Rating: 
Summary: Maybe she could have helped fix the (white) house
Review: According to salon.com, co-author Stephanie Glakas-Tenet is the wife of former CIA head George Tenet. How random is that. As for the book itself, I haven't read it.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe she could have helped fix the (white) house
Review: I have to say that this is a great book for anyone who has just purchased their first home. If you are in a position where you have noone to depend on but yourself, get a copy. Although, a reviewer did pan the book, stating that it gave instructions on how to change a bulb, this is not the whole truth-the bulb that they are referring to in the book, is in your gas or electric oven-big difference. It gives details on how to ignite a pilot light on a water heater safely-( which, unfortunately, I have had to do twice )- and several other things that you may not even think about until it is too late. Better to buy the book, and familiarize yourself. Do you know how to shut off your gas supply in an emergency, or repair a leaking water tank on a Sunday, or worse, in the middle of the night? Where is your toolbox? Do you even have a tool box? I admit, I did'nt even consider these things before. Buying a house for the first time, most of us are knee deep in carpet samples, decorating books, and paint chips-and most of us don't focus on gas leaks, frozen pipes, broken toilets, clogged showers, or loss of hot water. Like a good scout, BE PREPARED!
Rating: 
Summary: It's 3:00 AM and you have a gas leak..now what?
Review: I have to say that this is a great book for anyone who has just purchased their first home. If you are in a position where you have noone to depend on but yourself, get a copy. Although, a reviewer did pan the book, stating that it gave instructions on how to change a bulb, this is not the whole truth-the bulb that they are referring to in the book, is in your gas or electric oven-big difference. It gives details on how to ignite a pilot light on a water heater safely-( which, unfortunately, I have had to do twice )- and several other things that you may not even think about until it is too late. Better to buy the book, and familiarize yourself. Do you know how to shut off your gas supply in an emergency, or repair a leaking water tank on a Sunday, or worse, in the middle of the night? Where is your toolbox? Do you even have a tool box? I admit, I did'nt even consider these things before. Buying a house for the first time, most of us are knee deep in carpet samples, decorating books, and paint chips-and most of us don't focus on gas leaks, frozen pipes, broken toilets, clogged showers, or loss of hot water. Like a good scout, BE PREPARED!
Rating: 
Summary: Dumbed Down
Review: I was hoping that this would be a comprehensive home repair guide that would help me to handle some "honey-do's" in our home myself instead of always having to wait for my husband to find time. As I browsed through the chapters, though, I found myself asking "Someone needs to be told how to do THIS??" I mean, is replacing a toilet seat really that tough? Do you need instructions on how to replace a furnace filter? Noone would describe me as "mechanically inclined", but those are things I could figure out without help!
Some of the little stories at the beginning of each chapter are also pretty condescending. For example, under "Replacing a Receptacle", it says "Don't let this electrical repair jolt you into a frenzy - instead, think of this project as earning you bragging rights at the office cooler or in the carpool line."
I wish the authors had skipped the cutesy stuff and just gotten to the meat of the topic.
So, if you're looking for a VERY basic home repair manual, this is probably OK. Otherwise, you'll probably be happier with something more comprehensive. Check it out at the libary before you buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Useful, Handy & Cheaper Than Hiring Someone
Review: I'm a guy, and despite the pretense we guys like to present, men are not born knowing how to fix stuff.Now, I'm not real happy with the sales schtick on this book. Why only women? Discriminiation, I say: we men need this book as much as any woman. Change the title from "Dare to Repair: A Do-It-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home" to something more masculine (or neutral) and Sussman will sell a bunch more. All my whining aside, "Dare to Repair" is a straight-to-the-point practical guide. It covers the basics, and has no delusions about being the last word in fixing things. There's nothing intimidating or overwhelming, but the reader mustn't be afraid of a little dirt. Broken stuff is often dirty, you know. Buy the book. It'll come in handy, and pay for itself the first time you use it successfully instead of hiring an overpaid fixit person. I fully recommend "Dare to Repair: A Do-It-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home" by Julie Sussman, Stephanie Glakas-Tenet. Anthony Trendl
Rating:
Summary: Too Basic
Review: If you were new to basic home repair, then this book would be for you. I was disappointed because I thought this book would a lot better. I couldn't find anything in the book that I didn't already know. Shutting off the water supply to the toilet, removing a broken lightbulb and installing a new showerhead are all very, very basic things. If you're "handy" around the house, don't bother with this book.
