The many uses Marken has for "fix" indicate how fun and thorough his sequel is to How to Do (Just About) Everything. From chapters on how to "Fix a Lamp" and "Fix Your Kid Lunch" to "Fix Your Dog or Cat" and "Fix a Poker Game," the author of three Dummies books creates the go-to tome for life's little calamities. He and his 12 contributors strike an even tenor as they group crises under such headings as "Computers & Home Electronics," "Everyday Annoyances" and "Occasional Disasters"; they structure each nuisance therein with brief introductions, lists of items for tackling the problem, steps for solving it, icons denoting difficulty levels, tips, warnings, tables, illustrations and suggestions for further assistance. Occasionally readers will catch the Marken team throwing its hands in the air ("Rescue a Burned Cake or Pie" suggests using unburned portions as ice-cream topping) or engaging in overkill—"Get Rid of Red-Eye in Photographs" asks that users purchase an "anti–red eye pen, scanner, image-editing software, tissue paper or a white filter, and a flash diffuser." The book may sometimes comes across as rather fusty (compared to the hit Worst-Case Scenario handbooks, whose readership Marken seems to be courting) but, by and large, most predicaments are resolved thoughtfully and creatively, and a few—such as "Soothe a Sunburn," "Put Out a Kitchen Fire" and, yes, "Get Out of a Fix"—can even prevent harm. (Nov.)
