(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best home improvement books

I want to encourage you and say your CPTSD won’t affecting your parenting and you providing her with love and security is enough, but I also don’t want to delude you into a false sense of security. To answer your question as to how I do it: Firstly, I put in a massive amount of effort everyday to keep myself grounded and mindful and conscious of how I’m acting/reacting towards my child. On top of that, I never let myself slip into depressive states. On top of that, I have learned to manage and control all of my triggers so that my emotional states never negatively affect my child.


One major element of CPTSD is that it is an attachment disorder. This attachment disorder WILL affect your ability to provide a consistent sense of safety and security to your little one unless you learn how to manage and counteract those insecurities. Another element of CPTSD is that it causes you to develop a distrust/distaste for humans, and a desire to avoid human interaction. This will be absolutely detrimental to your child as he/she ages. All children rely on their parents to provide them with safe, healthy and consistent family and friends. It’s a very tiring and very difficult job, but it creates a ‘safety net’ of security on which your child can lean. How you interact with and value others will turn into how your child interacts with and values others. You will have to spend lots of time around other moms, letting your child play with their child. It’s a strain on you emotionally and mentally, but it’s necessary for healthy child development.


The best advice I can give you as a fellow parent with CPTSD is to start searching for a trauma psychologist and get an appointment scheduled ASAP. Of course anyone can recover from CPTSD without the aid of a psychologist, but when you add a child to the mix, quality and speed of recovery becomes a very important factor. Getting a psychologist to help you process your trauma and learn newer and better ways to do things will save you a lot of time and heartache. A psychologist will also teach you the importance of obtaining and maintaining friendships, and how to better manage all the triggers that parenting will bring up for you.

In the meantime, here is a short list of my all-time favorite parenting books. I’ve read probably hundreds of parenting books at this point: most are bad, a few are great. These are the best, most knowledgeable books I’ve found for ‘people like us’, at least in my opinion:

The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering our Children

ParentSpeak: What's Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children--and What to Say Instead

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind

The Parents We Mean To Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development

The Attachment Parenting Book : A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Baby

No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind


Feel free to PM me anytime :)

The transmission shouldn't have much to do with your car starting.

First, in what ways does your car start funny?
-Could be the battery
-Could be the starter
-Could be a clogged injector
-Could be many inexpensive things that many people think will be bigger than it is.

Second, in what way is your transmission acting funny?
-Is it slow to shift?
-Does it shift hard?
-Does it have fluid?


The first thing I would do is learn a little about basic car maintenance. I know it all seems so complicated, but from someone who has at times in my life had to fix my car if I wanted to go anywhere just know this; there are very few car mechanics who are also MENSA Members. It is a different kind of intelligence all together but, with a little bit of effort everyone capable of driving a car, can learn how to fix one. I know you said you don't have tools or a garage, but stay with me here.

I always take people for their word when buying cheap cars. I have literally purchased cars for $200 that the previous owner told me that the transmission was "going out". At $200 I can turn a profit no matter what, so it's always a good buy. But every now and then I'll buy one and once I've gotten it home I've simply put transmission fluid in and bam! Transmission fixed! It's amazing, really. So I've bought cars that could have sold for $1,500-$2,200, but the owners didn't know enough to check the transmission fluid.

There can be other issues with the transmission, for sure, but honestly unless you've abused it (you know things like constantly shifting into drive while still rolling backwards/ driving without fluid) I would assume it's likely not going out. It could be, but I doubt it.



The starting thing I would put a large sum of money that it's your battery. You can take your battery into a autozone and have them test it, it might just fix that entire issue.

I view vehicles differently than most people I know a 2005 Chevy Cobalt with 120,000 miles is still pretty new, if you have in fact been changing the oil. My truck has 220,000+ and I feel like it's just getting started. IMO, your car isn't getting old. You may want a new one, but if you ask me it isn't the frugal decision.

The frugal decision is to buy some tools, like these.. Buy a book, like this one and last but not least get a manual specific to your vehicle, like this one..

With those things you're into it for less than $100 and with the knowledge you'll gain from doing simple things, like learning to change the oil, to swapping out the serpentine belt, and bolting on a new alternator, you'll end up saving thousands in your lifetime. And in time you'll gain confidence and start to do more and more.

My first project was changing my own oil, my second I put in a new thermostat, my third was an alternator, my fourth was a coil pack, and my knowledge and skill has improved with each one. I swapped a transmission a little over a year ago in my truck. My girlfriend at the time thought it was silly that I wanted to do it myself (her uncle owns a dealership, she tends to throw cars away for new ones) so I had her call a repair shop. They quoted her more than $3000 to put in a used transmission. I put in my own used transmission for $350. I did it all laying in a parking lot, without a garage using only hand tools (much like the ones I linked you to). It took longer, I got really dirty, it was frustrating and really, really hard, but at the end of the day I saved more than $2,500.

I've written you a book here, but it's because I think far too often people make excuses instead of just admitting that they want a new car. If you really want the new car, that's fine go for it! However I won't tell you it's a frugal decision because it probably is not.

You can have anything done in one of the following three ways:

1. You can have it cheap and good, but it won't be fast
   
2. You can have it cheap and fast but it won't be good
   
3. You can have it fast and good, but it won't be cheap
   
   There are four main cost categories that go into a house:
   
   

• land
  
• permits/Inspections
  
• labor
  
• materials
  
  Assuming you have the land, we will ignore this.
  
  Permits:
  ---
  These are typically a set price, so these can be ignored too; regardless of if you build or contract the build, the permits will be the same.
  
  Labor
  ---
  Figure out what labor you can do yourself and what you can't. Some people are real good with the framing and can do plumbing, but electrical scares them, so they contract that work.
  
  Some people can do all things but need extra hands for some heavy lifting; many times laborers can be hired specifically for helping to raise walls and steady sheathing for attachment. Roofing is one that usually requires some level of hired help.
  
  Most people do, and should, hire a contractor to prepare a proper foundation.
  
  Materials
  ---
  For the work you do yourself, you will be getting the materials yourself. When house plans are purchased, many times they come with the material requirements for the framing in terms of linear footage: every exterior corner needs 3 studs, every 16" of wall needs a stud. Every wall needs two top plates and a bottom plate. Every X sqft of floor needs y amount of plywood sheets. Many contractors have formulas that automatically figure this stuff out, but you will have to do it yourself.
  
  Anything contracted comes with the materials included in the final price.
  
