Tools Books

'Big Book of Apple Hacks: Tips & Tools for unlocking the power of your Apple devices' is an incredible book for all computer tinkerers that want to find fun projects to do with their Mac products (computer, iPhone, iPod, etc). Weighing in at a massive 600+ pages with 130 hacks, there is plenty of things to do here that will keep hobbyists busy well into the night, week, months and beyond but there is one MAJOR sticking point that I cannot ignore.

NO
COLOR

For a reference manual that is dealing with code I can handle no color but with todays low print costs to get color pages out the door and into the hands of the reader, this is simply inexcusable when its a book that screams "DON'T PRINT ME IN BLACK AND WHITE!!!" I have read other MAKE books in the past that use color and its absence here is a terrible decision by the publisher.

The content on the other hand is fantastic and very fun and enjoyable. If you are looking for a fun use of your time and love making things do what they weren't intended, this is an easy purchase. Don't let my color gripes sway you away from this book, just know that it could have been a lot better and an easy ***** selection if it was printed the right way (imo).

**** RECOMMENDED

Excellent book. I highly recommend it to anyone who owns a Mac. If you don't own a Mac, buy this book; then, you can get a Mac.

I'm not through reading this yet, but I'm definitely impressed and happy to have it. This is not just the typical collection of "Tinker Toy" type stuff - yes, there's some of that here, but it goes way beyond and even gets into hacking hardware.

I feel like a kid in a candy store.. yes, yes, there's stuff here you'll find all over the web, but there are also hacks and tips I have never seen anywhere else.

And it's not just Macs, though that's a lot of it. There are also hacks for iPods and iPhones and Apple TV.

If you own a Mac, you want this. Period. Met and exceeded my expectations.

First off, a disclaimer: I contributed three articles/hacks to this tome, so I'm a bit biased. And I also must admit that Chris Seibold, the editor/writer of this book, was easy and inspirational to work with. That being said, I really can't recommend this book highly enough, especially for intermediate and advance Apple computer and software users. If you're ready to move beyond the sort of rudimentary features of your computer, the Big Book of Apple Hacks is just for you.

This book assumes you know how to open folders and applications, set up Mail and Address Book, and even how to add photos to iPhoto. You're wanting to get beyond the basics. You're ready to automate, customize, maximize, and better secure your Mac computer, software, and data.

You may be at the point of wanting to hide some precious files so no one but you can find them. You may want to kill the Dashboard because you never use it. Or you think the Dashboard is hella cool and you want to create your own widgets. In fact, you've downloaded a lot of great third party applications and now your curious about creating your own.

Apple Hacks assumes that you know how to use the Finder to get at stuff. So maybe you're ready to get underneath the hood of Leopard and have some command-line fun with the Unix system. You're not scared. You're ready know about Shell Scripting and Unix Daemons. You want to customize folder icons, the Dock, or even the freakin' Boot image. You wanta convert audio files using iTunes, rename the un-renameable. You're ready to hack your iPod or iPhone, partition your hard drive nondestructively, run Windows on your Mac.

Dude, you want to be in control your Mac, rather than it controlling you.

You want to get more out of iTunes or iPhoto, or use Apply TV with a standard definition television set. You want to get beyond the supposed limits of Time Machine, or tweak an existing Widget. You're ready to tear into your old or new iBook or set up a dual drive for your MacBook Pro. Shoot, you've heard about BitTorrent, but now you actually want learn how to access and use it. You wanta keep some web trafficking secure and private. You're a Mac addict, so installing an old Mac Mini in your car so you can run iTunes or the programs without a hitch is really not a crazy idea.

There's so much more to this mammoth guide of hacks. Like me you'll be marking selected pages with yellow stickies and discovering more "how-tos" each time you flip through the book.

Serious kudos to Chris Seibold for this well put together book. If you've found Mac OS X Tiger: Missing Manual powerfully useful over the years, you're now ready to move beyond it with the Big Book of Apple Hacks.

This book is fascinating! To be able to view these knives in full color, and see the old black and white pictures of soldiers of the Civil war is just a delight. I make custom knives, and this book gives me hours of creative enjoyment. A great bargain for the price!!!---Jon

Excellent Pictures and stories. I would like to see more information about the knife makers and markings applicable to each maker.

