Koncocoo

Best Interior Architectural Design

The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful
In The Nesting Place, Myquillyn shares the secrets of decorating for real people—and it has nothing to do with creating a flawless look to wow your guests. For the past five years Myquillyn Smith, 'The Nester,' has been encouraging women to embrace the home they are in.
Reviews
"This is a book for anyone who wants to find new freedom -- not only in her own home, but in her very life, so she can actually live and enjoy her home, rather than perfect and protect her "stuff." This is an invitation to love the home and the life you're in, rather than wishing for something more or something different. This is a book that helps you dwell in the home and in the life you have, rather than trying to over-manage and perfect the places where you live and love. It's a positively beautiful book filled with lovely photos and helpful ideas."
"Instead, this book was more about appreciating your home for its imperfections. Stop dreaming and comparing your home to those in magazines and on blogs, you need to love your home how it is, and grow from there. She shares her mistakes as a first time home buyer and her stories of living in a scary neighborhood and living in dream homes. Myquillyn’s writing and sharing of her personal experiences helps you to connect with her, but there were times where I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again: love your home for its imperfections, it’s not about how much money you put in it, but that you love it, etc, etc, etc. This book is filled with beautiful photos from her home. I wasn’t falling asleep from boredom, but I think I was looking for a little more inspiration and design ideas than a more philosophical read on loving and living in your home."
"There are good messages in this book - I love her encouragement about putting some nails in your walls (PS - do some extra reading if you have plaster), gaining confidence in your projects, not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, realizing that even houses in magazines don't look that way day-to-day, make your house welcoming, not flawless, etc."
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Remodelista
Remodelista.com is the go-to, undisputed authority for home design enthusiasts, remodelers, architects, and designers. “With her artful marriage of style and practicality, Carlson shows us how to save money and space―and when it’s okay to splurge.” ― Martha Stewart Living. “A lovely and extremely useful portfolio of houses, rooms and products, which will no doubt serve as an inspiration and as a source book for would-be redecorators and remodelers. Carlson’s book translates [Remodelista.com’s] credo to print, showcasing relatable dwellings and decoding how they work. Carlson, editor in chief of the Web site, used the book to highlight remodeling, redecorating and organizing, as well as budgeting. Carlson, editor-in-chief of the website, used the book to highlight remodeling, redecorating, and organizing, as well as budgeting. The Remodelista 100 at the back of the book is like the Academy Awards of everyday household gear.”. Previously, she worked at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York before joining the editorial staff of The New Yorker .
Reviews
"It is well published, with solid binding, thick paper and clear images."
"Perfect inspiration for those working on a remodel."
"The houses are sort of bare-bones, white, modern."
"Great design book with loads of references!"
"A great look at how interior design needs to be.. Sustainability is cool!"
"Great photography, easy to read, well laid out and full of great tips and cost effective home décor ideas."
"Their website will keep you glued for hours....it scrolls and never seems to end."
"I also happen to like that it doesn't have a paper cover, the hardbound cover has the photos imprinted on it."
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Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life: How to Use Feng Shui to Get Love, Money, Respect and Happiness
A Simon & Schuster eBook. Denny Fairchild author of Healing HomesMove Your Stuff, Change Your Life is home improvement, entertaining, educational hilarity that will have you smiling while scrubbing and glowing in the feng shui flow. Presenting sound feng shui advice in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-use manner, Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life communicates how to: -- GET A RAISE. -- MEET "THE ONE". -- BECOME ABLE TO CONCEIVE AND BEAR CHILDREN. -- FIND A DREAM JOB. -- EARN BETTER GRADES IN SCHOOL. -- ENJOY A BETTER SEX LIFE. -- ACHIEVE OPTIMAL HEALTH. Feng shui is a powerful yet simple tool by which to change one's life.
Reviews
"Great book."
"Love this book."
"It really helped to simplify Feng Shui and make it accessible for my use in redecorating."
"Simple, easy and fun feng shui cures."
"I love this book!"
"Easy read and concise info."
"Easy to follow guidelines."
"I first read this book almost 10 years ago - it was my first feng shui book - thank goodness!"
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Best Asian Architecture

