Projects Books

This book gives inspiration to challenge- more so than techniques for specific projects. It will be poured over many times , before strting a new endeavor.

This book is full of fun projects that will provide much inspiration if and when I ever get around to tackling the field of altered art.

A well-illustrated compendium for this particular gentre of work. Informative at several levels,sound techniques,excellent projects and interesting contributions from various artists in the field. It exists at a variety of levels,enabling a wide range of abilities from practising artists to beginners, to gain inspirational information. A bonus is the artist's biographies and web-sites. A good companion to "Altered Art'

I had been eying this book for awhile now and was surprised when my husband got it for me for Christmas. I love it! It's well laid out and has very lovely photos. Quite inspirational!

This is a nice book and has some great ideas. But I don't work in metal or wood so it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. If you are interested in 'tin' or other metal mediums then this would be a very good book for you to see. I usually check books out of the public library first to be sure they are what I'm looking for but the library didn't have this book so I bought it sight unseen.

It is a very good book with a lot of nice photos.

I bought both 'The Buck Book' and 'The Joy of Origami'.
The illustrations in 'The Buck Book' were a lot more easy to follow than the directions/illustrations in 'The Joy of Origami' by Margaret Van Sicken.
In 'The Buck Book' there is an actual size dollar bill which makes it a lot easier to make the folds as you can line up the bill you are working on with the one in the book. I made all the folds after a lot of patience and practice. I am only a beginner origami folder. 'The Joy Of Origami' definitely leaves a lot to the imagination and I would not recommend it for a beginner.

I was hoping for a step-by-step detailed description of how to fold the dollar, instead I had to pass this book to my brother who is an expert in folding the buck to use this book. But even he found some of the directions difficult to understand. There also weren't that many ideas suggested in this book. There are more ideas for folding the buck online than offered in this book.

Having been at the beginner level of origami for many years--that is, I follow the ideas in the books and don't create my own--I have at least 30 books on subjects from origami boxes to modular (unit) origami to money origami. This is one of the best introductions to origami in general. Dollar bills are made of excellent paper with printing on them that helps you get oriented with the diagrams in the book. The projects make great gifts (and tips at restaurants, of course).

This book does not introduce you to the variety of "folds" (such as the outside-reverse fold and the rabbit fold) that are the vocabulary of the mainstream origami books, but eases you into the basics (including the inside-reverse fold without labeling it as such). You will enjoy the transition of your ordinary one-dollar bill into these little origami models, which are mostly three-dimensional (many origami books have you sweating and, 47 folds later, ending up with a flat two-dimensional depiction of some insect). Go to other books if this one inspires you to become an origamist. Or just stay here and have fun. And yes I know that insect origami seems to be viewed with a certain amount of reverence, but you get animals in this book also.

When you have folded your masterpiece, origami is fun in that you can unfold it and practice it again until you have it memorized, very useful for when you want to leave a "Dime-In-Ring" as a tip (this project will cost you $1.10--a bill and a dime).

I would not hand the book to a young child, as the activies probably work best with an adult helping those under 10 years old. The adult should have completed the model first.

I would recommend getting a bunch of new crisp bills from your bank. Ask the bank when they come in, as the book says they usually arrive around January. Just in case the US government has any plans to change the pattern on the one-dollar bill, that's another reason to hoard some of the old ones. However, bills that are fairly crisp but not necessarily brand new work very well, and you can find these regularly in change handed to you. When you receive nice crisp bills in change from a store, hand over a $5 bill and get five more crisp ones.

Lastly, as commented on already, the humor and the little facts about money are quite entertaining. Typical "Klutz book" excellence.

Happy folding.

Mike

PS Another book, also on an origami specialty but also for the serious beginner who wants to produce fun and useable projects is "Wings and Things: Origami That Flies."

Very cute book--fun for all ages, or for all ages of people with a little patience.

I got this for my 11 year old son. He already had some origami experience and really enjoyed it. He easily did the the first few projects, but had a little difficulty with the elephant and the peacock. After we looked at it closer, we were able to figure it out with little trouble. The book is very well written (and illustrated) and the projects are very clever. My son's main problem was that he was just using the pictures and wasn't taking the time to also read the directions. The spiral binding allows the book to lay flat while you work with the dollar. There are also fun facts included. All-in-all, it is entertaining and well worth the money. I only wish there had been a few more shapes to make.

