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Sheetrock & Shellac: Remodeling errors and triumphs

Justin Fink reviews David Owen's latest book

By Justin Fink Issue 190

Sheetrock & Shellac
• by David Owen; Simon & Schuster; 2007
• $16 Paperback; 320 pp.

One part how-to and two parts why-to, Sheetrock & Shellac: A Thinking Person’s Guide to the Art and Science of Home Improvement chronicles the adventures of David Owen as he suffers the seemingly incurable remodeling bug. Step by step, Owen unabashedly takes readers through each of his errors and triumphs, offering up hard-won lessons from both. With careful respect for his readers, he writes in a way that inexperienced homeowners can relate to, yet he keeps remodeling professionals engaged with his wit and well-paced detours into the history and descriptions of how window glass is made, how concrete was invented, and why toilets sometimes don’t flush. Whether you’re working on your own home or on everybody else’s, Sheetrock & Shellac is an enjoyable read that is sure to teach even the oldest veteran something new.

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Sheetrock & Shellac: Remodeling errors and triumphs

Justin Fink reviews David Owen's latest book

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