Woodwork Books


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Woodwork Books sorted by Bestselling .

Woodwork
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)
Published in Hardcover by Scholastic (1999-09)
Author: J.K. Rowling
List price: $22.99
New price: $7.01
Used price: $0.85
Collectible price: $19.74

Average review score:

The series truly begins.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-21
I love Prisoner of Azkaban. I think that this was the novel that really hooked me into the series. I have a hard time writing a literary review of any of the Rowling novels mainly because I do not feel like I'm reading a novel when I read these books, I feel like I'm on vacation. I'm transported into another world and forget to look at the subtext or deeply analyze anything that the writer is trying to say because it is just to much fun to just read it. This is a book to read when you are stressed out because of your real life. Try reading it when you are in a wretched mood and see if you are not instantly a little bit happier. Harry begins to evolve in this novel and the books from here begin to feel a little bit more "grown up". To me, this book is virtually the first in the series that is now so infamous. The characters are impossible to not fall in love with. Rowling seems to have her feet firmly planted in the ground at this point in the series and I knew when I finished the final pages that the series could only get better. Which of course it does.

Better than the First Two
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-14
I really enjoyed it and would have given 5 stars except for the fact that I'm a sucker for happy endings. It was sad that Harry couldn't keep his newly found friends. I did find that the writing matured as Harry did, which probably made an easier read.

An amazing novel
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-09
This is my favorite novel of the series so far. In his second year, Harry was able to overcome an incompetent professor to thwart Voldemort yet again. But this novel was even better. I never saw the ending coming. The relationship between Snape and Lupin caught me completely by surprise. And the incredible revelations about Harry's parents death add even more depth to Harry's third year. JK Rowling has an amazing imagination and I look forward to finishing the rest of her novels.

Good plot advancement but some weak elements
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-06
Summary: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in the Harry Potter series. The book introduces some key characters for the later books and gives the reader more backstory on Harry's parents. The writing seems as if J. K. Rowling was debating on doing more description or keeping the book length down -- I would have gone for more descriptions and more pages.

Setting:
The world of Harry Potter continues to expand into a more interesting fantasty setting with each book. Rowling does a good job of creating the setting using existing fantasty elements with a slight tweak to keep it non-cliche (for the most part). The Marauder's Map is a fantastic idea! It will be interesting to see if it is re-used in later novels. Note: There is starting to become a bit predictable in that each book has a new magic item which is central to the story.

Characters:
Sirius Black is introduced to the setting as a murderous wizard. The Sirius Black character is developed to a certain degree but when he has some actual dialog near the end of the book, he comes across as a bit out of sorts (Understandable after being in Azkaban for 12 years). I saw the movie version before reading the book which has colored my opinion of book and the book's characterization of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. I do prefer the movie adaptation a bit more; it could be the actors did a fantastic job.

Harry, Ron and Hermaine continue to develop a bit. Their character development is secondary to plot advancement.

Action:
The action is typical Harry Potter style where things get hairy but everyone comes out ok. The description of the mass dementor attack was weak and really should have been more developed as this is a critical scene showing what Harry can do magically and has some connection to his parent's spirits.

The relative danger level to the character is weak but appropriate for what is going on in the story.

Prose:
The prose is tight and to the point. The descriptions are not very detailed which is a bit frustrating as I keep wanting more hear with each book especially to see a difference in the movie set work (which is amazing) to see if there was something the set designers did not do for the movies. Generally, a book does a better job of describing a world than a movie -- kudos to the movie setting designers and craftsmen.

Overall: 4 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Characters: 2.5 - 3 stars
Action: 3 stars
Prose: 2.5 - 3 stars

Fabulous narration
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-06
My family has enjoyed listening to the Harry Potter audio books for several years. Jim Dale's readings include a host of characters with remarkably distinctive voices that carry over from the first book, the Sorcerer's Stone, to the last. He reads with fabulous energy and makes these great stories come to life like nothing I've ever heard before.
The Prisoner of Azkaban is no exception. This audiobook is a fabulous way to enjoy several afternoon in the car or in your favorite chair at home.


Woodwork
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)
Published in Hardcover by Scholastic Press (2000-07-08)
Author: J.K. Rowling
List price: $29.99
New price: $5.90
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $28.90

Average review score:

An amazing novel
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-30
Without a doubt this is my favorite novel of the series so far. The action in this novel was intense and I finished the novel in a couple of days. JK Rowling always does a great job of mixing foreshadowing and mystery. With each novel, I have begun to realize that nothing is as it seems. I thought I finally figured out the plot, only to be completely surprised in the end.

