Design Books

This book is written with a sense of humor. It has lots of ideas, tips, recipes, and facts; it even has poetry. There are no patterns but plenty of ideas and pictures (to copy). This book is a delight!

I love this book! Not only are the pumpkin carving ideas amazing, but the guy has great suggestions with a good sense of humor. My only regret was that I ordered it late in October and I didn't get the book in time to pursue some of the projects for Halloween night. But it sure made for a great table book and conversation piece at my little Halloween get together. Next year we'll be ready to take some of these on! The photos are wonderful and we all cracked up, deciding which pumkin extravaganza was our favorite. So if you're seriously into having some Halloween creativity and fun, get this little book.
FUNNY!

This book is entertaining, hilarious, and is guaranteed to equally disturb your neighbors and make you a legend among the neighborhood kids come Halloween. Easy instructions to make one of the many bizzare pumpkins illustrated or to "take creative wing" and scare the bejeebers out of the neighbors! Put the fun back into Halloween-this book will show you how!!!

I love this guy,I've been watching his website for years. Search under
Extreme Pumpkins.Not for the mainsteam friendly smiling pumpkin carver.
The book has great pictures and instructions. You get to use POWER TOOLS!
I recommend it as a great book for yourself and to give to any friends you have with a strange sense of humor! Warning your neighbors may think you've gotten a little too far out there!!!

Fantastic book! Provides wonderful ideas for creating very funny, creative pumpkins that are sure to impress teenage boys and horrify the neighborhood association.

A book must not be miss if you are looking for answer in feng shui as the author Eva Wong had all the question and answer you need to know.

Eva Wong's book has much in its favor. Historically, the selection of a grave site was one of the most important commissions a feng shui master would receive. You had to be at peace with nature for a long time, and this was no snap question.

Mistress Wong introduces you to this ancient Chinese landscape of the mind. I would never have come to appreciate the red raven formation in front of my Seattle home were it not for this informative book.

I do not pretend to be expert in these arts. Westerners used to consider all of this 'black magic.' This is fusion culture for those who like fusion cuisine. Bon appetit!

When I started to become interested in Feng Shui, I didn't know where to look. So many books are out there, but which ones are for real? And which ones are just jumping on the new fad band-wagon? At some point I came across some information on Eva Wong and decided to purchase this book. It was a great decision.

With Feng Shui, you have to realize that it is an ancient art that is so much bigger than what you read in a book. This volume is an excellent step in the right direction if you are desiring to learn about the tradional Chinese practice. It covers everything from the history of Feng Shui to taking readings of your home. It is simply amazing the time and knowledge that goes into this practice and Ms. Wong breaks it down chapter by chapter.

Taking time to really sit down and study Ms. Wong's book has been rewarding...and has me asking to learn more. One great piece of advice she does mention is to learn one or two books well...no need to ready everything everyone has written on the subject.

Wish I'd seen this book before I had read other books on the subject - I could have taken the author's advice to read a couple of them thoroughly than try to read a library's worth on this harmonious way of living and designing your environment.

Feng-shui has shed the image of "some Easern mumbo-jumbo that has no impact on modern life," as people have increasingly realized and accepted its benefits and become more aware of the need to live in harmony with the environment.

This is a great book on the subject - easy to read but full in addressing its subject. It should be required reading, not just for any urban or other planner, but for anyone interested in living a better life.

I had been searching for a good feng shui book for months when I found this one. This books is both beautifully written and a very easy read, which is quite rare for an instructional book. The layout of this book is a mastery in itself, and the cross references between chapters are great. Although I had originally planned to skim - or yes maybe skip - some of the chapters, I quickly found myself engrossed. The background information gave me a much clearer understanding of the art of feng shui and a strong foundation for its practice. Often I find teachers of Chinese art forms caught in a trap between a desire to make the art form easier for the Western world to adopt/understand and a desire to stay true to the art form as it should be practiced. In my opinion, Ms. Wong did a masterful job of avoiding this trap. It is at once a very practical, very beautiful guide. Thank you for a wonderful book!!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

Robison's insights into the the progression of the construction of the Kirtland temple are priceless windows into the most significant landmark in the timeline of mormon architecture. This is a great coffee table book for historic preservation buffs and mormoms alike that won't be put down!

This book has helped me a lot for the TV commercial to be created in Flash..I thank the author of the book for this wonderfull help..

