House & Home

Learn how to live sustainably in the city, the suburbs, or the country

Many people are cutting back on consumerism and trying to simplify their lives, realizing that the ""new way"" isn't necessarily the best way. The sustainable living movement goes beyond a desire to protect the environment and practice green living; it's about rediscovering simple survival skills that, in an earlier time, were known and practiced by almost everyone.

The New American Homestead gives you a wealth of information about homesteading—a lifestyle of simple, agrarian self-sufficiency—from raising chickens, bees, and other animals to gardening in earth-friendly ways to canning, preserving, home brewing, and cheese making. The book does not assume that you have a sizable parcel of land in the country; author John Tullock's techniques can be put to use in virtually any space, even a small urban plot.

• The book appeals to anyone who has a yard, courtyard, deck, or porch with room for gardening; wants to spend less money maintaining a household; and desires to reduce his or her carbon footprint through sustainable living
• The author emphasizes cultivating foods of all kinds in spaces of one-third of an acre or less, with consideration given to costs, family needs, available space, and the pleasures of the table
• Includes advice for achieving sustainability in other aspects of urban/suburban life

Whether you're dwelling in the country, suburbs, or the city, The New American Homestead shows you how to live a more sustainable life.

The DIY trend for women involves more than knitting and sewing: today more women are tending to their homes, and they're not just sewing curtains and arranging flowers. They're installing new toilets, laying ceramic floors in the kitchen, and drywalling the den. With 23 percent of all power tool purchases in 2004 made by women, and the number of unmarried females owning homes climbing by nearly 4 million owners from 1994 to 2002, when it comes to home repair, maintenance, and improvement, these sisters are doing it for themselves.

At the same time, a survey by Home Depot found that 73 percent of women would like to learn more about tackling home improvements. But who has the brains, brawn, and beauty to really understand a woman's perspective and give her the confidence to conquer what had traditionally been men's territory? Norma Vally.

Norma Vally is a rare combination: construction worker, former model, television and radio host. As the host of Discovery Home's Toolbelt Diva, Norma showed women how to throw out the Honey Do lists and ""Honey, do it yourself."" She's beautiful, sassy, confident, and competent, and with a radio show, a line of tools, a website, and her top-rated TV show she is a franchise dedicated to educating women on home repair, maintenance, and improvement. The Norma Vally book series is as sassy as Norma, packed with real-world tips showing women how to take charge of their homes.

This four-color, fully illustrated series provides a basic overview of big-picture renovation. In Norma Vally's Kitchen Fix-Ups, Norma guides the reader through determining not only how to do the work, but how to determine what is right for her: How does she use her kitchen? What features are truly important? Is it the domain of one person or the family hangout? Are there storage considerations? Is plumbing position and function optimal?

Then she provides an overview of the jobs best left to professionals and those the reader can master with Norma's guidance: fixing a leaky faucet, installing a backsplash, building in recessed lighting, resurfacing countertops. Tasks are broken down into three levels of difficulty and cover sinks, countertops, appliances, cabinets, walls, and floors.

The book is written in Norma's trademark can-do, sassy voice and provides confidence to the most nervous renovator, showing readers that Honey-Do lists can truly become a thing of the past.

The book is packaged with a $9.99 value-add DVD of Norma walking the user through three key tasks, one at each level of difficulty: cleaning out a faucet aerator, repairing a leaky faucet, and installing a new faucet. None of the competition contains this multimedia element.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

The DIY vibe for women involves more than knitting and quilting: today more women are tending to their homes, and they're not just sewing curtains and arranging flowers. They're installing new toilets, adding ceramic floors to the kitchen, and drywalling the den. With 23 percent of all power tool purchases in 2004 made by women, and the number of unmarried females owning homes climbing by nearly 4 million owners from 1994 to 2002, when it comes to home repair, maintenance, and improvement, these sisters are doing it for themselves.

At the same time, a survey by Home Depot found that 73 percent of women would like to learn more about tackling home improvements. But who has the brains, brawn, and beauty to really understand a woman's perspective and give her the confidence to conquer what had traditionally been men's territory? Norma Vally.

