Tools Books

No surprises, just a useful book from Haynes. I have used their manuals for years as they have pretty comprehensive coverage of whatever you would need to know to keep, in this case, a lawnmower engine running.

It had many details and step by step how to rebuild the lawnmower. Provides all the necessary info of what could be wrong and how to find out if it is. Great buy!

My husband wants to take a course in small engines and wanted this book. He has been very satisfied with the purchase.

Well I had to rate it something, or Amazon's software wouldn't accept the note . . . I guess five stars will have to do.

As of October 9, 2001, this book is again immediately available directly from our stock, and usually ships in 24 hours.

I appreciate your patience in waiting for the reprint, but here it is, available right now, and at no price increase.

Thank You!

Mike Arman

Having taken the time to actually read the book and put it to good use on my Sportster. I definately give it a thumbs up attitude.

Having met one of the authors about 10 years ago was the icing on the cake. I used to have his addy, but I lost it. If anyone knows where his bio is, I'd like to see it.

Valkrie

Having taken the time to actually read the book and put it to good use on my Sportster. I definately give it a thumbs up attitude.

Having met one of the authors about 10 years ago was the icing on the cake. I used to have his addy, but I lost it. If anyone knows where his bio is, I'd like to see it.

Valkrie

I've been using this book for several years now. And each year I buy copies for our farm interns and staff. I think the book does a great job of showing various pieces of equipment with the how and why it works. The vignettes of farmers who use those tools is very helpful in offering a three dimensional real life picture of how the tool may or may not work on our farm. Great book, one we refer to often for ideas and to make sure we all have the same "picture" in our heads of what a tool can and might do.

Now you don't have to embarrass yourself at the coffee shop asking questions you feel you shouldn't have to ask about the basics of mechanical weed control.

This book addresses the four main concerns that farmers have about mechanical weed control: cost, effectiveness, dependability and soil impact. The field equipment sections are the most descriptive that I have ever seen.

This book presents an excellent overview of Ethernet technologies suitable for network managers who are thinking of moving to switched or fast ethernet.

It's also a great book for anyone who wants a good description of how Ethernet technology works. The introductory chapter which gives an excellent history of Ethernet is also well worth a read.

The book also includes chapters on Network Management and Ethernet Cards, which are topics that are opften overlooked in Ethernet books. Each section is presented in a stand-alone way, so you can skip the bits that aren't interesting.

The book provides a nice overview of Ethernet and Fast Ethernet and clearly outlines how it works and gives several examples on how to deploy Fast Enet. For me, I found that it was just the right amount of detail.

I have been working on a "vanilla" 10meg ethernet (campus) for 18 months which will soon be upgraded. This book explains, in very easy to understand terms/diagrams, all the definitions & technical terms required to both get a good grasp on the basics and prepare for the leap to faster networks. If you are thinking of taking a 3 day seminar on Fast/Switched Ethernet or maybe a college course, this would be a better investment of your time and money. The only caution I would give is that it was written in 1995 and some of the "cutting edge" items are missing but it sure lays the groundwork to understanding advanced networks

My mom purchased a killer used table saw, but lacked the confidence in how to use it. I bought this book as a gift for her and ended up reading it before I gave it to her!

As a girl, I watched my Dad in the shop, but he didn't like questions so I grew bored. Now, I wish I'd have paid attention and tried to use it when I had his tutelage. This book answered a lot of the questions I have about using a table saw and safety. I can now discuss "shop" with my husband and understand what he's talking about. I might even be brave enough to use a table saw now! :) I liked that some of the pictures in the book depicted women using the saw too!

As the other reviewer said, this doesn't go into detail for techniques for specific projects, but will give you an overview of what to look for in a table saw, how to maintain your table saw, and what you can do with your table saw. You won't become a pro overnight, but this book is a good primer to get you started.

This was my first book on table saws, as I am about to buy my first table saw. Being an engineer, I know my way around power tools in general, but I was a bit concerned about proper techniques with regard to safety, how to prevent kickback, and some of the finer points of using the saw. This book has all the basic information - good for beginners - and has great captions on each and every (color) picture that help explain the equipment and concepts very well. This book is not for those who wish to do fancy woodworking and intricate furniture building - I'd recommend a book that describes the details and procedures for the various types of cuts/options in more depth. This book is great for anything short of that, highly recommended, a good comprehensive primer.

This book is a great primer. It covers all the essentials of choosing a table saw, setting up and operating a table saw. Plenty of pictures to illustrate the points the author is conveying. Plus there are plenty of tips to make sawing easier and accurate. Great book if you're a beginner with a table saw.

