Product Description
Folded travel map in color with highways, roads and traveler's information. Distinguishes 4 levels of highways and roads, including seasonal roads and tracks. Color changes show elevation levels. Includes national parks and eco-tourist sites, locations of beaches and other places of interest. Icons locate archeological sites, hotels, museums, beaches, active volcanoes, surfings sites, filling stations, bird sanctuaries, border crossings, palm groves, lighthouses, reefs, swamps. Icons distinguish international airports, domestic airports and landing strips. Inset maps include downtown San Jose and the San Jose environs (airport locator map). Index to help locate towns and cities. Latitude/longitude grid. Printed on two sides. Waterproof. Scale 1:300,000.
Customer Reviews:
map review.......2007-08-09
Good map, mostly accurate, but I did notice when we were driving around costa rica, that a few of the roads are placed in the wrong area of the map. In other words, a certain road was to have been on one side of a mt., when it was actually on the other side. However; we only found two mistakes so far and they were on back country roads. It is very difficult to get around a country when the roads are unmarked 99% of the time. The map was published in 2006 and we toured in 2007. Of all the maps that we used, this was the best! Costa Rica is a fairly difficult country to get around when going self quided. The largest city, Jan Jose, has NONE of its streets marked, so even with a good map, you have NO idea where you are at!
a very useful map.......2007-08-08
As the author of a travel guide to Costa Rica (Explore Costa Rica, Fifth Edition), which covers the nation (in detail), I can attest that this is one of the best maps to take with you. ITMB is a family-run firm in Vancouver run by Jack Joyce. They have a wide variety of high quality maps. This map makes a superb companion to Explore Costa Rica (which will be a great help with the rest of your trip).
Explore Costa Rica, 5th Edition (Explore Costa Rica)
Sturdy, good quality map........2007-07-05
My wife and I visited Costa Rica for 11 days. We had a hotel booked for the 1st. night only, after that we had highlighted several spots on the map that were interesting to us. In a country where roads are not well marked and we had not been to before we put about 600 miles on our rented Jeep and were only lost twice for a few minutes each time. I think my wife only asked me to stop and ask for directions once, and you know that real men just don't do that! The map was well used and it is still in very good condition. It will accompany us on our next trip to Costa Rica.
Have a great trip, it's a wonderful place.
Great Map!.......2007-06-11
This waterproof map is really excellent. I was able to navigate through Costa Rica with very little difficulty. One of the most helpful aspects of this map is identifying which towns had gas stations (as finding one can be quite difficult!)
Good investment if..........2007-05-08
This is a very comprehensive map, but unless you'll be doing a lot of driving, the rental car one would suffice. For people spending lots of time in CR, this one will be plenty durable!
Book Description
Beyond the deserted beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula and the visceral heights of the Monteverde cloud forests lies the real Costa Rica - a land of delicate pathos, forthright purity and hard-won pacifism. Tromp through virgin rain forest - sighting poison-dart frogs and howler monkeys along the way - or simply explore the local lore and laid-back beach scene with this comprehensive guide. LESS IS MORE - expanded ecofriendly coverage and loads of volunteer and learning opportunities make traveling with a conscience easier than ever THE WILD SIDE - spot your favorite rain forest dwellers - scarlet macaws, caimans and more - with our expert-written color wildlife section GAPS ON THE MAP - lose yourself in the seldom-visited corners of this ecological powerhouse with informed do-it-yourself content and more than 80 maps CHARGE IT! - surf the world's longest left at Pavones, hike through rain forest in Corcovado or drop into roaring rapids with our Adventure Travel chapter
Customer Reviews:
Lonely Planet Costa Rica.......2007-10-04
As always, Lonley Planet doesn't disappoint. All the information you need to plan your trip is here. It is presented precisely and with humor.
Great Book.......2007-09-29
This book was such a useful resource to have while traveling through Costa Rica. The information was very helpful and I would strongly recommend it.
Cean Colcord
Conflicted author may depress you.......2007-07-11
While I agree with the conservationist spirit and general distaste for overrun tourist traps expressed throughout this guidebook by Matthew Firestone (one of the book's two authors), I found his relentlessly negative tone to be extremely off-putting. While the sections written by the other author (Mara Vorhees) are more neutral, informative and generally reflect the high quality I've come to expect from the Lonely Planet series of guidebooks, Matthew Firestone's sections have fully succeeded in dampening my enthusiasm for a trip to Costa Rica before the trip has even begun.