The novel comes after the Prisoner of Azakaban, where we learned that Sirius did not murder Harry's parents, and that wormtail was the actual villain. Wormtail escaped at the end, though, with an oracle that he would nurse Voldemort back to health. That is where the forth book picks up, Voldemort and Wormtail have returned to the house of Voldemort's father to regain health. Additionally, armed with information from a ministry employee, they seek to destroy Harry Potter again.

An old tournament is reborn, and Harry is chosen to compete although it should have been impossible. He competes and his luck remains with him until the end. Questions will be answered in this novel. Will the Death Eaters rise again? Will a student die? Will Hogwarts stay open? Will the Ministry oppose Voldemort? The Goblet of Fire is a great read.

Pure Epic-ness!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-22
While I firmly believe that the Prisoner of Azkaban is the true beginning of the series that is now known as the Harry Potter series, this is the novel that truly cements its grandeur. All of the characters begin to grow in this novel and Rowling seems to be truly growing as writer. She seems to have a firm grip on where this novel is going to go and she also seems less intimated about bringing in the true darkness of the "bad" characters. It was not until this novel that I saw why some parents would not think that it is age appropriate. I do not agree with this opinion, however I do understand it. There are some genuinely creepy, moments in this book, but I truly appreciate because I think of how many children have grown up with these books and how Rowling allows the characters in the novel to grow with them. I believe this is one of the series' greatest strengths. The complexity of the characters grow intensely and I also think that this is the story that truly connects Harry to the other important characters in the novel: Dumbledore and Voldemort. Rowling is no longer writing archetypal characters; she embrasses the archetypes that she has created, but truly allows them to become characters outside of the stereotypes. I always felt that Dumbledore was a little to similar to Gandalf the Grey, but Dumbledore starts to transcend his stereotypes as well as others in the novel. Defintely worth a read, however I would begin at least with Prisoner of Azkaban before jumping into this novel.

Best H.P. Book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-09
This,In My Opinion Is The Best Book.It definitly Is Where It Goes Into a
darker genre of books.I Would Just About Recommend This Exciting,Page-
turner,to just about anyone!

Torn on how to rate it -- good plot advancement, interesting characters but huge plot hole
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-08
Summary:
This is the 4th book in the Harry Potter series. It follows the same style, darkening tone, similar formulas as the prior three books -- new mode of transport / new magic device, new Dark Arts Teacher that is obviously a bad guy and nice convenient wrap-up of the various elements introduced. I would have given this 5 stars if there is not the huge plothole of why does Harry have to be the winner of the Triwizard tournament when undercover Death Eater could have just given Harry a Potkey at anyone point in the year.

Setting:
Rowling continues to develop a great fantasty milieu for YA (Young adults). The world is a great combination of mundane and magical. The World Cup of Quiddich is inspired and does a great job of showing the extent of the wizard world around the globe. The interface between Muggles and Wizards could use a bit of work as the method shown in the book is clearly problematic for keeping the wizard world secret.

Characters:
The main characters do advance a certain amount but still a bit on the thin side. The introduction of boy-girl relationships is an interesting element and needed given the age of the characters. Harry and Ron are clearly thick with regards to Hermiene. It is unfortunate but a needed part of a boy growing up. Hermiene is handled quite well and show an advanced maturity fitting her character (she even has some fun for a change).

Action:
The action is consistent in tone and description from the prior books. Harry is entered into the Tri-wizards tournament by someone else to get him lured into dangerous situations. Note: this is a lame plot device for getting him to Valdamort. The tests could have been a bit more difficult / interesting -- the dragon task description is a bit thin for my taste and the maze was clearly there just to get some Harry character development and move him to Valdamort. The confrontation in the graveyard was well done and helped save a poor plot device.

Prose:
The prose style is basically the same from prior three novels with a bit of expansion that is done nicely in the first part of the book. The World Cup of Quiddich is very well done.

