[.ca] Inspirational Terracing: Terrace Design in Structural ... (ISBN 1886513406)

You Don't Know What You're Missing:
I live in a suburb on a street with an incline. My back and side yard had an upward slope that was completely unmanageable. My wife and I are not very good with landscaping but knew we needed to do something to keep the weeds in check. Our yard wasn't very big so we were interested making the yard more functional as well as beautiful. The wife happened to be at a home show where she met the author and looked at some of his work. In my neighborhood most of the yards are landscaped with your typical low straight walls with a few variations - all "by the book" and very ordinary. We had Paul come over for an estimate and a quick sketch of what he might be able to do, and he brought his book along. Needless to say, Paul has almost completed our yard demonstrating to us along the way the concepts from the book. I've got no problem with the pictures as a guide, but they don't compare to the work of art we now have. I suppose if you're looking for a book full of pretty pictures of yards, instead of a book that tells exactly *how* to get a great back yard, then you should be looking in the photography section and not the gardening section. His book and methods are for people who can take that leap required to do something special with their environment. The book is very "hands on" and doesn't deal with a lot of philosophy, but gets right to what you need to. He methods and designs are very artistic, but based upon ancient, time-tested techniques. Somehow, in his book he never manages to talk over your head. This book ain't for everybody - just the beautiful people!

Simply uninspirational:
The whole book contains only excessive use of precasted retaining wall blocks, tons and tons of them running everywhere and nothing else. Inside you'll find lots of pictures which are really just variations similar to the cover page, lots of them are of blurry kind. I have used both dry laid stone and precasted concrete and both can make beautiful design. Problem of his design is the excessiveness. It is like having Home Depot do you whole house. This book is truly embarrassing. For something actually inspiring, look for 'Hillside Landscaping' by Susan Lang.

Offers Little, Inspiration or Value for Your Money:
This book offers little! From the momment you open the cover you become aware that it is poorly done. The photos are of such poor quality that most could do better with a digital camera and a photo printer. Content wise it is merely a repitition of the same style of block design throughout the book. It is not that I am anti-block, rather I felt let-down by some of the other reviews. Don't waste your money as I did, look else where.

Inspirational Terracing Creates Works of Art!!:
For six years I have had a useless slope in my backyard. The slope was so steep all the water would run down, and the only thing that would grow were weeds. A friend had terracing done by Paul. I looked at his work, and was very impressed with his design. I contacted Paul and he came to my house to show me what he could do to my slope. Paul explained step by step on how he builds terraces, and was upfront about everything. I hired Paul the same day. I now have a beautiful terraced slope with many flower planters and steps leading to the top of the slope. I know I have increased the value of my home due to the terracing in my backyard. I went to my local bookstore and purchased paul's book "Inspirational Terracing." (Paul was kind enough to autograph my book). Paul's book is simple to read. Paul lists the matreials needed, and explains how the homeowner can terrace their own yards. Everyone who is considering terracing their property should buy a copy of this book. For everyone who is doubtful about Paul's technique, remmember, If we didn't have people like Paul showing us new ideas, techniques, and ways of doing things, We all would think the world was still flat!

BEAUTIFUL TERRACING LIKE MACHU PICCHU:
If you have ever seen pictures of the ancient terraced city in Peru. You will really appreciate this book "Inspirational Terracing." It covers terracing around a house from small designs to big creations. Terracing has been around a long time, and this book takes it to depths that no other book has ever touched on. Terracing isn't only beautiful, but it is extremely effective and conserves water. This is a must have for your home collection. What is so amazing about this book is you can own it and have the author sign it after he builds the most beautiful landscapes for your yard. He tells me that Inspirational Terracing represents 1/7th of his projects, not including all of the natural stone, stairways and waterfalls he has done. He has built landscapes in over 40 cities from the deep south, to the Ohio valley, to the northern boarder, and now he is in sunny southern California to share his talent with us. How blessed we are. You can visit his web site that is on the back of his book, after you purchase it.