Screenwriters Award-Winner Gift Set: The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, and Adaptation (Three Volumes)

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Screenwriters Award-Winner Gift Set: The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, and Adaptation (Three Volumes)
Frank Darabont , Alan Ball , Charlie Kaufman , and Donald Kaufman
Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script

The Screenwriter's Workbook (Revised Edition)

William Goldman - Four Screenplays

ASIN: 1557045917

Book Description

The Newmarket Shooting Script® Sets offer a value-priced opportunity for screenplay lovers to build their collection. Each book within the set includes a facsimile of the film's actual shooting script, as chosen by the writer and/or director, notes on the film's production and history, selected movie stills, and complete cast and crew credits.

This boxed set includes: The Shawshank Redemption: nominated for 7 Oscars® including Best Screenplay American Beauty: Five-time Oscar®-winner including Best Picture with Afterword by Alan Ball Adaptation

Amazon.com

The three volumes of studies of Verdi's operas by Julian Budden are rightly classics of the genre. This is owing to their scope of information on the genesis, circumstances, variants, and specifics of the operas themselves--certainly the fullest description these works have ever been given--as well as to the wealth of surrounding information about the composer, his life, his friends, and his times. It is a measure of the excellence of Budden's achievement that this cornucopia of information is surveyed in very readable prose--readers get a picture of each work within its context. Budden's knowledge of 19th-century opera--both in Italy and in France--is wide-ranging, and he is able to place Verdi and his works in comparison with those of Donizetti, Pacini, Mercadante, and Meyerbeer. He discusses how the great operatic genius emerged from the background of early-19th-century opera and how Verdi's own early, uneven works blossomed into the glory of his later ones. Budden, thankfully, is not a hagiographer, and he recognizes Verdi's faults as well as his strengths, but few--if any--writers have managed to demonstrate how Verdi both blended in with his musical surroundings and stood out from them. These studies, with all their richness, are a good source of information about a host of lesser composers of the time. Budden includes many musical examples to highlight his writing in this, a work of scholarship of the highest order. --Patrick J. Smith

Book Description

This is the third volume of Julian Budden's monumental three-volume survey of the operas of Verdi. Hailed on publication for its extraordinary comprehensibility, the set has become the classic reference work on its subject. For this new edition the author has made a host of corrections throughout, and updated the text in the light of recent scholarship. Volume 3 covers roughly a quarter of a century, a period which saw grand opera on the Parisian model established throughout Italy, the reform of the Conservatories, and the spread of cosmopolitan influences to an extent that convinced many that Italian music was losing its identity. Verdi produced his four last and greatest operas - Don Carlos, Aida, Otello, and Falstaff - in this period, which ended with the advent of `verisimo', in which a new, recognizably Italian idiom was inaugurated. This volume also includes a new and substantial bibliography by Roger Parker.

Customer Reviews:

A most valuable research and reference guide.......2000-07-09

It is a pity that Vol. 3 of Julian Budden's (Oxford, 1973) is no longer available except through secondhand dealers on and off the internet. But just the first two volumes are a terrific research tool and reference source for any one truly interested in enjoying and fully appreciating the operas of Verdi.

Volume 1 covers "Oberto" to "Rigoletto," 2 covers "Il Trovatore" to ""La Forza del Destino," and 3 "Don Carlos" to the final "Falstaff." The revised edition, which is now available in paperback format, begins with an introduction to Verdi and his times and a general consideration of the early operas. Volume 2 offers two chapters on the changing traditions in Italian opera and Verdi's maturing in his craft; while Volume 3 (in the hardcover edition I managed to find) plunges directly into the operas.

Each opera is handled in two sections. First an in-depth narration of the circumstances leading to the creation and opening night of each work, and then a scene by scene analysis of plot and music. This differs from the organization of the one-volume Charles Osborne book, "The Complete Operas of Verdi," which treats the music separately from plot. As much as I admire and have used that work for years, I believe the Budden volumes--so much fuller and therefore so much more useful--will supplant it from this time forward.