Summary:
Overall: 3 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Characters: 2.5 stars
Action: 2.5 stars
Prose: 2.5 to 3 stars

the book is great but Jim Dale's narration is AWFUL!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-04
I love all of the Harry Potter books and think that JK Rowling is a master storyteller, but whoever decided that Jim Dale would be a good narrator for this series was seriously mistaken. Aside from the fact that he makes almost all of the characters sound like they are from the East End of London and have a mouth full of bread (aside from Hermione and Ginny who he makes WHINE all of the time), he also mispronounces many of the words, which is quite annoying. He says "Voldermort" without pronouncing the "t", and "accio" as assio, just to name a few! I mean, did they actually have JK Rowling listen to his reading before they hired him to do the WHOLE series??? If it is at all possible, DON'T waste your money on this audio of Harry Potter, go on Amazon.co.uk and get the version read by Stephen Fry. He reads this series the way they are supposed to be read!!! Stephen Fry is FANTASTIC!


Woodwork
Time-Saver Standards for Interior Design and Space Planning, 2nd Edition
Published in Hardcover by McGraw-Hill Professional (2001-06-13)
Authors: Joseph DeChiara, Julius Panero, and Martin Zelnik
List price: $157.50
New price: $98.00
Used price: $93.00

Average review score:

Great resource tool
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-15
I have been a practicing ID for the last 15 years and can't believe I had not purchased this manual previously. This is a great tool, very informative. Great time-saver!! Well worth every penny.

Can't Not Have This
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-03
This is a required book for anyone in Interior Design for a good reason: it has about everything, including the (many kinds) of kitchen sink. What I really can't stand about using it is the seemingly arbitrary indexing, scattered locations for information and nearly impossible to decipher graphics on some pages. I do not agree that it has much useful information on furniture styles: you'd be better off to shell out for Aronson's "Encyclopedia of Furniture" or Miller's "Furniture" and get right to what you need. The standard dimensions are useful, though, especially for space planning purposes. Don't be surprised if there is information missing in some cases, or it is outright incorrect. Be sure to cross-reference and here's another tip: make a cheat sheet for yourself for the pages you use most, tape it to the inside cover and go from there. The Index is a goose-chase. Why three stars? Because I think they can do better. It is time for a rehaul of the Silver Monster.

How good is your eyesight?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-03
This is a tome of a book, and its contents are initially very impressive, but it STILL contains many old and out of date details which have been pulled and photocopied from projects that are rather worn and ragged looking. Also, many of the drawings are not legible due to size and lineweight quality, and so you may have to resort to pulling out a magnifying glass to decipher the information.

In my opinion, a superior resource is "Interior Graphic Standards" by Kelsey Kruse and Maryrose McGowan. Or, at least, one should have both books but check the information in this one against the far more accurate volume by Kruse/McGowan.

Designer's Bible
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-02
Besides just being large and heavy, this book is filled with great information. For a beginner, it can be overwhelming, but it is definitely a book every designer should have on their bookshelf. It provides guidelines, dimensions, and tons of illustrations for creating the proper space. The book acknowledges designing for handicap, retail, hospitality and residential spaces. It reviews the standard sizes for furniture pieces, ceiling heights etc...Once you find what your looking for (through all of those pages), you definitely get good direction from the information provided on it.

Great tool for all Interior Designers!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-16
I am a last semester interior design student and just bought this book-I wish I had had it from the start! The book has nice sections on historical periods and furniture dimensions, residential, office, hospitality, retail, health care, banking and public restroom spaces, with lots and lots of plans, elevations and sections for each category. There is also a general reference section at the back of the book with lots of tables (space planning, wall covering or yardage amounts, as well as electrical and math tables). As well there is a nice colored section of wood and marble samples-a real time saver indeed!


Woodwork
Concrete Countertops: Design, Form, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath
Published in Paperback by Taunton (2002-03)
Authors: Fu-Tung Cheng and Eric Olsen
List price: $29.95
New price: $18.18
Used price: $16.99
Collectible price: $29.95

Average review score:

Great Start
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-31
This was a helpful book for a beginner. I learned enough to want to tackle a test project.

great info
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-07
This book really goes through all the important steps. And pictures are worth a million words..The were very helpful...I highly suggest purchasing this book.

concrete countertops
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-19
The book only details a start to finish job of a single (albeit fairly complex) kitchen counter. It would be helpful to cover some other methodologies to make it a more diverse compendium. It looks to do a good job of covering many of the pitfalls that a novice like myself may encounter on a first project. Some beautiful pics included of other projects as well.

o.k.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-17
This book is o.k. for the do it yourself person who has some previous experience, but not for the novice.

