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 Customer Reviews
A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!
A book I can recommend to any of the following:
men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.
A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.
I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon.
Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea!
Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.
If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.
Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.
sigh....
Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Supremely Simple) principles then I'm all for it.
While the book is catagorized very well, I find that I can pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book & show have inspired me and given me that theoretical "kick in the pants". Now I am definitely not going to win Homemaker of the Year but I can honestly say that Anthea & her book have given me food for thought and inspired me to want to do better. I will NEVER have a house as clean as hers but if I can use just a portion of the ideas and routines she presents, then maybe I won't have to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes time for the holidays, or company coming.
I don't think that a clean, well managed house and warm inviting home are mutually exclusive! It's just nice to know that if I WANT to use some special touches(like when mother-in-law visits) or need some practical information - I have a wonderful resource to guide me.
***** The only thing lacking is the same comment previous reviewers have had and that is I wish there were some detailed diagrams & photos to go along with some of the things she has demonstated on her show.
I am from the US and extremely envious that those of you in Region 2 are able to purchase and at least WATCH Anthea's DVD as well. I don't know if or when I'll see the show again on the BBCA channel.
Who do I need to talk to about getting some of your wonderful shows in the UK on DVDs that we can play here in the US??!!
fantastic read, 29 Jul 2007
If you want a sparkling gleaming house like Antheas this is the book for you after the hard work of decluttering you will find it very easy and sooo much quicker to clean your house as Anthea advises in the book organisation is the key-it may feel like Anthea is teaching you things you allready know but beleive me you don't.If you follow Anthea to the letter I promise you will find your life easier and you will have a lot more time to do other things(like working full-time!!!)
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Customer Reviews
A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!
A book I can recommend to any of the following:
men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.
A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.
I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon.
Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea!
Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.
If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.
Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.
sigh....
Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Supremely Simple) principles then I'm all for it.
While the book is catagorized very well, I find that I can pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book & show have inspired me and given me that theoretical "kick in the pants". Now I am definitely not going to win Homemaker of the Year but I can honestly say that Anthea & her book have given me food for thought and inspired me to want to do better. I will NEVER have a house as clean as hers but if I can use just a portion of the ideas and routines she presents, then maybe I won't have to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes time for the holidays, or company coming.
I don't think that a clean, well managed house and warm inviting home are mutually exclusive! It's just nice to know that if I WANT to use some special touches(like when mother-in-law visits) or need some practical information - I have a wonderful resource to guide me.
***** The only thing lacking is the same comment previous reviewers have had and that is I wish there were some detailed diagrams & photos to go along with some of the things she has demonstated on her show.
I am from the US and extremely envious that those of you in Region 2 are able to purchase and at least WATCH Anthea's DVD as well. I don't know if or when I'll see the show again on the BBCA channel.
Who do I need to talk to about getting some of your wonderful shows in the UK on DVDs that we can play here in the US??!!
fantastic read, 29 Jul 2007
If you want a sparkling gleaming house like Antheas this is the book for you after the hard work of decluttering you will find it very easy and sooo much quicker to clean your house as Anthea advises in the book organisation is the key-it may feel like Anthea is teaching you things you allready know but beleive me you don't.If you follow Anthea to the letter I promise you will find your life easier and you will have a lot more time to do other things(like working full-time!!!)
Useful, 21 Aug 2008
This book will give handy hints and tips when undertaking any domestic DIY project.
It is not the most comprehensive manual but is great for simple reference, enabling those with a view to further investigation to seek answers elsewhere - hence 4/5
How to do everything ... in two paragraphs, 07 Dec 2007
There is no denying the scope of this book is, to say the least, comprehensive. It covers almost every topic imaginable in DIY from dry lining your basement to capping the chimney and covers it at every range whether you just want to change a fuse or rewire the entire building.
That scope though is both its virtue and its problem. Yes I can pick this up and be fairly confident that it will tell me how to go about building a stud wall but I know that it is also likely to be something of an overview of the subject rattled off in a few paragraphs. Often that is enough. There are a lot of jobs where a grasp of the basics and a willingness to have a go are good enough and if I'm laying new paving slabs I'll read this and go for it. Alternatively there are some jobs where I'd like a little more expertise than this can provide. Yes this book will tell me how to change the main fuse box but I'm not going to do that when it means working on the live side of a 100 amp line! In those cases though at least it lets me know roughly how difficult the job is so that I don't sound like a complete numpty when I call an electrician and ask if they could replace the 'thingummy by the front door with the fuses in it'.
The new (2007) edition has some changes most are improvements, some are not, but the improvements could be sufficient to make it getting the new edition. On the downside the binding is not as good as previous issues so this is a book which could suffer in use. On the upside there is more detail about building regulations and approval. Not in so much detail that it gets in the way of what you want to do but enough to give an overview of the process and in a nod to the way the world moves there are now sections on 'communications' and the 'office at home'.
I'd say to anyone that they should buy this book even if you don't ever intend to do the DIY yourself. If you do the DIY this is a good first reference to find out what to do. If it's not comprehensive enough then it will give enough of an overview that you will know what to look for when searching for more detail and if you do get someone else to do the job you've a better chance of knowing if they're doing the right thing.
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Customer Reviews
A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!
A book I can recommend to any of the following:
men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.
A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.
I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon.
Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea!
Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.
If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.
Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.
sigh....
Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Supremely Simple) principles then I'm all for it.
While the book is catagorized very well, I find that I can pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book & show have inspired me and given me that theoretical "kick in the pants". Now I am definitely not going to win Homemaker of the Year but I can honestly say that Anthea & her book have given me food for thought and inspired me to want to do better. I will NEVER have a house as clean as hers but if I can use just a portion of the ideas and routines she presents, then maybe I won't have to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes time for the holidays, or company coming.