I can only urge Oxford to reissue that 3rd volume as soon as possible.

The Place to Start.......2000-04-12

Many critics (musicologists and otherwise) have written monographs on Verdi and his operatic works, but these three volumes are what you should go to first for a thorough and thoughtful reading of each of the operas. Budden devotes a chapter to each opera, providing excerpts from the score to illustrate Verdi's art and genius. A very handy reference work.

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Verdi isn't all that funny

Falstaff: Full Score

Manufacturer: Ricordi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0634070827

Amazon.com

Verdi wrote only two comic operas in his long career: at the very beginning and at the very end. Nobody remembers the first one, but Falstaff belongs on any list of the ten best operas ever written, with its humor both broad and sly, its loving realization of Shakespeare's characters (most of the opera is taken from The Merry Wives of Windsor, and it's actually funnier in Verdi's version) and, most of all, its deep humanity. Listen for the sarcasm in the orchestra underneath Dame Quickly's salutations and check out how Verdi made the Thames splash when Sir John is emptied from the window. As is always the case with Dover scores, Falstaff is a reprint of another publishing house's work, without English translations.

Book Description

Italian Only.

Customer Reviews:

Verdi isn't all that funny.......2000-07-18

Verdi's two Comedies philosophically, and emotionally, frame his long career. While writing Il Giorno di Regno, his first comedy, and only his second opera, the rather naive young Verdi lost his first wife and their children in a fire. Needless to say, the opera wasn't very funny, and the audience booed it off the stage. Verdi quit Opera...he thought for good. However, his self-imposed exile didn't last long, and Verdi eventually wrote several of Opera's greatest masterpieces. He also loved Giuseppina, first as his paramour, eventually as his second wife, became one of Europe's most generous philanthropists, and admired his great rival Richard Wagner, who referred to Verdi simply as "pig." Arrigo Boito, a genius in his own right (if you don't believe it, get a good recording of Mefistofele), testified in Italian newspapers that Verdi's "old ways" of writing Opera were permanently invalidated by Wagner. Yet one day, eight years after Verdi had retired for the second time, Boito, the great Verdi hater, came to Sant' Agata, hat in hand, to ask Verdi to compose music for two Shakespearean music dramas he had written. The second of those music dramas, Falstaff, was to be Verdi's second comedy, and his last opera. Falstaff is a towering monument to artistic collaboration. In it, Verdi, Boito, and Shakespeare tell us that life is a great cosmic joke, and, since we cannot escape being its brunt, we might as well laugh along. Dover republished an early Ricordi edition of Falstaff. Ricordi is, simply put, the most useful publisher of late romantic Italian opera, especially of Verdi and Puccini. The scholarship is top notch, making this Dover edition quite a useful volume. The book itself is, as always, well crafted and easy to read. The score may be too large, and the book too small, to make this volume useful for the podium, but at home, in front of the stereo, it's invaluable. Falstaff is one of the west's great example's of existentialism expressed in artistic form. If you are not familiar with this opera, I strongly recommend you buy this score, and a good recording to go with it, and knock yourself out.

The Merry Wives of Windsor, PEL (Shakespeare, Pelican)

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The Return of Falstaff (Well, his name at least.)
Sure Fire Theater
One of my favourites with Falstaff
Good Cast Make Bad Play Bearable
a comedy that is actually funny

The Merry Wives of Windsor, PEL (Shakespeare, Pelican)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140714642
Release Date: 2002-02-21

Book Description

"I feel that I have spent half my career with one or another Pelican Shakespeare in my back pocket. Convenience, however, is the least important aspect of the new Pelican Shakespeare series. Here is an elegant and clear text for either the study or the rehearsal room, notes where you need them and the distinguished scholarship of the general editors, Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller who understand that these are plays for performance as well as great texts for contemplation." (Patrick Stewart)

The distinguished Pelican Shakespeare series, which has sold more than four million copies, is now completely revised and repackaged.