The Complete Book Of Gourd Craft: 22 Projects * 55 Decorative Techniques * 300 Inspirational Designs
The cover of this book says it all. I was searching for a complete book on gourds because I am growing my own gourd vines and needed some harvesting tips. This book has that and more. As an artist for over 30 years I am excited to find a new medium to explore and a solid book to guide me!

This book has wonderful information and photos to inspire any amateur gourd crafter to GREATNESS!

Extremely good book, very well written and good art descriptions.

The book was in excellent condition and arrived promptly. I was very pleased with the service, price and book.

I'm a woodturner who likes to decorate the bowls I make. This book has given me several ideas that I've used successfully. I've gotten several copies for members of my woodturning club and one copy for the club library. We're always looking for new ways to enhance the simple wooden bowl and this book provides many useful ideas. Highly recommended.

I received this book as a gift. I already had Diane's first 2 books on Zulu beadwork and this is a direct copy of those. Other than the fact that this is all in one book and in color, the info is the same. I was disappointed that nowhere was that mentioned. If I did not have the other books then I would rate this one as very good and informative on the Zulu techniques. I have used my other books extensively and didn't miss the color at all. This would be a great book for a beginner, or someone who wants to extend their knowledge about techniques. I gave it 3 stars just because I thought the publisher could have mentioned somewhere that it was a repeat of previously published work. I understand that the original books are out of print so for those beaders who don't already own them then this is a good book to have.

Este libro ofrece tejidos fáciles y rápidos. Especialmente los cordones quedan muy bien. Las explicaciones son prácticas y las gráficas casi expresan por sí mismas las instrucciones. Tengo apenas un par de semanas con este libro y ya he hecho unos siete u ocho modelos distintos. Este es otro ejemplar que debe tener todo aquel que disfruta de las prendas tejidas.

I have Diane's original, self published version of this book, but having this version, with all the colored pictures, is worth the price of buying the new edition.

For those who like such, there are also specific patterns using the stitches-- something I dont remember the original ook having.

AWESOME. This book is detailed, very easy to follow, and causes visions of projects in your mind that you JUST might be able to do now. This toom of teaching bead weaving goes above and beyond other books written about the same subject.

Highly recommended for content, price, and excitement. Buy it now!!

Diane Fitzgerald has written the definitive English language book on Zulu beadwork. I specify English language because I suspect in South Africa where the Zulu beadwork originates, there is a wealth of information that we in the U.S. aren't able to obtain. Thank goodness for Diane Fitzgerald who has studied beaded pieces and "backward engineered" the techniques used to make the pieces, wrote it down and then published it in this book!

This is another excellent Interweave book on beadwork techniques - heavy on the technique which is just what this reader wants from a beadweaving book. The book opens with a forward and then a introduction that could have been combined into one. The Zulus and their beadwork is exhaustively covered in the next chapter. Fitzgerald includes pictures of how the beadwork is worn and how it has changed over the years. Being a history and anthropology buff, I enjoyed learning about the history and cultural uses. From there, the the author dives into the beading techniques.

There are twenty two (22) beading techniques including, the flowerette chain, the triangle tube, the double weave, netted trianges and swags, netted diamonds and the well known Zulu Love Letter Pins to name just a few. If you're new to beadwork, I recommend the popcorn stitch which is worked in size 6 (or "E") seed beads, larger beads help the beginner get the hang of seed beading.

Tools and materials are covered in the last chapter. Basic technique is briefly reviewed in prose with minimal pictures. If you're looking for a book dedicated to Zulu style beadwork, Fitzgerald's book is it!

Excellent book for amature hobbyist wantimg save alot of money working on your own car and not damaging it in the process. He also gives accurate and valuable info on modifications that will not hurt the value of your car.

bottom line... if you own a 911, and its in your blood, buy this book to better know your ride. 1st time owners, troubleshooters, and the diy audience will benefit

This is a must have book if you own a 1965-89 911. I found the book to be as detailed as a shop manual on the subjects it covers yet with the friendly writing that anyone can comprehend.

