**"The Complete Guide to Home Masonry: DIY Step-by-Step Projects & Repairs with Concrete, Brick, Block & Stone – Black & Decker Home Improvement Library – Perfect for Patios, Walkways & Fireplaces"**

The "Book Description" review is correct when it says that"The Complete Guide to Home Masonry is the most comprehensive and useful guide to masonry for today's do-it-yourself homeowner."About the only thing missing from this one-sentence summary is that the book is nigh-exclusively devoted to OUTDOOR projects. (The short exceptions are damp-proofing basement walls, and repairing fireboxes.)The book features clear step-by-step instructions and color photographs (one good photo for each and every step of every project -- HUNDREDS of photos total) for working with natural stone, stone veneer, brick, glass block, concrete block, poured concrete, patio tile, stucco, and hypertufa.The projects cover all the simple outdoor jobs (such as walkways, walls, and patios), the common elaborations (such as adding lattice panels to a block wall, or laying tile over concrete), and quite a number of complex constructs -- like "Building a Stone Moon Window".EVERY section of text has one or more illustrating photographs to show what they're writing about. EVERY photograph is in color, with good contrast, color rendition, and composition. EVERY project includes an "Everything You Need" box, listing all the tools and materials required. EVERY tool that's used in the projects has (1) a picture in the "Masonry Tools & Equipment" chapter early in the book; (2) a closeup of the tool in use; and (3) explanatory text discussing proper technique. EVERY material used has pictures of all states through its life -- from the bags clearly depicting brand names like "Quikrete" and "Lehigh", to the dry materials, the mixing process, the layout stage, and finishing with the final assembled project.If this book had the same comprehensive coverage for INDOOR projects (tiling bathrooms and creating concrete countertops are high on my wish list), it would be worth SIX stars!