Furniture Books

Good starter book for collectors and cabinet makers. Helps provide context for the how and why for 18th century American furniture.

This is a great book at an extraordinary price. I would prefer that more of the pictures were in color but that would have increased the price of the book, maybe, beyond what I was willing to spend. If you want to learn about 18th century furniture making, this is the best there is. Greene has a writing style that is very clear and a pleasure to read. I cant say enough about this book.

This book has an excellent selection of photographs of fine furniture of the 18th Century. The most notable thing about the book is that the author has exhibited fairly good taste in his selection of specimens to include, and has largely ignored the more shabby pieces of the era. This is in contrast with Nutting's "Furniture Treasury", which has truly extensive selections of photographs of all furniture of the era (good, bad, or indifferent). Greene's book also contains good historical information on the furniture trade of that era, and has an excellent bibliography of furniture books written in the 18th Century (some of which remain available).

The author is a former mechanical engineer, who now hand crafts replica 18th Century furniture for a living.

This is a simply fabulous book. Its split into two sections; a furniture history section and a "how-to" section, describing basic techniques. These two sections make the book a great, informative read. BUT what makes this a "must buy" are the appendices. Greene shows exploded views of virtually all the basic furniture types. While these pictures aren't project plans, they provide invaluable information about the guts of antique furniture. The other appendix I like is the one showing 18th century recipes for finishes. I tried a few and they work great.

Greene's book does a good job of providing a woodworker (or others interested in period pieces) with solid information on many selected pieces from the era of the title. He does a good job of selecting pieces of good taste, and gives a lot of information on various details with just the right amount of how-to. There is also a lot of historical background info for those who like to know about the history of a piece or style before they build it. The pictures and exploded drawings (showing joinery) are excellent. Though not a comprehensive encyclopedia (it's not intended to be one) it is a good read from start to finish or a good reference book. Well worth the money.

My chairs needed new seats and I hadn't the foggiest idea how to fix them. I had no available workshop, no experience, merely patience learned form handwork. I found this book and it gave me all I needed to know in order to complete the jobs up to the standard of my highest expectations. The authors provide detailed information for projects, giving history of the craft, materials, needed items, and "how to do this" complete with detailed instructions and step by step illustrations. My projects involved sheet caning, woven caning, and rush seating. Other forms are included and look to be every bit as "do-able" as my projects were. This is THE BOOK.

The book was just what i wanted for my son in law. Unfortunately he ordered the same thing for himself and began using it. Since I had not used mine I returned it.

This book contains easy to understand instructions for multiple caning techniques. These instructions are accompanied by step-by-step photographs or thorough illustrations. It is an excellent reference manual.

this book is far and away from your typical 'how-to' book. These actually want you to learn this skill. You won't be let down with this one.

Of all the myriad of reference books I have acquired in the 25 years working in the seat weaving business, The Caner's Handbook is by far the best and #1 on my entire list.

I was fortunate to purchase my first book (in hardcover), right after it was published in 1984. I had already done every type of seat weaving covered in this book, but through the clear, close-up pictures and accompanying text, was able to fine tune my craft even more.

At each one of my seat weaving classes, and whenever someone asks me what the best all around book on seat weaving is, I tell them to buy The Caner's Handbook. Through the information in this book, anyone can learn to weave with cane, rush, splint, rawhide, Danish Modern, Oriental seagrass, and all types of splints in a variety of designs and patterns.

Jim Widess, who besides co-authoring this book, is the owner of The Caning Shop, where he and his employees not only sell materials used in cane and basketry, but have first-hand knowledge of weaving. They have been doing this for a living for many years, so know all the problems and questions the novice as well as the consumate weaver might encounter.

I urge anyone that is contemplating beginning seatweaving as a hobby or profession to buy this wonderful book, take some time to read and digest it, then go out and conquer the world of seat weaving! There will be no doubt that you will be a professional in no time!

Several usuable attrictive garden projects - beautiful photos - I'm no woodworker so I'll have to hire someone to make them - but if you have basic woodworking skills the projects look dooable.