Each volume features:

* Authoritative, reliable texts

* High quality introductions and notes

* New, more readable trade trim size

* An essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare and essays on Shakespeare's life and the selection of texts

Download Description

Shal. Come Coz, come Coz, we stay for you: a word with you Coz: marry this, Coz: there is as 'twere a tender, a kinde of tender, made a farre-off by Sir Hugh here: doe you vnderstand me?

Customer Reviews:

The Return of Falstaff (Well, his name at least.) .......2006-07-15

As many of you know, the crooked, but comical and likable Falstaff had a moderate role in "1 Henry IV." He was undoubtedly the real star of "2 Henry IV." At the end of "2 Henry IV," Shakespeare announced that Falstaff would be in the next play. ("Henry V") Well, to the disappointment of the audience, except for the mention of his death, Falstaff was NOT in "Henry V." So, some plays later, Shakespeare ressurected Falstaff along with Bardolph and Nym who were killed in "Henry V." Pistol survived "Henry V," and he is back as well. Some people (including the learned Isaac Asimov) said that the 'fat fool' bears no resemblance to the Falstaff from the Henry IV plays. Well, Asimov was right, but in Shakespeare's defense, the name can not always bring back the character. (Compare the "Dukes of Hazzard" episodes to the not so good recent movie. Denver Pyle is probably rolling over in his grave!) Well, onto the play! Shakespeare cleverly combines 2 plots. Anne Page is a young girl whose parents want her to marry someone other than Fenton whom she really loves. This story IS all too familiar, but Shakespeare compensates for that rather well. Her father (Page) wants Anne to marry the nice enough Slender, while her mother (Lady Page) wants her to marry the eccentric Dr. Caius. (So, Shakespeare doesn't quite repeat the Juliet syndrome.) Moving on, Falstaff enters and he intends to woo Anne's mother and Page's wife as well as Ford's wife not out of love, but in hopes of increasing his fortune. (How unheard of! ESPECIALLY in today's world!) Well, even Falstaff's friends Pistol and Nym are repulsed by this, and Pistol warns Mr. Ford while Nym warns Mr. Page. While we may see Page and Lady Page as the 'wicked parents' who want Anne to marry someone other than whom she loves, Shakespeare expands their characters by having mutual love and trust. (Othello sure could have learned A LOT from Mr. Page!) So, at this point we see that the marriage between Page and Lady Page is a reasonably happy and successful one. On the other hand, Ford is not so sure of his wife to say the least. He plans to disguise himself and encourage Falstaff to go ahead, mainly so he can catch his wife and Falstaff in the act. Lady Ford has plans of her own. We know that Lady Page and Lady Ford are trying to teach Falstaff a lesson so to speak, and we can only imagine what is going through poor Ford's mind when Falstaff reveals his plans to woo Lady Anne AND Lady Page. Ford goes through some comical jealous rages, but unlike the so called 'noble Othello' he does NOT lay an abusive hand on his wife, and it is hard to not feel at least a little sorry for him. (We can only imagine his frustrations when he thinks he was wrong, but Falstaff confesses he was with Ford's wife, Ford can recall the events, and Falstaff speaks of ANOTHER meeting with Ford's wife!) Well, keeping with good comedy, no one really gets hurt, and Mr. Ford is willing to admit he was wrong about his wife. Now it does seem that after the 2 humiliating events (being thrown into a river and having to disguise himself as a witch to escape), Falstaff would have learned by now. But, such is comedy. The Pages and the Fords decide to subject Falstaff to one more practical joke. And of course, there is the matter of whom Anne will marry. (Fenton whom she loves, Slender whom her father loves, and Dr. Caius whom her mother loves.) In a bit of "Midsummer Night's Dream" nostalgia, Falstaff suffers one final slapstick moment, but all is resolved, and young love triumphs. And in the often found theme of reconciliation of Shakespeare's comedies, the characters (including Falstaff) all enjoy a happy party.

