Kyle Bravo

[Review originally published in 2006 on NewPages.com]

Quite some time ago, Kyle Bravo put together a couple of issues of a zine called How2Zine. These zines were so thick they couldn’t even be stapled through; I think my copies are bound with rubber bands. They overflowed with DIY tips on many, many different subjects. Now these zines have been compiled into a book representing the collective knowledge of a wide array of clever contributors. Just a sampling of topics: self-education, self-publishing, bookbinding and screenprinting, shoe repair, juggling, stenciling, gardening, insulative cooking, solar box cooking, wine and beer making, sex and health, pet care, creative recycling, home repair, and transportation. Yes, that’s a lot, and it’s only the beginning. This book belongs on the bookshelves of anyone who doesn’t want to just drive to the nearest box store for what they need. Highly recommended.… (more)

This is, just as the title indicates, a book chock full of instructions. How-tos are reprinted in facsimile from dozens of zines, including helpful illustrations and amusing side comments. The book is divided into topical sections covering activism, self-education, self-publishing, fun, arts & crafts, clothing, "creative troublemaking" (stencils, wheatpasting, and puppets), outdoorsy stuff, gardening, food & drink, travel, health & body, pet care, recycling, repairs, household stuff, and transportation. At the end is a section of pieces on the philosophy of DIY, a list of author contact information, and a very competent index.

Some of my favorites are: I made my own soymilk (p. 119), unstink your socks (p. 69), typewriter ribbons (p. 174), the DIY punk rock cat diet (p. 173), tips for staying fit on the road (p. 122), and how to do basic electrical wiring (p. 205).… (more)