Best Crafts, Hobbies & Home
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
"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."
In this hilarious book of tongue-in-cheek poetry, the author of the internationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth helps cats unlock their creative potential and explain their odd behavior to ignorant humans. From expressing their love for dead mice to pulling over Christmas trees, cats reveal their genius and neuroses". Shelf Awareness. In four cat-egories - family, work, play, and existence - Francesco Marciuliano (writer of the comic strip "Sally Forth") has given voice to cats' 'every desire, their every conflict, their every epiphany.'. Francesco Marciuliano is the author of Sally Forth, an internationally syndicated family comic strip that appears in nearly 800 newspapers around the world (created by Greg Howard).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book is a small hard-cover that fits on a table without taking up a lot of space. Cat portraits showing our furry brethren in cute and/or compromising poses illustrate the pages."
"The author Francesco Marciuliano clearly understands cats, and his poems seemed to come directly from cats."
"This is a cute book, and enjoyable."
"The recipient also found it to be funny and very apt in it's descriptions of our interactions with felines."
"I recommend this adorable book to cat lovers."
"I understand that the cute kitten pictures add to the funniness of the book, the material can still be reformatted to work on all platforms."
"I ordered this for my 10 yr old daughter for Christmas bc she has a silly sense of humor."
"This is the FUNNIEST book ever for any cat lover."
By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper , they have become America’s new best friends. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna’s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Joanna’s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo’s wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way. CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES are the founders of Magnolia Homes, Magnolia Market, and Magnolia Realty in Waco, Texas.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They have overcome adversity and have built a life full of love, family, talent, professionalism keeping their faith first and foremost."
"Great reading couldn't put it down made me smile,laugh and see some things in life we all go through similar."
"I have been a huge fan of Joanna and Chip right from the very first show."
"This is a must read for all Fixer Upper fans."
"I really didn't know much about Chip and Joanna, other than catching snippets of their nationally-broadcast show Fixer Upper, but now I feel that they're the type of next-door people that you would love to sit down and share a meal with and get to know. Toward the end of the book Joanna says teasingly how Chip is like the President of the United States - always running around shaking hands and kissing babies."
"Jo's sense of style and Chip's sense of humor make the show irresistible and makes me wish I lived in Waco, Texas so I can hire them fix up a house for me. I can honestly say, I had no idea what the hell shiplap was until I watched this show and apparently, Texas homes are loaded with it behind the walls."
"Chip and Joanna solved that problem magnificently - I always knew who was speaking which brought additional richness to the work. It is also a very encouraging book in a time when we all need that little boost to chase our dreams, but don't be deceived into believing all has been rose petals and blue skies."
"Loved, Loved, Loved this story."
Best Animal Care & Pets
In this hilarious book of tongue-in-cheek poetry, the author of the internationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth helps cats unlock their creative potential and explain their odd behavior to ignorant humans. From expressing their love for dead mice to pulling over Christmas trees, cats reveal their genius and neuroses". Shelf Awareness. In four cat-egories - family, work, play, and existence - Francesco Marciuliano (writer of the comic strip "Sally Forth") has given voice to cats' 'every desire, their every conflict, their every epiphany.'. Francesco Marciuliano is the author of Sally Forth, an internationally syndicated family comic strip that appears in nearly 800 newspapers around the world (created by Greg Howard).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book is a small hard-cover that fits on a table without taking up a lot of space. Cat portraits showing our furry brethren in cute and/or compromising poses illustrate the pages."
"The author Francesco Marciuliano clearly understands cats, and his poems seemed to come directly from cats."
"This is a cute book, and enjoyable."
"The recipient also found it to be funny and very apt in it's descriptions of our interactions with felines."
"I recommend this adorable book to cat lovers."
"I understand that the cute kitten pictures add to the funniness of the book, the material can still be reformatted to work on all platforms."
"These poems capture the inner minds of our beloved cats, such as they are."
"I ordered this for my 10 yr old daughter for Christmas bc she has a silly sense of humor."
Best Antiques & Collectibles
Masterfully weaving together pop science and history, Stoned breaks history into three categories—Want, Take, and Have—and explains what the diamond on your finger has to do with the GI Bill, why green-tinted jewelry has been exalted by so many cultures, why the glass beads that bought Manhattan for the Dutch were initially considered a fair trade, and how the French Revolution started over a coveted necklace. “Raden’s commentary on the often ugly side of human desire through the ages is consistently captivating, and her witty delivery makes the material shine.” (Publishers Weekly). What makes a stone a jewel? In this brilliant account of how eight jewels shaped the course of history, jeweler and scientist Aja Raden tells an original and often startling story about our unshakeable addiction to beauty and the darker side of human desire. With sharp wit and a light touch, Raden weaves together history, science, and economics to explore our enduring love affair with beautiful things, and shows us that just like their glittering surfaces, jewels have a singular power to reflect our desires back to us and show us who we really are.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I picked up Aja Raden's Stoned expecting a history of jewelry and was pleasantly surprised to find an in-depth social history of how human perceptions of value, desire and innovation have shaped the modern world. She starts with the beads that bought Manhattan (and in doing so makes a compelling case that it might not have been quite the con we think of it today) and ends with the wristwatch and its role in making modern warfare, aviation, navigation and personal private time possible."