While it may be that the beach at Playa Tamarindo "is full of blubbery North American and European holidaymakers who spend most of their time frying in the sun like beached whales" turning their complexion "from a pasty white to a rosy shade of skin cancer," and while that description does indeed sound like a scene I would rather avoid, I find the author's consistent haughty tone and overriding negativity to be out of place and offensive in a book that is intended for - after all - tourists.
I am still planning what I fully expect to be an exciting and fun vacation in Costa Rica, but now I have to do so in spite of the author of this book's overbearing negativity. It's true, I'm sure, that Costa Rica was once better to visit than it is today, but this book is not for people who knew and loved the country years ago. It's intended for people who have never been there before, and since Mr. Firestone couldn't put aside his sour gripes and focus on what's great about the place rather than bemoaning what's been lost, his words and advice won't be making the trip with me.
This book has been my first disappointment in the Lonely Planet series.
Lonely Planet Rocks.......2007-07-05
In my travels I have come to rely on Lonely Planet for sound advise - they've never led me astray. Prior to travel I always check out their website as the feedback from other travels that is posted there is also outstanding.
Pretty good but not enough pictures........2007-05-31
This book is very detailed but it can be hard to use without so many pictures of what they are describing. Some of the information was a little out dated or incorrect, but on the whole, a useful resource. I used it in conjunction with the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide which has more pictures but less detail. Using the two, we were able to get a a more comprehensive guide for our excursioins.
Book Description
Walking a forest trail in Costa Rica, a visitor might be struck by the sight of an iridescent blue morpho butterfly fluttering ahead in the filtered daylight, or an enormous silk moth, as magnificently patterned and subtly colored as a Persian carpet, only emerging to fly at night. Elsewhere, vivid yellow and orange sulphur butterflies flock to puddles to sip the concentrated minerals. Such is the dazzling variety of the butterflies and moths unique to this region.
Gathered by biologists Daniel Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs in the forests of northwestern Costa Rica, 100 tropical butterflies and moths represent the diversity in large-format photographs by Jeffrey Miller that document the dizzying variety of shapes, colors, and markings. The photographs are accompanied by species accounts and images of the corresponding caterpillar. The authors recount these insects' feats of mimicry and migration, lift the veil on their courtship, and show how the new technology of DNA barcoding is changing the picture of Lepidopteran biodiversity.
The authors also tell the success story of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, where the long-term work of Janzen and Hallwachs, a team of caterpillar collectors, and the participation of neighboring farming communities has deepened understanding of Costa Rica's Lepidoptera and has brought about advances in restoration ecology of tropical habitats, biodiversity prospecting, biotechnology, and ecotourism development.
Customer Reviews:
100 Butterflies and Moths: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica.......2007-09-07
Excellent! details in text and photographs. Highly recommended for biologists and folks interested in wild life.
Costa Rican Leps.......2007-05-24
This ia an excellant book that combines coffe-table quality photographs of the butterflies and moths with an excellent text describing interesting aspects of their biology.
Product Description
As seen on TV, "The Hedonist" is the Sex Bible for Single Male vacations. This in-depth guide is written for the Professional Hedonist, the guy who knows exactly what he wants, is willing to pay for it, and likes to spoil himself rotten. If you love exotic tropical excursions with Golf, Deep Sea Fishing, Casinos, and sexy young girls who always say yes, this book is for you. This detailed travel assistant covers 20 affordable tropical cities, from the hot spots in Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, and the Caribbean, to a dozen untarnished island paradises in South America, Asia, and Europe, where you'll be treated like a King for $25! A fascinating read written from personal experiences, in a hysterical, Maxim-like sarcastic style that seems more like a Bachelor Party conversation than a travel guide. You'll learn the how and the where to go for all your sports activities, as well as meeting your uninhibited "dates", with the low down on the club procedures, pricing and terminology, and local updated websites w/maps and details. Red Light Districts, Brothels, full service nude strip clubs, massage parlors, outcall escorts, horny locals, beach play toys, whatever your preference, it's all here...complete with reviews, addresses, phone numbers, and first hand field reports. Included is a must-read 30 pages of Sex Tourism 101 advice on mastering the games and psychology of the local women you'll meet. This is the taboo Bachelor's Vacation Guide that we've all been waiting for, without a single politically correct word in it. All in all, a fantastic resource, packed with info you can't find anywhere else, over 200 pages of extensive, concise, well-researched advice. A real time and money saver. Why settle for anything but the best, and why gamble on hopes. Bet on the sure thing. The girls are waiting...
