It is hardly surprising that Kevin McCloud’s book, “Grand Designs Handbook: The Blueprint for Building Your Dream Home” has been so well received. The author of such other titles as “Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour of Europe” and “Colour Now: An Expert Guide to Choosing Colours for Your Home” is, of course, best known as the presenter of the popular TV series “Grand Designs”.

In this particular edition, McCloud has used his expertise of building design and architecture to produce a book that is easy to follow and full of invaluable advice, from initial plans to overseeing the building of your dream home.

As much as McCloud permeates the grand dream of building the home you’ve always wanted, he is sure to add a healthy dose of realism and doesn’t put the reader under any false impression about how much work is involved. However, in saying that, his opinionated observations that are so much a part of the TV series are present throughout the book.

A polite notice introduces the book, in which McCloud informs the reader that if you don’t like his choice in houses, you are probably not going to like what he has to say about them; therefore, quite simply, you shouldn’t have bought the book.

There are many options to choose from in this category, but you will find that, provided you are a fan of McCloud, the “Grand Designs Handbook” is probably one of the most informative and definitely one of most entertaining out there. Its glossy layout and style will also make it a good choice for a stocking filler at Christmas.