Furniture Books

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.

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.

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.

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.

It is well known that woodworkers have different styles. I think Andy Ray's style will work for majority people trying to learn woodworking. His writing is clear, and he also presents thoughts in logical way. Thus, the book precisely explain why he does this way but not another.

While we did not use this book as much as we did the Baby version, it still had some good information. The companion website is also invaluable.

A great book to have if you want to be smart about what to buy, when there are so many baby products out there. Please note that this is for toddlers aged 2-5. If you have a younger child, it's better to buy a "Baby Bargains" book. Great info on various brands and ratings of both domestic and imported baby gear and apparel, including clothing, shoes, strollers, etc. Some of the information is not necessarily about saving money, as the authors also review posh items, but they also give you great tips on when to buy discounted stuff and get brand name things for less. Overall, a useful book.

I started with Baby Bargins and moved on to this one, I love it...as a new mom it saves me so much time and money.

I hated the baby bargains book but this one is WORSE. My pediatrician gave it a hands down and his only comment was "a few authors trying to make a buck."
They obviously have no research in this book because they recommend products that are not even age appropriate. These authors have little credibility in my eyes and according to other reviewers, it seems the same. I was never a bargain shopper, really, I mean who is unless you have to be! But, if I was, I don't see this book as a bargain.

I haven't had time to read through it yet. But the Baby Bargains book was pretty helpful (though too dependent on the anecdote in some cases). I'm hoping this will be similar.

I downloaded the 2007 edition from the Baby Bargains website since the print version offered at Amazon is 3 years out of date. The eBook is in PDF format and readable by any computer with a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. It's also cheaper than the paperback.

On the plus side you can do immediate text searches within the book and you could print out just the relevant info for your shopping trips. On the negative side, you won't have a copy to casually flip through. Everytime, you'll need to boot up your computer or PDA (or PSP running a homebrew PDF reader).

As CEO Coach, Poet and author of a leadership book that helps leaders learn how to unleash the genius of teams and corporations, I feel this book is a must read. Max is not talking about theories, he is sharing his real experiences from his successful leadership of an excellent company. If you want to learn how to be a leader, this book is core to your collection. I have learned much from this insightful book. Paul David Walker Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations

This book was purchased as a birthday (May) gift for a family member who has subordinates reporting to her. Shipment was prompt and book arrived timely and in excellent condition. I have seen others review of this book, saying it is a "must read" for anyone having people reporting to them. Since the birthday isn't until May, I won't know her reaction till after then.

I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read and the concept was one I believe all of Corporate America should embrace.

Max Depree has captured the essence of leadership in plain language. His clarity is unmatched in a world filled with leadership related noise. You will not enjoy the book if you are a moron. However, if thinking is something pleasurable for you, you will not be disappointed reading Leadership is an Art. I have shared this book with every person I have worked with who has leadership in their soul and a lifetime of learning in front of them.

Pound for pound the best investment you will make in leadership education this or any year.

Not everything that is old is wise. But this book, written 20 years ago, is jam-packed with wisdom. Max DePree wrote in 1987 that the management team's job "is to provide an environment that allows momentum to gather."

DePree's simple, but profound leadership primer has never been equaled. Read it and you'll marvel at the insights--like in his five-page chapter, "Pink Ice in the Urinal." Few CEOs before him and hardly anyone after him have so eloquently discussed the tendency of organizations to deteriorate like in the pink ice chapter. Even DePree's chapter titles are memorable: Theory Fastball, Tribal Storytelling, Some Thoughts for CEOs Who Build Buildings, and Why Should I Weep?

DePree wrote that a financial analyst once asked him, "What is one of the most difficult things that you personally need to work on?" DePree's answer: "The interception of entropy."

"One of the important things leaders need to learn is to recognize the signals of impending deterioration." He kept a list and observed that leaders, especially in large organizations, fail to see the signs of entropy, including: 1) a tendency toward superficiality; 2) no longer having time for celebration and ritual; 3) a growing feeling that rewards and goals are the same thing; 4) when people stop telling tribal stories or cannot understand them; and 5) when problem-makers outnumber problem-solvers. His list was longer--but you get the idea.