Customer Reviews:
Great time and money saver.......2007-08-11
I searched Amazon forever for a singles vacation guide and finally found this little nugget.
The only Bachelor's travel guide you'll need. Take Conde Naste, Lonely Planet, and add women, sports, and testosterone and you've got the Hedonist. These are all party cities, mostly tropic locations, with great fishing and golf at each. Complete travel advice on each city; customs, visas, sports companies to use, taxis, hotels, and the underground clubs to visit. For daytime activity, you'll find all the tourist stuff as well. Short, sweet and to the point. I've taken two trips and the advice was spot on, plus this book is witty and interesting; a hoot to read. All original, there's nothing copied here. This is the only book of it's kind. Highly recommended.
Don't waste your money.......2007-08-11
Did not see any value to this book at all. I bought another book by the same author and found half he copied to this book.
What a great book!.......2007-06-17
The Holy Grail for enjoying high level sports and fun loving women. Everyone has the travel bug. Tate does us all a great favor by passing the torch to his favorite honey holes around the world. The Hedonist is a very fascinating page turner, isn't full of irrelevant blather, and is geared exactly for what younger men want to do. It saves hours with all it's shortcuts. Besides, the author is pretty hilarious to read.
This book has actually increased my productivity at work, since I have future travel goals in mind. I focus and produce and skip out of town. I easily pay for the trips just by no longer wasting time and cash in nightclubs dealing the whiny, entitlement mentality of women here.
Work hard and spoil yourself.......2007-06-17
This is a great vacation guide for exploring different regions around all corners of the globe. For sports fanatics like me, you will no longer have to waste hours trying to find the next spot. I highly recommend it; I've done 4 trips so far, and the book was very accurate in giving me a clear picture of what to expect before arriving, and how to maximize my time there. I get a big kick of reading and reading about each city, as I plan for the next vacation.
The Fat Cat vacation guide.......2007-06-04
Having now taken two of the trips in this book, I can highly recommend it, and say that Tate is clearly an expert on putting together the ultimate guy's vacation guide. What guy doesn't love great golf courses, world class ocean fishing, casinos, and hot young women chasing you every where you go?
The Costa Rica trip my buddies and I was one of the most slamming, funny, outrageous times I've ever had. (On a side note, I've walked around with a Hotel del Rey baseball cap on, and I've had complete strangers stop me and share stories numerous times.) The sail fishing on the west coast is some of the best in the world for quantity, and fast action. They just hit everytime you turn around. We had runs for both sail fish and we hit a dorado run that was incredible; we hooked 40 fish on a one day trip. We stayed at the hotel Tate recommended, Marriot Los Suenos, and played their golf course, and it was beautiful to say the least. Smack dab in the middle of a rain forest, with great views of the coastal line. This trip rocks just for the sports; the women of course are the icing on the cake, and they certainly were some hotties; plenty to go around. What a trip! Seriously guys. Buy this book and take some of the trips he lays out.
Book Description
Only book available combining coverage of bar operations management and mixology.
* Expanded sections on theft, service, staffing, liability, budgeting, and cost control.
* New sections on gaming operations and safe serving, plus an increased emphasis on wine and beer in food and beverage operations.
* All-new photographs and line illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
A great value!!.......1999-01-17
This book is deffinatly one you should buy if your starting a bussines, in this feald.
WOW!!!!!!!!.......1998-12-10
I SEARCHED FOR YEARS TO FIND A COMPLETE GUIDE TO BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT/MIXOLOGY. THIS IS IT!! END OF SEARCH.
BEST BAR BOOK EVER.......1998-10-07
THIS BY FAR IS THE BEST BOOK WRITTEN FOR BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT, BARTENDING, AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR BAR OPERATIONS. IF YOU OWN ONLY ONE SUCH BOOK ...THIS IS IT.
Product Description
The most most detailed, most current and best selling surf guide to Costa Rica. Features over 80 breaks on both coasts and over 100 hotels nearest the breaks. Includes a helpful tips section including what to pack and how to pack surfboards. Many maps and helpful driving directions. Not a coffee table picture book or pocket guide. This is a comprehensive, down-and-dirty, backpack ready surf guide.
