DIY (Do it yourself): house maintenance manuals Books

Book SynopsisOrganizing Your Home with SORT and SUCCEED - Five Simple Steps to Stop Clutter Before It Starts, Save Money and Simplify Your Life is the organizing book for people feeling overwhelmed by their stuff. This master plan from a professional organizer is the only organizing solution you need to declutter at home. This proven organizing system with five simple steps will get readers working quickly on their own real life organizing projects. Anyone can implement this clutter-free system, with clear and easy instruction.Darla DeMorrow is a Certified Professional Organizer® with more than a decade of practical experience helping individuals, families and small business owners who need a better way to organize their life without feeling guilted into impractical minimalism, unattainable Pinterest-fantasy or pricey organizing gadgets. In this book she has created an efficient way of organizing that works for people who are mostly organized already, and is do-able even for people who are di

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Book SynopsisA revised and updated bestseller Revised in coordination with the American Poultry AssociationCovers all the essentials of raising and keeping chickens. More than 75 color photographs and illustrations. People across the country are raising chickens, whether for food or companionship. You can, too, with this indispensable guide. Straightforward advice and dozens of clear, detailed illustrations gives any future chicken farmer the tools he needs to get started, from step-by-step instructions on building the coop to a brief background on chicken biology; from hints on getting high-quality eggs from the hens, to methods for butchering. Full-color photographs of the birds and their landscape round out this comprehensive book. This bestselling book has been completely revised and updated. Jay Rossier was coauthor of A New Lease on Farmland, published by the E. F. Schumacher Society, and wrote occasional book reviews for Northern Woodlands magazine.Trade Review"In this charming book, the authors provide a nice overview of the basics of poultry keeping for those new to the hobby. Beautiful color photographs throughout demonstrate the appeal of chickens, adding to the value of this nice primer on backyard chicken keeping." --Booklist "LIVING WITH CHICKENS will help birds and their owners live in harmony and health. Rossier's easy-going style will be welcomed by both new and experienced poultry owners." --Stephen Green-Armytage, EXTRAORDINARY CHICKENS

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Book SynopsisThis A-to-Z guide illuminates the numerous health benefits of 50 common, easy-to-grow houseplants along with detailed care instructions and beautiful illustrations of each plant.With plant-scaped rooms popping up all over Pinterest, style blogs, and home décor magazines, houseplants are the hottest home accessory right now—and for good reason. Plants are a quick and easy way to add life, color, and texture to any indoor space. But houseplants offer so much more than just visual interest to a room. They can purify the air, reduce stress, improve sleep—and much more! Houseplants for a Healthy Home explains the specific health and wellness benefits of 50 common, easy-to-grow, and popular houseplants, while introducing you to new favorites bound to brighten your life. You will find an A-to-Z guide of a variety of the plants that includes a beautiful illustration of each plant, along with the plant’s health benefits and clear, detailed care instructions. Let Houseplants for a Healthy Home lead you to a life in full bloom.Trade Review"A good houseplant is next best thing to a live-in housekeeper. They add a little pizazz and cosiness wherever you place them, and they can even help you get a better night's sleep. With help from Houseplants for a Healthy Home … get ready to grab your gardening gloves and take a big, deep breath of fresh air (in your bedroom)." * Elle Décor *"In these turbulent times, there's one thing we can all agree on: Houseplants are magic. They can clean the air in your apartment and even grow in low-light conditions. And according to Jon VanZile's new book, Houseplants for a Healthy Home, houseplants can even help you sleep better. Take that, iPhone app that tells me what I already know (last night, you tossed and turned!)." * Architectural Digest *"Fact: Plants work wonders at sprucing up a decor scheme. But did you know that some can literally make you feel better, too? No for real—it’s backed by science. We consulted the new book Houseplants for a Healthy Home for ten beautiful, living, breathing decor additions...that also have surprising health benefits." * PureWow *"If there's an indoor gardener in your life or you're looking for a nice add-on to a growing gift, Houseplants for a Healthy Home by Jon VanZile provides details on caring for fifty different types of indoor plants. There's also info about the health benefits of living with plants and general advice on maintaining houseplants." * This Old House *"As much as I love creative garden ideas for outside, I love them even more for my indoor plants too! I’m learning so much from this book about the specific health and wellness benefits of popular houseplants while introducing you to new favorites bound to brighten your life. With plant-scaped rooms popping up all over Pinterest … houseplants are the hottest home accessory right now—and for good reason." * Sassy Townhouse Living *"This book really is SUCH a help and so much fun to read. The illustrations are pretty and this really explains the world of plants for those of us who really just don't get it. Sort of like plants for dummies. This can be very helpful when setting your home up for good Feng Shui." * Decorista *"Beautifully illustrated hard-back book about plants … .Master gardener Jon VanZile not only tells how to take care of houseplants, but writes about plants that are good and useful for the grower from cleaning the air to using in tinctures and tonics." * Arkansas Democrat Gazette *"If you're looking for ideas as to which houseplants are most beneficial for you and your family, this next book is a great source." * Woman in Real Life *"It’s easy being green — and healthy, too. Everyday plants in your home — yes, the kind in pots on your windowsill or desk — can result in physical and mental benefits … The purported boons of specific species are laid out in a new book Houseplants for a Healthy Home. Wellness expert Jon VanZile compiles fast facts on the exact advantages, from heart disease prevention to asthma relief, attributed to each type of flora and its associated lotions and tonics." * New York Post *"I highly recommend finding a book to help you select and care for plants that will fit your lifestyle the best. Houseplants for a Healthy Home is a book that does just that." * Decorology *"For a lighter read, Houseplants for a Healthy Home is an illustrated encyclopedia of easy-to-grow houseplants, annotated with each plant’s health benefits and detailed care instructions." * House Beautiful *"With color illustrations throughout, this charming compendium covers a veritable alphabet of beneficial plants, from sunburn-soothing aloe vera to toxin-removing Zami­oculcas zamiifolia." * Classic Home *"For decades we have known that plants filter and clean the air we breathe, soak up carbon dioxide and, in turn, give back oxygen. VanZile shows us how to make this come true with 50 specific tropical plants that clean our indoor air ... and have healthful and healing effects on our bodies. Houseplants for a Healthy Home is a great little reference book. It is a fast and fun read crammed with important information. Buy it! You’ll love it!" * Dig It! Magazine *

