Rating: 
Summary: A book that works!
Review: Giving books as gifts is a favorite of mine. This book would be perfect as a wedding shower gift or for a housewarming -- man or woman.As for context, this book covers just about every topic a young person needs to set up a new home or apartment. From organizing your 'stuff' to cleaning all kinds of surfaces, you'll find it here. There are sections about entertaining, safety, manners, and trouble-shooting your furnace, water heater, and other systems. Scattered on the left and right page edges are tips -- time savers, budget stretchers, household lessons, smart ideas, and more. They are included in the very extensive index. The five-ring format allows you to remove and take pages to the hardware or paint store. It also lets you add any tips or hints you may find elsewhere. If you are an experienced homemaker this book will be a little too basic for your needs. A better choice, if you're deep into the subject, would be "Home Comforts" by Cheryl Mendelson.
Rating:
Summary: Great for young people setting up their first home
Review: I bought this book before our first home was finished being built and read over it, eager to apply the tips offered in this book to my own home. I keep my copy in the kitchen with my cookbooks so I can have easy access to it as I refer to it pretty often. There are a lot of useful tips and information that people may not realize they need to know until they are in a situation that calls for it. This book would make a great gift for young newlyweds or young people moving into their own home for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: Making a HOME that is
Review: I bought this book on sale. I liked the 5 ring binding and thought would be interesting reference guide.
Book include Dollar Stretcher, Space Saver, Time Saver, Safety Alert tips. Books devided into sections for each area of the house, resources and tips on record saving.
This guide spells out everything around the house - from uses on each kitchen knife to how put down a grease fire.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I love this book. The pictures are very bright and exciting and the information is extremely helpful. There are tips from organizing to cleaning to entertaining. I like the binder but because of it, you have to be careful with it. You can't just close it like you would a normal book, or you will bend the pages. It makes it convenient to add pages of your own ideas so you won't lose them. The dividers have little pockets in them so you can put your shopping lists, to-do lists, or jotted down ideas. It's an excellent book for beginners. Mainly for homeowners but I rent an apartment and find it helpful. I have plans to buy a home one day so I shall definitely keep this book and use it for ideas when that happens. I've already got a long list written down of organizational systems I need to adopt for my apartment. It's fantastic!
Rating:
Summary: Really useful, well organized, easy to use
Review: I noticed an earlier review that compares this book to Comforts Of Home. I disagree about which book is better. THIS book--Making A Home--is far better than Comforts Of Home, because this is so easy to use. I like the looseleaf binder style with its tabs (just like my favorite cookbook). I haven't begun to use this whole book yet, but I know I will. (Regarding Comforts Of Home, I received Comforts Of Home as a gift, and I have found that book to be very hard to use. It's so wordy and is like a hard to read and hard to use textbook. In contrast, Making a Home is really useful. I can find the info I want quickly, and the writing is concise and to the point. I hate to sound like some sort of an ad, but Making A Home winds, hands down.)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Housewarming gift!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It provides sound simple advice for care of household items and developing organization. It is probably too simple for the super housekeeper but it would make a great gift for someone moving into their first house or apartment or even a bridal shower gift.
Rating:
Summary: This has everything I need
Review: I really like this book. It's not exactly "sexy" or fun, but it has everything I need for quick reference. I know it's the kind of book I'll refer back to again and again. Sort of like calling Mom without calling Mom. I really like the binder because it lays flat when I open to a page. I read some other reviews about the binder not working, but I haven't had that problem with this book or with its "cousin," my Better Homes red plaid cookbook. I love them both. I agree that this is a good gift book too. It's perfect for showers, weddings, housewarmings.
Rating: 
Summary: Not anything I didn't already know
Review: I thought this book would be great to learn some extra tricks for around the house, but I was dissappointed and have not bothered with it since because it did not tell me anything I couldn't figure out myself or didnt already know. I read a lot of magazines and have learned all the information I read in this book from those already. Not really worth the money in my opinion
Rating:
Summary: Thanks -- I needed this! GREAT Xmas gift also
Review: I would like to write about what this book covers, but that would take too long. What doesn't it cover? It seems to have everything you need to live well and comfortably in your home (or apartment). I like the information on buying stuff (lamps, cookware, furniture, you name it) and on cleaning everything. I fear that I will be referring a lot to the stain removal tips! Giving a dinner party, setting a table, and other niceties also are included. I like the focus on de-cluttering your place and storing our stuff. This is the ultimate reference book for anyone who wants to live better. It's as simple as that. This book is making my Xmas shopping easier, because I will give several copies to friends and family. It's one of those must-haves.
Rating:
Summary: Well Organized and Helpful
Review: I would recommend this "book" to anyone just starting out, especially out of college. I put book in quotes because it's more like a reference manual. It's organized with tabs indicating topics (mostly by room type) and held inside a binder so you can make your own pages with a hole puncher.
The author isn't ever condescending as with some other household tip books and gives a lot of tips on organization and cleaning. I think my apartment is not only a lot cleaner and organized but the book has helped me keep it that way. There are suggestions for usual house routines such as cleaning, as well as wonderful pictures of tools used in the house with good descriptions (everything from cleaning supplies to kitchenware, to storage devices). It even has a section on houseguests/etiquette and common house repair/safety.
I also like how she separates the different needs houses have depending on who is living in it. So right now I may be concentrating on the advice on single person homes but I know I will still be able to use the book when my household grows to include children and pets.
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