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40 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perceptive writing on renovation, October 6, 1999
This review is from: On Time and On Budget: A Home Renovation Survival Guide (Paperback)
This is a very good book, but the subtitle needs a small addition so that it reads: "A Home Renovation Survival Guide For The Affluent". The author, a contractor in Manhattan, is expert at dealing with problems most of us never have to deal with, such as the mob-influenced/socialist-inspired New York City building code and cutthroat clients poised to fleece him with the stroke of a pen. If you've got plenty of money and you want to spend it prudently on a renovation of your home, this is the book for you. If, on the other hand, you are strapped for cash and struggling to add space for a growing family, or you are interested in doing it yourself to learn things and save money, look elsewhere. This is a book for the elite. To John Rusk, there is a right way and a wrong way to do every project. If the right way is too expensive for you, then you should forget about it until you have enough money. Now, if most of us were to follow such advice, nothing would ever get done, except in the posh neighborhoods. Still, it's interesting to read, if only to find out how the other half (other tenth) renovates. The structure is composed of three parts: Rusk lays out his theory and methods in one; the other two are fictional narratives of a pair of young marrieds--one bright and the other foolish. The foolish ones get into squabbles with everyone from the architect to the carpenter; they are unfailingly pennywise. The bright ones, after a few missteps, submit to the Rusk method, and are rewarded with an excellent renovation. These fictitious episodes are naturally less dry than the how-to sections, and make for highly enjoyable reading at times. That technical contractual stuff may go over well at the Harvard B. School, but let's face it, it's not the kind of thing you want to read when you're gearing up for a big construction project. Most people I know would rather take the contract out of contractor. "Let's get on with it!" is their rallying cry. In just a few words, Rusk masterfully sketches the character of the "good" contractor: Giovanni DeTomaso, who sits, Brutus-like, sharpening his chisels and waiting for the phone to ring. As a sometime contractor myself, I relished the scene of the irate male of the bright couple being brought to heel. Mr. DeTomaso threatens to sever a support beam that was discovered inside a wall unless Mr. Finley shows more respect. All too often, we contractors allow clients to bully us just because it's their house. And the downward spiral of the foolish couple was also gripping in a morbid sort of way, reminiscent of the reversal-of-fortune plots of Dickens or Thackeray. As I read, I thought of how the foolish element could give an edge to "This Old House" when it gets dull. Imagine a Farrah Fawcett or Mary Tyler Moore character fighting with Norm Abrams over the placement of a sink. In fact, this could easily be expanded to a full-length feature where a couple of plutocrats from Manhattan or Cambridge receives its comeuppance from an unwashed pushy pair from Queens or Medford.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Revolutionary, funny, inside guide to win/win renovation, June 19, 1996
By A Customer
I was surprised that John Rusk had found a simple way to insure renovations finish on time and on budget. His methods are extremely straight forward and sensible, even though I would never think to do it that way. Its a fair rethinking of the problem that sets conventional wisdom on its ear. (Rusk is a contractor but he went to Harvard's Program on Negotiation to figure out why renovation is a mess) The book really takes you through the micro problems step by step and gives solutions. I felt like I was experiencing a virtual renovation. Rusk also realizes that most how-tos aren't read all the way through, so he's broken the book into the four phases of a renovation so you CAN put it down; but then he's made half the book the stories of two families trying to renovate their homes which were so painful and funny, I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting just to find out what happened. Also in the book are some very useful checklists, and guides to filling out contracts and properties of different materials that I found really helpful in planning our renovation. Really, a great book for anyone who wants a successful renovation
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
clear, fun to read, full of useful information, June 18, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: On Time and On Budget: A Home Renovation Survival Guide (Paperback)
John Rusk's book is easy, even entertaining to read, and full of insights into the motivation of home owners, architects and contracts. Don't start your project without reading it.
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