This book covers the basics like changing your oil to more complex tasks like fixing common oil leaks and fixing various transmission problems. -all with many excellent photos of the procedures outlined.

I've read and referred to this book countless times both for enjoyment and for reference to maintain my Porsche.

IF YOU KNOW HOW TO ADJUST VALVES IN YOUR PORSCHE PROBABLY A WASTE OF MONEY. IF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST AND ARE LEARNING HOW TO WORK ON IT, ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY.

Great reference book. Very user friendly and provides information and directions that are easy to follow and direct. Great for the "weekend" mechanic who just wants to work on his Porsche in his own garage at home.

November 4, 2008. I received this book today. This is a wonderful book for the novice and medium quilter. I've been making quilts for several years, and I find this book to be written with clarity, and the pictures are great. I've never been disappointed with any of my purchases from Amazon. Thank you.

There are times when I really love this book and other times when I think, "Oh, that is too bad."

First, the reason why they called it 90 minute quilts is because there are little (four block) wall hangings and doll quilts in here. If you are looking to really better understand chain piecing you need a different book. I do not think anyone can match Eleanor Burns when it comes to time saving tips. I may have been a little spoiled from her books.

Second, I don't care for the way binding is addressed in the book. Two ways are taught and for me they leave out the best method. Folding over the backing fabric to do a self binding will not hold up as well as a double fold binding and quilts used by kids get dragged a lot. Bias binding is not necessary unless you are doing a scalloped edge. A straight cut of fabric will work just fine to make a double fold binding for a straight quilt. Too bad they left that one out.

Third, it doesn't explain how not to get the thread nest on the back of your machine quilting when you first start stitching and I think that is so important in getting a nice finished product. Hold your bobbin thread or stitch on a scrap piece of fabric first and do not cut the threads, just leave it dangling and start your stitching. Otherwise you have a nest of bobbin thread messing up your backing. Also back stitching is not the preferred method of machine quilters, they stitch a couple tiny stitches at the start and stop of each time they quilt. Back stitching is not as neat looking on a finished product.

Fourth, I didn't like the quality of the bag/pouch projects in the book as they have raw edges exposed. It doesn't take that much more time to use pinking shears/serge or make a lined bag. Please do not use a fabric that ravels easily. We are skimping on the quality of the finished project and failing to teach good sewing construction.

Fifth, Some of the quilts do not pop as much as they could because they lack the contrast of using fabrics with different color values. It really stands out if your trip around the world just looks like a scrap quilt because it blends together too easily.

Sixth, although the quilt as you go method looks faster I think some more detailed information about pinning all those layers in place might be in order.

I liked this book because it is KID FRIENDLY. However, I liked Barbara J. Eikmeier books much better. This one will sit nicely on the self next to hers but in no way comes close to replacing it.

Too bad the two of these ladies couldn't put a book together with Eleanor Burns. That would be one awesome book.

In all it is a cute book but it could have been so much better. I do think it has a lot of kid appeal so I am going to give it a break on the rating. It does have some great tips on teaching kids how to quilt.

Although I'm not a beginning quilter by any means, I do keep books like this for myself if I need something quick and for friends who want to try quilting for themselves. This is one of better project books but I doubt that even I could do one of them in 90 minutes - maybe 3-4 hours. It has some really neat projects in it and some really cute quilts. I use it more as a resource than anything else.

There are so many projects and they all look very easy to complete. Every detail is explained with pictures from design to binding so you can create a quilt in a very short amount of time. And the books has wire-spiral binding so it stays open to the page you need. Great book.

Highly recommended for a beginner quilter who wants to create a successful project the first time around. The basic lessons are clear, precise and generously illustrated to make the process easy and pleasurable to learn. You can see a skillful educator behind the creation of this book. I would think this is a good book to use with youngsters who want to learn to make quilts. The basic project and it's 15+ variations teach way to think about quilt design in way that would provide a solid foundation.

This book gets five stars, because from the first time I picked it up, it helped solve a problem I had at work with a highly annoying colleague who constantly went over my head to report to higher management anytime she even suspected I or a member of my team might be doing something wrong or not the way she would do it. Resorting to outright lies and spreading office gossip was not below her. Asking her to stop, being nice to her or being angry with her did no good. By following some of the advice in this book I was able to start to turn things around within a single day.

