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 Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time.
A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings.
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Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time.
A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings.
brilliant, 06 Aug 2008
this is a great book, so much useful information in there. in my opinion theres already enough good reviews to convince one to buy it, so theres not really much to add.
although its important to know, this doesn't tell you practical skills, 'how-to's like roofing, plumbing etc. its more about prices of materials verses labour, explains the ins and outs of employing an architect to design for you, explains how to deal with building regulations, that kind of thing.
VERY useful
paris
Remove any Donald Rumsfeld from your life, 06 Feb 2007
The ex-Secretary of Defense is now most famous for his quote about knowledge. "...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
.
When I started thinking about renovating my house and building an extension I had very few known knowns. After using the Housebuilder's Bible as a guide I now have no unknown unknowns and very few known unknowns. I and know how to know those.
So, if you're building or thinking of building and you feel an outbreak of Donald Rumsfeld is imminent; buy this book !
Essential reading for self-builders and project managers, 05 Feb 2007
Despite having no previous building experience, we have been building and/or project managing the build of our house for the past 2 years: see www.timval.com for a diary of the build.
Mark Brinkley's Housebuilder's Bible has proven to be invaluable. It provided us with sufficient technical information to allow us to select, negotiate with, and manage our architect and tradesmen. It gives realistic estimates of the main costs incurred, and highlights the potential pitfalls of self-building or project managing a build.
There are many books available which delve further into the technical aspects of building, but none draw together the essential points from design to finishes in such a clear and practical way.
The Housebuilder's Bible is the most useful tool you can buy if you are thinking of self-building or managing the renovation or new build of your own house.
Easily the best self-build book I have read, 30 Jan 2007
I have been interested in building my own house for at least 20 years and in that time I have read many books and countless magazine articles on the subject. Initially, most of the stuff I could find was american - often inspiring and very much geared to hands on do-it-yorself types but so far removed from the reality of building in bureaucratic Britain as to be almost useless. I have read books recently, written in this country, of a much more sober sort. They are often written by architects and, although many contain excellent advice on planning and contracts and garantees, there is often surprisingly little about the actual building process.
Mark Brinkley's book is different. It is immediately clear that this is written by a man who really knows about house building, both as a professional and a self-builder. He explains simply how houses are built, what choices there are to be made and what follows from them. Even better he explains why bulders, developers and the various subcontractors behave the way they do.
Building is not rocket science but there are many things that need to come together for it to work. Even if you don't intend to lift so much as a shovel in the process of your house build, you need to know the information in this book. It is clearly presented and easy to follow and cuts through the spin that various intrest groups put 'facts' and figures leaving you in a good position to make informed decisions.
For a book that contains so much information and insight, it is very easy to read and even entertaining in places and on top of that it really gives you a feel for what it is like to build your own house. I am 60% through the process of building my own house and still refer to this book often - if you only buy one book on self-build this should be it.
Top Notch, 30 Jan 2007
I have Mark's previous version of this book, all I can say is it is excellent. It gives all the information a prospective house builder will need. It is a real eye opener but like Mark says don't let the book put you off the idea.
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Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time.
A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings.
brilliant, 06 Aug 2008
this is a great book, so much useful information in there. in my opinion theres already enough good reviews to convince one to buy it, so theres not really much to add.
although its important to know, this doesn't tell you practical skills, 'how-to's like roofing, plumbing etc. its more about prices of materials verses labour, explains the ins and outs of employing an architect to design for you, explains how to deal with building regulations, that kind of thing.
VERY useful
paris
Remove any Donald Rumsfeld from your life, 06 Feb 2007
The ex-Secretary of Defense is now most famous for his quote about knowledge. "...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
.
When I started thinking about renovating my house and building an extension I had very few known knowns. After using the Housebuilder's Bible as a guide I now have no unknown unknowns and very few known unknowns. I and know how to know those.
So, if you're building or thinking of building and you feel an outbreak of Donald Rumsfeld is imminent; buy this book !
Essential reading for self-builders and project managers, 05 Feb 2007
Despite having no previous building experience, we have been building and/or project managing the build of our house for the past 2 years: see www.timval.com for a diary of the build.
Mark Brinkley's Housebuilder's Bible has proven to be invaluable. It provided us with sufficient technical information to allow us to select, negotiate with, and manage our architect and tradesmen. It gives realistic estimates of the main costs incurred, and highlights the potential pitfalls of self-building or project managing a build.
There are many books available which delve further into the technical aspects of building, but none draw together the essential points from design to finishes in such a clear and practical way.
The Housebuilder's Bible is the most useful tool you can buy if you are thinking of self-building or managing the renovation or new build of your own house.
Easily the best self-build book I have read, 30 Jan 2007
I have been interested in building my own house for at least 20 years and in that time I have read many books and countless magazine articles on the subject. Initially, most of the stuff I could find was american - often inspiring and very much geared to hands on do-it-yorself types but so far removed from the reality of building in bureaucratic Britain as to be almost useless. I have read books recently, written in this country, of a much more sober sort. They are often written by architects and, although many contain excellent advice on planning and contracts and garantees, there is often surprisingly little about the actual building process.