The Perfect Pastime for Obsessive Compulsives Awaits
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-26
Those whose need to obsessively clean, clean, clean will find in this volume the very thing that will give order, utility and meaning to their affliction. The many and colourful photos in the book, especially those promoting the author's own business (all of them) show the gleaming and pristine surfaces that a concrete countertop offers to those prepared to perpetually be wiping them down. I will not be surprised to learn that Howard Hughes had these babies installed.

Drinking too much? A concrete countertop may be the answer! Wine, even in relatively small amounts, left on the countertop will rapidly etch and discolour the surface you laboured so long and hard to produce. The proud owner of a concrete countertop soon learns that a hangover is hardly the only thing that remains after the party ends. You'll reminisce about the good times you've had as you survey the rings and semicircles that each glass or bottle leaves, and the imbiber soon learns to moderate his consumption in the interests of maintaining perpetual vigilance.

Fitness, too can be maintained through judicious pursuit of the simple activities described in this slim volume. If your mania for a high fruit diet has left you thin and weedy, and lacking the vigorous physique that gains respect and attention, cease your fretting! The process of creating a set of countertops rewards the devotee who follows the instruction provided with the equivalent of a 6 month strength training regime, within a single 24 hour period in which you will mix, pour the concrete, and then clean up the mess that is produced. My own set weighed an easy half-ton, and after completing and installing it, no-one ever kicked sand in my face again. And, the resulting surface is even more prone to damage from citrus than wine, so that fashionable but fey diet with lots of fruit will soon be a thing of the past, replaced by a healthy preference for beefsteak and blood sausage.

All of this points to another advantage that this book will provide its devoted apostle: a more complete appreciation of modern chemistry, and in particular the many and varied chemical compounds found in the modern kitchen, many of which - certainly more than I suspected - have an acidic nature which the counter will soon reveal.

Even after the process of pouring, the prospect of moving your creation combines all the most challenging aspects of a forced march, a bulgarian weight lifting camp and nineteenth century quarry work. Trust me, there's nothing like it, and it's all in here.

I am surprised that others who bought this did not also buy Bullfinch's Mythology. Through this book I rediscovered the joy of the study of mythology, specificaly the myth of Sysiphus, to say nothing of Prometheus, especially the liver bit.

If you've heard about concrete countertops but thought that no guide existed to introduce you to concrete's magical world; if you thought that you lacked the skills and energy to take on such a job; if you thought that agonizing labour to produce a dated-before-it-is-finished work surface cum impossible-to-dispose-of millstone was beyond you - well, let's hope you're right. For the rest of us, this book is just what the clinical psychiatrist ordered. Next time, I'll use Lithium.


Woodwork
Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship
Published in Paperback by Taunton (2003-08)
Author: Peter Korn
List price: $19.95
New price: $8.98
Used price: $9.21

Average review score:

Meta-technique
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-10
First, I'd suggest you ignore the less than five star reviews; The authors don't seem to get the point.

This book is not about specific technique. It is about the thought process you go through in selecting and applying a technique. It is about approaching things from a self-conscious perspective of Craftsmanship in woodworking. That probably sounds like the mystical-babble that most practical craftsman hate, but I found myself in complete sync with the author's thought process in about the first four paragraphs of the introduction, and I am all about practicality.

As so many of the other reviewers have noted, I wish I had found this book years ago and started with it, but then I might not have understood it at that point.

a good start
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-21
I read this book with knowing almost nothing about this subject. Though I have not tried to use the knowledge presented in this book in a practical sense, I feel that I have gained enough insight from this book to begin to do so. This book will probably be appreciated the most by those that are seeking a basic understanding of the fundamental principles of woodworking. If you are already working with wood, this book is probably not for you. For those of you who are not, this book will provide a foundation from which to do so. I would not rely on this book alone though as the only source of information on this subject, as it seems it is not comprehensive enough to encompass the whole of the subject matter.

modern woodworking for rich people
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-19
With this book you need a lot of expensive machines.
I don't consider this basic...............
A book of pictures.
Hope you can find better,finally all is here is on the web too, but free .
LM

Great for beginners or for those new to hand tools
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-17
As everyone else has mentioned, this book contains wonderful introductions to the techniques and vocabulary of fine woodworking. In addition, it also can be a great introduction to the use of hand tools, for those who might be familiar with power tools and woodworking in general, but with no hand tool experience.

