Beginners Guide to Braiding: Craft of Kumihimo -

Out of the Ordinary: Spectacular Craft

The Make-up Book: Every Woman’s Guide to the Art of Applying Make-up (Crafts in a Weekend) -

Can I Change Your Mind?: The Craft and Art of Persuasive Writing Customer Review: Completely persuaded
I almost never read books in one go but from the start this book just hooks you. There are two things which appealed - firstly the obvious one about showing you what it means to write persuasively. It does this rather less like an instruction manual or style guide but more as a philosophy - nothing complicated or revolutionary (but as the writer points out nothing ever is) but all the same inspirational.
Secondly I couldn’t help but like Lindsay Camp as a very witty , talented human. I did find myself asking whether I was reading the book to get some kind of value from it (ie learn to write more persuasively) or whether I was reading it because it was just enjoyable. In the end the two things merged into each other - brilliant.

Customer Review: Written communication just became much more understandable
I’ve read many books on writing and this is up there with John Simmons. If you write anything, even an e-mail to a colleague, I would suggest that you can become more effective in achieving your outcome by reading this.

Quite rightly, as Lindsay points out, most of us don’t give much of a thought to a piece of communication before we write it. This book will allow you to start to think clearer before writing. It won’t teach you grammar and punctuation but it will hopefully allow you to understand how to engage with the person (or people) at the other end.

I haven’t felt this passionately about a book for quite some time so the author can obviously walk the walk too. Highly recommended.

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing -

Naked Playwriting: The Art, the Craft and the Life Laid Bare Customer Review: A good book and a good read
Wow! What a well put together book that gives great advice and is a ripping good read. The Naked Playwriters have really done their homework and give a comprehensive guide to writing for the stage and the pitfalls of trying to get produced. One of the best features is how to recognise full fledged ideas from half-baked ones and then develop them into a dramatic piece. All their advice is referenced to plenty of examples, so it’s easy to follow. Best of all the writing bounces along. Definitetly up there with two other great books, Jeffrey Hatcher’s “The Art and Craft of PLaywriting” and Jeffrey Sweet’s “The Dramatists Toolkit”.

Look What You Can Make with Newspapers, Magazines, and Greeting Cards: More Than 80 Pictured Crafts and Dozens of Other Ideas (Craft) -

Des Pawson’s Knot Craft: 28 Ropework Projects Customer Review: A good book!!
This is a good book for beginner hobbyist, or are looking for ideas. However if you are already an expert at knots, this book wouldn’t be of much help to you. Get Ashley’s instead!! This book has provided me with many hours of educational fun, and also many ideas for christmas presents, at a time when I cannot afford to get more expensive presents, I just made everyone key rings!! I recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in knots, and would like some new ideas!
Customer Review: Insert knotty pun here
This is very helpful. Has a wide selection of knots and will provide you with many new ideas.
The illustrations were particularly clear and useful. You should definitely buy it. A very good book on an interesting handicraft, well done to the author and particularly the illustrator.

Adventures in Art: Arts and Craft Experiences for 8 to 13-year-olds (Williamson Kids Can! Books) -

A Theory of Craft: Function and Aesthetic Expression

Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Embroidery (Crafts) (Crafts) -

Little Hands Art Book: Exploring Arts and Crafts with 2 to 6 Year Olds (Williamson Kids Can! Books) Customer Review: nice but too expensive
I ordered this booked but didn’t keep it when it came. It was a nice book with clear instructions but I didn’t think it was worth the money. I also found it a bit too american.
Customer Review: Graet ideas for little ones
Although this book is not newly published, it has some easy to do suggestions that do not require a lot of preparation. I enjoy the many ideas with my young grandchildren and they ask to do the art activities when they visit me. Great helping hand for me!

Primitive Skills and Crafts: An Outdoorsman’s Guide to Shelters, Tools, Weapons, Tracking, Survival, and More -

The Craft of Modular Post & Beam: Building Log & Timber Homes Affordably Customer Review: This book is for practical builder
This book has the most amazing start! Mr. Mitchell tells about his life experiences and how they made him the man he is today. He combines the passion to build and create into philosophy and financial freedom. Such a great motivational writer he is that I read the book in one day, it is that exciting (If you are in a hurry, you can now jump to the end of review to check the summary).

I will briefly go through every chapter of this book, but at first, here are the contents:

Introduction/Author’s Preface
1. Evolution of Post and Beam
2. Design
3. Wood
4. Tools
5. Hewing and Milling Methods
6. Joinery
7. Modern Timber Post and Beam: Wall System
8. Traditional Timber Post and Beam: Wall System
9. Log Post and Beam: Wall System
10. Log Blockwork: Wall System
11. Openings
12. Roof Structures
13. Floor Systems
14. Foundations
15. Utilities and Finishing
16. Wood Finishes
Appendices
Bibliography
Glossary
Index

EVOLUTION OF POST AND BEAM
In this chapter, Mr. Mitchell tells us the brief history of log building and how it evolved on Northern hemisphere. This chapter also gives a light overall introduction on different log home building methods. How log homes were developed? You have to read this chapter to know.

DESIGN
Basic design philosophy of modular construction follows in this chapter. Also practical design issues like space and aesthetics can be found here. This chapter helps reader to grasp the idea of building functional log homes in modular manner.

