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ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: A Do-It-Yourself Primer (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Grace Hawthorne (Author)
Key Phrases: metal shears, utility knife, larger bowl, New York, United States, Mata Hari (more...)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A partly serious, partly humorous look at materials we usually discard, the work provides step-by-step instructions on how to transform paper, plastic, metal, wood, concrete and fabric into such unlikely (and undesirable) household items as a chopstick clock or a colander light sconce. Berger and Hawthorne (the editor-in-chief and publisher, respectively, of ReadyMade magazine) also include acknowledged failures, such as the water bottle lounge chair, too fragile and noisy to sit on. Each section begins with a history of the "raw" material, designed to make readers more aware of the environment and the uses of these materials. In addition to proposing new uses for Fed Ex boxes (a CD rack) and plastic detergent containers (an "ultraclean coatrack"), the authors also offer how-to advice, both silly (how to write a love note) and useful (how to self-publish). The playfulness extends to noncraft instruction on what to do with plastic ("how to start a business on credit cards") and glass ("how to break through your own glass ceiling"). Inspired by Marcel Duchamp, who coined the term "readymade," the authors are interested in encouraging creative thinking as much as, if not more than, making re-purposed objects. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

From the pages of ReadyMade magazine appears this compendium of more than 30 projects making the most of recycled paper, plastic, wood, metal, glass, and fabric. Not content to simply show and tell, authors Berger (magazine editor in chief) and Hawthorne (magazine publisher and CEO) add their own funny commentary. Want to debate the utility of chopsticks versus forks? Need to research the manufacture and ingredients of polyester, say, or specific alloys? Desire non-do-it-yourself recycling ideas for some of the more than 730 pounds of paper an average American uses each year? Instructions are easy to follow, the tone is always engaging, and all the projects are practical (for instance, why not have a beer-can room divider or FedEx CD rack?). Appended are abbreviations, hardware screw sizes, conversions, and glossary. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Clarkson Potter (December 6, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1400081076
  • ISBN-13: 978-1400081073
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,985 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Shoshana Berger
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Front Cover | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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metal shears, utility knife, larger bowl
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New York, United States, Mata Hari, Jimmy Page
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Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (8)
2 star:
 (2)
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Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A Missed Opportunity, June 13, 2006
By Brian Sawyer (Westford, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
As a happy subscriber to ReadyMade magazine, I was thrilled to hear about the release of their first book. Unfortunately, my brief assessment is that there's a huge opportunity for the book this could have been, but ReadyMade has largely missed it where it counts.

The description of this book is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for as a craft enthusiast: "From the pages of ReadyMade magazine appears this compendium of more than 30 projects making the most of recycled paper, plastic, wood, metal, glass, and fabric." Okay, I'm hooked. How soon can you get the book to me? But perhaps I should actually check out a copy in the bookstore before buying it. You know, just in case.

So, here it is in the flesh. What a beautifully and creatively designed book! I love when design meets content, and the look and feel of this book perfectly match the edginess of the scope of projects. Basically, it looks like a handbound book, but the production isn't finished off by covering the binder's board with paper. The yellow cloth used to cover the spine board is marked as a ruler, which is pretty cool (even if this flourish would end up being the potentially most useful feature of the book). This makes for a cover that really speaks to paper crafters on a gut level. Truly an inspired idea, executed perfectly.

The design combined with the pitch almost got me to buy the book without even opening it. But I was standing in the bookstore anyway, and I couldn't help peeking. I was glad I did, because it saved me my money. A chopstick clock? A colander light sconce? Waterbottle loungechair? A CD rack made out of FedEx boxes? A coat rack made out of plastic detergent containers? The list of "playful" and "interesting" project ideas goes on and on. Though the book might have a lot in the way of "inspiration" for crafters, there's not a single project in the book I'd personally want to make (or have be seen in my house).

I think projects can be hip without being impractical, cool without being ugly, and clever without being crappy. Unfortunately, the projects in this book aren't.
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104 of 114 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Unappealing projects, January 1, 2006
By Gail Martin (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
I expected this book to show me how to make projects comparable to those found in the "ReadyMade" magazine: Practical, attractive projects that make good use out of cast off items. Instead, this book shows projects made out of junk that look like nothing more than projects made out of junk. A coat rack made out of laundry soap bottles looks like a stack of laundry soap bottles. The cd racks made out of shipping cartons look like shipping cartons. I was very surprised to find not one item in the book that I wanted to make.

