25 Home Automation Projects for the Evil Genius [Paperback]

Jerri Ledford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0071477578 | ISBN-13: 978-0071477574 | Edition: 1

TURN YOUR HOME SWEET HOME INTO AN AUTOMATED, EVIL GENIUS PARADISE!

Your home may be your castle-but can it cook your dinner? Well, with the help of 25 Home Automation Projects for the Evil Genius, you can teach it to do just that, along with dozens of other affordable, enjoyable things that will transform your humble abode into a wickedly automated living environment.

But fear not-you don't need an engineering degree to complete the projects in this book. That's because technology maven Jerri L. Ledford skillfully provides you with a firm understanding of the basic wiring, networking, and equipment demands for home automation. She then leads you step by step through each application, offering clearly worded and heavily diagramed guidance that will truly satisfy your inner Evil Genius.

With the help of just a few household tools, you'll be able to bring info-age automation to:

• Indoor and outdoor lighting
• Security and surveillance
• Climate regulation
• Entertainment systems
• Personal reminders
• Plant care
• Remote monitoring of kids and pets
• Keyless entry
• Wireless TV
• And many more!

Plus, you'll gain access to discounts from a variety of home automation product manufacturers, to make your projects even more economical. With 25 Home Automation Projects for the Evil Genius, easy living is now automatic!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jerri Ledford (Magee, MS) is a freelance writer with more than 10 years experience. She’s had more than 700 articles appear in publications such as Intelligent Enterprise, Network World, Information Security Magazine, TechNet Magazine, and others. In addition to covering all aspects of business technology, Jerri writes and teaches technology courses for consumers at both Hewlett-Packard and CNET, and has written several consumer books, including The Rational Guide to Preventing Identity Theft (Rational Press, 2005), Cut the Cord! The Consumer’s Guide to VoIP (Course Technology – a division of PTR, 2005), and The Personal Cybersecurity Bible (Course Technology, 2005.)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (December 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071477578
• ISBN-13: 978-0071477574
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #728,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jerri Ledford has been a freelance business technology writer for nearly 20 years. During that time, over 1,000 of her articles, profiles, news stories and reports have appeared online and in print. Her publishing credits include: Intelligent Enterprise, Network World, Information Security Magazine, DCM Magazine, CRM Magazine, IT Manager's Journal.

Jerri also develops and teaches technology training courses for both consumer and business users. She's developed and taught courses on security, customer service, career skills, and technology for companies such as: Franklin Covey, IBT Financial, Writer's Village University, Beacon Hill Financial Services, Hewlett Packard, and CNET. She is the author of 18 non-fiction books, and her first fiction book, "Biloxi Sunrise" is scheduled to be released in eBook format in October 2011.

In her off-time Jerri divides her time between Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee where she enjoys the beach, hiking, reading, and traveling whenever possible. It's Jerri's goal to visit a new place every opportunity she gets.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment from cover to cover for an evil genius., May 3, 2007

By 

L. Gunter (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 25 Home Automation Projects for the Evil Genius (Paperback)

To start this review I will quote an excerpt from the front cover:

"Every project includes a list of materials, sources for parts, schematics, and clear instructions. Build your own home automation system that includes lighting, security, surveillance and monitors, climate control, entertainment, and more"

Anyone who is familiar with the "Evil Genius" series of books knows that they are famous for DIY projects created by hacking existing items for new purposes. This book is not one of them. There should be a disclaimer on the front of this book that says "REQUIRES WINDOWS XP FOR MOST PROJECTS AND A LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE". Nothing about this book is spectacular. In fact Ms. Ledford has simply taken the instructions out of the boxes of products bought from Lowes or Home Depot, and compiled them into a 25 chapter book. You don't build ANYTHING. Everything is purchased ready to use right out of the box. Please reread the excerpt above now. Why the need to mentions materials, parts, or schematics. Why does it say "build your own". If there had been anything at all in this book that came close to the history of the "evil genius" series OR if the book contained anything that resembles what is spelled out on the front and back covers, then I would have given it more than 1 star. As far as this book is concerned, all you need to do is go to your local home improvement warehouse and buy whatever home automation item you want. Then bring it home and follow the instructions supplied with the purchased item. I also challenge anyone to find the words "windows" or "software" on the covers of this book. Has Ms. Ledford not considered that not everyone uses a MS product? TAB Electronics has had really great books come from their presses, but their editors drop the ball on this one. It needs "evil genius" removed from it's cover. It should actually have the title "25 Ready To Use Home Automation Products". If you are a fan of the previously released "evil genius" books then stay away from this one. If you want help installing something you purchased and a little bit of theory behind how it works, then by all means this is the book for you (you just better have a MS enabled computer handy).

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is just terrible, December 14, 2007

By 

Andrew Sigal (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 25 Home Automation Projects for the Evil Genius (Paperback)

I wish I had heeded the warnings of the other reviewer that panned this book, but I found a used copy from an Amazon vendor at a really low price and figured "what the heck." Well, no price is low enough for this volume. Even free it wouldn't be worth the postage.

Fortunately you don't have to read for long to discover that this book is a waste of time. The second chapter, tantalizingly titled "Intruder Alert: Outdoor Lighting" is 5 pages long. In those 5 pages it basically says "Go to a home supply store; buy an outdoor light with motion sensor; install it." It is impressive that the author was able to drag that out to 5 pages! What did I expect of a chapter entitled "Intruder Alert" in a book named "25 Home Automation Projects for the Evil Genius"? I dunno - how about building a system involving multiple lights and multiple sensors that communicate through some automated system. Or maybe a system that uses high-power lights to blind and disorient an intruder. Or at least something that requires a soldering iron!

If you make it past chapter 2, Chapter 4 tells you how to install a thermostat. Let me save you the trouble of reading it. It says "Go to a home supply store; buy a modern setback thermometer with whatever features you would like that is compatible with your home; Remove your old thermostat; install the new one." Chapter 5, excitingly named "Speak Up! Installing Voice Controls" spends 3 of its 6 pages showing you how to run the installation setup app for the voice control program on your PC. I'm not talking about some arcane ritual, it literally shows you screen shots of the freaking setup wizard. Give me a break! If you aren't able to install an application on your PC, you are not ready for home automation.

I am amazed that this book was ever published. I am amazed that it is still in print. I have never read any other Evil Genius books, and after this one I don't intend to.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Turn back!!!, September 23, 2009

By 

Edward Calvin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 25 Home Automation Projects for the Evil Genius (Paperback)

Save yourself from wasting money and time on this book! The other reviews are accurate; this book is really quite useless for anybody capable of reading instructions that come with most hardware. And if you're not comfortable reading instructions, why would you buy this book?