Amateur Books

I rebuilt my bathroom and completely renovated the shower. This book was my bible. Of course I had other references and ideas to use, but pretty much kept to this book. I had it there by my side while constructing everything from the shower pan, shower walls and tiling it all. Sure I could have done it without this book and my wife would have made me hire a professional to redo my job.

Not to brag, but with the advice from this book people think that a professional DID remodel my bathroom. There is so much satisfaction in doing it yourself and to get a the results as good (and sometimes better) as a pro...

I bought the bookas a gift for a friend who is quite interested in home renovation technique. She was thrilled by it and judging by her reaction, it must be an informative and well written book.

This book was pretty disappointing. After spending $24 for what I thought was going to be an authoritative book from a well respected expert on the art of tile setting, I find myself browsing other books while I'm at Home Depot to get the information I need. In particular there is absolutely no mention of how cutting and setting stone tiles is different than ceramic. No mention of using epoxy to set tiles with resin on the back or use of epoxy for anything. No mention of design issues like what size tile or what layout is best for small or large rooms, what size grout joints look best with what types and sizes of tile. He has these cute sections about how cool it is to be a tile setter all over the book which bugs me since that space in the book could have been used to give real information. As an example he has a section on making u-cuts in floor tiles. He never actually tells you how to make a u-cut, just how great you'll feel when you master this skill.

I'm guessing the reason this book has so many great reviews here is that the people that hang out in his online forum buy the book and enjoy his cute little stories and write a glowing review. They don't care about the lack of detail in the book because they can get it from the online forum. But for $24 I shouldn't have to then go to an online forum or sneak peeks at other books while at the store for the information I need, it should all be in the BOOK!

From looking at other tile books at Home Depot, either the Stanley (that's pretty sad) or Taunton book would be better choices for people who actually want to learn how to set tile.

John Bridge has put together an excellent reference for the experienced and novice tile setter alike, and if you're looking to learn the basics to put together a project for the first time, this book is a must read. John's light, conversational style makes the book a quick read, and as mentioned in another review, the online forum on the author's website is also an invaluable reference.

Highly recommended to those who need a to learn the ABCs of tile.

This is the ultimate book for tile setters and for those who want to be tile setters. John focuse on all of the little things that the amateurs don't. focus on. The actual tiling itself is the last thing he focuse on. He will teach you the science of laying different types of tiles. You will learn everyting from floor deflection to room layout to determing the square footage and much more. I even learned of a new underlayment product made by Schluter that does not transfer cracks to the tiles due to structural movement and also a waterproofing membrane to use in shower tile installations! I have learned so much Thank you.

The book has beautiful illustrations and is easy reading. Underwater photography is covered in detail. Plenty of how to information. The book is worth reading twice and using for reference.

I have some experience with underwater photography, but am completely new to DSLR's. This is a fantastic book that provides not just the basics, but advanced techniques to improve your underwater photography. Step by step, broken down into manageable chapters, tips and settings to start out with, this inspiring book has it all. After reading this, I can't wait to get in the water!

The couple of poor reviews notwithstanding, this is the best focused reference on digital underwater photography I have seen so far. It is composed of bite-sized chunks of information that covers different aspects of the problem. I like the references to different techniques, lighting, burn-out, and all the other little tips that take a long time to figure out on your own. It also has great advice like how to set your camera if you are swimming around with nothing particular in mind to photograph. About the only thing I think is missing is better coverage of shooting with the ubiquitous compact cameras. That's the only reason I gave it a four. The compact photographer still has a lot to get from this book, but an awful lot is designed for the SLR shooter. Still, I recommend this book to my underwater photo students.

This is a great book - highly recommended by many divers. I am more than happy to recommend this book to other divers who have a decent understanding of photography and are looking to expand their knowledge of u/w photography.

this book did nothing for me, because amazon have never given me the chance to read it as it has taken 5 weeks to deliver it, tip from me, dont ask for a review untill you have actually delivered the goods.sorry amazon, my new name for you is"amazed-its-gone" because you dont seemed to be able to deliver the service in the right order!!!
happy new year!! only because i live in hope that i might get my book by then.

George Nash has written a number of great books on carpentry around the house. This is a great book to have for those who love to understand how their house is built and how they can fix things.

For the Owner-builder, or others doing very advanced home building/repair. Actual hands-on building, limited designing sections. Very condensed explanations on the various different construction techniques. Does not get 5 stars until it's updated with modern materials; i.e. SIPS and encapsulated concrete walls. Plus more on PEX plumbing and Cat 5 wiring needed. Overall, excellent reference shelf staple.

