(Click here for a Web-exclusive list of upcoming Home Improvement titles)

My 23-year-old copy of the Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual can stand on a bookshelf by itself: it got wet shortly after I bought it and swelled like an accordion. I had been consulting the plumbing section while attempting to repair a leaking faucet, and when I let go of the broken valve to turn a page, the book shipped a lot of water. If I had consulted the book sooner, I might have thought to shut off the water supply before fiddling with the fixture. The book was gravely harmed, but I can still turn most of the pages, and I consult the undamaged chapters from time to time.

I learned how to use a router by attending a woodworking class, how to make coped joints by watching a carpenter install cornice molding in my living room, and how to make sweat joints in copper tubing by swapping an old wood-burning furnace for some lessons with a plumber. Much of what I know about home improvement, though, I've learned by reading. When my wife and I moved from an apartment in New York City to a 200-year-old house in the country, one of the first things I did was order the entire Time-Life series on home improvement. I had to explain to the telephone salesperson that I didn't want to receive one new volume every month: I wanted to receive the whole thing right now, before things got out of hand. A few years later, Time-Life published an updated series, and I bought that in its entirety, too.

My home-improvement library has grown steadily since then. I own books on plumbing, wiring, framing, roofing, flooring and cabinetmaking, and I own a number of first-person accounts of home-improvement misadventures. I love reading about people who hire someone to repair their doorbell and end up with water in their attic and a bill for $400,000. There's nothing like the misfortune of others to make one feel cheerful and optimistic. Home-improvement memoirs are like accounts of expeditions across Antarctica or to the source of the Nile: plenty of thrills and narrow escapes, culminating in a soul-satisfying disaster.

Solving problems by reading about them doesn't come naturally to most do-it-yourselfers, who are predominantly male and, therefore, genetically predisposed to ignore all instructions. Shortly after my wife and I moved from the city, a neighbor helped me cut down some dead red pine trees in front of my house. When we got to the biggest tree, we attacked the trunk from the wrong side, and the blade of the saw became irretrievably stuck. If cutting down trees came with an instruction booklet, this is the moment when we would have opened it for the first time.

The male aversion to written instructions isn't limited to amateurs. I once watched three contractors installing some retractable attic stairs in the house of a friend. About an hour and a half into the job, they realized that something had gone horribly wrong, so they put down their tools and went out to the driveway to see if they could find the instructions in the Dumpster.

Books can be powerful educational tools even if they don't tell you exactly what to do. When I was in college, I owned a two-seater sports car whose headlights would suddenly stop working at inopportune moments. The problem defeated my mechanic, who attempted numerous complex, ineffective solutions. Finally, inspired by a book I'd been reading—Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig—I lay down on the floor of the car, gazed up at the underside of the dashboard and tried to become one with my machine. After a few minutes, I noticed that the male end of one cable on the underside of the steering column was not tightly seated in the female end of another cable. I pinched them together tightly, and the headlights never failed again.

David Owen is a staff writer for the New Yorker and the author of a dozen books, including The Walls Around Us (1992) and Sheetrock & Shellac (2006). He lives with his family in a 200-year-old house in Washington, Conn.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know...

Books in the home decorating/home improvement category fall into two groups: titles that zoom in on specific projects—transforming that outmoded home office, repairing your backyard grill—and the Big Books, the broad-based tomes that promise a "one-stop shopping" approach. One notable example of the latter is DK's Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement (Nov.), billed as "a category-killing" work that tackles some 400 projects and boasts more than 3,500 color photos. According to DK editor Anja Schmidt, "When we set out to make this the most comprehensive book in—literally—the world (we already have four editions printed or in the making), we never would have guessed that it would take five years, four editors, three photographers, 12 consultants and at least two printers—not to mention the [country] differences of drywall vs. plaster and garage space!" In this 512-page work (complete with a 20-page index), authors Julian Cassell, Peter Parham and Theresa Coleman cover everything from quick-fix repairs to major construction, illustrated with DK's typical photographic flair.

House all improved? Now get the latest looks in decorating from the ultratrendy Interior Design Details: 1,000 New Ideas for the Home by Nonie Niesewand, former design editor of British Vogue and author of The Complete Interior Designer and Contemporary Details, which has sold more than 70,000 copies worldwide and is available in five languages. Interior Design Details, a profusely illustrated CollinsDesign November release, contains a directory of some 800 suppliers and features sleek interiors that showcase the work of such noted designers as Frank Gehry, Philippe Starck and Daniel Libeskind. As editor Marta Schooler puts it, "This is a sourcebook with a cool factor. How cool? Think see-through cement, waterless dishwashers, self-cleaning glass, magnetic wallpaper and flooring made of recycled children's rubber boots."