  Buying in bulk is cheaper and many contractors have deals with their suppliers for lower-priced materials due to volume expectation and business history.
  
  All that said, the median price for home construction including an unfinished garage is $155 per sq. ft. the low end is $125 per sqft.
  
  For 850 sqft, that's about $106K to 131K.
  
  This involved contracted work at every level, so everything you do yourself knocks off a chunk of that cost.
  
  The first step is getting the plans. If you want to do this, buy the plans and build the house in sketchup or similar.
  
  Learn the codes for building; Internet searches can help with this immensely and there are a few layman's guides for home inspections and code-adherence. This book helped me out a lot too.
  
  Your house plans include the following:
  
  
• Cover Sheet
  
• Foundation Plan
  
• Floor Plan
  
• Roof Plan
  
• Cross Sections
  
• Exterior Elevations
  
• Construction Details
  
• Electrical Plan
  
• Furniture Plan
  
  This makes things very easy because it tells you how to arrange the foundation footings, how to lay the beams and joists, and how to frame the walls. A simple count of things will give you a cost break down for the materials, then add 10-15% of that for a rough estimate.
  
  Next factor in contractors for things you can't do yourself. Remove the materials from your materials cost and then add in the contractor cost. This is your new estimate.
  
  From experience I can tell you that framing is about the easiest part of the whole job. It's labor-intensive, but it's very easy to do. I recommend a nail gun unless you are an experienced carpenter or framer; those guys can drive a sinker in with a single whack... my money is on you taking at least 8 whacks, per nail.
  
  I don't see this taking $50K or less. Price estimates look like this, for all non-framing:
  
  
• Foundation: $8300 - $13,200 depending on type
  
• Electrical: $5100 - $6800
  
• Plumbing: $3000 - $5000
  
• Roofing: $4000 - $8000 (assuming high-end of NC work. Your roof is pretty flat)
  
• HVAC: I have no idea.
  
  Electrical plans for new home plans are usually pretty light (pun) on the illumination options. Many new homes don't have a light in the room at all except for the kitchens and bathrooms. With your electrical cost, plan for adding additional lighting like recessed, pendant, sconce, etc. Plan for ceiling fans
  
  Dry wall you can do yourself easily. Hire experienced tapers to do the seams.
  
  Painting can be done yourself.
  
  Flooring can be done yourself, tile is harder than wood, is harder than laminate. Good tile guys can knock a floor out pretty fast.
  
  Trim work can be done yourself. mind the studs.
  
  Windows can be done yourself, but a set of guys hired to install the new-construction windows can pop them in in a hurry.
  
  Hire someone to do the front door hanging; leaks are a bitch and front doors are heavy. Do the interior doors yourself.
  
  Exterior siding is a big job. If it's stucco or brick, hire a contractor, especially for the brick. If it's vinyl, that's easy. Wood is about as easy as vinyl.
  
  If you ever wonder what should or should not be done by a contractor: go here

> The biggest thing to celebrate, for me, is the realization that I don't hate cleaning -- it's understandably frustrating and difficult at times, but it's something I can do, and don't mind doing.

That was a big one for me, too!

If you're ever in a space where you feel like checking out an instruction book for housecleaning, I heartily recommend the following:

• Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson
  
  Think of this book as the Encyclopedia Brittanica of modern housecleaning. If you want to know step-by-step instructions on how to do something--such as how to make a bed, or how to mop a floor, or how to wash a window--this book will tell you. It will also give the whys of things with science (such as why bleach disinfects but doesn't clean!), and explain many housekeeping mysteries (such as what are those weird symbols on clothing labels, and what do they mean?).
  
  This book is unbelievably thorough and very well written--you can read it straight through, or use it as a reference guide.
  
  
  
• Once you get more comfortable with how to do the cleaning tasks, the book Speed Cleaning by Jeff Campbell and the Clean Team will tell you how to bring those tasks together into a cleaning approach that will allow you to clean your house quickly and efficiently. And by "quickly and efficiently", I mean I can clean my 1100 sq. ft. house in about fifteen minutes using his technique.
  
  Now, Campbell's method only works when you've got your house down to a level 1 or 2 on the scale. But once you get there? If you follow his steps once or twice a week, you're guaranteed to keep it at a level 1 or 2. Speed Cleaning seriously changed how I houseclean, and I've given many copies to friends over the years.
  
  I also recommend Campbell's books Clutter Control and Spring Cleaning. Incidentally, you can purchase the tools Campbell talks about on the Clean Team web site, but there's no reason to do so (the red juice he talks about is just a multi-surface cleaner like Formula 409 or Fantastik; the blue juice is a glass-cleaner like Windex).
  
  > I can't wait to check in down the road after I've put all this into action.
  
  I can't, either! Be sure to update with us!

Library books. Read them before you buy them. I've a HUGE collection of books, and quite a few are just crap.

I like:
Back to Basics - There's an updated version of this, but it really isn't an update as far as I'm concerned, just a re-edit. You may like the third edition updated one better, as it covers Adobe houses (better suited for Texas, no?)
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Traditional-American-Skills/dp/0895770865/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416268351&sr=1-2&keywords=Back+to+Basics

The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency - I find I open this book all the time to reference gardening stuff, as well as just homestead improvements. It's British, but they know how to do it.
http://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-Book-Self-Sufficiency/dp/1405345101/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416268500&sr=1-1&keywords=Complete+book+of+self-sufficiency

Home Repair - if you haven't fixed anything around the house (plumbing, patched walls, heating, some common electrical) I highly recommend something like this. It covers tools and their uses, and it breaks down almost everything in a home (or barn) into 'systems'. A lot of pictures. I recommend this to everyone I know that buys a house, or I give it as a house warming gift.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Photo-Repair/dp/1589235371/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416268592&sr=1-5&keywords=The+Black+and+Decker+Home

One thing I'd like to say too. And this may sound like I'm being harsh, but I'm not. Don't hope to start something. Do. Yes, I'm sounding Yoda. I've found (and I'm slightly guilty of this as well, but not so much anymore) that people tend to overanalyze the crap out of everything. Just do. Start small (even a 4'x4' garden teaches you a lot) and do. You WILL make mistakes. You WILL fail sometimes. You WILL start to be successful after you make the mistakes and you WILL learn not to fail as much.
The first attempt will never be pretty or go exactly as planned. If it is pretty and it goes exactly as planned, then you have spent way to much time in starting it.