I purchased this book as a gift for my uncle. It is well worth the money! It is a coffee table-type book with thick heavy pages and LOTS of beautifully detailed photos. His only negative comment when I gave it to him was, "That is a dagger on the cover!" and He knows his knives!! I guess the publisher doesn't know what a bowie knife looks like. If you like bowie knives or know someone who does, this is a perfect book.

Many knife collectors will welcome this edition to their bookshelves. The high numbers of high quality knifemakers and eager customers in recent years has created a natural interest in the early beginnings of the uniquely American Bowie knife that needs to be satisfied. Mr.Flayderman has heard the calling and has delivered in abundance. There is something for everybody in this book. The quality of documentary evidence is commendable and I even liked the pictures but don't think of this as a coffee table book. There is more here than can be covered in this humble review. The owner of this edition will return to it again and again and will glean yet another glimpse of our American history when the country was young and wild. If knives are of interest to you this book will serve.

Excellent book. I was a little leary of spending $80 bucks on a book but than remembered the last time, and did't purchase the "Antique Bowie Knife Book" Glad I did purchase this book I think it is everthing the Antique Bowie Book is and more. Wonderful pictures of Bowie knives as well as alot litature on them also. Nice addition is the actual pitures of people and the knives they carried.. If you area Bowie collector and don't own "The Antique Bowie Knife Book" you will be please with this If you do own it you may not think its woth it since alot of thwe same knives are covered

great book, great chalenges to make this boxes. Great gifts to be made by myself.

This is a great project book for the person that wants to build simple boxes that look great and does not require a lot of experience.

The book layout consists of a color photo of the completed project, a pattern that you can photocopy and glue onto the wood and detailed photos of how to build them. The book does not show how to build every box because once you see how to build a certain type, the other are just variations on it. The tools needed are a scroll saw (bandsaw will not work),power sanding tools (belt or disk and small drum), clamps, and a drill(drill press is better).

I made my first box in record time - not hard at all, but don't try to shortcut on prep of the wood. (and look out for hardwoods that burn from scrollsaws running too fast.) Very cool! A good confidence builder for scrolling; I particularly like how they guide you on making all-wood hinges for the boxes.

I have been involved in woodworking for some 50+ years and recently started to look for another avenue to explore. I purchased a scroll saw and needed some plans and hopefully some hints on how to proceed. This book has provided me with a wonderful source of creative box making projects starting with simple boxes and moving along to more advanced. The choices and skill levels are rewarding to the woodworker as well as to the person receiving the finished project. Great plans that produce great results. The author has taken considerable space in this book to guide the beginner in wood choice, scroll saw and blade choices as well as finishing techniques. Hints and suggestions are seen throughout the book. I am very glad to have found this book and from it, I am now making some wonderful gifts and enjoying every minute with my scroll saw and hand tools.

In today's society, one mired by mass marketing geared toward instant gratification, microwave dinners, the commercial promise of the good life and the drive through divorce Mr. Douglas has worked diligently to lay down a road map to avoid the pitfalls of the all to common broken home. In what could be referred to as the "me first" era the author explains the incredibly destructive effects such thinking can have not only on our personal relationships but those of our children and our children's children. Mr. Douglas espouses upon his belief that popular culture, the media, and even our politicians are to blame for the shortcoming of our commitment as a nation to the sanctity of the family unit. In the classic sense, we have all become a product of our environment one in which jealousy, adultery, divorce, and gross miss use of power have become all to common place. (Perhaps so much so that they have become almost the accepted or expected norm). An interesting read that I think anyone can learn from.

A tremendous read for every person! The author really brings out cutting edge points on the divorce conundrum. This book needs to make it's way into every home in the country. This is a must read for every politition on Capital Hill as it spells out not only the damages caused by divorce on a personal level but the damages caused by divorce on a social scale as well.

A totally cathartic experience for me. I realized my marriage was,unfortunatly, not unique-not the only one to go through these devastating ills. The author lays out clearly the things that chip away and erode a marriage. Truth is no couple imagines their marriage will be temporary. The issues this seemingly "regular guy" talks about are the exact things that led to end of my marriage. I wish my first husband would have read this before he decided to cheat, before I couldn't forgive and before my kids had to start their life in a broken home. I recommend this book to all married people and those considering marriage. It is a frightening reminder of how easily we can crush something so precious, and just how far reaching the effects are. A great wake up call to America and a must read for any man you love and want to be happy.