REALLY nice garden projects, not too difficult to make if you have some type of power cutting tool. I keep coming back to this book for ideas. In fact, I've bought other book by the Gertleys just because I like their style so much.

The projects are not so challenging as to be overwhelming; they are fairly simple and can be completed in an evening or over the weekend. The exception is the greenhouse, which has a block waist wall and wood framing for the glass top. I am building the tomato towers and will start the strawberry tower to use next year. There are several smaller projects - a sting-line row marker, caddies and dibble that can be made with scraps you may already have.

I am blessed with a shop full of power tools and shop-made jigs, which makes ripping and cutting complicated angles easier, faster and more accurate, but many of these can be built with simple hand tools and attention to detail.

The book is well laid out, profusely illustrated with color photographs of the completed projects and clear construction drawings and plans. They even recommend specific woods for each project - mainly cedar - but I had a bunch of pressure treated yellow pine left over from other projects which I am using. They also recommend finishes for each project.

If you are looking for something to do when it is too hot, cold or wet to work outside; here's your book. Your garden will be more beautiful and efficient. Your plants will thank you.

I have built four of the projects in this book.
Dimensions on the strawberry tower were conflicting. Measurements were wrong and some dimensions left out. Some of the projects in this book were not proof read. Lots of good pictures, but could use more detailed instructions.

I agree that the projects are very nice, but disagree that power tools are needed. Some experience is definitely useful, but I have been happily building these projects with only hand tools -- save the occasional drill for driving lots of screws!

Ergonomic Living gives you the tools to make healthful decisions. This book cuts through the mountains of adhype that surround virtually every home and office product. I would like to see the author write a sequel.

I can see how Gordon Inkeles, the great massage author, became interested in this health-oriented subject. Co-author Iris Schencke is an ergonomics expert. Their collaboration produced a winner-a book that you will turn to again and again to make your life less stressful. Unlike so many self-help programs, the suggestions here really work.

How can you NOT love a book with a chapter called "How to Sleep?" Believe it or not, there is zero hype here. The authors have done their ergonomic homework and the solutions they come up with will amaze you. Highly recommended!

While I did learn several things about ergonomics, I finally put the book down when I got tired of the preaching. Many of the author's topics were not on subject and, instead, were rantings about the time we spend watching television or other pet peeves of the authors. It got really old. I was looking forward to learning how to design my home. I didn't need the nagging. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

This trade paperback is chock full of practical advice and downright wisdom. It tells us how to structure home and office to fit the human body, all its limitations and wondrous powers. Ergonomic Living follows its own advice such that form follows function and use.

The book has two major sections, home and office. There are eleven chapters: How to Enter Your Home, How to Relax, The Inner Circle. Each briefly introduces a series of concise, well-designed modules: The Deafening Kitchen, Wiring and Cables, Effective Ambient Lighting, Choosing the Right Pillow. The photos and illustrations are excellent. "You have a right to an ergonomic kitchen in which your personal needs, both physical and mental, come first." The authors show you how to exercise that right. Right on!

For many parents, the chapter on creating a child-friendly home will, by itself, be worth the price of the whole book.

My edition is a little out of date on some things, but the principles remain sound, the information useful. For example, someone ready to buy a DVD recorder will profit from the section on selecting a VCR. The summary still applies: "Difficult to memorize controls are never used. Remotes keyed to newspaper codes will be used frequently. Remotes keyed to instruction booklet diagrams will be ignored. Tactile well balanced [sic] remotes will remain near your hand. Slippery, flat remotes will end up on the floor. Basic controls should be immediately obvious."

_Ergonomic Living_ is a warm, pragmatic and, yes, wise book. It concludes, "Change, movement and grace. This is a friendly world; we built it, and now we have the tools to live in it on your own terms. We can choose to inhabit healthful, comfortable environments, amicable places that serve our needs. We can be the masters of our own possessions, the actors on a human-centered stage. We can feel good all day."

Whether you are new to the home office or a seasoned pro, this brilliant book can help you feel better all day.

