Maintenance

This is an excellent book for the novice home electrician. I knew very little about wiring and after reading this book was able to completely wire my barn and tool shed. I had a friend who was an electrician stop by to check out my work after I was finished and he found absolutely nothing to change! This book is easy to read, easy to follow, and will serve in my library as a great reference tool for other electrical work I may decide to take on in the future! I highly recommend it.

Of all the books I browsed and purchased, this was the best. The wiring diagrams are great as a reference. Any circuit I've had to wire up so far was diagramed in the book. There are pages of diagrams so I would expect that most people would find what they needed there.

There's a good example of adding a sub-panel if you're up to that task. They warn that if you want to re-wire or replace your main panel, you should hire an experienced electrician. That's a task not recommended for even the handiest of homeowners. Good advice....

There's tons of info here. If you are reasonbly handy and willing to heed all of the safety warnings, this book is a great one to have.

There's examples of wiring room additions, kitchens, etc., that are very informative.

I also have the Home Depot "Wiring 1-2-3" book. It's good also. Arranged on a task by task basis... sort of cookbook-like. Most taks homeowners would tackle are in there but the Black & Decker book covers more issues. I also see that there what I believe is a new edition of this book (Mar '01 vs Apr '98 publication). Haven't seen contents but maybe that's the one to get.

I find the answers to my "do it myself" questions in this book, sometimes I decide to let an expert do the work!

It's very clear and has helped my many many times!

I love this book. It's extensive, easy to follow and copiously illustrated. With it, I can tackle most small-and-medium jobs around the home (even plumbing, my personal bugaboo. New faucet? No problem!) Without it, I'd be stuck having to call someone in and paying good money to have the work done. This book is a great resource for homeowners (or even renters) and is all the home repair and improvement manual that many people would ever need.

The book is broken into sections, organized by the type of work they cover. There's a chapter on Electrical, one on Plumbing, one on Power Tools, etc. The Emergency Repairs section at the beginning of the book could be invaluable in making your home safe and habitable if necessary until a professional can come in to make permanent repairs.

If you are not the most adept person at home repair, or are living on a modest budget which does not allow for expensive home repairs, then this book may be the solution. It is extremely well organized and covers every part of home repair from electrical to plumbing to tools. Even those who do not own their own home but rent, and perhaps have a landlord who only does maintence when the roof falls through (and, believe me, there are more than a few of those around,) you will find this book extremely helpful. The illustrations are clear and the wording straight forward and easy to follow. If it's a Reader's Digest book, it sure to be worth every penny...and this book is. For the home handy-man, or woman (single woman will love this book,) this manual is a "must-have reference guide" to a ton of problems that could cost a fortune if you had to hire a professional to make the repairs. Go for it, be adventurous, the problem might be easier to fix than you think!

Someone recommended this book to me when I bought my house. I got a copy and found it an extremely usefl reference. It doesn't cover everything, but it gives you a great place to start looking when you have a project to do or something to fix. I've gotten copies for many friends when they bought their first houses and they have found it useful as well.

I have always loved working on mechanical things, and feel reasonably proficient. What I liked best about this book, was learning how to perform simple cleaning and maintenance, which I do regularly and keeps the bike working very smoothly. What I did not like, was that by following directions in trying to adjust the front derailleur, I made a complete mess of it, and had to take it in to the shop. I saw a different book later in a bookstore, and they suggested removing the cable prior to changing the position on the seat post. I followed Zinn's instructions step by step, and found that after setting the outside plate 1-2 mm above the large chain wheel, it causes the teeth to overlap and bang into the plate apx. 1/4" when trying to shift. I found the overall level of detail lacking in the descriptions of work to be performed, although the drawings are quite good. I was able to adjust the rear derailleur successfully, by turning the inside limit screw 1/4 turn as he suggested. This fixed a slight problem where the low gear was stuttering a bit rather than engaging smoothly during trail riding.