"Personally, I rarely read non fiction books for the simple fact that they aren’t usually very captivating."
"I am still reading the book."
"Many of the stories Ms. Arden tells were familiar to me but to read them from from her perspective and with her research gave the stories new meaning and proved to be a delightful read."
"Not as informative as I had hoped."
"In depth research on several popular stones."
"The author's intensive historical review of the connection of famous and fabulous jewels of the world and how they helped to shape world events."
"Boring,not what I hoped for."
Best Crafts & Hobbies
Take a cue from entertaining expert. Amy. Sedaris and host an unforgettable fete that will have your guests raving. "In A t Home with Amy Sedaris , Ms. Sedaris offers deliriously twisted takes on the homemaking skills she skewered in her books I Like You and Simple Times ." The fourth disc contains a PDF file with all 76 recipes for her "15-minute meals in 20 minutes," which were read aloud on the previous discs, in addition to 70 more "Jackpot Recipes." The actor, caterer, film star, comic, and sister of David Sedaris charms, seduces, entertains, instructs, amuses, and just plain invites readers into her somewhat eclectic life. Readers will revel in the more than 100 recipes with menus for dozens of occasions (or not), from blind date at home to table for one (an evening alone, that is, with steak and salad). Her recipes, by the way, are no rivals to the Culinary Institute of America; for instance, the directions for "carrot coins" call for slicing carrots so they look like coins and sauteing with butter, salt, and pepper.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Serious recipes interspersed with "serious" humor read by Amy in her adorable voice."
"Visually, the layout is great and the art is varied and fun (I can't decide which I prefer: the photos or the illustrations). What I learned from the book was about relaxing, whether in terms of cooking, entertaining or just life in general. I was never an uptight cook or baker but I often felt that entertaining was a lot of pressure. My teachers ranged from my mother to Martha Stewart, neither of whom would suggest a sombrero with a brimful of chips = Fiesta Night."
"This is the second copy of this I have had to buy."
"There are numerous references to material by page number which are useless here. So, with graphics that are incomprehensible and text that zig zags all over the place, it's a testament to the authors enormous talent and my perseverence that I give this book 4 stars."
"so why would i have a book like this? it is the most amusing, funny, clever, delightful, helpful, informative book about ANY subject i've read about anything!"
"I found this hilarious book in the stack of reading material at my dear friend Linda's house (well, okay, it was in her bathroom) during one of our girl pal weekends in October."
"Irreverent Sedaris humor is to be expected in this perfect hostess book."
Best Gardening & Horticulture
Craft a soothing aloe lotion after an encounter with poison ivy, make a dandelion-burdock tincture to fix sluggish digestion, and brew up some lavender-lemon balm tea to ease a stressful day. “The goal of this beginner's guide is to teach readers how to identify and cultivate medicinal herbs and then use them to create healing oils, salves, tonics and more. For those new to using herbs medicinally, her "Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide"(Storey Publishing, 2012) is the perfect entry, with easy recipes, preparation basics and growing know-how.”. “The goal of this beginner's guide is to teach readers how to identify and cultivate medicinal herbs and then use them to create healing oils, salves, tonics and more. Rosemary Gladstar, the godmother of modern herbalism, offers a fresh introduction to growing and using 33 of her favorite herbs, complete with tips on introducing an herb patch to your backyard garden and easy-to-follow recipes for brewing restorative teas, blending soothing salves, and making tinctures, oils, syrups, and pills.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is an excellent guide for learning about herbs, a treasure trove of practical recipes and ideas as well as a priceless gift of wisdom and insight from one of the leaders of the herbal movement in America. Gladstar's text is fresh and warm, making you feel as though you have a wise friend in the kitchen with you, urging you to try something new and take charge of your health in any way you are able. She shows us the way back to the Wise Woman inside of all of us and encourages us to rediscover our ancestor's connection to the plants, honoring our own inner wisdom and ability to be healthy. Years ago, I met Rosemary Gladstar at the Women's Herbal Conference that she founded, and which takes place every summer. After delivering her opening address, she stepped off the platform and waded through the people straight to where I stood, feeling like an alien in my Islamic hijab, in the midst of gauze skirts and tube tops."
"Then those bright yellow annoying demons that pop up EVERYWHERE...yup...you can make tea with them. It lists the name of the plant, its uses, safety information, how to harvest and grow it, lots of color pictures and many amazing recipes that are really simple to make. When you look at all the toxic chemicals we eat and breathe, the pesticides we are ingesting, the unnecessary cocktail of medications the pharmaceutical companies shove down our throat and we basically are slaves to society about how to live, eat and take care of ourselves, this book is a welcoming breath of fresh air. Yes, there are a gazillion books on natural health, essentials oils, herbs etc but one of the MAIN things you want to look for is the credibility of the author writing it. Too many times I've seen books and e-books, online articles about ways to use essentials oils, herbs, tinctures, lotions, etc, but the dosing is wrong and there is no safety information."
