A fun read ( )

This book was okay. Citations for the “research shows” hacks would have added significantly more credibility. Apparently most of the hacks were submitted by people on the author’s website, but even providing some attribution as to where a hack came from would’ve helped. Otherwise, a lot of the hacks just seem like they were made up and pulled out of nowhere just to fill up space in the book.

I realized after reading some of the iPhone hacks that this book was published back in 2014, making a good chunk of the technology hacks obsolete. There were also a lot of hacks that were repeated multiple times, sometimes in the same section. A bunch of hacks are just plain wrong, for example, don’t rub bananas on your scratched DVDs, that will just cause bigger problems. Other “hacks” are just common sense, like drinking milk if you eat something too spicy. Some made me tilt my head, like a “hack” for avoiding embarrassment when buying something. No one should ever be embarrassed about what they need to buy, and if they are, then maybe they need to read a self-help book or shouldn’t be buying said item in the first place? A disturbing number of “hacks” just encourage bad behaviors, like tricks to drink alcohol in public and how to plagiarize a school paper. Those were honestly cringe worthy, and the worst.

Take out all the stuff mentioned above, and this book could’ve easily been cut down to a third. I’m honestly tempted to commit the cardinal sin of books and take a red pen through it to mark out all the junk so I don’t have to sift through it to find the actual useful hacks like peppermint oil spider repellent, and simmering vanilla extract and cinnamon for a delightful DIY air freshener. Honestly, I’m probably better off just going online and making a Pinterest board of the best stuff cause I guarantee they’re all on the internet somewhere, and that will save me the effort and guilt of marking up a mediocre book.

Not bad, but not good either. A solid middle of the road book with SOME interestingly useful information, but honestly not worth buying because you can find all this stuff online through Pinterest or just Googling. ( )

A collection of 1,000 life hacks, or tips, arranged by various headings (Technology, School, Survival and so forth). The author admits that he has gathered them from various places and as a result there is little really original here - as well as at least one case of duplication. Perhaps useful as a refresher or for introducing you to one or two things you haven't come across before - but if you're an established fan of hacks, you'll most likely already be familiar with most of these. Personally I could have done without the 'How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse' section and I would note, for fellow UK readers, that the tips are heavily weighted towards USA companies and culture, which means that it has limited international applicability. ( )

Interesting diversion. I read this free through Amazon Reads. Lots of Life hacks, which range from the bizarre and goofy (how to survive a zombie apocalypse) to the practical and common sense (how to use vinegar and baking soda and used toilet paper rolls).

The best feature of reading an ebook on life hacks is you are not subjected to the ad and multiple page loads that accompany similar lists on the internet. Also Life Hack #702, "headphones don't silence your farts for everyone else." This is important information. ( )