Customer Ratings:

• Vital addition to the DIY beginner. I was recommended this book as a family bible by a relative and I have to agree with their diagnosis. It operates like a trouble-shooter or FAQ but one that is pleasant to read and dip into even when irrelevant (what IS causing those damp patches in the fifteenth-century farmhouse? who the heck owns one of those?!?). What is refreshing is his skeptical attitude towards the building trade and mortgage/surveying industry and his shocking opinions regarding rising damp: it doesn t exist! He tries to approach things from a scientific aspect and for the most part succeeds - building evidence will always struggle with being chiefly anecdotal. I wish I d read it before I went housebuying but I m glad I read it before committing myself to grand repairs.

  There are criticisms of this book, however. Because, as I said it operates, like a FAQ, it can be repetitive: use lime mortar, use lime mortar, use lime mortar, but this assists in it being used as a reference text rather than read straight through. Additionally, there are few diagrams (new edition may be different) and the solutions given are cursory in detail so you will require other texts to fill in the gaps and help you along if you are as fresh to DIY as me.

  The only problem I really have is the book is that I feel he tends to be a little too apprehensive about modern materials. But that s a minor (and inexpert) quibble in an outstanding book.

• OK but not brilliant. The book seems to consist of extracts from the authors news paper column. This leads to a certain amount of repetition. There are places where the building industry is criticized for poor standards, which may be reasonable, but is not helpful in enabling the reader to find a good builder. The book is useful but certainly does not warrant 5 stars.
• Silicone mastic and improving your physical allure. Who was it who said: A person lacking knowledge of soffit boards is but living their life in the shadows. ?
  Possibly me. Mr Howell s books have this effect on even the most casual and ignorant reader. I began reading this book on a crowded Central Line Tube at Oxford Circus, by the time I had reached Holborn I was aware that my fellow passengers were straining to read it over my shoulder. Conversation broke out, opinions flowed, soon we were fast friends. Combining a knowledge of his subject with a dry wit and a passion for uncovering the myths, lies and ignorance that permeate UK house maintenance Jeff Howell s latest book consolidates a deserved reputation for straight talking informed by experience and a pan European knowledge base. Written in the form of readers questions, followed by Mr Howell s answers, makes this an easy book in which to dip casually or pick a subject. I now know why our cistern is constantly dripping and how to fix it. A first for a spanner-phobic such as myself.
  I am reliably told by people of all sexual persuasions that possession of practical skills, a willingness to get out of bed and use them, combined with a pair of rugged overalls renders a man (and some women) deeply, physically attractive. In reading this book I feel I have made a start. This guide has the power to get your radiators balanced and render you irresistible to passing strangers. I was exchanging phone numbers by Shepherds Bush. Buy it, read it and wait for the effect.

• DIY and Home Maintenance for Dummies All-in-One, UK edition
• I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff
• The Uncommon Reader
• The Victorian House Manual
• Delia s How to Cheat at Cooking