Mark Brinkley's book is different. It is immediately clear that this is written by a man who really knows about house building, both as a professional and a self-builder. He explains simply how houses are built, what choices there are to be made and what follows from them. Even better he explains why bulders, developers and the various subcontractors behave the way they do.
Building is not rocket science but there are many things that need to come together for it to work. Even if you don't intend to lift so much as a shovel in the process of your house build, you need to know the information in this book. It is clearly presented and easy to follow and cuts through the spin that various intrest groups put 'facts' and figures leaving you in a good position to make informed decisions.
For a book that contains so much information and insight, it is very easy to read and even entertaining in places and on top of that it really gives you a feel for what it is like to build your own house. I am 60% through the process of building my own house and still refer to this book often - if you only buy one book on self-build this should be it.
Top Notch, 30 Jan 2007
I have Mark's previous version of this book, all I can say is it is excellent. It gives all the information a prospective house builder will need. It is a real eye opener but like Mark says don't let the book put you off the idea.
A book for the novice and full of what you need, 23 May 2008
This did the job and helped me with some love spells, and they really did work! A small and easy read with no hard and fast application of brain power needed, quite a good read and worth the money. I fancy invoking a few more spells that caught my eye in the book, could be my lucky day.
The Beat Book For a BEGINNER, 10 Aug 2006
This was the first book I picked up that made me want to read more. I tried to read other books before this one, but I was struggling to get any enthusiasm for Wicca, witchcraft, or spell casting from them.
This book I could not put it down! Its informative and well written out line to the craft is interesting and as it states not too comprehensive. So you can get an idea of what to do very quickly.
It's a cut the crap way to casting good spells. It gets to the point of casting spells without having you dance round feeling like a prat in order to get to some altered state of conciseness.
To summarise its small, easily digestible, and it's a grate book to start out.
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Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time. A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings. brilliant, 06 Aug 2008
this is a great book, so much useful information in there. in my opinion theres already enough good reviews to convince one to buy it, so theres not really much to add.
although its important to know, this doesn't tell you practical skills, 'how-to's like roofing, plumbing etc. its more about prices of materials verses labour, explains the ins and outs of employing an architect to design for you, explains how to deal with building regulations, that kind of thing.
VERY useful
paris Remove any Donald Rumsfeld from your life, 06 Feb 2007
The ex-Secretary of Defense is now most famous for his quote about knowledge. "...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
.
When I started thinking about renovating my house and building an extension I had very few known knowns. After using the Housebuilder's Bible as a guide I now have no unknown unknowns and very few known unknowns. I and know how to know those.
So, if you're building or thinking of building and you feel an outbreak of Donald Rumsfeld is imminent; buy this book ! Essential reading for self-builders and project managers, 05 Feb 2007
Despite having no previous building experience, we have been building and/or project managing the build of our house for the past 2 years: see www.timval.com for a diary of the build.
Mark Brinkley's Housebuilder's Bible has proven to be invaluable. It provided us with sufficient technical information to allow us to select, negotiate with, and manage our architect and tradesmen. It gives realistic estimates of the main costs incurred, and highlights the potential pitfalls of self-building or project managing a build.
There are many books available which delve further into the technical aspects of building, but none draw together the essential points from design to finishes in such a clear and practical way.
The Housebuilder's Bible is the most useful tool you can buy if you are thinking of self-building or managing the renovation or new build of your own house.
Easily the best self-build book I have read, 30 Jan 2007
I have been interested in building my own house for at least 20 years and in that time I have read many books and countless magazine articles on the subject. Initially, most of the stuff I could find was american - often inspiring and very much geared to hands on do-it-yorself types but so far removed from the reality of building in bureaucratic Britain as to be almost useless. I have read books recently, written in this country, of a much more sober sort. They are often written by architects and, although many contain excellent advice on planning and contracts and garantees, there is often surprisingly little about the actual building process.
Mark Brinkley's book is different. It is immediately clear that this is written by a man who really knows about house building, both as a professional and a self-builder. He explains simply how houses are built, what choices there are to be made and what follows from them. Even better he explains why bulders, developers and the various subcontractors behave the way they do.
Building is not rocket science but there are many things that need to come together for it to work. Even if you don't intend to lift so much as a shovel in the process of your house build, you need to know the information in this book. It is clearly presented and easy to follow and cuts through the spin that various intrest groups put 'facts' and figures leaving you in a good position to make informed decisions.
For a book that contains so much information and insight, it is very easy to read and even entertaining in places and on top of that it really gives you a feel for what it is like to build your own house. I am 60% through the process of building my own house and still refer to this book often - if you only buy one book on self-build this should be it. Top Notch, 30 Jan 2007
I have Mark's previous version of this book, all I can say is it is excellent. It gives all the information a prospective house builder will need. It is a real eye opener but like Mark says don't let the book put you off the idea. A book for the novice and full of what you need, 23 May 2008
This did the job and helped me with some love spells, and they really did work! A small and easy read with no hard and fast application of brain power needed, quite a good read and worth the money. I fancy invoking a few more spells that caught my eye in the book, could be my lucky day. The Beat Book For a BEGINNER, 10 Aug 2006
This was the first book I picked up that made me want to read more. I tried to read other books before this one, but I was struggling to get any enthusiasm for Wicca, witchcraft, or spell casting from them.
