Introduction<br > example， the chapter on electrical repairs tells there are many others that are constantly chang-<br > you all the practical basics of electricity and wir- ing. New and improved tools and matelSals are<br > ing. There are no paragraphs of complicated the- continually being introduced， as well as products<br > ory or detailed data that would be of little if any to do a better job， or techniques that will make a<br > use to you when all you want to do is fix a broken job quicker and easier to complete. Updating of<br > lamp. In the same way， the chapter on concrete such information is always needed in the col-<br > and masonry tells you everything you need to umns， magazine articles， and books that I write.<br > know about ，the repairs you are likely to tackle And this is why some books that were long con-<br > yourself; it doesn t attempt to provide a detailed sidered "old standbys" are no longer valid as<br > description of how to pour your own concrete current guides.<br > foundation when building a new house or addi- Times have also changed in other ways. For<br > tion. That would be a once-in-a-lifetime project example， nowadays it is not just homeowners<br > that few homeowners would tackle themselves， who are interested in how-to information about<br > For neophytes， there are no technical terms in repairs and maintenance---many of today s<br > this book that cannot be understood， or that apartment-dwellers are just as eager for this kind<br > aren t immediately explained. This eliminates of guidance. Why? Because not too many years<br > the need for a separate glossary， customary for ago all apartment dwellers were tenants who<br > books in this field yet inevitably an inconven- rented their living quarters; when something<br > ience requiring continual cross-reference. Also， needed fixing they called the superintendent or<br > the instructions for each job leave no gaps where building maintenance man in to take care of the<br > it is assumed you already have some experience: problem. But these days an increasingly large<br > Everything is fully and simply explained， or you percentage of apartment dwellers own their own<br > are referred to another part of the book where apartments， or they own a share of the building<br > the information you need can be found， they live in， so repairs are no longer free for the<br > Those who are more experienced will still find asking. Even for those who do rent， getting the<br > a tremendous amount of valuable information， building superintendent or building maintenance<br > including unusual problems that even a veteran man to come in to take care of a minor break-<br > home handyman is not likely to have faced. And down is becoming exceedingly difficult; in many<br > there are many shortcuts， time-savers， and other buildings if tenants want something fixed they<br > "tricks of the trade" that will save even the most will have to do it themselves， or else hire an out-<br > experienced do-it-yourselfers time or money-- sider to get the job done.<br > sometimes both. Dozens of these are presented Unfortunately， local handymen who are will-<br > in the form of separate "sidebar" features--- ing to come in and do small jobs for a modest<br > widely or generally applicable information that hourly wage are a vanishing breed rarely found<br > handily enables you to perform a common kind in most communities. Traditional "specialists，"<br > of repair or maintenance procedure， on the other hand (plumbers， electricians， etc.)，<br > Some things in the home service field have re- often don t want to be bothered with small<br > mained basically the same for many years， but apartment jobs. As a result， apartment dwellers<br >