Ty's Tricks (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pennington, the heartthrob-cum-carpenter on The Learning Channel's show Trading Spaces, lends a conversational tone and his signature wit to this do-it-yourself guide for everyone. He proclaims that "anyone, even you, can save money by doing some of your own home renovation and repair, no matter how inexperienced you are, no matter how lousy you are with your hands, no matter how much you think you can't do it." Then he shows readers some of what he's done-the first chapter is a tour of Pennington's renovated home, complete with inspiring before and after photos, and even a seductively silly shot of Pennington in the shower. Ensuing chapters include information on building and making "cool stuff," hiring contractors, tools and materials, walls, paint, floors, plumbing, and creating your own style; the photos help illustrate each process. The narrative is never presented in intimidating, technical jargon-filled chunks; it's broken down into lists, boxes, sidebars, and snippets, and the frequent "Ty's Tips" feature. These boxes contain breezy, common sense advice such as "When buying Sheetrock, bring a person with you, buy him lunch and then take him to your home to help you drag it inside." Like the rest of this volume, it's good advice and amusingly worthwhile to read, whether the reader is undertaking a huge project or just contemplating a few changes.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

It is quite conceivable, once Trading Spaces' carpenter Pennington's book is released, that the word "stud" will refer to more than supports behind drywall. The popularity of this cable TV show is due, in no small measure, to both the concept of a weekend $1,000 makeover and to its featured professionals. Here, Pennington coerces, cajoles, and otherwise persuades homeowners and renters to try the do-it-yourself route via simple tasks like fixing a running toilet or patching a hole in the wall. He also goes beyond carpentry and easy-to-do home repairs to focus on the whole house, first showing visually some of the befores and afters on his own dwelling, then explaining the ins and outs of painting, flooring, and creating your own style. The writing is filled with puns and contemporary-isms; the layout echoes the worst of a morning hangover; and the book's brimming with photographs and the ego of Ty-Ty-Ty. Yet there just might be queues waiting for advice from the heartthrob woodworker, advice that--surprise!--is practical and do-able. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (October 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401300677
• ISBN-13: 978-1401300678
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #261,963 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trading in for TY, November 3, 2003

By A Customer

I am a big fan of Trading Spaces. I happen to be a new home owner and I am always looking for ideas. I used to watch Martha all the time but once I looked at the designs on Trading Spaces i thought they were much more geared toward how i like to see a room and how i would like to change one without making it look as though my parents lived there before me. I like clean lines, bright colours and styles with just enough edge to make someone come into your house and really see who you are by what you surround yourself with.
I have been consistently impressed with Ty Pennington and how he adds to the designs on the show. I think his book really brings out the creative side that you only get to glimpse in the show. The book is cool, because it actually acts as my one coffee table book (the design is really edgy and fun) as well as my new inspiration for my home. I have gotten so many great ideas from the book that i cannot wait to implement.
There is also entire sections devoted to what i call "what every home owner needs to know" information. there are things like how to do simple plumbing and how to pick out paints for your walls and just about everything else you need to know.
This is a great book from beginning to end. I highly recommend it. Thanks TY!!!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for fans of Trading Spaces (and Ty!), March 20, 2004

By	Meg "icecat516" (Caribou, Maine) - See all my reviews

My husband is a home carpenter, a fix it all man. We both enjoy Trading Spaces. I have purchased a few of the other Trading Spaces books, but found myself disappointed. My favorite designers are Frank and Laurie, and I just had no use for the other designers parts of the books, so I sold them off. This book I bought on a lark for my husband, because we both think Ty is hilarious. My husband was extremely impressed with the ideas that were presented by Ty, and the manner in which they were presented. Alot of the technicial advice that lies inside is accurate, and factual and even my other half got some great tips from it. There are some off the wall ideas for decorating as one reviewer said, but you don't have to impliment them, but one can appriciate them as original. This book is great for a starter book, but even a seasoned professional can get something out of every page - a must buy! And if you want to go more into the details of home improvement or decoration I recommend the dummies or complete idiots series. These books are great for the beginner and encompass many different aspects of the areas. From there you can progress to magazines, or books that specialize in your particular interest.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hit and Miss, April 18, 2004

By A Customer

I read through this book in one sitting, and found it to be great. I love the show, and like everyone else, I also love Ty. His new show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is also a great show. I was hoping the book had some actual plans for things, or more actual HOW TO's. But, it was filled with Ty humor, Ty pictures, and some good tips on renovating and repair. Maybe I was just hoping to see some tips and tricks on how to actual build some of the neat stuff he builds.

I think we need to get Ty to write a book titled: Ty's Guide to Building Cool Things Easily for the Beginner. And, if he could do it all in the shower like that one picture, it would sell like hot cakes :D :D :D

Anyway, thumbs up to Ty for being a great person and for writing a good book. I only gave it 4 stars and not 5 because it didn't have more information in it, as far as building things which is what he primarily does on Trading Spaces.