This book contains everything you need to know about building most homes. If you want to be the contractor, I recommend that this book be acccompanied by "The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home" by McGuerty & Lester. It has sample schedules, contract, etc. But I use this book more for the know-how of building a home.

THIS IS THE BOOK TO OWN IF YOU WANT TO TALK INTELLIGENTLY TO YOUR BUILDER AND KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR DURING CONSTRUCTION! It will tell you EVERYTHING! I started out with a builder that was planning to be shady and knowing stuff in this book scared him off. I knew too much for him to cut important corners. I asked specific questions and he fled. My current builder and I have good relations and we can intelligently talk specifics of the trade because of this book.

Comprehensive! I built myself a house and am now happily working in the construction trade. If you are planning on building a stick-built house this book will serve by itself--if you buy multiple books it will be the one you keep referencing. Sam Clark's "Indepedent Builder" is helpful for design ideas (and is stronger in that area) and general contemplation, but Clark does not provide the details you need to know when you finally put your tool belt on and start building. I don't understand other reviewer's complaints about the (high) level of detail or the lexicon involved. If you are about to build a wall you should want to know everything you can about it--Nash leaves extremely little guess work. Every sentence tells something worth knowing. If you are working with all the various structural and decorative pieces that make up a house you want to know what to call them, and Nash employs a reasonably consistent terminology. The black and white pictures might be a little dark but there are plenty of very helpful and clearly drawn line drawings--parts are labeled and you can get the lingo down quickly if you really want to. Overall, you just couldn't ask for a more patient, thoughtful, and thorough writer--any gripes are so minor they aren't worth voicing. I am grateful to have this book!!

My husband and I DID build our own house over fours summers with a hammer in one hand and nails in the other. I am sitting in it right now at my computer.

We began with old versions of Sam Clark's and Robert Roskind's self-builder books. (The new versions have much expanded chapters on interior finish work.) They are very good for FUNDAMENTAL concepts such as design, load limits, materials and tools needed, time estimates, etc. But it was Nash's that really gave us the DETAIL we needed to do so many of the jobs required of us, ranging from stair building to laying tile to putting up interior tongue-and-groove wall board to installing hardwood flooring. Of course, the book doesn't cover everything you MIGHT want to do. For instance, we put a concrete counter top in the kitchen and had to go to Fu-Tung Cheng's book for advice and direction.

The point is that housebuilding is a BIG commitment. If you wish to, or have to, do it yourself, it will take SEVERAL BOOKS AND RESOURCES. My advice is to look at various books at your local public library then purchase the ones you think best for you.

But rest assured, housebuilding is a realistic endeavor for any healthy individual. Even people over 50! But for every hour spent building, back it up with a couple hours researching. The research is invaluable and I highly recommend Nash's Do-It-Yourself Housebuilding as your point of reference.

Ham Radio for Dummies is an excellent choice as a starting point for the person interested in ham radio. It covers just about any ham radio activity possible and explains them in just enough technical language to be understood. The engineering is left out!! Everything from antennas to equipment purchases is covered. I have been a ham since 1968, and I still found this book of interest. I learned quite a bit about the newer digital modes being used on the air.

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to get into HAM radio or is new to the hobby. I am a general class looking at going for Extra in the next few months. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the hobby.

73's

THis is a great introduction to amature radio. If you already have your license than it is probably not needed, but for those that are just starting out it is fun to read.

A great primer for the beginner who wants to learn the basics. Easy to read and understand. The author not only knows his "stuff" but conveys it in plain language. Helpful hints in getting started in ham radio and where to go for detailed specific information was very helpful in getting started in this wonderful hobby. Recommended reading to get started in ham radio.

ham radios for dummies? i expected it to be in dummy language, there was still a lot of terminology over my head making reading a bit difficult. book was still very informative, i learned a lot.

The book is reasonable. It explains EQ, mics, etc with pictures and diagrams so anyone can get it. I guess with the modern age of computer based recording a lot of it is obsolete.

This book is definately worth getting. Most of us can't really afford a full studio, so we can make use of these tricks and techniques. Plenty of info on how to make your home recording sound more like a pro-recording, or at least stand out from OTHER home recordings.

The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that he spends more time reffering to using tape than computer based systems. Given the current state of things, most of us will be using a computer to record onto, rather than tape. He does cover it in some parts, but not at the level I feel he should.