Japan Modern: New Ideas for Contemporary Living
Zen temples, the famous tea ceremony, formal gardens, the use of wood, paper and other materials in the form of screens and floors—all have evolved over the years to create a varied, yet indisputably unique style. "This insightful book, filled with mesmerizing images, presents a glimpse into the changing face of Japanese design and architecture."
Reviews
"The book is divided into four main sections: - Reworking Tradition. - Managing Space. - Experimenting with Materials. - Personal Statements. I enjoyed reading this book from the beginning to the end."
"We're not going to redo our home in a Japanese style, but sitting and reading this book and enjoying the pictures is like a trip to the Orient."
"I am very interested in any ASIAN INTERIOR/EXTERIOR DECOR books and books on FENG SHUI, CONTEMPORARY IKEBANA, and MINIMAL DESIGN."
"There are extreme examples of that in this book. It is not an in depth analysis of great design, but more of a picture book of modern attempts. So, in that sense, the book is good since it has extreme examples of both good and bad design."
"There is definitely some magical inspiration in here, but to my personal preferences for how magical architecture and design can really be, I would only call this book "okay". Modern stuff is always a mixed lot, and that's good, but if I've going to have an architecture, design book on my shelf, well, this one lost me half way through."
"Some of the examples depicted so beautifully and discussed so shrewdly in this volume are rooted strongly in Japan's history, such as an old farmhouse relocated to Tokyo and fitted into an urban neighborhood."
"The Japanese are so good at re-interpreting their traditional architecture; furthermore this books illustrates that ability quite well... Perhaps a few details would've made it a touch (one star) better..."
"This book provides total eye candy for design enthusiasts."
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Best Interior Design Professional Reference

Remodel - Without Going Bonkers or Broke: A Home Improvement Primer
In fact, that's the single biggest reason that there are so many remodeling horror stories. You will learn how to identify and select the perfect professional remodeler for your project, save thousands of dollars in the process, and preserve your sanity too. Everything needed for a successful professional remodeling experience is inside! Jannine Wooten - Real Estate Investor, Remodeler "Spend a few dollars on this book, there's a good chance you will get it back 100-fold." Ray Brehm - #1 Bestselling Author & Entrpreneur "Molinelli's enthusiasm for the subject shines through on every page of this invaluable guide, and it's quite infectious."
Reviews
"In this easy reading instructional manual, Jim Molinelli lays out a concise method for keeping sanity during a remodeling project."
"Jim’s book is full of great information that guides you through the process from beginning to end."
"Undoubtedly THE book to get even if you think you might possibly sometime in the future hypothetically consider remodeling."
"Great book and well done."
"I'd have saved a lot of money and made a lot more when I sold."
"This book gives guidance on how to find reputable contractors (and it's not by using the popular advertised sites)."
"As a women owning 2 homes there is always something to fix, never mind remodeling to just update!"
"Very, Very informative."
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Best Historic Preservation