WOOD
Wood is very flexible raw material. This chapter focuses on what are the qualities of wood, how to collect it, use it and preserve it.

TOOLS
Tools that you need to build a log home, starting from felling the trees all the way to finishing the log home or log cabin. This chapter also has descriptions on how to use tools and what sort of working methods are related with them.

HEWING AND MILLING METHODS
After rather general start, this is where the reader is bombarded with detailed and clear pictures of various building methods, focusing especially on preparing the logs.

JOINERY
Joinery has its own chapter and after reading it, you are well prepared to go forward and understand structures in various wall systems.

WALL SYSTEMS
At this point, basic building methods are dealt with and aspiring owner builder can wonder to the countryside and start felling trees for coming log home. Well, not quite, but this is the phase where we get to dig into the actual structure of timber post and beam wall systems and also into log post and beam and log blockwork wall systems.

This section is divided between different styles of post and beam building. Someone might feel that book could go deeper if it focused on only one tradition. However, for me this was only positive, because I have been building in blockwork style and gaining wider understanding on other styles was easier because I could compare between them and the one that I personally master. To my opinion, this makes the book more appealing for wider audience.

OPENINGS
Walls standing and all, it is time to make those window and door openings or alternatively introduce it as a vacation location for in-laws (can’t get in or can’t get out). This comes before the chapter about roof systems, which makes sense because openings are easier to do while still building the walls.

ROOF STRUCTURES
Roof systems have a chapter worthy of their complexity. Settling is a major problem while designing roofs for log homes and log cabins. Luckily by using post and beam method one can work out settling problems quite nicely.

FLOOR SYSTEMS
Floors are on the menu after we have sheltered the log home from rain. Main issue in this chapter is to understand needed support for floors. But then we have something that strikes me as somewhat peculiar.

FOUNDATIONS
Foundations are discussed at the end of the book. How can this be, log homes and log cabins are built on foundations, if not they rot (hey, it rhymed).

UTILITIES AND FINISHING
On other note, I do understand that utilities are finally discussed here. This is the usual phase of construction for them. However, in this chapter you will notice that utilities must be taken into consideration while designing the log home or log cabin. It is very awkward to start ripping logs apart to mount some electricity sockets.

WOOD FINISHES
Wood finishes are done last as the building is finally standing. Good finishing gives extra years for your log home.

MISCELLANOUS
Other resources in the book include several helpful appendices. Now that we have Internet, bibliography isn’t that useful, but does give good sources and gives credit to other experts on this area. Index is always helpful in search of information, but for me as a non-native English speaker, glossary was the best resource. Understanding terms and sticking them on things I already know greatly lowered my learning curve.

SUMMARY
Mr. Mitchell, thank you for writing such an excellent book I am really happy I bought it. This book helped me to organize my existing knowledge and gain more information on many areas. This is a great general resource book on building log homes and log cabins by using post and beam techniques. Absolutely worth its price and much more but how much more that depends on your motivation and passion. Get it now and finally make your log home dream a reality. Order it.
Customer Review: An excellent book on post and beam log construction
This book may well be the “bible” of post and beam log construction. Covers in excellent detail basic to advanced post and beam design and construction. From house design, foundations, floors, walls, doors and windows, and an extensive chapter on roof design and construction. Explains log hewing with a broad axe and the use of other log shaping tools. Covers log joinery in detail. Includes hundreds of illustrations, a portfolio of color pictures of post and beam joinery, 6 appendixes, Glossary, and Bibliography.

The Children’s Year: Seasonal Crafts and Clothes (Festivals (Hawthorn Press)) -

Mat, Mount and Frame It Yourself (Crafts Highlights) (Crafts Highlights) Customer Review: It does what it says
If you ae looking for answers to framing and mounting your art,photos or memorabelia then this is the book for you. It is wriiten in simple terms and the advice in my eyes has been invaluable. This book has been the best purchase I have made in a long time. It has made me look at framing photos in a new free way. The chapters are clear and cover every topic related to framing and mounting in an exciting fresh approach.

Mountainman Crafts and Skills -

Adventures in Art: Arts and Craft Experiences for 8 to 13-year-olds (Williamson Kids Can! Books)

Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork (Threads & Crafts) -

Modelling the Head in Clay (Practical Craft Books) (Practical Craft Books) Customer Review: Helpful for you who sculpture in clay
This book is a long joyful ride with photographs of an artwork in progress. The author take you along with one female bust from scratch to a ready bust in clay.
Bit by bit you can follow how he model the clay from a slab into a beautiful woman.

I will try to remake this head. The author gave me several new ideas on how to make a face in clay.
Helpful book for the cheramic artist.
Customer Review: Magnificent
Lucchesi has Italian origins and that pervades his sculptural style as well as his methods. Like the Renaissance artists, he begins by modelling the amazing bone structure in clay, then puts the skin tissue over it, finally creating the delicate surface details. Many beautiful photographs move from one minute step to the next. He worked in the USA and that influence is also betrayed in his unique genre. The effect of the book is total… you feel that you have been taken into the secret essence of the ancient process of clay sculpture. A great book… I hope it never goes out of print because it will speak delight and insight to countless future generations of sculptors.