Editorial Review
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.
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Customer Reviews
prefer reader's digest book 
2006-05-22
I didn't find that there was enough basic information in this book to be useful to me. I think the author is trying to make money off of the "concept" rather than provide lots of informative information. And I admit, I was lured into the "concept" and bought the book, with much disapointment.
For me the 1001 Do It Yourself hints & tips by reader's digest is more comprehensive with 100x more information than this book. In addition, the reader's digest books is geared towards ANYONE, because this is information that everyone needs for their first home, not just "women". In the reader's digest book you learn about plumbing basics, how to deal with kitchen fires, leaks and everything inbetween. (You can preview the book on Amazon too!)
A Very Empowering Book 
2006-01-03
I bought this book for my Mom for Christmas last year. She was on her own for the first time in her life. When I visited her this Christmas, she was complaining about her toilet running. I said, "Mom, get the book" She got the book out, I read the instructions out loud to her, and she fixed her OWN toilet. She was so proud of herself. Everyone that called on Christmas got the blow by blow account of how she fixed her own toilet. Buy this book. You will learn how to fix alot of those annoying household problems. Save money, and get a feeling of accomplishment. Buy it for your Mom, Dad, everyone. Highly recommended!
AWESOME BOOK! 2005-09-03
I've always been accused of being "Martha Stewart unplugged" cause I'll tackle ANYTHING to decorate or cook. Well, with the help of Dare to Repair, I'm now crusading for a new title of "Bobbie the Builder" - I'm changing out light fixtures, removing old electrical outlets. This is a GREAT BOOK! I got one for my daughter, too - she's following in mom's footsteps!
the basics 
2005-08-27
This book tells you about the very basic of fixing things in the home. I expected a little more info considering the title. Its still a good book to have if you don't have a clue hoe to start.
an excellent book for an excellent price 2005-08-16
i bought this for my sister who is in a 'women in construction' vocational program and is learning all about fix-it-ups. she really loved it and i'd definitely say this book makes a great gift! 4 stars!
Dare to Repair 2007-11-17
This book is excellent for taking care of everyday repairs by those who never took "Shop," and who are not talented or particularly knowledgeable in mechanics or electronics.
Comes in Handy 2007-10-25
My colleague must have taken a hint from the scratch on my forehead, the bags under my eyes and the black-and-blue mark on my shin. Or maybe she knew that a centuries-old house would be fraught with things that needed to be repaired. Whatever the reason, she showed up at my house with Dare to Repair and it was the perfect housewarming gift. I was too knee-deep in the cosmetic stuff--removing wallpaper, sanding floors, installing countertops and light fixtures--to get to some of the things in the book. Frankly, some of the others I just hadn't thought about. I had already completed some of the tasks in this book - replacing electrical switches, cleaning a stove's grease filter (ugh!), disengaging an electric garage door opener, locating the main water supply valve, finding contractors. But this book reminded me of the things that I hadn't gotten to yet - bleeding the hot-water radiator, creating a circuit map, adjusting the garage-door closer. And it educated me on the things that I hadn't considered--fixing a dishwasher, repairing a slow-filling washing machine, replacing a round doorknob with a lever, winterizing the plumbing. (I wish I had this book before I broke a locked door open.) Hats off to the posters who found little use for this book: I know more than a few people of both genders who haven't completed many of the tasks in Dare to Repair. I've completed more complicated tasks than the ones in the book and still found the book useful. (My contractor offered me a job as his assistant.) Even if you complete just one task in the book, you will have recouped your investment.
Go ahead girlfriend 2007-06-01
Takes you step by step through home basics-repeat-basics, like lighting the pilot light on a heater, patching a nail hole in a wall, etc. Fun, easy to follow and great for the timid!
Great handbook for new homeowners: men and women alike! 2007-04-29
Except for the girl power cover art and the fun, feminine little anecdotes that precede each section ("If you can paint your nails, you can do this repair. Just don't get the enamels mixed up!"), there isn't much that deciphers this book from any other general home repair guide...and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
"Dare to Repair" bills itself as "a do-it-HERself guide," but the information in this book is useful for both men and women alike. The material in the book is well-organized and easy to understand. The authors explain how different things in the home work, from sinks to refrigerators to door locks. Each task is detailed in easy-to-understand language and is accompanied by helpful illustrations. As a new homeowner, I find this book very helpful and refer to it quite often. I'm sure it will end up saving me a lot of money down the line! (There's also a "Dare to Repair" book about auto maintenance, and I'm going to buy it because the home repair guide is so good.)
I fixed my toilet! 2006-07-27
While I'm a little terrified of major repairs, this book is great for the kind of things that are too small to deal with the expense of calling a plumber but too big to just leave it alone. Good instructions, fun to read. Make sure you have all the tools before you start! I read over the instructions, wrote down what I needed, went to the hardware store and stopped by own damn toilet from running.