Very good and informative book. I wish it had color photos instead of B&W

Robert Terzuola's many years of experience as a custom knife maker are thoughtfully distilled into this handy and interesting book. "The Tactical Folding Knife" details and explains the many aspects of the design and construction of a modern folding knife. This book presupposes a certain level of technical proficiency regarding the use of the industrial tools needed to produce a folding knife of this type, but this fact does not detract from its accessibility for both the experienced machinist and the curious enthusiast. This book is broken down into chapters that illustrate not only the basic design and construction of a locking liner folding knife, but also includes chapters describing the characteristics of different component materials, helpful tips regarding specialized tools and a section on the care and maintenence of a finished knife. Although I don't think I will rush out and buy a lathe, I do feel that this book illuminates the subject in a way that can be appreciated by the layman as well as the experienced machinist

Robert Terzuola's name will be instantly recognizable to knife collectors the world over as the veteran maker of some of the finest tactical knives available. In this excellent book, Terzuola shares his knowledge of the new 'hot' item among collectors - the tactical folding knife.

The book covers design, shaping, fitting and finishing tactical folders in a refreshingly readable style. Simple enough for even non-knife enthusiasts yet detailed enough for new makers looking to improve their work - a great combination. Accompanied by masterful advice, clear step-by-step photographs, and superb diagrams of the famous linerlock mechanism, this book is worth every cent for the information value alone. If you are a beginning maker or simply interested in how much craftsmanship goes into these tools, you need to look no further than this book.

Bob Boog's Techno-Selling: Cutting-Edge Tips, Tricks & Tools, Plus Humorous Blunders To Avoid For Anyone Involved In Any Kind Of Sales is a superbly presented, reader-friendly guide for sellers of all experience levels who want to start using the resources of the World Wide Web and the Internet to quickly and easily market products and/or services to buyers across the nation and around the world. From creating an online office to anecdotes of cyberspace-do's and cyberspace-don'ts, Techno Selling is an excellent and highly recommended introduction to the manifold rewards and pitfalls related to making the Internet work for you!

"Wow" is all I could say after I read this book. With the Internet and email so commonplace, it made me realize we can either get on board or get left behind.

This book shows and tells in simple terms how to put this technology to use to put more money into our pockets. From "Steps to Making a Simple Photo Brochure" to how to build a website and much, much more...this book has it.

The author, Bob Boog, has been in sales since 1978 and from reading this book it is obvious that he knows his stuff. He teaches hard cold experience: what's worked and what hasn't and not just theory.

This book is really a must-read for sales people and business people who want to use technology to increase their revenue. I read Bob's previous book, "Selling Homes 1-2-3" and was so informed and entertained that I had to get this book, too. I'm an avid reader...and this book is up toward the top of the list.

"Wow" is all I could say after I read this book. With the Internet and email so commonplace, it made me realize we can either get on board or get left behind.
This book shows and tells in simple terms how to put this technology to use to put more money into our pockets. From "Steps to Making a Simple Photo Brochure" to how to build a website and much, much more...this book has it.
The author, Bob Boog, has been in sales since 1978 and from reading this book it is obvious that he knows his stuff. He teaches hard cold experience: what's worked and what hasn't and not just theory.
This book is really a must-read for sales people and business people who want to use technology to increase their revenue. I read Bob's first book, "Selling Homes 1-2-3" and was so informed and entertained that I had to get this book, too. I'm an avid reader...and this book is up toward the top of the list.

Wow! I am very impressed by Kes Sampanthar's latest invention, ThinkCube!

Having played with a wide variety of tools, like Pocket Innovator (precursor to the Knowbrainer, both from Gerard Haman), Thinkpak (from Michael Michalko), Whackpack & Innovative Whackpak (both from Roger von Oech), plus a host of minor others, for more than a decade in real world business settings, ThinkCube is a zesty, refreshing change.

I recently experimented with it in a small group business setting.

Despite the short orientation with it (luckily the author/inventor has an excellent corporate website, Metamemes, to equip me with valuable prior knowledge), the group has been truly amazed by the practical results.

In a nut shell, ThinkCube turbocharges my group's combinatory play & randomm juxtaposition to the next level. The permutation of forced associations from seemingly irrelevant connections has been really unbelievable.

In fact, after generating all the crazy ideas, the same thinking or brainstorming process has been repeated to produce the next steps in putting those wild ideas to work immediately. These steps eventually culminate into my group's SMART Game Plan. (SMART stands for Specific Objectives, Metrics, Accountability, Resources, Timing for Implementation & Completion).

