Cars For Dummies

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Used Car Purchasing Tips For Dummies

It's just one of those mornings. As the rain pours down and I'm trying to start my mini (yes those old small ones) I decide it's time to buy a new car.

Now, before I embark on this wonderful journey- there are a few stumble blocks I need to sort out. Firstly, I can't afford a new car, but I'm sure I can find a nice, affordable second hand car somewhere. Secondly, I have no idea what to look for in a car.

For me it's all about how cute I will look in it and that it will take me from point A to point B. I know nothing more than the absolute necessary. The engine is in the front under the hood, the spare wheel is somewhere in the back and I know where the exhaust is. Furthermore, my knowledge is very limited.

With my boyfriend out of town and my time relatively limited, I need to find some or other guide to help me. A guide for people who knows nothing about cars, something written for dummies, a buyers guide for second hand cars.

Obviously, the best and first place I look for this 'Used car buyers guide for dummies' is on the Internet. I, of course, find quite a few irrelevant results that just show me lists of car dealers.

Eventually I stumble across a very in-depth used car buyers guide that gives you twelve different things to look out for when buying a car. I had to read it twice to understand everything, but eventually I got the hang of it.

Firstly, they give some helpful advice regarding the purchase of the used car. Then they chat about registration and documentation and give some useful information- mentioning things like the "Vehicle Identification Number" and where you need to look for it!

Furthermore the buyers guide supply the reader with tips on what to look out for when they are viewing a second hand or used car. They even mention the appearance of the car- and no this is not just the outside of the car!

They give little tidbits to look out for when you start-up the engine. Apparently, when you test-drive the car, you should drive it at various speeds- this will give you an indication of the condition of the engine.

The bodywork of the used car must be inspected and you should look out for any accident damage to the car. Make sure to check out the interior and the upholstery- lift seat covers to see if the seller isn't just hiding damaged seats!

Half of these things I would have never even thought to look at! Other tips include information about the gearbox and clutch, brakes and suspension, radiator and cooling system, as well as more general things like steering and tyres.

Must say, after reading this guide, I will definitely be able to pick out my new second hand used car with more confidence! For those women and other dummies out there that know nothing about what to look out for when buying a second hand or used car- get yourself a buyers guide! It really does help.

About the Author

Learn about extreme fat loss, floss every day and other information at the Health And Nutrition Tips site.

Stainless Steel for Dummies (1 of 3)


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Cars For Dummies Book

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Dolch Words: How Dummies Teach Reading

I never stop being amazed: some public schools are still pushing Sight Words and Dolch Words. This is highly irresponsible.

Whole Word rarely works. It expects children to memorize words as graphic designs, which is exceedingly difficult to do.

Please note, there is nothing special about our words that makes them easy to memorize. Memorizing 1000 sight-words is comparable to memorizing 1000 paintings, flags, cars, monuments, or movie stars. Indeed, memorizing English sight-words is probably more difficult than memorizing all these other categories of objects. 

I’m always trying to think up quick ways to explain this difficulty, especially to young parents. I believe I’ve got a good one here. As a thought experiment, let’s think of the 100 people you know best. We’ll put their pictures in a projector and flash them randomly on the screen at one per second. Do you think you will be able to name them at that pace? First names are good enough.

Keep in mind that we’re talking about only 100 names; these are the people you know best in the whole world; and presumably there are lots of differences to jar your memory--gender, age, hair color. And one per second is slower than reading speed. But I’ll bet you won’t be able to name those pictures, no, not even for a minute or two. 

Memory is capricious. A person you know can come into the room, and your mind goes blank. You turn to somebody and say, “Uh, you know, that guy in accounting...What’s his name?” Happens all the time, right? But during those blank seconds, a lot of pictures flash by.

Now let’s suppose it’s not your favorite 100 people, it’s just 100 people. And you have to memorize their names to the point where you have instant recall of 100 strangers. Doesn’t that sound like a tremendous amount of work? But this is basically the task thrown at little children in first grade, when they are shown their first Dolch List.

Do you know what happens? Many children master the material only in a half-baked way, but the teachers pretend the students can “read” and pass them along. Many children just give up, because very quickly it becomes evident that 100 words is only the beginning. The teachers clearly expect this process to go on and on and on.

So now, to put this in the terms of the thought experiment, suppose you have to memorize the names of 500 strangers, then 1,000 strangers... Seriously, do you think you could do this? Ever? Or you would even attempt to do this?

Bottom line, if you have a photographic memory, you might be able to do it. But no ordinary child could. And 1,000 is still only the BEGINNING. Basic literacy in English requires that you know at least 5,000 to 10,000 words. 

Do you have some sense now of how hopeless this project is? Even if you could memorize a few hundred names per year, you would still be illiterate all the way through high school.

Meanwhile, children who learn Phonics can read real books in the second and third grades. Phonics is basically a big bag of mnemonic devices to help you recognize what you are looking at. To put it in the terms of our thought experiment, it’s as if our photographs have initials in the corner  or nicknames or post-it notes. The memory needs all the help it can get.

 Whole Word is impractical because it relies 100% on information you can retain indefinitely in your brain. You are always on your own, whether it’s a picture of that old friend from high school or a new word such as fahitw. You have the names in your brain or you don’t. Phonics might be described as user-friendly--there are lots of clues and reminders to help you along. Whole Word is user-hostile. It’s a method, I’m convinced, perpetrated by insensitive dummies.

For a printable chart comparing the claims of the competing methods, please see 37: Whole Word versus Phonics on Improve-Education.org.

About the Author

Bruce Price, an author and artist, is waging a personal campaign to improve education in America. His flagship is

Improve-Education.org. Also see "30: The War Against Reading."

SketchUp: Using SketchUp's handy-dandy components


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