Its just a mater time before more quality content shifts from the workstations to the living rooms of the world. This is the definitive guide on bridging Flash content for the Web to Television. A truly indespensible reference for any Flash professional wanting to make the transition.
Janet Galore and Todd Kelsey lay it all out clearly and write in an easy to read style that doesn't skimp on details. The entire book is laden with terrific artwork and helpful screen grabs that support the text. Very undaunting for the visually inclined.
The sections on video exporting, and postproduction effects was particularly eye opening. this section alone cleared a lot uncertainty for me.
While this book won't make the reader a better Flash animator/designer, it most definately will make any level Animator or designer a more informed artist. It will open a lot of doors personaly and in the hands of a talented, creative person, change the ever evolving face of the Flash community indelibly.

In order to use the examples in this book you will need a MacIntosh. You will also have buy quite a number of third-party plugins. If you own a Mac and have money for plugins than this is a very helpful book.

But look elsewhere if you only have a Windows computer and want to use only Flash for video work.

An excellent Flash book. It goes through every aspect of the production process, from writing the script to exporting to videotape. It tells you how to prepare your Flash animations the right way, and provides information on the correct project size, frame rate, title & action safe guides, etc. for broadcast. This information is invaluable if you ever intend to submit your Flash animation to a festival or studio, and you have to export your movie out to videotape. I also found the interviews with seasoned Flash animators to be very insightful. You will not regret buying this book.

If you're a traditional animator or a web-based flash animator (all levels), "Flash MX Design for TV and Video" IS the definitive guide to taking your flash animation to video, television and DVD. Not only is this book chock full of animation techniques, it also explores working with sound, flash video capabilities and limitations, visual storytelling and cross-purposing, the process of designing your project with a variety of delivery options in mind. This book is a must-have for every serious Flash Animator seeking to take their flash stories to the next level. We are proud to recommend it to our FlashTV members.

Nicholas Da Silva, ...

I thought the book was very well presented with bright colourful photos, and the instructions were clear and easy to understand (and interpret for machine knitting!). Great book, well recommended.

A great book with some unique patterns. These will also serve as very wearable items. Good for my knitting library.

is what i love, but this beautiful book is so wonderful i want to learn to knit.its the funky and artsy,bohemian chic look that is usually found in a crochet piece all sweetly put together in a gorgeously photographed package of inspiration. now, i am off to ask my thirteen year old to teach me how to knit!

I love the designs in this book. I am currently knitting the Modern Quilt Wrap and love it. If you are intending to
make the designs in the book exactly as designed including types and colors of yarn it can be difficult to find the yarn as some colors have been discontinued, but this just allows a chance for more creativity.

This book is a creative inspiration! The color options are fresh and vibrant, and I can easily see making several of the small projects for my family without arousing that "Oh, no, where did Mom find this clunker?" response (I can see the Sunny Flowers Fez becoming an instant favorite with my granddaughter). Some of the body silhouettes are short trendy accent garments (patchwork jacket, Shanghai surplice) that would be easy to lengthen if coverage is an issue. The Algonquin socks and Bunad mukluks are adorable--just in time for winter!

I really like the suggested embellishments--embroidery touches, buttons, unexpected details--that add whimsy without overloading the designs. Mags Kandis has opened a window to fresh design and color choices.

This is persented as a collector's price guide, so he can know the value of his Lucille Ball collection. It has rare pictures of her and is a must for any Lucy fan. The prices are outdated however and there are too few stories throughout the book. The book might feel to some as too much Lucy and not enough pictures of others who worked with her.

Let me start with the complaints. The prices that the items have designated to them are very off. You can easliy go to a flea market or an online auction and get most of the things at least 25% cheaper than they are listed as being worth in here. Maybe the prices are so high because the guy never planned to update it, but an update is what the book needs. After the 50th Anniversary of I Love Lucy there was a ton of stuff released. In all honesty a For The Love of Lucy Pt.2 book could be made, after all the book is 7 or 8 years old. Now moving on to the good stuff about the book. This book includes so many Lucy items that were made available from early on in her carrer to after her death that this book would be a great conversational piece for when you have any company. Each page is filled with stuff from cards and comic books, to dolls. This book is perfect for any Lucy fan who is or isnt collecting Lucy stuff. Overall this book is great, but updating it would be nice.