Oh. And if you plan on raising any livestock, remember that they do die despite your best efforts to keep them alive. And don't invest in any sort of permanent fencing until your nearly 100% sure that you are going to be raising that animal for some years to come and your 100% HAPPY in where you are confining them. Pulse-portable fencing is the greatest invention in the history of mankind.

I bought [The Baby Book] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Baby-Book-Revised-Edition/dp/0316198269) before I even started trying to conceive with my first, just on a whim, having never heard of Attachement Parenting and everything clicked. It's a great resource on babies in general, but from a gentle, AP perspective. I'd recommend this book for ANY expecting parents, honestly.

[The Attachment Parenting Book] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Attachment-Parenting-Book-Understanding/dp/0316778095/ref=pd_sim_b_9?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WC7WNX0VS1BQNCQTK5F) contains a lot of the same information, but with some additional resources, and if I recall it goes into slightly more detail.

I'd also highly recommend [Attached at the Heart] (http://www.amazon.com/Attached-Heart-Parenting-Principles-Compassionate/dp/0757317456/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JWRN280KQTRGGP6NH0M) as an excellent resource for new moms who want to practice AP.

As for other resources, I belong to a lot of AP and gentle parenting groups on facebook which, while sometimes overly preachy or cloying, often offer great blog posts or affirmations to mull over. Even when I'm super busy with kids and life, I can usually spend five minutes to read a facebook post and often that's all I need to recenter myself and keep myself focused on my parenting goals.

Shigley's is great for learning how to design and why you design the way you do. It's the book I used in college and still reference at work. I'm not so sure it'd be great for a novice engineer. For a more practical approach, I'd recommend a few below (not necessarily in this order):

1. Machinery's Handbook - This is regularly seen as the [mechanical] engineer's bible. It has nearly everything you'd need to know for design. Most of the machinists used this in a shop I used to work in. Nearly every engineer in my current job (and there are a hundred or more) have a copy of this at their desk.
   
2. Pocket Reference - This is kind of (loosely) like Machinery's Handbook but much more broad. It covers a little bit of everything from engineering, to vehicle maintenance, to plumbing. I like it for it's all-around information.
   
3. Handyman In-Your-Pocket - this is by the same author as #2 but is tailored to the building trades. I also have this but I haven't used it much yet. Not because it's not useful, just because I haven't gotten around to it.
   
4. Marks' Standard Handbook for Mech. Engineers - I have an old copy of this book from the 80s, I believe, that my dad gave to me. It is also on the same order as Machinery's Handbook, but instead of covering EVERYTHING, it goes into more depth about the topics it does cover. If I remember correctly, it covers topics ranging from how to make a weldment to how to design a power generating steam boiler and turbine.
   
5. Solutions to Design of Weldments - This is a new one to me. I recently went to the Blodgett Welding Design Seminar and this was one of the reference materials they handed out. I had a few text book sized design guides by Omer Blodgett that I've often used, but this one seems to take all of the info from those books and condense it down to a handbook. Best part is that it's only $3.50 for a copy and I think (but I'm not sure) that it ships for free.
   
   A nice free reference manual that includes all sorts of design equations is the NCEES reference handbook. I used it back when I took my FE exam (the first exam you take before you become what's call a "Professional Engineer" in the US). It's a nice PDF to have around, though it doesn't go into a lot of explanation as to what the equations are.
   
   A few web resources I use are: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/, http://www.roymech.co.uk/
   
   I'm sure I'll think of some more and, if I do, I'll update this post.
   
   Hope that helps.
   
   

Showing my age, but...yes, YouTube is GREAT, but I have really appreciated this series of books: http://www.amazon.com/Time-life-Home-Repair-Improvement-Set/dp/B008271QRE

I don't have all of them in the series, but the ones I have are well used. I can pour over them in preparation for a project and refer to them during. I don't need power nor internet to use them. I'm not a Luddite - I love technology. But when it comes to working around the house I go fairly low-tech.

My wife and I joke about how I measure the difficulty of a project; the formula is the number of Time/Life books + the number of trips to HomeDepot = project difficulty.

I'm a white-collar guy who has paid plenty of great tradespeople to do the "hard stuff" over the years. But at 52 I have a basement tool room filled with tools and gadgets I bought, used once, and said "next time I'm paying for someone to do that". But I wouldn't trade the bruised knuckles, sore muscles, and countless dust masks for anything given the satisfaction I have from doing stuff myself.

Good luck and have fun!

(BTW, the Habitat for Humanity suggestion is a GREAT idea!!)

Are you looking to do the work yourself? Cause it sounds like you're gonna need much heavier springs, and without a subsequent re-valve, you may end up worse off, with stiffly sprung but under damped suspension. Heavier oil is a band aid fix, and even that may not get you close.

What's your time frame and budget? I'd suggest two things: Find a resource for info specifically for the 599, a forum or something where there'll be lots of people with lots of knowledge about how to set up THIS bike, and if it's in the budget, find a good suspension shop to not only get proper springs for your weight, but also a re-valve for you and your riding. You may find out from the forum what budget fixes work, but nothing is gonna be as good as a professional set up. It may be expensive, but will absolutely be worth it if you care about the way your bike handles on the track at a track pace.

If you've got lots of time and not much money, you can do your homework and try and tackle a re-spring and re-valve yourself. It may or may not be feasible, but if possible, certainly rewarding.

Check out Racetech's Motorcycle Suspension Bible. Even if you don't follow any of my suggestions, the book is excellent and worth a read.

this book
http://www.amazon.com/What-Wear-Change-Your-Life/dp/B000F5FR3A/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318656694&sr=1-5
seriously taught me so much about color schemes for clothes, its a bit dated, fashion wise, but its excellent for helping you find colors and clothing styles that compliment your body. definitely would recommend buying it, its super useful.

Do not panic. You will want to get a book like this one of how to do things around the house. I've been using the big orange one from Home Depot for well over 20 years; how to change the wax toilet ring hasn't changed, but there's a lot of newer things out there. Now why the heck am I recommending a dead-tree resource? Because you might not have terrific internet access when Something Bad happens. Many of these books have a little index of "how hard is this job" so you'll have a good idea up front whether it's something you can do or something you should call a pro about. They also usually have a materials list, which will hopefully help with the "seems like every repair requires at least 3 trips to Lowes" problem.

