti, it is pretty darn close to it. Check it out.

This classic book, along with "Broken Windows: Graffiti NYC" is all you need to know about NYC graff. Anyone up needs both of these books. Knowledge is king!

Subway Art. What can I say? This, Style Wars, Beat Street, Break Dance... they all had their influence on me (& a whole generation) back in the day.

Hip Hop isn't what it used to be, though. Most of what we hear these days is mixed up with R'n'B, commercialised, repackaged and shipped for your dissatisfaction. If you ask me... when it comes to Hip Hop, stick with the old school.

I was brought up in Melbourne, Australia, and did quite a bit of graffiti there during the 1980s. Melbourne had plenty of weird & wonderful characters who were into graff back then. The vast majority have gone their separate ways. But there's always the rare psycho who's still bombing (I'm not referring to the younger generation - but to old school dudes who are still around). There's also those who got into graphic art and made a career for themselves out of graff.

I recommend checking out some of the original Vaughn Bode cartoons for yourself through a simple Google search.

Additional to this, I recommend Getting Up: Subway Graffitti in New York" by Craig Castleman. It has some pictures of trains and so on, but it is more for the reader. A copy was stolen from a local library near me - go figure.

And if you're ever in NYC... Check out the Hall of Fame. It's located on the corner of 106th Street and Park Avenue.

I am about 3/4 of the way through at this point. It is a fantastic book with a lot of good information. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good methodology for network design. There is also a lot of good hints for things to keep in mind while designing the network.

This book is a very comprehensive reference source and working guide for 3G mobile networks. If you're only going to buy one book on the subject, this is it.

I purchased this book with the intent on gaining a further understanding of the network design process. I really didn't expect the book to give me as through an understanding of network design as what has turned out to be the case. Coming from the network support side this book has been a tremendous compliment to my support and logic in how traffic flows from A to B. I feel now that after having read the book which is an EASY READ that I have come away with enough knowledge to auctually design and implement a small to midsized company network. The authur does an outstanding job of presenting to the reader the many processes involved in through network design, network logic, and what exactly happens when your pc 1st boots and why it takes so long for the logon screen to appear "if this is the case on your network", and countless other topics. If you are just getting into network design or have been in the field and are a seasoned veteran I highly recommend that you add this book to your networking library.

Like the carpenter, the network designer does well to develop a plan before purchase. The title, Top-Down Network Design, is accurate because the author's key approach throughout the book is to consider what works best for the end user and meet the goals of a Request for Proposal. Priscilla Oppenheimer has presented a well structured textbook that covers every facet of networking in general with the intent of training the reader in the best practices of network design. The point of this book is to discourage going straight to product catalogs and picking out hardware when assigned a network project. Even if the customer is not given an RFP, the designer should present an overview of the project that includes the goals and how those goals will be measured.

The reader should have some basic knowledge of networking. However, this would make an excellent text book at a university or trade school since Oppenheimer covers all of the logical concepts and physical aspects of modern networking. The well read and experienced network engineer will find it a good review with a unique insight or tip sprinkled just often enough to make it worth the read. Except for the CCDP exam, the book is primarily a supplement to the student, but a must have reference for the consulting and design professional.

Oppenheimer gives well thought through, easy to read descriptions of technologies. For example, page 208 gives the most succinct explanation of how IPv6 works I have ever read. Another practical lesson is her definition of the "Heisenberg uncertainty principle" as "the act of observing something can alter what is observed." Consultants should be careful that their analysis doesn't become a problem in itself. Top-Down Network Design is a reference you will want to check yourself and those you hire.

Top-Down Network Design, Second Edition is both a new terrific book and still a terrific book. The original took a systems approach to designing a network which could provide the service the people paying for it expected, partly by getting them to clarify their expectations and needs. The new Second Edition does this, too, but it includes material relevant to the networks being implemented today, and they are very different networks than we saw even three or four years ago.

New technologies, such as VPNs, VoIP, IPv6 as well as v4, Gigabit Ethernet and 10GigE, etc. are covered as part of a networking solution, not just as cool and sexy technologies to be rolled out for that reason. Likewise, new business emphases like reliability, redundancy, resiliency (which are not the same thing), security, and even survivability are addressed. Not all new technologies will help solve these problems, and, more often than not, they aren't even necessary. Thoughtful planning is far more important, and working with the network as it is now, toward what it is desired to become, is how you can really solve these problems.

I think one of the greatest techniques you can learn from TDND, 2e is to characterize the flows of traffic on the network. Priscilla Oppenheimer gives several examples of developing such analyses in a variety of situations - campus networks, WANs, a design testing scenario, and so forth. The Appendix with workstation bootup traffic information is especially helpful - the only thing I would have liked to see that I didn't was a little more detail on the contents of the various packets involved, but it is an Appendix, and using a sniffer will let you see them for yourself.

I have both the original and the new Second Edition - and getting the new one is definitely worth it. Networking has changed, and this book will help you handle the new material.