Review of The Truth About Plumbing

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Truth About Plumbing" by Avram Friedman.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Title: The Truth About Plumbing
Author: Avram Friedman

I would just like to say how much I liked the dedication at the beginning:

'I am sorry we did not do better'

You have to read the book to know why I think it is appropriate.

I had no idea that there would be a day when I would be avidly turning the pages of a book concerned with plumbing, yet here I was, reading about sewerage, soldering, PEX pipes, etc., and enjoying it! In fact, I am glad I read it, and my respect for plumbers has increased tenfold. The overworked people in this profession have to deal with cold water in the winter, human waste, disrespectful customers with the same old plumbing problems going around and around in ever-increasing circles. The setups we have in place for our homes' plumbing are far from perfect and not environmentally friendly. Avram Friedman suspects it will be a very long time before water organisation is truly sustainable, and many aspects need improvement. He has some suggestions towards the end. Scarily, there are chemicals and materials used in plumbing, such as PEX, which can leak harmful substances into the food chain, such as toluene, BPA, and TBA.

Plumbing problems are never-ending, such as the repeated freezing of water in pipes or warm water causing mould in the summer months. I like the section about 'plumbicide'; his writing can be cleverly ironic at times.

It is not an easy profession, and the public takes them for granted. For instance, they must keep up with the latest trends and codes, and therefore are encouraged to take an annual course.

He has come a long way since his youth spent in a kibbutz in Israel, where he first found his footing in plumbing.

There were no grammatical errors, and found the editing to be good. I enjoyed his style of writing; he has a talent for drawing the reader in. Now I have information about plumbing that I didn't know before; thank you, Avram! For this informative book. I enjoyed his sense of humour, his obvious in-depth knowledge of his subject, and his writing style, and can find no reason not to award a full five stars.

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The Truth About Plumbing
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[Onyemuwa-dave]

It's fantastic how you went from "no idea" you'd enjoy a book on plumbing to having your "respect for plumbers increased tenfold." Your highlights on the challenges they face, the environmental concerns with PEX pipes, and Friedman's "cleverly ironic" writing, like "plumbicide," really draw the reader in.