Reviewed by annieb123 on
Black & Decker The Hardworking Home is a well organized DIY/design manual for effective home improvement by Mark Johansen. Due out 24th May 2022 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook format available now).
One thing that characterizes these Black & Decker reference guides is the uniform logical layout. The books are streamlined and information is grouped thematically in chapters - so the relevant info is easy to find and easy to use. The first chapters cover design and utilization of existing rooms and space with general tips for carving a working space from any room in the house. The author has good tips and short tutorials for re-purposing underutilized areas (basement, spare room, closet, garage, and shed) and turning them into a viable workspace (or recess/home gym area). Tutorials are well arranged graphically and not too busy visually. Guidance for tools and materials is provided in bullet lists in highlighted text boxes, followed by an overview of implementation tactics and planning. Pictures are abundant throughout and they are clear and uncluttered and easy to understand.
Five stars. This is a great resource for DIYers and homeowners, and would be a good choice for school and public library acquisition. All the books I've seen from this publisher are well written, accessible, and safety conscious. Taken as a whole, the collection is invaluable for homeowners and smallholders who want to be proactive in improving and maintaining their properties, especially given our "new normal" hybrid work and school daily life. When I moved away from home, decades ago, my dad gifted me one of the early B&D general repair manuals. I still have it.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 8 May, 2022: Reviewed