This book is full of photos of beautiful collectibles on Lucy - magazines, posters, toys, all sorts of memorabilia. It is wonderful to the Lucy fan to use a something of a check list. The one flaw is the absolutely ridiculous prices Wyman says some of these things are worth. I recently bought the 40s picture frame photo he says is worth $75 for $4! Many times I have paid less than a third the price he says these things go for. Wonder if he jacked up the prices expecting they would eventually fetch these rates in years to come. Still, this is a gorgeous book and he certainly does have an outstanding collection on Lucy.

Ric's does a beautiful job on this book. I get the feeling he really loves Lucy! Ric is a true fan. The photos and information on Lucy are outstanding!

Talk about complete! "For the Love of Lucy" is the ultimate book for fans and collectors of "Lucy" memorabilia. Filled with beautiful color and black & white pictures, along with helpful text and value estimates, this compendium will keep any fan busy for hours. I'm not a collector, but I found it thrilling to sift through all the pages and see the many different things out there. This would be a great birthday or Christmas gift for any Lucy lover you know.

Why someone didn't think of this 100 years ago, I'll never know. Before making a 5-7 figure investment in your home, you'll never spend [your money]wisely.

I became addicted to the 1st edition of this guide book last Christmas. A temperature check of interior design and architecture, and an unrivaled resource for the more mundane (however talented) window washers and plumbers -- The Franklin Report offered good sport and hard information. So I was pleasantly surprised to find a brand spanking new NYC edition has hit the stands. The most noticeable difference this year is that the understated almost medical-journal like cover has been replaced by an equally elegant yet more consumer friendly facade. I liken it to the new twenty-dollar bills. Inside, the book is about a hundred pages longer, including an index that makes a name-search a million times easier. To my delight, every entry has been rewritten and customer comments expanded. And while the design establishment pantheon hasn?t been rewritten, every category in the report offers some great new finds to choose from. Looks like I picked the wrong year to stop studying up on designers!

Thanks!

This first rate book not only provides authoritative guidance on household services, it also provides very practical and informative advise on how to deal with the service providers and scope out the jobs involved. To have a rating for all relevant aspects of a renovation/price, quality and reliability, makes this effort very instructive.

This is truly a welcome compendium for New York City dwellers.

I have often wondered why this guide did not exist. You select a restaurant, you have a guide, you select a hotel, you have a guide -- you select an electrician and you end up with the guy with the biggest ad in the Yellow Pages. By definition, the guy with the biggest ad also is probably the most expensive -- he needs to work at least two jobs a day to pay his Yellow Pages bill.

This book finally give the consumer a leg up -- separates the pros from the inept. The research is top rate -- who does all this leg work? Certainly will become the bible -- now if only they will do a guide for my summer house locale. . .

Once you discover this book, you wonder how you ever lived without it. It fills a real need for any homeowner or renter who will ever need to find a professional to fix up their home or just to fix (repair, clean, install, redo) something in it. I got my Franklin Report a few weeks ago and already have answered a desperate friend's cry for help about who to call to get a dining room chair fixed in time for a Christmas dinner. The book is surprisingly entertaining, and has an informative section for each specialty that helps in choosing a service provider and negotiating the work agreement. It also has that all-important but very hard-to-find information about pricing.

Every home should have a copy. I'm giving it to my friends for Christmas this year. I know they will thank me!

this book is well orgnized and clear stated. It contains many concepts about evo-devo field. Also this version includes many updated information about development and evolution.
Start from very basic phenomena and go further to the molecular level. Easy to read for anyone who is interested in this field.

We have about 25,000 genes. Some of these are "tool kit" genes that we share with all other animals. They evolved well before the Cambrian explosion over 540 million years ago from a bilaterally symmetrical common ancestor. Almost exact counterparts are found in apes and mice, and close counterparts in arthropods and worms. Next to most genes is a stretch of so-called "junk DNA" that does not code for genes. These DNA segments contain from three to twenty (or more) switches that collectively turn that gene on or off. The switches are activated or repressed by the differing concentration gradients of the protein products of other genes produced by neighboring cells. By virtue of the servo-feedback loops creating unique combinations of the protein products of tool kit genes, cells of the early embryo create a geographical map of their future body.

An escalating orchestra of domino effects builds complexity, each new development affecting the others. The tool kit genes and the other core genes that control biochemical function from bacteria to man are resistant to mutation. Novelty and speciation comes from the infinite variety of changes that come from the readily mutable genetic switches - allowing for changes in a segment without mortally wounding the rest of the animal. Not a single biologist 40 years ago would have predicted these discoveries.

