In Home Inspector Confidential, Matt Fellman provides twenty years’ worth of authentic insider knowledge and practical know-how from his career as a home inspector–an industry that is more complex, and more rewarding, than most people know.

Not that it’s always been easy. In honest, lighthearted, and often humorous prose, Fellman describes being screamed at by sellers, buyers, real estate agents, and contractors; being bitten by dogs; knocking open beehives; trying to avoid dead rats in thousands of crawl spaces. Oh, and he’s been sued a few times, too.

But Fellman shows how all the hard work and unpleasantness are ultimately worth it. Aside from the financial reward and interesting technical challenges, there is the deep satisfaction that comes from helping people find not just a house, but a home–a place where, as Fellman points out, they will likely experience “births, deaths, marriages, graduations, and all kinds of other life-changing events.”

Essential reading for anyone considering a career in this field–but others will enjoy it too.