You will also want a fairly basic toolset right now. Maybe something like this. I have one from Harbour Freight that is serviceable but not terrific (ex got the tools in the most recent divorce, didn't want the book). There's also a lot to be said for having a good rechargeable electric screwdriver, but that can wait. Don't cheap out on this if you get one, be prepared to spend at least $50.

You also might try talking to the maintenance guy at your complex if you think he does a good job and is trustworthy (my inner former apartment manager is laughing about the odds of this being true). Tell him you're buying a house and hey, if I get in over my head can I pay you to do a little side work (and if so, what's your number)?

This is great! Good job! I also am doing the same thing, I have taken out about 2square meters of stuff ( donated, gave and trash.) I am reading The Joy of Less and reading this sub's content as much as I can. I love how I am getting more streamlined. One thing I like about that book is she talks about getting quality. One in One out. So you slowly have less but better things. Less books, but better books, less shirts but better shirts. I enjoy that a whole lot!

I have not taken this test but have gone through the UBC apprenticeship. I do know the UBC standards require a minimum requirement for reading comprehension, math, (and some other subjects) to keep a certain standard up. (I witnessed lots of apprentices that didn't pass the math test in more than one try). A close friend took the carpenter journeyman placement test. It was long, daunting, but do able.

I would assume the millwright test would cover basics more than pump internals and thermal growth values of different metals (metallurgy). Simple mechanics, heavy lifting, rigging, industrial tool use, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Audel-Millwrights-Mechanics-Guide-Thomas/dp/0764541714

Get this, it has way more info than i have applied or have gotten to use.

What UBC district are you getting into? Different areas have different things for millwrights to do. PNW - lots of paper mills. Texas - refineries. Powerplants - all over.

Good luck placing

A '65 Mustang is virtually identical to my Falcon. Same drive trains, same chassis, same everything. The only difference is the body and the interior.

My wife had a 2005 Mustang for a long time, but we recently traded it in and got her a brand new Toyota Rav4 Limited. I like it a lot more. The newer Mustangs are uncomfortable and gas hogs. A '65 Mustang with a little 170 i6 in it will get ~25 MPG. That's all you can ask out of a classic. Of course, Mustang people usually want a 289 V8. I like a straight 6. Very easy to work on.

Buy this book:

www.amazon.com/Auto-Repair-Dummies-Deanna-Sclar/dp/076459902X/

Absolutely perfect for a beginner with a '65 Mustang. You may also appreciate that the author is a woman. Most of the book is written around the author's own 1965 yellow Mustang, 'Tweety Bird'. At least the 1st edition is. I've never seen the 2nd edition.

You're not going to learn how to rebuild your whole drive train in this book, but it covers basic repairs and maintenance on virtually every other part of the car.

After 20+ years of repairing my own cars, I pretty much know what I'm doing, but I started out a long time ago with a modest collection of tools, a 1975 Pontiac Ventura, and this book.

After you learn the basics, you'll find that 95% of mechanics is correctly diagnosing the problem and having the confidence in yourself that you can do it. Repairing a vehicle yourself is very satisfying, and you know that it was done correctly.

Even if you have no interest in repairing a car yourself, knowledge is power. If you can diagnose the problem yourself, no mechanic is going to talk you into a whole new engine when all you need is a water pump. On a '65 Mustang that's a $35 problem if you do it yourself.

I like this site quite a bit for major engine components and basics. It goes into things like firing order and octane ratings, and is a fun read if you have fifteen minutes.

This channel goes into serious detail about most of the major components of a car. He has loads of content, it's just a little dry sometimes. He also clears his throat in a somewhat abrasive way, but that's nitpicking.

/r/Cartalk and /r/Mechanicadvice are where you can direct car related repair questions, they're both very open and helpful.

If you're interested in doing your own car maintenance, I reccomend investing in a Haynes manual. They're a great resource, thorough, and reasonably priced. They're also tailored to every individual vehicle model. If you're really new, Auto Repair for Dummies is actually really helpful, I got through my first major project with that, a Haynes manual, and a shitty socket set. Hope this helps!

https://www.amazon.com/How-Fix-Damn-Near-Everything/dp/0517662000

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0895770105/ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=

Those two should be your first purchases.

You sir, have two of the greatest assets in human history, cheap books on Amazon, and the second is YouTube.

Almost anything you have ever wanted to repair is detailed on YouTube. If you watch ten or twenty videos on a topic, it will give you a pretty good idea on how to tackle it yourself. It's an amazing resource.

Plus, if you hire any repairman who comes to your house, you'll learn a lot just by watching. Don't talk to him any more than you have to or you might annoy him, just ask a very few well thought out questions and you'll be amazed at the knowledge they'll share.

I'm a DIY noob. Here's some of the stuff that's helped me.

I got hosed a few times by contractors before I learned enough to start asking the right questions. This book helped me get onto the right path. Checklists and battle plan for remodels and new construction, based on the experience of 100s of projects. What Your Contractor Won't Tell You https://www.amazon.com/What-Your-Contractor-Cant-Tell/dp/0979983800

I bought some Journal of Light Construction books. True, their Field Guides are way overkill for me and my projects, but they're very cool. https://www.jlconline.com https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AJournal+of+Light+Construction&s=relevancerank&text=Journal+of+Light+Construction&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1

I like those Matt Risinger videos quite a bit too. https://www.youtube.com/user/MattRisinger

The most useful books I've bought are the Code Check short guides. I just read them until I kinda understand them. As a total noob, that takes a while. Here's the electrical title. https://www.amazon.com/Code-Check-Electrical-Illustrated-Wiring/dp/1631869167/

The knowledgeable staff at my local pro suppliers have been super helpful. Especially Ferguson's. I really can't say enough good things about all the people who've helped me. Sometimes you get lucky at Home Depot and the like. But they pay shit and they're understaffed, so don't judge.

On affordability: Both CNT's Housing + Transportation Index and the Brookings Institution's Affordability Index have found that transit access has a positive impact on affordability even when housing prices are factored in. For a quicker read, here's a CityLab article breaking down the data with charts.

On driverless cars: Here's a well-sourced AVs piece from leading expert Jarrett Walker, a review of studies showing ride-hailing's negative impact on transit, and some hard data from the Boston planning commission showing the same.

On transit and health: I would first recommend the seminal Urban Sprawl and Public Health. More recently, this study of transit and mental health, this one from AHA on transit and heart health, and a research overview from NIMH!

Bus improvements being in the plan is, well, in the plan — as are pike improvements. There's plenty out there on transit and economic growth, transit and disability, etc. Happy to help.