This is a must read for any man who is getting married, having an affair, unhappy at home, fantasizing about other women, raising children,or using drugs or alchohol. It is a must read for clergy, marriage counselors, or any person giving counsel to men, women or couples on marriage. The author comes accross as giving a lot of advice, however the advice is powerful, hard hitting and will cause you to think about being a better person. Rick Douglas hits the nail on the head about our elected leaders in this country and what needs to be done to begin a cure to this epidemic of broken homes and families. I suggest that any women feeling a victim of husband or ex-husband behavior needs to read this. It is easy to read with no hidden meanings or agenda.

It teaches me many useful google tricks that I didn't know before. Especially this www.googlefight.com website is fun. You can fight anything there. Even this book with other google related books.

See who wins.

This book has the best information I have read about Google and the syntax of search. If I have a bone to pick it is with writing style which might be a little too humorous for me. But this doesn't bother too much. I am a programmer so I like the information about the Google APIs. It is accurate and helpful. But also the good information about research. And, where else are you going to find a Dummies book that explains the Internet, Socratic method, Plato, and Talmud? If these things at all are of interest to you, get this book.

I've been a fan of Harold Davis's books for some time. I come at them as someone who has been writing computer programs from the days when computers were room-filling monsters. If I need to quickly get going on a new programming language, I know that if Davis has a book on that language, that's the book to buy. But this book is way different. Sure it has stuff for programmers like detailed information about the Google APIs so we can easily build our own slick search programs. But it has fascinating information for anyone who uses Google - and nowadays that's everybody. I promise that if you get this book you will learn surprising and useful things about Google that you never suspected.

I'm a webmaster, and I use Google everyday - both in connection with my sites, and also to research all kinds of things. This book will have you building research tools that extend Google. But more important, it will you teach about how to research, what is Google and what is not, how Google works, how to evaluate the credibility of what you find, and much more. If you teach someone to fish, you feed them for life. This book will help you research for life. It's the best book about Google I've read, and believe me I've read a few. If Google touches your life, get this book.

Great book loaded with resources. Information presented in an easy and understandable format. This book will provide you with a number of directions regardless of your investigation. A must for the investigators "tool box".

kl

This book cracks the code for business researchers in training. It is easy and interesting to read, and contains a treasure trove of research tools for rookies and old pros alike.

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone doing any form of Investigations. The information is extremely well though out, presented in context and relevant in today's complex world. The tools Ms. Hetherington presents in her book, will help guide the investigator in uncovering the information sought.

A great book!

I found this book to be an exceptional resource as an additional tool for my profession. I would highly recommend this book to both the novice and seasoned researcher.

I've been having some problems getting my jointer tables aligned properly, and happened upon this book by accident. What luck! This book is full of great info on tune-ups and alignment. John White goes in depth into the set up and alignment of primary power tools (jointer, planer, table saw, bandsaw, router table, drill press and miter saw). His writing is clear, easy to understand and follow, with plenty of very descriptive pictures. The book is very complete on each of the tools covered. I truly appreciated that he used many shop-built jigs and common tools to get things done.

This is an outstanding book. It is well written, well organized, has excellent graphics and pictures, and serves a much needed role in most woodshops. White would have been a great engineer. His jigs and measurement techniques are clever, well documented, and easy to make and use. I found myself smiling several times at the ingenuity of his low-cost (and effective!) solutions to high-cost measurement tools. I have a middle-of-the-road chinese knock off table saw that wasn't cutting well (burns and lots of resistance). I made the jigs and went through the tune up procedure in an evening, and the saw performs much better afterwards.

I would like have heard White's recommendations for storage, cleaning, and top protection (e.g., waxing vs. oiling ground surfaces), as well as his tips and comments for shop safety, but they are justifiably outside the scope of this book.

Overall an excellent book that I am very glad to have stumbled upon.

John White does a great job with nice illustrations. I recommend this to anyone with a woodworking machine. It's amazing how far off your tools are until you set them up correctly. You'll save time and money by making better cuts the first time when the tool is setup correctly. It's amazing we take the time to measure an angle for moulding and when we cut it and it doesn't fit you think you measured incorrectly when it could have been your tool off by one degree.

