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

Whether you identify with riot grrrls or Rosie the Riveter, you'll love the tackle-it-yourself empowerment style of Dare to Repair. Covering simple tasks like unclogging bathroom sinks and switching directions on a ceiling fan along with more intimidating projects such as patching holes in drywall or creating a circuit map, this no-nonsense guide will walk you through those simple steps of maintaining, and perhaps even improving, your home. Forget about Martha and her hot-glue-gun projects--this is about drain snakes, electrical tape, and the kind of screwdrivers you can't order from a bartender.

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

Owing to choice or happenstance, many women don't have men around to repair things, and even if they do there is no guarantee that the man isn't a complete bonehead when it comes to fixing things. Sussman and Glakas-Tenet, both wives of CIA employees who were never around to help with household problems, show women how to perform a number of the most common repairs, including unclogging drains and toilets, replacing electrical switches and outlets, leveling appliances, lighting pilot lights, unsticking windows, and installing a door peephole. The authors assume that the reader is a complete newcomer to home repair, so everything is explained in detail (down to what tools to use), but the tone is never condescending. The very readabable text is supplemented by black-and-white drawings. This is a wonderful book that should be purchased by every public library.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

There are people in this world who take every plumbing leak and every clogged drain as a personal challenge. Then there are others who dial 911 when a toilet starts to run over. To stop the monetary damages, Sussman and Glakas-Tenet put together a "dummy's" guide to common repairs that usually flummox a beginner. Everything's explained in exquisite detail: tools, labeled and illustrated; steps, pictured realistically. The five major chapters--plumbing; electricity; major appliances; windows, walls, and doors; home safety--deal with 75 simple fix-its, ranging from replacing toilet seats to freeing a stuck window. Plus, words of encouragement accompany every task, certainly enough to convince anyone to pick up a pliers and twist. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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.

Julie Sussman's career has included working for two United States Congressmen. She lives in Virginia with her husband and two children.

Stephanie Glakas-Tenet's professional experiences have included advocacy, management, and fund-raising in the fields of government service, healthcare, and higher education. She lives with her husband and son in the Washington, DC area.

Ms. Sussman and Ms. Glakas-Tenet's first book, Dare to Repair (HarperCollins, 2002) is an innovative and user-friendly home repair resource for women. It has been featured on The New York Times, The Washington Post, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon best seller lists. More than a quarter million copies of Dare to Repair have been sold. The authors have also made numerous television appearances including: Good Morning America, CBS Morning Show, Today Show, ABC World News Now, Fox News, The View, 700 Club, The John Walsh Show, PBS National Pledge Show (Hosts), Living it Up! With Ali & Jack and Talk2DIY Network.

The author's national speaking appearances have included: Conference for Spouses of Joint Chiefs/Service Chiefs/Combatant Commanders, Pentagon; Naval Commanding Officers and Executive Officers Spouses Conference, Coronado, CA; U.S. Military Spouses/Habitat for Humanity Women Build, San Diego, CA; Executive Branch Spouses/Habitat for Humanity Women Build; Lowe's & Habitat for Humanity/Women Build 17-city Satellite Media Tour; National PBS Pledge Drive Show; National Book Festival, Sponsored by First Lady Laura Bush and the Library of Congress; Smithsonian Associates Program; Helsinki Women's Business Council; National Association of Home Builders Women's Council; and McAuley Institute's National Women and Housing Conference, Home Safety Council's Salute to Home Safety Awards Dinner, Washington, DC; America Supports You Book Signing, Pentagon, Washington, DC; Dare to Repair Home Repair and Car Care Clinic for Military Spouses; Naval Station Norfolk, VA; and BP Amoco Marketers Association Convention Companion Breakfast, Washington, DC.

As the National Spokeswomen for the partnership between Lowe's Companies, Inc. and Habitat for Humanity International's Women Build Program, Ms. Sussman and Ms. Glakas-Tenet have committed themselves to helping address the crisis of substandard housing by engaging women in the construction and maintenance of Habitat homes.