One of my favorite things about this book is that the author, Peter Korn, is not afraid to give recommendations for which tools to buy and which you can do without. He sometimes will even recommend a specific brand of tool, which is great since tools may all look the same even though they are most certainly not built the same.

Overall, a great purchase.

Concise, compelling, the beginning of an addiction
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-24
I had nothing but a curiosity about woodworking when Amazon brought this book to my attention as a highly rated book for beginners. This book does an absolutely fabulous job of boiling the craft down to the basics for readers unfamiliar with the subject.

This book will not make you a master in any technique, nor will it cover anything in particular detail. What it will do is give you an introduction to wood, common tools (both hand and powered), and basic techniques for making fine furniture. This book was the beginning of an addiction for me, and for that I am grateful!


Woodwork
Building Kitchen Cabinets
Published in Paperback by Taunton (2003-04)
Author: Udo Schmidt
List price: $19.95
New price: $8.98
Used price: $9.27

Average review score:

Excellent book if you actually want to build cabinets
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-03
I bought this book and Danny Proulx's Build Your Own Kitchen Cabinets (Popular Woodworking). Proulx's book focused on particleboard construction and mostly 32mm cabinets. I was very dissapointed as I was anxious to start building cabinets and particleboard is not what I was looking for. This book however, was just what the Dr. ordered. I'm very comfortable with my tools and have been woodworking for years now, but I still found some usefull tips in the book. I skimmed the book without reading all of it and immediately bought the lumber I needed and began construction. I had a completed bathroom vanity cabinet in 1 afternoon (not including stain and finish). As others have mentioned, his dimensions are not perfect, but since my house doesn't perfectly match the book, I used my own tape measure.

Even with the dimension issues here and there, I highly recommend this book for anyone who actually wants to make cabinets. I have a few other books that discuss the "idea" of making cabinets. This one tells you the tools you need and how to do it. It focuses on pocket-hole joinery but it also shows how you can use other joinery techniques as well. I can't stress this point enough... if you are planning on building cabinets, you will love this book. If you just want to read about building cabinets, this book isn't what you want.

I'm off to buy more lumber for more cabinets!!!!

Very useful and very helpful
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-22
This book was a great introduction to how to build cabinets. Being an experienced person in woodworking, this book gave the guidance towards me taking on this project. As a previous review stated, I also found an error in the calculation table but after doing the calculation over and over again, it seemed to have the wrong calculation formula but is was indeed correct. I did though find an area that the publisher and the author should have covered that was overlooked. When assembling the doors the author states to assemble the rails and stiles with glue, drive a couple of 1/2 inch nails into the assembly and remove the clamps. After doing this, I discovered those nails while routing the outside edges with my round-over bit. So, I will in the future take extreme care to where I place those nails, assuring that they will not be found later. I also modified my wall cabinets by using 1/4 inch plywood for the tops and in some assemblies I found that using the pocket hole method better for attaching plywood to plywood, less splitting when the screw is at an angle.
Otherwise this book is an excellent source that gave me the confidence and courage to build my own cabinets, as I have them all built now, just waiting to stain and assemble them and install.

Build Like A Pro-just like says!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-17
This book is well written, and easy to understand. The author gives you a solid understanding of the basics and some of the more advanced "how-tos" of cabinet making. I would recommend this book to people who have some knowledge of power tools and want to learn how to build kitchen cabinets.

This is the best book I have ever read!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-11
This book is very well laid out and easy to follow instructions to build the greatest custom cabinets. This is the best book I own

Beginner to Expert, Something for all.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-12
I am a firm believer in the KISS method of doing things. (Keep It Simple Stupid") Every step is covered in this book so that anyone can learn from it. The "Build Like A Pro" series of books are all laid out like this one. The "Expert Tips" are great. They show you short cuts to help you do the jobs right, but in less time. This is stuff you only learn by doing the job everyday. They are trade secrets.


Woodwork
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction
Published in Hardcover by Taunton (2001-10-15)
Author: Andy Rae
List price: $39.95
New price: $25.29
Used price: $23.00

Average review score:

Not a how to book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-20
Had some ok spatterings of information , but overall I found it a bit dissapointing. Its a fairly big book but doesnt seem to really show anthing ground breaking. If I had seen it before hand I wouldn't buy it again. Thats not to say in the right hands this book wouldn't be handy .Has some interesting info on how to make your own hinges, apart from that the rest is pretty standard stuff.