Norma Vally is a rare combination: construction worker, former model, television and radio host. As the host of Discovery Home's show Toolbelt Diva, Norma showed women how to throw out the Honey Do lists and ""Honey, do it yourself."" She's beautiful, sassy, confident, and competent, and with a radio show, a line of tools, a website, and her top-rated TV show she is a franchise dedicated to educating women on home repair, maintenance, and improvement. The Norma Vally book series is as sassy as Norma, packed with real-world tips showing women how to take charge of their homes.

This beautiful, four-color, fully illustrated series provides a basic overview of big-picture renovation. In Norma Vally's Bathroom Fix-Ups, Norma guides the reader through determining not only how to do the work, but how to determine what is right for her: Does she like bright overhead light or soft indirect lighting? Does she live in her bathroom -- and thus need as many homey amenities as possible -- or use it as a showering pit stop? Is it a retreat for one person or the family workhorse? Are there storage considerations? Is plumbing position and function optimal?

Then Norma provides an overview of the jobs best left to professionals and those the reader can master with Norma's guidance: adding a vanity, installing a sink, building in recessed lighting, changing the toilet. Tasks are broken down into three levels of difficulty and cover sinks, toilets, showers, tubs, walls, and flooring.

The book is written in Norma's trademark can-do, sassy voice and will provide confidence to the most nervous renovator, showing readers that Honey-Do lists can truly become a thing of the past.

The book is packaged with a $9.99 value-add DVD of Norma walking the user through three key tasks, one from each level of difficulty: replacing a flush handle, changing a toilet flapper, and replacing a toilet. None of the competition contains this multimedia element.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Contrary to the perception that the home is a safe environment, a person is ten times more likely to sustain a serious injury or die at home as a result of an accident than in the course of their employment. This book will help homeowners combat those odds by providing information adapted from proven techniques used by safety professionals. Filled with ancedotal descriptions and examples, the book offers much more than “safety tips” as it educates the homeowner in how to control risk through hazard identification.

Information is concisely organized, uniformly formatted, and supported by high quality images. Chapter topics include fall hazards (roofs, ladders, stairs, etc.), electrical safety, fire prevention, hand and power tool safety, emergency planning, and others. Added value can be found in the self-inspection forms or “cheat-sheets” located at the end of each chapter that the reader can copy to complete their own home safety audit.

A collection of simple usable safety techniques directed specifically to homeowners like this does not currently exist. The target audience is the general public with sales offered through book retail stores, building material suppliers (i.e. Home Depot) and possibly homeowner insurance companies. Chapter sponsorship opportunities are being pursued through featured products, i.e. “This chapter on ladder safety brought to you by Werner Ladders,” “This chapter on power tool safety brought to you by DeWalt,” etc., and supporting product imagery for these chapters would feature those manufacturers’ products.

There is a statistical gap between what we think we know and what we actually know about home safety. Home safety accidents disable more than 12 million people in the home every year and are the fifth leading cause of death. Forty-five percent of all unintentional deaths occur in and around the home environment, claiming the lives of children, aging parents, spouses, partners, and friends making the home environment one of the most hazardous environments we inhabit. But how can we expect to protect ourselves and the ones we love if we aren't even aware there is a problem?

Hannan says 75% of all unintentional injuries and deaths in the home hinge on our behavior, more specifically, on the decisions we make. And the first and most important home safety decision we should make is to improve our hazard recognition skills and become more safety conscious.

Homeowner's can't rely on product recalls or state and federal agencies to keep them and their loved ones safe in the home. Unlike other safety campaigns seen in our communities, the policing and protection of our home environment depends entirely on the homeowner. This book offers simple techniques to raise home-safety awareness and improve our abilities to recognize hazards, correct hazards and prevent unintentional accidents from occurring in the home.

Each chapter of has high quality images to illustrate safety procedures; identifies problems and hazards in the home; recommends safety practices to assist homeowners in identifying hazards; gives action items for proactive prevention of accidents; has a safety inspection checklist allowing homeowners to be thorough and organized in their approach to home safety; and lists a reference section providing links and other resources for additional related safety information.

The best of The Wall Wizard

Painting is an inexpensive yet impactful way to redecorate a home. But in a down economy, most homeowners can't afford to hire a pro to do the dirty work. This book represents the best of The Wall Wizard's previous books, Painting Secrets, Faux Finish Secrets, and Wallcovering Secrets. Readers will get helpful, economically mindful tips, advice, and guidance on how to use paint, faux finishes, and wallcoverings that accomplish high-quality, professional-looking results.