Over all, its a great book that every beginning recording engineer should read.

This is a great book for anyone that owns a home studio. I will explain why I gave it 4 stars in a bit.

First of all, its a catchy read. The diction and style of his writing is very calm and friendly, as if you were speaking with him in person. This is what will hook you!

Secondly, the chapters are very well divided into sections such as "How to Record almost Anything" and many others.

In a sense, it may seem a little childish and not-so-accurate, but at the same time, the reader must remember that it takes it all back to basics to lay the foundation for future learning. The best way to learn in the studio is do observe, try, fail, and experiment. This book will spark that interest.

I have been recording my own music for a few years now and I find that this book gave me some helpful insight and great tips for EQ settings, and the importance of experimentation. It's a great little book! The only reason I gave this book 4 stars was because many of the things I felt like I already knew, however, there were times when he would hint that he was going to go in deeper about a subject, and he only told me a few things I didnt know and many that I knew. THAT is a PERSONAL preference, so for someone that knows little to none about home recording, this book could be a LIFE SAVER!

I would say this: If you own a consumer home studio, you cant go wrong by OWNING this book. Even if it doesnt help you incredibly, this book IS useful and thought provoking, which is the most important part: it will spark your interest to learn and try new things in your studio.

I'm amateur musician. I own rehersal/studio room in my basement. I'm also an electronic engineer too. This is book for me. My gear is weird and cheap. Tascam 688 ($200), Behringer XM8500 (vocal mic - $50), Behringer XM1800S (drum mics $10 each), Behringer DSP Ultramizer 2024 ($120). Instruments are much better. After reading this book I've tried to do a recording following advices from it. After we listen my "production" my friend have been sitting with opened mouth for maybe 2 minutes. After that he say something like: "Well.... it definitely DOES NOT sound like it was recorded in a basement"

Advices are simple, clearly explained. They engage also Your own imagination and gain Your creativity.

This book helped me to explore what I've already had. I've got a rare kind of satisfaction to do something better while spending a few dollars.

I cannot say what value this book presents to professionals, but for amateurs I can give it the highest notes. What definitely have helped me is the fact that I was very familiar with such terms as "signal path", "freqency spectrum" and overall electronical knowledge. But people who doesn't understand all this there is well fitted explanation. Not too detailed, only as much as You need to follow.

Great book.

The title of this book is somewhat inaccurate, since it doesn't really cover a wide variety of types of studio gear or types of recording. Rather, reading this book is more like spending several hours in the particular studio of one patient, experienced home recordist who is generous with his time in explaining, engagingly, his own set-up and how he uses it.

A problem anyone new to home recording will confront is the feeling of coming in late on the conversation: frustratingly, the manuals for even entry-level gear seem to have been written by engineers (often, Japanese engineers) who assume everyone else has been working with audio recording gear since at least 1950, just like them. And, it is always engineers, not musicians, who write the manuals. Thus, we get instruction on "attenuation" instead of being told how to produce a diminuendo, and we get pots instead of knobs.

A key benefit of this book is that it is written by a musician, and explains what the engineers are talking about in words musicians use.

This is, overall, an outstanding book for any musician assembling a home studio. The author understands, from experience, that no home studio is going to match a pro one, and that understanding how to use ordinary gear is more valuable than spending many thousands of dollars on equipment that won't achieve much benefit outside the environment of one of those pro studios. The author's specific target is a recording that will sound good to a musical listener, while realizing that a home studio will never impress (or fool) a pro sound engineer. Particularly valuable here is his advice on when to stop trying -- e.g., he is right that recording drum sets in a home studio is bound to lead to disappointment, so why spend a few more hundred or thousand dollars on a set of matching drum mikes?

The author plainly came of age in recording well before the digital era. As a result, his recommended set-up is perhaps heavier on hardware, and makes less full use of software, than a brand new set-up would. As an example, he considers a hardware mixer a core piece of equipment, and devotes considerable space to describing work-arounds to deal with the limited connections available on most (affordable) hardware mixers. Whether a hardware mixer is needed anymore if you are using mixing software is an open question (and a good way to start heated arguments on the appropriate forums). Still, understanding how to use a hardware mixer will make using mixing software much easier, since most software products aim to emulate the functions of hardware models.

