Customer Reviews

The Perfect Setting

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a gorgeous book with lots of wonderful ideas for setting a perfect table for ANY occasion! I have always been so worked up over having to have EVERYTHING match that it would take me hours to decide on purchases for dinnerware, linens, centerpieces, etc. Many times I would just leave the store empty handed. Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold showed me that not only isn't it necessary for table items to match, it even looks more interesting and personal when they don't! Now I know I don't have to buy expensive tableware and serving items. Simple baskets and thrift store finds work wonders! This book covers everything from formal dinners to picnics to children's parties to large holiday settings to breakfast in bed! There is something in this book for everyone!

I really enjoyed this book more than most of the books that I've purchased on the subject (I have thirteen). The pictures are fabulous and the variety of table settings is superb.

The only room the book has for improvement is the amount of instruction provided. In the future, the author should show us how to fold the napkins, give details on the spacing of the china and provide a few more "down to earth" settings. I've found table setting books that have this type of information to be the most helpful.

I am very happy with my decision to buy this beautiful book and know that I will make great use of both its table settings and recipes well into the future. My only negative comment (and this is from a purely personal perspective) is that it contains more casual table settings than formal, the latter being what I was actually looking for when I purchased the book. But I am still very glad that I did.

True, this is a very good book, and provides a "fix" for the dish junkies among us. However, it should be noted that it is a re-print of the 1985 eidition of the same volume, but with a different cover. So if you are looking for a different book or at least additional pictures, as I was, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you've always wanted the original, which I believe is out of print, this is your opportunity.

White candles in green apples? Basket of oranges next to the freshly squeezed juice pitcher? I'm a fan of Wolfman and Gold's "A Place for Everything" and expected a lot more from this book including some detailed information about what constitutes the "perfect" setting and how to create a lovely table. Unfortunately, the place settings shown in this paperback version (a reprint but not an update of the 1985 hardcover) seem tired and worn out 20 years later. The photos are particularly disappointing - poorly lit and oddly flat with lots of shadows and blurred effects. Check out A Place for Everything but give this one a pass.

arrived quickly and in perfect condition. Useful info on the use of glassware and different combinations of dishes and linens.