Lady on the Hill: How Biltmore Estate Became an American Icon
He has set a high standard for what all historic house museums strive for: magnificently preserved buildings and grounds, engaging interpretation, and--perhaps most challenging of all--economic self-sufficiency. "If George Vanderbilt did nothing more than engage the two most prominent and storied designers of their time, architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, to carry out his vision of a European estate in the southern Appalachians, he would have created an American icon. Built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, who played lord of the manor to hundreds of tenant farmers and servants, the estate passed in the 1960s to his grandson William Cecil, whose tight-fisted budgets, canny marketing initiatives and rapt attention to customer service turned it into a profitable museum of robber-baron privilege, selling more tickets than Colonial Williamsburg. Covington defends the Biltmore owner's model of private, for-profit historical preservation against charges of commercialism leveled by nonprofit preservationists, repeats his complaints about inheritance taxes, extols his entrepreneurial daring, salutes his Biltmore restoration projects ("surpassed what many had seen anywhere") and raves about "customer satisfaction reports... comparable to those enjoyed by a five-star resort." Covington defends the Biltmore owner's model of private, for-profit historical preservation against charges of commercialism leveled by nonprofit preservationists, repeats his complaints about inheritance taxes, extols his entrepreneurial daring, salutes his Biltmore restoration projects ("surpassed what many had seen anywhere") and raves about "customer satisfaction reports... comparable to those enjoyed by a five-star resort."
Reviews
"Very interesting."
"Had to get after the visit."
"This wonderful book about the Biltmore Estate shows some photos that I had never seen before, and really tells the story of how it was conceived and built -- then lived in -- then restored and opened as a true USA treasure Estate!"
"If you've visited Biltmore, walked it's halls, climbed the Grand Staircase, savored the Library, and said "Wow" more than once, then this book is for you."
"Great read."
"If you love to feel like are behind the scenes you will love this book."
"I am a history teacher and love reading about old families and wealth and I have been to the biltmore on many occasions."
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Best Asian Art History

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
This #1 New York Times best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing. #1 New York Times Best SellerAmazon's Best Book of 2014 in Crafts, Home & Garden. "Ms. Kondo delivers her tidy manifesto like a kind of Zen nanny, both hortatory and animistic." a literal how-to-heave-ho, and I recommend it for anyone who struggles with the material excess of living in a privileged society. A totally reasonable, scary cult that works, doesn’t kill people (a bonus), but does drastically change your life. the Japanese expert’s ode to decluttering is simple and easy to follow." "Reading it, you glimpse a glittering mental freedom from the unread/uncrafted/unworn, buyer’s remorse, the nervous eyeing of real estate listings. "All hail the new decluttering queen Marie Kondo, whose mess-busting bestseller has prompted a craze for tidying in homes across the world . "How could this pocket-sized book, which has already sold over 2 million copies and sits firmly atop the New York Times Best Seller list, make such a big promise? Marie “KonMari” Kondo runs an acclaimed consulting business in Tokyo helping clients transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration. With a three-month waiting list, her KonMari Method of decluttering and organizing has become an international phenomenon. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is a best seller in Japan, Germany, and the UK, with more than two million copies sold worldwide, and has been turned into a television drama for Japanese TV. She has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time , featured on more than thirty major Japanese television and radio programs, and profiled in the Sunday Times , Red magazine, You magazine, the New York Times , USA Today , NPR's Here & Now , Slate , Family Circle , and the London Times, who has deemed her “Japan’s preeminent guru of tidiness, a warrior princess in the war on clutter.”.
Reviews
"I grew up in a cluttered house and married the King of Clutter (he's the type of person who'll open a credit card bill, pay it online, and then just leave the empty envelope, inserts, and bill itself randomly strewn on whatever surface happens to be nearby). It's a breath of fresh air and positive energy that brings real joy to the process of "tidying up." My clothes are all mine (which also means that they're in nowhere near as terrible a state as other things in my house), so going through them affects only me and involves only my own feelings. Her advice may sound silly at first, but if your belongings inspire feelings of unhappiness, guilt, etc., her anthropomorphism of them can really help you change your viewpoint in a positive direction. That is likely to carry a different level of meaning for someone in Japan than in the U.S. Other references to spiritual practice and feng-shui are not likely to resonate the same way for an American audience. There is a lot of discussion of travel toiletries, but very little about kitchen utensils, toys, or other items found most often in a family home. I'm now a week in, and 6 months seems like hardly enough time to tackle all the junk in my house, but I can fully see how this can be a life-changing process."
"I was browsing Pinterest one day and stumbled upon the "konmari method" and was intrigued, so I bought this book for kindle and read it in about an hour. I always thought I was a very organized person (because everything I owned had a designated, labelled place and my house was always super clean), but after reading this book I realized I was nothing more than a skilled hoarder. I probably discarded well over 100 bags of clutter in that 6 weeks and earned over $400 selling the big-ticket items via social media, which I used to make my house prettier."
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Best International Architecture