I don't think that a clean, well managed house and warm inviting home are mutually exclusive! It's just nice to know that if I WANT to use some special touches(like when mother-in-law visits) or need some practical information - I have a wonderful resource to guide me.
***** The only thing lacking is the same comment previous reviewers have had and that is I wish there were some detailed diagrams & photos to go along with some of the things she has demonstated on her show.
I am from the US and extremely envious that those of you in Region 2 are able to purchase and at least WATCH Anthea's DVD as well. I don't know if or when I'll see the show again on the BBCA channel.
Who do I need to talk to about getting some of your wonderful shows in the UK on DVDs that we can play here in the US??!!
fantastic read, 29 Jul 2007
If you want a sparkling gleaming house like Antheas this is the book for you after the hard work of decluttering you will find it very easy and sooo much quicker to clean your house as Anthea advises in the book organisation is the key-it may feel like Anthea is teaching you things you allready know but beleive me you don't.If you follow Anthea to the letter I promise you will find your life easier and you will have a lot more time to do other things(like working full-time!!!)
Useful, 21 Aug 2008
This book will give handy hints and tips when undertaking any domestic DIY project.
It is not the most comprehensive manual but is great for simple reference, enabling those with a view to further investigation to seek answers elsewhere - hence 4/5
How to do everything ... in two paragraphs, 07 Dec 2007
There is no denying the scope of this book is, to say the least, comprehensive. It covers almost every topic imaginable in DIY from dry lining your basement to capping the chimney and covers it at every range whether you just want to change a fuse or rewire the entire building.
That scope though is both its virtue and its problem. Yes I can pick this up and be fairly confident that it will tell me how to go about building a stud wall but I know that it is also likely to be something of an overview of the subject rattled off in a few paragraphs. Often that is enough. There are a lot of jobs where a grasp of the basics and a willingness to have a go are good enough and if I'm laying new paving slabs I'll read this and go for it. Alternatively there are some jobs where I'd like a little more expertise than this can provide. Yes this book will tell me how to change the main fuse box but I'm not going to do that when it means working on the live side of a 100 amp line! In those cases though at least it lets me know roughly how difficult the job is so that I don't sound like a complete numpty when I call an electrician and ask if they could replace the 'thingummy by the front door with the fuses in it'.
The new (2007) edition has some changes most are improvements, some are not, but the improvements could be sufficient to make it getting the new edition. On the downside the binding is not as good as previous issues so this is a book which could suffer in use. On the upside there is more detail about building regulations and approval. Not in so much detail that it gets in the way of what you want to do but enough to give an overview of the process and in a nod to the way the world moves there are now sections on 'communications' and the 'office at home'.
I'd say to anyone that they should buy this book even if you don't ever intend to do the DIY yourself. If you do the DIY this is a good first reference to find out what to do. If it's not comprehensive enough then it will give enough of an overview that you will know what to look for when searching for more detail and if you do get someone else to do the job you've a better chance of knowing if they're doing the right thing.
Transition Handbook, 08 Oct 2008
This book is way overdue. I have been eagerly searching for books addressing the preparation for post peak oil for many many years. Books like this should have been written years ago so I was delighted to see that at last practical guides are starting to appear on the book shelves.
I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters dealing with peak oil and its implications for society. Subsequent chapters I did not enjoy as much particularly when the Kinsale Energy Decent Action Plan is promoted as a role model for sustainable community development.
There is a huge wealth of expertise in the development community, particularly which which was developed from overseas aid agencies. They have developed approaches, standards, principles and a multitude of methodologies for developing communities, with limited or almost non existent resources, and where success or failure costs lives. This expertise has been ignored and attempts made to reinvent the wheel.
I think the focus of the book should have built on the expertise of organisations such as Oxfam, VSO, Save the Children, and Overseas Development Administration and focused on the structures, processes and outcomes, which would help develop community resilience and sustainability, with limited resources.
I have a worry that communities who attempt to use this handbook as the basis for their transition will make fantastic progress initially through the generation of enthusiasm but due to improper planning, a lack of monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness and imprecise goals and objectives, people will become disillusioned and drop out. There is also the danger that communities who adapt this approach will not be able to communicate effectively with traditional disciplines, local authorities, health services, energy engineers or others. Who should change first? The current decision makers and service providers or the community development
organisations?
This process of conflict between service providers and community organisations has happened time and time again, without learning the lessons of what actually is sustainable in the long term. It usually results in the community organisation being unable to access state funding resulting in decline and or death. How can a community organisation sustain itself unless it becomes a business, with formal structures, job descriptions, terms of reference, fundamental guiding principles, training, development, salaries, income generation, sales etc. How can that fit with the "loose" concepts proposed?
Lets hope this is just the first of a huge range of increasingly sophisticated publications yet to come that will address these issues using the best expertise available in the fields of business, development management, community organisation, sustainability, public health, and many more, combined into a consensus best practice manual for transition. I hope these comments help to stimulate a critical approach to sustainable community development.
A smart, accessible guide to a resilient, low-carbon future, 11 Sep 2008
There is a powerful current in our contemporary, post-industrial culture that is arguing for a simpler, more sustainable alternative to our wasteful, environmentally damaging way of life. Proselytisers rely on a varying mix of three sets of arguments: the environmental challenge posed by climate change, the energy supply challenge posed by peak oil and, finally, the spiritual challenge emerging from the newest science on personal wellbeing (in a nutshell: beyond a certain point more money and stuff doesn't make us happier.)