The exciting developments of evo-devo have sent jolts of electricity through the evolutionary community. Nothing basic has been overturned; much has been enhanced. For example: It used to be thought that eyes had evolved independently many, many times - after all, the lumps of light sensitivity in primitive wormlike creatures, the compound eyes of insects, and the eyes of mammals have more differences than commonalities. As it turns out, the making of each eye-like organ is directed by a PAX6 tool kit gene. Not only that, if the PAX6 gene from the mouse is artificially introduced into the genetic material destined for the leg of the fly, an eye will form on the fly leg...and it's not a mouse eye - it's a fly eye. The mouse PAX6 gene switches - influenced by chemical gradients from adjacent tissue in the fly embryo - cause the gene to produce a fly eye! Astounding!

Tool kit genes (and other genes) are frequently named after the anomaly that doesn't develop when that gene is absent. The TINMAN gene controls development of the heart and circulatory system from butterflies to badgers - named after the Wizard of Oz character who had no heart. The wealth of information presented in this book will surprise, educate, and entertain the reader - and evo-devo researchers have just scratched the surface. New graduates in biology are surging into this explosive and previously neglected science.

There are three other books that I know of that cover these captivating discoveries of the last 30 years:

"Coming to Life," by Christiane Nusslein-Volhard. This fine book, written by a Nobel Prize winner for her meticulous ground-breaking work on fruit flies emphasizes the concentration gradients, which are indeed central to the story.

"The Plausibility of Life," by Kirschner and Gerhart. These authors are so excited about the new findings, they think it deserves a name - facilitated variation - and of course, they thought of the name. It is an excellent book with more basic sciences than the book under review, emphasizing how evo-devo facilitates novelty through an enhanced Baldwin Effect.

"Endless Forms Most Beautiful," also by Sean B. Carroll, written more for the college graduate who has taken a little biology.

I have studied them all. For the general public, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" is the best. For those more familiar with molecular biochemistry and genetics, "DNA to Diversity" contains much more specific information - although anyone who would like one book would like the other.

"From DNA to Diversity" is a superbly written book -essential reading for the advanced reader who wishes to keep up with the stunning advances that have occurred in evolutionary knowledge during the past thirty years.

I havn't read the book all the way through, but from what I've seen, its an excellent book, good illustrations, straightforward info. This particular area of biology - using developmental genetics to elucidate evolutionary processes and relationships, is in my opinion one of the most exciting areas of biology today. I've had some advanced level classes in developmental and evolutionary biology myself, and I would probably have to say that for the lay person, the book may be somewhat out of grasp.

In regards to the mouse/fly eye develompent experiment, it is simply showing that the genes that regulate the most fundamental levels of development in the eye (or any part of the organism) are the same for fly and mouse... over the years, the end results have evolved to be much different, but at the deepest levels, the the genes that regulate the most fundamental develpment are still the same. ie. eye gene in mouse = mouse eye, eye gene in fly = fly eye. eye gene does the same thing in fly our mouse.

High School, College, Grad School? This book is at the grad school level. Carroll has also written Endless Forms Most Beautiful at the college level and The Making of the Fittest at the high school level. (You can check on "Read all my reviews" to read more about these.)

My own background is this: My formal education in biology consisted of an introductory course in college 40-odd years ago. Since then I've read a lot and in the last two years I've had a very strong interest in molecular and evolutionary biology. (For more info, click on my name, above. My Profile also has a link to my Listmania list of evolution books. Note that you don't have to be a grad student to read this book.)

I read From DNA to Diversity first and it was too much for me. I then read Endless Forms. That was pretty understandable, so I went back to Diversity and found it reasonable clear. I have since read it a third time and I am very fond of it.

Of the thousands of genes involved in the early development of animals, this book concentrates on a few, along with the proteins with which they interact and the various body parts they affect. Special attention is paid to the Hox genes and their insect homologues. Because these have large-scale effects in development, changes in them and in their regulation have profound effects on evolution. I especially enjoyed the section where Carroll combined many bits of information to show us the basic features that must have been present in the first bilaterally symmetric animal, that tiny but promising ancestor of us all. This is one of the bonuses we get for making the extra effort to read the grad-level book.

I find the text very clear and the overall organization - starting with the workings of the major toolkit genes, proceeding through descriptions of how those genes direct the overall shaping of the animal, and on to general considerations of evolution -- proceeds nicely.

