In the interest of full disclosure, the copy  of the “New Fix-It-Yourself Manual” that I have in my possession is not new and is not the latest edition. That said, the manual is one of the best “How-To” guides that I have come across and I think that it would definitely save any amateur handy-man or woman some money in the long run.

The almost 450-page manual has DIY repair instructions for almost everything that could break in your home including appliances, plumbing, recreational gear and furniture.  The furniture section includes step-by-step instructions for re-finishing furniture, fixing broken tables and chairs, and stenciling designs to give your furniture a different feel. Each individual furniture repair in the manual contains specific instructions for each step in the furniture-repairing process accompanied by close-up photographs.

There are a few sections covering appliances of all sizes which range from hair dryers to curling irons to washing machines. The steps for each of these repairs are illustrated with color drawings. In addition, the “New Fix-It-Yourself” manual has instructions on how to trouble-shoot each item.

The repair projects vary in levels of difficulty greatly depending on what needs to be fixed. Fixing a machine machine, for example, is a lot more complex than repairing a table. Each section of the book also lists the tools necessary to fix each item.

I particularly like the inclusion of things such as suitcases in the book that you would not normally think of repairing, but can cost a lot of money to replace. Some of the things, such as a broken plate, are items that you would probably want to replace instead of fix because of the aesthetics.  However,  most items in the book can be repaired without damaging the looks of the item.

Because the “New Fix-It-Yourself Manual” is a pretty bulky book, some people might question whether or not it’s useful to have on hand because you can find out how to fix anything on the Internet. While I can understand that line of thinking entirely,  there is clearly enough information in this book to make it worthwhile to have on hand. Having a single book to consult for your repair needs is much easier than Googling and then trying find repair instructions that actually work, so if you have room on your bookshelf for only one DIY repair book, this might be a good idea.