Making Stuff and Doing Things: DIY Guides to Just about Everything

When you're young, broke, and in search of a life of adventure, Making Stuff and Doing Things is the most useful book on the planet. It's an indispensable handbook full of basic life skills for the young punk or activist, or for anyone who's trying to get by, get stuff done, and live life to the fullest without a lot of money. The book started in the 90s as a series of zines, with dozens of contributors setting down the most important skills they knew in concise, often hand-written pages. If you want to do it yourself or do it together, this book has it all, from making your own toothpaste to making your own art and media, feeding, clothing, cleaning, and entertaining yourself, surviving on little, thriving on less, and staying healthy for all your life's adventures. You'll never be bored again.

Kyle Bravo is an artist and musician who lives and works in the upper 9th Ward of New Orleans. He teaches art to pay the bills then makes art and plays music every other possible spare moment. He is a founding member of the artist-run gallery The Front and also co-founder of Hot Iron Press, both hand-in-hand with his wife, artist Jenny LeBlanc. Back when he was a young and idealistic punk rocker, Kyle edited the book Making Stuff and Doing Things: A Collection of DIY Guides to Just About Everything, which is amazingly still available in your local anarchist bookstore. Kyle's most recent musical projects include fiddling with his 4-track in his garage and his bands Kay Swiss and the Keddz and Koozie Basket.