Maclean Will - James Mays man lab: the book of usefulness

James May is a writer, broadcaster and co-host of Top Gear on BBC2. He writes a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph and has presented series for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky.

Will Maclean was born and brought up in Merseyside, but now lives in London. He has written professionally for seven years, and amateurishly for many years before that. Hes written material for a variety of television shows. Most valued manskill: reglazing windows.

THE BOOK OF USEFULNESS

James May and Will Maclean

Illustrations by
Simon Ecob and Alex Morris

www.hodder.co.uk

Also by James May

James Mays Magnificent Machines, James Mays 20th Century,
Car Fever, How to Land an A330 Airbus

Simon Ecob has worked as a freelance cartoonist and illustrator for the last twenty years. He enjoyed a long association with Viz Comic where, as well as producing numerous paintings and illustrated features, he was principal artist on the strip Jack Black. His comic work has also appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man and Cosmic magazine. He has illustrated a variety of childrens books, including the The Unbeatable Boys Book, The Boys Book of Survival and Disgusting Jokes for Kids.

Alex Morris is one of the designers and creators of the bestselling books The Framley Examiner and Bollocks to Alton Towers as well as being a regular contributor to Viz Comic. He can also fix a leaking tap, repair a hoover and construct garden decking, but somehow managed to completely knacker the back wheel on his daughters bicycle whilst trying to repair it. Sorry, Daisy.

You are holding in your hands the book of usefulness. Were not claiming that this is the definitive reference work on being useful, because that would be a very big book indeed, and would have to include instructions on playing the Theremin and building your own lunar lander.

Instead, this volume, densely packed with useful information and guidance though it is, should be thought of more as usefulnesss muse; the inspiration to have a go at some art or craft skill you imagined to be beyond you, and reassuring confirmation that its OK to be excited by chisels.

This is what Man Lab is all about having a go at something that seems like a good idea, even if it turns out not to be. The Man Lab ethos is probably best represented by our Swiss Army Bicycle.

It occurred to us, in our home-made bar, that the bicycle as we know it, has been with us since 1885, when John Kemp Starley designed and built his Rover Safety Bicycle. But for all that time it has rested rather arrogantly on its laurels. Certainly, the basic idea has been refined considerably, but a bicycle is still only a bicycle, and suitable only for riding around on.

Interestingly, just a few years after that seminal bicycle another man, named Karl Elsener, gave us the first of what would come to be known as the Swiss Army Penknife. He successfully added a second blade to the previously single-bladed clasp knife, and from there he and his followers went on to add the tin opener, the corkscrew, the tweezers, and everything else we like to have in our pockets. Today, a dazzling range of these knives is available, tailored to the needs of anglers, campers, rescue teams and even watch repairers.

The Swisss Army Bicycle an early prototype.

This is the thinking we applied to our bike, and arrived at the Swiss Army Bicycle Village Handyman Edition. Its still a bicycle, but it is also equipped to allow its rider to clean windows, attach hinges, creosote fences, sharpen knives, repair other bicycles and prepare delicious fruit-based milky beverages. With this as a template, surely other bespoke multi-tool bicycles will follow.

Sadly, the Swiss Army Bike came to us some time after the contents of this book had been prepared for print, and therefore does not appear in the following pages. So this introduction has not really been very useful at all. Maybe next time. Meanwhile, here is another picture.

The Swiss Army Bicycle Village Handyman Edition the dawn of a new age of usefulness for men.

Welcome to the Man Lab! A place where men will rediscover their practical, creative sides and re-acquaint themselves with skills and knowledge they thought long-lost. Skills such as how to drive a spile into a cask of ale, and knowing what a spile is in the first place.