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:

Lots of pretty: Bela Kalman’s “Flowers” ($40, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997).

Buds to blossoms: Coffee-table books are big this time of year; combine a love of flowers with the holidays and “Flowers” becomes a great gift-giving option. Kalman has been photographing all manner of plants and blossoms since the ‘30s, and many of his best shots are included in this book.

There are more than 100 color prints, most in close-up and highly detailed. The photos will satisfy dedicated gardeners charmed by variety, but anyone with even a casual interest in flowers will enjoy thumbing through the pages while relaxing on the sofa.

At the book’s start, Kalman recounts a proverb his mother told him while growing up in Budapest: “Aki A viragot Szereti rossz ember nem lehet” or “One who loves flowers cannot be a bad person.” He moves from there to show that his love has a long reach. Kalman shifts from irises to lillies to poppies to orchids, with several flowers in between.

Prickly too: His picture of parrot tulips, for example, are almost fiery in color and look, bending in on themselves with feathery petals. Some of the most unusual flowers show up in his cactus section, such as the pink-fluted buds that emerge from the rebutia, a variety of crown cactus found in the high mountains of South America.

Kalman turns techno (and indulgent) when using his computer to manipulate (mostly wilder hues and strange, not always complementary shapes) a few of these images. They’re OK but not nearly as appealing as the straight shots. Nature is just better au naturale.

THE WEB

Wired: Your fridge starting to sound like Uncle Fred snoring after a big dinner? The Assn. of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ (AHAM) Web site (https://www.aham.org) can tell you why and what can be done about it.

Gadgets galore: If it’s electrical and in your house (especially the kitchen) chances are it’s mentioned on these pages. There’s buying, trouble-shooting, repair and warranty info on refrigerators, freezers, stoves, compactors, dishwashers, air conditioners, disposals, toasters, blenders, coffee makers and dozens of other small and large gizmos.

The site is unspectacular to look at--no with-it graphics or animations to speak of--but it’s packed with useful details, such as the list explaining common reasons for a annoyingly loud fridge. Does yours have a “gurling/trickling water” sound? It’s probably nothing to fret over, just the coolant circulating through the sealed system.

If you want to reduce all sorts of noises, make sure the unit is level and place carpet or sound-absorbing ceiling tiles against the wall behind it. Leave room for ventilation, of course.

There’s also a section focusing on safety. The latest gives tips on how to protect yourself and your kids from cooking fires.

Got cash?: This site is sponsored by dozens of appliance makers so there’s a links page to their clearly commercial pages offering the latest on every new kitchen and home innovation. My favorite is an automatic coffee maker that actually grinds the beans and brews while you sleep. Now, that’s progress.