Rob Hopkins' Transition Movement is pragmatic attempt to come to terms with the disruptions that are heralded by climate change and peak oil. Thoughtlessly addicted as we are to fossil fuels, our societies are ill equipped to deal with the adverse implications of energy scarcity and a hotter, less predictable climate. According to Hopkins, what we need to develop is resilience: the ability to deal creatively and locally with energy supply and environmental shocks.
The Transition Handbook is a hands-on guide to help communities make that transition towards a resilient, low-carbon future. It is useful to distinguish three layers in the book.
The first layer encapsulates the three main parts of Hopkins' argument, focused on the head (the facts about climate change and peak oil you need to know), the heart (the need for positive vision and commitment) and the hands (practical guidelines for enabling resilient communities).
The second layer consists of a range of design principles that can be relied on to shape resilient communities. For example, in preparing for an energy-scarce future we need to know that resilience relies on a small scale, modular and decentralised infrastructure. We also need to invest in high-quality productive relationships, integrate rather than segregate and use the creative edges of systems to make the most of their potential. There are many more of these principles that have been lifted from an eclectic mix of disciplines, including systems science, ecology and the psychology of change. Hopkins himself was deeply influenced by the permaculture movement, a radical design approach to constructing "sustainable human settlements".
The third layer features a range of practical solutions that comply with these design principles. These solutions are meant to be the cornerstones of any resilient community and include a template for working towards a more energy-thrifty ("energy descent planning"), decentralised energy generation, local food sourcing, re-skilling of consumers into creative citizens and local currencies.
Transition thinking is not only a theory but it is also a social movement and the book features a number of UK examples of communities that have started going down the path towards resilience. Hopkins is acutely aware that the governance of the Transition movement needs to mirror the design principles underlying resilience. It would hardly be credible and effective to embody a Transition movement by a tightly-managed, centralised bureaucracy. So, Hopkins is only willing to give pointers to help people in facilitating bottom-up, small-scale, self-steering initiatives. Lots is left to emergence and action learning ("... where it all goes remains to be seen ..." is an often used phrase in the book).
The Transition Handbook is an accessible, smart guide to helping us deal with the challenges we may face as a result of climate change and peak oil. In itself the book doesn't offer anything new, but it rearranges familiar pieces of a puzzle into a compelling and coherent approach towards learning again to help ourselves and to do more with less.
Enabling, 01 Jul 2008
Hooray. Despite some people's misgivings about the psychology section, which seem largely dependent on a definition of 'success', this is an outstanding book. It's primary achievement is to show the reader how societal change can take place in the absence of the usual too little too late response of governments, whose priorities lie with business, rather than people or environmental sustainability. The future security of Britain, and elsewhere, lies in groups of people with the will and power to make communities sustainable. It might seem unbelievable, but we have the power to transform our society, and are not at the whim of government. They will follow. If you admire Kohr, Schumacher, Papworth and Sale, you will respond positively to this book.
Brilliant in parts, dangerously foolish in others, 28 Jun 2008
I've the greatest sympathy with this book's concept in many respects. Rob correctly identifies the overriding need to reduce energy dependence, and that we must not wait for "them" to do anything about it, or even help us. Correctly he sees that we need a "how-to" manual for how to make communities (rather than just the reader) self-sufficient in food and so on. But the devil is in the practical details, or more precisely the practical unknowns which are all too easily glossed over.
The book gets hideously, dangerously misguided in its important section on psychology, with its notion of the importance of a "positive vision". History is bursting full of "positive visions" which ended in huge disasters. Instead, what is needed is a judiciously realistic vision. It is vitally important to recognise that criticism and doubt are just as important as hope and "constructive" "enthusiastic" thinking. Otherwise huge energy and effort is almost certain to be lost in enthusing down disastrous dead-ends.
In a traumatised society, many people become lost to despair, depression, negativity. But there is the equal problem that too many people desperately pin their hopes on "positive" but false solutions which ultimately fail them.
Someone said that the transition concept has been "phenomenally successful". That is seriously unhinged fantasy. There hasn't yet been a transition to test out how or even whether the ideas work out in practice.
You need to be very careful to avoid assuming that action is the same as achievement of solutions, or that international fame and crowds of enthusiastic followers is the same as success in solving the problem.
I would strongly urge the author to revise the psychology section of his book to take account of these comments. The importance of a realistic vision.
essential reading, 30 Apr 2008
I'm two thirds way through this book and overall find it an inspiring read. The first section in particular summarises some of the issues in a very easy to understand style. I liked the section on psychology particularly - I think both grieving, shock and addiction models are useful to understanding the apparently irrational responses of people to climate change and peak oil.
The rest of the book is harder to read - a lot of detail about how one should go about starting a transition initiative. Some of this stuff makes very important points about embedding the initiative into the community and I appreciate that it is derived from experience. At the same time I found it somewhat prescriptive, especially the directions for conducting meetings/workshops etc. This is a bit of a turn off - there are of course lots of ways of doing these things and I feel it would have been better just to refer to some resources or put these in appendices.
We have to act on climate change and peak oil and I buy the resilient local economy model. There is lots of useful stuff in this book, maybe some of it just more detailed than necessary.
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Customer Reviews
A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!
A book I can recommend to any of the following:
men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.
A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.
I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon. Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea! Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.
If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.
Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.
sigh....
Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Supremely Simple) principles then I'm all for it.
While the book is catagorized very well, I find that I can pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book & show have inspired me and given me that theoretical "kick in the pants". Now I am definitely not going to win Homemaker of the Year but I can honestly say that Anthea & her book have given me food for thought and inspired me to want to do better. I will NEVER have a house as clean as hers but if I can use just a portion of the ideas and routines she presents, then maybe I won't have to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes time for the holidays, or company coming.
I don't think that a clean, well managed house and warm inviting home are mutually exclusive! It's just nice to know that if I WANT to use some special touches(like when mother-in-law visits) or need some practical information - I have a wonderful resource to guide me.
***** The only thing lacking is the same comment previous reviewers have had and that is I wish there were some detailed diagrams & photos to go along with some of the things she has demonstated on her show.
I am from the US and extremely envious that those of you in Region 2 are able to purchase and at least WATCH Anthea's DVD as well. I don't know if or when I'll see the show again on the BBCA channel.
Who do I need to talk to about getting some of your wonderful shows in the UK on DVDs that we can play here in the US??!! fantastic read, 29 Jul 2007
If you want a sparkling gleaming house like Antheas this is the book for you after the hard work of decluttering you will find it very easy and sooo much quicker to clean your house as Anthea advises in the book organisation is the key-it may feel like Anthea is teaching you things you allready know but beleive me you don't.If you follow Anthea to the letter I promise you will find your life easier and you will have a lot more time to do other things(like working full-time!!!) Useful, 21 Aug 2008
This book will give handy hints and tips when undertaking any domestic DIY project.
It is not the most comprehensive manual but is great for simple reference, enabling those with a view to further investigation to seek answers elsewhere - hence 4/5 How to do everything ... in two paragraphs, 07 Dec 2007
There is no denying the scope of this book is, to say the least, comprehensive. It covers almost every topic imaginable in DIY from dry lining your basement to capping the chimney and covers it at every range whether you just want to change a fuse or rewire the entire building.
That scope though is both its virtue and its problem. Yes I can pick this up and be fairly confident that it will tell me how to go about building a stud wall but I know that it is also likely to be something of an overview of the subject rattled off in a few paragraphs. Often that is enough. There are a lot of jobs where a grasp of the basics and a willingness to have a go are good enough and if I'm laying new paving slabs I'll read this and go for it. Alternatively there are some jobs where I'd like a little more expertise than this can provide. Yes this book will tell me how to change the main fuse box but I'm not going to do that when it means working on the live side of a 100 amp line! In those cases though at least it lets me know roughly how difficult the job is so that I don't sound like a complete numpty when I call an electrician and ask if they could replace the 'thingummy by the front door with the fuses in it'.
The new (2007) edition has some changes most are improvements, some are not, but the improvements could be sufficient to make it getting the new edition. On the downside the binding is not as good as previous issues so this is a book which could suffer in use. On the upside there is more detail about building regulations and approval. Not in so much detail that it gets in the way of what you want to do but enough to give an overview of the process and in a nod to the way the world moves there are now sections on 'communications' and the 'office at home'.
I'd say to anyone that they should buy this book even if you don't ever intend to do the DIY yourself. If you do the DIY this is a good first reference to find out what to do. If it's not comprehensive enough then it will give enough of an overview that you will know what to look for when searching for more detail and if you do get someone else to do the job you've a better chance of knowing if they're doing the right thing. Transition Handbook, 08 Oct 2008
This book is way overdue. I have been eagerly searching for books addressing the preparation for post peak oil for many many years. Books like this should have been written years ago so I was delighted to see that at last practical guides are starting to appear on the book shelves.
I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters dealing with peak oil and its implications for society. Subsequent chapters I did not enjoy as much particularly when the Kinsale Energy Decent Action Plan is promoted as a role model for sustainable community development.
There is a huge wealth of expertise in the development community, particularly which which was developed from overseas aid agencies. They have developed approaches, standards, principles and a multitude of methodologies for developing communities, with limited or almost non existent resources, and where success or failure costs lives. This expertise has been ignored and attempts made to reinvent the wheel.
I think the focus of the book should have built on the expertise of organisations such as Oxfam, VSO, Save the Children, and Overseas Development Administration and focused on the structures, processes and outcomes, which would help develop community resilience and sustainability, with limited resources.
I have a worry that communities who attempt to use this handbook as the basis for their transition will make fantastic progress initially through the generation of enthusiasm but due to improper planning, a lack of monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness and imprecise goals and objectives, people will become disillusioned and drop out. There is also the danger that communities who adapt this approach will not be able to communicate effectively with traditional disciplines, local authorities, health services, energy engineers or others. Who should change first? The current decision makers and service providers or the community development
organisations?
This process of conflict between service providers and community organisations has happened time and time again, without learning the lessons of what actually is sustainable in the long term. It usually results in the community organisation being unable to access state funding resulting in decline and or death. How can a community organisation sustain itself unless it becomes a business, with formal structures, job descriptions, terms of reference, fundamental guiding principles, training, development, salaries, income generation, sales etc. How can that fit with the "loose" concepts proposed?
Lets hope this is just the first of a huge range of increasingly sophisticated publications yet to come that will address these issues using the best expertise available in the fields of business, development management, community organisation, sustainability, public health, and many more, combined into a consensus best practice manual for transition. I hope these comments help to stimulate a critical approach to sustainable community development.
A smart, accessible guide to a resilient, low-carbon future, 11 Sep 2008
There is a powerful current in our contemporary, post-industrial culture that is arguing for a simpler, more sustainable alternative to our wasteful, environmentally damaging way of life. Proselytisers rely on a varying mix of three sets of arguments: the environmental challenge posed by climate change, the energy supply challenge posed by peak oil and, finally, the spiritual challenge emerging from the newest science on personal wellbeing (in a nutshell: beyond a certain point more money and stuff doesn't make us happier.)
Rob Hopkins' Transition Movement is pragmatic attempt to come to terms with the disruptions that are heralded by climate change and peak oil. Thoughtlessly addicted as we are to fossil fuels, our societies are ill equipped to deal with the adverse implications of energy scarcity and a hotter, less predictable climate. According to Hopkins, what we need to develop is resilience: the ability to deal creatively and locally with energy supply and environmental shocks.