Remodel - Without Going Bonkers or Broke: A Home Improvement Primer
In fact, that's the single biggest reason that there are so many remodeling horror stories. You will learn how to identify and select the perfect professional remodeler for your project, save thousands of dollars in the process, and preserve your sanity too. Everything needed for a successful professional remodeling experience is inside! Jannine Wooten - Real Estate Investor, Remodeler "Spend a few dollars on this book, there's a good chance you will get it back 100-fold." Ray Brehm - #1 Bestselling Author & Entrpreneur "Molinelli's enthusiasm for the subject shines through on every page of this invaluable guide, and it's quite infectious."
Reviews
"This book provides great insights into remodeling myths and is an organized how-to guide for anyone preparing for a remodeling project."
"Written by a true professional who has a huge resume for remodeling projects. You can save yourself time and headaches by just doing the simple things suggested in this book including things like knowing how to interview people you are hiring, knowing the reason and potential gains behind your remodel projects and much more."
"He is the Master Sherpa guiding homeowners through the intricate steps necessary for a successful remodeling project."
"Great book and well done."
"I'd have saved a lot of money and made a lot more when I sold."
"A very informative, staightforward, honest and helpful book especially to those who are in the dark of not knowing where and how to start remodelling their house."
"Without Going Bonkers or Broke I have the blueprint I need to get a top-notch remodeling project result."
"Jim’s book is full of great information that guides you through the process from beginning to end."
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Best Landscape Architecture

Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change
AHS Book Award winner This lushly-photographed reference is an important moment in horticulture that will be embraced by anyone looking for a better, smarter way to garden. “This beautiful book shows us that guiding natural processes rather than fighting them is the key to creating healthier landscapes and happier gardeners. “There’s inspiration here, from the honesty with which the authors address climate change to the experiential wisdom they bring to every aspect of the complex process of creating a landscape.” — Booklist. “In this text-heavy volume, a landscape designer and a horticulturist teach us that gardening can be a partnership with nature when gardeners shed conventional practices, exploit plants’ life cycles, and embrace unpredictable plant communities.” — Library Journal. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to work with wild or ecological planting styles; we can all learn a lot from it.” — Gardens Illustrated. their observations and analysis open our eyes and invite us to adopt an approach that can be deeply meaningful and filled with ‘surprises and revelatory events.’” — Pacific Horticulture Magazine. “ Garden Revolution gives land managers the toolkit to work with land on large and small scales in order to create ecologically sensitive landscapes. “A thoughtful meditation on ecology, garden design, and theory of native landscapes.” — Garden Collage. But there’s a better way: by following ecological principles, we can have landscapes that are alive with color, friendly to local wildlife, and evolve over time—with much less work and effort.
Reviews
"The other two were The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden by Doug Tallamy and Rick Darke and Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West. Tallamy and Darke's book expanded brilliantly on the main idea presented in Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, that being how native plants in the cultivated and managed landscapes can provide provide a lifeline to the wildlife we share our planet with. This book also offered real world info on plant selection and the gorgeous photography of Rick Darke to inspire us. Whether talking about ecological concepts such as r- and K-selected species or explaining how to specify a seed mix for a meadow, the landscape professional has a wealth of practical and useful material to absorb here. There is a wealth of specific management techniques such as using Mother Colony expansion zones, I am sure most Landscape professionals have never considered."
"This is the book I would write if I was as talented as the authors."
"Best for analysis and natural design."
"Good information."
"Wonderful interesting book!"
"An accomplished landscape designer inspires us photos and a narrative illustrating his strong preference for native plants."
"Lots to think about."
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Best Architecture Criticism