Sure Fire Theater.......2006-03-11

This play is odd in that critics hate it, but theater companies love it. Harold Bloom's contempt for this play is so great that he refused to discuss it in his book on Shakespeare. But, unlike some of Shakespeare's less popular plays, Merry Wives is performed frequently in Shakespeare festivals across the land.

You really have to see this play to understand how well it works on the stage. Played by an energetic cast it is hilarious situation comedy and easily understandable by people unfamiliar with Shakespeare. When Falstaff says at the end, with deadpan delivery, "I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass," it brings down the house. Just reading the play in your living room, you will probably miss much of the humor.

Shakespeare was a man of the theater. He wrote for production, with little thought given to publication in his lifetime. You have to see his plays performed to get a measure of his theatrical genius.

One of my favourites with Falstaff.......2005-01-21

I certainly don't agree with many of the reviews of this play. To me it is one of Shakespeare's funniest. I truly enjoyed it. One of my favourite Shakespearean characters is Falstaff, and he appears in a number of Shakespeare's comedies. He makes an appearance in this one, and he is wonderful. The scene of this play is in Windsor, England. The play follows the merry wives in their interactions with their husbands and with their families and servants. This play is unique too, because we see Falstaff in love in this one. This may be one of Shakespeare's lesser known comedies, but it should be read and enjoyed. Don't let some of these reviews stop you from the sheer enjoyment of this play.

Good Cast Make Bad Play Bearable.......2004-10-19

"The Merry Wives of Windsor" is one of Shakespeare's worst plays. It lacks the sharp wit of many of his other comedies, tending for low puns all the way through. The situations are ridiculous. Is Falstaff in a laundry hamper, or sitting in the woods and being prodded by children, funny? Of course, the Elizabethans liked bear-baiting (mentioned in the play). And Shakespeare seemed to want this play to be particularly funny for making fun of Welsh and French accents.

What raises this recording is the cast, particularly Michael Hordern's Ford. Ford is a bitter, jealous character, who actually believes his wife might have a dalliance with the physically repulsive Falstaff. But Hordern's befuddled jealousy actually make thankless lines funny. Anthony Quayle, a very good actor, blusters too much as Falstaff, but it must be difficult to represent Falstaff in sound alone and so that's excusable.

The problems with the play are Shakespeare's. He starts a lot of things he doesn't explore (such as the bizarre horse-stealing episode) and there are too many characters to keep up with comfortably unless one follows along with the text the first time through. But if you need to get through and understand "The Merry Wives" for whatever reason, listening to this fine cast and skimming along with the text is the most enjoyable way to do it.

a comedy that is actually funny.......2003-05-05

i've just finished reading/watching all of shakespeare's comedies and mww is one of the funnier ones. it is a lighthearted look at marital jealousy and features one of shakespeare's great fools, falstaff (of henry iv fame). the out-and-out funniest shakepearean play is still "taming of the shrew", imho, but mwv runs well ahead of the laggards, and certainly well ahead of such better known plays as "twelfth night" and "as you like it".

Sir John Falstaff (Bloom's Major Literary Characters)

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Sir John Falstaff (Bloom's Major Literary Characters)

Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0791079821

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Falstaff, Cloth, It/En: Vocal Score

Manufacturer: Ricordi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 063407170X

Metropolitan Opera Libretto: Falstaff: Lyric Comedy in Three Acts

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Metropolitan Opera Libretto: Falstaff: Lyric Comedy in Three Acts

Manufacturer: G. Schirmer, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GU9O9C

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Falstaff and Equity: An Interpretation
Charles E. Phelps
Manufacturer: Lawbook Exchange
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1584772301