The Transition Handbook is a hands-on guide to help communities make that transition towards a resilient, low-carbon future. It is useful to distinguish three layers in the book.
The first layer encapsulates the three main parts of Hopkins' argument, focused on the head (the facts about climate change and peak oil you need to know), the heart (the need for positive vision and commitment) and the hands (practical guidelines for enabling resilient communities).
The second layer consists of a range of design principles that can be relied on to shape resilient communities. For example, in preparing for an energy-scarce future we need to know that resilience relies on a small scale, modular and decentralised infrastructure. We also need to invest in high-quality productive relationships, integrate rather than segregate and use the creative edges of systems to make the most of their potential. There are many more of these principles that have been lifted from an eclectic mix of disciplines, including systems science, ecology and the psychology of change. Hopkins himself was deeply influenced by the permaculture movement, a radical design approach to constructing "sustainable human settlements".
The third layer features a range of practical solutions that comply with these design principles. These solutions are meant to be the cornerstones of any resilient community and include a template for working towards a more energy-thrifty ("energy descent planning"), decentralised energy generation, local food sourcing, re-skilling of consumers into creative citizens and local currencies.
Transition thinking is not only a theory but it is also a social movement and the book features a number of UK examples of communities that have started going down the path towards resilience. Hopkins is acutely aware that the governance of the Transition movement needs to mirror the design principles underlying resilience. It would hardly be credible and effective to embody a Transition movement by a tightly-managed, centralised bureaucracy. So, Hopkins is only willing to give pointers to help people in facilitating bottom-up, small-scale, self-steering initiatives. Lots is left to emergence and action learning ("... where it all goes remains to be seen ..." is an often used phrase in the book).
The Transition Handbook is an accessible, smart guide to helping us deal with the challenges we may face as a result of climate change and peak oil. In itself the book doesn't offer anything new, but it rearranges familiar pieces of a puzzle into a compelling and coherent approach towards learning again to help ourselves and to do more with less. Enabling, 01 Jul 2008
Hooray. Despite some people's misgivings about the psychology section, which seem largely dependent on a definition of 'success', this is an outstanding book. It's primary achievement is to show the reader how societal change can take place in the absence of the usual too little too late response of governments, whose priorities lie with business, rather than people or environmental sustainability. The future security of Britain, and elsewhere, lies in groups of people with the will and power to make communities sustainable. It might seem unbelievable, but we have the power to transform our society, and are not at the whim of government. They will follow. If you admire Kohr, Schumacher, Papworth and Sale, you will respond positively to this book. Brilliant in parts, dangerously foolish in others, 28 Jun 2008
I've the greatest sympathy with this book's concept in many respects. Rob correctly identifies the overriding need to reduce energy dependence, and that we must not wait for "them" to do anything about it, or even help us. Correctly he sees that we need a "how-to" manual for how to make communities (rather than just the reader) self-sufficient in food and so on. But the devil is in the practical details, or more precisely the practical unknowns which are all too easily glossed over.
The book gets hideously, dangerously misguided in its important section on psychology, with its notion of the importance of a "positive vision". History is bursting full of "positive visions" which ended in huge disasters. Instead, what is needed is a judiciously realistic vision. It is vitally important to recognise that criticism and doubt are just as important as hope and "constructive" "enthusiastic" thinking. Otherwise huge energy and effort is almost certain to be lost in enthusing down disastrous dead-ends.
In a traumatised society, many people become lost to despair, depression, negativity. But there is the equal problem that too many people desperately pin their hopes on "positive" but false solutions which ultimately fail them.
Someone said that the transition concept has been "phenomenally successful". That is seriously unhinged fantasy. There hasn't yet been a transition to test out how or even whether the ideas work out in practice.
You need to be very careful to avoid assuming that action is the same as achievement of solutions, or that international fame and crowds of enthusiastic followers is the same as success in solving the problem.
I would strongly urge the author to revise the psychology section of his book to take account of these comments. The importance of a realistic vision. essential reading, 30 Apr 2008
I'm two thirds way through this book and overall find it an inspiring read. The first section in particular summarises some of the issues in a very easy to understand style. I liked the section on psychology particularly - I think both grieving, shock and addiction models are useful to understanding the apparently irrational responses of people to climate change and peak oil.
The rest of the book is harder to read - a lot of detail about how one should go about starting a transition initiative. Some of this stuff makes very important points about embedding the initiative into the community and I appreciate that it is derived from experience. At the same time I found it somewhat prescriptive, especially the directions for conducting meetings/workshops etc. This is a bit of a turn off - there are of course lots of ways of doing these things and I feel it would have been better just to refer to some resources or put these in appendices.
We have to act on climate change and peak oil and I buy the resilient local economy model. There is lots of useful stuff in this book, maybe some of it just more detailed than necessary. A rock solid guide to getting things done, 31 Jul 2008
I'm not the world's most practical man, but this book was a godsend. It features clear, step-by-step instructions on everything you could need to do around the house or flat.
When I moved into my place, I just didn't know what to do about the plumbing and lighting niggles around the place. It saved me hunting for tradesmen, and let me know that I really could Do It Myself. Just yesterday I replaced the sink trap - win!
There's lots of information on the web (there are useful Youtube videos that are a nice supplement to this), but it's all in one place here - and you know it's reliable and more readable than print-outs. If you don't know how to drill a hole in a wall, start here. And if you're already an expert, there'll be plenty of useful reference tips too.