Architecture: Form, Space, and Order
The revered architectural reference, updated with contemporary examples and interactive 3D models The Interactive Resource Center is an online learning environment where instructors and students can access the tools they need to make efficient use of their time, while reinforcing and assessing their understanding of key concepts for successful understanding of the course. Primary elements and the principles of space design Form and space, including light, view, openings, and enclosures Organization of space, and the elements and relationships of circulation Proportion and scale, including proportioning systems and anthropometry. The updated and revised Fourth Edition features the fundamental elements of space and form and is designed to encourage critical thought in order to promote a more evocative understanding of architecture. This edition includes an access card with a redemption code for the online Interactive Resource Center , which features thirty-five animations, flashcards of key architectural terms, and an image gallery showcasing hundreds of photos that enrich the book’s content.
Reviews
"Obviously this is intended as a text book for students in an architecture program, but for me, this is a book that pulls together the ideas, theories, structures, developments, and history of the way we design, build, and use the built environment."
"Must have for architecture students, professionals and enthusiasts."
"The book is indispensable in distilling key architectural concepts."
"It is good item for me."
"must read book for designers."
"I found the book to be a good discussion on architecture and spaces, but I've had to look up things talked about in the book several times on the Internet."
"This text was purchased as a high-school graduation gift for a student who has an interest in architecture."
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Best Architecture Reference

Remodel - Without Going Bonkers or Broke: A Home Improvement Primer
In fact, that's the single biggest reason that there are so many remodeling horror stories. You will learn how to identify and select the perfect professional remodeler for your project, save thousands of dollars in the process, and preserve your sanity too. Everything needed for a successful professional remodeling experience is inside! Jannine Wooten - Real Estate Investor, Remodeler "Spend a few dollars on this book, there's a good chance you will get it back 100-fold." Ray Brehm - #1 Bestselling Author & Entrpreneur "Molinelli's enthusiasm for the subject shines through on every page of this invaluable guide, and it's quite infectious."
Reviews
"This book provides great insights into remodeling myths and is an organized how-to guide for anyone preparing for a remodeling project."
"Written by a true professional who has a huge resume for remodeling projects. You can save yourself time and headaches by just doing the simple things suggested in this book including things like knowing how to interview people you are hiring, knowing the reason and potential gains behind your remodel projects and much more."
"I love the way Jim Molinelli invites us to organize our remodeling project almost as if it we were writing a business plan. Finally, you have a plan that makes sense--and that you can present to the people who will make it all happen."
"He is the Master Sherpa guiding homeowners through the intricate steps necessary for a successful remodeling project."
"I remodeled five homes in my life and each time I blew the budget less than 2/3th of the way."
"Without Going Bonkers or Broke I have the blueprint I need to get a top-notch remodeling project result."
"I'd have saved a lot of money and made a lot more when I sold."
"A very informative, staightforward, honest and helpful book especially to those who are in the dark of not knowing where and how to start remodelling their house."
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Best Architecture History & Periods