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Book SynopsisDiscover all the life hacks you?ve been missing with this perfect compendium of skills to answer all of life?s most asked questions from BuzzFeed?s popular lifestyle destination Tasty Home. Need help unclogging a drain? Can?t seem to keep a plant alive? Just want to finally know how to fold a fitted sheet? Let BuzzFeed?s Tasty Home make your life a whole lot easier. With Tasty Home: Life Skills, you?ll learn simple tricks, helpful hacks, and super easy DIYs to increase your how-to knowledge. This book teaches you everything you need to know?even things you didn?t know you needed to know! Based on the most searched topics on Tasty Home?s site and social channels, this go-to guide covers the kind of questions that would have you calling mom. Now, you can secure your spot as a real-life adult whether you need to fix a kitchen fail or quickly sew on a button, this book has your back. Tasty Home: Life Skills packs all the fun and helpful info of BuzzFeed?s how-to site into the perfect guide you?ll find yourself going back to again and again.

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Book SynopsisLearn the logistics of choosing windows, insulation, appliances, and lighting. Find out about FSC certified wood and about using reclaimed materials. Here is everything you need to make your home sustainable.Whether the reader is building a new home or doing a minor remodel, a homeowner needs a framework by which to guide their decisions. These decisions are based on values, and the author posits that there are really only three reasons to go green: For Our Health: By building more sustainably, we reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins. For Our Wealth: By building a more durable home and being more efficient with resources like water and electricity, we reduce our monthly utility bills and ongoing maintenance expenses. For Our Soul: Collectively doing the right thing for our planet does make a difference—and that is soul-nourishing. The green building movement has produced hundreds of “how-to” books and websites that are filled with tips about green building and what homeowners should do to go green. While helpful and informative, when it comes to making actual purchasing and installation decisions, these books do not make it any easier for a homeowner to prioritize against a budget. Here, Melisssa Rappaport Schifman shares her knowledge and experience for others to use in their journey toward a greener way of living.Trade Review“Every architect should read this book.” —David Salmela, FAIA, winner of more than 70 architectural awards (including 8 National AIA Awards)