VERY nice book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07
Got this for my husband for his birthday and he loves it. Hasn't had a chance to build anything since, but it will definately come in handy. The quality of the book itself is very good especially for how low the price was. There are good pictures to follow and very thorough information and directions.

A little too general
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-13
Given the scope of this work, I'm not sure what I expected, but I feel like, after reading a book on furniture and cabinet making, I ought to have some idea of how to construct a basic cabinet. While this book covers a wide variety of general techniques and types of joints commonly used, at no point does it tie them together; it discusses possibilities, but never synthesizes them into anything tangible, leaving me, at least, wondering which of the book's assorted grab bag of clever tricks might be combined to actually produce a cabinet. I already knew what a sliding dovetail was before I bought this book; what I sought to learn was the architecture and structural elements needed to design a cabinet. Strangely, I feel like I'm no closer to that knowledge than I was before I read the book.

disappointed
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-24
I found this book very disappointing. The pictures were very pretty but that is pretty much it. The illustrations were confusing and of little use. It gives too much of an overview and no real specifics. I found woodworking for dummies to be a much better book for the beginning woodworker.

Great as reference or tutorial
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-03
I don't buy many woodworking books because most, especially the ones sold by home centers, aren't very good. They lack detail, they're incomplete, and I often get the feeling that they're just cranked out without much thought. But this one caught my eye in a local bookstore and I'm glad I bought it.

First of all, the book can be used either as a reference or as a complete primer on woodworking. There's lots of information there, but not so much that you get bogged down. At first I just used it to brush up on specific topics, and then I went back to the first page and started reading it straight through. It's well-written; words are used well and not wasted. Photography is superb. Despite the reference to generic "Furniture" in the title, the book is heavily oriented toward cabinets, which it covers in great detail, even to the point of describing how to construct multi-light glass doors.

The first few pages are a little off-putting as the author describes what he considers an appropriate collection of tools and a space to put them in; unfortunately, many woodworking books assume that the reader has acres of space in which to set up a shop. As you read on, though, the text is more friendly toward the hobbyist.

In short, this is a great woodworking reference or tutorial. Don't be put off by the beginning of the book; it gets better. And the Amazon price for this book is much lower than the $40 I paid in the bookstore.


Woodwork
The Complete Guide to Sharpening
Published in Paperback by Taunton (1995-10-09)
Author: Leonard Lee
List price: $22.95
New price: $10.98
Used price: $9.95

Average review score:

Sharpening review
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-18
Everything you wanted to know about sharpening. This book is very thorough in describing in some detail how to sharpen pretty much everything in your house and garage. It is a good balance of enough information to get started without going too overboard in topics that are not of interest. I think that the book is worth reading, especially if you can only pick one book.

The science of sharpening
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-10
This book provides a very detailed look at the physics behind sharpening blades. I would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to learns the fundamentals of sharpening.

This is THE Book about sharpening!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-14
What should I say? No need anymore to write other books on sharpening. It is well written and very informative on every detail. If you would like to know everything about sharpening, buy this book and you're done.

Not a how to book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-23
I was looking for more of a how to book. This book does have a lot of information, different angles, types of stones and hones, and a method of sharpening for any edged tool or knife. It just doesnt really show how to do it all.

A toolworker's complete guide, but ....
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-17
You have to admire the author. He packs a huge amount of detailled and easily read information in this book. The electron photomicrographs, showing various sharp (and not so sharp) edges using various abarasives are excellent. Leonard also seems to know everything there is to know about the history of steel making, and abrasives. There are excellent chapters on just about every kind of woodworking tool imaginable, with plenty of excellent photographs. If I were a woodworker I would regard this book as being the one and only complete reference text.

BUT... my personal interest is in sharpening kitchen knives. And the chapter on knife sharpening is the least informative in the book, and really tells the reader nothing new that is not already available on many web sites.
For a complete knife book, you would be far better off with Chad Ward's new book "An Edge in the Kitchen", far better than this book by Mr Lee.
Also the advice to use plastic book binders as sharpening guides is quite simply useless - they slip off and/or distort under pressure.

I don't mean to disrespect Leonard Lee, or this book. But it is really for woodworking tools, not kitchen knives. Sorry!!