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore--already under construction for more than a century--was announced: "Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome....shall do so before the end of the month of September." He engineered the perfect placement of brick and stone, built ingenious hoists and cranes to carry an estimated 70 million pounds hundreds of feet into the air, and designed the workers' platforms and routines so carefully that only one man died during the decades of construction--all the while defying those who said the dome would surely collapse and his own personal obstacles that at times threatened to overwhelm him. Its span of more than 140 feet exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, and even outdoes the Capitol in Washington, D.C., making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. He tells a compelling, informed story, ranging from discussions of the construction of the bricks, mortar, and marble that made up the dome, to its subsequent use as a scientific instrument by the Florentine astronomer Paolo Toscanelli. Walker was the hardcover publisher of Dava Sobel's sleeper smash, Longitude, and Mark Kurlansky's steady-seller Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World. British novelist King (previously unpublished in the U.S.) compiles an elementary introduction to the story of how and why Renaissance Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) designed and oversaw the construction of the enormous dome of Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore cathedralAdesigning its curves so that they needed no supporting framework during construction: a major Renaissance architectural innovation.
Reviews
"I had the opportunity to attend a talk by Mr. Ross a couple weeks ago and it was so interesting that I purchased this book a couple days later."
"The prize was designing what would become the signature architectural landmark of Florence, Italy--the octagonal Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. To put it into perspective, the dome would rise from an opening 18 stories above the street, and top out at the equivalent of a 38-story building. Filippo Brunelleschi won the contest by challenging the other competing architects to make an egg stand on its end. The inner dome was built first and like the frame of an automobile contained a series of horizontal and vertical supports that held everything together. The horizontal supports consisted of a series of sandstone and wood beams and iron chains that circled the dome like the hoops of a barrel, to keep the structure from spreading outward. Couple with the circular horizontal supports, the entire structure was a lattice work of cross members embedded within the brick-and-mortar walls. Brunelleschi did not have this luxury, as there were not enough trees in all of Tuscany to build the necessary scaffolding to reach the heights that were presented. With no visible means of support (and not understanding the law of compression), they believed the entire structure would collapse from its own weight and they would fall to their death. The reversible gear allowed loads to ascend and descend without the need of turning around the oxen team each time the direction was changed. Brunelleschi created a unique external covering system that consisted of tiles designed specially for easy assembly and maintenance. They are not well drawn, and in some cases not clear, such as the brick herringbone pattern used to build the dome: the illustration is small and difficult to figure out."
"This book was Amazing, especially for Engineers!"
"My main critique is that, while the prose was lucid and explanatory, I would have appreciated more photographs and -- especially -- diagrams and schematics depicting the architectural innovations employed (as well as rejected) in the building of the Santa Maria del Fiore's magnificent dome."
"Perhaps because I love Florence, have stood spellbound looking up at the dome of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore or perhaps because the story of how a man's dream of building a dome without buttresses or wooden centering (wooden support posts) actually came to pass."
"We are off to Florence tomorrow for two months, and this was the perfect primer...Ross discourses on the Times, people, customs, etc."
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Best Architecture Study & Teaching

Remodel - Without Going Bonkers or Broke: A Home Improvement Primer
In fact, that's the single biggest reason that there are so many remodeling horror stories. You will learn how to identify and select the perfect professional remodeler for your project, save thousands of dollars in the process, and preserve your sanity too. Everything needed for a successful professional remodeling experience is inside! Jannine Wooten - Real Estate Investor, Remodeler "Spend a few dollars on this book, there's a good chance you will get it back 100-fold." Ray Brehm - #1 Bestselling Author & Entrpreneur "Molinelli's enthusiasm for the subject shines through on every page of this invaluable guide, and it's quite infectious."
Reviews
"In this easy reading instructional manual, Jim Molinelli lays out a concise method for keeping sanity during a remodeling project."
"Jim’s book is full of great information that guides you through the process from beginning to end."
"Undoubtedly THE book to get even if you think you might possibly sometime in the future hypothetically consider remodeling."
"Great book and well done."
"I'd have saved a lot of money and made a lot more when I sold."
"This book gives guidance on how to find reputable contractors (and it's not by using the popular advertised sites)."
"As a women owning 2 homes there is always something to fix, never mind remodeling to just update!"
"Very, Very informative."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Architecture Project Management

