Fans of Martha Stewart’s books have grown accustomed to her beautifully photographed, logically laid-out, and unfailingly reliable guides to cooking, baking, event planning, and crafting. Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook is no exception. Including tasteful photographs and clear, sensible step-by-step instructions to answer just about any home-related “how do I…” question, the book is stunning to look at and easy to use.
Clear, Functional Layout
The book is organized into eight chapters, beginning with an introduction that includes a discussion of effective, and in many cases, environmentally friendly cleaning products. Chapter 2 examines the home room by room, and for the domestically-challenged, even includes daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal checklists for each room. Chapter 3 broadens outward to advice for the rest of the house, including how-to sections about routine cleaning and periodic maintenance. General household systems, such as air, electrical, heating and cooling, and security are the focus of Chapter 4. Chapter 5 is a detailed advice guide to moving, while chapters 6 and 7 are reference chapters covering materials and further reading.
The abundance of information found in each chapter is helpfully summarized in charts and checklists, and is complemented by elegant graphics and photographs. Everything anyone ever needed to know about homekeeping is in this book. Some highlights include:
- How to perform routine cleaning and maintenance of appliances
- How to clear clogged drains
- How to properly launder clothing and linens
- How to fix bathroom and kitchen faucets
- How to install and maintain smoke detectors
- How to clean lampshades
- How to organize everything from photographs to closets to holiday decorations
Its clear and well-defined organization keep the book from becoming overwhelming, though: it’s clearly laid out chapters are complemented by a thorough index, making information easy to find.
A Reliable and Useful How-to Manual for Everyone
Filled with the tested and trusted advice and instruction that students of Martha Stewart have come to expect, this instalment in the Martha Stewart library of domestic primers is intended to be “useful and practical and clearly presented, covering a very broad number of topics.” Indeed, the book is successful on all counts, and this reference guide will prove to be indispensable to “all mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, who have a room, an apartment or a home to care for.” For students heading off to their dorms and apartments in a few short weeks, this book would make an especially practical gift.
- Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home, Clarkson Potter, Hardcover, 744 pages, Suggested Retail Price: $45 US / $55 CAN
Carrie Prefontaine - Carrie (Runstedler) Prefontaine completed her Ph.D. in English Literature in 2006. Her dissertation examined the works of the British ...