Customer Reviews:
Necessary for any surfer going to Costa Rica.......2007-08-31
This book was a lifesaver. You gotta read it BEFORE you go out, because at one spot we hit, turned out to be alligator infested.
But this book is essential and tells spots that would normally be a mystery. Breaks on and off the beaten path.
Nothing New!!.......2007-04-02
I am returning to costa rica for the third time, and bought this book thinking there would be some deep researched information that may reveal hidden secrets that I had not yet explored. I was wrong. The book provides little information that a travelling surfer (one that really surfs) doesn't already know, or really needs. If you like for your entire trip to be scheduled before hand this book will provide you the information to do so. Good only for the first time surfer Costa Traveller without an internet connection or hasn't discovered google.
Best surf guide I've seen but still...........2007-01-09
All and all this is a decent guidebook. It gives you a breakdown of a lot of surfspots in Costa Rica. However, the information is a little outdated. The names of many hotels/restaurants/hostels, changed many years ago and this hasn't been reflected in the guide. Further, the author seems to mainly list the more upscale establishments. I personally am a shoestring budget surfer, so I didn't find his hotel reccommendations that useful since they seem to mostly be in the upper price range. I also found that many of the spots he claims will be uncrowded, are absolutely packed (Ostional). His information regarding spot specifics is also a bit weak. He usually states something like "Works best on Low tide/High tide", but I didn't find these tips to be true as it is very much dependent on the swell direction and how the sand banks formed this year.
Overall I reccommend it, but when in Costa Rica it is best to ask people there for information rather than relying on the book.
The Surfer's Guide to Costa Rica by Mike Parise.......2006-03-26
Simpy a must have for anyone traveling to Costa Rica. Don't think too much about it, it would be foolish not to buy. It will definitly pay for itself many times over.
A board, towel and this book.......2005-12-14
are the only things you need for Costa Rica. I saw this on Cutback.com, bought it and it told me everything I needed to know.
Awesome!
Average customer rating:
- Lacking an Implementation Perspective
|
Warping & Morphing of Graphical Objects (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)
Jonas Gomes ,
Lucia Darsa ,
Bruno Costa , and
Luiz Velho
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Web Graphics
| Web Design
| Web Development
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphics & Multimedia
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| Computers & Internet
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General
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
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General
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General
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| Computers & Internet
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| Technology
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Computers & Internet
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Science
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 1558604642 |
Book Description
Warping and morphing permeate the realm of computer graphics. This classic book defines the field: it presents a unifying view of warping and morphing, combining a conceptual framework with a consolidated view of the state of the art. Coverage includes deformations of various graphical objects such as plane curves, images, surfaces, and volumes.
The authors developed a full-featured warping and morphing system, Morphos, where several types of graphical objects and computation techniques coexist. Morphos is included on the companion CD-ROM.
This book and CD-ROM offer the most comprehensive professional reference available on warping and morphing techniques. Together they are the complete source for both researchers whose main interests are in the mathematical and conceptual foundations and computer graphics professionals who need to incorporate more warping and morphing techniques into their applications.
* The latest warping and morphing techniques and examples
* An entire chapter on image-based rendering techniques and how they relate to warping and morphing
* Companion CD-ROM containing source code and documentation for the Morphos system
* Links to www.visgraf.impa.br/morph/, which provides an online bibliography and pointers to other regularly updated morphing Web sites
Customer Reviews:
Lacking an Implementation Perspective.......2001-10-01
I felt that the book was lacking in details that
would have led to implementation of some of the
algorithms presented. Often I felt that the math
was not providing any insights into what was acutally
going on behind the terminology.
The code on the CDROM has virtually no comments
and was useless to me when taken out of context.
I was disappointed in the end with the price/performance
of this book. It might be right for you, but flip through
it before buying!