"It describes basil, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric, aloe vera, burdock, calendula, chamomile, chickweed, dandelion, echinacea, elder, goldenseal, hawthorn, lavender, lemon balm, licorice, marsh mallow, mullein, nettle, oats, pappermint, plantain, red clover, ST. JOhn's wort, spearmint, valerian, and yarrow."
"So, if you are looking for something that helps with colds, you must guess which herb that would be or flip around the book until you find the recipe that addresses this ailment."
Best Home Design
By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper , they have become America’s new best friends. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna’s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Joanna’s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo’s wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way. CHIP AND JOANNA GAINES are the founders of Magnolia Homes, Magnolia Market, and Magnolia Realty in Waco, Texas.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They have overcome adversity and have built a life full of love, family, talent, professionalism keeping their faith first and foremost."
"Great reading couldn't put it down made me smile,laugh and see some things in life we all go through similar."
"I have been a huge fan of Joanna and Chip right from the very first show."
"This is a must read for all Fixer Upper fans."
"Cute book, easy read!"
"Chip and Joanna solved that problem magnificently - I always knew who was speaking which brought additional richness to the work. It is also a very encouraging book in a time when we all need that little boost to chase our dreams, but don't be deceived into believing all has been rose petals and blue skies."
"Loved, Loved, Loved this story."
"Love that you include them in the putting together of the final day of design."
Best How-to & Home Improvement
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Home Interior Design
From small spaces and apartment solutions to how to tackle a big, messy home with a 15-week total home organization challenge, this book covers it all. "If you haven’t already, you need to add The Complete Book of Home Organization to your must-read list...In all honesty, I love this book. Toni Hammersley is the creator and writer of www.abowlfulloflemons.net , an organizing website that inspires thousands of people around the world to get their lives in order.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Just flipping through the book will make you feel motivated enough to start tackling an area of your house! There are tons of ideas on saving space, organizing, and lest you feel overwhelmed at the state of your current household, the author has also many suggestions on how to start the process (which is sometimes the hardest part). The process is manageable enough that you can do a little bit every day...or set aside a couple of hours on the weekends and knock out an entire room in one swoop."
"The 14 week challenge helped me get my life and brain functioning again, my house still stayed in order a year later."
"I absolutely love this book."
"How does Toni do it?"
"Love this book!"
"This book is awesome!!!"
"The book follows the same plan that is available free of charge on the author's website."
"I wasn’t as impressed with this book as I expected to be after the other reviews."
Best Weddings
Dr. Patricia Allen's jam-packed seminars in Los Angeles have resulted in over two thousand marriages. -- "Beverly Hills Today"The woman's movement brought us independence, but it did not bring us love."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For the past 2 years I had been obsessively trying to figure out 'what was wrong with me' (and him) that caused our really wonderful, fulfilling relationship to deteriorate into a devastating mess and failure. Since I am not the type to turn bitter and just buy a cat, I delved into the bottomless pit of the 'why's...until I finally found the answer in this book. If you must be BOTH respected for your mind and want to lead AND insist on having your feelings cherished--that is the epitome of NARCISSISM, and Dr. Allen believes you will be UNABLE TO MATE SUCCESSFULLY. So many reviewers seem to have missed the point of the book by having their feathers ruffled by the concept of submission to the male that they also missed the hundreds of times she reiterates that you can CHOOSE which energy to be, and you can also NEGOTIATE with your mate after the relationship is established for role reversals in areas that both of you agree to. Of course, the more frustrated and 'uncherished' I felt, the more resentful and angry I became, not understanding that I would never be able to give him enough love, generosity, effort or sacrifice to get him to meet my needs. A successful relationship is like a battery: there needs to be a positive giver (male) and a negative receiver (female) in order for there to be a 'charge' or connection. I did it as long as I could, but despite the fact that we had all this 'wonderfulness' and commonality, he simply couldn't take the full masculine role I needed him to, and he left. But when it came to asking for things I wanted or needed, I did it completely WRONG and was totally baffled as to why my asking was met with such resistance."
"This is the advice My grandmother used to give me and I thought she was old-fashioned but she was right it doesn't matter how modern a person thinks they are are chemicals and all wiring and all hormones are the same.... , pretty much we have the opportunity to change some things in our life story other things are wired the same might as well be happy in a way that works."
"Wow, really great!!!"
"Amazing book...Im about half way through now."
"I literally read this entire book in three days, and I am not a fast reader."
"I learned more from this book and most relationship books since it gets to the core of why you pick a certain person to date. I am glad I read the book and hope many more people will read this book since it may change their life in a better way."
"I haven’t read it, but slowly getting there and from what I read so far, it’s sounds like a great book to use if sating and looking for Mr. however I can’t guarantee it would work for everyone."
"Been reading many self help books and getting into philosophy and introspection."