What can I say, the chapter on setting up your jointer is worth the price of the book by itself. The pictures and the diagrams are great, easy to understand, and the text is informative and easy to read. This book makes you a better woodworker, because your tools will be correctly set up, which also makes them more fun to use and much safer.
I would recommend this book to you, even if you do not own the tool, but are looking at getting into woodworking, with this book you will be better able to understand how the various tools work, and you can buy decent used tools and tune them up, saving you a bundle!

Great book!!

The other day I woke up and felt somewhat sad and depressed. Before I even got out of bed, I reached over to my bookstand and picked up "Channeled Messages from a Paralled Universe" by Connie Russert. As I read the inspiring, comforting, and assuring words and felt the loving presence of Paularyo, I could feel the heavy mood beginning to lift. I got up and went into my medicine wheel to meditate, thinking about the exercise I had just done from the book about connecting with my "Ka". Then I wrote this:

"Dear Beloved Spirit of the Light, Teach me the Way of Love."

The answer I then received was this:

"We are with you, and we know in your heart you yearn for the Truth. Let us show you the Way of Light by merging with your Essence. When you drop into your heart you will always find Peace, the Peace that surpasses understanding. The human mind, or Ego, cannot comprehend the Truth of Love, for the human mind is merely meant to be a servant to the Will of God, which is Love. God's Will is Love for you. Love holds not beliefs or judgements or criticisms. It merely is the Truth of your existence. It merely IS. Love is the only Truth, the one Truth and the only reality. Nothing else is real. Anything other than Love is a fabrication of the Mind/Ego."

This book quickly helped me tap into my own higher wisdom, the place that Paularyo refers to as the "Ka". I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to connect to this place within themselves from which so often we can be distracted as we get caught up in the challenges of our daily lives. This book brings you back to yourself and the place in yourself where peace resides. A must read for every seeker of Truth.

I finished your book in two sittings (and with a 60 hour+ per week job that's no small feat!). AWESOME information.
I did not find answers telling me what to do, but more a gentle guidance toward the direction of finding my own way - in your writings. The book makes you think and examine where you are in your own life and empowers you to move forward on that path. Thank you so much, Connie!

I appreciate how clear this book makes the path to connecting with your soul and to higher realms. It is well organized, thorough ...and the exercises are a pleasure to do, as well as easy to integrate, even when time is limited. It has resources to improve functioning in anyone's life ..in a way that flows easily. And reading the messages from the Master Spirit Guides feels like a breath of fresh air. I am ordering one for each of my kids, to have as a resource for a connected life.

Title: Channelled Messages from a Parallel Universe
Author: Connie Russert M.S.

Publication date: 2004
ISBN: 141200679-1
Pages: 193
Edition: Paperback

Channelled Messages from a Parallel Universe ~ Connie Russert M.S. ~ Trafford Publishing

Just the tool for all your Soul Transformation and channelling needs...and it comes with its own spiritual toolbox!

Connie Russert M.S., founder of Tools for Transformation, begins her book with a short story about how she discovered her talent for channelling. It was a tool which changed her life direction forever more. From that moment on she explored her new metaphysical side with a passion and over time, left not only her `reluctant channel' stage far behind, but also her day job. After making the transition to concentrate on her channelling she found the perfect opportunity to help others lead happy and rewarding lives.

Channelling messages through her seven master guides, collectively known as Paularyo, Connie receives their enlightening messages of wisdom and truth. Now you can learn to contact your own spirit guide too!

The aim of this book is to assist us with enhancing our emotional, mental, spiritual and physical well being. With the acceptance of connecting to our spirit guides in a parallel world, we can tap into our intuition and uncover our true self and our life purpose. We learn how to use memorable analogies such as `The Tools for Soul Transformation' and the `Spiritual Toolbox', to help visualise and unlock our intuition and change our destiny for the best. We also hear how the process of journaling helps take the path `less travelled' and see the world through the eyes of our soul.

"All we need", says Connie, "is imagination, meditation and to allow ourselves to be comforted by light and love. Transforming pain into peace and fear into faith".

