This dealer wrote the definitive book on banner art and artists. If you plan on collecting banners, you must read this book.

This terrific book celebrates the (now) lost world of Circus Sideshow banner art. This book includes illustrations for such classic Circus Sideshow acts as the Alligator-Skin Girl, the Amazing Eeka, the Sword Swallower, the Rubber-Skin Man, and, of course, everybody's favorite cover girl, Sweet Marie, the world-renowned Fat Lady. This book also includes biographical information about the artists who created these amazing works of folk art such as Snap Wyatt, Johnny Meah, Fred Johnson, and Jack Cripe. This book is a surprisingly serious treatment of this little-known corner of the folk art world. (The authors convincingly link various visual elements in the sideshow banners to 17th Century Flemish portrait painting and Japanese wood-block prints!) This is a really fun book that every folk art fan will really love. The book contains 70 color illustrations and a total of 35 pages of essays. Incidentally, although I bought this book because of my interest in folk art, this book will also certainly appeal to circus enthusiasts and collectors of circus memorabilia.

My husband and I made a bid on a foreclosed property. The same night I ordered "Be Your Own Home Renovation Contractor." We read through the book when it arrived and because of the tips and expert advice of the author, we were able to spot major (hidden)defects in the house that would have cost us thousands of additional dollars to repair. Needless to say, we did not buy the foreclosure. We have since found another house and again, we have saved money using the author's tips and techniques.

We design custom homes and sell a custom component package to customers in the USA. About 15% of my customers are owner contractors and I have worked with over 50 owner builders in the past ten years. This book is deceptive in that it exaggerates the potential savings and downplays the potential pitfalls. A typical custom home contractor has a 15% profit margin base on National Home Builders Association reports, I concur with that as well. Saving 25% is a dream unless you not only act as the contractor but do much of the work yourself. For every successful owner built project I see there are 5 that are a complete fiasco. Unless you have considerable carpentry and building experience, know how to deal with subcontractors and all the pitfalls of working with them, and have full time to devote to you homebuilding project then don't even attempt to build your own house! Keep your sanity and marriage intact and hire a good contractor. My experience with owner builders is that they don't know how to negotiate with the trades, they are unaware of the workmans comp insurance and lien pitfalls and in many cases they pay the subcontractors more than they should because of their inexperience. Save the cost of this book and go to a movie instead. Unless you are the unusual one in ten owner builder who has all the right skills and the personality to handle a difficult learning curve you would be well advised to look elsewhere for saving money, perhaps building a slightly smaller house with a contractor would be a wiser option and in most cases the contractor built house will be much better built and worth much more money when all is said and done. Spend some time doing research on the web about being your own contractor and read about all the horror stories. You don't make your own car, sew your own clothes, grow your own food, or assemble your television. Use good common sense and realize that owner building you home is a crap shot at best and a personal and financial catastrophe at worst. The best thing I can say about this book is that it will give you a good overview of the process of homebuilding but it will in no way equip you for the realities of building your own home. There is no substitute for long term experience, this book makes a toad look like a prince, pretty far fetched in my experience.

In 1990 I had my ten acres paid for, and was ready to being building my retirement home. A friend gave me Carl Heldmann's book, Be Your Own House Contractor. I had a set of plans made from my sketching, and got three bids for building. The cheapest was $97,500.00. I decided to try my own general contracting, with little to no experience in construction. With the help of some friends whom I bounced ideas off of, I started out with a spread sheet of sub-contracters, getting three bids from each in their order of appearance. In six months, we finished our home, and without cutting any real expenses, built our home for $67,500. All due to the teachings and following of Carl Heldmann's book. Even if you do decide to use general contractor, this book is still invaluable in the detail and advise given. I have since given this book to three friends who have built homes, and all three were very impressed with the subject matter. A MUST read, in my opinion, for anyone who is going to undertake building or having a new home built. I know of no where else one get such a step by step explanation covering the do's and don't of every phase of the process.

I am very glad i read the other reviews of Mr. Heldmann's book besides that of the "reader from Hartford". It is obvious that the "reader" didn't read the whole book, as that which he (or she) claims to be lacking is in fact covered totally in chapter 8, "building the house". I was very discouraged from "building my own house" before reading "Be Your Own House Contractor", because other books made the process seem overwhelming. We broke ground last month and are well underway thanks to this fantastic, encouraging, non intimidating book.