Janet Ingraham Dwyer – Library Journal: Those visiting Giffels's (columnist, Akron Beacon Journal) dream house often ask him if he's seen the Tom Hanks movie The Money Pit. His is an astonishingly decrepit mansion built in 1913 and last maintained in 1965. The owner remained long after that year, right until (and a little after) Giffels bought it and took possession. Giffels is an incorrigible do-it-yourselfer. Hunting for the right home for his growing family, he let no combination of rot, rust, decay, wildlife, buckling walls, gaping roofs, and assorted dilapidation sway him once he and his wife, Gina, fell in love with the past, and the potential, of his Tudor revival behemoth. Giffels's restoration adventures include a drywall finishing team whose combined r?sum? includes manslaughter and managing a Cyndi Lauper tour; a failed attempt to blast out squirrels with a Fender Stratocaster; the thrill of buried treasure; a touch of Akron, OH, local history; and ruminations on parenthood, loss, and love. The book ends with the birth of the Giffels's second child, but a brief afterword indicates that, ten years later, renovation continues. A funny, painful, engaging cautionary tale, warmly recommended for public libraries.