The book is a nice mix of specific tips, general theory, background explanation, problem-solving, and arcanely entertaining trivia. The more detailed tips tend to be specific to rock recording, so musicians in other genres may get less out of this book. However, at the price there is plenty here to benefit any musician wanting to make home recordings.

I docked one star from my rating out of irritation with small factual inaccuracies (e.g., the author doesn't understand that the panning of a drum set can be affected by whether the drummer is left-handed) and larger limitations (e.g., the author has never learned to record with multiple mikes and therefore never explains how to do this -- his approach is strictly one track at a time.) Again, though, for the money this is a great book to have.

Very encouraging to know that it can be done. Rob gives a lot of useful info on how live mortgage free. My husband and I are going to do it!

Let's face it. It is the American dream -- having no mortgage and owning the property that you have. The book describes how to live within your means and being happy. Other urban places that people pay millions of dollars for a condo might find their busy lives as something to live for, but an equal amount of unhappy people in urban places are committing suicide because they don't know how to get out of the hole. Buying land cheap, building a cabin, and living in it is the best way to go, especially with cheap wireless Internet these days.

Other recommended titles that helped me purchase land cheaply:
Investing Without Losing (ISBN: 0978834607 NOT on amazn, on other stores)

So I was reading today our of "Mortgage-free, radical strategies for home ownership." I like the book, the author gives a pretty round view on ways you can get away with doing exactly what the title tells you. Almost all of his ideas start out with you gathering up a grubstake and buying a piece of land - which is okay, but I can't even afford the land I want, so that's a bit of a problem for me. Perhaps I should think more modularly and buy a small piece and acquire more adjacent to it when I have more cash.

Anyhow, today he discussed underground homes. That was an interesting subject - basically this is just taking house berming to the maximum and setting your house down so far that once you backfill around the home, the roof is still enough below the original grade that you can plant a living roof - or just cover the damn thing with dirt and let biology ensue, with native plants reclaiming the disturbed environment. Very low environmental footprint - great way to hide from spyplanes and helicopters, but does require some industrial strength digging to get down to to where you need to be, and we've already noted that digging like taht costs money and what's more its not a remote-friendly technology. But, if you had an underground home with a masonry stove you'd be pretty set for whatever the weather could throw at you and I would expect the dwelling to last quite a long time indeed.

He also stressed the importance of being fluid, or rather the foolishness of planning what type of home you want before you've acquired your homesite. So much of what type of home, building technique, power source and siting is dependent upon your homesite and its ammenities, topography, harvestable and recyclable resources that really doing any kind of planning before you're onsite is likely to be more of a hindrance then a help when it comes to getting the best house for your situation. This was something I was already thinking (it is how I've been trained to look at gardening and orcharding: live with the land for a year before planting to find where the plants should go) but it was nice to see it written out elegantly by the author.

I still think I'm leaning towards a strawbale or cordwood dwelling. Cordwood could actually be reasonably remote-friendly and is easier than building a log cabin by a long site. Really you're just going to have to get your cement in - you can handsaw the cordwood rounds for the walls and move them about easily enough. I think I should start small, and get a small piece of land and build a little living shed on it and see what I can do. Like the book says - its better to use the same technique and screw up on a small dwelling at a cost of $500, than on the main house at a cost of $5000.

I'm learning a lot - and I feel the book was definitely worth the purchase price already.

Dominic Ebacher
ebacherdom.blogspot.com

As a novice to the idea of mortgage-free home ownership, I found this book very inspiring and enpowering. As one of the other reviewers stated, this is not a book for your typical American consumer. But, if you're ready to step out of that lifestyle towards financial freedom, read this book. It is practical and easy/fun to read. I liked the personal testimonies and the different resources Rob Roy suggests throughout.

For other inspiring ideas, stories, and photos check out "Homework-Handbuilt Shelter" by Lloyd Kahn.

Mr. Roy's book is a great primer on thinking about different strategies for owning a home that don't involve the normal process. The book is primarily based on the idea that if one can or wants to live a life outside of the consumerist norm then it is possible to own a home. Primarily, he advocates that the person who wants to own a home and not spend the next thirty years of their lives as an indentured servent to the bank that they should do as much work as they can themselves. Anyone who is interested or willing to do the work in building or renovating a home, has a low income, wants to maintain a simple life but doesn't know where to start will find this book has useful ideas to get you started. Those who desire to live in the best neighborhoods, are uninterested or unwilling to do the work on their own home, or not likely to accept a simple lifestyle will likely scoff at the notions this book presents.

