Curious about what it takes to become a confident do-it-yourselfer? As with many other skills, DIY home improvement proficiency starts with a willingness to try new things and follow directions. You’ll learn as you go, develop your problem-solving skills and tackle bigger and bigger projects.
Ecological roots of our toubled time are deeper than its economic manifestations. Anguished posterity will look back on this 21st century as the bottleneck century. Bottleneck: Humanitys Impending Impasse was written to show how and why three converging trends have put humankind in much deeper peril than is generally acknowledged. First, there are many more of us inhabiting this planet than it can sustain. Second, technological advances of recent centuries have made gigantic and prodigal our per capita resource appetites and our per capita environmental impacts. Third, even though, as the symbol-using species, we humans conceivably could do better at anticipating future circumstances and planning ahead, our evolutionary heritage together with unanticipated dysfunctions of modern division of labor have kept us too preoccupied with short-term concerns. People today are dependent upon a fantastically intricate web of exchange relations (the market). Even when functioning normallyand not in a collapsed condition, as currentlythis system of relations has a serious and pervasive dehumanizing effect not adequately discerned by economists nor sociologists. Recognition of and adequate adaptation to the deteriorating ecological context of human life has been impeded. Human societies (even our own) are almost certainly going to act in ways that will make an inevitably difficult future unnecessarily worse. Factors analyzed in this book have made people seriously averse to the kind and extent of cooperation our difficult future will require. Together with the basic trio of disturbing trendshumans having become so numerous, so ravenous, and so short-sightedthis has made the nature of todays human prospect far more dire than most policymakers dare admit. It tempts even the wisest and most civic-minded to seek or promote remedial policies that will worsen the real predicament.
Whether you’re interested in becoming a handyman or developing artisanal woodworking skills, the place to begin is by learning the fundamentals of using basic workshop tools correctly. The place to find out how is right here. Make: Tools is shop class in a book. Consumer-level 3D printers and CNC machines are opening up new possibilities for makers. But there will always be a need for traditional workshop skills and tools. Charles Platt's Make: Tools applies the same approach to its subject matter as his bestselling Make: Electronics -- in-depth explanations and hands-on projects that gradually increase in level of challenge. Illustrated in full color with hundreds of photographs and line drawings, the book serves as a perfect introduction to workshop tools and materials for young adults and adults alike. Platt focuses on basic hands tools and assumes no prior experience or knowledge on the part of the reader. The projects all result in fun games, toys, and puzzles. The book serves as both a hands-on tutorial a reference that will be returned to again and again.
Save Thousands! Tackle the Easy Fixes Yourself Over 120 Step-by-Step Secrets Revealed The Basics Everyone Can Master Don’t pay a professional tons of money! We make it so easy for you to tackle the tasks yourself. Below are some of the everyday projects you will find in here to make your life easier and your household more self-sufficient: Cleaning & replacing filters Easy plumbing fixes Painting hints & tips Garden & landscape ideas Hints & tips throughout Chapters include: Master Tools Electrical Plumbing Appliances Windows and Doors Walls and Floors Cleaning Exterior Auto Tried-and-true instructions provide do-it-yourself solutions to a ton of problems that could cost a fortune if you hired a professional. This manual is a “must-have” reference guide for every home-owner.
Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech lifestyle.
Open up this book and you will find amazing, clever, innovative solutions to everyday problems that you can do yourself. This collection of ingenious, helpful, budget-conscious hints, tips and how to's prove that you don't need a workshop full of tools or 30 years of experience to be a successful DIYer. Save time, money and frustration, plus, up your DIY game with these hacks shared by our editors and readers. Chapters include: -Cleaning Hacks -Painting Hacks Workshop Tips -Storage & Organizing Hacks -Safety & Security Hacks -Holiday Hacks -Best for Your Pets
Looking for a better way to manage life with a chronic illness? Despite Lupus will guide you through the proven steps needed to obtain the emotional and physical wellness you deserve.
This user-friendly book is aimed at helping students of Mandarin Chinese learn and remember Chinese characters. At last--there is a truly effective and enjoyable way to learn Chinese characters! This book helps students to learn and remember both the meanings and the pronunciations of over 800 characters. This otherwise daunting task is made easier by the use of techniques based on the psychology of learning and memory. key principles include the use of visual imagery, the visualization of short "stories," and the systematic building up of more complicated characters from basic building blocks. Although Learning Chinese Characters is primarily a book for serious learners of Mandarin Chinese, it can be used by anyone with interest in Chinese characters, without any prior knowledge of Chinese. It can be used alongside (or after, or even before) a course in the Chinese language. All characters are simplified (as in mainland China), but traditional characters are also given, when available. Key features: Specially designed pictures and stories are used in a structured way to make the learning process more enjoyable and effective, reducing the need for rote learning to the absolute minimum. The emphasis throughout is on learning and remembering the meanings and pronunciations of the characters. Tips are also included on learning techniques and how to avoid common problems. Characters are introduced in a logical sequence, which also gives priority to learning the most common characters first. Modern, simplified characters are used, with pronunciations given in pinyin. Key information is given for each character, including radical, stroke-count, traditional form, compounds, and guidance on writing the character. This is a practical guide with a clear, concise and appealing layout, and it is well-indexed with easy lookup methods. The 800 Chinese characters and 1,033 compounds specified for the original HSK Level A proficiency test are covered.
This guide provides step-by-step technical information for evaluating a residential building's site, exterior, interior, and structural, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems.