Amateur Books

This manual contains many photography tips with colorful examples to improve your photos.

This manual contains many photography tips with colorful examples to improve your photos.

This book is not for absolute beginners. You won't appreciate all the concepts unless you've already been experimenting for a while and are now ready to move to the next level. Digital camera owners take note, every photography concept in this book applies equally to your digital camera so don't feel you need to get a book for digital cameras. For post processing of digital pictures, definetely get another book. This book teaches the basics that every camera operator should know regardless of digital or analog. The book also very clearly explains its concepts with excellent examples of photographs.

This is one of the best all-rounder books I've read on understanding the basics of photography. It is quite thorough yet takes you step-by-step thru the whole process and also covers digital imaging workflow. Another thing I like is that it covers other formats besides 35mm SLR, like the medium and large cameras, including studio lighting techniques and working in a B&W darkroom. You learn to appreciate where the SLR and point-and-shooters stand in the hierarchy of professional photography, and so are the wiser when choosing the proper setup for your photographic objectives.

It also makes meaningful recommendations when applying certain techniques. For example, in macro photography, it covers the whole gamut from close-up filters to extension tubes, and gives the pro and cons of using each setup. Another example: with filters, it recommends the use of square ones with holders because it is more flexible than screw-on filters (you can adjust the placement of graduating colours) and you only need to purchase a single polariser that can be shared with many lenses of differing thread diameter. Tips like these can be found in every topic.

Of course, it goes beyond the technicalities and discusses ways to improve your artistic abilities and photographic styles. Containing beautiful colour photographs, it emphasises exploration, previsualisation, and simplicity. And lots of practice!

Definitely highly recommended.

The book is pretty basic. It goes over what specific tools are and common household chores like unclogging your bathroom drains and changing a light fixture. A pretty good book for the inexperienced, but boring for others.

If anyone ever says a woman is not able to fix things up, and make improvements in their home, they have not been blessed in reading this outstanding book.
Author, Barbara K takes the guess work out of many projects that seem impossible for the average person to do. In this work, she takes you step by step, often with the help of pictures to show you how to do many improvements in your home.
Some examples are, wall coverings, lighting, floors and doors. She targets problem areas and gives solutions and she does all of this in an easy to understand manner.
I have to say by the time you are done reading through this book, you are energized and ready to transform your home. You just know you can do it. If you have been holding back, but wanting to make those changes, pick up this work. It just might be the encouragement you have been waiting for.
Shirley Johnson

I wanted to like this book, but I just could not. It was a speed read because it lacked depth. The author tried to cover too many topics without providing adequate explanation for any. For basic home repair, Home Depot has several books that provide much better explanation and clear pictures. For self-help, there are thousands of better choices. While I applaud Barbara K's efforts to create a lifestyle niche for herself, I think the field may already be too crowded. I'm sorry I spent the money. I donated the book already in the hopes that maybe someone else will find some value and that my Amazon dollars did not go to waste.

This book is a good resource for all those DIY or closet "fix-it" women. Of course, men can use it too. I enjoy working with my hands and I don't hesitate to climb on a ladder, pull out a screw driver or take out the staple gun. I have to admit that I might not do any of these things well, BUT this book shows you how to do it right! What I really like about it is that it has a tool glossary with pictures! Yippee. I mean, I've heard of a bench vise and slip joint pliers, but now I have a picture AND description, not just a bunch of text.

The book is divided into sections, i.e. wall, floors, windows, plumbing, etc. Each project shows are to repair something and includes a brief description, a What You Need list and the steps on how to get it done. There are photos and diagrams throughout the book to guide you. There are also little call-out boxes that include additional tips. My favorite part of the book was how to remove gouges, dents and scratches in wood (pg 75-81). I also like the Improve It section and the section on outdoor projects. You'll learn how to rewire a lamp, replace a faucet, put in a dimmer and organizing clutter.

Definitely recommend.

I bought this book recently and just finished reading it. Being new to movie making I found this book helpful to understanding the jargon of movie making; cuts; framing; and much more.

This is a good basic book for those new to movie making. Well worth the price.

Hi ,
I bought this book a week ago .Iam a software engineer and i was never associated with film industry either in theory nor in practice .I actually wanted to read about scripts and i had mistakenly bought this book .

To my surprise ,this book is wonderfully written .To a non-art guy like me ,it was pure bliss reading this .He starts with the most common sense issues to topics like framing ,cut ways ,editing .He touches upon each and every aspect in the making the film .No false promises ,no hypes -Just plain common sense and knowledge .

The intresting aspect is that while he discusses all the technical aspects ,he does not assume the user to be film-savy guy or anything like that .Also ,there are few examples where the user can actually think of alternatives and be a active reader .

The bottomline - As a non-art student ,after reading this book ,i got a different way of appreciating films !Well ,isn't it more beautiful to appreciate arts than juding it ?

What are u waiting for ?Just go and grab this book !

Gotta say, with many, many books telling you how easy it is to make a hit film it's nice to have come across and read this honest, and highly readable, approach.
I liked the size, unlike several other film making guides it wasn't some 'Book of Lore' that requires lifting equipment to read. You could probably fit this in your back pocket and read it over a couple of afternoons(or nights...)
It's simple, it doesn't fly away with obscure technical speech, and I liked the way when some film making process was on the verge of getting complicated, there's a breather and explanation that allows the reader to follow EVERYTHING.
It actually talks about creativity and how to go about writing scripts and thinking of stories as well as how to get the most out of camera and methods and procedures of making a film. I don't think I've ever seen a book or on-line guide that merged these themes so well. Three for the price of one!!
I guess the British guy who wrote this, knows what it takes to get a film started and made. OK, there's a few Britishisms, but the information is pretty universal and above all simple and helpul.
Definitely good background reading to my film studies course.
I feel as though I have discovered a real gem here.
T.D.

Did anyone forget that making films should be fun? The guy who wrote this book sure didn't. This has got to be the first book where everything is infused witha real sense of enjoyment and fun, but at the same time combined with simple and structured learning. I've read some real stinker film making guides for my media production college course, but this book bucks the trend big time.
Highly reccomended reading for the media or film production student!!
Read, enjoy, have fun, learn.

This book was an enjoyable and easy read. It had many known historical facts and an some interesting and entertaining unknown facts. It made searching cemeteries something of an adventure and one that could be thoroughly fun! The pictures were good, but would have liked to have seen more. I enjoyed it very much!

This is a really good book if you are interested in the final resting places of many lesser known as well as more famous Texans with all kind of interesting life stories that are buried throughout the state. The book goes into pretty good detail about what made each Texan that is highlighted interesting and pretty much pinpoints their individual graves. It also does a good job of representing the entire state. However, if you are interested in the stories of the graveyards themselves, as I am, this book is missing that information for the most part, and Texas graveyards themselves have some interesting stories.

I'll give an example. When I was in college I was living in an apartment complex in Arlington, Tx. Across from the complex was/is a park, adjacent to the University of Texas at Arlington. There is an unnamed cemetery in that park with headstones from 1900-1920 approximately. A couple of the headstones are large and elaborate, but there are about two rows of headstones that merely say Infant #1, Infant #2, etc. It turns out that the apartment complex I lived in was once the site of an unwed mother's home and the cemetery across from it was where those unwed mothers who had died in childbirth, disowned by their families, were buried. The unnamed infants were the ones that didn't make it at a time in the early 1900's when so many babies didn't make it through the birthing process. How sad to think about these infants, buried with nothing more than a number to ID them. These were the kinds of stories I was really looking for, but it is not really the subject of this book.

Interesting book on a seemingly obscure subject, a very good nitch book. I really was surprised at how fascinating I found this book, it's amazing how many famous people are buried here in the Lone Star State. The research is well done and the book is quite thorough, frankly this is a very good history lesson: don't be alarmed this is a lesson that you will enjoy, reguardless of your acumen for history. In my experience the dont miss cemetery in Texas is Glenwood in Houston, it is simply spectacularly beautiful, it's actually hilly, so odd for Houston and many famous Texans are buried there, most famous of course being Howard Hughes. Highly recommended.

This book will make you want to explore the cemeteries of Texas and learn more about the people you find buried there. The authour has thoughtfully included GPS coordinates to help find the cemeteries. This is especially helpful for some of the more remote locations. I was especially glad to see the respect shown to the people mentioned in the book, especially Congressional Medal of Honor winners. Hopefully this book will help to foster a deeper understanding of our state's history and a nurturing of it cemeteries.

I really enjoyed this book. It shows the experience of a "backyard sugarin'" guy in great detail while being very entertaining at the same time.

When he wrote this account, Noel Perrin (1927-2004) was an English professor at Dartmouth. He also owned a Vermont farm, and the property included stands of sugar maples. It was only natural that he would be interested in setting up a small sugaring operation in order to process his own maple syrup. After all, that's what folks do, up here in New England.

Being an admirer of Henry David Thoreau, Perrin sets out to do something special: he builds his sugar house as a replica of Thoreau's cabin at Walden Pond. The first third of "Amateur Sugar Maker" thus chronicles the building of the structure. Along the way, Perrin continually compares his expenses, the costs of materials and other statistics (in 1969) to Thoreau's own spreadsheet of 1845, well publicized in "Walden." What fun!

But then Perrin has to acquire the proper sugaring equipment (after doing some research to discover exactly what he needs in the first place, of course). If he thought building the house was a tough task, he discovers that he's in for even more than he bargained for when he sets off to find buckets, a cask, and an evaporator small enough to fit into the space, since he unwittingly confined himself when he built such a tiny barn. His goal (in frugal N.E. fashion) is to find good used equipment instead of buying anything new. Being diligent about watching newspaper ads and hearing local tales puts him on the proper trails. Eventually his approach pays off, and he assembles and tests the process. The last part of the book is therefore spent emptying buckets and making a few bottles of syrup for sale in New York City.

