REVIEW Guide to 100 things skimps on details

It sounds intriguing, but you already know how to do most of it.
By MIKE MAZA
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
"THE EXPERTS' GUIDE TO 100 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO" by Samantha Ettus (Potter, $19.95)
If everyone should know how to do these 100 things, why do we need experts to explain them? Or if these things need to be explained by experts, isn't it odd to think that (a) everyone should know them and (b) each can be explained in two or three pages?
This is not mere word play. If one is going to read, say, Tracey R. Henderson's two pages on how to make a bed, one expects to learn ... something. The Holiday Inn employee was Executive Housekeeper of the Year 2003. But Henderson is no better at unfolding the mystery of hospital corners than our late Aunt Esther.
Kathy Smith on push-ups and sit-ups, Nicole Miller on tying a scarf, Stephen Covey on managing time, Suze Orman on saving money, Heloise on laundry, Bob Vila on painting a room, Dean Ornish on relaxation, Howie Mandel on joke telling, Ira Glass on storytelling, Larry King on listening, Debbi (Mrs.) Fields on baking chocolate chip cookies. And dozens more. Sounds tempting, but though you'll pick up a hint here, a tip there, you already know most of the simple stuff while the short form is fatal to any complexity.
Tips from Trump
Donald Trump, for example, goes the 10-tips route on negotiation. No. 7 is "Let your guard down, but only on purpose. Watch how your negotiating partners respond." We know what it means to let your guard down when boxing. But how do you do it during negotiation (and what might you get hit with)? Trump doesn't explain.
XMore information on the book is online (www.theexpertsguideto.com).