- ISBN13: 9780761144601
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Purge the clutter. Outfit your home with care: The 34 essential kitchen tools. The 9 essential cleaning and fixing products. The 13, and only 13, things a bedroom needs to make it a haven of rest and privacy. Each item has been field-tested and rated for its environmental, social, and aesthetic impact. There is high-tech: the miraculous microfiber mop, the low voltage electric blanket, the truly responsive iron. And there is low-tech: the French press coffeemaker,… More >>
Flanagan’s Smart Home: The 98 Essentials for Starting Out, Starting Over, Scaling Back
I HAVE NOT REALLY STUDIED THIS BOOK, YET, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN BUSY BUT I HOPE TO FIND IT USEFUL IN ORGANIZING MY ABODE.
Rating: 5 / 5
The author misses the mark on this one. The text is condescending and definitely geared to people with a lot of money.
She may have found her “98 essentials” but I don’t agree that they are universal. I certainly don’t need a floor lamp and a timer to wake up happy, and I’m quite content snuggled in my winter bed of flannel sheets and down blanket.
At best, I would recommend this book as an addition to the reference shelf of a well-funded public library.
Rating: 1 / 5
Pretty cover and laid out in an easy manner. Most important thing to note is this is for people who basically know nothing.
From the first chapter on “Sleeping”, you will realize how ‘basic’ this book is – all the way to giving you an inventory list of things you will need to sleep – Rightyo then!
Next, “Bathing and Dressing” … um, okay. How to choose towels, mirrors, ironing information, best types of hangers, etc. A lot of opinion in an area where many people just go for what they like.
“Kitchen” moves you on to even more basics … including explaining a butter knife. That pretty much put me over the edge of having no more patience with this book. She makes recommendations for specific kitchen items (in some cases specifying brands) without thought to individuals needs and budgets.
I would not give this to my teenage son who will be going off to college next year. He has enough common sense and basic knowledge to know an enormous amount of this information – something I would expect of most college-bound children.
Rating: 2 / 5
I am the queen of organizing and managing through clutter. This particular book caught my eye because of its Green reference. The only green I personally got out of it was the knowledge I could recycle the book when I was done. This little hand book is just ok. All in all I think it is more appropriate for someone who is just starting out with their first apartment or home. But this book in the end will just add to the clutter. With today’s internet access I personally feel between a Consumer Report and the web you can find suggestions, price comparison, tips and reviews from fellow consumers then this book will provide. Not to mention her prices will be obsolete by the end of the year.
I am a little surprised to see so many positive reviews for this book as well. Hard pressed to understand why a lamp timer being used instead of an alarm clock provides any less clutter or an eco friendly environment. Or recommending to getting rid of non-stick pans and going to cast iron. There are cooking benefits to both types of pans and if you have used a cast iron pan you will know it is not a stop all solution for all your cooking needs. A Pressure cooker may be even more versatile.
So save your pennies and pick up Consumer Report, Solution magazine or get on line and find ways to save, unclutter and find creative solutions for your smart home.
Rating: 2 / 5
Flnagan’s 98 Essentials is a humorous look at the products we use everyday and the ones we can live without. Items such as irons, spoons, knives, beds, and others are described in detail. What makes the book work is the wit and the interesting tidbits that are provided. For instance, do you really need “Silver” silverware? What is the need for a mattress pad? should you buy a drip coffee-maker or a French Press?
Will this book change your life? Well not really, but it will make a nice coffee table book and occasionally change your perspective on what you should look for in everyday items.
What I like
- The quick wit in the writing style. This is hardly a bland book on bland items.
- New ideas about old products.
- Price ranges for each of the items described.
- Can be read as a reference book.
Final tally 4 stars – because at the end of the day… this isn’t an item that you must own.
Rating: 4 / 5