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Book SynopsisHow to Weed Your Attic: Getting Rid of Junk without Destroying History provides answers to the question: when someone dies or it’s time to move --- or just clean out the attic, garage, or basement, what papers and other things should we save for the sake of history and what can we safely toss? After reading this clearly written book by a retired archivist and a retired museum curator, you can comfortably clean out your attic – or office, garage, basement, cupboards – with confidence that you’re not tossing out historically valuable (or invaluable) things, and that you will not ask your local museum to take things that really belong in a thrift store, junk yard, or recycle center. The book first describes how to identify historically important documents and artifacts. The authors explain a few simple rules: 1) a complete or long collection has more value than a partial one; 2) emotive material provides a richer picture than factual material; 3) unique usually has more value than mass produced; 4) documents and objects carry more information than they intend to; and 5) a 25-year rule exists without our consciously recognizing it. They then apply the rules and assess the probable historical value of four different types of materials: mass produced (from books to vehicles), individually created (from art work to toys), business materials (from governance documents to uniforms), and commemorative materials (from awards to wedding dresses). The book includes a brief description of the basics for preserving materials the reader wants to keep and references sources for more detail. It also recognizes that the reader may not want to keep stuff that clearly has historical value. For those readers, the authors describe how to donate materials to a cultural repository. In broad strokes, they explain how repositories differ, what the repository will want to know about the stuff you're offering, where an appraiser and/or tax advisor fits into the process, and what the reader can expect the repository to do and not do. Finally, the book addresses unexpected issues that may arise around questions of legal ownership and privacy. Throughout the book, the authors illustrate their points using photographs and vignettes. Trade ReviewDow and Cockrell’s approach and advice are right on target—no nonsense and frank, focusing on historical significance rather than nostalgia. They provide expert guidance in an accessible, practical format that we can all put to good use in the difficult task of taking care of the accumulations of family life. -- James B. Gardner, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian InstitutionThe significance of How to Weed your Attic lies in its ability to provide a basis for understanding why family history is important and what we can do to prevent its loss. The book offers solid guidance and pragmatic solutions, especially to those who may be unprepared to make decisions about family records and who fear losing family history. -- Amy Cooper Cary, Head, Special Collections and University Archives, Raynor Memorial Libraries, Marquette UniversityHow do we organize, prioritize, and thin out the mounds of accumulated papers and materials in our files, office drawers, and attics? Dow and Cockrell offer a clear and concise approach to these pressing concerns. This sensible and structured handbook provides encouraging and straightforward strategies for tasks that can otherwise feel overwhelming. From everyday family mementos and photos to corporate records and ephemera, this handy volume is an excellent resource to guide us through the challenges and find satisfaction in well-organized and thoughtfully selected collections. -- Julia Rose, Director and Curator, Homewood Museum at Johns Hopkins UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface 1 Why the Things in Your Attic Matter to History 2 General Rules for Making Decisions 3 Historical Value: Mass Produced Items 4 Historical Value: Individualized Materials 5 Historical Value: Corporate Records 6 Historical Value: Commemorative Material 7 Special Issues 8 Preserving Your Family Objects and Papers 9 Donating Your Family Objects and Papers Index About the Authors

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Book SynopsisAn engaging resource written for anyone interested in learning how to save their personal digital information. The digital era has reshaped the nature, scope, and use of personal information. People collect and store an ever-increasing volume of digital personal information on convenient portable devices and create substantial amounts of personal textual and visual digital information on their personal computers. Computer users have become accustomed to using a variety of tools that involve their interactive social activities. Because of social media, there is a large amount of user-generated content related to peoples’ lives and there is no way for creators to save it all. This phenomenon may thus result in a massive gap in our current history because invaluable information may be lost. Because we may lose so much information, it is helpful to find out as much as we can about how we can manage our personal digital information. This book analyzes the concepts associated with preserving and managing personal digital information. This book will be a resource for everyone interested in learning how to manage and preserve their personal digital lives. Furthermore, the contents provide visual and textual examples that will illustrate how to use best practices to ensure the longevity of information, while considering current solutions to the problems associated with personal information loss. The book is a detailed visual and textual guide to our PIM processes covering the following key areas for information and images of all kinds: ·Receiving ·Generating ·Keeping ·Using ·Organizing ·Re-finding ·Sharing. Sample Notable Sections ·DIY Personal Information Management step-by-step guidance broken down by digital tile types, with images that support guidelines. ·Analysis of all digital storage systems and tools that are available; for example, the diverse types of cloud storage systems. · Appendix of web resources containing personal information management tools.