This book I could not put it down! Its informative and well written out line to the craft is interesting and as it states not too comprehensive. So you can get an idea of what to do very quickly.
It's a cut the crap way to casting good spells. It gets to the point of casting spells without having you dance round feeling like a prat in order to get to some altered state of conciseness.
To summarise its small, easily digestible, and it's a grate book to start out. Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.
The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.
Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general. I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out. Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!
The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard! An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill). This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way. It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail: 1) What Central Heating is 2) What can go wrong with it 3) How to diagnose the fault 4) How to repair it Fault finding diagrams are v. useful. This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you? To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!! From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber. I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago. When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it. Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold. I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual. Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way. Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked. A great book that I will make oily myself in time.
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Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time. A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings. brilliant, 06 Aug 2008
this is a great book, so much useful information in there. in my opinion theres already enough good reviews to convince one to buy it, so theres not really much to add.
although its important to know, this doesn't tell you practical skills, 'how-to's like roofing, plumbing etc. its more about prices of materials verses labour, explains the ins and outs of employing an architect to design for you, explains how to deal with building regulations, that kind of thing.
VERY useful
paris Remove any Donald Rumsfeld from your life, 06 Feb 2007
The ex-Secretary of Defense is now most famous for his quote about knowledge. "...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
.
When I started thinking about renovating my house and building an extension I had very few known knowns. After using the Housebuilder's Bible as a guide I now have no unknown unknowns and very few known unknowns. I and know how to know those.
So, if you're building or thinking of building and you feel an outbreak of Donald Rumsfeld is imminent; buy this book ! Essential reading for self-builders and project managers, 05 Feb 2007
Despite having no previous building experience, we have been building and/or project managing the build of our house for the past 2 years: see www.timval.com for a diary of the build.
Mark Brinkley's Housebuilder's Bible has proven to be invaluable. It provided us with sufficient technical information to allow us to select, negotiate with, and manage our architect and tradesmen. It gives realistic estimates of the main costs incurred, and highlights the potential pitfalls of self-building or project managing a build.
There are many books available which delve further into the technical aspects of building, but none draw together the essential points from design to finishes in such a clear and practical way.
The Housebuilder's Bible is the most useful tool you can buy if you are thinking of self-building or managing the renovation or new build of your own house.
Easily the best self-build book I have read, 30 Jan 2007
I have been interested in building my own house for at least 20 years and in that time I have read many books and countless magazine articles on the subject. Initially, most of the stuff I could find was american - often inspiring and very much geared to hands on do-it-yorself types but so far removed from the reality of building in bureaucratic Britain as to be almost useless. I have read books recently, written in this country, of a much more sober sort. They are often written by architects and, although many contain excellent advice on planning and contracts and garantees, there is often surprisingly little about the actual building process.
Mark Brinkley's book is different. It is immediately clear that this is written by a man who really knows about house building, both as a professional and a self-builder. He explains simply how houses are built, what choices there are to be made and what follows from them. Even better he explains why bulders, developers and the various subcontractors behave the way they do.
Building is not rocket science but there are many things that need to come together for it to work. Even if you don't intend to lift so much as a shovel in the process of your house build, you need to know the information in this book. It is clearly presented and easy to follow and cuts through the spin that various intrest groups put 'facts' and figures leaving you in a good position to make informed decisions.
For a book that contains so much information and insight, it is very easy to read and even entertaining in places and on top of that it really gives you a feel for what it is like to build your own house. I am 60% through the process of building my own house and still refer to this book often - if you only buy one book on self-build this should be it. Top Notch, 30 Jan 2007
I have Mark's previous version of this book, all I can say is it is excellent. It gives all the information a prospective house builder will need. It is a real eye opener but like Mark says don't let the book put you off the idea. A book for the novice and full of what you need, 23 May 2008
This did the job and helped me with some love spells, and they really did work! A small and easy read with no hard and fast application of brain power needed, quite a good read and worth the money. I fancy invoking a few more spells that caught my eye in the book, could be my lucky day. The Beat Book For a BEGINNER, 10 Aug 2006
This was the first book I picked up that made me want to read more. I tried to read other books before this one, but I was struggling to get any enthusiasm for Wicca, witchcraft, or spell casting from them.
This book I could not put it down! Its informative and well written out line to the craft is interesting and as it states not too comprehensive. So you can get an idea of what to do very quickly.
It's a cut the crap way to casting good spells. It gets to the point of casting spells without having you dance round feeling like a prat in order to get to some altered state of conciseness.
To summarise its small, easily digestible, and it's a grate book to start out. Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.
The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.
Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general. I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out. Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!
