Rodale's Book of Hints, Tips & Everyday Wisdom

by Carol Hupping

Gathers practical information about cooking, cleaning, home maintenance, energy conservation, banking, investments, gardening, car maintenance, fitness, and health care

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Health, Gardening

388 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1985

Reviews

[Nicole Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a strange tome. It's like someone just left a notebook out in the breakroom in 1985, when only 11% of car passengers wore seatbelts and color TVs used almost twice the electricity as B&W sets, and let all their coworkers of all ages from different departments make little entries about things they've learned over the years.

This was a disjointed, odd, fun read that I think would be fun to have next to the toilet. Anyway here are my favorite tips from within, either since they're clever or because they're wacky:

Get a pet gecko to address roaches in your home.

Remove water spots from wood by mixing cigarette ashes with margarine and rubbing the paste on the spots in a circular motion.

Using hot rocks to dry boots.

Cleaning battery terminals *(small) with pencil erasers

Use a compass to locate studs, noting when the needle jumps

Foil the attic to reduce the heat that comes in during summer

Dryer lint as firestarter

Goose guardians!! Have been used in Scotland to guard aging whiskey and have been employed by American troops as an alarm system.

Crushing fresh basil leaves repels flies -- brilliant

Vitamin C increases heat tolerance by increasing blood volume?

planting evergreens on south and west sides of yard for windbreak

baking soda for new bee stings

crushing fresh basil leaves repels flies

wild plantain leaves for bug bites

keep baby oil in garage to clean oils from hands

can use double jumper cables to get twice the current

Li Shou "swinging hands" doing arm circles can ease headache (Chinese technique)

sucking on a whole clove = cough relief

When "cartoning" your cat to restrain or move him, put the weaker side of the box under him, since cats try to escape upward.

Put a little vinegar in cat's water to help with urinary problems.

Vinegar rather than tomato to combat skunk on a dog

a dime and baking soda as dental aids for dogs.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good tips, tricks and wisdom from cooking to car repair. Some I will never use, but I will try a few to see what happens.

[Norla Chee · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you don't have a garden or a farm I wouldn't bother. Some excellent tips for gardening pests. Hoping the one for apple tree blight works. Other good tips if you're really a do-it-yourselfer, but the automotive section is lacking. I think most people these days prefer convenience, even if they have to pay for it.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that everyone should have on the bookshelf. Instead of calling Mom, you can look up the answer on how to clean something. Also lots of information on investing, insurance, wills, etc.

[Heather Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a dry read but lots of good tips in here and a few strange ones :) I like books that give tid bits of information like this, you always find something useful you didn't know before in them.