[2 June 2007: This was one of the first reviews I wrote and I have added bits as my skills have improved. It got to be a bit patchy, so I have just finished a mafor revision.]

In a sense, Carroll has written the same book three times. "The making of the Fittest" is a work for the general reader explaining how our knowledge of genetics and embryonic development impacts and expands our knowledge of evolutionary biology (and vice-versa). His most famous book, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful," is aimed at college upperclassmen, and deal in more detail with the science of "Evo-Devo," evolutionary development. "From DNA to Diversity" covers much the same ground, but does so in a more technical and sophisticated manner. It appears aimed at graduate students and upper-division zoology majors. Presumably Carroll's next step it to write a graduate-level textbook. Toward the ent, "From DNA" reads like one.

It is a marvellous book, and like a text, it requires and rewards re-reading. Unlike a text, however, it virtually demands to be read in order; not only do the latter chapters build on the earlier ones, but the degree of difficulty in the presentation increases dramatically as the pages turn. As befits a book which assumes a sophisticated readership, there are fewer "detours" into polemics supporting green politics or mocking creationist theory. The photograpsh and the charts are terrific -- full color, clear, and as easy to read and interpret as the difficult subject matter will allow.

Because of the nature of the book, the discussion is less "thesis-bound" than Carrroll's other writings. Rather, he begins with a history of animal life, brings in detail about how embryonic development and genetic control of that process produces the diversity upon which natural selection can act, and weaves the two themes together to demonstrate how the process of forming animal bodies interacts with the changing environment to produce the multiplicity of animal forms we see today. And, Carroll goes on to show, the process is endless and at once aleatory and highly constrained.

I recall an episode of the old "Twilight Zone" series where a British World War One fighter pilot flies through a time warp and lands on an American Air Force base, circa 1960. He talks to one of the airman, and says, "We had no idea how advanced you are." The reader of Carroll's book is likely to have the same thoughts about the field of evo-devo. In Thirty years, these people have gone from the discovery of the nature of the DNA molecule to the brink of an ability to create life a test-tube. I had no idea they had advanced so far so fast.

Working within the industry, it is painfully clear how difficult it is for people 'on the outside' to make informed decisions, know what they are getting into and understand what they should be getting out of products, contractors and procedures. This is a good compass for the journey of building or remodeling any project. It helps you get organized, think through the process before you begin and 'trains' you to remain in charge to the very end. Recommended to me by an architect who worked with homeowners who followed this book. It's beneficial for both sides of the process.

I am in the early design stages of my house ...and this book arrived none too early to help me through the rest of the process. It is a veritable primer in the process of building a house. Full of lists, tables, and all sorts of things to consider. Commentaries on product and services selection, design considerations, project management ...basically all the decisions in the design and construction process. I thought I knew a lot when I went into the process, and this book reinforced the good things I was doing. Happily, it also suggested a whole bunch of things I could be doing and thoughtful approaches to make the process go better.

I usually consider 'how-to' books facile and almost silly. I purchased this book on an impulse on Amazon (along with a whole bunch of less useful picture books), and I was really shocked how valuable it is. It is a little treasure box of information. Dollar for dollar, I think this is probably the best investment I will make in my new house ...and I am sure that I am not alone.

Why learn the hard (and expensive) way when this book will save you from mistakes? No exaggeration to say that this is a 'must have' book for people considering a new home or extensive renovation. Sure, buy your picture books for the coffee table ...but this is the real stuff you need to know.

This book is a great overview of the process of deciding how to design and build your own house. Its charts, tables, glossary and very pointed writing style makes it an easy read. There are lots of great tips and has helped a lot as my family build our dream house

This woman is organized. Not only were the timelines helpful for each sub-job, but she also included steps I would have overlooked. I also like the physical size of the book - it's small enough for the toolbox!

- - Tom Kelly

This book is perfect for ANYONE who is building a home, looking to build a home, or remodel their current home. I have begun to recommend this book to all my clients, because it allows them to be informed of decisions and helps them to organize all of the important information needed when working on your home.

Highly Recommended!

Littlefield hit the nail on the head for me. He gets the same joy, excitement and invigoration out of saling that I do. It's about the people, the atmosphere, the search for treasure, the negotiating, the win (or loss). These adventures are all wrapped up in wonderful little 5 to 20 minute nibbles of life. Almost 100% of my experiences are positive and I can recall many of them years later when I look at a vase, a painting or some other treasure I have acquired..

Bottom line, for Christmas I made a list of those who share my passion, those who wonder about my passion and those few who think I am off my rocker. I went on line and bought a bunch. Christmas shopping over.

Buying retail in this case was done with joy.

All who have received the book from me have given it a great review too.

If you feel you've exhausted every garage sale in your area and you realize you've visited the same sales four years in a row, then you might want to expand your usual boundaries and consider branching out to other states. If so, you can't do much better than this book, which includes a calendar of some of the more noteworthy sales across the country, as well as other major garage sales. You might consider bringing a U-haul along with you if you have a tendency to go overboard and buy everything in sight.
If you like this one, you might also consider:

Garage Sale & Flea Market Annual (Garage Sale and Flea Market Annual)

In Hawaii, HANA HOU is an expression you will hear often....it means, once more, do it again, encore, repeat, one more time...... and so it is with items found in garage sales, yard sales, church bazaars, tag sales, estate sales.....any kind of hana hou sale..... Just because someone is finished with that rocker, it doesn't mean that its life has to end right then.... There can still be one more round left to that old rocking chair!

What your neighbor down the street considers trash can definitely be your treasure....and that is the message that Bruce Littlefield conveys in his newly published book, "Garage Sale America".

From tips scattered throughout the book on how to plan your strategies for your hunt to how to use the treasures after you get them home, and ending with a useful (and amusing) Garage Sale Glossary, this little book can serve as a handy and entertaining manual on how to unashamedly romp through the detritus of other people's lives and score while you're at it!

The perfect gift for those who love to hunt for treasures, whether they are the type who grab the newspaper every single weekend and mark all the sales down, planning their trips by neighborhood....or the occasional shopper who stops on a whim every time they see a "Yard Sale" sign along the road....or the ones such as myself who mark the annual church bazaars down on my calendar....for all of us to whom the thrill is as much in the hunt as in finding that special deal!

There is no stigma attached to finding a bargain in someone else's discards....in fact, the feeling of satisfaction, the ... elation, if you will, when you find just the right item or that last piece of china that will complete the set you started years ago, is hard to describe.

After spending one evening reading this fun and enjoyable book, I started looking around my own home to see what around me could be considered 'found treasures'....and have to admit that a bit less than half was either bought at yard, garage, church bazaar sales or, the best yet, items found through our local Freecycle network or even at the "transfer station" - the PC name for our local dump, ......completely free!

If you love to go yard saling,....if you love to find a bargain,.... if you're looking for the thrill of the deal... you will definitely enjoy reading Bruce's book.

A couple of personal notes: I loved the idea of the seller who invites his best customers (read: bigger spenders), to breakfast before his sales every year for, as Bruce puts it "cranking up the adrenalin while you wait for the unveiling".....and don't miss meeting Wini. I won't tell you where to find her. You will have to hunt through the book yourself!

I enjoyed Bruce's book much more than I expected to.The stories and backgrounds made me feel like I was along for the ride. The photos are awesome and I could hardly sit still thinking about all the treasures I might be missing while I sat reading in my rocking chair about the treasures Bruce and his friend discovered.

If you are a garage sale fanatic, a fan of The Antique Road Show, or just a 'people person' you will enjoy this book. I plan to buy copies for friends and family as Christmas presents. What a treat it would be to read this book while curled up in front of a nice warm fire this winter. Letting your mind wander to the treasures that are just waiting to be discovered when Garage Sale season starts again in the spring.

I have a chronic case of disposophobia, or at least that's how Bruce Littlefield would diagnose it. I can't bear to part with old photographs, worn-out running shoes, and a frog collection I've had since college. My favorite store is Finders Keepers, or was, that is, until the local antique shop closed and I bought out half the inventory.

So when my copy of Littlefield's Garage Sale America arrived in the mail, you can imagine where I put it--on top of a great big stack of books I have yet to read, some old, some new.

It wasn't long before its cover cried out to me with its retro colors, Bakelite radio, and funky leopard hat.

I scoured the photo-filled paperback for advice on everything from enamel-top tables to fishing lures and reeled in a lot more information than I bargained for, like tips on decorating, where to find some really hot wheels, and how to run a successful sale. I'm even learning to deal with my affliction, described in the book's glossary as "Disposophobia: the fear of getting rid of stuff, no matter how worthless or how valuable."

Some books may come and go, but Garage Sale America is definitely a keeper.