The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard! An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill). This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way. It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail: 1) What Central Heating is 2) What can go wrong with it 3) How to diagnose the fault 4) How to repair it Fault finding diagrams are v. useful. This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you? To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!! From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber. I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago. When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it. Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold. I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual. Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way. Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked. A great book that I will make oily myself in time.
Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.
Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"
Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.
These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.
Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer
A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!
Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.
Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"
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Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time. A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings. brilliant, 06 Aug 2008
this is a great book, so much useful information in there. in my opinion theres already enough good reviews to convince one to buy it, so theres not really much to add.
although its important to know, this doesn't tell you practical skills, 'how-to's like roofing, plumbing etc. its more about prices of materials verses labour, explains the ins and outs of employing an architect to design for you, explains how to deal with building regulations, that kind of thing.
VERY useful
paris Remove any Donald Rumsfeld from your life, 06 Feb 2007
The ex-Secretary of Defense is now most famous for his quote about knowledge. "...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
.
When I started thinking about renovating my house and building an extension I had very few known knowns. After using the Housebuilder's Bible as a guide I now have no unknown unknowns and very few known unknowns. I and know how to know those.
So, if you're building or thinking of building and you feel an outbreak of Donald Rumsfeld is imminent; buy this book ! Essential reading for self-builders and project managers, 05 Feb 2007
Despite having no previous building experience, we have been building and/or project managing the build of our house for the past 2 years: see www.timval.com for a diary of the build.
Mark Brinkley's Housebuilder's Bible has proven to be invaluable. It provided us with sufficient technical information to allow us to select, negotiate with, and manage our architect and tradesmen. It gives realistic estimates of the main costs incurred, and highlights the potential pitfalls of self-building or project managing a build.
There are many books available which delve further into the technical aspects of building, but none draw together the essential points from design to finishes in such a clear and practical way.
The Housebuilder's Bible is the most useful tool you can buy if you are thinking of self-building or managing the renovation or new build of your own house.
Easily the best self-build book I have read, 30 Jan 2007
I have been interested in building my own house for at least 20 years and in that time I have read many books and countless magazine articles on the subject. Initially, most of the stuff I could find was american - often inspiring and very much geared to hands on do-it-yorself types but so far removed from the reality of building in bureaucratic Britain as to be almost useless. I have read books recently, written in this country, of a much more sober sort. They are often written by architects and, although many contain excellent advice on planning and contracts and garantees, there is often surprisingly little about the actual building process.
Mark Brinkley's book is different. It is immediately clear that this is written by a man who really knows about house building, both as a professional and a self-builder. He explains simply how houses are built, what choices there are to be made and what follows from them. Even better he explains why bulders, developers and the various subcontractors behave the way they do.
Building is not rocket science but there are many things that need to come together for it to work. Even if you don't intend to lift so much as a shovel in the process of your house build, you need to know the information in this book. It is clearly presented and easy to follow and cuts through the spin that various intrest groups put 'facts' and figures leaving you in a good position to make informed decisions.
For a book that contains so much information and insight, it is very easy to read and even entertaining in places and on top of that it really gives you a feel for what it is like to build your own house. I am 60% through the process of building my own house and still refer to this book often - if you only buy one book on self-build this should be it. Top Notch, 30 Jan 2007
I have Mark's previous version of this book, all I can say is it is excellent. It gives all the information a prospective house builder will need. It is a real eye opener but like Mark says don't let the book put you off the idea. A book for the novice and full of what you need, 23 May 2008
This did the job and helped me with some love spells, and they really did work! A small and easy read with no hard and fast application of brain power needed, quite a good read and worth the money. I fancy invoking a few more spells that caught my eye in the book, could be my lucky day. The Beat Book For a BEGINNER, 10 Aug 2006
This was the first book I picked up that made me want to read more. I tried to read other books before this one, but I was struggling to get any enthusiasm for Wicca, witchcraft, or spell casting from them.
This book I could not put it down! Its informative and well written out line to the craft is interesting and as it states not too comprehensive. So you can get an idea of what to do very quickly.
It's a cut the crap way to casting good spells. It gets to the point of casting spells without having you dance round feeling like a prat in order to get to some altered state of conciseness.
To summarise its small, easily digestible, and it's a grate book to start out. Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.
The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.
Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general. I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out. Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!
The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard! An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill). This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way. It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail: 1) What Central Heating is 2) What can go wrong with it 3) How to diagnose the fault 4) How to repair it Fault finding diagrams are v. useful. This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you? To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!! From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber. I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago. When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it. Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold. I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual. Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way. Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked. A great book that I will make oily myself in time.
Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.
Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"
Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.
These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.
Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer
A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!
Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.
Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"
A Great book, 12 Apr 2008
I cannot reccomend this book enougth this should join all the other carpentry books your so glad you own, its really comprehensive & it hard-back this is value for money & will be a reliable companion what ever your level & skill Buy it! Charles de Greeff (France)
All essential woodworking info in one book., 10 Jan 2008
I'm strictly a "hobbyist" woodworker and I ordered this on a whim, having just bought a router in the post xmas sales, hoping to pick up some ideas for projects.