As I am most familiar with the application of the famed Synectics process, especially in making the strange familiar & the familiar strange, the metaphorical connections arising from the ThinkCube process intervention add an extra punch to the whole thinking or brainstorming process.

At this juncture, I wish to share with readers a wonderful insight from Tom Peters, who in his wonderful book, `Liberation Management', drives home with this really great observation:

"The essence of creation - in all endeavours - is chance connections between ideas & facts that are previously segregated. Entrepreneurship is the direct by-product of chance, of convoluted connections among ideas, needs & people."

Likewise, Jay Abraham, a high-powered marketing whiz kid, once shares these very interesting observations in his book, 'Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got':

- ice cream was invented in 2000BC. Yet it was 3900 years later before someone figured out the ice cream cone;
- meat was on this planet before humans. Bread was baked in 2600 BC. Nevertheless it took another 4900 years for somebody to put together & create the sandwich;
- The modern flush toilet was invented in 1775, but it wasn't until 1857 that somebody thought up toilet paper;

According to him, "once these obvious connections have been made, they seem so obvious. So evident. We can't believe we didn't see them sooner. The endless number of these unmade connections exist to this day, especially in the business world."

He adds further:

"You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically uncover your income, power, influence, & success, the problem is you just don't see them."

Leonardo da vinci, whom I had met - in the form of a marble statute in the Vatican Museums, Rome as well as in Milan - during my recent holidays in Italy, once said,

"Everything is connected to everything else".

Well, let me put it this way, ThinkCube definitely empowers you to see more connections &/or juxtapositions in your work, your business & your life!

My only complaint about ThinkCube is that it's quite bulky to carry around, but I must say, the packaging, with its bright colours, visually appealing design & clean-cut style, is eye catching.

Best of all, the whole product works very well together to make my day!

Many thanks to you, Kes, for coming up & for sharing your wonderful invention with the world!

I'm familiar with the idea of combining random ideas and concepts to come up with new insights to problems. But Kes Sampanthar has put that process into a system that makes it much easier to go down that path... ThinkCube: A Professional Innovation Tool.

The process is easy to follow... 1) Define your goal for your brainstorming session. 2) Stimulate your mind by drawing six random cards from the Idea pack. 3) Think about your problem by combining two or more of the cards you drew in order to come up with new ideas. 4) Evaluate your ideas once you've come up with a number of them. 5) Elaborate on the idea if you think it has merit or is a winner. 6) Incubate those ideas that show potential but have some sticking points. Incubating is more along the lines of just letting the ideas percolate in the back of your mind while you're going about doing other things.

You may be thinking "well, I can do this on my own without any tools". That's true, but it might be hard to come up with a number of ideas and words that you can use to randomly combine. Because you have your own preconceived notions and mindsets, you're limited in your "random" references. Taking the material from another source like this can force you down mental paths you'd be unable to find on your own. The packaging of the system is pretty cool, too. The idea and word cards are packaged in a large orange cube, hence the name "ThinkCube". The coloring, style, and design all work well together to get your mind into a creative groove.

As a software developer, I'm always on the hunt for new ideas and designs that I can use to build quality software applications. After using ThinkCube a couple times, I can see how this will be a great aid for my job. Definitely a great idea and a product well-executed.

True innovation, like collaboration, requires a cultural shift. Inventor, computer scientist and self-proclaimed idea addict, Kes Sampanthar, recognizes this reality and has developed an awesome product to jump start innovation culture. That product is ThinkCube, an innovation system that enables a sort of orderly chaos. Kes and his wife, mechanical engineer Sue Sampanthar, collaborated on this breakthrough product.

"Infusion of innovation shouldn't hinge on a company mandate. It can organically emerge from the bottom up through changes in individual behavior," according to the ThinkCube Idea Handbook. I believe it's important that senior leaders set the stage, but innovation absolutely must happen organically--and ThinkCube gets the ball rolling. The system is designed for either individuals or groups of 4-7. The process Sampanthar has developed is called ThinkCubating, which begins with goal definition. As the process continues, the goal becomes better defined.

The ThinkCube is divided into 4 sections:

1) Idea Library
2) Word cards
3) Mutation
4) ThinkCubate

During the process, users draw idea cards from the Idea Library. Ideas range from inventions like electronic ink to trends and concepts like "swarm intelligence," an artificial intelligence technique based on the scientific observation of bee hives and ant colonies. Combining two or more cards, the user develops new ideas. This technique stems from Einstein's notion of "combinatory play" as the "essential feature in productive thought." As noted in the ThinkCube Idea Handbook, an example of combinatory play is Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in which he combined a wine press, coin punch and die stamps.