The main thrust of this book advocates that people choose not to participate in the suburban "keeping up with the Jones's" lifestyle. For some this may be a revolutionary idea. This, of course, is not a new idea but is not one that is commonly embraced by Western civilization. For those that are already outside of the consumerist mainstream this book will probably not cover any new ground. He does provide a sensible arguement against the "death-pledge" (the Old French etymology for "mortgage"). There are a great many people that believe that the only way they can ever own a house is through the 30 year loan route. Mr. Roy makes a case that if one has the desire, discipline and patience that they can own a home without going to the bank to get a loan.

The book provides a general set of strategies that are primarily useful in rural area. The author recommends that one lives a simple lifestyle, builds on land that would not be considered particularly valuable by others, the home is built by the owner using as many salvaged (inexpensive but high quality) materials as possible, and that the builder reduces as many living cost as possible. One example of cost reduction is the use of some sort of temporary structure on the property while the home is being built in order to reduce or eliminate the cost of renting or paying on a mortgage in another home.

The book provides a good overview of methods that have been used to achieve home ownership in rural areas. It does address the idea of the same sort of idea in urban areas by saying that it's not bloody likely. This reviewer tends to agree with that but others may have differing opinions.

Definitely a unique occupation for the main character! Page turner with enough twists and turns to keep you very satisified. Waiting for the next installment.

I try to stay away from catchy titles, but this mystery is a lot of fun. The characters are interesting, and the mystery is handled deftly. I hope there are more books in this series, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a fine read for a dark and stormy night.

Sadie cleans up the scenes of violent deaths. Sadie sees the ghosts of the people who died those violent deaths. Fortunately for Sadie, she must be at the scene of the death in order to commune with these ghosts. When Sadie meets a fortune-telling psychic who communicates with ghosts almost at will, she is at first cynical and disbelieving of Madame Maeva's talents, but when she comes to accept that Maeva is not a fraud, she feels less alone and abnormal about her own talent. I've got a feeling that Madame Maeva will be in future books.

I thought there were some serious typos in the last chapter, but they were really clues that I completely missed, and led right up to an ending that was almost a complete surprise.

In spite of the subject matter, this was a quick and easy read, and a mostly enjoyable story. The descriptions of the look and feel of the gruesome remains of violent death were a necessary part of having the reader understand what Sadie and Zack's jobs involved, and definitely belonged in the book. However, the chapter of the cleanup in the sex-toys store came off as gratuitous erotica that did nothing to advance the story for me.

What a pleasant surprise this book was! One thing that was refreshing is that it's narrated in the third person. Each of the characters seemed fairly well developed for a new series, with more than enough intriguing glimpses into them to make me impatient for the next installment. The death-scene clean-up work, although graphically told, was still fascinating to me. In short, this seemed like a very "genuine" story, for lack of a better description. And the very last twist, oh my, I did not see that coming! Good stuff. :)

Sadie Novak owns a unique cleaning service- it's her job to go in and clean up after suicides and crime scenes. Sadie has other talents as well. She sees dead people. When she is called in to clean up after the murder-suicide of Trudy and Grant Toth she finds Trudy's spirit sitting there on the bed quite unsure of what happened. Trudy is unable to communicate exactly what happened to her; or to prove her husband's innocence. To complicate matters, Sadie is unable to see suicide victims so she can't get Grant's side of the story.

Sadie of course set's out to find the truth, putting herself and her friends in peril and introducing us to an expanding cast of characters that will prove quite interesting as this series continues. I don't think I would call this a cozy because there are some graphic moments, but a good mystery.

Would have given it a higher rating, but there was a play on words that bothered me. Would have come off better in an audio, but felt lied to in the book version. The ending was a surprise and made up for the deception of the play on words.

Olivia "Ollie" Paras, Assistant Chef at the White House, managed to subdue a man fleeing the Secret Service across the White House grounds as she reported back to work. That's when all her problems started. First, she'd hit the guy with Henry's retirement gift, putting a dent in the frying pan. Then security took the pan as evidence, the new protocol officer treated her like an ant at a picnic, and it looked like her rival for the Chef position had already won even though the selection process hadn't been complete. When she mentioned to her boyfriend that the news spot concerning the man she beamed earlier that day wasn't the one they showed on TV, he told her to "mind her own business". Ollie is not one to be told what to think, so she starts digging -- and now a world-class assassin is after her.

