Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home

This is NOT your father's home repair book!

And it's not your husband's, your brother's, your boyfriend's, or the guy's next door. Dare to Repair is a do-it-herself book for every woman who would rather be self-reliant than rely on a super or contractor.

No matter the depth of your pockets or the size of your home, a toilet will get clogged, a circuit breaker will trip, and a smoke detector will stop working. It's up to you how you'll deal with them -- live in denial, pay the piper, or get real and do it yourself.

Dare to Repair demystifies these home repairs by providing information that other books leave out.

In Dare to Repair, you'll learn how to:

• Take the plunge -- from fixing a leaky faucet to cleaning the gutters.
• Lighten up -- from removing a broken light bulb to installing a dimmer switch.
• Keep your cool -- from maintaining a refrigerator's gasket to changing the rotation of a ceiling fan.
• Get a handle on it -- from replacing a doorknob to repairing a broken window.
• Play it safe -- from planning a fire escape route to installing a smoke detector.

Filled with detailed illustrations, Dare to Repair provides even the most repair-challenged woman with the ability to successfully fix things around the home. Once you start, you won't want to stop.

Authors Julie Sussman and Stephanie Glakas-Tenet mix goofy "Your fridge is running? Better catch it!" jokes with a very matter-of-fact tone that assumes from the start you're woman enough for the job. Sections are arranged by general category (electricity, plumbing, etc.), and every entry is accompanied by clear illustrations of items and processes. For women who live alone or are starting up a business, this is a serious money-saving guide; for those of us with roommates, there's no quicker way to impress than to whip out your toolbox and get down to business. --Jill Lightner