• Focuses on painting with smaller sections on faux finishes and wallcoverings (including both how to apply and remove them)
• Sidebars and tips address technical questions
• Covers green alternatives to toxic, hazardous, and environmentally harmful products

With his personal, upbeat, first-person approach, bestselling author Brian Santos shows readers clearly and succinctly how to roll up their sleeves and accent any room of the house.

The Wall Wizard brings his painting expertise to homeowners in this innovative and fun follow-up to his first book, Painting Secrets.

Faux Finish Secrets focuses attention and detail on decorative (faux) techniques, such as sponging, ragging, combing, and color wash.

Illustrated step-by-step instructions demonstrate 15 of the most-asked-for faux effects, along with ideas for endless variations and combinations.

Real-life questions and comments from audiences at the Wall Wizard’s popular seminars provide the basis for topics and material in this book.

Includes important information on surface preparation and basic painting condensed from the pages of Painting Secrets.

Brian brings a bright new perspective to the principles of color, helping consumers make confident decisions. Unlike other paint books, the process of painting is emphasized. Clever ""Wall Wizard"" tips make painting simple and fun. For example, mix 1 gallon of warm water and 1/2 cup of fabric softener to clean brushes in 10 seconds. Decorative techniques for ragging, sponging, glazing, and using unusual tools for designer effects. Detailed coverage of tools and supplies, including varnishes, stains, and glazes.

Brian brings a bright new perspective to the principles of color, helping consumers make confident decisions. Unlike other paint books, the process of painting is emphasized. Clever ""Wall Wizard"" tips make painting simple and fun. For example, mix 1 gallon of warm water and 1/2 cup of fabric softener to clean brushes in 10 seconds. Decorative techniques for ragging, sponging, glazing, and using unusual tools for designer effects. Detailed coverage of tools and supplies, including varnishes, stains, and glazes.

The Wall Wizard brings his painting expertise to homeowners in this innovative and fun follow-up to his first book, Painting Secrets.

Faux Finish Secrets focuses attention and detail on decorative (faux) techniques, such as sponging, ragging, combing, and color wash.

Illustrated step-by-step instructions demonstrate 15 of the most-asked-for faux effects, along with ideas for endless variations and combinations.

Real-life questions and comments from audiences at the Wall Wizard’s popular seminars provide the basis for topics and material in this book.

Includes important information on surface preparation and basic painting condensed from the pages of Painting Secrets.

A simple, step-by-step design process from popular HGTV personality and Target style expert Sabrina Soto

People want their homes to look the way they do in their imaginations—beautiful colors, stylish furniture, and attractive lighting, with ample storage for all their stuff. The thing that stands between most homeowners and the home design they dream of is the lack of a simple, effective decorating process. They have the ideas, but they're hungry for the ""how."" In this accessible design manual, Sabrina Soto helps you realize your design visions one step at a time.

In Sabrina Soto Home Design, each chapter represents one decorating ""layer,"" such as color or furnishings. Following along with the chapters , you'll build a design component by component. Packed with useful and time-tested tips and shortcuts like those Sabrina features on her TV shows and website, the book also shows you how to save money, time, and effort without sacrificing style.

• The process works for any room, or for a whole house, and applies to any decorating style
• Sabrina's high-energy approach and let's-make-this-fun attitude make the book both informative and entertaining
• Sabrina is one of TV's most popular celebrity designers, appearing on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, The High-Low Project, Get It Sold!, Bang for Your Buck, Real Estate Intervention, and HGTV'd.

Sabrina Soto Home Design gives you an easy-to-follow process that brings your own decorating ideas to life to create a stunning, personalized home design.

Stylish and practical designs for real families

From the many room makeovers he has done for magazines, newspapers, and television shows, designer Stephen Saint-Onge has a very real sense of what everyday families want and need from their homes. Unlike other decorating books on the market, his features products and projects that are accessible for everyday homeowners who are looking for stylish and practical designs.

Now, his scores of fans will thrill for No Place Like Home. With home designs that are budget-conscious, family-friendly, and beautiful, these inspiring projects mix traditional American style with modern comforts and convenience.

• Introduces creative tools and tricks that make a big impact on rooms
• Educates readers on various materials, furnishings, and accessories
• Stephen's style secrets for every room of the home

Full of creative advice, design tips, and renovation ideas, No Place Like Home shows real families how to create spaces that work in the real world.