State of the Onion is a definite page turner. Ollie is a wonderful character and a person that just can't let a puzzle alone -- she has to figure it out. It's a trait that gets her in trouble, but it's also one that means she observes her surroundings and it makes her a great viewpoint character. We see the world through Ollie and her personal filters. I enjoyed her company for the length of the book and hope to meet her again in another.

I was also intrigued by the workings of the White House kitchen staff. There's a lot of history of this important building and the city woven seamlessly into the story and the plot. Culinary mysteries usually center around cooking and kitchens, but this kitchen is in the White House, and the scope for the characters are therefore much broader.

Hyzy manages to tell a multi-layered mystery and make it seem believable, as well as exciting and sometimes comedic. This a book to curl up with because you'll probably read it in one sitting. To top it off many of the recipes used throughout the book are given at the end: Honey-Almond Scones; Virginia Ham & Spinach Omelet; Henry's Famous Hash Browns; Broiled Grapefruit; Cinnamon Bread; Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich on Cinnamon Bread; Matchstick Vegetables with a Kick; Apple Tart; Oven-fried Chicken; Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Ollie's Green Beans; Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries; Crisp Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies; Cucumber Slices Stuffed with Feta & Pine Nuts; and Baklava Stuffed with Almonds, Pecans, & Pine Nuts

I loved this delicious romp through the White House kitchen. Thank-you & keep them coming!

Written in clean, active style, this little cozy engaged me quickly, and pulled me into the story before I could resist. Ollie Paras, White House chef, is the kind of protagonist who wears well over the course of a series. She has enough humor, enough romance, enough internal commentary, enough spunk, and enough intelligence to be both balanced and interesting. I'll keep an eye on this series.

Sometimes, with genre fiction such as mysteries, all I really expect is to not feel irritated by anything as I read the book. I want the writing, the plotting and the characters to be written with an accomplished enough hand that I can lose myself in the story instead of cursing as I encounter something that interrupts the flow. "State of the Onion" gets full marks for not having any annoying stumbles. The White House kitchen is a fresh and interesting setting and a new twist on the cooking mystery angle. The writing and especially the character development is better than I've found in some other long running, popular mystery series and that is very refreshing. I liked "State of the Onion" and will read more in the series. I think the author is well on her way to creating a good series that will get even better.

two people I wish I could give this a 10-star rating, but we'll settle for 5! My sister-in-law and I both loved this book and think it's a great beginning for what we hope will be a great series.

No pun intended but we both devoured this book as quickly as our eyes allowed us....enjoying both the main character as well as her surrounding crew....although personally I hope Henry maintains some kind of presence-loved him!! The information about what goes on behind the scenes in the White House kitchen had me mesmerized...we want more!!!

We are looking forward to early December when "Hail to the Chef" will be out....we are hungry for it.....

I think this book is one of the best books for beginner to novice players, or with a rating up to 1600-1700. This book is NOT kid friendly though. I use the games in it to teach classes, but I would never recommend a child buys it. It is great for adults, however keep in mind it uses the old fashion descriptive notation. I wish there were more books out like this. Most books show games between two grandmasters, but it is very useful to watch the way a Master beats a weak player. A 1600 player will learn how a Master easily disposes of 1600 players.

This is a very popular book and a very well written, as is everything my Max Euwe. The average rating I'm giving is based on its impact on my chess playing, which was minimal.

It falls into the category of "Move by move" chess books, and is every bit a well written at Logical Chess. It differs, however, by always have one player rated significantly lower than the other, and points out the ways to exploit poor play.

The problem I have with the book is the same problem I have the Logical Chess, Move by Move. They introduce concepts as they appear in the game, give a brief explanation of the theory behind it, then move on.

For example, at the beginning of each chapter in CM vs CA, Euwe list about 6 concepts that will pop up in the game. At the appropriate point, he will spend a few paragraphs explaining why, for instance, white's bishop is more powerful than black's because of the current pawn structure, then he moves on. The game ends, the next one begins, and the ideas listed are all different. There might be another game in the book that describes good bishops vs bad bishops, but that might be the only time you got to see it. (I don't have the book with me now, so this bishop example might not be perfectly accurate.) Strategic ideas seem to come and go without giving the reader any firm grasp on the concept.

At the level that I am (approx. 1400), I knew the basic ideas for all these strategic elements, I just didn't know how to implement them in my games. This book didn't help me do that. I suppose that were you not familiar with chess strategy, this book would be helpful. With a 314 page book that covers openings, strategy, and endgames, you can't expect anything to be covered very thoroughly.