Remodel - Without Going Bonkers or Broke: A Home Improvement Primer
In fact, that's the single biggest reason that there are so many remodeling horror stories. You will learn how to identify and select the perfect professional remodeler for your project, save thousands of dollars in the process, and preserve your sanity too. Everything needed for a successful professional remodeling experience is inside! Jannine Wooten - Real Estate Investor, Remodeler "Spend a few dollars on this book, there's a good chance you will get it back 100-fold." Ray Brehm - #1 Bestselling Author & Entrpreneur "Molinelli's enthusiasm for the subject shines through on every page of this invaluable guide, and it's quite infectious."
Reviews
"Great book and well done."
"I'd have saved a lot of money and made a lot more when I sold."
"Saves you time, money & a lot of frustration."
"Without Going Bonkers or Broke: Eliminate 3 Critical Mistakes and Save Thousands Using This Proven Step-by-Step Method," Jim Molinelli succinctly and concisely boils down a lifetime’s worth of experience in the remodeling business in this well-written guide. He provides the expert guidance needed to take you from developing realistic plans and budgets through selecting your project professionals and entering into contracts -- all while keeping your sanity. Jim guides you through the planning process from your first inklings of a desire to remodel, to the final, detailed specifications needed to accurately and completely define your project. The final two sections contain information on how to interview and select your remodeling professionals, including how to guidance on evaluating proposals, managing costs, and negotiating. With Jim's decades of experience in the remodeling business, these insights are invaluable to those of us who have never had any exposure to the subject outside of HGTV shows."
"A first rate guide to remodeling your home written as if the author was sitting across from you at your dining room table answering all of your questions."
"It gave me valuable insights on what I could personally do to improve my home without costing an arm and leg."
"Jim said up front his goal was to teach the readers how to approach a remodeling project. His examples were specific to his goal of teaching the readers how to get ready for a remodeling project."
"Who knew reading about remodelling could be so enjoyable?Jim Molinelli's wonderfully written book is a must have for anyone who wants to remodel without going crazy. Here's why: If you have ever remodelled a house then you know what a painstaking experience it can be. With all this on the line, most folks will jump head first into the remodel process with excitement and their budgeted money burning through their pocket. This book is the start of your remodel team."
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Best Architects, A-Z

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art
Drawing on interviews with both past and present executives of auction houses and art dealerships, artists, and the buyers who move the market, Thompson launches the reader on a journey of discovery through the peculiar world of modern art. Independent 'Intriguing and readable' Sunday Express 'Don Thompson is an entertaining sceptic when it comes to contemporary art...a much-needed attempt to get to grips with the mysteries of the art market...Thompson's knowledge of markets and law is a convincing and informative read.'.
Reviews
"This is a very well documented encapsulation of all that is horrifyingly wrong with the art market today, esp in the USA and London where quality and talent is totally subjugated to and trumped by sensation, trendiness and outrage."
"The author sweeps you along, divulging such new and inconceivable information, that you will constantly want to keep going. It is true, though, that this author has only focused on a part of the art world, and there are many successful artists working in areas uncovered by the book."
"Let me preface by stating that I have taught art/sculpture at the university level and have struggled to become a professional artist. Read how top galleries and auction houses manipulate the market."
"What it does is to explain basic but often unanswered questions: why the art world has become so exclusive; why artworks need price tags; who decides on those numbers; how an emerging artist can become a branded one, and etc."
"Overall, the book is well-written and thought-provoking."
"As an arts activist, artist and past gallery director, this book tells it all...and adds a few newer tricks (auction houses...give me a break!)."
"Interesting and informative."
"Boy am I learning a lot about marketing!"
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Best Architecture Drawing & Modelling

Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods
It also features an expanded series of case studies along with more axonometric detail drawings and revised photographs for a thoroughly illustrated approach. Helpful Resources in this Book This publication provides exactly what it says on the cover.
Reviews
"I have to say it's really nice to be able to get it unbound - saves a lot of money, I just slung it into a binder and it's super handy to be able to take out the chapter I need and bring it with me instead of lugging the whole huge thing around."
"A great book and resource for all kinds of materials information but sometimes things need a bit more clarity; a word is introduced in the text without an explanation and it may not be in the glossary."
"The book is very comprehensive with lots of great diagrams and photos explaining the materials and concepts described in the text."
"This book appears to be written for educational purposes, but is a great reference for any construction professional."
"Great book with tons of good information for construction engineers and any one who want to learn more about construction materials."
"Pretty informative in so may ways and a heavy book with great information."
"Highly detailed text and copious diagrams, but photos all black and white."
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Best Building Types & Styles

