In Celebration of Small Things — Sharon Cadwallader

A toolbox full of expertise -- how to: unclog drains; repair pipes and wiring; build beds, shelves, coffee tables; paint; can; sew -- that even the four thumbed will be able to get a handle on. Cadwallader, who a couple of years ago wrote the delectable Whole Earth Cook Book is a natural lifer, but refreshingly free from posturing (she considers cloth napkins a necessary luxury), and she's remarkably adept at handling those day-to-day aggravations most of us call in the plumber/electrician/carpenter to fix. In or out of the home she has suggestions for virtually everything, from how to shop defensively at the supermarket to setting up community cooperatives (theater, gardening, auto repairing, etc.). A well-organized and imaginative sourcebook.