Rating:
Summary: A book for women. Yay!
Review: It makes me sick to see all the male-written, whining reviews for this book. You are missing the point of this book when you say they should change the title to something more male-oriented in order to "sell more." This book isn't written for men, it's written for women. Why? Because there are enough books out there written for and from the male point of view. I think this book will sell just fine and perhaps even better *because* it is written for women. Home repair has long been a male-dominated area and it's about time someone wrote a book that was dedicated to helping women learn to do these for themselves. Women have been shut out of this and other fields for far too long. So for all you men out there who are screaming "discrimination," let me just say one thing... Now you know how it feels. : )
Rating:
Summary: Pay It Forward
Review: Never again feel the sense of utter helplessness when an appliance breaks down at the worst possible moment. Stop banging your head against the wall and groaning in agony when the repair person hands you a cost estimate the size of Mt. Everest. Dare to Repair is a godsend for those who want to give up on frustration and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done. Not to mention life-savingly crucial for emergencies... Electricity gone out and can't get the car out of the garage? Go to "Disengaging a Garage Door". ("You probably know by now that the garage has great acoustics for screaming," made me smile. Yes, I can relate and thank the authors for saving my vocal chords from damage.) Witty (with cautions such as "The road to hell is paved with good intentions. So is the road to the plumber's wallet.) and warmly written, this book stands out from the usual information only repair manual. The illustrations were clear, the directions specific, and the illustrations of tools that came with each repair a blessing for the novice that doesn't know a allen wrench from an adjustable wrench. Although a few topics covered repairs more applicable to colder climates than lucky recipients of California weather, I would recommend this book to anyone anywhere. Dare to tread uncharted fixup territory, and most importantly, do as the authors suggest and use and share your newfound knowledge to better the lives of the people around you.
Rating:
Summary: I'm so tickled!!!!
Review: So I get home after work, and all I really want is a shower. That's it. So I'm taking out my contacts......
.....and one flips right out of my eye. I hear it slide across the sink, and the unmistakable sound of it going down the drain.
{INSERT CHOICE OF CURSE WORD HERE].
So I stand there, frozen.
All of a sudden, I remember a book my mom got me last christmas. Dare to Repair. I look through it, and sure enough, there's a section on retrieving lost items from the drain.
I weigh the options. Nasty slimy drain which I don't really have the tools for? Or going without a contacts for two weeks while I go through the hassle of the eye doctor? Not to mention my lenses are a hundred bucks each (gas permeable). AND my insurance only covers either glasses or contacts, not both, and this was the year to get new glasses.
So, I try it. I empty out all the stuff from under the sink. I get my bucket. I have no wrenches the right size, so I just try twisting the pvc pipe. IT CAME OFF! No tools at all! I empty the sink trap into the bucket, and sure enough... there's the darn lens. I screw everything back up, turn on the faucet, no leaks!!!
I am so extraordinarily tickled.
THANK YOU, Dare to Repair! You saved me a hundred bucks!
Rating:
Summary: courage to handle the basics
Review: This book demystifies some of the simple, around-the-house chores that you always thought you should be able to handle on your own, but somehow still weren't sure how to tackle. The projects are well explained and have given me the courage and confidence to take some of them on. It's also nice to know the guide is in the book case, so when I start to think about calling a plumber or an electrician, I'll be able to look in the book and decide whether or not I really do need to make that call. I've noticed that some people think the book's simplistic, while others seem to think it's too heavily slanted toward a female audience. Since women have not traditionally done a lot of home repair (myself included), I think the book is ideally suited to its target group.
|
