Rating: 
Summary: "Martha Stupid Cleans House"
Review: Oh Puleeze! I was so excited about this book. Especially since I am "only" a housewife and it would be wonderful to have homemaking elevated to the status it deserves. But taking "joy" in ironed sheets! Get a grip. And as previous reviewers noted it is excess verbiage--give me the Reader's Digest version. It may have really good information but I couldn't get past that the Martha Stewart-type manual of housecleaning--now there's a woman with too much time and too little reality on her hands! On the book jacket it says the only manual about housekeeping by a single author-so! I'd like to see the multi-author books maybe they'd have some balance in their books!
Rating:
Summary: I agree with the July 20,200 review
Review: I had the same negative reaction to this book when I got it, but I thought I must be the only woman who felt that way. I can see that the book has struck a chord among women, but to me the chord was anything but harmonic. The title and content simply are not a match for one another, and I think people are buying the book because of the misleading "Home Comforts" title.
Rating:
Summary: You've got to be kidding
Review: If you are a working professional, forget this book. You don't have time for it. If you did everything the book suggests, you would drive yourself crazy, not to mention have to quit your job and go on welfare! If you're a parent, you will not have time for parenting but only for cleaning! Seriously, there is much good information in the book but it is TOO MUCH. I thought that HOME COMFORTS would be warm and fuzzy and comforting. Instead, it's yo-yo-heave-ho. It's like an old fashioned textbook with too much writing, and I discovered that finding the information you want is not easy at all. I don't see this as a validation of homemaking and housework but a throwback to a time when the little woman was supposed to stay home and scrub, scrub, scrub. This book is detrimental because it promotes the kind of guilt and anxiety (the feeling that one is never doing ENOUGH in terms of keeping the house perfect) that today's women (working or not) do not need. I'm trying to clear up the clutter in my life, not add to it with more to-do lists. And, believe me, this book will inspire you to write one anxiety-producing to-do list after another. I know many frantic women who are juggling work and homes and kids and spouses plus caring for their own parents, and this kind of book would simply drive them nuts. Personally, I'll donate my copy to a local charity book sale. I will feel relieved just to get this book out of the house. Whew!
Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars -- but with reservations
Review: Although I find this book thoroughly worth the purchase price, I was surprised to find it less of an enjoyable read than I had expected. It is textbook-like in its physical size, and in the sheer amount of material covered, and therefore -- like a good textbook -- would benefit from a neat summary at the end of each chapter, a few more easy-to-reference charts, an attempt to separate out the "must know's" from the "might be interested to know's." That, or a good working over by a strict editor (am I correct that there was none?). The reader has to slog through so much (albeit pleasant) chat and anecdote that it's a fairly tedious read. One might argue that it's a reference work and not a novel, and therefore not intended for a read, however there's invaluable detail buried in all the verbiage.I'd greatly welcome the "Cliff Notes" on this book, frankly. Past that, my compliments to the author for having attempted to right a wrong in bringing housework back to the level of a worthwhile occupation requiring significant knowledge, skill, and loving attention to detail. And although I can't help but wonder at her fixation with microbes, I admit I'd rather spend time in a home which errs on the side of over-fastidiousness than under. I do pity those lost souls who were not raised with the advantage of a mother or grandmother for whom these many finer points were a way of life. Ms. Mendelson has made me aware of what a blessing it is to have a sixth sense about the myriad details of the various jobs she covers, thanks simply to a childhood spent doing those jobs side by side with women in my family who did them "properly." Again, for the uninitiated, it would be valuable to have the book organized in such a way as to faciliate several depths of absorption of the material. Easier said than done, no doubt -- but I fear the content might be overwhelming to those who would benefit from it the most. (A note: the layout, font, and illustrations are handsome and well-chosen and greatly enhance this book.)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent all around coverage, though often vague.
Review: It is a great book that tells you about how to keep a good house. There are some things she really doesn't get detailed about (like shining for example). I bought the book to help me keep my room and details cleaner (I am at a military academy). It really helped me improve my squad's details. For example, before I came along I'm sure that instead of sanitizing trash cans, they simply bought new ones every year. Anyway, it's full of helpful information on what to do though it doesn't always tell you how to do it.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Housekeeping Reference
Review: While the author of this book is not someone I could ever be good friends with, she does seem to be the kind of person I wish I could be more like...the Martha Stewart type with a beautiful, spotless house that can whip up a five course meal with a few odds and ends from the pantry. That said, this book has made a difference in different areas of my housekeeping. For the first time in my life, I am able to effectively insert my comforter into the duvet cover. I know how to clean my woodwork. I am stocking my pantry better than before. I don't believe anyone could do everything in this book...at least I can't and have a life. But doing even a few of the suggestions makes a significant difference. An excellent book to own.
Rating:
Summary: A fine gift for a bride OR a groom
Review: I ordered this book after seeing roaches crawling around outside my apartment building. I knew immediate and drastic measures must be taken to prevent infestation. The book is informative and readable-- but at times I found her insistence that housekeeping is something you do for you own comfort forced (eating cookies in bed is comforting but I doubt she endorses that sort of behavior)The book has some chapters that may be extraneous, such as the depth of material on fabric but is mostly devoted to useful topics. Many reviews have suggested that this is a fine gifts for brides, but as housekeeping is no longer the sole domain of women, the book is just as suitable as a gift to the groom, as it is not directed a particular gender.
Rating:
Summary: Well, it IS about housekeeping
Review: This book is not quite as "readable" in my opinion as some reviewers have found it. It is thorough, the information so far seems good. I look forward to using it as a reference. But it's a little dry for a straight read. Maybe it's because I find many other things more interesting than housekeeping, but I haven't yet found it as compelling as other references are, say the dictionary and encyclopedia.
Rating:
Summary: no nonsense reference book
Review: You will find no Martha Stewart fluffiness here. This is a deeply researched text. Required reading for anyone who takes their domestic work seriously. Some may find it inspirational.
Rating:
Summary: If it's not in this book, you don't need to know it!
Review: This is an AMAZING book! If you want the best, most detailed, and most wide-ranging book on home care this book is for you. I think it would make a great gift for a first-time home owner, or for a wedding present (perhaps accompanied by some of the cooking or cleaning tools the author recommends). I grew up in a fanatically neat house, but because Mom was so hysterical about keeping it clean (especially vacuuming), I became a slob. I ignored how my mother cleaned, and therefore have only rudimentary (and it turns out wrong!) cleaning skills. Reaction formation, no doubt, but now that I have a home of my own my ideas about cleanliness have changed, in large part because I want the house to be restful, soothing, and welcoming. Enter this book. I just cleaned my fridge like it's never been cleaned before, got out some very stubborn stains that have resisted every cleaner on the market, and set up a housekeeping routine that just might work. For those of you who are groaning, fear not. There are great sections on how to outfit a kitchen with everything you need, what should be in your pantry, and how to select carpeting. I highly recommend this book. You probably won't read it cover to cover in one sitting, but if you keep it on a shelf in your kitchen you will find yourself turning to it again and again for really good, sound advice.
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