Book Description

Phelps, Charles E. Falstaff and Equity: An Interpretation. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1902. xvi, 201 pp. Reprinted 2002 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-230-1. Cloth. $65. "Judge Phelps of Baltimore has done a very pretty piece of legal and literary work in this volume. The text is Falstaff's remark in the Gadshill scene: `An the Prince and the Poins be not two arrant cowards, there's no equity stirring." All the commentators have passed this over, assuming, it seems, that the meaning is only `there's no such thing as justice in the world.' Certainly the words will bear that meaning. But it is a flat remark for Falstaff to make, if that is all. Is it not really pointed by some special allusion? Putting that question to himself as a good Shakespeare reader, Judge Phelps, as a good lawyer, answers it by looking to what was happening in the Courts just before the first part of Henry IV was produced. That was some time in 1597, probably near the end of the year. It turns out that equity was stirring very much in 1596-7.": F.P., Law Quarterly Review 17: 322-323 cited in Marke, A Catalogue of the Law Collection at New York University (1953) 1143.

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THE FALSTAFF LETTERS
JAMES WHITE
Manufacturer: Chatto and Windus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ND7FVQ

Shakespeare's Typological Satire: A Study of the Falstaff-Oldcastle Problem

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Shakespeare's Typological Satire: A Study of the Falstaff-Oldcastle Problem
Alice-Lyle Scoufos
Manufacturer: Ohio University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0821403907

Chimes at Midnight: Orson Welles, Director (Rutgers Films in Print)

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Chimes at Midnight: Orson Welles, Director (Rutgers Films in Print)

Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0813513391

Book Description

Among the films inspired by Orson Welles's lifelong involvement with Shakespeare, the greatest is "Chimes at Midnight" (1966). It is a masterly conflation of the Shakespearean history plays that feature Falstaff, the great comic figure played by Welles himself in the film. For Welles, the character was also potentially tragic: the doomed friendship between Falstaff and Prince Hal becomes an image of the end of an age. To this epic subject Welles brings the innovative film techniques that made him famous in "Citizen Kane," "The Lady from Shanghai," and "Touch of Evil."

This volume offers a complete continuity script of "Chimes at Midnight," including its famous battle sequence. Each shot is described in detail and is keyed to the original Shakesperian sources, thus making the volume an invaluable guide to Welles as an adaptor and creator of texts. The first complete transcription of the continuity script of "Chimes" is accompanied by the editor's critical introduction on Welles's transformation of Shakespeare; a special interview with Keith Baxter, one of the film's principal actors, which discusses its production history; reviews and articles; and a biographical sketch of Welles, a filmography, and a bibliography.

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Being in the trenches

Every craps player has to own this!

The real title of this book should be the Idiot's Guide to Gambling

Groundbreaking

Gamble To Win Advanced Craps
R D Ellison
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Gamble To Win Craps

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Everything Craps Strategy Book: Win Big Every Time! (Everything: Sports and Hobbies) (Everything: Sports and Hobbies)

101 Ways to Win at Craps!

ASIN: 0818406496

Customer Reviews:

Being in the trenches.......2006-06-10

I have known Mr. Ellison for several years so the reader could say my review is biased. Before his books came along there wasn't much out there that gave practical advice on gambling. He has been in the trenches for years fighting the casino games and winning. The tester in the back of this book is a testament to this. No one could have played that long if they were losing! Beating a system tester (Roulette) is no easy task let me tell you! If there were no trends in gambling results then there would be no point to gambling in the first place. You can use all kinds of mathematics if you want to disprove this but if you are going to gamble then you better believe in them! The theory of statistical propensity and his explaination of it proves that the results are dependent on the precision of the dice (wheel, etc.) but we don't have to understand this to play the games. As usual Mr. Ellison has come up with another book to give us food for thought.