Book Description
Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Costa Rica features gorgeous color photos of the lush rain forest, the amazing array of wildlife, and the spectacular beaches that await you. Personally researched by a longtime resident, it's the only truly up-to-date guide that gives you such in-depth coverage of this fast-changing country, with recommended accommodations in every price category. You'll visit rugged wilderness preserves and sleepy beach towns, spectacular orchid gardens and mineral hot springs at the foot of a steaming volcano. There are adventures here to suit all ages and abilities: swooping from treetop platform to treetop platform on a canopy tour, taking a dip in a jungle swimming hole, spotting playful spider monkeys as you hike through lush foliage, windsurfing on Lake Arenal, or watching endangered sea turtles nest on the beach. With Frommer's in hand, you'll experience the wonder of Costa Rica's amazing biodiversity, as we point out the best places to see hundreds of unique, colorful species of animals and plants. You'll even get a color fold-out map!
Customer Reviews:
Helpful pre-trip info.......2007-09-18
Frommer's Costa Rica 2007 (Frommer's Complete)
Although I will not depart for Costa Rica until next month, I found this book to be very helpful & full of useful pre-trip info.
Arrived Torn!.......2007-04-04
A very nice map, good detail, waterproof but so flimsy that it arrived TORN!
Tourist's guide to touristy places.......2007-03-25
It should be noted that the image used on the cover of this guide is of a private hot springs resort, not the natural environment that Costa Rica is noted for. I guess that's a popular trick though, as I bought a foldable laminated map that had a picture taken from the same resort.
This book is a decent guide, but it will lead you only to the most touristy places on your travel. If that's what you're looking for, this is fine, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will help you find anything more obscure.
Also, don't let the 2007 edition fool you: there is still much out of date information here including pricing and hours of operation. Nothing too glaring mind you, but not exactly up to the claim that they update the entire book each year. For instance, the resort where the cover picture was taken is open later but charges more than the book describes.
It is also not a comprehensive guide, though that is forgivable. If you plan on spending any time on the Nicoya Peninsula, this book has exactly one paragraph for you. Other information and descriptions of major areas was accurate and detailed enough though.
I'd by the Lonely Planet guide instead after reading this.
I hope you have some cash - not a book for backpackers.......2007-03-04
While I liked the general structure of the book, starting of with detailed best-of lists, and then giving more detail of Costa Rica's regions, I didn't feel I was included in the book's target group. Most hotels discussed start at $30, there isn't much information on local buses or camping - all those things that make backpacking cheap. The descriptions of hiking and tour options are also far less detailed than in the latest Lonely Planet.
The book also caters to people that book whole Costa Rica itineraries, and some are suggested. However, this is not the book for the independent traveler with a limited budget.
However, the wildlife section at the end of the book is really good, and such a section is definitely a good thing in a Costa Rica guide, as many travelers go there for seeing tropical animals and ecosystems.
All in all, the latest Lonely Planet is more up-to-date, and definitely has more information on acommodations, eateries, getting around, camping and hiking. It also includes a lot more places, whereas Frommer's doesn't really leave the trodden paths.
Don't waste your money on this one........2007-02-25
A lazy attempt at getting you around Costa Rica. Not much info on anything. If a town has 10 places to stay and eat, this one only lists a couple - that is if your town is listed at all. You'll never really be able to see or appreciate Costa Rica using this book. Moon Handbook is far better.
Book Description
Imagine yourself living in Costa Rica. You stroll home past lush vegetation after a long day of surfing. You know the locals and speak Spanish with ease. You show visiting friends around with the confidence of one who belongs. Author Erin Van Rheenen shows you how to make your dream take shape. She left her life as a guidebook editor in the San Francisco Bay Area to make a home abroad in Costa Rica. While some give up—daunted by the financial, bureaucratic, and decision-making issues that accompany a move so extraordinary—you'll be led step-by-step through the information you need on visas, money, jobs, housing, safety, language, culture, and history. Erin has done the research and made the mistakes—so you don't have to. There's a place that matches your budget, needs, and dreams: perhaps it's an impressive new condominium in the upper-class San José suburb of Escazú, a wooden house on stilts in the isolated Caribbean coast town of Tortuguero, or a mountain retreat with a view of the Arenal Volcano. You can make it happen. With Living Abroad in Costa Rica, it's easier than you think.
Customer Reviews:
Living Abroad in Costa Rica.......2007-07-08
This book is such a precious find for anybody considering a prolongued stay in Costa Rica. This is the third book about Costa Rica that I purchased, but the first one that held my interest for more than a few pages. I found myself using a highlighter and bookmarking page after page of useful tips, information, and advice!