The depth of information is outstanding, with the chapters being logically ordered and all types of wood, tool and method being laid out in detail with plenty of clear diagrams and "how-to" instructions.
I picked up plenty of hints and tips on things I never even knew I was doing wrong. I've also managed to identify some of the more obscure woodworking tools I inherited from my Grandfather, and found a use for them!
Money well spent, this will keep me busy for years.
Told me everything that I wanted to know, 19 Aug 2003
Wanting to get into woodworking for pleasure (and ultimately furnishing my house) but having very little prior knowledge about the subject, I wanted a book that I could use as a reference whenever it was needed. This book fulfills the role very nicely and gives excellent guidance on the purchase of tools as well as techniques. Having read through the relevant sections, I was able to go out the next day and purchase everything I needed. Often the most difficult thing about starting out in a new hobby is finding somebody with experience to guide you. Whilst this is usually the best way, in my case it wasn't possible and this title was about as worthy a substitute as a reference book can be.
Good, but can be sketchy, 22 Jan 2003
First - this is a really well produced book. It shows what several dozen samples of different wood types look like (both plain and varnished), and goes on to outline the basic construction principles behind chairs, tables, and cupboards. It then covers the use of hand tools and power tools. But, and it's a big but, this is really only an overview of a vast subject. For example, it covers drafting of a plan in one single page, which really isn't enough if you're planning to build a large piece of furniture. So while it looks lovely, bear in mind that it's best considered as a roadmap for further study and experimentation.
Very Informative, 18 Nov 2001
Excellent book. I am studying Antique Furniture Restoration at college and find that this book covers all the woodworking basics that I need to know, learn and excel at. It is well laid out, easy to follow and has step by step guides for different types of joints, timbers, tools and wood finishing. It is my bible.
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Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time. A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings. brilliant, 06 Aug 2008
this is a great book, so much useful information in there. in my opinion theres already enough good reviews to convince one to buy it, so theres not really much to add.
although its important to know, this doesn't tell you practical skills, 'how-to's like roofing, plumbing etc. its more about prices of materials verses labour, explains the ins and outs of employing an architect to design for you, explains how to deal with building regulations, that kind of thing.
VERY useful
paris Remove any Donald Rumsfeld from your life, 06 Feb 2007
The ex-Secretary of Defense is now most famous for his quote about knowledge. "...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
.
When I started thinking about renovating my house and building an extension I had very few known knowns. After using the Housebuilder's Bible as a guide I now have no unknown unknowns and very few known unknowns. I and know how to know those.
So, if you're building or thinking of building and you feel an outbreak of Donald Rumsfeld is imminent; buy this book ! Essential reading for self-builders and project managers, 05 Feb 2007
Despite having no previous building experience, we have been building and/or project managing the build of our house for the past 2 years: see www.timval.com for a diary of the build.
Mark Brinkley's Housebuilder's Bible has proven to be invaluable. It provided us with sufficient technical information to allow us to select, negotiate with, and manage our architect and tradesmen. It gives realistic estimates of the main costs incurred, and highlights the potential pitfalls of self-building or project managing a build.
There are many books available which delve further into the technical aspects of building, but none draw together the essential points from design to finishes in such a clear and practical way.
The Housebuilder's Bible is the most useful tool you can buy if you are thinking of self-building or managing the renovation or new build of your own house.
Easily the best self-build book I have read, 30 Jan 2007
I have been interested in building my own house for at least 20 years and in that time I have read many books and countless magazine articles on the subject. Initially, most of the stuff I could find was american - often inspiring and very much geared to hands on do-it-yorself types but so far removed from the reality of building in bureaucratic Britain as to be almost useless. I have read books recently, written in this country, of a much more sober sort. They are often written by architects and, although many contain excellent advice on planning and contracts and garantees, there is often surprisingly little about the actual building process.
Mark Brinkley's book is different. It is immediately clear that this is written by a man who really knows about house building, both as a professional and a self-builder. He explains simply how houses are built, what choices there are to be made and what follows from them. Even better he explains why bulders, developers and the various subcontractors behave the way they do.
Building is not rocket science but there are many things that need to come together for it to work. Even if you don't intend to lift so much as a shovel in the process of your house build, you need to know the information in this book. It is clearly presented and easy to follow and cuts through the spin that various intrest groups put 'facts' and figures leaving you in a good position to make informed decisions.
For a book that contains so much information and insight, it is very easy to read and even entertaining in places and on top of that it really gives you a feel for what it is like to build your own house. I am 60% through the process of building my own house and still refer to this book often - if you only buy one book on self-build this should be it. Top Notch, 30 Jan 2007
I have Mark's previous version of this book, all I can say is it is excellent. It gives all the information a prospective house builder will need. It is a real eye opener but like Mark says don't let the book put you off the idea. A book for the novice and full of what you need, 23 May 2008
This did the job and helped me with some love spells, and they really did work! A small and easy read with no hard and fast application of brain power needed, quite a good read and worth the money. I fancy invoking a few more spells that caught my eye in the book, could be my lucky day. The Beat Book For a BEGINNER, 10 Aug 2006
This was the first book I picked up that made me want to read more. I tried to read other books before this one, but I was struggling to get any enthusiasm for Wicca, witchcraft, or spell casting from them.
