Review of The Wine Maker's Answer Book (Answer Book (Storey)) (Paperback)

Alison Crowe dedicates this book to her two grandmothers and all those who "taught her that a woman's place is doing whatever she sets her mind to".This reviewer found that sentiment to be typically Californian, conjuring up many images of what one might call the golden state's "social terroir".Regional mentalities notwithstanding, WAB is just a great book about wine, and packed full of useful information that will appeal to anyone interested in making great wine.Particularly appealing is the format and page layout which begs to be picked up, flipped through, and read anywhere and at anytime.A durable cover is also appreciated, as is the size of the book and the font's ease on the eyes.

In the first part of the book one finds a simple, straightforward timeline of winemaking (for both red and white wines) that serves as an excellent "skeleton" of knowledge that, when assimilated, makes absorbing further information in the book easier- brilliant!Why aren't more books like this?She goes on to answer hundreds of questions from there!

Alison's talent as a writer comes through in clear and concise language, giving explanations that even a layman can understand with a little study.She does not overwhelm the reader with needless inundations of chemical jargon, but writes masterfully about the chemistry in simple terms.

All in all, a fantastic book!





Product Description
Home winemaking is an appealing hobby for a new generation of wine lovers lured by the promise of a great payoff - small batches of handmade wine. It's the perfect opportunity to experiment with flavors, have fun playing with chemistry, and share a few tasty bottles with friends and family. But safely fermenting, bottling, and aging wine is a demanding process requiring special equipment, impeccable sanitation, an understanding of chemical reactions, and the patience to see the aging process through to the end. No matter how experienced the home winemaker, unforeseen questions develop with every batch of new wine.

When a winemaker has problems with leaky corks or finds an oily film on top of his fermenting wine, what's the simplest, quickest way to get an answer? The Wine Maker's Answer Book is a 24/7 helpline with advice on hundreds of winemaking dilemmas. From the basic curiosity of the novice (What equipment will I need to get started?) to the finer points of fermentation (What is the impact of malolactic fermentation on acidity?), every step of the process is covered in detail.

Author Alison Crowe uses a friendly question-and-answer format to explain the mysteries of turning grape juice into wine, whether the reader is beginning with fresh grapes or a home winemaking kit. To the straightforward requests for information, she offers detailed descriptions of procedures and equipment. For stickier real-life problems, she first carefully assesses the possible causes and then gives expert advice on fixing the trouble.

Covering the entire range of situations a winemaker is likely to face, this handy, at-a-glance reference will make every batch of wine taste better.



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Review of The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home (Paperback)

This book starts out by suggesting that the reader obtain a pair of work boots and a flannel shirt and go hang out at construction sites so that you can act like a builder and impress your subs. Not to get construction experience, but to know when to spit and how to yell at people properly. What a joke.

The authors' approach to building is very much in that vein. Cut corners in foolish places and cover it all up with drywall later. He advocates things like single-headers on loadbearing walls and butting up 2 sections of joist sistered with plywood (!) over an open span - not on top of the beam. Whatever pocket change is saved by stunts like this is not worth it in light of the structural and code deficiencies you'd be left with.

If you have read a few other books about frame construction, you can spot the patently crazy ideas among the other bits of very sound advice in this book. But if you are starting from scratch, run away from it. You may not spot the difference between the smart and the stupid here. I get the impression that the authors are coming from the perspective of a penny-conscious builder of tract houses who is just trying to move as many Mchouses as fast as possible without much care for quality. Fine from a business point of view, but it is exactly the kind of mindset that most owner-builders are trying to avoid.

Rather than this book, I would suggest picking up 'Build Your Dream Home for Less,' by R. Dodge Woodson. Woodson's book gives you the perspective of a professional builder who has also built homes for himself and walks a fine line between the perspective of the businessman who needs to maintain a healthy margin and a homeowner who doesn't want ot get stuck with a lousy house. The two books are priced about the same and Woodson's is the one you won't regret.

Product Description
This new edition of The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Homegives aspiring homeowners exactly the information they need to manage their own construction project. Full-color illustrations andphotographs with revamped forms and checklists present the material much like a project manual used by professional contractors.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.



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