The average American spends 70 hours per year, the equivalent of nearly two full work weeks, on lawn and garden care. For some, lawn care is an onerous task, grudgingly accomplished, and for others it is a source of personal pride and accomplishment. Over the past four decades, author John B. Marek has variously and intermittently fallen into both camps. In Ben and the Art of Lawnmower Maintenance, he weaves humorous personal anecdotes with fascinating historical facts, and recounts his father's homespun wisdom alongside insight gained from his own suburban homesteading experiences.