That is the really great thing about this book, it provides practical advice from experience project managers not only about tools and methodology of managing projects that work, but also the pitfalls of office politics and how to successfully deal with them.

The methods and tools presented in this book are very good, and are what the authors have found works in their projects. You might find that some of this is not applicable to you if you work in an organisation that already has an established methodology, or if the client insists things are done a certain way. It certainly presents some new ideas and tools to try that might improve your current proccess.

Another great thing about this book is its simplicity. There are many techniques for everything from project estimation to software testing, some of which require a high level of expertise. The techniques presented here are ones that are simple and easy to implement.

It is always good to learn from other peoples success, and this book gives you an insight into how its authors successfully manage their own projects that is valuable to every project manager.

I bumped into this book by way of "Head First PMP", also written by Stellman and Greene. Because I liked the PMP resource so much, I thought I should give this book a chance and I was not disappointed. Packed with useful information, case studies and examples, this book is a resource any technical project manager will want to have in their collection.
One bonus I did not count on was the companion website which includes downloadable templates, PPT slides and other electronic assets.

Highly recommended!

This is a nice book, everything about it is so neat and nice. I am glad I purchased this book from Amazon.

Applied Software Project Management
Reviewed by Steven D. Sewell, PMP
Project Management Institute, Tampa Bay Chapter

Having been peripherally involved as a software release project team member in the past, I knew enough to get my piece of the puzzle delivered. The information in this book allows me to broaden my perspective and actually comprehend the picture I see on the puzzle box cover. The book is written in a straight ahead manner. If you are one who like examples of what is being discussed, then this book is for you. The use of clear definitions makes each topic understandable and the analogies make them memorable. Tables and scripts are used throughout to exemplify each tool and technique. Most useful in practice are the sections that aid in the diagnosing of problems that can be encountered. This book definitely hits its goal of delivering a practical guide into the hands of a software project manager. The only improvement would be to have "handbook" or "guide" placed somewhere on the cover.

This book covers concisely all the modern aspects os software project management, without the complexity found in more formal PM sources like the PMBOK. Moreover, the job of translating the broad and general concepts covered in the PMBOK to practical day-to-day scenarios is the major benefit from buying it. It won't, however, cover an specific issue like estimation to the level that enables you to be an estimator (this subject, for instance, is only 17 pages long), but will provide you the guidelines and references to additional material to do so.

Contract negotiations are often tedious and frustrating. This book was refreshingly useful because it laid out strategies for achieving desired negotitated results. The book's advice and approach can be applied with profit to any contract negotiations, but it's examples are based on negotiating the complicated agreements between Owners and Architects. I've used it with success to explain the Architect's needs and concerns to Owners and, just as frequently, I've used it when representing Owners to explain why a certain compromise and position in negotiations with Architects makes sense. It is a book with balanced advice on how to negotiate in general and how to do so in particular in the Owner/Architect context. It's many specific examples and suggested solutions to typical negotiation issues have saved me hours of time attempting to articulate to opposing counsel or my clients what the author has already compiled in this book.

I've found its contents so useful that I've taught portions of seminars to Architects, Contractors and Owners using lessons and insights taken from the book. The attendees always have commented favorably on the concrete, practical advice they have learned from those portions of the seminar.

This is a valuable book. If you're involved in any negotiations, especially construction, it is worth purchasing.

Ava Abramovitz has distilled her years of experience as attorney, advisor and mediator into a wonderfully readable book. Her insights and suggestions will benefit every architect who has strugged with uncertainty during contract negotiations. A wonderful addition to our professional library.

Did you know that negotiation can be taught? Most architects do not understand that the rest of the world NEGOTIATES. This book is absolutely ESSENTIAL to the business end of architecture, as well as to life. How do you handle a client who wants full ownership of documents? Do you know what liability that can open you and your firm up to?! Do your key employees know how to negotiate? What about negotiating design? Are all aspects of the design so important that you're willing to walk away from the job, the client and future work; or do you know how to negotiate a win-win situation? This book is for ANYONE in the firm who is in direct contact with the client or other representatives of the client. GET AND READ THIS BOOK! (It will even help with non-professional relationships.)