Ken Graff
©2003, Words in Action
www.wordsinaction.biz
(626)755-3067

Long overdue, this book provides the reader with the skills needed to correctly date American furniture. Numerous clear, closeup photos help the reader to understand exactly what to look for when examining antique furniture.

I was given this book when I first became interested in antique furniture around 5 years ago. I am an antique dealer and avid collector now, and I still use it frequently as a reference. Although it focuses on 18th c. American furniture, the concepts apply to all periods and types.

This is a great book! I highly recommend it to all collectors.

I worked hard to really read this book. It has been worth it, because it covers the basic story on how to examine a piece of furniture to determine whether or not it is really old, or even if it is old, whether or not the piece itself is original as seen today, or has been pieced together from several incomplete pieces of old furniture, or even other sources of old pieces of wood. It is fairly fascinating, but it is also a lot like studying. I seem to be coming into contact with antiques through inheritance, and while this book hasn't told me much about the source of the pieces I have, I at least now know enough to turn my furniture upside down, and inside out to find out just where it may have been before it came to me! You have to really look at the many photographs (not every one was perfectly clear no matter how hard I looked -- 1 out of 30 were unclear I estimate) while reading the narrative. And I had never realized the extent to which 18th and 19th century pieces are researched for provenence, including looking through very old advertisements in newspapers, etc., to find the names of furniture makers of the past. Quite technical, but worth the effort.

After we moved into our house (and jad no furniture to speak of) I decided to take the time to buy antiques and find really cool "stuff". This became quite a fun adventure and boy have I learned a lot. This book was one ofthe first that I picked up because I was noticing so much reproduction furniture in the seemingly antiques stores. After awhile you can just look at something and see if its reproduction or not but this book really helped me in fguring that out - fron talking about different types of wood that were popular in different eras, to what to look for in joints/workmanship, to identifying original upholstry, and I could go on and on. This is just an incredible resource and the pictures/drawings that are throughout are fantastic. It's like sitting on the shoulder of an antiquing guru as you walk through a shop and they are able to go right to the key indicators to see if its original or not. The writing style os fun and easy to read too. Excellent book.

Before you spend a lot of money on antique furniture buy this book and study it like a text book. This well written, well researched guide will save you from being made a fool of or cheated.

This is one of the very few books with an extensive collection of tansu photos. The cabinets are well categorized by their functions. Also very nice are the enlarged photos of tansu hardwares. I find the text to be somewhat poorly written and organized, and the authors' knowledge on tansu joinery/construction lacking. The hand-colored Japanese vintage photographs are also a little distracting. If you're looking for some nice tansu pictures though, this book will probably serve well.

I have only been selling Japanese Antiques for a short time and I found this book is fantastic to show potential tansu customers. It has also helped us (Japanache dot com dot au) with selection when on buying trips to Japan and restoration once back in Australia.
Thanks David & Dane

If you are fascinated by the creation of handmade Japanese cabinetry, this is one of the few books you can find on the subject because for some reason, the cabinetry of Japan is one of the least recorded aspects of Japan's woodworking history. Throughout this guide, you will find lush photographs of opaque and transparent lacquered chests, their hand-forged iron handles and the tools of the trade. I especially enjoyed the hand-colored photos of family life, rice fields and the textile sellers. Not only do you get to glimpse this magical world of Zen temples and street merchants selling sweet rice drinks, you will be able to view page after page of stunning merchant chests, bedding chests, clothing chests and mizuya-dansu (kitchen cupboards).

I've always been intrigued by chests filled with magical little drawers in which anything could be stored. This book has made me aware of the wide variety of chests that can be purchased and most of the pages are filled with pictures and descriptions so you can know what to look for online. Before finding this particular book, I was at a loss for what to look for. Now I have the names of items like the sea chest (funa-dansu) and realize the difference in the woods used. I think the cho-dansu made of keyaki with the distinctive iron fittings on page 111 is just stunning. The cho-bako funa-dansu (ship chest) is also very interesting as it features tortoise, a symbol of prosperity and longevity.