Best available, 16 Sep 2007
This book is the best of its type available
It bought it when we moved to our new house, and found some rather slip-shod DIY had been done by the previous owner. It covers anything you would ever likely need to know for home DIY.
This book will pay for itself in no time at all, be it through avoiding trademens costs, avoiding waste of materials or detecting "cowboy" builders. I've looked at other similar books, e.g. Collins, but I reckon this one is the best illutrated and easiest to use for the non-expert.
Probably the definitive book on this subject., 09 Jul 2006
This book is fantastic. It was bought for me by my dad when I bought my first house and it is one of the most useful books i own. It covers most subjects you are likely to need in any home DIY situation, as well as garden DIY and relevant legislation that may affect your DIY projects. I cannot stress enough how invaluable this book is and how often I've referred to it, even if I've decided I'm not confident enough to tackle the problem and call in an expert. A must have along side your tool kit. This book will pay for itself!, 11 Apr 2006
Within 2 hours of getting this book it had paid for itself by clearly showing me how to repair a broken ceiling light. I'd been planning on paying an electrician to do the work, so I guess it must have saved me about £50 for that alone! It's completely up to date, including all of the new building regulations that might affect the average DIYer. Would definately reccomend this for anyone who wants to be shown how to do, and be given the confidence to try, most DIY projects.
readers digest do it your self manual, 24 Aug 2005
This book was my bible when I moved into my first home.
What ever job I needed to do around the home, it was covered in detail and easy to understand.
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Customer Reviews
A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!
A book I can recommend to any of the following:
men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.
A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.
I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon. Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea! Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.
If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.
Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.
sigh....
Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Supremely Simple) principles then I'm all for it.
While the book is catagorized very well, I find that I can pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book & show have inspired me and given me that theoretical "kick in the pants". Now I am definitely not going to win Homemaker of the Year but I can honestly say that Anthea & her book have given me food for thought and inspired me to want to do better. I will NEVER have a house as clean as hers but if I can use just a portion of the ideas and routines she presents, then maybe I won't have to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes time for the holidays, or company coming.
I don't think that a clean, well managed house and warm inviting home are mutually exclusive! It's just nice to know that if I WANT to use some special touches(like when mother-in-law visits) or need some practical information - I have a wonderful resource to guide me.
***** The only thing lacking is the same comment previous reviewers have had and that is I wish there were some detailed diagrams & photos to go along with some of the things she has demonstated on her show.
I am from the US and extremely envious that those of you in Region 2 are able to purchase and at least WATCH Anthea's DVD as well. I don't know if or when I'll see the show again on the BBCA channel.
Who do I need to talk to about getting some of your wonderful shows in the UK on DVDs that we can play here in the US??!! fantastic read, 29 Jul 2007
If you want a sparkling gleaming house like Antheas this is the book for you after the hard work of decluttering you will find it very easy and sooo much quicker to clean your house as Anthea advises in the book organisation is the key-it may feel like Anthea is teaching you things you allready know but beleive me you don't.If you follow Anthea to the letter I promise you will find your life easier and you will have a lot more time to do other things(like working full-time!!!) Useful, 21 Aug 2008
This book will give handy hints and tips when undertaking any domestic DIY project.
It is not the most comprehensive manual but is great for simple reference, enabling those with a view to further investigation to seek answers elsewhere - hence 4/5 How to do everything ... in two paragraphs, 07 Dec 2007
There is no denying the scope of this book is, to say the least, comprehensive. It covers almost every topic imaginable in DIY from dry lining your basement to capping the chimney and covers it at every range whether you just want to change a fuse or rewire the entire building.
That scope though is both its virtue and its problem. Yes I can pick this up and be fairly confident that it will tell me how to go about building a stud wall but I know that it is also likely to be something of an overview of the subject rattled off in a few paragraphs. Often that is enough. There are a lot of jobs where a grasp of the basics and a willingness to have a go are good enough and if I'm laying new paving slabs I'll read this and go for it. Alternatively there are some jobs where I'd like a little more expertise than this can provide. Yes this book will tell me how to change the main fuse box but I'm not going to do that when it means working on the live side of a 100 amp line! In those cases though at least it lets me know roughly how difficult the job is so that I don't sound like a complete numpty when I call an electrician and ask if they could replace the 'thingummy by the front door with the fuses in it'.
The new (2007) edition has some changes most are improvements, some are not, but the improvements could be sufficient to make it getting the new edition. On the downside the binding is not as good as previous issues so this is a book which could suffer in use. On the upside there is more detail about building regulations and approval. Not in so much detail that it gets in the way of what you want to do but enough to give an overview of the process and in a nod to the way the world moves there are now sections on 'communications' and the 'office at home'.
I'd say to anyone that they should buy this book even if you don't ever intend to do the DIY yourself. If you do the DIY this is a good first reference to find out what to do. If it's not comprehensive enough then it will give enough of an overview that you will know what to look for when searching for more detail and if you do get someone else to do the job you've a better chance of knowing if they're doing the right thing. Transition Handbook, 08 Oct 2008
This book is way overdue. I have been eagerly searching for books addressing the preparation for post peak oil for many many years. Books like this should have been written years ago so I was delighted to see that at last practical guides are starting to appear on the book shelves.
I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters dealing with peak oil and its implications for society. Subsequent chapters I did not enjoy as much particularly when the Kinsale Energy Decent Action Plan is promoted as a role model for sustainable community development.
There is a huge wealth of expertise in the development community, particularly which which was developed from overseas aid agencies. They have developed approaches, standards, principles and a multitude of methodologies for developing communities, with limited or almost non existent resources, and where success or failure costs lives. This expertise has been ignored and attempts made to reinvent the wheel.