This book I could not put it down! Its informative and well written out line to the craft is interesting and as it states not too comprehensive. So you can get an idea of what to do very quickly.
It's a cut the crap way to casting good spells. It gets to the point of casting spells without having you dance round feeling like a prat in order to get to some altered state of conciseness.
To summarise its small, easily digestible, and it's a grate book to start out. Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.
The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.
Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general. I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out. Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!
The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard! An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill). This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way. It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail: 1) What Central Heating is 2) What can go wrong with it 3) How to diagnose the fault 4) How to repair it Fault finding diagrams are v. useful. This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you? To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!! From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber. I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago. When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it. Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold. I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual. Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way. Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked. A great book that I will make oily myself in time.
Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.
Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"
Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.
These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.
Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer
A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects needed by an aspiring plumber,covering everything from the basics through to gas fitting. Here at Panda Plumbing Training in Barnsley we use this text as a regular reference source. The alternate page layout of text and images is good but it would benefit from colour!
Great book, not all about measurements!, 14 Feb 2007
I bought this in addition to some other plumbing books that I'd already bought from Amazon (e.g. JTL Plumbing Level 2, Muscroft Plumbing) and am glad that I did.
I was initially rather dubious, especially after reading Andy Mason's review which indicated that the book was all about measurements ... what a load of rubbish. Yes, on pages 124 to 127 there is a section on sizing hot and cold pipework but that's about it. So far I have read through parts 1 and 2 and only encountered a few pages of numbers, formulas etc ... all of which if you're doing a C&G Level 2 or NVQ 2 will be very useful.
This book is excellent for allowing you to do some quick revision and/or reviewing before sitting an exam OR after having done other reading and studying as a way of dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.
Get it if (like me) you're doing your C&G/NVQ level 2 and/or 3.
Fabulous Plumbing Book, 17 Jul 2006
"A great book. Full of information - covered everything I needed to know and more"
A Great book, 12 Apr 2008
I cannot reccomend this book enougth this should join all the other carpentry books your so glad you own, its really comprehensive & it hard-back this is value for money & will be a reliable companion what ever your level & skill Buy it! Charles de Greeff (France)
All essential woodworking info in one book., 10 Jan 2008
I'm strictly a "hobbyist" woodworker and I ordered this on a whim, having just bought a router in the post xmas sales, hoping to pick up some ideas for projects.
The depth of information is outstanding, with the chapters being logically ordered and all types of wood, tool and method being laid out in detail with plenty of clear diagrams and "how-to" instructions.
I picked up plenty of hints and tips on things I never even knew I was doing wrong. I've also managed to identify some of the more obscure woodworking tools I inherited from my Grandfather, and found a use for them!
Money well spent, this will keep me busy for years.
Told me everything that I wanted to know, 19 Aug 2003
Wanting to get into woodworking for pleasure (and ultimately furnishing my house) but having very little prior knowledge about the subject, I wanted a book that I could use as a reference whenever it was needed. This book fulfills the role very nicely and gives excellent guidance on the purchase of tools as well as techniques. Having read through the relevant sections, I was able to go out the next day and purchase everything I needed. Often the most difficult thing about starting out in a new hobby is finding somebody with experience to guide you. Whilst this is usually the best way, in my case it wasn't possible and this title was about as worthy a substitute as a reference book can be.
Good, but can be sketchy, 22 Jan 2003
First - this is a really well produced book. It shows what several dozen samples of different wood types look like (both plain and varnished), and goes on to outline the basic construction principles behind chairs, tables, and cupboards. It then covers the use of hand tools and power tools. But, and it's a big but, this is really only an overview of a vast subject. For example, it covers drafting of a plan in one single page, which really isn't enough if you're planning to build a large piece of furniture. So while it looks lovely, bear in mind that it's best considered as a roadmap for further study and experimentation.
Very Informative, 18 Nov 2001
Excellent book. I am studying Antique Furniture Restoration at college and find that this book covers all the woodworking basics that I need to know, learn and excel at. It is well laid out, easy to follow and has step by step guides for different types of joints, timbers, tools and wood finishing. It is my bible.
Useful resource for the beginner, 15 Jul 2008
Despite being written some 60 years ago, this book is still largely relevant today - although care must be taken over the imperial dimensions and advice on the non ISO thread forms. This book contains 17 chapters covering everything from choice of lathe and tools through to how to machine complex parts such as crankshafts etc, with the author going into a good level of detail rather than skimming over important aspects.
Stands the test of time, 06 Jul 2008
Other reviewers have covered the salient benefits of the book. Personally, I would have liked the photographs to be of greater clarity. A little bit of bias of mine now: one can always tell when an author has practised what he or she preaches. It is a book that I shall refer to many times.