Woodwork
Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish
Published in Hardcover by Readers Digest (2005-06-23)
Author: Bob Flexner
List price: $29.95
New price: $17.61
Used price: $21.25

Average review score:

A Breath of Fresh Air
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-18
I couldn't resist the pun for the title, but it expresses my feelings about this book. I can actually say, for the first time, having read this book, that I understand the basics of finish materials themselves, how they work chemically, how they may be combined (alternatively, when they should not be), what processes each finish type is best suited to, the roles of solvents (thinners) and cleaners as well as the differences between them, sheen, dyes vs. pigment-based coloration, sealing and washcoats, finish leveling and rubout, and a score of other topics this book covers. I can tell you - precisely - the differences between evaporative, reactive, and coalescing finishes, how each builds a film, the strengths and shortcomings of each, the differences in repairability and protection, and more.

This book removes the BS factor from the horribly muddled world of commercially-available finishes, explaining along the way WHY it's as muddled as it is - reducing to history, marketing, and the role of finish manufacturers as middlemen - the finish chemists being employed not by them, but by the ingredient manufacturers. The author demolishes a lot of myths along the way, literally by listing myths and the corresponding truth in sidebars throughout the book.

There are specific topics and bits of advice that are priceless. Among them I would list the process for dyeing figured maple, pre-finish cleaning of oily woods, food-safe finishes, and a dozen or more ways to use shellac to solve problems.

I don't agree with everything in the book. I think the author is too generous to the polish manufacturers, for example, particularly as regards silicone. While he discusses fisheye and silicone issues mostly as a refinishing issue, for example, I think it is actually destructive to existing finishes due to its propensity to migrate under finishes by way of cracks and other surface flaws. I also think he comes off as a bit harsh on oil finishes, though I don't know if that was intended.

I found the book very readable. You will want to read it from beginning to end, as succeeding text builds on earlier concepts. The exception to that would be the final section, on refinishing and strippers.

Understand this book and you will be able to select and apply finishes with complete confidence. Be aware, however, that despite the title, it is not a step-by-step finishing manual. The focus is on understanding the materials.

The reference book on finishing materials
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-09
Excellent book on the fundamentals of finishing wood, including detailed description of the three major categories of finishes and their characteristics. You must do some interpretation to make it work for you, as Flexner does not give extensive details and options for each wood species. Instead, he explores the functional properties of finishes, dyes, stains, fillers, etc.

Buy the Hardcover Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-18
I checked the hardcover version out from the library and enjoyed the detailed instructions for specific finishing techniques, as well as the general information on the types of wood finished and illustrative photos. A received the paperback version as a Christmas present only to be thoroughly disappointed that the beautiful photos had all been converted to sepia tones. That eliminated all of the detail! Save yourself the disappointment and go straight to hardcover.

Great book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
This book is not a list of grandma recipes, it explains wood finishes to enable you to create your recipes.

a waste of time
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-21
a waste of time if you are actually looking for constructive finishing of a specific wood. This guy is more interested in impressing you with what he knows rather than helping you understand how to finish your project.


Woodwork
Tree Houses You Can Actually Build: A Weekend Project Book (Stiles, David R. Weekend Project Book Series.)
Published in Paperback by Houghton Mifflin (1998-05-26)
Authors: David Stiles and Jeanie Trusty Stiles
List price: $18.00
New price: $9.30
Used price: $6.95

Average review score:

Title for Tree Houses You can Actually Build
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-01
I think you have to be a master carpenter to actually do any of them in a week-end but the detail is pretty good.....odd thing is, I bought this book and already had it at home! I must have really liked it!

To find the kids, look up
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-20
Color pictures of some fantastic tree house ideas. No limits on imagination here. One caution: Don't let the kids see it first! Can't wait to start one of these ideas.

Lively little sketch book, very conversational
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-27
Works for kids, works for adults, very clear and very helpful. Very graphics oriented and the sketches make the text very clear.
Unfortunately does not even mention escalating tree houses beyond the backyard project - if this were a full-revalation book, you would see the new engineering miracle, the Garnier Limb.

We were quite pleased - PS we are hard graders, hardly anything gets a 5.

Great Help!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-08
Excellent guide for treehouse construction. We used the book as a basis for our treehouse and modified one of the designs. This book was extremely valuable for us and guided us through alot of potential pitfalls. Highly recommend!

you CAN actually build one of these!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-06
What a fantastic book! My kids and I have had so much fun browsing through and getting ideas for their tree house. From the basic tree house to more elaborate designs, it's in here. With the help of this book, you can actually build one affordably.


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