This may sound like hard going, but it's not at all. In fact, Connie's explanations are written in an easy to understand language, which doesn't skimp on detail or confuse. She appears to have shared her knowledge effortlessly, bringing clarity into the lesser-known art of channelling, which is rapidly growing in popularity.

Conducting seminars and workshops Connie is an expert in her field, providing channelling and support for individuals, couples and groups worldwide. So it's no wonder this handbook includes short exercises to make full use of her knowledge. For the channelling enthusiast this makes the perfect DIY manual, and it comes with its own spiritual toolbox to ensure you have the right tools for the job!

If you'd like to find out more, you may be interested in obtaining one or both of the accompanying meditative/music CD's. Stay tuned, as I will be reviewing those soon!

Tracy-Jane.

I recieved this book for Christmas and just finished it. It is a great introduction to the use and care of hand tools. It has very informative and interesting side bars and is wonderfully illustrated. It blends the aesthetic with the practical very well. Just one hint: skip over the section on handplanes and just purchase Hack's "Handplane book" which is the definitive book on handplanes.

I highly recommend Classic Hand Tools for many reasons, but in a nutshell it is a book to help me get through the long winter here in Minnesota. I read it randomly and don't mind at all reading parts several times.
Not only is it well written, (I'm a "professional writer" so I'm hard to please) it is beautifully produced with many excellent photos. You get a short course of the history of hand tools... with a special emphasis on planes. Mr Hack also produced a book of this size and quality, specifically about planes. I plan to get that one on also.
The book is not limited to woodworking tools; Hack also touches on black smithing -- the sort that many tradesmen would have had to know in the days before mass-produced tools. Also there is a chapter on how to buy used hand tools.

The breadth of Mr. Hack's knowledge is truly impressive. The book gives enough detail to understand the history, care and use of a tool while not becoming boring. His technical understanding of tools was very good and he did a nice job of conveying it. I'd recommend it.

Garrett Hack feels that his hand tools have become extensions of
himself and are linked with what he makes and how he makes it. He
also believes that learning about hand tools and how to use them
is part of the pleasure to be gotten from working with wood.

His beautiful and informative book, "Classic Hand Tools", will
convince even the most casual "weekend wood-butcher" that he's
right.

Hack's presentation of hand tools is organized according to their
normal purposes: boring, sawing, planing, marking and measuring,
striking and chiseling and he provides historical insights into
the development of the more common hand tools. For example,
"Striking Tools" starts with axes and hatchets and moves through
twybills and throes to mallets and hammers.

Each major section surveys numerous variants of the class of tools
being dealt with, and covers use, maintenance, sharpening and
tuning. As a bonus, most sections contain informative sidebars
providing advice and tips from the master.

Although the author's bias is for Western tools built before World
War II, he includes explanations and discussion of some Eastern
hand tools and explains what's involved in making your own tools,
buying used tools and strategies for restoring old ones. There's
even a section on workshops, benches and clamps.

This handsome work is illustrated by more than 300 photgraphs and
40 drawings and features an introduction, bibliography and index.

John Sheldon's superb photography more than exceeds the exacting
standards of the Taunton Press.

Garrett Hack, a farmer, tool collector and trained architect, has
been making furniture professionally for more than 25 years. He
is a regular contributor to Fine Woodworking magazine.

Philippe Rosinski's book is essential reading not only for global coaches but also for corporate leaders and business professionals who interact with diverse customers, clients and colleagues. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the diversity of cultural orientations, as well as specific tools and recommendations for broadening and leveraging different cultural orientations in the workplace.

The centerpiece of the book is a comprehensive model, The Cultural Orientations Framework, which provides a structured format for identifying, assessing, developing and leveraging cultural differences. This model can readily be implemented in the workplace, serving as an objective tool for raising an executive's awareness regarding his/her cultural orientation blind spots. As an executive coach working primarily with American executives who are focused on increasing the breadth and flexibility of their cultural orientations, I have found this book to be a valuable resource for enhancing the cross-cultural capabilities of global executives.

Let me be clear, I don't finish reading books these days unless they are good and I certainly don't bother writing reviews unless I think the book is top notch. So it is a pretty safe bet that if you like any of the other books that I have reviewed, you will like this one.

