Can I Do It Myself?
Book Details
Author(s)Jeffrey Turcotte
ISBN / ASINB01G9DEXYK
ISBN-13978B01G9DEXY2
MarketplaceUnited Kingdom 🇬🇧
Description
Due to the high cost of labor in the US and fewer good jobs, more people are considering doing for themselves tasks that they would otherwise hire others to do. There are a few things to consider before making such a decision for any particular task. This book will lead you though the following questions:
• Is the task worth doing at all?
• Do I have enough natural ability to do it well or perhaps make it a hobby?
• How steep is the learning curve and is it worth the cost of my labor?
• Is it worth the investment in other resources?
These are common sense considerations but may not be obvious in all cases. For example, if you have normal dexterity, you can probably follow youtube instructions to complete a task. However, many instructions you find on youtube do not go as easily as they may seem. When a project goes awry, natural ability comes into play, if the project can be salvaged at all. A systematic approach to each case is always advised to help save money and avoid frustration. The order in which these questions are answered may be different for different tasks, but the easier questions should be answered first to minimize the time it takes to make your decisions. This book is intended to help you make such decisions by first providing brief tests of your natural abilities in several common areas and then leading you through the other questions and perhaps a few others before launching a project or hobby. It is not my intent to provide how-to-do information for many projects, as that kind of information is readily available in the library or on the internet. My intent is rather to help you decide what projects make sense for you to do yourself. Because I have spent a lifetime of doing many things myself, I do provide a lot of helpful information in several areas; but I only do this because I have this information and know how to communicate it efficiently in one book. Here are the specific areas I will address: Carpentry/home construction & woodworking; home electrical; home HVAC; home plumbing; personal income tax returns; appliance repair; electronics repair; auto repair—mechanical; auto repair—electrical; and auto body repair.
• Is the task worth doing at all?
• Do I have enough natural ability to do it well or perhaps make it a hobby?
• How steep is the learning curve and is it worth the cost of my labor?
• Is it worth the investment in other resources?
These are common sense considerations but may not be obvious in all cases. For example, if you have normal dexterity, you can probably follow youtube instructions to complete a task. However, many instructions you find on youtube do not go as easily as they may seem. When a project goes awry, natural ability comes into play, if the project can be salvaged at all. A systematic approach to each case is always advised to help save money and avoid frustration. The order in which these questions are answered may be different for different tasks, but the easier questions should be answered first to minimize the time it takes to make your decisions. This book is intended to help you make such decisions by first providing brief tests of your natural abilities in several common areas and then leading you through the other questions and perhaps a few others before launching a project or hobby. It is not my intent to provide how-to-do information for many projects, as that kind of information is readily available in the library or on the internet. My intent is rather to help you decide what projects make sense for you to do yourself. Because I have spent a lifetime of doing many things myself, I do provide a lot of helpful information in several areas; but I only do this because I have this information and know how to communicate it efficiently in one book. Here are the specific areas I will address: Carpentry/home construction & woodworking; home electrical; home HVAC; home plumbing; personal income tax returns; appliance repair; electronics repair; auto repair—mechanical; auto repair—electrical; and auto body repair.
