The encyclopedia of household hints and dollar stretchers Book

This book is hilarious. It's outdated, awkwardly written, the illustrations are (accidentally) comical, and the whole thing assumes that my entire life centers around keeping a neat, orderly home. The author emphasizes "guilt-free" so often I suspect she has an addictive tendency to assume guilt when she falls behind in housework, and she seldom if ever suggests you ask others to help you out (even your husband or children).

Having said all of that, I feel like this book delivers what it promises. I don't like the writing, and I don't feel like I would get along well with the author, but the organization really works. I feel like my housekeeping is starting to come under control for the first time in a long time. For me, that means getting my husband's help with a lot of things, but the book really does do a good job of balancing the things that need to get done and encouraging you to move on if something ends up falling by the wayside. The writing is so far from my own personality that I'm writing comics in the margins to keep sane - but the methods work remarkably well.

I don't like the writing - but it's a self-help book, and it's helped. A lot.