I bought the book primarily because I wanted a source I could use to help teach my 14 year old son about automotive repair - he just bought his first car (with my approval, of course). The author did a good job of explaining basic automotive repair & I did find much of the book to be useful in helping me explain many things to my son. I too learned a couple of things from the book, having spent several years maintaining various vehicles. A few of the illustrations are poor, but most are either adequate or good.
The author does an especially good job of convincing the reader that simple automobile maintenance is doable if you know what to do (following her detailed instructions), use common sense & have the right tools. I wish more people were "car maintenance savvy" and the author's attitude strongly reiterates this theme. I also firmly believe in doing your own repairs - it's convienient, money and time saving, satisfying and you have peace of mind knowing the job is done right - the author does a good job of emphasizing these points.
I disagree slightly with the author in regard to repairing older cars. True, most older cars needing an engine rebuild should be terminated, however, I've found many older cars ARE worth rebuilding and can provide reliable and very inexpensive means of transportation. As rebuilding engines is totally beyond the scope of this book, and in most cases the author is correct, this is a very minor point. Overall, I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone who either wants to know the basics of automotive repair - either for the do it yourselfer's, or for anyone who wants to become more knowledgeable about maintaining your expensive investment & understanding your mechanics recommendations and expectations.
If you have any intentions of working on your car, I'd recommend getting a manual specific to your car make & model to accompany this book (like a Haynes manual, or similar).