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore--already under construction for more than a century--was announced: "Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome....shall do so before the end of the month of September." He engineered the perfect placement of brick and stone, built ingenious hoists and cranes to carry an estimated 70 million pounds hundreds of feet into the air, and designed the workers' platforms and routines so carefully that only one man died during the decades of construction--all the while defying those who said the dome would surely collapse and his own personal obstacles that at times threatened to overwhelm him. Its span of more than 140 feet exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, and even outdoes the Capitol in Washington, D.C., making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. He tells a compelling, informed story, ranging from discussions of the construction of the bricks, mortar, and marble that made up the dome, to its subsequent use as a scientific instrument by the Florentine astronomer Paolo Toscanelli. Walker was the hardcover publisher of Dava Sobel's sleeper smash, Longitude, and Mark Kurlansky's steady-seller Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World. British novelist King (previously unpublished in the U.S.) compiles an elementary introduction to the story of how and why Renaissance Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) designed and oversaw the construction of the enormous dome of Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore cathedralAdesigning its curves so that they needed no supporting framework during construction: a major Renaissance architectural innovation.
Reviews
"I had the opportunity to attend a talk by Mr. Ross a couple weeks ago and it was so interesting that I purchased this book a couple days later."
"The prize was designing what would become the signature architectural landmark of Florence, Italy--the octagonal Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. To put it into perspective, the dome would rise from an opening 18 stories above the street, and top out at the equivalent of a 38-story building. Filippo Brunelleschi won the contest by challenging the other competing architects to make an egg stand on its end. The inner dome was built first and like the frame of an automobile contained a series of horizontal and vertical supports that held everything together. The horizontal supports consisted of a series of sandstone and wood beams and iron chains that circled the dome like the hoops of a barrel, to keep the structure from spreading outward. Couple with the circular horizontal supports, the entire structure was a lattice work of cross members embedded within the brick-and-mortar walls. Brunelleschi did not have this luxury, as there were not enough trees in all of Tuscany to build the necessary scaffolding to reach the heights that were presented. With no visible means of support (and not understanding the law of compression), they believed the entire structure would collapse from its own weight and they would fall to their death. The reversible gear allowed loads to ascend and descend without the need of turning around the oxen team each time the direction was changed. Brunelleschi created a unique external covering system that consisted of tiles designed specially for easy assembly and maintenance. They are not well drawn, and in some cases not clear, such as the brick herringbone pattern used to build the dome: the illustration is small and difficult to figure out."
"This book was Amazing, especially for Engineers!"
"My main critique is that, while the prose was lucid and explanatory, I would have appreciated more photographs and -- especially -- diagrams and schematics depicting the architectural innovations employed (as well as rejected) in the building of the Santa Maria del Fiore's magnificent dome."
"Perhaps because I love Florence, have stood spellbound looking up at the dome of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore or perhaps because the story of how a man's dream of building a dome without buttresses or wooden centering (wooden support posts) actually came to pass."
"We are off to Florence tomorrow for two months, and this was the perfect primer...Ross discourses on the Times, people, customs, etc."
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Best Urban & Land Use Planning

The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Thirty years after its publication, The Death and Life of Great American Cities was described by The New York Times as "perhaps the most influential single work in the history of town planning....[It] can also be seen in a much larger context. "—William H. Whyte, author of The Organization Man Thirty years after its publication, The Death and Life of Great American Cities was described by The New York Times as "perhaps the most influential single work in the history of town planning....[It] can also be seen in a much larger context. It is first of all a work of literature; the descriptions of street life as a kind of ballet and the bitingly satiric account of traditional planning theory can still be read for pleasure even by those who long ago absorbed and appropriated the book's arguments."
Reviews
"Amazing book."
"Excellent book and this copy has been extremely well cared for!"
"Just about everyone in most every profession should read this."
"Great book on design of urbanized spaces/cities & theory, Jane Jacobs-ahead of her time!"
"One of the best classic planning novels, and one whose ideas of urban community are timely again."
"Jane Jacobs hints at her understanding of complexity throughout the book, but her basis is made clear in the last chapter as she exposes the way to grasp the problems of cities."
"Outstanding conceptualization and incredibly insightful!"
"Very informative and an easy read."
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