Very thorough and readable, May 2, 2001; Reviewer: Doug Lorch from California, I found this book to be very readable even to a home repair novice like me. It contains a lot of information about what to look for when buying a house, and additional information about how houses are constructed which should be useful when maintaining one. I read 3 such books and this is by far the best.; Good, basic starter, January 9, 2000; Reviewer: Ferguson Associates from Kingston, TN, For a new home owner or home inspector, this book is a good, basic book that the lay person can understand (one that has no knowledge of the field). It's obvious the author has many years of experience and designed the book in the order that he would inspect a home. I highly recommend this for someone starting out in the business as a reference book.; Ferguson Associates continues, As a commercial and residential inspector, I found this book to be a good reference book over many others I have purchased to learn more about performing good inspections. The book is well written even for a layperson with no knowledge of the field. I would recommend it as a basic, starter book.