First, I will admit that I have not even opened a page in this book. But I will tell you that the title is enough to put me off. I saw this book in a hardware store just today and, being a home inspector, I see the results of people trying to do what is espoused in the title of this book. You can see the cover below. Now this might be the greatest how-to-do-it book ever, but the title appeals to the lazy in people and represents a problem that I am seeing over and over again in the real world -- People, sellers for example, are doing lousy repairs by themselves with no regard for the quality of the work nor the durability of the repair. Their goal is to, per title, "slash time, save money" and in so doing they throw caution to the wind. I hope that the repair methods taught in the book are not like that but, regardless, I wish that the author or publisher had picked a title that did not lend itself to justifying cheap repairs instead of having the work done right. The title appeals to the sloth in people. Thanks for stopping by, Steven L. Smith
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Wow, the author even has "How To Cheat" trademarked. How negative can this guy get?
Steve- I have friends who say that anything that makes people lazier will make a million bucks. If you can invent or publish something that will help people be lazier than they already are, you're golden! If only he put this out as an audio book, he could sell even more copies... Yikes. As a Realtor, I have seen some pretty interesting "do it yourself" bedrooms in basements. I'll bet you could tell about 100 of that type of story!
I can certainly see why you were upset. I would be too.
Steven - Don't know if the writer or publisher suggested the title, but it certainly turns of the professionals.
Yes,
Being quick and lack of pride in work is not a trend I admire.
Nutsy has published enough of these books. It is time you stop him.
Kate,
That is plain wrong and mean spirited. If you do not take that back, we are going to have to ask that you mail back to the firm all of those free Wheatloaf CD's that we sent you.
I already used them for kindling last winter.
There is a book on "How To Talk Southern To Get A Discount Everytime". Works for me. (Was a great investment)
On the bright side, this helps to keep our jobs interesting.
I think I sold this guy's house a few times :)!
That's a funny title for a book but it certainly caught all of our attention! Hopefully the "cheats" in the book are not really cheats at all.
Notice how the title attracted attention. It is marketing 101. I'll bet a lot of folks pick it up and read it, if for no other purpose than to use it as an example of what "Not to Do".
I would think home inspectors would take quick advantage of this in their own marketing program.
I see this book as job security. As Reuben said and it will keep the job interesting to boot.
Dirty deeds done dirt cheap? Well, I see it everyday too. Pipe sealing tape for the plumbing challenged, etc.
I guess this is one more example of what our society is turning to. The real workmanship standard gets left behind. Great post!
How often have I seen a kitchen disposal installed wrong ... plumbing AND wiring. There's a limit to DIY.
I would hve to run as fast as I could from the seller who tells me he used this book...disclosure items for us...and far too negative for me.
I am now trying to think of other great books we could put out in this area. How about, How to Fix Everything with Hammer and Duct Tape!
I think I have seen pictures of these types of repairs on the internet. You know the pictures of a pair of vice grips on the steering column acting as a steering wheel! Or the picture of a car with a childs bicycle strapped to the front axle to act as a wheel!
What a terrible title for a book! I hope none of my sellers have used it! Home repair is not something that should involve "cheating".
The whole concept is kind of depressing.
The use of the word "CHEAT" in the title is enough to alarm anyone who is to be on the receiving end fo the repairs.
Steven - Ew.
The title is a definite eyebrow-raiser for sure, and I'll bet it means they'll sell a lot more books because of it.
But geez, this raises all kinds of spectres in terms of shoddy workmanship and lawsuits just waiting to happen.
Ick.
Yes, the title just does not build confidence in repairs.
You may not like the title but it sure gets attention. And you gave it even more publicity with this post. Wonder how it is selling.
Margaret
Steven, He has quite a few books. One is 'How to Cheat at Cleaning' and one is 'How to Cheat at Gardening..' sort of like the "Dummie" books..who wants to be a dummie?
There have always been people out to beat the system, any system. I recall when I first opened my handyman business - people wanted proposals for finishing a basement after some arm waving? One guy wanted a deck by end of the week ... and didn't like my answer that we could do that if he handled the building permit but he didn't want a permit, just wanted to sneak the deck in quickly.
A handyman business spends maybe a quarter of their time repairing builder mistakes, another quarter dealing with home owner projects gone bad ... and then we've got the normal home maintenance and repairs.
This book isn't the only problem. All the home shows on TV are grossly misleading that you (home owner helpers) can transform anything in a few days. You never see the true size of their crews, or realize they're showing less than 5% of what a given project took.
It is all crazy & getting worse as people try to do more themselves
Ugh! The title of this book just gave me indigestion! Then again, there may be some fodder for my "wacky photos" collection!
Tina,
I would say that you well described the depth of the problem.
Steve, since I can only assume you used a pseudonym I am curious as to whether you have sold the movie rights yet---and how about "How to Cheat at Home Repairs--for Dummies." That should go over even bigger.
Also, why do you keep trashing nice Kate for speaking the truth?
