Like many modern men, Nick Harper was useless when it came to knowing how to 'do' manly stuff. Yes, he could do all the modern nonsense like sending an email, downloading music and setting the video so it came on at the right time, but when it came to life's proper skills - the ones all good dads seem to know off by heart - he was left scratching his head. He couldn't wire a plug or bleed a radiator. He couldn't navigate by the stars or catch a fish with just a piece of string. And he couldn't rip a phone book in half using just his bare hands. But rather than feel sorry for himself, he decided to do something about it. Several months and a number of cuts and bruises later, the result is "Man Skills", a book which does exactly what it says on the cover. Read it and you'll learn how to shake hands like a man...carve a Sunday roast...tie a bow tie...change a baby's nappy...toss a caber...undo a bra with only one hand...rip a phone book in half...gut a fish...fix a dripping tap...dance properly...and make a million pounds in five working days or your money back. They're all covered (apart from that last one), plus many, many more. The result is an amusing and essential guide to being just a bit less crap. You can't afford not to, quite frankly.

Nick Harper is a tall journalist with a light beard who writes stuff for a living. In recent times he has written for Men's Health, The Guardian, FHM, FourFourTwo and Sport. He is married, to his wife, and lives in London, in a house.