The detailed descriptions of the lockplates are presented with photographs. If you are a student of this craft (or looking for pictures of things like a cherry blossom motif), the pages on the components of a tansu will encourage you to explore all the essential details in your own selections. They also explain how all the L braces and iron-edge strapping are not only decorative, but highly functional.

As a person who has refinished a desk upon which I am typing, my appreciation for furniture went through an entire renewal process while reading "Japanese Cabinetry."

Contents:

The Realm of Tansu: An Introduction
Tansu and Allied Trades
The Craft of Tansu
Tansu for Mercantile Use
Tansu for Household Use
Tansu for Personal Use
Living with Tansu
Collecting and Restoring Tansu

Not only does this book present early mercantile tansu designs, there are pictures of contemporary desks and even a section about books, magazines and catalogues for further research. The index, glossary of terms and chronological list of exhibitions make this book very easy to read and understand. There are also ideas for how to set up your tansu collection in your bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms and kitchen. You might even want to put a kitchen chest (mizuya) in your living room. This book also features entry tables, entertainment centers, coffee tables and bookcases and so much more.

Back to dreaming of owning the cho-dansu from the late Edo period (1615-1868). Not only can you view items from this period, you can read about the history and lifestyle of the people living in this era. This book would make a perfect gift for anyone who has lived in Japan or is interested in Japanese history. It would also be an amazing gift for anyone interested in Japanese movies. I have often wondered about various items and this book has provided more information than I could have ever dreamed about finding.

A note about the authors: David Jackson has been collecting tansu since 1990 and has studied sculpture and woodworking. He developed his passion for Japanese woodwork and then was involved with one of the first exhibitions of tansu in the United States. Dane Owen founded a gallery of Japanese antique furnishings and is also a frequent visitor to Japan. He can be found searching for objects for his customers and his own private collections. Together they have written the ultimate book on the Japanese craft of tansu. If you love tansu, your heart is going to beat a little faster while reading Japanese Cabinetry. I am beyond appreciative of David and Dane's knowledge of this subject. If you own one book on tansu, this would be an excellent choice.

~The Rebecca Review

I am biased; I am a woodworker. This is actually a terrific book offering a huge collection of beautiful photos, and an extensive commentary about the role of Tansu in Japanese lifestyle and culture. However the craft of making Tansu was not well represented. From the title I would have expected more on tools, techniques and joinery.

Not even sure where to begin other than to say that as mentioned above, the cover alone should be plenty to strike your interest. As a true lover and collector of Japanese art, this book goes above and beyond to show just exactly why it could be labeled as a "coffee table book". It has been on mine for weeks now. It is such a great sourcebook for Japanese cabinetry/tansu and goes even further to show pieces actually used for daily use in people's homes. The size of the book and the photography are SO worth the price. It truly is a fabulous book. I strongly recommend it. Whether you are an obsessed collector of Japanese art or not, it is definitely a great book to have in your collection.

A beautiful book, I see something new each time I flip through it. It may not be the perfect encyclopedia for specialists, but for people like me who just love beautiful things, it is great fun to have and contains a lot of interesting facts about mid-century design.

this book is very good if you are interested in retro, modern design. I highly recommend this book.

This book is filled with spectacular color photos of mid-century modern home interiors. Lots of ideas here for color schemes, furniture layout and incorporating mid-century aspects into any room of your home.

An absolutely stunning book & a must for any mid ce
ntury enthusiast. Fabulous photographs & narration.
Very inspiring.

Great overview of MCM style, but not as complete of descriptive as I expected.

This book is essential in any home workshop. There is a jig for virtually every kind of job, and detailed instructions on how to make and use them.

The depth of knowledge covers the woodworking spectrum; history, design, tools, techniques and finishing, and LOTS of practical material. It has a design for the best router table I've come across, and the description of dove-tailing is perfect for a home woodworker.

The material on tool maintenance and understanding, and the extensive cross-referencing makes this a must-have book. You will not be sorry.

Overall this is an incredible resource for any level of woodworker. Mine will definitely be a dog-eared twisted mess in no time. The only thing that makes me crazy is the detail left off of the jig diagrams. For example, the cross-cut sled is a beauty. If you are patient enough to find little details spread across four different areas of the book, you will still be left without a few details you need to build the jig. It pains me to nitpick this great collection of info, but this is a cardinal sin when presenting plans.

