Mark Frauenfelder

Most of the reviewers who marked this book less than 3 stars did so because it was not what they expected. This is NOT a DIY/HOWTO book. It doesn't have detailed plans or discussions on projects. If you are already in the habit of building and fixing things for yourself, then this book is likely not for you.

The audience of this book are people like me. People who have gone through their lives thinking the "fix" is to call a professional or buy a replacement in the store. We lie to ourselves show more by saying "I'd do a terrible job. I should just let a professional handle it". Or "I don't have the time; it's easier to just go buy a replacement". Some of this is true. Most of the time, professionals will do a better job. And buying a replacement is way easier and faster so we can get back to our hectic lives. But by doing this, we are missing out on a great deal.

As Mark discussed his life story, I felt like we went down very similar paths. Granted, I didn't end up wealthy because of a few websites and blogs, but other than that we shared some common themes. His dad was an electrical engineer. Mine was a carpenter (both working in a physical world). Mark because a writer/blogger who sepnt most of his time plugged in and in front of a screen. I'm in IT, so I do much of the same. He had a few failed DIY projects early on that discouraged him from fixing things around the house. So did I. And I know I'm not alone here. Many people are in the same state of mind. We've lost touch with the things we interact with on a daily basis because someone else is there to take care of it faster for us.

About a year ago, I had enough. I decided it was time for me to start fixing things around the house as a way to give back to my family - and I haven't stopped since. I love it. As Mark preaches in his book - fixing and making things is hugely satisfying. He tells us that one of the things that keeps us fron trying is our fear of failing - of not doing it perfect. And he's right. I installed a dish washer a month ago by myself. It took me 6 hours, but I learned so much in that time that I now know more about the power in our house, the plumbing in the house and how to take care of issues with the dishwasher if anything ever happens. Plus I saved us a $125 install fee. So, now, rather than having to wait for a repairman to come and deal with it, I can fix it myself. This is what the book is about.

Mark talks about raising chickens, planting a garden, raising bees, and a few other projects he has tackled. We can't all do things like this, but we can all find something to do that supports or sustains us a little more. We all have room for a planter for herbs. We all have furniture that needs assembled - even the Ikea stuff.

I hope people that read this book are encouraged to try and interact with the worls around them more and make new things. Or fix the things they already have rather than chucking them in the trash and perpetuating the cycle show less

Made By Hand is one man's exploration into the world of DIY. I found it somewhat inspiring in that I've had the idea of doing a lot of similar projects and haven't gotten around to them yet, and Frauenfelder made them seem more easy and accessible than I thought.

Frauenfelder details several projects that he took on, including growing a garden, raising chickens and bees, making instruments and re-programming his espresso maker. I feel that a lot of people would benefit by exploring their show more ability to make and do with things that we already have instead of buying new things, and that is really what this book encourages.

That said, I found this book to be slightly masturbatory in nature. I'm never a big fan of reading about how cool people think they are because they did something new, and that's really how this book came across to me. I've read a lot of DIY books (Toolbox for Sustainable City Living and The Urban Homestead) where you can get a sense of the author's pride without getting caught up in it.

Also, does Frauenfelder honestly not know a single female DIYer? The only people he interviews or talks about in his book are male. Women show up in two contexts: wives and daughters. He wonders why his daughter gets frustrated with science while perpetuating the myth that only men do cool things in his book. What gives?

I also found that the DIYers he talks about in his book mostly come from positions of privilege: went to a great school, got lucky in the dot com boom, work from home and have plenty of time to stay at home with their kids, etc. I don't think this book would resonate with the average American. show less

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, show more 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. show less

This was a fun book to read about people who are trying the DIY way of life. He really honors the mistakes that are bound to happen and realizes that that is part of the joy of DIY. Reminds me of a story as a young DIYer the first time I changed up a sewing pattern because I liked the style of one shirt and then the sleeve style of another. I just lined the little notches up and it looked like it would work, so I told my mom I was going to do it that way. She about had a cow. The shirt show more turned out great! I think Mark should talk to a few OT's and I bet he'd be amazed at our ingenuity. Fun book. show less