Wednesday 12 December 2007

Essential Guide to Car Care for Girls by Danielle McCormick

RTB Media €9.99

USEFUL and funny - what more can a girl ask of a book? Dubliner Danielle McCormick's hands-on manual has everything.

It's very pink, shamelessly girlie-ist, and chock-a-block with tastefully photographed mechanics. These, for some reason, appear to prefer to work stripped to the waist.

They don't seem to pay that much attention to the very clean engines they're dallying with, instead gazing at the girls in tight T-shirts who are tuning up their lipstick, leaning on the car, casual like.

Apart from the mechanics, there are other great photos - of the four-stroke combustion cycle, the head gasket, the transmission, the timer belt.

There are even instructions on how to change a wheel (while wearing stiletto heels).

Your mileage may vary, but most women find that trying to change a wheel while wearing stiletto heels results in cars full of men screeching to a halt to help. But maybe that's useful too.

The book has everything from the basics of how an engine works to what the alarm symbols on the dashboard mean, and basic first aid - flat tyre, jump-start, lost keys. It's got a great troubleshooting Q&A at the end.

Some basics that are apparently coded into Y chromosomes are handily explained - how to add screen washer, oil and anti-freeze, check the tyre pressure, change the wipers and so on.

This is a great Christmas book - the perfect stocking-filler for any women who drives.

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