The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issues product recalls when consumer products present an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. Typical hazards include toys that contain high levels of lead, electronic products that can short circuit, overheat and cause a burns, or mislabeled products.
Well, you can add dangerous books to that list as well. When I first spotted the recall notice, I had thought that ink may have contained lead or that the books posed some other form of physical danger. However, the true danger posed by books is knowledge or, more accurately, misknowledge. Be assured that these books are not being recalled for being profane or indecent. Instead, as the recall notice points out, “The books contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumer to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers.”
So, what’s the prime directive for DIYers? Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Now, we can also add don’t believe everything you read in a book.