Why do candles always seem to be situated at the bottom of narrow glass containers, where, when you reach in with an upside-down match you can be assured of watching the flame change directions and race up to your hand? It’s hilarious to the woman you’re trying to impress with the candles, but, seriously, you need a better way.

What about using a dry spaghetti noodle? It’s long, thin enough to keep your fingers out of trouble and — who would have know this? — it burns easily. Problem solved. She still thinks you’re hot. (But not your hand.)

You won’t know how much you need Life Hacks: Uncommon Solutions to Common Problems until you get this breezy, 64-page book by Annabel Staff. It’s chock full of ingenious little solutions to life’s hassles. Not the big problems like taxes and erectile dysfunction. Just the really irritating small ones. (Maybe there is a simple ED hack, and it will be in the next edition — who knows?)

The good advice starts from the front cover. We see a cupcake holder being repurposed at the bottom of a popsicle to safeguard hands from melt drip. Ingenious!

Each of the more than 30 life hacks in this book are illustrated to fully explain the problem and the solution at a glance. (Come to think of it, we’re kind of glad there’s no ED hack.)

Life’s hard enough. You deserve a few good hacks.