For those wanting beauty without the oh-so-chic, Creative Homeowner offers Design Ideas for Home Decorating by Heidi King, out this month as part of the publisher's Design Ideas series. Senior editor Kathie Robitz describes this title as "picture-driven" (more than 500 photos): "a lot of the information we could provide in words, but the decorating process is really better illustrated. Who wants to read a lot of theories about color, for example? Let's see the colors and how they look in a room or relate to one another." Given King's many creative ideas, this title, says Robitz, is "for taking along when you're shopping."

Scanning the Numbers
The following titles are the top 10 sellers in Nielsen BookScan's House and Home category for the week ending September 24 (sales figures are rounded up).

Number Title and Author Publisher Sales YTD Why It's Working
1 The One Minute Organizer Plain and Simple by Donna Smallin Storey Publishing, Sept. 2004 19,000 "People are busy. People have more and more stuff. They're looking for expert advice on how to reconcile the two."—Dan Reynolds, COO, Storey Publishing, noting that Smallin's title has sold 220,561 copies.
2 Better Homes and Gardens Big Book of Home How-to by Better Homes and Gardens editors Meredith, Jan. 2006 11,000 "The owner's manual that you didn't get when you bought a home, this 928-page cornerstone reference includes just about every home improvement project a homeowner might want to tackle."—Benjamin Allen, executive editor
3 Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston Broadway Books, Jan. 1999 11,000 "The book's success is largely due to timing; it came out when interest in feng shui was peaking and, while many books have been done since, ours enjoyed the advantage of being first."—David Drake, executive publicity director
4 Tuscan and Andalusian Reflections by Bassenian/Lagoni Architects Bassenian/Lagoni Architects, Jan. 2005 11,000 "With its stunning photography and easy-to-follow floor planning, the book incorporates the essence and ambiance of Old World architecture into beautiful, up-to-date houses."—editor-in-chief Rickard Bailey
5 Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual by Family Handyman magazine editors Reader's Digest, Feb. 2005 9,000 "The magic of Reader's Digest has always been our ability to refine complex information so it is easy to understand. Our DIY Manual is an exceptional example of this."—Harold Clarke, president and publisher, RD Trade Publishing
6 Home Improvement 1-2-3: Expert Advice from the Home Depot by the Home Depot Meredith/Home Depot, Mar. 2003 8,000 "With materials, tools and easy instructions for every common home improvement project, this book gives homeowners what they need to know in a step-by-step format that ensures success."—Benjamin Allen, executive editor
7 Building Green: A Complete How-to Guide to Alternative Building Methods by Clarke Snell and Tim Callahan Sterling/Lark, Dec. 2005 6,000 "This is the best tool for understanding 'green building.' The authors built a small building in order to write the book, with each wall made of the techniques described within—from straw bale to cordwood."—Lark publisher Carol Taylor
8 Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating Book Meredith, Aug. 2003 6,000 "A rare example of combining reader service with inspiring content, the New Decorating Book showcases a variety of styles, every room in the house, buying information and beautiful photography."—Benjamin Allen, executive editor
9 It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living by Crissy Trask Gibbs Smith, Jan. 2006 4,000 "The book reaches a much larger demographic than the hard-core green market. Its lifestyle tips allow everyone to improve the environment and save time and energy in our homes and communities."—publicist Shanna Knowlton
10 Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health... by Ellen Sandbeck Scribner, May 2006 4,000 "It's easy, quick and costs about one-fifth what chemicals from the store cost. With simple products such as vinegar and baking soda, you can clean most areas of the home for pennies."—editor Beth Wareham


Style from the South
Angèle Parlange isn't letting Katrina's aftermath dampen her spirits. In fact, she's paying tribute to the regenerative force of her birthplace—and to her lineage—in Creole Thrift: Premium Southern Living Without Spending a Mint, out next month from Regan Books. Born in New Orleans and raised on an 18th-century Louisiana plantation (a National Registered Historic Landmark, above), Parlange established her reputation as the designer du jour with her Calling Card fabric line back in the '90s. Now she turns her passion for fabrics, clothing, home accessories and furniture into a sumptuous, highly personal work that beggars its "decorating book" designation—it's part memoir, part home décor how-to, part travelogue, part social history and more. "Fantasizing about the ancestors from my past," explains Parlange, "inspired me to create and market my own line of eveningwear, decorative fabrics and home accessories." She adds, however, that "you don't have to grow up on a plantation... to find inspiration for your home in unexpected places. The thing we all have in common is heritage." Like bougainvillea in bloom, heritage fairly drips from these pages, whether in recipes (My Brother Brandon's Milk Punch), instructions for making place cards ("a bit like playing paper dolls but without a change of clothes") or DIY (Delegate It Yourself). And the book's thrift component? Parlange learned that concept, she says, from her New Orleans-born, French Creole grandmother: "Being thrifty begets some of the most inspiring creations."