I am not an architect, but I loved this book. It clearly laid out steps real people can take to negotiate tough problems -- whether construction-related or not. The chapter on communication skills and the one on dispute resolution alone were worth the price of the book. In fact, I would say, as a senior manager of a growing business, that anyone who seeks to accomplish anything important in any business would benefit from the information this book contains. It should be required reading for all.

I teach architecture students a course on professional practice and have made Architect's Essentials of Contract Negotiation required reading. Of all the sources I've read on this topic, Ava Abramowitz offers the most accessible and well-reasoned explanations of what every design professional must understand about negotiation (and communication).

Abramowitz's many years of experience as a counselor, teacher and mentor to architects has clearly given her insight into how architects think, and she uses this insight to great effect. My students enjoy reading this text (especially Chapters 3&4) because it connects to the way they see the world (and helps focus that vision) in language that rings true. Don't be fooled by the word "Contracts" in the title; this is a great book about architects and negotiation in general and one that I believe all architects should own.

The tutorials in the book are very clear. and i already try some of the projects.
Donna invited me to participate in her book and i am so honord .the giraffe in the book is one of my art works . the photo in the book are great and the editing is very reasonable . i recommend this book to all the polymer clay lover

This is a beautiful book, packed with inspiration. Donna is an expert at laying out the steps for various techniques. This is a book that can be appreciated by the beginner as well as the advanced polymer clay artist. I always recommend Donna Katos books to those who want to learn more about polymer clay.

This is a very well written book for both beginning and novice clayer. It covers a wide range while being pretty detailed on each topic. You may find these techniques in other sources but this book brings them all together.

Donna Kato has done it again with her latest book on polymer clay millefiori caning! It's a beautiful book that covers the basics and has so many new and intersting ideas on caning. The photography is wondeful and the projects, classy. As with her other books, this one is a must have!

I've always told students that they needed to own Donna's previous books, and will definitely be recommending this one as well..

I am not a strong polymer clay artist, but I love Donna Kato books so I was excited to give this book a try. I cannot put it down and it is full of inspiration.

A previous review states the book does not have clear instructions and pictures and I wonder if they have the same book I do. As a beginner I found many options available. I can also see where all levels would be inspired and challenged.

The text and photography continue to inspire and the projects are amazing. There are many times I look at a project and say...I can't do that, but then read the directions/follow the step by step pictures and I am amazed at the results.

I can now reduce a cane and make some fantastic items. This book is a definite treasure and I will probably buy a second in case something happens to the first!

This manga is unsophisticated in its artwork, storytelling, and politics. Yet that very lack of sophistication seems to me to be what gives it power that probably could only otherwise be generated by poetry, or perhaps opera.

You might as well go ahead and buy the four volumes in this series now, to save time & postage. Then you can wait, like I am waiting, in the hope that Project Gen manages to publish the next six volumes in the series.

Note: there is at least one prior English edition of Barefoot Gen, and the volume contents are not the same as in the latest edition. So if, for example, you buy volume 3 of the earlier edition (1979), you will find that it overlaps the latter part of volume 2 of the current edition (issued in 2004.) The volume titles seem to be the same in each edition, so things can get confusing if you don't stick with the same edition. If you buy used, pay attention to which edition you are getting.

According to Wikipedia, these are the published & projected volumes in the current English translation series of Barefoot Gen:

* Barefoot Gen #1: A Cartoon Story Of Hiroshima (ISBN 0-86719-602-5)
* Barefoot Gen #2: The Day After (ISBN 0-86719-619-X)
* Barefoot Gen #3: Life After The Bomb (ISBN 0-86719-594-0)
* Barefoot Gen #4: Out Of The Ashes (ISBN 0-86719-595-9)
* Barefoot Gen #5: The Never-Ending War (17 April 2008, ISBN-10: 0867195967)
* Barefoot Gen #6: Writing the Truth (17 April 2008, ISBN-10: 0867195975)
* Barefoot Gen #7: (Not published in English)
* Barefoot Gen #8: (Not published in English)
* Barefoot Gen #9: (Not published in English)
* Barefoot Gen #10: (Not published in English)