A practical introduction to lathe & workshop practice, 09 Jan 2003
Although the first edition was written in 1948 and the photographs and illustrations are very dated by modern standards, the content is excellent for anyone wanting a practical introduction to the use of the lathe for hobby engineering. It is written in a very clear informative style and covers topics from basic tool grinding and lathe operation to techniques dealing with projects that could be considered outside the capacity of the small lathe. Being written in 1948 (last edition 1964), the projects and examples included in the book have dimensions and screw threads that use pre-metric, imperial standards. However, basic principles do not change and I found the book to be an excellent introduction and provider of practical advice for the hobby engineer.
Highly recommended for novice and ýold handý alike., 11 Sep 2000
Mr. Sparey's book is a superb compilation of useful information with regard to the centre lathe. It is packed with instructional information and useful tips: from what to look for when buying a lathe, to advanced applications such as milling, metal-spinning, and spring manufacture. The fact that the book has been reprinted 11 times is a certain indicator of the high regard shown by the engineering fraternity. I consider this publication to be a first-class addition to my library.
This book is a great introduction to the joys of lathe work!, 30 Mar 2000
First published in 1948, encompasses just about every task the amateur/model engineer is going to use their lathe for. Lots of pictures and a few drawings too.
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Electric Wiring: Domestic
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Customer Reviews
A perfect Christmas present, 14 Nov 2008
Just when the world seems to be collapsing in economic ruin, Mount gives us a book-full of reasons to take pleasure in what we see around us. I'll be buying several copies to give to people this Christmas - and I expect to see this charming, clever, hugely entertaining tome popping up in people's homes for years to come. Mount has staked a powerful claim to be the James Lees-Milne of our time. A Lust for Intelligence, 04 Nov 2008
Mount is to be congratulated on producing a study which is lucid and funny, and equally useful to the amateur fan as well as the architectural expert. His great gift is to make what is (too often) solemn great fun. He did it with Latin; now he has done it with buildings. brilliant, 06 Aug 2008
this is a great book, so much useful information in there. in my opinion theres already enough good reviews to convince one to buy it, so theres not really much to add.
although its important to know, this doesn't tell you practical skills, 'how-to's like roofing, plumbing etc. its more about prices of materials verses labour, explains the ins and outs of employing an architect to design for you, explains how to deal with building regulations, that kind of thing.
VERY useful
paris Remove any Donald Rumsfeld from your life, 06 Feb 2007
The ex-Secretary of Defense is now most famous for his quote about knowledge. "...as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
.
When I started thinking about renovating my house and building an extension I had very few known knowns. After using the Housebuilder's Bible as a guide I now have no unknown unknowns and very few known unknowns. I and know how to know those.
So, if you're building or thinking of building and you feel an outbreak of Donald Rumsfeld is imminent; buy this book ! Essential reading for self-builders and project managers, 05 Feb 2007
Despite having no previous building experience, we have been building and/or project managing the build of our house for the past 2 years: see www.timval.com for a diary of the build.
Mark Brinkley's Housebuilder's Bible has proven to be invaluable. It provided us with sufficient technical information to allow us to select, negotiate with, and manage our architect and tradesmen. It gives realistic estimates of the main costs incurred, and highlights the potential pitfalls of self-building or project managing a build.
There are many books available which delve further into the technical aspects of building, but none draw together the essential points from design to finishes in such a clear and practical way.
The Housebuilder's Bible is the most useful tool you can buy if you are thinking of self-building or managing the renovation or new build of your own house.
Easily the best self-build book I have read, 30 Jan 2007
I have been interested in building my own house for at least 20 years and in that time I have read many books and countless magazine articles on the subject. Initially, most of the stuff I could find was american - often inspiring and very much geared to hands on do-it-yorself types but so far removed from the reality of building in bureaucratic Britain as to be almost useless. I have read books recently, written in this country, of a much more sober sort. They are often written by architects and, although many contain excellent advice on planning and contracts and garantees, there is often surprisingly little about the actual building process.
Mark Brinkley's book is different. It is immediately clear that this is written by a man who really knows about house building, both as a professional and a self-builder. He explains simply how houses are built, what choices there are to be made and what follows from them. Even better he explains why bulders, developers and the various subcontractors behave the way they do.
Building is not rocket science but there are many things that need to come together for it to work. Even if you don't intend to lift so much as a shovel in the process of your house build, you need to know the information in this book. It is clearly presented and easy to follow and cuts through the spin that various intrest groups put 'facts' and figures leaving you in a good position to make informed decisions.
For a book that contains so much information and insight, it is very easy to read and even entertaining in places and on top of that it really gives you a feel for what it is like to build your own house. I am 60% through the process of building my own house and still refer to this book often - if you only buy one book on self-build this should be it. Top Notch, 30 Jan 2007
I have Mark's previous version of this book, all I can say is it is excellent. It gives all the information a prospective house builder will need. It is a real eye opener but like Mark says don't let the book put you off the idea. A book for the novice and full of what you need, 23 May 2008
This did the job and helped me with some love spells, and they really did work! A small and easy read with no hard and fast application of brain power needed, quite a good read and worth the money. I fancy invoking a few more spells that caught my eye in the book, could be my lucky day. The Beat Book For a BEGINNER, 10 Aug 2006
This was the first book I picked up that made me want to read more. I tried to read other books before this one, but I was struggling to get any enthusiasm for Wicca, witchcraft, or spell casting from them.