Just reading ThinkCube cards makes you think, and combining the cards to create or advance ideas is especially powerful. Each Word card includes groups of related words and definitions. Each mutation card includes groups of related verbs and definitions. Word and Mutation cards can be combined with each other or with Idea Library cards to create a new idea. So, a mutation card for "Update" could be combined with an Idea Library card for "Pavlovian Response." The goal may then shift to update Ivan Pavlov's Nobel Prize-winning psychological concept of "conditioned response." If an idea needs to simmer longer, the user can park it in ThinkCubate.

I'm using ThinkCube with colleagues to turn random bits of insight into breakthrough ideas. ThinkCube is an express ride around innovation roadblocks and is the most cost-effective investment in innovation a person or organization can make. I highly recommend this innovation system.

Tools And Techniques For Character Interpretation: A Handbook Of Psychology For Actors, Writers, And Directors by New York actor, dialect coach, and writer, Robert Blumenfeld is an informed and informative study of the interpretive science of psychology and the methodical analysis of acting and character interpretation on stage or before cameras. Presenting a superbly written instruction manual on the performance art of acting, Tools And Techniques For Character Interpretation provides readers with a thematically appropriate interpretation of the great psychologists Freud, Klein, and Jung, as well as a practical understanding of the applications of psychological analysis in acting. Tools And Techniques For Character Interpretation is to be given high praise and strong recommendation for all aspiring or practicing actors, directors and screenwriters for its remarkable coverage of the psychology involved with the art of acting. Also very highly recommended by Robert Blumenfeld is "Accents: A Manual for Actors" (Limelight, 2002) and "Acting with the Voice: The Art of Recording Books (Limelight, 2004).

Anyone who acts or writes should aspire to creating the deepest characters they can -- and what a wealth of contradictions, loves, fears, resentments, childhood hurts, faith and joy is every person on this earth, both the ones born with flesh and the ones someone writes and acts and who often seem realer than your neighbor. (I refuse to even consider that Hamlet or Shylock never lived.) Robert Blumenfeld's new book gives us a history of psychology and how it can be applied to creating many-layered characters; even more fascinating, he delves into specific interpretations of many great characters, and the psychology he himself used when portraying the Marquis of Queensberry in the off-Broadway long-run, complex drama, "The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde."

This is a book about not saying lines as an actor, or writing scenes as a novelist, but portraying the deepest soul of a character, no matter how short the role may be. Doing this is a great joy, and will make the audience member, or casting director, or reader sit up slowly in their seat and find themselves rapt with attention, listening to the endless reverberations under every word and gesture before them.

Keep this book on your shelf and consult it often!

In his preface, Blumenfeld explains how his book "takes from the science of behavior tools and techniques that will be useful to the actor in practicing the art of behavior, to the writer in creating characters with depth, and to the director in interpreting scripts." This handbook is fairly heavy reading, but is still accessible to people who are not very familiar with the world of psychology. Thankfully, Chapter 8 is nearly 50 pages of alphabetized psychology terms and topics. Blumenfeld covers basic psychological principles and theories with examples from film and television.

I can't say enough about the importance of this book. In short, Illich makes the point that there is a way in which the so-called "Third World" countries can avoid industrialization, and move directly into the post-industrialist state that the developed world is headed. There is no doubt in my mind that we will look back on this man's work sometime in the near future and realize how amazingly right he is. It is really a shame that he does not have more of an influence than he does. Some of the points in this book are so right that they seem impossible to refute or even question. I really can't even put into words the influence that the book has had on me. It is something everyone should read, and it's short enough that it can be done in a matter of a few hours. Please feel free to e-mail me and tell me what you thought of it, or of other works by this genius as I am going to work on trying to popularize and spread his ideas.

This only fortifies my opinion that our leftists operate as industrial elitists and only serves big business with their social programs that insure the subordination of an underclass of consumers to keep the capital and mythical progressivism on motion.

"Leftists operate as industrial elitists and only serves big business with their social programs that insure the subordination of an underclass of consumers to keep the capital and mythical progressivism on motion"?? What are you smoking?!! Actually, many Marxists revere both Illich and Fromm. We currently live in a world marred by global finance-capital impoverishing and destroying the well-being of millions for the mega-profits of a few, and industrial realities play a key role in the problem... as well as the solution: its time for workers to harness for themselves what they create and have created for their own benefit locally and internationally. I really don't think a proper reading of "Tools for Conviviality" condradicts this.