The early 1950s saw a fundamental change

in the way America lives. During that time

period, families were buying homes at a

rate never equalled before or since.

Budgets often were tight and skilled help

hard to find, so many an accountant,

barber, or salesman found himself serving

as a weekend handyman as well.

To help unhandy men become handy, the

editors of Better Homes and Gardens

introduced a Iooseleaf, thumb-indexed

guide to hundreds of around-the-house

repair and improvement jobs--the

Handyman s Book, first published in 1951.

In the decades since then, more than

31/2 million people have looked to and

received assistance from this

homeowner s classic.

Subsequent revisions kept the original

Handyman s Book current for the families

of the 60s and 70s. But as the 80s

approached, Better Homes and Gardens

editors began to see changes not only in

America s homes, but also in their owners.

For instance, the recent increase in

single-parent households means th~

all would-be handymen are necessa

men. Materials have come a long wa

since the days of linoleum floors anq

galvanized steel plumbing systems.

energy, which once was cheap and

plentiful, now must be carefully cons

To meet the needs of today s new

generation of homes and homeowne

the editors decided it was time to re~

the Handyman s Book with an all-new

version--a monumental task that re(

more than four years of painstaking

planning, researching, illustrating, wJ

editing, and checking.

The result of their efforts is before

now. With more than 2,700 illustratiol

and nearly 600 different topics, it deh

into just about every single one of yo

home s myriad components telling

each works, how you can maintain ar

repair it, and ways you can make it Io

function better.

Better Homes and Gardens new Con

Guide to Home Repair, Maintenance, aA