—Dick Donahue
DIY: Women Take Over
When did women stop making doilies and start grouting tile? The change certainly got a boost in 1997, when Storey Publishing brought out The Woman's Hands-on Repair Guide by Lyn Herrick. (Evidently the genre was new enough that the subtitle needed to spell things out: Written by a Woman for Women.) And it took off. Says Storey president Pam Art, "We've reprinted the book 14 times and the sales remain steady year in and year out, so the market is certainly receptive. We've even done printings of a special edition for a company that distributes tools sized and designed for women only."

More success stories followed. In 2002, Collins published Dare to Repair: A Do-It-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home by Julie Sussman and Stephanie Glakas-Tenet; after 29 trips to press, the book has 350,000 copies in print.

Then on May 14, 2003, things began to heat up: that night the Home Depot launched the Do-It-Herself Workshops in its 1,500 stores nationwide. According to a RoperASW survey conducted at that time, nearly three-quarters of American women ages 25 to 49 expressed more confidence in their ability to do home improvement projects than five years earlier. Latest figures put the Do-It-Herself enrollment number at more than 250,000.

HGTV and other cable channels have upped the ante in this niche. In March of this year, Penguin published Chix Can Fix: 100 Home-Improvement Projects and True Tales from the Diva of Do-It-Yourself by Norma Vally, aka the Discovery Channel's Tool-Belt Diva. (That show, now in its second season, has just spawned a radio version on the Sirius satellite network.) Chix has some 35,000 copies in print.

It comes as no surprise, then, that more of these titles are on the way.

The enticing subtitle of Joanne Liebeler's Do It Herself(Sunset Books, Feb. ), Everything You Need to Know to Fix, Maintain and Improve Your Home, should speak loud and clear to single women—who, says publisher Sunset Books, "now comprise the second largest group of home buyers, just after married couples." Though this is Liebeler's first book, audiences may recognize her from a five-year stint cohosting PBS-TV's Hometime, along with hosting duties on the Travel Channel's Passport for Design, the Learning Channel's Home Savvy and HGTV's Room for Change. With a 75,000-copy first printing and a matching ad/promo budget, Sunset's whipping up a major marketing campaign; look for ads in category magazines like Home Improvement & Remodeling as well as in People, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Money and more.

L.A. real estate attorneys Laura Meyer and Robyn Roth are urging intrepid females to Remodel This! A Woman's Guide to Planning and Surviving the Madness of a Home Renovation(Perigee Hardcover, Mar.). Apparently not content with just a book, the pair started Remodel This, a remodeling consultation firm. "As we were writing the book," explains Roth, "we realized there was a need for services that fell outside the scope of a traditional real estate law practice. We are part real estate professionals, part mediators, part therapists." Indeed, browsing their book's table of contents may provide a kind of therapy, as several chapter headings aren't above a little innuendo: "Are There Sparks?" refers to your home's electrical system; "Going All the Way" discusses the size and scope of your renovation; and "Does Size Matter?" considers the benefits of large vs. small contracting firms.

Not into contracting firms? Check out The Tuff Chix Guide to Easy Home Improvement: Great Tips, from Fixing Faucets to Laying Tile, a December release from Plume. Author Paige Hemmis, currently a regular on ABC ratings champ Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, promises to avoid, says the publisher, "the dull, dry tone of typical instruction manuals." Given Hemmis's lively background, we bet they're right—the lady was formerly an emergency medical technician, a race car driver and a wedding planner. Plume editor Emily Haynes quickly discovered the book's practical aspects: "With my tiny Brooklyn apartment, I thought that Paige's advice would only be for homeowners with big-home problems, but I was surprised to find out how many of her tips applied to my life. Now when the pilot light goes out or my sink clogs, I don't have to call my super."

Not content with mere home improvement, Heidi Baker and Eden Clark offer The Be-Jane's Guide to Home Empowerment, which features 80 home improvement and design projects and is targeted to "female DIYers of all skill levels and ages." (In the spirit of DIY efficiency, the book doubles as a straight-edge.) The December Clarkson Potter title grew out of Baker and Clark's Web site (www.bejane.com), established in 2003 as the first online women's home improvement resource and Web community—a place "where friends share ideas, inspiration and information on home improvement." In addition to bejane.com, this entrepreneurial duo have just inked a deal with MSN—a Be Jane micro site containing articles, animated tutorials, a Be Jane blog on MSN Spaces as well as an online Be Jane TV show in which they follow a "Jane in Training" as she changes her home and her life.

—Dick Donahue