Barefoot Gen - I grew up with this famous comic series by Nakazawa. It's about a boy called 'Gen' and his life in Hiroshima during the WWII and soon after the atomic bomb. Volumes 1 & 2 are probably the most important ones. After I read them in English, I just had to lend them to everyone I knew. If you read this story, you'll realise how silly to hear some popular opiniton 'Dropping two atomic bombs in Japan was necessary to end the war'. The author Nakazawa says that each and every event illustrated here is a true story. You'll see, for example, that two young brothers fight against each other for a little grain of rice. Gen trying to encourage a girl who used to be dreaming about one day becoming a professional dancer, but now her face was badly burnt by the bomb, although she still didn't know it - he refuses to let her see the mirror.

The bombs were dropped onto civilians in the two cities, and, in Hiroshima alone, 100,000 people, including children, elderly people and western prisoners of war, were killed instantly, and the pain they suffered from it was tremendous. The way some of Gen's family members, including a new born baby sister, were slowly dying is simply too sad to look at. But the reality is that it actually took place and was caused by human hands.

I sincerely hope that many people will find the opportunity to read this book at least once in their life-time, and I strongly believe that this book will enlighten the whole world with the message: 'What really happens when a nuclear bomb is dropped onto humanity', which hasn't really been talked about in history books for some reason. But I think it's time to face reality.

In our present time this portal to the topic of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and our nature as the only nation to build and to use nuclear weapons, and against strictly civilian population centers may inform our moral consideration of the present failure of our total war alone against civilians to establish a peaceful and stable and democratic society.

This present volume serves as an excellent introduction to the topic. Centering on Hiroshima, as may supplement this strong introductory reading with the recent study by Prof. Takaki, or the new Racing the Enemy, which explores the lack of military reason for dropping the Bomb against an already defeated Japanese Empire. We may also read on this specific event of crisis the moving Letters from the End of the World, or HIroshima Diary, written as was Gen by eyewitnesses and civilian victims of this our nuclear holocaust. Hershey is also important to read of course, and the reissue of Hiroshima Mon Amour, but I keep returning to this child's eye view in Barefoot Gen.

We are fortunate in this reprinting for the informed and astute introduction by Art Spiegelman, the creator of the Maus series which does a similar though more symbolic treatment of the Nazi Holocaust. Art strongly recomends this first person account of a small boy on the morning of the Bomb, and its immediate effects upon himself and upon his family. Please read this book and remember. Our Popes continue to visit the Peace Park at Ground Zero in Hiroshima, to pray for peace and nonviolence and for the development of peoples.

The manga form of presentation makes reading about the prelude to this event easy and fast. The book seemed to be reasonably accurate with historical documentation and the visual format allowed the author to include detail that might otherwise have become difficult to work into the story. The clothing, clogs, air raid hoods, etc. that are be depicted add depth of information to a quick read.

Keiji Nakazawa, Barefoot Gen (New Society Publishing, 1983)

Keiji Nakazawa's four-volume graphic epic Barefoot Gen has become legendary in the field of graphic literature, and also, in no small way, out of it. While many Japanese artists working in every medium have examined the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their aftereffects, Nakazawa, who lived in Hiroshima at the time the bombs were dropped, has an understandably closer perspective than most others who have tried it. For sheer power, Barefoot Gen's only rival in the subgenre is the similarly legendary Grave of the Fireflies.

This eponymous first volume takes us through the life of Gen, an elementary school student, and his family in the months before the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. Gen's father, while not a pacifist, is notorious in town for his speaking out against the war, which gets him and his family branded traitors. Because of this, they don't have an easy life. The family members try to find various ways to survive in the face of shunning at best, and aggression at worst, from the rest of the townspeople.

Do you need to be told that this is a book that's going to hit you in the face like a sledgehammer with its message? The artistry, or lack of same, in the delivery is the place where Grave of the Fireflies is clearly superior to Barefoot Gen, but while Nakazawa is not above letting his message get in the way of his story on occasion, it never happens for too long a period of time. Nakazawa's characters are well-drawn, and the story spends more time focused on its characters than on its message. There is a lot to be liked here, and a good deal to be mulled over, as well. Well worth your time. ****