The prior reviewers are correct in their criticisms about the vagueness of Engler's diagrams for jigs. The jigs also tend to be overcomplicated sometimes. I also found the sections on finishes and glue and adhesives to be incomplete and not as helpful as other sources ("Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner and "The Glue Book" by William Tandy Young).

Otherwise, this is the first source I consult when beginning a project. This book is a primer on most aspects of woodworking and worth having on your shelf.

Whether for the beginning woodworker or the advanced Master Carpenter, this book is a must have. It is a wealth of knowledge in one place, from types of wood to types of finishes for your project. In between, the book is jam-packed with helpful tips and general woodworking knowledge. I would recommend this book to anyone thinking about getting into woodworking and to the advanced woodworker as a reference.

I recently received Woodworking Wisdon and found the book very informative. The author has tried to cover all aspects of woodworking and for the most part has done an excellent job. The section entitled 'Making Wood Joints' is direct and easy to understand. With no woodworking experience, I am about to begin my first project and will keep the book in my shop for quick reference. The only drawback that I found was with the diagrams for the various jigs. They are quite hard to understand and the pictures don't properly explain the fundamental setup. Other than that I thought the book was great.

A great book about a even greater designer,
don't over look this one.

I just marvel at the grace and dignity of George and his work. The story of his life is just as interesting as his life's work. I do home remodeling and occasionally have the chance to make a piece of custom furniture for a client. I find his accomplishments truly amazing.

This is a superb book on George Nakashima, written by his daughter. It is a good complement to "Sould of a tree" written by Nakashima himself. While "Sould of a tree" looked at the furniture, "Nature form & Spirit" starts with the life of Nakashima and how he came to design all his furniture and the houses. It is not a technical book, but it gives an interesting insight on the philosophy and thinking process behind the designs. Much more than a coffe table book, an inspiration for all woodworking lovers

My husband has been wanting this book for a long time; it was recommended to us by an old friend of Nakashima. We've always loved his work, that which is at the Metropolitan Museum and also the arboretum library in Minneapolis, completely furnished with Nakashima's work. The book was no disappointment; we loved it. Truly he understood "the soul of a tree."

This was a gift to our son. He was thrilled to receive it and will continue to enjoy it for many years to come. He is a wood worker and is interested in all sorts of books about wood working and wood workers.

A nice book to have to briefly educate yourself on many styles of late 19th and early 20th century lamps. Not so much a reference book as it is a book of education.

What a great book. Full of history, photos, examples, tips for the search of these lamps as well as proper care and restoration. I can't wait until the author writes another one! I highly recommend it to anyone.

If you are looking for a book which has both an overview of different kinds of late 19th century and early 20th century American lighting and some practical advice on both buying and restoration; this is the book for you. It doesn't have everything; but a lot of good information, beautiful pictures and a price guide are included in its 142 pages. I like the way she has both original catalogue pictures and photographs. It's the best single book on the subject I've been able to find!

This book provides a good overview of vintage lamps (including both oil and electric) and some excellent photos of an assortment of these lamps. If you like lamps, it is a pleasant book to read because of the excellent photography and the fairly broad array of lamp styles found in the book. I was, however, disappointed that the author falls short in the basic research that collectors really need. The title says it is a guide for antique lamp buyers, but the book has not been particularly helpful to me when I have looked at buying different lamps. For example, look up Bradley & Hubbard's electric lamps in the index and it directs you to photos of a sconce made by B&H - no electric lamps. It tells you little about the company history, their identifying marks, the quality of their product, and which styles tend to be preferred. Despite these critical comments, this still is probably the best book on the market today. So, I would recommend this book to beginning collectors and people who just like to look at good pictures of lamps. For the more serious collector, you might want to wait until Nadja Maril or another author publishes a new and improved version.

If you need accurate and practial information about old lamps and light fixtures, this is the best book on the market. I refer to it all the time! The pictures are of excellent quality and the writing is clear and concise.