I think the focus of the book should have built on the expertise of organisations such as Oxfam, VSO, Save the Children, and Overseas Development Administration and focused on the structures, processes and outcomes, which would help develop community resilience and sustainability, with limited resources.
I have a worry that communities who attempt to use this handbook as the basis for their transition will make fantastic progress initially through the generation of enthusiasm but due to improper planning, a lack of monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness and imprecise goals and objectives, people will become disillusioned and drop out. There is also the danger that communities who adapt this approach will not be able to communicate effectively with traditional disciplines, local authorities, health services, energy engineers or others. Who should change first? The current decision makers and service providers or the community development
organisations?
This process of conflict between service providers and community organisations has happened time and time again, without learning the lessons of what actually is sustainable in the long term. It usually results in the community organisation being unable to access state funding resulting in decline and or death. How can a community organisation sustain itself unless it becomes a business, with formal structures, job descriptions, terms of reference, fundamental guiding principles, training, development, salaries, income generation, sales etc. How can that fit with the "loose" concepts proposed?
Lets hope this is just the first of a huge range of increasingly sophisticated publications yet to come that will address these issues using the best expertise available in the fields of business, development management, community organisation, sustainability, public health, and many more, combined into a consensus best practice manual for transition. I hope these comments help to stimulate a critical approach to sustainable community development.
A smart, accessible guide to a resilient, low-carbon future, 11 Sep 2008
There is a powerful current in our contemporary, post-industrial culture that is arguing for a simpler, more sustainable alternative to our wasteful, environmentally damaging way of life. Proselytisers rely on a varying mix of three sets of arguments: the environmental challenge posed by climate change, the energy supply challenge posed by peak oil and, finally, the spiritual challenge emerging from the newest science on personal wellbeing (in a nutshell: beyond a certain point more money and stuff doesn't make us happier.)
Rob Hopkins' Transition Movement is pragmatic attempt to come to terms with the disruptions that are heralded by climate change and peak oil. Thoughtlessly addicted as we are to fossil fuels, our societies are ill equipped to deal with the adverse implications of energy scarcity and a hotter, less predictable climate. According to Hopkins, what we need to develop is resilience: the ability to deal creatively and locally with energy supply and environmental shocks.
The Transition Handbook is a hands-on guide to help communities make that transition towards a resilient, low-carbon future. It is useful to distinguish three layers in the book.
The first layer encapsulates the three main parts of Hopkins' argument, focused on the head (the facts about climate change and peak oil you need to know), the heart (the need for positive vision and commitment) and the hands (practical guidelines for enabling resilient communities).
The second layer consists of a range of design principles that can be relied on to shape resilient communities. For example, in preparing for an energy-scarce future we need to know that resilience relies on a small scale, modular and decentralised infrastructure. We also need to invest in high-quality productive relationships, integrate rather than segregate and use the creative edges of systems to make the most of their potential. There are many more of these principles that have been lifted from an eclectic mix of disciplines, including systems science, ecology and the psychology of change. Hopkins himself was deeply influenced by the permaculture movement, a radical design approach to constructing "sustainable human settlements".
The third layer features a range of practical solutions that comply with these design principles. These solutions are meant to be the cornerstones of any resilient community and include a template for working towards a more energy-thrifty ("energy descent planning"), decentralised energy generation, local food sourcing, re-skilling of consumers into creative citizens and local currencies.
Transition thinking is not only a theory but it is also a social movement and the book features a number of UK examples of communities that have started going down the path towards resilience. Hopkins is acutely aware that the governance of the Transition movement needs to mirror the design principles underlying resilience. It would hardly be credible and effective to embody a Transition movement by a tightly-managed, centralised bureaucracy. So, Hopkins is only willing to give pointers to help people in facilitating bottom-up, small-scale, self-steering initiatives. Lots is left to emergence and action learning ("... where it all goes remains to be seen ..." is an often used phrase in the book).
The Transition Handbook is an accessible, smart guide to helping us deal with the challenges we may face as a result of climate change and peak oil. In itself the book doesn't offer anything new, but it rearranges familiar pieces of a puzzle into a compelling and coherent approach towards learning again to help ourselves and to do more with less. Enabling, 01 Jul 2008
Hooray. Despite some people's misgivings about the psychology section, which seem largely dependent on a definition of 'success', this is an outstanding book. It's primary achievement is to show the reader how societal change can take place in the absence of the usual too little too late response of governments, whose priorities lie with business, rather than people or environmental sustainability. The future security of Britain, and elsewhere, lies in groups of people with the will and power to make communities sustainable. It might seem unbelievable, but we have the power to transform our society, and are not at the whim of government. They will follow. If you admire Kohr, Schumacher, Papworth and Sale, you will respond positively to this book. Brilliant in parts, dangerously foolish in others, 28 Jun 2008
I've the greatest sympathy with this book's concept in many respects. Rob correctly identifies the overriding need to reduce energy dependence, and that we must not wait for "them" to do anything about it, or even help us. Correctly he sees that we need a "how-to" manual for how to make communities (rather than just the reader) self-sufficient in food and so on. But the devil is in the practical details, or more precisely the practical unknowns which are all too easily glossed over.
The book gets hideously, dangerously misguided in its important section on psychology, with its notion of the importance of a "positive vision". History is bursting full of "positive visions" which ended in huge disasters. Instead, what is needed is a judiciously realistic vision. It is vitally important to recognise that criticism and doubt are just as important as hope and "constructive" "enthusiastic" thinking. Otherwise huge energy and effort is almost certain to be lost in enthusing down disastrous dead-ends.
In a traumatised society, many people become lost to despair, depression, negativity. But there is the equal problem that too many people desperately pin their hopes on "positive" but false solutions which ultimately fail them.
