Make Magazine is one of the best magazines out there for this day and age.

Have you ever looked at the back of your tech gadgets and saw a sticker that says "No user serviceable parts"? Well, in actuality, this is simply not true, as, if you know what you're doing, and don't mind voiding your warranty, all that sticker really is is just another thing between you and the screws that will pop that thing apart.

Make magazine is filled to the brim with all sorts of DIY projects and lifehacks, showing that you don't need to go see a genius or a geek every time your iThing breaks. You just need a soldering iron, some solder, and a good idea about what you're doing.

We used to live in a day when Dad would have his workshop in the garage or basement, and in that, he'd build a radio, or rewire some lamps, or fix that roller skate. What happened? Now, when things break, Dad (or, since he's out 24/7 on business trips, more generally, Mom) takes us to Big Box USA to get a new mass-produced one.

And our landfills keep a-fillin'.

Make helps us reduce e-waste by showing us new and exciting ways to use it. In this issue are not only instructions on turning that diesel car into a grease-eating machine, but also how to make your own biodiesel! In fact, one of the main sets of articles in this book deal with cool car mods, including setting up your car as remote access point or wireless hotspot.

The other articles deal with such wonderful ideas, like turning that old VCR into an automatic cat feeder, or building a spud gun that lights up the night (and is powered by a stun gun!). Likewise, there are some Halloween hacks to make your haunted mansion come alive with ghosts and goblins (or the electronic sort).

Every issue of Make just makes me want to go out to the junkyards and scavenge together the right materials for each project, or even become inspired to start a project on my own. Now, if only I had paid more attention during that microcontrollers class!

You'll love Make if you love the books published by O'Reilly Media, or just want to add points to the Reuse column of the Three R's.

Remember: If you can't open it, you don't own it. ( )