Depending on what trackday org you normally ride with, there's normally a suspension guy there to help.

Virtually every racer I know pays the suspension guy to setup the bike. There's some very good books around to learn more about suspension setup (Race Tech's Suspension Tuning Bible is very popular, and I learned a good deal reading it), but in general, those books will help you communicate with the suspension gurus more than they will turn you into a suspension guru.

It sounds like the shock is stiffer, and causing the front end to lift by keeping the rear from squatting under heavy throttle. It's probably a good thing overall, but there's also probably a better middle ground to be had.

Are you running a steering dampener? What bike is it?

Congrats on your house, and good luck renovating! Here are some resources I found that I hope will help:

• "What Your Contractor Can't Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating"
  
• "The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control"
  
  
• Lowe's Ideas & How-to's
  
• Home Depot's Projects & Ideas
  
• "Staying Put: Remodel Your House to Get the Home You Want"
  
• Apartment Therapy has a post on Green Home Renovations, and they list a LOT of websites, stores, books, businesses and appliances for people who want to renovate while staying green.

I taught myself how to cook out of self defense because n-mom and e-dad were completely incompetent.

It can be done, especially thanks to the Internet these days. If there's anything you feel you should know, but don't, ask away! I'm sure this group is ready to help.

PS - Two books that will change your life:

(starting at $0.65 + $4 shipping)
"How To Fix Damn Near Everything"
https://www.amazon.com/How-Fix-Damn-Near-Everything/dp/0517662000

(starting around $5 w/ free shipping)
"US Army Field Survival Manual"
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1566190223/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1493567143&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=army+field+manual&dpPl=1&dpID=413349XBSCL&ref=plSrch

Both of these are frequent fliers on the Barnes and Noble bargain rack.

You should really check out some of Dr. William Sears' books. He is a pediatrician and author with something like 9 kids. He has written lots of books on parenting and is a huge advocate of attachment parenting, co-sleeping (what he calls "sharing sleep"), breast feeding, and baby wearing.

He certainly has the credentials to back up what he is saying, so if you are interested in co-sleeping and attachment parenting I'd check him out.

The Baby Book.

The Attachment Parenting Book.

When I first started out with my home I picked up these two books:

Black & Decker Home Repair

and

Black & Decker Home Improvement

They served as great references and overviews for nearly every major challenge I faced in three years and were a great deal more handy than sometimes scattered Internet resources. Strongly suggest you pick up the red book, or they're almost certainly at your local library. They don't explicitly deal with maintenance unfortunately, but I recall them offering up lots of tips on how to maintain things before repairs are needed.

Good luck with your new home!

I have a small section of these: https://www.amazon.com/Time-life-Home-Repair-Improvement-Set/dp/B008271QRE

And they are pretty awesome. While out of date, they provide an extreme amount of useful knowledge.

The Big Orange Book by Home Depot is also good.

I've really enjoyed "The Joy of Less" and "The life-changing magic of tidying up". I find that when I have less clutter IRL, my mind feels less cluttered and it's easier to stay focused on my goals.

Also try out a guidebook such as this one: What You Wear Can Change Your Life. It helped me get a better sense of what looks good on my body and what colors work best with my skin tone. :)

The book on this is Home Comforts (new from $10). It is like the bible of taking care of the shit you own in your house. I bought a copy after seeing Jesse on Put This On recommend it about 12 times; I wasn't disappointed.

I recently re-ordered these. I tend to open them up and read them, but ultimately I end up using the conduit bending one most. They'd make a great gift and low-cost.

> I had pretty much a portable woodshop

This problem is well known to people who work on wooden boats. To get anything done, you need to bring a portable workshop to the work, and this largely involves hand tools. Downsizing, and organization is key to being productive.

A well stocked and thought out portable tool box is the secret.

Fred Bingham is an expert on this, his book is an excellent read.

Just my personal opinions. Learn how to use the Ohms Law Computation Wheel:

http://ohmlaw.com/ohms-law-wheel/

Purchase an Ugly's Electrical Reference, and read it:

https://www.amazon.com/Uglys-Electrical-References-Bartlett-Learning/dp/128411936X

Purchase some GOOD tools.

Learn to bend conduit:

https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/EMT-Electrical-Conduit-Pipe-Bending-Instructions-a-Conduit-Bending-Guide-for-Beginning-Electricians

Learn the NEC.

Listen, observe, anticipate. Don't back stab. Be motivated and have a good work ethic.

I recently picked this up and have found it interesting. Although really, if you already understand cabinetry, you have all the right understanding already: http://www.amazon.com/Boat-Joinery-Cabinet-Making-Simplified/dp/0070053073

As pointed out, "This Old Boat" also has some great inspiration.

Home:

• Don't iron. Ever. In fact, don't own an iron.
  
• Dry t-shirts in coat hangers (unless you have a dryer, obviously...). No folding required.
  
• Clean less often. Seriously. Simply vacuuming every once in a while will keep your place looking pretty spotless. There's no need to mop the floor every week unless you have pooping pets or pooping children.
  
• Declutter. Get rid of everything you don't need. I can recommend this book to help you get started.
  
  Groceries:
  
  
• Have them delivered if possible, depending on where you live. It's especially useful to have vegetable packs delivered. I'm quite fond of the "random fruit & veg" variety. It's basically a mix of everything. Sometimes recipes are included for lesser known vegetables (salsify anyone? om nom nom!).
  
  Edit: formatting fuckup

I love this one and it's huge. I bought it used on Amazon. It's like the encyclopedia of running a house. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068481465X/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Something like this Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair.


When I bought our first house, Home Depot / Lowes / Menards gift cards were the best thing I got.

First off congrats on the job. When I was in college (millwright) one of the books required to buy and the best book I own is audels millwright and mechanics guide. If there is ever a question you have about how industrial mechanics work, conversion math for hydraulics and ratios I can’t list enough. this book has it. We call it the Bible because it literally has everything you need to know. I’m recommending it because you are a new industrial mechanic starting out and I think it would work wonders for you to learn the new trade.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0764541714/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518832314&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=audels+millwrights+and+mechanics+guide&dpPl=1&dpID=51tK6Sw-fSL&ref=plSrch

In my limited experience, the better people are more matter of fact, willing to teach and not pushy. The detail on the quotes I've gotten weren't reflective of the experience, workmanship or honesty of the person involved.