Someone said that the transition concept has been "phenomenally successful". That is seriously unhinged fantasy. There hasn't yet been a transition to test out how or even whether the ideas work out in practice.
You need to be very careful to avoid assuming that action is the same as achievement of solutions, or that international fame and crowds of enthusiastic followers is the same as success in solving the problem.
I would strongly urge the author to revise the psychology section of his book to take account of these comments. The importance of a realistic vision. essential reading, 30 Apr 2008
I'm two thirds way through this book and overall find it an inspiring read. The first section in particular summarises some of the issues in a very easy to understand style. I liked the section on psychology particularly - I think both grieving, shock and addiction models are useful to understanding the apparently irrational responses of people to climate change and peak oil.
The rest of the book is harder to read - a lot of detail about how one should go about starting a transition initiative. Some of this stuff makes very important points about embedding the initiative into the community and I appreciate that it is derived from experience. At the same time I found it somewhat prescriptive, especially the directions for conducting meetings/workshops etc. This is a bit of a turn off - there are of course lots of ways of doing these things and I feel it would have been better just to refer to some resources or put these in appendices.
We have to act on climate change and peak oil and I buy the resilient local economy model. There is lots of useful stuff in this book, maybe some of it just more detailed than necessary. A rock solid guide to getting things done, 31 Jul 2008
I'm not the world's most practical man, but this book was a godsend. It features clear, step-by-step instructions on everything you could need to do around the house or flat.
When I moved into my place, I just didn't know what to do about the plumbing and lighting niggles around the place. It saved me hunting for tradesmen, and let me know that I really could Do It Myself. Just yesterday I replaced the sink trap - win!
There's lots of information on the web (there are useful Youtube videos that are a nice supplement to this), but it's all in one place here - and you know it's reliable and more readable than print-outs. If you don't know how to drill a hole in a wall, start here. And if you're already an expert, there'll be plenty of useful reference tips too.
Best available, 16 Sep 2007
This book is the best of its type available
It bought it when we moved to our new house, and found some rather slip-shod DIY had been done by the previous owner. It covers anything you would ever likely need to know for home DIY.
This book will pay for itself in no time at all, be it through avoiding trademens costs, avoiding waste of materials or detecting "cowboy" builders. I've looked at other similar books, e.g. Collins, but I reckon this one is the best illutrated and easiest to use for the non-expert.
Probably the definitive book on this subject., 09 Jul 2006
This book is fantastic. It was bought for me by my dad when I bought my first house and it is one of the most useful books i own. It covers most subjects you are likely to need in any home DIY situation, as well as garden DIY and relevant legislation that may affect your DIY projects. I cannot stress enough how invaluable this book is and how often I've referred to it, even if I've decided I'm not confident enough to tackle the problem and call in an expert. A must have along side your tool kit. This book will pay for itself!, 11 Apr 2006
Within 2 hours of getting this book it had paid for itself by clearly showing me how to repair a broken ceiling light. I'd been planning on paying an electrician to do the work, so I guess it must have saved me about £50 for that alone! It's completely up to date, including all of the new building regulations that might affect the average DIYer. Would definately reccomend this for anyone who wants to be shown how to do, and be given the confidence to try, most DIY projects.
readers digest do it your self manual, 24 Aug 2005
This book was my bible when I moved into my first home.
What ever job I needed to do around the home, it was covered in detail and easy to understand.
A great book for architectural novice!, 12 Nov 2007
I read this book in library when I was studying in University of Southern California in Los Angeles and was looking for a book on architecture in real world. I loved it, I bought it many years later simply because I loved to have it in my book collection. It turned out to be a very good buy. The illustrations are great! Ching has a great talent to simplify complicated issues and make them very easy to understand.
Gang Chen, Author of "Planting Design Illustrated"
Avoid, 04 Jul 2007
Idiot overseas lecturer recommended this- and then failed anyone who referred to it.Very pretty, but useless because American- use Chudley so that your work conforms to regs. Waste of money...grrrr.
Very good - with one caveat, 12 Nov 2002
Excellent book, good graphics, concise yet comprehensive - but it is an American book, so U.K. readers should back it up with something like Chudley/Greeno's "Building Construction Handbook".
Still a classic after twenty-five years, 05 Nov 2002
I bought the first edition of this book years ago and what attracted me to it was the very accessible way it was produced, it just looked so inviting. Francis Ching writes about technical matters in a simple straightforward style and Cassandra Adams illustrations are a joy to look at. She produced the entire book (except for the bar-code) by hand, cover, title page, contents, index and drew over a thousand technical illustrations and even hand wrote the detailed captions. This latest updated edition uses the same illustrations but the text is now typeset in a typeface (Tecton, I think) very similar to her handwritten style.
As other reviewers have said this is not a book for the DIY handyman but a guide to construction basics (though essentially in the US) chapters deal with the site, the building, foundations, floors, walls, roofs, moisture protection, doors and windows, finish work, mechanical and electrical, materials. The thirty-two page Appendix gives addition technical information, followed by a ten page index.
I do have one very minor criticism of this latest edition though, for some odd reason the publisher's have decided to print all the illustrations in a tint of black which detracts them from their original beauty. However this will not stop readers from enjoying and learning from a unique looking book that can hardly be improved on. A masterpiece.
Helpful architect's reference, 17 Apr 1998
This book gives simple guides to design work. Like a simplified "Graphic Standards". Ching offers super illustrations, lots of details and answers a lot of questions for me as an architecture student. I recommend to all designers.
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Customer Reviews
A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!
A book I can recommend to any of the following:
men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.
A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.
I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon.
Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea!
Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.
If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.
Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.
sigh....
Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Sup | | |