Every craps player has to own this!.......2006-03-14

R. D. Ellison (the author) is a real life professional gambler. He explains exactly how he plays and why. I have read many many books on gambling and what amazes me is a lot of them don't even explain the built in house edge that the casino has and how it is nearly impossible to beat. R. D. Ellison gets the house edge iformation out of the way right from the get go in all of his books. Craps is a random game yet from experience I know that there are certain patterns and trends. What you have to do is look for the right spots and make certain bets at the right time. Definitely not as easy as it sounds. And I know this all too well from much experience. It takes great patience for sure. But it can be done. R. D. Ellison knows all there is to know about craps because he has had much experience over many years of play. He shows plenty of examples of actual table decisions in this book and all of his other Gamble to Win books. I do have to recommend that you read Gamble to Win Craps (by the same author) before going on Gamle to Win Advanced Craps so that you will fully understand all of the concepts. And most importantly learn how not to lose. Every craps player seriously needs to add this book to their arsenal.

The real title of this book should be the Idiot's Guide to Gambling.......2006-02-24

I can not write a strong enough criticism of this book. It holds itself out to be informative self-help, but in reality it is part fiction and part fairy tale.

The book is based loosely on what Mr. Ellison has dubbed the Theory of Statistical Propensity. Mr. Ellison (whom it should be noted at this point has the mathematical credentials of a short order cook) stews up his bland theory by reheating the old Gambler's Fallacy - a meritless contention that numbers on the dice, the roulette wheel, or whatever contraption you are currently losing your rent on, are somehow "due to hit." He dresses it up as a mathematical theory but it is in fact the same old fool's notion: That random numbers appear in patterns and that the laws of probability run hot and cold.

Had Mr. Ellison not dozed off in high school math class, he would know that the reason numbers tend to even out to the statistical mean over time is that larger and larger sample sizes help to smooth out apparent statistical inequities.

For example: if you flip a coin one hundred times, it's entirely possible that every single flip will land on heads. That's 100% for heads. Now flip one hundred additional times and you might get an even split, 50 head and 50 tails. That brings our total heads count to 50 heads out of 200. Still a significant 75% heads advantage, but closer to the inherent 50% probability than before, no?

Now flip that coin another 1,000,000 times.

When you finally build up a significant enough sample size (1,000,000, in our example) a measly 150 flip head advantage is de minimus. Heck a heads advantage of 10,000 barely moves the needle. That's why numbers draw to a statistical average, Mr. Ellison, not by some cosmic force pulling the coin in one direction or another. It's why a casino can run a profitable business with games where the house advantage is a slim 2% or less. You may walk out a winner one day, every day one week, even every day one whole lucky year. But keep pressing that improbability and you will find over time the sample size will start to work against you and you will lose. Its not some genie in the dice, it's called "regression to statistical mean". Google it.

Aside from his Intelligent Design Theory of Dice, Mr. Ellison imparts the following gems of wisdom:
- If your dice hit chips during a throw the probability of rolling a 7 is statistically increased.
- If the stickman changes, the probability of throwing a 7 next roll is statistically increased.
-If your dice accidenatlly go off of the table, the probability of throwing a 7 is statistically increased.

Again, Mr. Ellison doesn't bother to do any critical thinking here. He fails to step back from his own delusions and recognize these triggers for what they are: memorable events outside of the normal course of play - anchors that his tiny mind can recognize, glom on and refer back to. It is much more convenient to pick up on these memorable cues than the millions of other variables which simply fail to capture his attention. Does the dice thrower put his weight on his right or left leg during the throw? Is there an odd or even dollar amount of money being wagered this throw by the third person on the left? These are events that have just as much impact on the random throw of the dice. I wonder why he his attention isn't drawn to these peculiarities? Could it be he's just not that creative? Or is it rather that these events, just like the ones he cites, don't have any impact on the roll at all?

When I purchased this book I wanted an intelligent discussion about the mathematical odds of each wager and some traditional patterns of betting to crib off of. What I got was a 200+ pages of superstition and snarky barbs at the recognized authorities in the field who did not return his emails and calls (with good reason, it turns out).

If I had more time I would write 200+ pages of my own, and that wouldn't even begin to describe all of the reasons why you SHOULD NOT BUY THIS BOOK!