This paperback edition includes a postscript written in 1982, after Perrin and his family had been sugaring for 15 years. In the interim, he strung up tubing so that the sap ran directly to the sugar house, if it didn't freeze along the way. So this thin volume provides basic tips for other "amateur sugar makers" out there. It probably will also result in a few nods and guffaws from those hardy New Englanders who already have successful operations in place. Noel Perrin's narrative style is factual and funny all at once. I may need to read some of his other books about rural living. I'm saddened to learn that Perrin is no longer with us.

A real gem on how Noel Perrin started sugaring from his own trees. He's revised the book over 20 years, so he's learned from his own mistakes and successes. He has some pithy commentary on Thoreau's costs of cabin making versus his own, as well. And did you know that milk (just a drop) will calm a roiling boil?

I have seen IRLP in action and thought to myself how do I do this? So I searched everywhere and found out that Echolink was the local popular form,but apart from the echolink on-line manual couldn't find much else to help me get an angle on this.
This book has been a welcome book to help me understand all about the subject - it really gives all the resources and information needed to get going.But as always it is not only the book that's important - it is taking action that is the exciting part.
One of our local radio clubs MDRC just had a really successful meeting with standing room only on echolink and it is going to get bigger.I think this book is a good start so you can learn enough to get into it,get your feet wet and get that experience to write the next "update".Petervk4cbd

An easy to understand description and implementation of VoIP radio linking for both the amateur and veteran. The book covers several products available free from the Internet including one product - Echo Link -- creating by the author. If you are looking to try something new with Internet Linking or just understand how it works, this is the book to have by your side.

In VoIP, author K1RFD does a nice job of explaining the technology behind this unique aspect of the hobby. The book details how the various VoIP applications work and includes information on setting up an RF node. A valuable addition to the ham shack for new and seasoned users of voice over IP applications with amateur radio linking.

Provides good basic knowledge of Electrical Wiring and Repairs based on US wiring requirements. Similar book based on New Zealand or British standards requirements would definitely be an advantage to follow up on local receptacles

This book has just enough detail to perform minor repairs/remodeling on your home wiring. There are many pictures on how to perform simple/moderate electrical projects. It is great for a beginner do-it-yourselfer looking to start out in the dangerous world of electricity. Good Luck!

I think the photography is what makes this book. As a layman, one could care less about the technical jargon, but a visually engaging format makes simple repairs .. well.. simple!

Very up-to-date publication. Author's web site provides much additional information. I plan to build using ICF's and Geothermal heat source. Good information available through both the book and the web portal. Clearly the best and most current of the 4 similar books purchased at the same time.

This book contains a lot of great tips and serves as a good resource.

This book really opened my eyes as to how much was involved in building/being your own contractor. The author obviously speaks from experience.

Not much to say, i bought a book, It was a good experience, i gave them money, they shipped me a book. It was new, so cant complain, it was dirt cheap, which is a PLUS, and thats it..... good stuff

My husband and I are novice DIYers and purchased this book and its companion (Home Repair...in the gold cover which doesn't seem to be on Amazon right now, though we bought it with this book this past fall). We've found both books to be excellent. I agree with the other reviewer that the topics are covered in maybe 1-3 pages, but B&D has done an excellent job of keeping the writing tight and to the point, but also understandable. Additionally, the photography quality is excellent, making the photos very helpful and somewhat of a stand-in for more text. Highly recommended.

I recently purchased this book and was a bit disappointed with it. As a beginner, first-time homeowner, I was hoping that it would be a great source for "how-tos" on a lot of major home improvement/repair projects. The book does cover an insane number of different topics. In that regard, it probably is a great "reference" book for people who are not beginners in home improvement. However, for someone like me, I felt like devoting 1-2 pages on EVERY project a lot of times just was nowhere near enough information for me to confidently tackle the project. I mean, they even capped a roofing project (major) to 2 pages. I saw the Home Depot 1-2-3 books and they seem to provide a lot more depth and step by step instructions than this Black & Decker book, albiet with not as many topics.

Jack Sobon does a great job walking you step by step in building your own house. It is one of the best sources out there for learning traditional timber framing technique. A must read for anyone interested in learning how the early framers built the barns and houses we love today. Expect hands on information and thoery for the practical end of getting the house frame built. Expect a well focused instructiional manual that is light and entertaining to read.

This was my first look at timber framing and this book was a great primer. It explains the history of timber framing, the terminology, the how to's of getting started. I wish it would have had more suggestions for finishing the house after the frame is up, but it definitely gave me a good foundation and the confidence to give it try.

The plans, photos, patterns and details in this book can be used as a step-by-step guide to building a New England hall-and-parlor house. It's also a designer's guide, a history book and a great introduction to the craft and art of timber framing.