If someone wants to take advantage of your (my) lack of knowledge, they will. I ended up going with the old school guy who emailed me his quote over the guy with the long pdf and gantt chart.

This book may be useful, though maybe more geared towards large projects with more formal requirements: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979983800/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

How to fix stuff around the house. It's very useful, and if you get a book like this it can help you out tremendously.

There is a huge body of work on the built environment and public health from both the planning and public health profession for at least two decades now. The following two books are good starting points:

• Health and Community Design: The Impact Of The Built Environment On Physical Activity
  
• Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building for Healthy Communities
  
  It depends on what aspect of health and what aspect of planning you are looking at in order to assess health outcomes.
  
  For example, if you're looking at transportation (which is a function of urban form), you can determine physical activity patterns based on mode use (active vs. motorized) and trip length, which have a clear causal pathway to health outcomes.

I am a contractor. I have only seen one book from tumbleweed and was not impressed. This was years ago, so perhaps later editions improved, but the one I saw had almost no detail and certainly not anywhere near what a novice needed.

If you have no experience building, I'd suggest The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling. It has detailed photos and drawing.

If you're still interested in some construction books, Renovation is written for remodeling, but it has some really interesting work-arounds.

I would get a radial arm saw off of Craig's List, you can probably score one for $100 or less, it will let you rip or crosscut items. I'd go ahead and grab a Porter Cable 690 router and build a table for it, make sure to make a provision for a table and fence mounted featherboard keeping consistent pressure is a key to a good cut. Get the plunge base while your at it to go with the fixed base. It has the most jigs and attachments available for it.


Get this book http://www.amazon.com/Boat-Joinery-Cabinet-Making-Simplified/dp/0070053073/ref=la_B001KIV91U_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381961906&sr=1-1

It has plans for a homemade tablesaw that works great along with tons of other homemade tools and jigs including making grinders out of old motors. I'm a professional and I use his plans and tool notes on multimillion dollar jobs regularly using the finest materials (walnut, mahogany, maple, purpleheart).

Get a small compressor, if your not spraying finishes you don't need anything more than a 1 gallon or 2 gallon compressor. Dewalt and Rolair are my recommendations here. Get a nice 18gauge gun and a 23 gauge pin gun, do not get a pin gun that only shoots 1 to 1 3/8" pins, get the one that goes to 2".

I would recommend that you purchase some DIY books to help you with jobs like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Yourself-Manual-Newly-Updated/dp/1621452018

https://www.amazon.com/Renovation-5th-Completely-Revised-Updated/dp/1631869590

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Repair-Improvement-Updated/dp/158011783X

While not what you specifically asked for, in the same vein I would suggest keeping a copy of both the Pocket Reference and the Handymain In-your-pocket good books to have on hand for lots of different situations.

You can find general handyman books on Amazon which will provide you with what you’re looking for.

Amazon link to book

“This Old House” and Craftsman used to make these back in the day and can still be found but the one in the link above is he newer version and helps the new folks a lot.

Also, check the book stands at Lowe’s and Home Depot as you might find this there. See which has the price as well.

The Black and Decker book somebody else mentioned is solid.

Wiring Simplified is a perennial classic and a must-own book for every homeimprover, IMHO. https://www.amazon.com/dp/097929455X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3T3yxbXVKFZQ4

It's been published for something like 70+ years and is updated by imminently qualified individuals with every NEC update.

Edit: I should add that this won't make you a master electrician but it will familiarize you with pretty much all foundational electrical considerations found within a normal household, give you reference points within the NEC, and empower you to do detailed research for any specific or unique items that might pop up around your house or barn.

Get this book. It is a month-to-month guide for the first year. Each month is only a couple of pages, really good helpful stuff.

Does he have a toolkit that's in working order? Does he collect honey?

Perhaps something along the DIY/building theme. There are some good books like this that could be useful

Seconded, and I also enjoyed The New Father - A Dad's Guide to the First Year. I liked the timeline approach and particularly the tips about what's going on with Mom along the way.

The Joy of Less. Its not a very good book i think. But its a good introduction to minimalist living.

We have the set listed below. Hopefully the link works, but it's for the Time/Life home improvement series. We bought a new one in the series every month or some such.

https://www.amazon.com/Time-life-Home-Repair-Improvement-Set/dp/B008271QRE

You can find the same info online, just not likely all in one place.

Skill, All depends on how in depth one wants to get and what each persons skill level actually is. Still, it's good info to know that every rider should have.

Another good resource

if you live in the USA is the best guide I have found to learn from zero. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600852467/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

also, any Books or Videos from Larry Haun, that guys is fantastic.

I really recommend the video series of how to frame a house. is 3 parts of one hour each but you will watch a master working and taking the time to describe what you as new, need to learn.

As an EE, I learned all the theory at college, but when I need to reference what residential code requires instead of trying to work it out from code for industrial machines or first principles, I (and my Dad, a good carpenter but no training in electronics) use "Wiring Simplified":

http://www.amazon.com/Wiring-Simplified-Based-National-Electrical/dp/097929455X

Cheap, and it concisely covers everything you'd need to know to correctly wire a house. I think you can learn the basic mechanics of the wiring it won't cover (like "how to strip Romex without nicking the inner wires") from YouTube, a friend, or Hard Knocks.

Buy a good, basic repair book. I like this one.

A really great "all around" book is by Charlie Wing called The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling

In this electronic age, there are still some classic books worth having in the toolbox. I think if you want it to be useful and thorough it can't be small.

• Time Life's Home Repair
  
• Family Handyman's similar
  
• Black and Decker's

My husband just let me know that the same author wrote The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year. This may be more of what you are looking for. While Expectant Father is awesome it's more about pregnancy and labor from what I understand while this one is obviously about your baby's first year. Sorry if you unnecessarily bought the first one!

Seconded.

For only $18 on Amazon, the Black and Decker books are great.

There will be times you don't want to run back and forth to a PC, or watch a video on your phone (while elbow deep in a toilet) and having a book to sit beside you is more convenient.

> What are the effects on things like weight transfer under breaking and acceleration, the effects upon the wheelbase, effects upon traction, are there any downsides like possible chattering of front ends, what are the effects on weight distribution/how the suspension loads itself through a turn? I'm really just looking for someone to talk me through all the pros and cons to such a modification.

http://www.amazon.com/Techs-Motorcycle-Suspension-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760331405

Great tips! Few things I want to add.

1. Read your owner's manual! There is usually a section on scheduled maintenance and what need to be done at certain mileage. When in doubt, always trust the owner manual.
   