The pink ice in the urinal? It was a team member's odd suggestion for dressing up the men's room for their VIP visitors. "Despite the good intentions behind this idea," DePree commented that the team member was signaling a clear deterioration in thinking and strategizing. The pink ice in the urinal would have little effect on the VIPs--so why bother? Focus on the strategic, not the cosmetic.

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.

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 book is very well laid out and easy to follow instructions to build the greatest custom cabinets. This is the best book I own

This book covers all the esentials of traditional cabinet making.
It was well done, but nothing very revealing or greatly helpfull for me.

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.

This book is very attractive and informative, but I found it lacking some of the very basics, and the production steps are often not laid out chronologically. In the crown molding section, there is no suggested nailing plan, so as someone who has never done crown molding but is planning to attempt it, this book alone does not suffice.

I bought this title from the Build Like A Pro series based on a good experience with their "Build a Shed" book, which was like having an experienced carpenter explain how he would approach and resolve each construction issue.
This title was written by a guy who obviously has the years of experience under his belt but needs a strong editor to map out the writing process. The author uses terminology several times before defining it many pages later, and in general doesn't leave the reader with a full understanding of how to proceed.

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.

I'm new to trim carpentry and wanted a step-by-step book to accelerate my learning and minimize mistakes while improving quality.

Within 10 minutes of reading, I picked up several great new ideas and one new and important technique. I was amazed that after completing two full rooms of crown moulding that there were so many shortcuts, secrets and techniques I hadn't picked up and wouldn't of ever learned on my own.

Inside, there are many color photos, expert tips described in the margins and step-by-step instructions on how to best complete the project.

I recommend this book for begginers BEFORE you start putting up crown moulding or starting other trim carpentry projects.

If you want a comprehensive woodworking book for any home project imaginable, this is the book.From planning a project with how to do scale drawings,selecting building materials,to construction and anicdotes to solving common problems faced in out of square spaces. I have recently purchased an old 1900 house and can't wait to use the information in this book to assist me with installing multi peiced crownmolding and building custom cabinets for my kitchen.

Recieved in Good Condition.

I found this to be one of the better books I've seen about setting up shop. It showcases plenty of example shops and has some handy advise. However, like most books on this topic, it tries to cover all the possibilites - building a separate shop, working in a shed, basement, attic etc. and pertinent information for any one case is thus sparse. I'd like to see books specifically for conversion of a basement space or shed etc. into a shop, but I guess that would only add limitations on readership from a writer/publisher perspective.

Don't know if anyone else has addresed this. I have been building my barn shop for 7 years now. The book covers many of my thoughts and concerns. Would have wanted this sooner than later. Points raised for consideration. Noise and sound. I put in some wood walls, painted white and sealed against moisture, but I fussed with that or drywall. I considered my own sound issues and went with wood. But after reading some of the author's comments I will be spending extra time for fire protection and sound absorption when I do other parts of the shop. Not for me alone, but for my nieghbors as well. Good book to read before, during or contemplating a shop. Hey, we get to find out about how the masters of wood roughed it as well.

I can never get enough books- and each one has excellent ideas. This lets me plan ahead for the stuff I might get in the future, as well as solutions that other people have found to common problems.

I've set up automotive repair shops before but never a wood working shop. In my opinion this book will be invaluable to anyone setting up a woodworking shop. It walks you thru setup step by step. What I found really great was the information on electrical and lighting, air filtering, heating, and compressed air information.

A must have reference work on wood finishing. High quality photos. Covers everything I can think of, and then some.

I have been working with wood for more than 30 years. The descriptions, explanations, and charts in this book are wonderful. The illustrations are superb -- a typical Taunton Press production. Highly recommended.