Groundbreaking.......2006-01-28

This is one of the few craps books that tells you how to chart the numbers and shows actual sessions. People think the numbers are random, but the author shows you how to take advantage of streaks by charting the trends.

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Good

Should be titled how to cut your losses

Exactly what I was looking for...

increase your value

Very little value.

How to Increase the Value of Your Home: Simple, Budget-Conscious Techniques and Ideas That Will Make Your Home Worth Up to $100,000 More!
Vicki Lankarge , and Dan Nahorney
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Improve the Value of Your Home up to $100,000: 50 Sure-Fire Techniques and Strategies

101 Cost-Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home

Dress Your House for Success: 5 Fast, Easy Steps to Selling Your House, Apartment, or Condo for the Highest Po ssible Price!

Home Seller's Checklist: Everything You Need to Know to Get the Highest Price for Your House

Designed to Sell: Make any home the hottest property on the block with expert advice from the popular HGTV series

ASIN: 0071436936

Book Description

An easy-to-follow guide for home owners who want to maximize the value of their most important investment

With anxiety over the stock market running high and home equity loan rates at an alltime low, Americans are investing in their homes like never before. Last year alone, consumers spent a record $123 billion on home building projects. How to Increase the Value of Your Home provides solid answers to questions such as: Is it better to build a downstairs bathroom or to remodel my kitchen? And it provides:

Techniques for commanding higher prices and quicker sales--now and 10 years from now
Guidance on which renovations to invest in and which ones to avoid

Download Description

The guide to maximizing the value of your most valuable asset Millions of Americans are investing in home improvements, hoping to increase the long-term value of their most valuable asset. But do you know which home improvements will make your home's value jump, and those that won't? This practical guide covers all of the topics every homeowner must consider before getting started--improvements that add the most value, which should be undertaken first, and how to do it right from the very start. From remodeling the kitchen to landscaping the front yard and everything in between, you'll learn which improvements you should undertake, and which are a waste of your time and money. How to Improve the Value of Your Home will help you get the most bang for your home-improvement buck--with handy tips on lowering the cost of home maintenance and home improvement projects. If you aren't sure whether now is the right time to remodel, a simple quiz helps you to determine what you can afford to do and what to expect as a long-term payoff. And there's more: Calculate the cost versus the value of improvements What homework you need to do before tackling additions How to find the resources and information you need Where to find the right contractor to do the work How to set a home-improvement budget Ways to improve home energy efficiency Tips on saving on home insurance Simple ways to create curb appeal

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2007-05-12

Will go into detail about all you need to know and some helpful hints it's all in there.

Should be titled how to cut your losses.......2007-04-06

The premise of the book seems to be that you won't recover all of the money you spend on improvements let alone make any. The book references remodeling magazine as a source of obtaining a dollar cost and value added. Again, cost is always higher than value added.

Another fitting title might be "improve the value of your home by 100,000 dollars while spending 130,000 to do it!"

I strongly recommend that people read through the table of contents and possibily skim through it if you have the opportunity. Read one of the chapters and you'll see what I mean, then decide if it's right for you. Most of the chapters follow the same format with different projets. Unfortuately for me, I already bought it based on the amazing scores everyone else gave it.

Exactly what I was looking for..........2005-12-30

I'm preparing to sell my house and this book is exactly what I wanted to help me figure out what I needed to do, what I could do, and what I shouldn't bother with. On top of it's rather useful information, it's highly readable. I was afraid it would be overly wordy or bogged down with real estate-y stuff, but it's an easy read for your casual non-DIYer home seller. I wouldn't recommend that you use this as your reference on your first flip or anything, but if you want to sell your house and prepare it as well as possible first, this book suits.

increase your value.......2005-07-06

this book is a must have for anyone doing real estate of any kind. If you are trying to re-finance or to buy this ideas are wonderful and make completer sense.

Very little value........2005-04-25

Buy this only if you haven't been following news and magazine articles that outline the same issues. There is no enlightening message or original statistical model here.

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