2. Don't change your oil at 3000 miles! Read the manual. Most newer car within last ten years could go up to 5000 miles before oil change.
   
3. Use youtube for simple repair! Most car problems can be DIY if you follow instructions on youtube. Look up Eric the Car Guy.
   
4. Keep your repair receipts! Let's face it, most of us can't remember what's for lunch last week let along what repair we had done on our cars. Keep the repair receipts so you'll know what was done on your car.
   
   
5. Do not go to Jiffy-Lube for service! I bought my car used, the previous owner kept all her service receipts from Jiffy-Lube. I can't believe how much Jiffy-Lube ripped off the previous owner with useless repairs and using incorrect fluid for my car. I have to undo some of the services performed at Jiffy-Lube.
   
   
6. When in doubt, ask questions! Try /r/cartalk or /r/MechanicAdvice. I also highly recommend Auto Repair for Dummy just for general knowledge.

https://www.amazon.com/Audel-Millwrights-Mechanics-Guide-Thomas/dp/0764541714

^ This book is a godsend.

I am going to have to say the Complete Guide to Home Repair. I have it and the Complete Guide to Wiring and both are excellent.


http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Photo-Repair/dp/1589235371

I hesitate to tell you, not because I'm being a troll, but because if you don't already know, you have some studying to do in order to do this project safely.

Here's a good start: https://www.amazon.com/Wiring-Simplified-Based-National-Electrical/dp/097929455X/

Incredibly helpful book for dealing with contractors - written by a former construction manager:

What Your Contractor Can't Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating

Keep in mind that you won't learn how to do these things, until you have to do them. The trick is that when you have to do them, you research on how to do it the right way.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Photo-Repair/dp/1589234170/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265391130&sr=8-1

Get this book. 6 months ago I wasnt able to use a hammer to save my life. Last week I put down a kitchen floor from scratch, the week before I completely redid a bathroom ceiling (drywall and edging), and so on and so on.

For everyone asking why there's so many washers (shims/toonie outsides), check out Race Tech's Motorcycle Suspension Bible. Many pictures, much learn. Good words.

Ugly's Electrical References is another good one I think

Modern version of the one you mentioned.

Got the modern one :).

Also recommend the Race Tech Suspension Bible. There is much to learn.

that's not how it works. with preload, you set sag and put the spring in a working range. You don't, however, change how stiff it is in any way. nor the ride height. a spring is going to have the same stiffness whether it's compressed or relaxed.

the only way it can "make the bike stiffer" is if you a) compress the spring to the point of binding up and you're riding on a dead spring or b) preload to past your weight. either way you'll have 0 rider sag and it will ride like shit but that's about it.

check out the racetech suspension bible for a much better explanation than I can type out.

Before there was Youtube I used a series of how to books published by Time-Life. They were sold by subscription, you’d get one a month. Each would on s separate topic, framing, wiring, plumbing, building decks and porches, masonry repairs and so on. They were carefully illustrated and well written. I subscribed for a while and then came upon a big stack of them at a yard sale. I’m sure they still show up for sale, no one puts them in the trash.

https://www.amazon.com/Time-life-Home-Repair-Improvement-Set/dp/B008271QRE

There are definitely some statistics and figures in this book. It's available in paperback or Kindle, since it seems you have only a few days to prepare.

I like the Black & Decker series of DIY books. Aside from those, I've always found Pocket Reference and Handyman In Your Pocket essentials for any toolbox.

I haven't purchased it yet but I've seen http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Photo-Repair/dp/1589235371 get recommended a few times here.

Also to add, this is a very common circuit. If it looks foreign or strange to you, you may not know enough about what you're doing.

Might want to learn some more before you do something that ends with fire trucks.


This book is great: http://www.amazon.com/Wiring-Simplified-Based-National-Electrical/dp/097929455X/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51AzkPoYkkL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=0C6HNSNPS5291MH60M73

This was probably done by some "Flip-the-house" wizard who thought he could do it all himself. If you're one of these people spend $20 for fuck's sake. It will pay off 100x in the long run.

I walked into a "flipper" house once...the guy was repainting the entire thing with forest green gloss paint that was being pasted on the walls so thickly you'd have thought it was done by a 5 year old. All over the baseboards, plug panels, switches, you name it. I thanked him for his time and laughed my ass off once I was out of earshot.

This might have some good resources.

Can't vouch for it as I haven't read it, but Dr. Sears' book

I recently had an architect design a house and bid out to general contractors to build it. I read "What Your Contractor Can't Tell You" before the process and found it very helpful. It covers some of your options and steps through the process from start to finish (it is both remodeling, additions, and full house info which is not all relevant to a new build). The big first decision is design-build vs independent architect and traditional bid process. Design-build would probably be a more smooth process, but it can lock you in depending on how the firm works. Some design-build firms will let you leave after the design process with the plans, but you need to know all that up front in writing. One thing that became apparent to me during the build that it would probably cost more and take longer if I tried to GC it myself. That would also have been a 50 hour per week job. I don't begrudge paying the GC fee at all.

Auto Repair For Dummies.

Or, search Amazon for "car repair book," and you'll get a couple of hundred results.

If you move the decimal over. This is about 1,000 in books...

(If I had to pick a few for 100 bucks: encyclopedia of country living, survival medicine, wilderness medicine, ball preservation, art of fermentation, a few mushroom and foraging books.)


Medical:

Where there is no doctor

Where there is no dentist

Emergency War Surgery

The survival medicine handbook

Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine

Special Operations Medical Handbook

Food Production

Mini Farming

encyclopedia of country living

square foot gardening

Seed Saving

Storey’s Raising Rabbits

Meat Rabbits

Aquaponics Gardening: Step By Step

Storey’s Chicken Book

Storey Dairy Goat

Storey Meat Goat

Storey Ducks

Storey’s Bees

Beekeepers Bible

bio-integrated farm

soil and water engineering

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation

Food Preservation and Cooking

Steve Rinella’s Large Game Processing

Steve Rinella’s Small Game

Ball Home Preservation

Charcuterie

Root Cellaring

Art of Natural Cheesemaking

Mastering Artesian Cheese Making

American Farmstead Cheesemaking

Joe Beef: Surviving Apocalypse

Wild Fermentation

Art of Fermentation

Nose to Tail

Artisan Sourdough

Designing Great Beers

The Joy of Home Distilling

Foraging

Southeast Foraging

Boletes

Mushrooms of Carolinas

Mushrooms of Southeastern United States

Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast


Tech

farm and workshop Welding

ultimate guide: plumbing

ultimate guide: wiring

ultimate guide: home repair

off grid solar

Woodworking

Timberframe Construction

Basic Lathework

How to Run A Lathe

Backyard Foundry

Sand Casting

Practical Casting

The Complete Metalsmith

Gears and Cutting Gears

Hardening Tempering and Heat Treatment

Machinery’s Handbook

How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic

Electronics For Inventors

Basic Science


Chemistry

Organic Chem

Understanding Basic Chemistry Through Problem Solving

Ham Radio

AARL Antenna Book

General Class Manual

Tech Class Manual


MISC

Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft

Contact!

