I am SO not a hardware geek. I've always been aware of it, but was sadly reminded of that fact as I read The Best of Instructables Volume I, the latest book I received as part of the O'Reilly Blogger Review Program. There are over 120 project in this book, all with pictures and clear instructions. What it doesn't contain is the skillset I need for the coolest of them; a solid understanding of electronics and the ability to solder. Having said that, I see that I can learn these skills on the Instructables website, where you can see almost all of the projects in the book.
The advantage of the book is having offline access in one nice volume. Projects are divided into the following categories: Home & Garden, Food, Photography, Science, Computers, Electronics, Robotics, Ride, Craft, Entertainment, Fun & Games, and Tools. Definitely interesting projects in each area (and come to think of it, the Food category doesn't require any soldering OR electronics!). This review has already taken twice as long as it should as I continue to leaf through (ok, I'm scrolling through as I have the PDF version), stopping to gaze at the wonderful projects that have resulted from someone's incredible imagination. Truly fascinating.
That said, if you're going to spend $25 or more, I'd highly recommend skipping the book and putting a little more money up to get a pro membership on the Instructables website instead. (No, I don't get a kickback for sending you there). You'll have access to almost every one of these projects (a few are unique to the book), but also thousands more. Oh, and if it's your first time visiting the site, please don't do it if you have other work to get done. Don't say I didn't warn you!