This book is a good resource for builders, architects or people building a house.

Universal Design DOES NOT EQUAL wheelchair accessibility and this book makes that very clear. Universal Design (hereafter UD)means taking into account the best way to design for everyone, not just the small percentage of average height, "able-bodied", 20-50 year old "perfect" people in the world. This book also points out that fewer people want to move in with their kids or into a "home" when they get older. So why build houses that will prevent this from happening?

UD is about making things useable for people of almost all physical conditions; sight-impared, mobility-impared, mentally-impared, size-impared (short or tall), and even "average, healthy" people.

This book makes it abundantly clear that UD is not difficult to do on new construction. UD does not have to add hundreds of square feet to your plan.

The book does not, however, have a lot of photos or ideas on how to make UD attractive. The small number of photos in this book are small, black and white, and poor quality. They do make their point, even though they are not pretty to look at.

The book is FULL (almost cover to cover) of diagrams and line drawings which show the possibilities AND detailed requirements of universal design. Many of the details are wheelchair-oriented, but this is because wheelchair access is often the lowest common denominator.

If you need to be concerned about UD or if you feel that it is a smart thing to do (I firmly believe it is a smart thing to do), then buy this book. There are no pretty, inspiring photos to show you how to do it beautifully, but there are tons of details to make sure you don't do it wrong. EVERY ARCHITECT AND BUILDER OUGHT TO HAVE A COPY OF THIS BOOK.

(P.S. Just think of the "fun" you would have in your current house if you had to use a walker, wheelchair, or only one hand. What about even a broken leg? You WILL more than likely get old sometime. You could even be injured and become disabled (even if only temporarily). Do you want your house to be a barrier in that event? UD really should be something everyone thinks about, seriously!)

IGNORE MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK. IT WAS FOR A BOOK WITH A VERY SIMILAR TITLE.

Though my baby is a mere 5 mos., she loves two things in life; baths and books. This for her is the best of both worlds! I loved the rhyme scheme (it helps to be a bit animated here moms and dads), and the tab style related pics. And since she's still so young the pics were great to make our own story too! When all else fails, she uses it to teeth on.

As a research student at a large Southern California University, I found this book to be invaluable. The rich text and abundant artistic depictions give the reader a sense of understanding the universality of the art of bathing. I found this book to be well written, well illustrated and well documented. Whether your interests are scholarly or leisurely, I'm convinced you too will pat yourself on the back for picking up a copy of this historical gem.

Who would have thought there was so much to learn about toilets and bathroom culture? This is a great primer for those who wonder just how people did bathe and perform 'ablutions' before the days of indoor plumbing and water-trapped toilets for all (or at least those of us in western countries). Written in 1960, it assumes a bit more familiarity than most of us have with English-style boilers and toilets, and more knowledge of history than the average high school graduate would have today. The language is a bit old-school, but in a descriptive fashion, and is never difficult to follow. It does contain several quotes in French and Latin without translations, but they are short, and not essential to the enjoyment of the book.

Clean & Decent is at its best when sharing tidbits and historical anecdotes (such as story of a householder how discovered that his royal houseguests had used his hallways, landings and cellars for their toilets). In the Penguin Classic History edition, an old fashioned font has been used, which, along with numerous black and white illustrations (not all of them very well produced or labelled, unfortunately), gives the book a great "old fashioned" feel.

It is sometimes uneven in its technical data. Some diagrams have quite full explanations, and others none at all. However, it never pretends to be a technical book, and provides a very extensive bibliography for anyone who's interested in the how-to's. Some diagrams and drawings also suffer in reproduction, and aren't very clear. The arrangement of the book isn't very intuitive, and it seems to jump back and forth in time, but then, so did humanity's knowledge of and desire for hygiene.

This is enjoyable light reading, especially for anyone interested in 'every day' history who wonders just how people went about at least one aspect of their daily business. It will also provide you with a never-ending supply of did-you-know's. While it's a shame that it wasn't revised and updated to include those other fascinating periods in bathrooms - the 50's and 60's - it's publication as a reprint of the original makes it a great piece of literary history on it's own.

This new 176 page book features over 800 large, sharp, full color photos of every type of bubble bath container imaginable. A brief introduction includes info on rating items on a Rarity Scale and how to protect your collection. Major topics include: Disney, Hanna Barbera, Warner Brothers, Public Broadcasting, Cartoons and Comics, Generic and House Brand Characters, Elegant Women, Vehicles and Science Fiction, Space, Fantasy, and Monsters. One chapter deals with Avon collectibles. This book will serve as a great reference if you enjoy collecting bubble bath containers.

A great gift book for infants or preschoolers. Some fans might be upset that not all teams are represented! But why not teach your child the color gold with a picture of a Super Bowl ring?

I have been reseaching a trip to the United Kingdom, and found this book at Amazon. It is very informative about London and the surrounding areas. It also included $1000 worth of coupons for hotels in and around London. Also included were coupons for guided tours around the area. There are histories of all the popular tourist attractions, and the price ranges of each. The book makes suggestions of what to see and do in the time you have alotted. There are tips that help you get started,by even helping you choose plan your flight. The maps inlcuded are very easy to follow and help you choose your destination. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are interested in an educational tour of London and the surrounding areas.

It has a very nice animals, and it goes through the bath process for a little elephant afraid of the water. In the process they go through every posible reason of why the bath could be a scary experience. How mama elephant takes the little one along with very clever solutions.

I tell stories at the local library and I am in training for being a preschool teacher. This book is a great story about bathtime for stuffed creatures and their special concerns. It is quite imaginative. The illustrations are very colorful and the characters will warm the hearts of reader of all ages. The characters all work together to solve a problem. It shows good thinking and reasoning skills that young children can see themselves doing as well. It was a joy to read.

This book helped my daughter let go of her favorite rag doll long enough for me to wash it. She didn't want me to put in the washing machine, but with the help of this book she learned that she would get it back.