The Taunton's Guides are well written and illustrated with many color images. This one has a tremendous amount of information, but beginners may be put off by the large number of finishing materials and heavy machinery that are discussed; if you've just built a table and want to know a couple of ways to finish it, this book may be excessive. But if you want a full discussion of finishing techniques and you can sort out which ones are for you, this book is fine.

Before I read Jeff Jewitt's book on finishing I knew almost nothing about the finishing process. After reading this book cover to cover almost five times now, I feel confident about applying a finish to my first project. Jeff's writing style and knack for explaining make learning the often misunderstood art of finishing a pure pleasure. You will learn all types of finishing and application styles from padding, wiping, brushing and spraying. Jeff covers preparation of the wood surface all the way through staining, filling, sealing, top coats, and finally buffing. The plethora of color photos really gives you a good idea of what he is describing and enhance the text tremendously. You will not be disappointed with this encyclopedic description of wood finishing.

Unlike the other books in the Taunton's series, this one seems to jump around. The presentation is complex. This book may be useful to a more advanced woodworker. As a novice I found it daunting. It is, with out a doubt very thorough.

I got this book along with several other box books. I love this book. It is simple, and easy to make these boxes. I have made seven boxes and everyone wants to buy them. I have to make a lot more for Christmas. You will be suprised how nice these boxes come out and how easy they are to make.

I enjoyed this book. It has interesting designs and careful plans on how to execute the designs.

I purchased this book to try something different for gifts. The boxes that I have made came out great! I have only made five so far, but will make more. I used walnut oil on four of the boxes, rather than the products that she mentions, and tried spray lacquer on one. I followed her suggestion for flocking the inside of the drawers. They require quite a bit of sanding, but are lots of fun to make. You'll really want a spindle sander or 6" X 48" belt sander or similar for the curved surfaces. You won't be disapointed with this book.

As a beginner with the bandsaw, I loved the approach Ventura took with this book. From the beginning she presents the building of these boxes in a logical and well described manner. I have made several of the boxes in the last month and have learned a bunch. I will continue to make these boxes since everyone loves them and have asked for them as gifts.
The only drawback I would like to point out is the chapter on finishing. Ventura is a little locked into the finishing products she uses. There is little in the way of recommendations on finishing with other than those particular products. I don't use those so was left a little to search on my own.
Aside from that one minor issue with the finishing I found this a great book to help the beginner jump in and make some very successful designs.

The book is well written, the photos are fine. I did not expect the step by step, cookie-cutter directions that this book is. I wanted a more general approach to making ANY box on the bandsaw. For example, since she incorporates the cuts through the frame of the box to make the drawers into her design (and I want to minimize and conceal those cuts) I found no good info on how best to hide those cuts. Her boxes are beautiful, and if all you want to do is duplicate those specific boxes, this book is for you.

Very good ideas and beautiful examples of what can be done with Faux finishing. I was fortunate enough to visit the "House that Faux built" in Virginia and the book has great photographs. Realizing that this is not another how to do it book, but rather an exposure to many marvelous things that can be done with Faux techniques, I have found it to be a good resource for ideas and examples.

I loved how they redid the basement! the pictures inspired me to tackle my own basement!

The house that Faux Built takes a beautiful art form and applies it in a way that helps society. The techniques can be done by anyone--with or without an art background. It's simple, easy to understand instructions bring the ability to have a beautiful home to everyone, taking the issue of money out of the equation and replacing it with creativity and know-how. What a wonderful gift! The fact that it is all linked to charities is brilliant!

If you like looking & not doing, this is the book for you. I purchased this book under the impression that it was a "how to" book on faux techniques. Not at all.The featured house is gorgeous as you would expect since it was all done by very talented people. But for those of us lacking in that aspect the inspiration isn't even close to attainable.

