The other books on the subject tend to be dry and overly technical to the point of being a big snore. This book is unlike any textbook I remember. It is funny while giving you all the 'how to' stuff. There are great photos, cartoons, and drawings throughout the book. Don't miss reading the descriptions of the "before" pictures. You will be laughing, while nodding your head in total agreement.

Anyone who wants to know more about lighting for homes and gardens should read this book.

What makes this book particularly exceptional is the combination of the practical necessities of lighting with helpful high-quality photographs. Like a great cookbook, I find that the graphics really drive his points home and provide the "ah-hah" that text alone cannot provide.

As an Interior Designer, I know that good lighting design is not only rare to find, but tougher than most people realize. It looks easy when it's finished, but only when faced with the "blank canvas" of a living space do most clients realize how difficult lighting design truly is. The Practical Guide presents the fundamentals necessary to analyze and solve most residential lighting situations and helps designers show why going the extra step to implement a lighting plan is essential for a successful interior design.

I have had the opportunity to attend a couple of Mr. Whitehead's professional seminars. It's usually not long before he has the room in stitches with his lighthearted, to-the-point style. Mr.Whitehead writes in a similarly engaging manner. He is not afraid to express (and defend) his opinions, even at the risk of stepping on a few well-shoed toes.

One of my favorite sources is Randall Whitehead. If you've ever seen Randall speak about lighting, you already know his passion for the lighting design industry. If you missed his speaking engagements, fear not, because he has produced a new book that is as entertaining and as informative as his speaking engagements. HIs current book "Residential Lighting, A Practical Guide" is my favorite to date.

In one book, he has combined the technical aspects of the myriad lighting products available on the market, with solid design principals (in text and illustrated form) along with photographs of successful and unsuccessful installations. All this, broken down into exterior and interior applications room by room, makes up one great resource! Now, I can grab one book to determine the best lighting solution for a given situation. What a timesaver!

This book is a must for anyone faced with deciding how best to light a space. And, when it comes to our homes, everyone of us is a designer, whether we like to admit it or not! The formidable decisions existent within the lighting aspect of residential design has just been made a lot easier, thanks to Randall Whitehead.

* an extremely satisfied client of and collaborator with Randall Whitehead on two major projects; and

* a homeowner who has learned the value of outstanding lighting design and what that brings to the totality of the home

One of the key elements that distinguishes Randall Whitehead from other lighting designers with whom I am familiar is his ability to quickly put himself inside the mind of the client in a way that immediately allows the entire design project to be collaborative rather than dictatorial, for lack of a better word. From start to finish on both projects, I had the feeling that my personal goals and tastes were understood, appreciated and treated as more important by far than the need of the designer to employ a certain new technique or some flashy new fixture. Mr. Whitehead's ability to assimilate a great deal of information and then to explain his ideas in language understandable to the homeowner is refreshing and extremely comforting in a major remodel, and he creates an atmosphere of calm in a process that nearly always stormy at best. Anyone who has been through a major remodel knows that calm, patience and dependability aren't traits that immediately come to mind when thinking of those integral to the process.

Similarly, in his latest book, Mr. Whitehead walks the reader through major elements of lighting design, using examples to comprehensively cover technical and non-technical areas, making this book accessible, informative and instructional to the layman as well as the professional.

My strong preference would be for anyone contemplating a major design or remodel project to have the good fortune to work with Mr. Whitehead on that project. Failing that, or perhaps prior to a collaborative effort, I recommend this book without hesitation as a way to rapidly enter the magical world of his lighting genius.

As a design instructor, I have found earlier examples of this author's books to be a dynamic addition to lecture presentations.

It would be a great addition to any library.