Show Me How: 500 Things You Should Know Instructions for Life From the Everyday to the Exotic [Paperback]

Lauren Smith (Author), Derek Fagerstrom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2008

Show Me How is a revolutionary reimagining of the reference genre, one part how-to guide, one part graphic art showpiece, and one part pure inspiration. In a series of 500 nearly wordless, highly informative step-by-step procedurals, readers learn how to do hundreds of useful (and fascinating and important and sometimes downright bizarre) tasks, including: Perform CPR, dance the tango, pack a suitcase, win a bar bet, play the blues, make authentic sushi rolls, fight a shark . . . and 493 more essentials of modern life. Packed with useful hands-on reference material, Show Me How is a work of art that just happens to also be an indispensable real-life resource.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom are California-based editors, writers, designers, shop owners, and lovers of the unusual, the eclectic and, especially, the hand-crafted. They currently run The Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco's Mission District, selling (and falling in love with) everything from a make-it-yourself ukulele to a DIY bird-watching kit.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Design; First Edition edition (October 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061662577
• ISBN-13: 978-0061729621
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 8.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom are San Francisco based editors, writers, designers, shop owners, and lovers of the unusual, the eclectic and, especially, the hand-crafted. They currently run The Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco's Mission District, selling (and falling in love with) everything from a make-it-yourself ukulele to a DIY bird-watching kit. They haven't yet found a subject they aren't interested in, making them the perfect partners for the Show Me How book and series. Prior to opening the Shoppe, Lauren and Derek lived busy, creative lives in New York where, among other things, they started what they called the Curiosity Guild-a group of friends who gathered regularly to teach each other how to do cool, quirky, or downright useful things.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a delightful way to learn how to do lots of things, November 19, 2008

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Show Me How: 500 Things You Should Know Instructions for Life From the Everyday to the Exotic (Paperback)

I was delighted to find this little book at the store yesterday, and we decided over coffee to buy a couple of copies for presents. Lots and lots of illustrations and a wide variety of projects:

How to make the perfect bed
Tell time with a potato clock
A color coordinating wheel
Treat a snake bite
Tie basic sailing knots
Twist a balloon animals
Get out of a straight jacket

The authors run the Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco, recently reviewed by "The New York Times": "You'll see fashionable, do-it-yourself types foraging for clever, handmade crafts at this shop in the Mission District. It carries items like coffee holders knitted from yarn, deer heads carved out of wood and skeleton keys fashioned out of porcelain."

This book would be fun to look through with kids, but it is actually written for adults. The website for the book (see the first Comment) is fast, graphic and very descriptive of the contents of the book. It will sell it to you [or not] with no further ado.

Robert C. Ross 2008

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So THAT'S how you drink from a boot..., November 15, 2008

By 

Ben Rubenstein (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Show Me How: 500 Things You Should Know Instructions for Life From the Everyday to the Exotic (Paperback)

Like many people of the so-called internet generation, I have a pretty short attention span. This is fine when I have hundreds of cable channels to choose from, and thousands of MP3s to shuffle through on my iPod. But it's really done a number on my ability to learn useful skills. That kind of thing usually requires putting in some serious time. But with this book, I can learn anything from how to install a dimmer switch to how to exfoliate properly, usually in just a few simple steps. Sure, a little more depth could be useful in some of these how-tos, and sometimes the instructions are a little obvious (if humorous), but overall the concept works pretty well. The awesome illustrations keep things from getting too dry; it's an attractive, entertaining package that makes you actually want to try to do some of this stuff. Especially "intrigue with a game of footsie." Now there's something I can commit to.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Show me Awesome, November 4, 2008

By 

seamus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Show Me How: 500 Things You Should Know Instructions for Life From the Everyday to the Exotic (Paperback)

I was walking around my local (big box) bookstore and I asked a salesperson about what I should get for my 15 year old nephew. She did not hesitate at all and walked me over to her "new favorite book." She explained that once this book arrived the employees immediately stole a copy for the break room. I flipped through it and bought myself two copies, one for him and one for my coffee table. Flipping through this book there seemed to be a tip for everything. And, in four days I have already used it twice. Once to finally learn to hem a pair of jeans, and after seeing how easy there tip on dissecting a pomegranate looked I went out and got one... incredible! This book is full of great step by step instructions from the usefully to the absurd.