This book I could not put it down! Its informative and well written out line to the craft is interesting and as it states not too comprehensive. So you can get an idea of what to do very quickly.
It's a cut the crap way to casting good spells. It gets to the point of casting spells without having you dance round feeling like a prat in order to get to some altered state of conciseness.
To summarise its small, easily digestible, and it's a grate book to start out. Great Reference, 21 Aug 2008
This is a great reference manual for both amateur or professional.
The book is easy to read and laid out nicely. The illustrations are graphically excellent and useful.
Central Heating Fault finding and repair, as the title suggests covers these key areas but also gives a great grounding on both central heating and plumbing systems in general. I'm a Plumber and I'm not too proud to use this book, 19 Apr 2008
Despite being in the trade and we're supposed to know what we're doing, we all have the odd "bad day at the office" and this book has been invaluable to me. I have nipped out to the van "to get something i forgot" more than once and had a quick read and digest session as a reminder. Well worth the price if it gets you out of a hole just the once when it's getting late in the day and the customer wants the heating back on 'cos its cold out. Your own plumber available 24/7!, 17 Feb 2008
This is a musthave book. As a keen DIY plumber,I am constantly looking for ways to improve my knowledge of central heating and hot water systems as well as fault finding and diagnosis, and this book hits the nail firmly on the head. Within 20 minutes of owning my copy I had resolved a problem that had been nagging for several weeks!
The spiral binding is also a godsend, particularly when you're in the loft or the airing cupboard! An excellent reference, 13 Jan 2005
This taught me loads of things I had expected to learn on my NVQ course but didn't - and some of it was new to the tutors as well!! (Backfilling a sluggish system saved me hours of frustration with radiators that wouldn't fill). This book pulls together a lot of very useful information from various sources, combines it with a practical approach to diagnosis gained from years of experience, and puts it all together in one place in a logical, structured way. It really "does what it says on the tin", basically covering in some detail: 1) What Central Heating is 2) What can go wrong with it 3) How to diagnose the fault 4) How to repair it Fault finding diagrams are v. useful. This book will be invaluable for DIYer and professional. Okay, if you've been in the business for 40 years you probably know all that's in here (and more), but then you wouldn't be looking for a book like this, would you? To the rest of us, buy it now and keep it in the van!! From Zero to Hero, 08 Jun 2004
I am not by nature a plumber. I live in a two bedroomed apartment with a gas powered central heating system, which I inherited when I bought the place (my first) four years ago. When it starting playing up I did what most people do, I ignored it. Eventually, I had to either call out a plumber before it stopped working altogether or figure out why the pilot was lit but the place was cold. I used the technique that I learnt in my younger days. A technique that I learnt to use to fix my first two cars . I bought the equivalent of the Haynes manual. Haynes don't do a Central Heating Manual but these people do and whilst it doesn't have the oily photograph so that you can see exactly what the part really looks like, it covers the range of systems, rather than one model in an easy to understand way. Took me back to the days when I replaced the piston on my Suzuki TS100 and got a re-bore. When I had finished, it worked. A great book that I will make oily myself in time.
Nearly a good reference - but basic errors in it , 19 Oct 2008
This book so very nearly could have been an excellent reference, but there are fundamental misprints in it. These should have been corrected by this, the 3rd edition. For example, on page 38 re: Water pressure. It states ...."the 1000Kg of water would weigh 1000x9.81 =
9810 newtons per square meter..." No it wouldn't - it would 'weigh' 1000Kg! (on earth). Strictly speaking, N/m2 are units of pressue, not weight. It would exert a PRESSURE of 9810 newtons per square metre.
Then it goes on to say in an example "... the pressure at the base of a 4m high container of water with a cross-sectional area of 1m square is 4x9.81 = 39.24 kN"
Wrong again - kN are units of FORCE, not pressure. This should be kN per square metre.
These are not the only examples of errors in this book. Somewhat confusing, and not adequately explained, so only 3 stars.
Well laid out, concise and comprehensive., 13 Jul 2007
This book is great. I bought it to help with redesigning an old central heating and drainage system in a large, dilapidated house and needed more detail than one finds in the otherwise excellent Collins DIY series. One of this book's best achievements is its layout - every aspect of plumbing has been skillfully divided into concise, separate sections, saving the need to wade through a load of extraneous detail to get to the bit you're interested in. Each section describes and lists clearly any applicable building regs, and outlines the various advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls associated with different strategies and systems. There's a great section on noise transmission in pipework, as well as on working with lead, steel and other materials. The book is aimed at NVQ/SVQ, but is a great reference work for any competent DIYer
A Quality Text for Training, 27 Feb 2007
This text covers all aspects need | | |