Information really is at your fingertips, whether...

Information really is at your fingertips, whether thumbing through pages or tapping at the computer keyboard. This column will help direct you, both at the bookstore and on the Internet, to sources that will make life easier in and around the home.

THE WORD

Spacing out: Dinah Hall and Barbara Weiss’ “Home Design Workbooks: Storage” ($18.95, DK Publishing, 1997).

Cramped? There comes a time when our homes seem to be shrinking. Even after repeated spring cleanings, the cry “There’s no room!” may echo through your hallways. This surprisingly attractive, multi-photo book tells you what to do about making the most of the space you’ve got.

The authors offer storage advice on every room, from the kitchen to the bathroom. Should you install racks in the bedroom? Should they be hidden in a closet or used ornamentally? And what to do about all that soap after a binge at Price Club? The suggestion is to hide them between the unused towels, to keep them dry and freshen the towels’ scent.

Most of the tips are common sense--stuff you’d probably think of yourself if given the time. But the book proves useful by starting the process and helping you stay focused. There are also several examples of what rooms with perfect storage can look like.

Sketch it: If you’re really ambitious and want to completely reorganize, say, the kids’ digs, the authors hold your hand at every turn. They’ve even provided several sheets of graph paper in the back to let you better visualize the revamped space.

The book’s drawback is that it doesn’t say how much all those cabinets, racks and attractive wooden boxes will cost. Finding more storage space will undoubtedly mean losing more than a little cash.

THE WEB

In and out: The Outhouses of America Tour (https://www.tiac.net/users/jloose/ohindex.htm) may not be the most refreshing site around, but it’s certainly on a subject that’s rarely plumbed. Here you’ll find outhouses, outhouses and more outhouses.

A strange love: John Loose runs these pages, and he never does fully explain his obsession. One thing is clear, though--it’s far-reaching. There are dozens of photos of outhouses, from one on a Yellowstone Park mountaintop to another near a Cuban beachfront. Loose’s enthusiasm for their design and utility doesn’t wane: He’s all but ga-ga over a large his-and-hers creation that “even has mirrors and towels!”

Loose enjoys getting anecdotal when answering questions about outhouse lore on an interactive page inviting visitors to delve into the arcane or otherwise speak their minds.

A curious fan wanted to know how crescent moons became an outhouse trademark. Loose, perhaps fancifully, said the first one was actually a mistake made by a guy in the 1800s who was distracted by a pretty girl. As she strolled by, his hand slipped and the round hole he was carving became more of an arc. The craftsman never did explain his blunder and moons began showing up everywhere.

Other voices: Besides Loose’s dewy reflections, there’s James Whitcomb’s poem “The Passing of the Backhouse,” a glorification of its odorous subject. There’s also a piece on Thomas Crapper, the man credited with inventing the modern toilet. Take a deep breath before plunging into any of these colorful odes.