Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I've had some difficulty connecting with my kids in the past. Unless it's X-Box this or Playstation that, they don't seem to have any interest in anything. We do things as a family, but I always feel like they look at family time as their way of paying rent. My youngest is 5 and obsessed with spys, and secret agent-type stuff. The weekend we got the book, he and I spent it making book safes and writing secret messages with "invisible ink." My daughter is 17 and (I don't know how I got so lucky) loves all things retro. I swear, she's the only one who isn't embarrassed of me when I talk about the '70s. We made some bowls for her room out of a couple records we picked up at a thrift store, and a disco ball from a CD she cut into pieces. I love being able to go into their rooms and see them NOT glued to one screen or another.

I love this book.
My daughter was given it as a birthday present and she and her friends have spent many hours together flicking through it and trying things out.
So has everyone else in the family.

It is truly spectacular, packed full of fun, witty, inspirational ideas, practical hints and tips, plus solid information. (Like how to tie balloon animals, mix cocktails, meditate, fix plugs or run with the bulls)

The graphics are great with clear easy to follow diagrams for everything so it is a very easy read for anyone and a great book just to pick up when you have 2 minutes or a whole day to spare.

This book should be required in every household in America! I just can't seem to put it down.

Everything you ever wanted to know is in this book! Subjects range from simple tasks like tying a tie to amazingly extravagant tasks like how to deliver a baby in a taxi!

Some other of my favorites in the book:
How to make a memorable first kiss
How to do couples yoga
How to dance the tango
How to pair a wine
How to ski/snowboard
How to tie a cherry stem in you mouth
How to fix a flat tire on a bike with a five dollar bill!

Many more that I can't fit here...

You will never find another book like this one. It will be the perfect gift for anyone! I am giving a copy to everyone on my holiday list!

I bought this book for my daughter and her group of girlfriends for HS graduation. These girls literally grew up in my house so I wanted to give them something to remember their "other mom" by. Needless to say it was an enormous hit. This last summer they are all together they are planing days to do certain things in the book together- great gift but I also bought a copy for myself it's so much fun.

I must say, I wish I had this book a long time ago. I would have been the coolest person in every year of school from K-grad school if this book had been out then. Kids these days have no idea how lucky they are to have this resource! And us adults finally have a way to elevate our 'cool' status. At least I think knowing how to do all these 500 things will make me cooler! Not that being cool is the most important thing. But surviving is! (#452 fend off a shark).
Other important things to do how to do (that might also make you feel cool!) are:

#92 make classic fried chicken (somehow i never learned it from my mom. finally i know!)
#176 tie a bowtie (no more clip-ons boys!)
#203 lace a corset ( i had no idea how, until now!)
#308 banish imaginary monsters (brilliant!)
#472 perform an awesome keg stand (Most likely I was uncool in school cause I couldn't do this. If only I had this book in my formative years!)

So do yourself a favor and get this book!!!

I knew I'd like this book because I'm really into graphic novels and manga--and I'm that guy that always has to know all the weird trivia. But I didn't realize how addictive it would be! I started out just looking at how to tie a bow tie, because that's one of those geeky things I've always wanted to be able to do. And somehow I got sidetracked by "how to make your own sushi," "how to do wheelies on a motorcycle," "how to fight a shark" . . . and . . . and . . . dang! Suddenly it was an hour later. I gave my parents a copy, and they put it in the guest bathroom. Now their guests stay in there waaaaay too long, so they're going to have to put it somewhere else!

this book was so fun to go through! i got it for a friend for a Christmas present and her whole family ended up reading it. anytime we can't think of anything to do, the book is there FULL of ideas! the instructions are very simple and easy to understand. the instructions in this book have such a wide variety too! they have things that range from making a voodoo doll (or protecting yourself from it) clear to how to wrestle an alligator! this is a great book to set out on your coffee table for visitors to look at and good for conversation too! this book is well worth the purchase! :)