Nuclear War Survival Skills

The Knowledge: How to rebuild civilization in the aftermath of a cataclysm

They got the Time Life series.

Oh man half my wishlist would make me more productive/get me enough materials to start a project. Uhh.... uhhhhhhhhh this

https://www.amazon.com/Uglys-Electrical-References-Bartlett-Learning/dp/128411936X

https://www.amazon.ca/Audel-Millwrights-Mechanics-Guide-Thomas/dp/0764541714

Most of us own this one.

This is where I started years ago. https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Decker-Complete-Photo-Repair/dp/1589235371/ref=nodl_

I'm moving out of state and pursuing a career in auto mechanics!

Attention to detail and the bible should see you through.

There's always this

Here are a couple for your consideration:

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Repair-Improvement-Updated/dp/158011783X

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Yourself-Manual-Newly-Updated/dp/1621452018

https://www.amazon.com/Home-Maintenance-Dummies-James-Carey/dp/047043063X

http://publications.gc.ca/site/archivee-archived.html?url=http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/schl-cmhc/NH15-386-2003-eng.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/What-Your-Contractor-Cant-Tell/dp/0979983800/

A radon test and a set of these: https://www.amazon.com/Time-life-Home-Repair-Improvement-Set/dp/B008271QRE

https://www.amazon.ca/Uglys-Electric-Motors-Controls-2017/dp/1284119424/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KX55HAHVG3W9EM5RYCHF

This is probably what you're looking for.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/128411936X/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A12UFBL1JPT2UF&psc=1

This one covers everything though.

Millwright Bible:

Audel Millwrights and Mechanics Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764541714/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_llPIzbD42SBGQ

Audel Electrical Course for Apprentices and Journeymen

Ugly's Electrical References, 2017 Edition 5th Edition

Ugly's Residential Wiring, 2017 Edition 2nd Edition


Wiring Simplified: Based on the 2017 National Electrical Code®

If you've never done anything before, you need to start with the basics:

https://www.amazon.com/Do-Yourself-Housebuilding-Complete-Handbook/dp/0806904240

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Do-Yourself-Manual-Completely/dp/0762105798

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Repair-Improvement-Updated/dp/158011783X

https://www.amazon.com/Home-Maintenance-Dummies-James-Carey/dp/047043063X

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Book-Home-How/dp/0760354766

There are more, but that selection covers virtually everything you'd run into.

https://www.amazon.com/Time-life-Home-Repair-Improvement-Set/dp/B008271QRE

The one we call 'Ugly's' maybe?

Would this be a good book to read? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0764541714?cache=3cd34ee3c888fad50c92172c9e028dd2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1411129646&sr=8-35#ref=mp_s_a_1_35

Not a tip, but a recommendation for the gold mine of all homemaking guidance. It’s a book called Home Comforts : The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. It’s an incredible resource and has helped me so much!!

I think you'll find the keep your house clean part is seriously helped with this book: http://www.amazon.com/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House/dp/068481465X

OR get enough money 80 bucks weekly for a maid service is no big deal.

I would suggest this book as your basis.

As far as putting it together again, you have some options. First, pay close attention to what you're doing when you take it apart. Second, take a video of what you're doing to refer back to later. Third, as you take it apart, put each piece in sequential order so that you can just move down a line when proof it back together. Also take notes so you know where each part goes.

EDIT: sorry for the formatting. I was on mobile

Not sure if these have been mentioned, but I saw the one Pocket Ref.

I also have these...

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=geSZAwAAQBAJ&source=productsearch&utm_source=HA_Desktop_US&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=PLA&pcampaignid=MKTAD0930BO1&gl=US&gclid=CMi438_3680CFZPgMgodqzMIEQ&gclsrc=ds

https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Pal-Reference-Engineering-Publications/dp/0965217108/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468258071&sr=1-1&keywords=electrical+pal

https://www.amazon.com/Handyman--Your-Pocket-Richard-Allen-Young/dp/1885071299/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468258247&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=handman+in+your+pocket

Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson is a good one, it's the one I use. Google books knows about it but has no preview of it though.

I'll take the low hanging fruit on this one. http://www.amazon.com/Auto-Repair-Dummies-Deanna-Sclar/dp/076459902X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312041741&sr=1-1 This book will get you started. After that you might consider getting a Chilton or Haynes manual for your daily driver and take on some basic maintenance for yourself when it comes due.

A lot of SV650 riders are building frankenbikes by bolting GSXR and Kawasaki parts, based upon recommendations from other riders who have swapped forks and shocks and wheels and brakes.

But Paul Thede of Racetech is The Man when it comes to suspension tuning, amigo.

Study this book before you starting grafting unsuitable parts onto your machine.

http://www.amazon.com/Techs-Motorcycle-Suspension-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760331405

Blaming soft springs for bottoming means you misunderstand the dark art of suspension.

Read something like this, its worth the couple bucks

Honda set up the high speed compression damping (and I would argue all damping on the bike) for general dual sport-ery, not jumping stuff. You can blame the soft spring on not getting the proper sag without setting too much preload on either front or back, I would guess they sprung it for something like the 130lbs/60kg range to cover the most number of people on the planet.

I highly recommend THIS book.

Not so much to have on hand during the projects, but to browse and flip through while you're waiting in line, during TV commercials, using the toilet, etc.

More than anything it will help you realize how many things you don't know that you don't know. And once you realize "drainage friction coefficient" is a thing (it's not, I just made that up), then you know where to reference it to be sure you're not screwing up something you didn't even realize was a thing.

This is where a lot, if not most, home improvement projects go horribly wrong. Not because someone measured wrong, not because they didn't take their time, but because they didn't realize some key thing was even an issue.