Ugh, temperature swings can wreck ANY material.

Honestly that sounds exactly like my last few baking attempts. The web is just flooded with terrible recipes now. What specific advice keeps conflicting for you, like oven temps or mixing times? Tbh I'm wondering if your old book had simpler, more tested methods.

Seriously? Sports just teach chasing balls.

Yeah, a buddy learned the hard way (like @reed.wesley said about control) when morning dew wrecked his overnight air-dry job. Steady heat from a lamp would've saved him that whole re-do.