I purchased this book along with another it was paired with "Your Home a Living Canvas" by Curtis Heuser. I was looking for help in learning some basic faux techniques, as I am nearing the completion of a major home remodeling project. Unfortunately, though full of great decorative painting pics, there was absolutely no step by step information on how to achieve the same results, as suggested by the sub-title "transform your home from shabby to showplace." This was very dissapointing as the book is suggested to be a how to. Luckily, the other book paired with it was exactly what I was looking for. "Your Home..." is filled with inspiring decorating and beautiful paint finishing ideas, perfectly suited for the average do it yourself homeowner like my husband and I. If you are looking for just inspiration, "The House that Faux Built" will fulfill. If you are seeking both inspiration and easy to follow instruction, then "Your Home..." definitely delivers.

Planning, organizing, layout, building, finishing and finally installing cabinets. Jim also included some shop tips and simple jigs. Doors and drawers included, though there are more extensive books on that matter. The book is enough by itself to help you build your first cabinets from scratch. I made my first build a corner set with 8 ft of counter, tops and bottoms ( wood is my lucrative hobby ). I also recommend Jim's book for the pro cabinet maker as it has some organizational advise that complements this volume. This book gives several styles of construction and face assembly, all good. I used mortise and tenon bead for my build, but I had nice FESTOOL joiner with dust system already. ( Festool 574283 DOMINO DF 500 Q Set. My only FESTOOL and well worth it. )

good book

I also recommend:
"Finish Carpentry" by Taunton Press
"Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner ( very good )
"Cabinet Doors and Drawers" by Danny Proulx

and just about everything from Rockler.com and Lie-Nielsen.com

Thats a pretty comprehensive list, I feel its complete for the task in question. Many reviewers say these books are mostly fundamentals, I agree. The authors assume you have a "complete" set of power tools and a viable work space with many hours safely logged in it. You're looking at at least $5,000 start-up cost for decent power and hand tools to get into this field of hobby, and at least that much again to pretend you're seriously in business NOT including quality materials on hand for manufacture. Yep on hand before you sell anything. Its the unsung costs of dust collection, climate management, quality finishing, insurance, and maintenance that make the cost climb up on you.

Can you compete with China?

But I digress. Enjoy a great read!

This book is old school and is way outdated as far as making cabinets. This book is very hard to follow and laid out very poorly. If you want a good book to make cabinets look into "Building Kitchen Cabinets" UDO SCHMIDT

Definitely the best money I have spent on a cabinet book. Tolpin really provides a LOT of valuable information that can be used for DECADES to come.

From what I gather through my readings, Tolpin is a traditionalist / purist at heart, but, he understands the necessity to produce time and resource efficient designs. He provides instruction on both sides of the spectrum: Fast and Effective as well as traditional and effective (a little something for both). In this way, he is able to speak to the enthusiast that is interested in making a traditional set of cabinets, and the professional that is interested in producing a quality set of cabinets more quickly.

I also gather that he really enjoys teaching others his thoughts, shortcuts, time saving jigs that you can really use and appreciate (especially if you have been busting head trying to do it another way). This fact is what really wants me to buy more of his books. His service to carpentry in general is extraordinary; he is a true teacher of carpentry and advises young carpenters in almost every page of this book.

I especially enjoyed making and using most of the jigs he describes. In one chapter he outlines more than 5 jigs. Having built them (extremely easy to make), I have already put them to use in more than one woodworking session and will continue to do so in the future because they are so useful.

If you're interested in cabinet making, buy this book. If you're tight on money, buy a used copy. The point is to buy this book and read this book. If you don't like to read, buy this book because the illustrations can explain a lot too. Building one cabinet will pay for the book.

This book is for persons that will build more than a kitchen alone. You will need quite some precision tools to match the craftmanship illustrated in this book and obviously you have to be handy using these tools. For the rest the book is very detailed and gives plenty of ideas and tips and tricks.

The hand written drawings are poorly done and lack significant detail. The photo illustrations are of good quality but are again limited in their application to the building process. Overall descriptions of the building process are scanty at best. Woodworkers interested in learning kitchen cabinet construction would be better served by reading Jere Cary's book; Building Your Own Kitchen Cabinets by the Taunton Press.