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Book SynopsisA concise guide to managing your digital life.Today, we collect and store an ever-increasing volume of digital personal information on convenient portable devices and create substantial amounts of personal textual and visual digital information on their personal computers. We have become accustomed to using a variety of tools that involve interactive social activities. Because of social media, there is a large amount of user-generated content related to all aspects of our lives and there is no way for creators to save it all and invaluable content ranging from personal notes to photos to medical information may be lost. Because we may lose so much information, it is helpful to find out as much as we can about how we can manage our personal digital information.This book is a primer to preventing that loss. Here is an introduction to Personal Information Management (PIM) intended for a lay audience. The basic premise is that everyone needs to manage their digital information. This book introduces readers to the kinds of tools people most commonly use today. It will also consider the pros and cons of each of these tools. This book cover he concepts associated with preserving and managing personal digital information. Visual and textual examples illustrate how to use best practices to ensure the longevity of information, while considering current solutions to the problems associated with personal information loss. The book is a detailed guide to the steps involved in managing information and images of all kinds: Receiving Generating Keeping Using Organizing Re-finding Sharing. Most of us don’t know how to prevent information loss; this book introduces tools that will ensure the longevity of our digital lives.Trade ReviewMost of us live digital lives of abundance, creating and keeping evermore stuff. Vanessa Reyes has written a wonderfully practical and prescriptive guide for inventorying your personal digital belongings, organizing them, and keeping them safe without becoming a hoarder or minimalist. She explores the reaches of the question: not just saving, but also loss, intentional deletion, identity management, and digital estate planning. Reyes has written a book for everyone who wants to gain control of their digital legacy. -- Cathy Marshall, Adjunct Professor, Computer Science Department & Center for the Study of Digital Libraries, Texas A&M UniversityWith the overload of digital information, strategies for managing our personal information are continuously evolving. Do we keep or throw away newly encountered information? If we keep it, how should we organize it? And when the information is needed, do we have a known way to retrieve it? In this book, Dr. Reyes provides an account of various practices for managing our personal information. She describes, in very accessible language, some of the tradeoffs of managing our personal information. She describes common tools, practices, and conventions used to manage our information. In my experience, the best strategy to manage your information is always tailored to the particular details of your personal information space. In this book, Reyes provides the basics on how to begin to create such a personalized information management strategy. -- Dr. Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones, Professor, Department of Software and Information Systems, College of Computing and Informatics, University of North Carolina at CharlotteIt’s stunning how much research Vanessa Reyes has done on every aspect of managing personal digital information. In exhaustive detail, she explores methods of PDI organization and maintenance and offers strategies for ongoing PDI management. Geared toward general audiences and information professionals alike. -- Mike Ashenfelder, author of the chapter "The Library of Congress and Personal Digital Archiving," in the book Personal Archiving.Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsChapter 1: From Past to PresentChapter 2: PIM Process Chapter 3: Changing Our PIM BehaviorsChapter 4: Loss of Our Personal Digital CollectionsChapter 5: DIY PIM Tools of the FutureChapter 6: How Do We Save It All? Resources and SolutionsChapter 7: Maintain Your Digital Life While Planning Your Digital EstateAppendix (Recourses)

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Book SynopsisOrganizing Your Kitchen with SORT and Succeed is the simple five-step system to declutter and organize your kitchen and pantry shelves. The kitchen is the heart of the home, even if we spend less time cooking. We still gather, work, meet, congregate and eat in and around the kitchen now more than ever. Clear some space, make it easier to get to essential kitchen items, and do it all while learning a simple system that you can use to organize any space in your home, beyond the kitchen. SORT and Succeed are the five steps used by Darla DeMorrow, CPO®, a professional organizer since 2005 and best-selling author. Also included: a printable Daily Kitchen Cleaning Checklist and a special report on what to do with those awkward corner cabinets.

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Book SynopsisA turn-of-the-century classic.

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Book SynopsisThe complete, step-by-step, full-colour how-to book of designing, forming, mixing, pouring and finishing concrete countertops by the undisputed master of the technique. Fu-Tung Cheng is a California architect and designer who has reinvented the kitchen/bathroom countertop using the medium of concrete. Countertops made of custom-formed, coloured, and finished concrete can look like marble, glass, granite, gold, or sculpture - the look is limited only by the imagination. Concrete Countertops covers every angle of designing, forming, mixing, pouring, colouring, trowelling, in-laying (e.g., brass rods to serve as a drainboard), and finishing decorative concrete countertops, all written by the man who basically invented the form. Unique: this is the only book of its kind on a very hot trend in kitchen and bathroom design. Complete and authoritative: author is a well-connected, internationally renowned expert who essentially invented the medium.

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Book SynopsisSince 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

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