Tastes being what they are, you may enjoy this book more than me. All I'm saying is that you'd probably want to look at a copy of it before buying, to make sure.
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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars 28 year old female LOVES IT. Book has 3 main parts., September 30, 2006
Judging the book by its COVER, this is not a fantastic book. It looks bound in cardboard! It looks like a high school notebook, at first glance. But the exterior's pragmatic and unusual binding does not represent the sleek feel of its insides. Once opened, you'll see that it has the interior of an expensive coffee table concept book that costs $40 at Barnes and Noble. It's like opening the door to a '74 Volvo station wagon only to find that the interior is as luxurious as a top of the line Lexus. The heavy matte finish of the pages of this book, along with its ultra artistic clean design lines, make it far from flimsy. But enough about the superficial stuff. This book has substance despite its unattractive appearance.

Let's get 2 things out of the way:
1) I am super impressed by this book, and yes there quite a few attractive projects that would look great in my urban apartment, like the lamp cozy, the chopstick clock, the shoebox organizer, the jug stepping stones, and others.
2) I have never heard of nor subscribe to "ReadyMade" magazine, and perhaps if I did, I too would have the negative bias and expectations that other reviewers have of this book.

The 3 main independent personalities of this book are:

A) As a project manual to reuse or use everyday disposable or cheap items into novel, practical, and occasionally handsome pieces of furniture, tools, or decorations for the home or office;

B) As quick historical lessons on where everyday things come from. Segments include: The Ringed History of Wood, A Closer Look at the History of Glass, A Brief History of Fabric, A Brief History of Paper, A Wrap on the History of Plastic, etc.

C) As a self-help guide comprised of serious mini-chapters completely unrelated to building projects, segments likes of "How to Avoid Plastic Surgery," "How to Start a Business on Credit Cards," "How to Break Through Your Own Glass Ceiling," "How to Tell a Good Story," "How to Pen the Perfect Love Note"

Not all of the building projects under (A) can pass for million-dollar aesthetics to all its readers, but even the worst projects can be good looking given the correct environment or with just a touch of extra creativity to make it match one's living space. But the point of these projects isn't to make furniture that rival Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel. It's NOT ONLY to make reasonable uses or reuses for things destined to be discarded, but also to get you to take a second look at your every day environment and see new functions in common objects.

This book is geared towards younger people who aren't working with a huge budget, who nonetheless are inclined to heed the call to eco-idealism. The projects here include how to make a martini bird feeder, how to make a wall mural out of old CD cases, how make a coat hanger wine rack. Orthodox traditionalists who expect a Home-Depot style 1-2-3 instruction book on how to build traditional shelves, or how to install sheetrock up and use drywall to make objects the likes of breadboxes or baby cradles will be disappointed and consider this book too frou-frou and completely useless. People with maturing IRAs are just not the age range this book is aimed toward.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Casting a Negative Light on Reusing
While I fully a appreciate environmental satire I feel this book casts a negative light on environmentalism. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Delilah McLovin

5.0 out of 5 stars How To Make Almost Everything
Awesome book for people who like to make things, this book gets really creative using common household objects for really awesome projects!!!
Published 10 months ago by Germanda PandaBear

3.0 out of 5 stars Well
This book is not a how to book. The beginning of the book tells you more that it is a way to get YOU to think about how to reuse materials. Read more
Published 20 months ago by C. Edwards

2.0 out of 5 stars A few ideas worth using
As a reader of ReadyMade magazine, I was expecting similar projects in this book. I borrowed this from the library instead of buying it. I'm glad I did. Read more
Published 20 months ago by H. Jenkins

5.0 out of 5 stars ReadyMade changed my life (well, almost)
This book appears to provoke profound ambivalence. However, for me, it was pee-in-your-pants funny and extremely inspiring, in the creative sense. Read more
Published on October 29, 2007 by Barton Poulson

1.0 out of 5 stars Really awful projects
I've purchased a few copies of ReadyMade magazine at the newsstand and enjoyed some of the ideas in those issues, so I went ahead and ordered this book, thinking it would contain... Read more
Published on September 22, 2007 by J. Burnham

1.0 out of 5 stars was I just expecting too much?
I'd never read their magazine before, but I was hoping to find some serious projects. The only decent content was the history of the materials (paper, wood, metal, glass, plastic)... Read more
Published on August 31, 2007 by dferahgo

3.0 out of 5 stars get the magazine, skip the book
I LOVE ReadyMade magazine, but was disappointed in the book. I just didn't see too many projects that I would want to spend time on. Read more
Published on July 30, 2007 by Kathy Peterson

3.0 out of 5 stars crafty book lack realistic projects
The creators of ReadyMade have brought their creativity and their "Eco-sense" to the yellow pages table. Read more
Published on May 17, 2007 by Nicole T

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
This book is awesome. I saw the book in a clothing store and was looking at it for an hour. I went home and purchased it right away. Great buy.
Published on May 12, 2007 by Bradley C. Wong

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