Still thinking of moving abroad.......2007-05-31
My husband and I are considering moving to Costa Rica and I found this book to use as a reference. It is very informative. We can't wait to return for another visit and maybe stay at some of the suggested places. Although this book is not up-to-date it does have a lot of important info in it.
still thinking.......2007-05-22
though we are still thinking about whether to make the move, the book was very insightful and practical in helping make the decision.
the author paints a beautiful picture of the country and also talks about some of the unknowns that we were wondering about to include medical facilities, transportation, cultural aspects, and budgets.
very helpful
I appreciate this book!.......2007-05-13
Living abroad in Costa Rica is a generally informative book re: culture, how to gain residency, lifestyles, weather conditions and many other bits of necessary information to assist in becoming a new contributor in the life of Tico culture.
Very informative and interesting.......2007-02-21
Very much what I was looking for! a great book to stat out your adventures, ahead of time. answers questions, and brings to mind many more! thank you.
Book Description
As Americans hunger for home improvement, Lowe's and Home Depot have risen to the status of weekend hotspots. Home-design shows like Trading Spaces are flourishing up and down the television dial, mirroring the national nesting craze. And the most-remodeled room in the nest is the kitchen.
While remodeling can be a stressful experience, Everything and the Kitchen Sink demystifies the kitchen design and remodeling process with a humorous, down-to-earth, and candid approach that lets readers know exactly what they're in for-and how to triumph.
Savvy homeowners really need to be involved in every step of a kitchen remodel, whether they're leaving the labor to the pros or rolling up their sleeves to tackle the project solo. Planning and foresight are crucial to a successful and (relatively) painless remodeling project.
Researching design options, hiring contractors, budgeting, making smart purchases, cutting costs, financing, surviving the chaos of installations, and effective problem-solving are explained in straightforward, user-friendly detail.
While learning how to successfully navigate the process, readers will also explore hundreds of exciting and innovative ideas for creating a dream kitchen at any price point. Floor plans, diagrams, and beautiful four-color and black-and-white photographs help readers visualize their own finished projects.
Customer Reviews:
Your Perfect Kitchen.......2007-04-04
Compare materials before you start your remodel, and also get some cost-cutting tips for creating your dream kitchen.
Great Design Ideas (and a Fun Read, Too!).......2007-02-12
This charming, clever and extremely user friendly book was a Godsend during our kitchen remodel. There are lots of helpful comparison charts so you can see the pros and cons of different materials before you buy them (not just what they tell you when they're trying to sell you stuff, but the honest truth, like how granite stains if you don't seal it regularly, or how painted cabinets crack over time). There's great advice about design styles, and about designing your kitchen to fit both your budget and your family's lifestyle (even including the dos and don'ts for families with small kids, families with pets, people who are neatness challenged, etc.).
There's also a lot of nice extras, like cost cutting tips, advice about financing, how to interview installers or designers so you don't end up with a lemon, how to budget realistically, and everything you wanted to know about product, from cabinet wood species to faucet finishes to flooring to high-tech appliances.
It's clear that the writers know their stuff, and I would suggest anyone even thinking about remodeling their kitchen read this as part of the starter package! You won't find better. One caveat: This is not the book that's going to walk you through doing the job yourself from A to Z. It doesn't teach you how to do your own electrical, or give you a crash course in laying flooring. But then again, as the authors will tell you, if you're going to do this yourself, you need more skills than what you can get just reading a book (and it could be dangerous to think otherwise). Skilled do it yourselfers will find this most useful for the product information (of which there's plenty), design style info and insider tips.
Overall, we found this to be enormously helpful, plus great fun to read. Many of these books are dry as dust, but this was engaging and very funny in parts -- yet still very informative. If you have designs on a new kitchen, be sure to read this book first! We highly recommend it!
Not much substance and not fun to read.......2007-02-12
I read this book quickly and probably won't use it again before we remodel the kitchen. This is the fifth book I've read on kitchens and I purchased this one based on the reviews here. Like another reviewer said, this book is a handy companion if you are needing some design ideas and plan on working with a designer in the future. I guess I was expecting more substance.
The authors try really hard to be funny. They are also assuming their audience is female. I didn't enjoy this approach and found the writing boorish. There are some useful things in the book, but these things are far and few between.
My favorite book so far is "Great Kitchens: Design Ideas from America's Top Chefs".
