The book seemed to jump right from the incredibly basic (what octane do I need?) to the beyond-me (fixing a misaligned door with a block of wood and a big heave-ho) without touching on the more common points in between. For example, how to change oil was not covered, but there was a great section on how to wash (yes, wash) the car and why you should choose a natural chamois, along with a section on electrical work this weekend mechanic wanna-be wouldn't touch with the proverbial ten-foot pole.

The book does a great job explaining the things it actually does talk about, but this 180 page book is about 100 pages short. In other words, I'm definitely keeping the book in case I do want to try reattaching some peeling trim or replace a PCV valve (huh?) one day, but I still have to buy another to learn about the stuff I'm more likely to do in between, like change my own oil or deal with the beginnings of a little rust patch...