Customer Reviews

How to Fix Damn Near Everything

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book seems up-to-date until you see the original print date. It hasn't been updated much since the '70s, and although some procedures haven't changed (e.g, fixing an electrical connection) that much, others have (eg, electronics equipment).

professional. However, the biggest pitfall of this book is it's dated. At best, I think the book is useful for when you're (a) desperate or (b) about to throw a broken thing away. For example, if your toaster oven breaks, odds are this will provide enough general information to convince you it's OK to take it apart and fish around, then call the manufacturer (e.g., Black & Decker is great about this) and order replacement parts.

On the other hand, as many appliances are solid-state (e.g., no tubes) AND individual parts are difficult to procure if the manufacturer doesn't support this. [In 1977, when the book was published, you could go to your local Radio Shack and buy a 100 ohm 1/4 watt resistor. It's increasingly difficult to find such things as the business models have changed to the more lucrative cell phones.)

This is a useful book if you want a general idea of how common things work and aren't afraid to use a screwdriver. It's not going to be as helpful as it was 20 years ago, however.

Explains the logic of troubleshooting and repair with 300 illustrations. Helps you talk to hardware store clerks and avoid wasting money on unnecessary items by buying the proper equipment.

Mr Peterson did an outstanding job by writing a book that offers the reader a very good overview as to how things work, and more importantly, how to fix things around the home when they go bad.

No book is perfect, however, and the one flaw with this one is the fact that the apparent lack of illustrations may scare away those already intimidated by the workings of the hardware around their homes. But fear not because the author has gone into excellent written details regarding the fixing of all those troublesome gadgets. Before long, you will realize that the author has purposefully left out the illustrations to allow the reader to think critically and solve the problem in the most effective manner, unique to the situation at hand.

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty of the fixings around the house, your best friend will be your troubleshooting skills. That is, the five logical steps of troubleshooting *any* hardware such as a faulty dryer to a stubborn computer goes as follows:

1.Source of Power
2.Power Controls
3.Power Unit
4.Power Train
5.Use of Power

All the power to you!

This book is a big disappointment. Pages and pages and pages of text. Precious few photos or illustraions. No "Step 1 illustration, Step 2 illustration, Step 3 illustration..." I ordered three of this book for my sons-in-laws. I sent them all back and got the Reader's Digest "Fix it Yourself" instead. More expensive but A) updated recently, and b) profusly illustrated. Very simple to follow. Don't waste your time or money on this wordy loser.

There's good reason this book is still in print after 20 years.Its clear diagrams helped me fix plumbing, repair electricalappliances and even restring an expensive drapery rod so it would last another 20 years. Not only that, but when I wrote the author for extra help, he spent time giving me the answers I needed.

If you're the type who likes to keep old things (including houses) until they faqll apart, this book is great. It shows with diagrams how to fix everything from old walls to old toasters. It's been a bible in our family and I gave it to my sons when they moved out.

This is a re-issue of a book apparently first copyrighted in 1977 and it appears to have been minimally updated so a lot of the technical material is way out of date. In fact, it might have been better without any updating since there now seem to be many misplaced or mislabeled items which I assume were not in the original. In a very brief look at the book two examples I came across are: (1) Figure 67 purports to provide a drawing to determine pipe sizes, but the left-hand part (on page 116) shows drawings of a cluster of 5 pipe sizes on top and a cluster of 8 pipe sizes below with no labeling. The right-hand part of the figure (on page 117) has two tables, the one on top has 9 entries and the one below has 6 entries so it is impossible to match a drawing to a size entry; (2) On page 134 it says that one can consult the chart in Figure 106 to find the color codes for resistors. Figure 106 (on page 195) is of a TV screen (and a very old one at that).

Based on a very short reading, I conclude that the book must be replete with errors so will be more frustrating than helpful.