How to be Handy [hairy bottom not required]: Build Money Saving DIY Skills, Create a Unique Home and Properly Look After Your Stuff

Feel of the book: Like spending a weekend with your dad, as he passes on his philosophy and practical wisdom on fixing and maintaining the things you own.Another Perspective: The author is British, and his use of words like spanner, rubbish, sparky, etc are endearing. I love that there are things that are common knowledge to one country, but are discovered by others until we "spend time" seeing things from their perspective.Price: Definitely feel as though I got my money's worthGreatest Takeaway: "Being handy is not about your genes, or what your father did, or how clever you are." Anyone can get better at fixing, maintaining, or improving the physical things around them simply by starting with curiousity.There were some parts that I skipped over as they didn't apply to me, ie Bricklaying (I don't have a brick home), but I found 80% of the book applicable.Suggested improvements: Ian, I loved the quotes and aphorisms you found for this book. If you ever found more that related to this subject, please add them to the second edition.Thank you Ian for the many hours it must have taken to see this book from concept to print. My dad never taught me much about being handy, your book helps me to better serve my family and friends.

Am still reading this, but I really like it so far. The author has a good sense of humor and useful advice, though much of it is common sense. The only reason there are only four stars is that the editing job is so-so; there are some weird sentence structures and grammatical errors (and it’s not just because it’s written in Oxford English and I’m in the US — Oxford English is my favorite! Lol).

Hi, I like the book very much. Read bits on line then saved up to buy it. Delighted with content. However there is a blank line running vertically down the middle of verso pages. Not even every page, such that I could get used to it. So the book is usable as a collection of sheets but not a proper codex book. I make books for a living. I know you share my sense that over time this defect will so bother me that I won't use the book. May I please have a proper copy?

More in-depth knowledge rather than basic home repair and improvement.

This was a gift for my friend whose husband is far from handy. If anything needs fixed, SHE does it! This book is a simple to understand, general guide to common fixes around the house. Very pleased.

Buy it.

Great tool for female didn't it yourselfer!

It was very obvious that Ian really knows his subject well. It was a very well written book, the safety advice is important and Ian genuinely seems very passionate about everyone's ability to learn basic DIY skills. I do quite a bit of DIY already, but I learned a fair amount from this book. I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style, it made it seem like a conversation with an old friend. Great read, definitely recommend it.

I’m a fairly practical and pretty determined middle-aged lady, but I just don’t have the courage to tackle any but the simplest plug change, piece of duct tape or dab of WD40. This book is now my guiding light – the author has, with wit and style, blasted away all the shrouds of mystery that most tradespeople like to mask their magic with. All that technical jargon, this’ll-cost-you-luv, costly call out charges just to whistle through their teeth and make out your leaky tap is more challenging than the North face of the Eiger – gone, all gone in a puff of smoke. No more expensive, patronising “How To” books for me. Reading this, I can actually believe in my own ability to tackle some of the many DIY tasks around the house. Ok, not the big stuff (baby steps for me yet), but this is a book that tells it like it is, without the bells and whistles, without the high drama. Yes, it's long. Yes, there is a lot to cover and learn but after reading the initial few chapters to get a grasp on the practicalities, you can dip into the bits you want for the project you want. It’s funny, it’s helpful and most importantly of all – it teaches you how to do the job. Simples.

This book was nor what I expected however this is probably my fault for not reading the description.It is not a guide to how to do DIY, despite having a few handy tips. It is more a guide to how motivate, research and practise yourself to becoming good at practical jobs. It felt like I was reading a building lifestyle guru rather than a book on how to do things. I am well aware already on how motivate myself and look on the internet at the experts as to how to do a job. I was after a "how to" book rather than a"how to get yourself ready to do" book which is what this appeared to be. Again, I should probably have read the description better!

This book is great. From basics of how to hold a hammer to safely demolishing, and written to support and inform your skill level. It’s been great to read tips for things you already feel confident in and learning to do new projects with confidence. This is a how to for everyone to has to do a anything handy and make them feel capable. Clearly written by someone with a lot of experience. Surprisingly for ‘a how to DIY book’, this is such a pleasure to read. Mr Anderson has a a really personable writing style.Most importantly, as a result, my house is coming along fantastically!

Very thorough and detailed but best for blokes who are into it properly and have a shed or workshop. I'm a woman who knows little and this book did not help me.

Lots of detail