The Useful Book

Home Ec and Shop features 138 practical projects and how-tos, with step-by-step instructions and illustrations, relevant charts, sidebars, lists, and handy toolboxes. There's a kitchen crash course, including the must-haves for a well-stocked pantry; how to boil an egg (and peel it frustration-free); how to grill, steam, saute, and roast vegetables; and foolproof recipes: Perfect Meatloaf, No-Knead Bread, the Best Chicken Soup. There's Sewing 101, plus how to fold a fitted sheet, tie a tie, mop a floor, make a bed, and set the table for a formal dinner. Next up: a 21st-century shop class. The tools that everyone should have, and dozens of cool projects that teach fundamental techniques. Practice measuring, cutting, and nailing while building a birdhouse. Make a bookshelf or a riveted metal picture frame. Plus: do-it-yourself plumbing, how to rewire a lamp, car repair basics, and home maintenance from priming and painting to refinishing wood floors.