Reader's Digest Helpful Tips

Our Review

Since Reader's Digest also publishes Family Handyman magazine, this book is actually a compilation of the best from the magazine's archives.

This means the book covers a surprisingly broad range of topics:

• Tips and tricks for the thrifty do-it-yourself-er. Neat ideas included how to build your own simple shop furniture.
• Uncommon facts. I never knew that a 'cubit' was basically the length from your elbow to the tip of your finger until I read this book.
• Its also sprinkled with a healthy amount of basic knowledge every 'family handyman' should know byt that nobody necessarily tells you. While you might find it hard to get someone at Home Depot to spend a few minutes to explain the basics of lumber or wall fasteners, you'll find a great orientation here.
• How-tos. All the basic problems are addressed here...patching wallboard, repairing a cartridge faucet, stripping furniture...you name it.

While the constant puns can get old ('Plane Sense'), the book is a nice and sometimes ingeneous reference volume for your home improvement library.