Again, the book is very well written and deserves the high marks it gets. It just didn't help me very much. I'm 25% through Modern Chess Strategy by Pachman and it has already done so much more for me than CM vs CA.

The book "Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur" is one of the best books I have read on the subject of learning to play chess. The senior author, Max Euwe, was not only a World Champion but was also a scholar and prolific author. He writes very well and with great authority. He, and his coauthor, Walter Meiden show the reader step-by-step the many mistakes amateur players make and the way master players recognize and respond to those mistakes. The book begins with analyses of games in which the amateur player is very weak, moves through games with stronger amateurs, and ends with games against expert or near expert players. Throughout the book the authors show the reader how the amateurs' mistakes were exploited by the master player. This is a very instructive book.

A caveat is in order here: I have read only seven (for-beginners) books.

However, I feel like my "chess muscles" have developed since I started reading this book.

At first, I found it hard to read (at 300+ pages). Then I decided to take it slow, around five pages daily, to derive maximum value. On certain days, I got carried away and covered as many as 15 pages, which took me and my Pocketgrandmaster about two hours.

Why is this the best chess book I have read so far? I found it filled with nuggets of chessic wisdom. Although I would expect that some of his analysis could now be questioned (given the evolution of chess theory since the publication date and the availability of powerful chess softwares), I think that there is still much to be learned from this book.

This is one of the best game collection books for a lower rated chess player. Typical types of mistakes made by weaker players are taken advantage of by stonger players (masters). This is a good way to learn what not to do and how to take advantage of typical mistakes made by the opponents you are likely to play. This is very good instruction by using games (also falling into this catagory are "Unbeatable Chess Lessons" and "Logical Chess" - also recommended reading!). There are some mistakes and typos, but not a lot. And it is not in algebraic chess notation. For these two reasons I give it four instead of five stars.

This book offers a good review over the concepts concerned with Videography. I have a 2 years experience in Video Editing. Home and Musical videos are my preferences, but I am looking for new options.
Many video editing concepts about Codecs, DVD burning, Editing work flow, Tips to increase quality on shutting (Slow motion), production tips were the more useful for me.
Recommendation: The practice footage could be better. and readers could take advantage of it. I suggest add more practices tips in order to capture the videographer interest.

I have a question. Why do the shadow people age us with smothering envy as we sleep? Does anyone else wake up at night sometimes and smell their acrid, bitter and dusty presence?!! Why must they drain! Just as starlight bores holes through us they envy and groan silently until the stress of it works us all into withering, wilting, oldster shadows of ourselves. I like KFC even though its grease and smell make me tired, and sort of nauseous. Why do High functioning autistics loop on things other people do not even notice. My tongue keeps tasting itself in an infinite loop. My friend Marko made his "Rodin Coil" to change the world then ran out of energy and now he plays all day with his children. I will edit a video of you if you pay me $250 an hour. I really would prefer that you be interesting, is that rude? I receive about 3/4 of the stuff I order from Amazon because I live on The Big Island and the mail carriers steal things here. It's either that or Amazon just sucks and they're giving 1/4 of my orders to the shadow people who keep turning my KFC rancid. I knew the book already, Q Bert happened when Pac Man mutated and evolved a dna shaped spine and began worshiping sacred geometry. It's all about Vortexes. Go youtube 2012, 19.5 and learn about Rodin Coils. Then be Happy.

Editing digital video gave me a good insight into the baiscs of digital editing. The last time I edited video it was on a linear system and I found some other texts a little confusing. This book enabled me to use my NLE system with confidence.

I have been using entry-level NLEs (e.g. Vegas Movie Studio, Pinnacle Studio, Magix Movie Edit Pro) for about four years. Any progress in my editing skills came from the traditional 'trial and error' approach, and from learning by watching other amateur-produced movies in a video club that I belong to...

"Editing Digital Video" helped me learn new techniques and approachs to editing my movies. Suggestions on how to get organized, good definitions & explanations of editing jargon, and the included footage for an editing exercise all help you take your editing up a notch to produce better movies.

The book is text-heavy---I would like to have seen more illustrations, and possibly a professionally editing version (or two) of the editing exercise. Highly recommended.

This book is 1/3 listings of movies and other such irrelevant nonsense.

The editing information may have been relevant several years ago, but is now completely and totally dated.

Certainly readable, but completely vapid.