Coaching Across Cultures is another one of those - must have books - for any serious coach working with professionals. Even if you are not interested in an international practice, (and who isn't) this book still is required reading. The book is really about understanding and integrating our differences. Rosinski who lives currently in Belgium, is an Engineer and a MCC by training who has worked in Silicon Valley.

The book is a bit of a smorgasbord. However, it is well designed and packaged so that each section can be considered a self contained component on cultural issues. Part One makes the case for a cultural framework when coaching and points out the dangers of our assumptions and belief systems when working with others of any origin or background. Part Two provides a high level overview of the key components of developing a cross cultural mindset. Although generalized in content, it also provides concrete examples and practical applications of how this plays out in our interactions with others. Part Three is a bit more conceptual and is well suited to those who come from an organizational development perspective. Roskinski has created his own Global Scorecard approach that is tied into his Cultural Orientations Framework. For my reading, it seems thorough, usable and comprehensive.

Coaching Across Cultures is well documented with references, a glossary and some interesting appendixes. There is little to find fault. Perhaps that is because, Rosinski himself is careful never to find fault. He is a great diplomat and finds a place for all styles and approaches whether it is the transactional techniques of some North American coaching styles to the transformational style of others.

If there is one area that I find a little weak, it is his discussion of self-assessment as a precursor the organizational assessment through his Global Scorecard. Now I am the first to admit that assessments are not only my area of interest, it is my business - so I have a bias. That said, I found Rosinski focus on the tools he prefers (the MBTI specifically) left me with the impression that this is THE tool. I also believe that this was not Roskinki's intention - as he does mention a few others but not some that I would have expected. Now don't get me wrong, I love the MBTI and the others he includes but I thought that at least a few more should have been mentioned or acknowledged.

This is a solid, well-written and great new contribution to the field of coaching and working within the global setting. Don't just get this book - read it. I can almost guarantee it will have a positive affect on how you will interact in the future with your clients.

This is the first, and currently only, book on coaching cross-culturally. The author brings the multifaceted perspective of culture into the coaching equation. The book starts with an introduction to coaching and culture and then goes in depth in cultural perspectives. The author wraps up the book with a couple chapters integrating all this into coaching practice.

Coaching is defined as "the art of facilitating the unleashing of people's potential to reach meaningful, important objectives" (page 4). Surprisingly there is nothing distinctly cross-cultural in the definition. Such as "the art of facilitating in culturally relevant ways the unleashing of people's potential..." This definition could come from any book on coaching. Culture is defined broadly to include not just nations and peoples, but corporate culture as well.

The real meat of the book is the second section, nearly half the text. The author presents a series of Cultural Orientations each with tools for how to assess them through coaching. Orientations such as a sense of power and responsibility, time, identity and purpose, organization and communication each have a chapter devoted to them. The author begins each chapter with a presentation of the various cultural perspectives on the Orientation, for example, concerning time there are grids of scarce or plentiful; one activity at a time or multiple tasks; and past, present or future orientation. The author presents a tool for the coach to understand the client's orientation, and for the client (and teammates) to understand himself or herself. The final section is a synthesis of the theory into practice. The author illustrates how he uses his detailed Cultural Orientation grid during coaching sessions.

This book is helpful for those interested in the cross-cultural issues. The book gets a bit lost in trying to reach a wide audience by focusing on at least three audience needs: skills for coaching people of other cultures, cross-cultural team awareness, and personal cultural awareness. The niche this book best fits would be a multicultural team trying to understand each other and how a team leader might coach them through that process of understanding.

The book is not solely dedicated to the international arena but for everyone who works with people from different organizations and backgrounds. The author's aim is to raise the level of awareness of cultural orientations and suggests how to use differences constructively. The book breaks out of the usual confines of cultural assumptions to find creative solutions. It introduces coaching and cross-cultural concepts, provides a framework for integrating coaching and cultural perspectives, and examines numerous cultural orientations. Rosinski presents a Culture Orientations Framework to assess and profile culture, and a Global Scorecard to help set targets at all levels. Chapters discuss how to leverage power and responsibility, time management, identity and purpose, organizational arrangements, notions of territory and boundaries, communication patterns, and modes of thinking. This is a very thoughtful treatment of an unusual and highly important subject.