This book is a must have in your collection even if you are new in the MTB scene. You should also seriously consider purchasing some tools specificly made for mtb which is clearly explained in the book,without the tools the book is not going to give you much.With some intermediate level tools you'll be able to perform the most common repairs on your bike yourself. Not only will this save you money in the long run, but you'll understand the equipment and your bike much better and be able to handle unexpected situations on the trail. There are a lot of hand drawn pictures and each part of the bike is covered in great depth(perhaps little too much detailed explanation for a novice like me!).
With all due respect,I wish there were more pictures,not only hand drawn but also maybe some computer drawn 3-D slices,showing the equipment and the bike parts and the proper ways they fit togather since the hand drawns can be a bit difficult to understand and do not show all the in-depth details plus showing things in step by step detailed 3-D pictures mostly works better for the novice than explaining them in long sentences. Still, i think this book helped me a lot and it is definitly one of the best out there.

Mountain biking is a little different than most sports, you're usually out in the wilderness, miles away from the nearest phone or road, and putting yourself (and your bike) through a pretty grueling workout. In 'Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance' Lennard Zinn does a great job of making sure that if the bike part of the equation fails, you'll know what to do. From suggesting what tools you should carry with you, teaching you how to use them, and giving you a quick lesson on how each work, this book covers it all.

The book uses illustrations instead of photos, so it's easy to tell what's going on, and it covers all the different types (and eras) of components that you'll find. Coverage ranges from the basic (changing a flat tire) to the complex (changing your fork or bottom braket) but is clear throughout.

I highly recommend this to anyone who's doing serious riding and wants to learn more about how to tune and fix their bike. As your bike grows older and you take longer rides, things WILL break or wear out, and knowing what to do in those cases is well worth the price of the book.

There's something about the idea of "finding oneself" on the open road that really gets me going. I'm a sucker for any book along those lines, whether it's about a spontaneous summer road-trip across the States, or the tale of an epic backpacking journey around the world. There's a special place in my heart for the somewhat rare Christian-themed story of this nature, and that's where this excellent book comes in.

Adventures like this tend to be lived out by the younger crowd - those in their late teens or early twenties, anxious to see what's "out there" in the world and learn something about themselves in the process. In "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagon Maintenance," the two protagonists fit this description to a tee. Donald and Paul are young twentysomething Christian men, and they have a desire to know God in a deeper sense. Their solution - a road trip! Starting from Texas, they decide to head off to Oregon in Paul's beat-up VW van. Along the way, they discuss the usual questions that young men wrestle with - relationships with women, their future, and so on. They also meet a number of interesting characters on the road, usually when struggling with their somewhat unreliable vehicle.

However, since this book has a Christian slant, there is spiritual depth as well. Both of these guys really do want to go deeper with God, and they end up digging into some serious meat along those lines. Donald, driven by intellect and facts, repeatedly explores the book of Ecclesiastes during the trip in an attempt to make sense of the time we are given upon this world. Paul is more in tune with his feelings and emotions, and goes to a deeper level with God via prayer during some tense moments. Together they make the perfect team for this type of excursion, and both come to know more about themselves and their God. All of this is expertly chronicled by Donald's outstanding writing - he made me feel that I was right along with them every step of the way.

The neatest thing about this book for me was their detour through my hometown, and the awesome consequence of that seemingly insignificant decision (SPOILER HINT: it has to do with marriage). How cool is that?! Absolutely recommended!

I love journey books! John Steinbeck wrote that people don't just take journeys: journeys take people. The best journeys are not just trips but journeys of the soul, the journeys that trips take people on. Don Miller's was one such journey of a Christian who through his travels found a deeper relationship with God. I found Miller's writing style clever, poetic, at times funny. The book was a pleasure to read, and I hope he writes another book soon. I could relate to his spiritual problems. I too have wanted a deeper relationship with God but found that the more I tried, the more frustrated I got. Like Miller, I have slowly developed a deeper relationship through the everyday journey of life. Those people looking for a book filled with theology, scripture, moving testimony, and parables will be disappointed. This book doesn't smother the reader with Jesus, and in my opinion this is a strong point. Instead, the emerging and often surprising events and people he comes in contact with sometimes prompt the narrator to reflect on biblical truths. I could really imagine taking this journey with the author. Does anybody out there have an old VW van you're willing to sell me?

There's something about the idea of "finding oneself" on the open road that really gets me going. I'm a sucker for any book along those lines, whether it's about a spontaneous summer road-trip across the States, or the tale of an epic backpacking journey around the world. There's a special place in my heart for the somewhat rare Christian-themed story of this nature, and that's where this excellent book comes in.

Adventures like this tend to be lived out by the younger crowd - those in their late teens or early twenties, anxious to see what's "out there" in the world and learn something about themselves in the process. In "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagon Maintenance," the two protagonists fit this description to a tee. Donald and Paul are young twentysomething Christian men, and they have a desire to know God in a deeper sense. Their solution - a road trip! Starting from Texas, they decide to head off to Oregon in Paul's beat-up VW van. Along the way, they discuss the usual questions that young men wrestle with - relationships with women, their future, and so on. They also meet a number of interesting characters on the road, usually when struggling with their somewhat unreliable vehicle.

However, since this book has a Christian slant, there is spiritual depth as well. Both of these guys really do want to go deeper with God, and they end up digging into some serious meat along those lines. Donald, driven by intellect and facts, repeatedly explores the book of Ecclesiastes during the trip in an attempt to make sense of the time we are given upon this world. Paul is more in tune with his feelings and emotions, and goes to a deeper level with God via prayer during some tense moments. Together they make the perfect team for this type of excursion, and both come to know more about themselves and their God. All of this is expertly chronicled by Donald's outstanding writing - he made me feel that I was right along with them every step of the way.

The neatest thing about this book for me was their detour through my hometown, and the awesome consequence of that seemingly insignificant decision (SPOILER HINT: it has to do with marriage). How cool is that?! Absolutely recommended!

The book cuts through the ridiculous claims made by many aftermarket parts companies. It covers pratically every performance modification you can make to your bike, listing the advantages and disadvantages of each. By far, the best part of the book is that it explains the "why?" behind the modifications so that you can make the best decision based on your individual riding skills/style. Firestone and Ford should read the section on tire pressure!

Sportbike enthusiasts have been waiting for years for this book. Exceedingly well written, with clear and concise diagrams and explanations on every type of performance modification available. From aftermarket pipes to big-bore kits, from nitrous cannisters to titanium fasteners and magnesium wheels, this text answers all the definitive questions on how to upgrade your motorcycle, and more importantly, which upgrades are actually helpful rather than mere gimmicks. I was impressed with Cameron's depth of knowledge in regards to motorcycle physics and engineering--he is careful to explain how motorcycles work, and the physics behind performance-enhancing modifications, yet he does so in a fashion that any non-engineer or mechanic can understand. I highly recommend this book for all motorcycle owners contemplating any of the host of aftermarket upgrades for their bike, or for the beginning or experienced racer who wants to know how to obtain maximum engine performance. Not to mention that this book is an enjoyable read for any motorcycle enthusiast who wants to know more about the science and development of the motorcycle.

I received this book today. Gave it a quick look through and it seems to be just what I wanted. I don't want a book that says do this and that to your bike, I need something that give me the theory and lets me plan it myself. I have been building and restoring bikes for 5 years and basic performance is not a problem for me. I am building a CBR600 from the ground up this winter and need to know what to do and what not to do to keep it reliable, but add a good kick.
This book seems to have lots of pics and drawings that explain how to tweak the entire bike to your needs. Goes far beyond bolt on and shows just about everything under the sun you could do. does talk about bolt on products for beginners though. Looking forward to reading the entire thing this weekend.

This is a good book covering all the A+ material quite well. What i liked was that in the OS technologies section of the book the author gives tips which are very handy because i saw many questions based on these tips. Another thing i liked was the practise software on the CD. There is 3-4 different companies with demo exams on the CD.

I did my actual tests today and i passed well. I got 1067 in the OS section. I used this book as the primary source and used cram sheets and various internet notes. Also the main thing is to do as many prac tests as you can to get a wide range of questioning used.

However this book gets 4 stars because it has some errors. Some you might be able to pick up some you might not. Like this on page 136 "For the exam, serial communications is not capable of full-duplex transmission" Well in fact it is because it contains 9 or 25 pins which have send and receive at the same time capability. All you have to see is a diagram on the inside of a serial cable and you will see my argument.

Anyway regardless it will help you pass if you read cover to cover and do all the practise questions.

I just passed (January 2003) both A+ exams using this book! Knowing the information in this book will enable you to pass both exams. The nature and scope of the material and review questions are right on target when compared to the actual exam. The author claims that if you correctly answer all test questions and understand the theory behind the questions that you may possibly pass the test. I will say that you WILL pass the test after reading the book two or three times, understanding the theory, and missing no more than one or two questions on the final practice tests.

He arranges the A+ material differently than other authors: by subject rather than by CompTIA objective. Saw one review that said this is a weakness: I had no problem with his approach. This book has up-to-date hints about the test questions that I didn't read in any of the other books. Also, his one-line test tips for Windows 9x, NT, and Windows 2000 were good.

In addition to this book, I would buy one of more of the current A+ references, like Charles J Brooks' A+ Certification Training Guide, Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Exam Guide, or even the or even the Microsoft A+ Certification Training Kit. Even though you could pass both A+ exams with this book and a reference book, I would also buy other adaptive study guides, like Mike Meyers' A+ Certification book in his Passport series because although both book cover the required objectives, each book covers different topics in detail beyond the test requirements.

PS. I tried the several practice tests on the included CD but didn't find them their questions all that difficult or cover anything new.

PPS. Forget the other cram/Q&A lists on the Internet: they are a mixed bag. Lot of their questions seemed copied from the major A+ books. The rest of unique questions are good things to know, but about mostly outdated topics not on the current tests. The quality of my two A+ cram/exam sheets were fair at best: typos, correct answers with incorrect explanations, and incorrect answers with correct explanations. Spend your money on another major A+ book.

I bought this book for fifteen bucks. Used it as my only guide and passed both of the new A+ test. I rate this book 10 big stars....

I had heard about this book from other book club friends and I have to say they were all right, it's a wonderful story. I found myself wishing by the end of the book that I was one of those magical and talented people that had dance in their blood.

Caroline and Tom have a home that at times appears to be a three ring circus. Caroline's sister invades their home after her husband leaves her, daughter Kay arrives engaged to one perfect man but in love with another and son George falls for the contractors daughter, who just happens to practically live there as well. Throw in one small yappy dog and numerous other colourful characters and you have total chaos. Through out the story the one constant that Caroline and her sister have in their lives is their love for dance. No matter how difficult times seem once those dancing shoes are strapped on all is right with the world. Is it any wonder this reader wishes to be a dancer?

This is a truly heart warming story and I certainly hope to read more of Jeanne Ray in the future.

The plot of this novel is detailed in so many other reviews that I will try not repeat it all again. Suffice to say, this is a delightful story that can be read easily in an evening. By page thirty we have met most of the main characters and they are truly likeable people. Enter 'sixty-something' Tom and Caroline McSwain. Both have fulfilling careers; he's a public defender approaching retirement and she's a dancer running a small dancing school.

The four McSwain four children are grown now, but the story of their parent's own wedding has become something of a family legend and early on we are entertained with an amusing account of their elopement. Ironically, a large portion of the book deals with their daughter's impending marriage to a member of Raleigh's blue blood society...and what a financial disaster it could turn out to be for Tom and Caroline.

The McSwain's are a family with a great sense of humor. The dialogue is fast paced and dotted with snappy one-liners. (Why can't my family be as witty?) The description is apt without being excessive, and many times Ray's subtle, yet insightful, phrases touch the heart deeply. As we read along and watch members of the McSwain family agonize over the age old question of: What love is and if it's real? One thing we know for certain is that the size of the wedding has absolutely no bearing on the ultimate question - will love last? Excellent!

It was charming from beginning to end, never dull, never over-the-top and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it. Having recently read two very lackluster "chick-lit" type books this story was a refreshing change of pace. There was no bitterness, no over the top shenanagins, no ridiculous situations and no 20 or 30-something nitwit heroine.

Instead the story is told from a happily married 60-ish heroine (Caroline) whose life is turned upside down when she receives two phone calls simultaneously from hysterical woman. One is her daughter, Kay, who is crying tears of joy because she's become engaged to the catch of the century and the other is from her sister Taffy whose husband just ran off with a very younger woman. Taffy & her nasty little dog Stamp temporarily move in with Caroline and Tom while she decides what to do with the rest of her life. Caroline is less than thrilled with the fact that her daughter is marrying into such a wealthy family especially when she learns that they intend to invite 900 guest. Poor Caroline sees her retirement plans flying out the window. This story is about life's little (and bigger) bumps and all of the interwining relationships.

I also really enjoyed the way the author incorporated dance into the story ~ it read like it was her true passion and added a lot of depth to Caroline, Taffy & George. There are many touching moments and wise observations about love, romance and marriage. The characters were all terrific and came alive for me and I hated to let them go when the book ended (something I rarely say about a book these days!). At times I wanted to shake some sense into Kay and felt like she was totally insensitive and selfish but it turns out she's only human (and really not so bad in the end) just the rest of the folks in this book . I smiled and my eyes teared up quite a bit while reading this and I'm adding this author's other books to my wishlist when I find a few spare minutes. My only complaint? This book could've been longer as I felt it all ended too quickly but maybe that's just because I enjoyed it so much.

When I started in the pc industry over 13 years ago the fastest pc on the market there was 286/16 and the DOS was version 3.3 and there was Windows 3.0 was just coming out. Staying current with technology was a whole lot easier then. But as things change everyone needs a helping hand and this book is the hand.

Expecting Stephen Bigelow to once again produce a book that should be required reading for all technicians of all skill levels is becoming status quo. Once again the author has put together 2,000 pages packed with information that not only helps with the A+ exam but also the CST exams.

From monitors, operating system and boot processes, tape backups, batteries, the BIOS and buses to CD-rom technologies, chipsets, CMOS, troubleshooting, data recovery, RAID and DVD you have only covered 600 pages.

Along with those topics comes Error Codes, cooling devices, floppy technologies, hard drives, gaming, keyboards, memory and this gets you to page 1065. From there you move to mice, modems, 300 pages of troubleshooting techniques covering over 2000 problems and solutions.

Wrapping all this up are chapters for sound cards, SCSI and preventative maintenance. The cd-rom included has over 100 shareware and demo programs to try out. There is also 10 additional chapters on the cdrom not in the book covering topics like USB, touchpads and virus software.

This is one of the finest books on PC troubleshooting ever written. Each chapter contains a list of symptoms, suggestions, and solutions in an accessible format, helping a technician solve even the most obscure hardware problem quickly. Any book that keeps you from looking like a fool in front of a customer is worth its weight in gold (and it hasn't let me down yet).

This book is also good for aspiring technicians, presenting exhaustive (but not overwhelming) coverage of topics you are sure to see on the A+ or CST exams. The author is kind enough to include useful diagrams and historical tidbits throughout the work, making the arcane comprehensible and the boring bearable. How many computer books can you think of that accomplish such a feat?

Mr. Bigelow, if you're reading this, I would like to thank you for producing such a wonderful book. Suggesting it to others is the least I can do.

I'm not a computer technician. Heck, I can barely operate a computer! I "grew up" (computer-wise) with Macs, which never seem to need fixing and seldom wear out, but because my husband had a typical PC person's prejudice against Macs, I started using PCs. Toshibas, IBMs, Dells -- each and every one sooner or later had problems. Tired of talking to technicians from Wales to Holland, I decided to take an online course in computer repair and this book was required reading.

Voila! Help at last.

Information is thorough and easy to find. Fixes work.

If you HAVE to have a PC and you run into problems, this is the book to have.

After taking the MSF course I bought this book and others as a follow-up. My main disappointment with the MSF Guide to Motorcycling Excellence is that it little farther than the booklet that came with the course.

The information contained in the book is obviously valuable and correct (given that MSF are the subject matter experts on motorcycle safety) but there is not a lot of depth to the material in the book. It is written in a push button manner lacking sufficient exmplanations of the "why" of the techniques it describes.

If you are looking for a simple to read, basic guide to motorcycle safety this book is probably for you. If you know nothing about motorcycling then this is a good (if a bit expensive start).

If you want to learn more, are detailed oriented, or need to really understand something before you can apply it, I would recommend looking for one of the other books on motorcycling that are available.

Good material, excellent for review, presented very well. Makes good sense to read up from the experts when you can't actually take a course.

For new riders.... Take the MSF new rider course. No book will substitute for experience on a bike. Buy and read the book to gain greater depth of understanding in the theory and practice of competent bike riding.

From past experience, I've had varied success with the "Dummies" series, therefore I was somewhat doubtful when I ordered this book. Based on the previous reviews here at Amazon.com, I ordered it and, after reading the book, I was not disappointed.

I bought the book primarily because I wanted a source I could use to help teach my 14 year old son about automotive repair - he just bought his first car (with my approval, of course). The author did a good job of explaining basic automotive repair & I did find much of the book to be useful in helping me explain many things to my son. I too learned a couple of things from the book, having spent several years maintaining various vehicles. A few of the illustrations are poor, but most are either adequate or good.

The author does an especially good job of convincing the reader that simple automobile maintenance is doable if you know what to do (following her detailed instructions), use common sense & have the right tools. I wish more people were "car maintenance savvy" and the author's attitude strongly reiterates this theme. I also firmly believe in doing your own repairs - it's convienient, money and time saving, satisfying and you have peace of mind knowing the job is done right - the author does a good job of emphasizing these points.

I disagree slightly with the author in regard to repairing older cars. True, most older cars needing an engine rebuild should be terminated, however, I've found many older cars ARE worth rebuilding and can provide reliable and very inexpensive means of transportation. As rebuilding engines is totally beyond the scope of this book, and in most cases the author is correct, this is a very minor point. Overall, I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone who either wants to know the basics of automotive repair - either for the do it yourselfer's, or for anyone who wants to become more knowledgeable about maintaining your expensive investment & understanding your mechanics recommendations and expectations.

If you have any intentions of working on your car, I'd recommend getting a manual specific to your car make & model to accompany this book (like a Haynes manual, or similar).

This book is excellent for anyone who has no idea about how cars work and what parts under the hood have what functions... I do think though, it lacks information about fairly modern technology that is being used in cars... It highlights the workings of cars mostly in the 70's, 80's without much emphasis on newer generation cars... But i still feel, it is important to have a sound knowledge about the original, more simplistic systems of the car before advancing to the newer, more efficient and complicated systems...

I recently purchased an older model American car... the kind with a carburetor and distributor and--get this--spark plugs that you can actually reach without removing half the stuff from the engine. It has been so long since I could really work on my own car that I had forgotten how to do basic tuneups and keep my auto in primo condition. This book is outstanding for explaining how it all works and how to do the basics yourself. It begins with a simple but thorough explanation of all the systems (electrical, fuel, suspension, steering, etc.) and how a car works. Then it goes through each system and, with the aid of very effective diagrams, explains how to check and fix each one.

I have, thanks to this book, the knowledge and confidence to keep my new/old car in tune, running smooth, and at a fraction of the cost of taking it into the shop.

You don't need an older car to appreciate this wonderful resource, either. The author goes through modern cars and their systems, too, like fuel injection and rack-and-pinion steering and disc brakes. If you have always wanted to know more about cars, and want the confidence to do the basic maintenance yourself, this IS the book for you. Highly reccommended.