The Authors
![James May is a writer broadcaster and co-host of Top Gear on BBC2 He writes a - photo 1](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0005-01a.jpg)
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 - photo 2](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0005-01b.jpg)
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.
JAMES MAYS
MAN LAB
THE BOOK OF USEFULNESS
James May and Will Maclean
Illustrations by
Simon Ecob and Alex Morris
![James Mays Man Lab The Book of Usefulness - image 3](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/pub.jpg)
www.hodder.co.uk
Neither the author nor the publisher can accept any legal
responsibility or liability for any harm arising from the techniques,
advice or situations described in this book.
First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Hodder & Stoughton
An Hachette UK company
Copyright Plum Pictures 2011
The right of James May and Will Maclean to be identified as the Authors of the Work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
By arrangement with the BBC
The BBC logo is a registered trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation and is used under licence BBC logo 1996
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
Design by Bobby Birchall, Bobby&Co
Illustrations by Simon Ecob and Alex Morris
ISBN 9781444736335
Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH
www.hodder.co.uk
Contents
![Also by James May James Mays Magnificent Machines James Mays 20th Century - photo 4](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0002-01.jpg)
Also by James May
James Mays Magnificent Machines, James Mays 20th Century,
Car Fever, How to Land an A330 Airbus
The Illustrators
![Simon Ecob has worked as a freelance cartoonist and illustrator for the last - photo 5](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0005-01.jpg)
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 - photo 6](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0005-02.jpg)
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.
Introduction
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 - photo 7](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0009-01.jpg)
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 - photo 8](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0010-01.jpg)
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 - photo 9](/uploads/posts/book/356333/Images/f0011-01.jpg)
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.