The Best of Instructables Volume I: Do-It-Yourself Projects from the World's Biggest Show & Tell

I love this renaissance in "do it yourself" projects and building things out of available parts. Doesn't mean I'm necessarily any *good* at it, but it opens my eyes to how common things can be used in uncommon ways. Make magazine from O'Reilly has put together some of the best and most popular projects from the instructables.com site to create the book The Best of Instructables Volume I: Do-It-Yourself Projects from the World's Biggest Show & Tell. There's enough stuff here to keep you occupied for weeks, and you don't have to be a engineering genius to do many of them. The book is divided up into sections that touch on general themes: Home & Garden; Food; Photography; Science; Computers; Electronics; Robotics; Ride; Craft; Entertainment; Fun & Games; and Tools. For instance, the book gets off to a quick start with a two-page layout on Ikea hacks. I was immediately intrigued with the Tool Box Hack, using a Fira minichest and a pair of Kosing handles. I can do that! The ice straws were a nice touch, also. Moving on, I learned how to make "carbonated fruit" with a plastic water bottle and dry ice. One of my spare USB thumb drives might be destined for a LEGO casing. And who knew Altoid tins could be used in so many ways? Everything from a survival kit to a miniature barbecue unit (for those very small hamburgers). For those who are used to welding, the Ride chapter has plenty of cool bike mods that could be fun. Heck, even learning how to make an earbud headphone cord wrapper from an old credit card is worth the price of admission (not to mention the time savings of having to unravel the cord every time you use it). As with all books of this type, some of the projects will strike you as "I must build that now!", while others will have you thinking "why would I ever want to do that?" I will not be making stuffed animal headphones now or at any time in the future, thank you very much! But the overall package of projects selected here will appeal to a wide range of interests and skill levels. And since all these projects have been part of the Instructables website, you can always head over there to get additional information or tweaks that others have come up with. The Best of Instructables is a fun book, and I plan on having a few "toys" with me at the next geek conference I attend...

In the truest sense this book embodies the DIY ethic. The projects that fill the pages are done by regular people with hobbies that include electronics, crafts, cooking, and generally building your own "stuff." The instructions are written by hundreds of different contributors with a range of passions that reflect the depth of the projects. This book is a great way to ease into the vast world of making -- especially for those reluctant to use the web.

I've been a huge fan of www.instructables.com, so when I heard they were coming out with a book (Volume 1, meaning future volumes?) I knew I'd grab a copy. I think they picked a nice overall summary of the style and range of projects they feature and there are quite a few that I'm adding to my To-Do List. I've been wanting to build a CNC of my own for a while, and the example in the book is a nice start. I also have wanted to build my own Hands++ to hold small parts while I work on them - the one in the book is perfect. If you're a fan of the website, you'll enjoy the book. If you're not familiar with the website, the book will give you a jump start and help you avoid sifting through the 1000s of projects on their, looking for the best ones. Scattered throughout the book are smaller collections of mini-projects that have a theme - an example is a list of projects you make using a simple Altoids tin. The book is in color, too, and has a nice layout and style to it that is easy to read. The book also has a nice list at the end of projects that didn't make it into the book but they do provide the name of the projects so you can search for them at instructables.com. Nice book - I hope they do more volumes.

If you love [...], or just love undertaking your own real world hacks, this is a great book. It's dense with detail and photos, with easy to follow instructions. It even includes helpful tips from other Instructables users. A great coffee-table book.

The Instructables's website is one of my online favorites; posters contribute step-by-step guides to building a wide range of products. There are over 10,000 projects on the site. MAKE: Technology on Your Time and Instructables have released this 300 page book, containing over 120 projects organized by categories like home & garden, science, robotics, food, rides, crafts, and photography. One of the neatest features are the sidebars that show how other builders have created the same project in different ways. It's impossible to quote any particular project because the excellent illustrations are integral to the text. However, I've added a couple of links to pages from the book in the first Comment, as well as a link to a promotional video that give an excellent taste of the treasures here. I've enjoyed two other releases from "Make" and Instructables. Maker's Notebook is a very useful, well designed notebook for drawing projects. And The Hungry Scientist Handbook: Electric Birthday Cakes, Edible Origami, and Other DIY Projects for Techies, Tinkerers, and Foodies is an absolute joy for this every day cook. Consider this book a great gift for several people on your gift list, and be sure to add a copy for yourself. Robert C. Ross 2008