I have buyers that won't ask sellers to make any repairs because they fear that the seller will take the cheap way out and do a shoddy job. Can't say that I blame them!
Charlie,
Kate is rude, just like you, and needs set straight a few times a day.
I guess it's the title to sell books. Since no one has read it, it is hard to determine if the author is trying to save homeowners money with legitimate repairs or just trying to bungle something.
Another tip for sellers -- remove this book from your bookshelves before putting your home on the market!
... I'm amazed the the author has the phrase "How to Cheat" trademarked. Geez.
I was intrigued, and had a feeling that the book wouldn't match the hype (My Mother always said "Never judge a book by its cover.").
So, I Googled the book. There is a chunk of the book ecxerpted, and it isn't really the evil text one might assume from reading here.
link
It is part of a series of books, and isn't as much about 'cheating' the way you mean it as it is about using the tips and tricks that people in the industry use to streamline their work...
When I bought rental houses, I had a time negotiating prices with the sellers because they would be so proud of all the updates they had done themselves and they pointed out everyone of them. The problem was that before I could rent, I had to bring in pros to be sure all updates met code and they rarely did. I deducted what my employees told me from the home price and that was my offer. I always explained (if they gave me the chance) my liability if I left that raw light bulb hanging from the ceiling or the overloaded electrical panel. Some took my offer; others showed me the door. Even on my least expensive rentals, I made sure all work was done by licensed professional...no cheating.
Lane #37 - Good catch. I'm sure he's thinking he may have another "For Dummies" name.
Tom
Lane,
Okay, I went in, although my point in writing the post had to do with the title inspiring people in the wrong direction, regardless of content
Content synopsis: The guys "sneaky" and cheating tools include nose oil, that you get from your nostrils, duct tape (which he indicates is a wonderful product) and bungee cords. He also talks about how home owners are quite well protected by building codes, wishful thinking.
Hi Steven,
This would be funny, if it wasn't a serious effort by some moron trying to make a quick buck.
Happy Selling.
Hi Steven -- I'm sure they were going for a catchy title, but it reminded me of an illegal tax cheat or someone trying to bilk someone of something.
I think the owners of the 'flip' house I previewed today used this book exclusively. I too scared to even turn on the kitchen faucet.
I can see how you would be concerned with the title. It certainly doesn't sound promising.
From a funny persepective, it's kind of ironic. From an agent/professional perspective, it is downright scary to HELP people to do these kinds of things. h
Oh yeah...we Rainers would NEVER use a "sneaky" title to get others to read our posts. Of course the goal is to get the slothful impulse buyer at the checkout counter to pick it up and buy it. Once they find out he actually recommends using a professional for hard stuff a true "cheater" will never again pick up this book! Anything for a dime... ;-)
Hopefully the Readers won't be too lazy to put their Attorney on Speed-Dial.
I know when it comes to marketing and selling property, a "cheap fix" is always easy to spot. Buyer's invariably say, "If they can't make a decent repair on this basic item, what else are we going to find that's done half way (or wrong)?" So whether 'cheating' or simply being 'cheap' both cost you in the long run.
It turns out that that's Bredenberg's schtick. Just like the "__________ for Idiots" and "____________ for Dummies," he has a whole series of books on "How to Cheat at ____________" on such topics as cleaning, gardening and yard work, and organizing.
Further, it appears that his first books were just straightforward ones, then "sexed up" with "How to Cheat at _____________" For instance (according to Amazon) "2001 Amazing Cleaning Secrets" was published in 2004. "How to Cheat at Cleaning" was published in 2007. So, it's a marketing ploy. And they actually are rated pretty well by readers. Further, he's a professional writer who's done books for Reader's Digest and Rodale Press.
Now, I agree that "How to Cheat at _____________" is a real-turn-off for me. Still, it's just an attention-grabber.
Just think back a few years. Wonder how the market was for books and advice that could have been better titled "How to Cheat at Getting a Mortgage." Bredenberg did not write that book. But plenty of other folks did. And we're the ones paying the price.
I have to agree with you, Steven. The trademarked title is a turn-off... and a bit offensive.
ouch
nasty little title
reminds me of "The Secret"
the secret is they left the secret out of "The Secret"
i.e. hard work
i hope none of my sellers have this book on their shelf
I guess provocative titles sell books. We've become so desensitized to idiots and dummies they have to keep pushing the envelope.
Unfortunately for some sellers, the use of self help books in making repairs ends up costing them more in the long run when the buyer's inspector finds that the work they did has become a safety issue. They could have to hire a professional to redo the job, reduce the price so the buyer can repair it, or lost the sale all together.
With that title, I bet he sells quite a few books
Ty
'Time Slashing' in the title of that book Steve brings to my mind of the home falling down or being burnt to a crisp in it. Not good!
Let's be realistic. The author/book seller knows his audience is NOT the professional, but the lazy amateur, so he hits his target audience.
Look at the company that selles the "How To .... for Idiots. Rich beyond his wildest dreams!