More of a design and idea book.......2006-09-19
If your looking for a how to book on remodeling your kitchen this is not it. This is more of a book from a idea and design standpoint for remodeling.
To the rescue!.......2005-05-14
I've been waiting since February 1981 to do something about my kitchen. That's the month we moved into our house. Everything and the Kitchen Sink has come into my life -not a moment too soon! - to move me from mere contemplation to actual accomplishment. It is a thorough guide to redoing this most important room in the house. (I mean, think about it. Without food in your life, there'd be no need for any other rooms.) But wait! There's more! It's Readable. In fact, downright amusing.
A few highlights for me:
The Introduction. How many times do you even read the introduction to a book, let alone enjoy it, let further alone find a personal message to you in it? The Introduction reminds me of the centrality of the kitchen in my family life and most emphatically assures me that I should not have to wait decades to make my kitchen functional and aesthetically pleasing.
The quizzes. Little quizzes and questionnaires throughout the book helped me articulate not only our personal style (Busy Slobs, or words to that effect...) but also what's been keeping us from getting a start on this kitchen. We've been of two minds (my husband's and mine) about how long we're likely to stay in this house. We know when we sell a developer will probably just knock it down and start over. That argues for not bothering, or at least for not putting much money into what we do bother with. But something clearly has to be done. For one thing, the original designer of our house obviously thought that a woman's place was not only in the kitchen, but alone down a hallway. Yes, the sink is in an "L" away from everything else that matters. The passageway is so narrow that cooperating in cooking or washing dishes becomes a clown routine in blocking, waiting, bumping, squeezing by. Then there's the fact that two-thirds of the cupboards assume the person using them is pushing six feet tall. (I'm short.) Add to that two dogs of various shepherd (i.e., stick CLOSE to the herd) persuasions - a factor no other book or magazine I've ever read on this subject has even acknowledged - and you've got a recipe for daily frustration. Not good.
Here's where Everything and the Kitchen Sink comes to the rescue. There are marvelous pictures. And useful budget charts. And constant encouragement to figure out how we really use our kitchen, and plan from that base. And other helpful hints sprinkled throughout the book. I can feast my eyes on the fancy stoves and state of the art refrigerators and duplicate dishwashers, but I can acknowledge that I am destined to be a "rustic" gal. Paint will be my friend. Shiny stainless steel is out (expensive and not good for slobs anyway), "distressed," folky, and mobile is in. I'm having great fun figuring it out. Carts and drawer units on wheels will replace the built-in cabinets. (We'll take the old ones to the basement and "improve" our laundry area - following another suggestion in the book about how to recycle and minimize waste. And if/when we move, we'll take the new ones with us.) It's more important to us to share the kitchen and the tasks in it than to have an immense sink, so the double-deep behemoth that fills the hallway will come out and a sink sized for mobile homes will replace it. This will enable us to get by each other without having to take time for a minuet. Heck, maybe even stand side by side to wash the dishes.
I've taken samples of the ancient earthquake-cracked plaster and dog-water-warped floor tiles to the lab (one of the book's very helpful suggestions). They'll tell me if there's asbestos in either so I can proceed safely. I've calculated the costs (with the help of worksheets in the book) and strategized the financing. I've measured it all out and drawn my plans to scale. I've pondered the traffic flow, factored in the canines.
After twenty-four years, I'm ready to start. Thanks to Everything and the Kitchen Sink.
Books:
- Wedding Photography, 2nd Edition: Art, Business & Style (A Lark Photography Book)
- Wildflowers: Designs for Applique & Quilting
- Women Who Run with the Wolves
- Year of the Tiger (National Geographic)
- 500 Greatest Albums of All Times, The
- A Diver's Guide to Reef Life
- A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
- A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are
- Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive
- Alfred Stieglitz: Photographs and Writings (Alfred Stieglitz)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Vampire : The Masquerade
- The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography
- Pavilion of Women
- Parson & Jack Russell Terriers
- The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre
- The 10 Things You Should Know About the Creation vs. Evolution Debate
- Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options
- The White Death: Tragedy and Heroism in an Avalanche Zone
- Monkey Business: Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle
- Age of Innocence: Chronicles of a Twentieth Century Life
Lonely Planet Costa Rica
Costa Rican Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)
Frommer's Costa Rica 2007 (Frommer's Complete)
Lonely Planet Costa Rica
The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica
