The Words and Wisdom of the Appliance Doctor

Every household should have a book like this, maybe in the kitchen - but maybe not THIS book! This slim paperback is essentially avuncular advice on some routine home maintenance, mostly but not entirely appliance-oriented, plus some basic troubleshooting tips. Some of it IS common sense - but common sense is not all that common! Note that this is NOT a DIY repair book like "The Readers Digest Complete Do It Yourself Manual" - although it would make a great adjunct to that book. There's a potentially useful list of 800 numbers for major appliance manufacturers at the end, and some references to DIY advice sites within, but it's all kind of scattershot. There's some good advice in here, but it would be better as a volume in a set of home maintenance books. Most of the advice of Joe Gagnon, "the Appliance Doctor," is not about how to do without repairmen, but how to evaluate them - how to make wise choices about appliances and maintenance, and avoid getting scammed. Apparently that scares the heck out of "experienced repairmen," which is a sign of how important this book is!!! However although the info is useful, and worth much more than the price of the book, there is a LOT more that could be said about easy, safe repairs that a homeowner can make without calling in a putative "pro" at $50+ an hour. All in all this book is a LOT better than nothing, but there's a LOT more that could be said!

I found the tips and helpful hints to be very useful. It is written in a way that even "regular" people can save money and save time. I am thankful for this information and am recommending it to all my friends.

This book is for the person that simply wants to understand the basic common sense of household appliances. In reading the book I felt as though my father was sitting next to me advising me as to what to do next. The recipe for cleaning the dishwasher and the insights about keeping the fridge running are worth the price of the book (and there's a whole lot more besides that in the book)! If you are like me and not too knowledgable about home appliances then I highly recommend this book. It will be one that will be open often.

I cannot believe the other negative reviews. This book was written for people like me. I didn't have a whole lot of knowledge of how things worked around the house growing up and this book is like having my father next to me advising me on what to do next. There is a lot of common sense things in this book that will assist the common person in the house about how to fix the little things that can cost so much. I needed it. If you are a do-it-youself person and already have a lot of knowledge concerning household products then this may not be the one for you. If you want to know more about how your appliances work in your house and also learn to discover a rip-off when you see one - then this book is for you. It is a must for every household. The procedure for cleaning the dishwasher is worth the price of the book!! EXCELLENT STUFF!!! HIGH RECOMMENDATION!!!!