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ABAW: The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should know How to Do, Created by Samantha Ettus
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 2:23PM The Experts’ Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do
Created by Samantha Ettus
If alcohol is a social lubricant, coffee is a social adhesive. A couple of years ago I tried to make coffee for my in-laws. It didn’t go well. I haven’t made coffee for anyone since. Partner makes a seriously good cup of coffee. He should. He makes coffee for himself once or twice a day. His goal is caffeination, to be sure. But if you watch him—measuring the beans on the scale (10 grams), grinding them (fine, but not super-fine), moistening the unbleached cone filter (peel it open and THEN moisten), slowly pouring the boiling water over the beans (in two portions, with a pause to watch in between)—you might see something that looks more like ritual.
I have wanted to learn how, I really have. Last week, I made my first proper cup of coffee. It was a lovely thing. I engaged the rituals, step-by-step. After years of watching someone else do it, I’d apparently picked up a thing or two. Partner didn’t prompt me. Maybe I needed written instructions. I was motivated by this book, The Experts’ Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do, created by media personality Samantha Ettus.
In her introduction, Ettus explains how she kept a list of things she wanted to know how to do. As she worked through her list, she sought out expert guidance to remedy her lacks. In the process, she found that she became an expert at identifying experts. Her sources of guidance “were chosen based on their accomplishments, talent, and undeniable spark….”
Some of the tasks are straightforward, that can be accomplished briefly: brewing coffee, tying a scarf or necktie. Some are longer processes to complete, step-by-step, over time: learning a language, managing money. All of the experts are interesting choices in one way or another.
This is a great sort of basic book for anyone who just wants to know how to do things. Also a useful quick reference for a writer to think about the ways in which we do things. When I think about a character, for instance, I might think about the way he shaves. His shaving choices might say something about his overall character. Thinking about how to do something well provides my writer brain with a starting point for how to complicate a character, or to lend authenticity to an action, or to properly conduct a background investigation.
As a person who enjoys learning how to do things—and, yes, as an overachiever who likes to do things right—I think this book was fun. I enjoyed reading the entries, even about things I know how to do. I was forced to reflect on my own practice (how I wash my hair—no, I’m not changing, even though I don’t wash my hair as Mr. Fekkai advises, but I did think about it).
My favorites: Ira Glass on how to tell a story (“the more you’re in it to amuse yourself, the better it’ll be”) and how to apologize. The most fascinating to me (but the least likely to be used by me) were three athletic entries, how to swim, how to swing a golf club, and how to swing a tennis racket. They provided brief, though curiously detailed insight into the mechanics of athleticism and the athletes’ brain.
Ettus has three other Expert Guides: The Baby Years, Life at Home, and Doing Things Faster. Check out her Experts web-site for more information about Ettus and her endeavors.
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Reader Comments (3)
(yes, I'm stalking you).
You have inspired me. I'm going to make a list of basic domestic things I want to learn how to do and I'm going to start crossing items off.
I don't think it's cheating if my first item is "learn to make bread from scratch" and comes complete with a check-mark. What do you think?
As an obsessive list maker, I can tell you that I frequently put things on lists just so that I can cross them off. So YES! Absolutely put the bread on there and then bask in the awesomeness of accomplishment. xo
By the way, Amy, that book is available at the library. There are 100 things in there for you to learn.