Wood Books

Though I have often thought of the similarities between the noses of bears and my own labrador retriever, and been tempted to ascribe those labrador characteristics to bears, I knew better. My reading about bears has included many tales of bear maulings and their extreme medical consequences. This book, though, showed me that bears can equal our canine buddies in establishing full and rich relationships. This unique story of love among the Minnesota woods made me wish that I could pull up stakes and establish a home in the woods and wait for the bears to visit. It really makes one wonder what relationships with other animals we might have if given the opportunity.

I never understood black bears until reading Jack Becklund's book. I laughed and cried, feeling as if I was right there with Jack and his wife Patti. Afterward, I wanted to visit that area, see the house, see the yard where Little Bit and the other bears played. I now want to find out more about helping these wonderful creatures survive. I have never been more moved by a book. I would love to communicate with Jack and Patti some time and get a picture of "Conversation with a Bear". They are incredible people and so fortunate to have had such a gift in their lives as becoming intimately involved with God's beautiful wildlife.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book. I am reading it again now for the second time. It is hard to put down. Thank you Jack and Patti for sharing this beautiful experience with us.
Joanne Setlock
Wallace Ave.
Buffalo, New York 14216

If you love animals, nature, the great outdoors, and reading about people who love all those things too, please get this book, sit down with a box of tissues, and enjoy! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shake your head in wonderment. The author Jack Becklund and his wife Patti, move deep into the Minnesota forests. Their property is home to deer gamboling on the lawn, chipmunks and hand-fed squirrels munching seeds on the porch,wild mallard ducks swimming and splashing in the creek below, and a colorful array of native birds. But the real heart of the story is Little Bit, the black bear cub who toddles onto the back deck one day, and stays for the next six summers as a welcome, loving, and deeply loved guest of the couple. She is a magical spirit, a living, breathing gift from God, sent to bring great joy to their lives. We are honored to meet Little Bit's cubs, her mates, and numerous other black bears who live in the area, and come to trust the Becklunds. The story itself is incredible, but between the lines, we watch the couple come to love and appreciate the power of this sacred trust they've been given...the joy of the relationship they share with these magnificent animals.This is a book for all time...a classic in every sense of the word. The photos are magnificent, and bring the personalities of the animals into beautiful focus.

Summer with the bears is by far the best book I've ever read. If you don't have it or haven't read it do so now. It will change your life in some way I'm sure. I first read about it in the Reader's Digest and put my copy on order for the moment it came out. Little bit and all of the other bears touched my heart so much it's hard ot describe. I felt like I was there with them as events were happening. Jack and Patti you are so lucky to have had this special time in your lives and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sharing it with us. Just goes to show that all animals are not as we always imagine them to be, yet we know at the same time they are not all created equal. There are those that possess a special trait and willingness to be different, that was little bit. Your book was written from your heart, and the pictures helped us to be there too. I laughed and I cried along with you. so few of us will experience what you did interacting with the bears on the level that you did. I attribute your book to helping me find a hidden talent I did not know existed in me. I started sketching, and yes mostly bears. I did one of you and Patti with little bit, if you'd ever like them all you need to do is ask and they are yours. You touched my life in such a special way that in turn I'd like to touch your lives too. Hope there will be more books and I wish you all the best in your lives. Thank You for sharing your special lives with the world.

Summer With The Bears is about a couple who decide to leave the city for an adventure in Minnesota to observe the bears. At first Jack & Patti started out just observing the bears for hours to learn their habits and earn their confidence. And they do earn their trust. There were many more animals that they befriended. They kept a journal on everything that happened concerning the bears and other animals. They even named the bears.

As a true animal lover, I really liked this book. The pictures added to the book. If you are looking for a short and sweet read this is the book for you.

I'm setting up my first workshop. I bought Scott Landis' Workbench Book for guidance on building my workbench and this book for guidance on workshop tool storage. I found Landis' book extremely useful, but this one did not really have what I was looking for.

This book is called the Toolbox Book for a reason. While the subheading is "A Craftsman's Guide to Tool Chests, Cabinets, and Storage Systems," the focus of the book really is (often spectacular) handcrafted toolboxes. Only one chapter -- 14 pages -- is devoted to "Designing In-Shop Tool Storage," and much of that is about the generic design process (how to make a story stick, how to draw your design first, etc).

So if you're a novice like me looking for practical workshop tool storage ideas, I don't think this book is worth the money. I definitely didn't learn any more here than I have just browsing woodworking sites on the internet.

None of this is a knock on the book, really. It's a beautiful, well-written book that's gotten glowing reviews from other readers for a reason. But I think its audience may be more limited than the subheading, and some of the other reviews, might lead you to think.

Lots of pictures, ideas, descriptions and this book serves its purpose of giving me ideas on current and future projects.

Recommended

Tolpin is a refreshing change from the old bland how-to's that have been republished with outdated material year after year. This book is no exception. I love how the author takes you through the history and evolution of the toolbox. The color pictures are gorgeous.(Or maybe it's the toolboxes?) This is a must own for any tool lover. A great gift idea for that person you know with the messy shop!

I turn into a box-making junkie during the winter. Every time I see a chunk of wood I start resawing it in my mind thinking of neat things I could do with it. One of the side effects of this compulsion is that you accumulate a lot of odd tools that seem to meander all over the shop. Guaranteed not to be in the place they should be when you reach for them. After looking at the prices for good commercial tool chests it occurred to me that building one wouldn't be all that more expensive. Even if it took 400 hours of work rather than a quit drive to the nearest discount store.

A quick trip to the local woodworking store turned up several books on the subject, but one, Taunton's Toolbox Book, stood way out from the rest. Even though this is the one book that has not one detailed plan in it. It is, however, the most exhaustive study of toolbox making I've seen so far. Author Jim Toplin blends history and technique together to give you a real understanding of how the toolbox has developed and changed as woodworkers first came to the colonies, then adapted to the rising use of machinery, and finally then met the space age head on. It is carefully and clearly written, and a host of sketches makes up for the loss of detailed, paint-by-the-numbers plans.

In fact one of the things that Toplin makes abundantly clear is that you make a toolbox to hold YOUR tools. Too many of us buy a toolbox and then set about filling it with new widgets that we aren't even sure we will need. And this book is about assessing your needs, laying out the best way to meet those needs, and then building something that is often the showpiece of a woodworker's skills. One glance through the book and you will see many fine photographs of work that is both functional and beautiful. I wasn't kidding when I said a toobox can take 400 hours to make.

As usual, Taunton has made every effort to turn a how to book into something you would be proud to have on your coffee table. This is a very well made paperback with heavy, glossy paper, fine design and layout work, and well-written text. And a very accessible price for a massive amount of information.

I just received this book. Wow! Because of all the good reviews, I expected a good book. This is one beautiful book and is way above my expectations. I would have been satisfied if it only contained photographs and illustrations without the text, they are very clear. I have not purchased a book that has impressed me as much as this one, ever. I can only add my positive comments to the many reviewers before me. It is well worth your investment whether you just want to scan through a beautiful book or are a serious craftsman wanting to build fine furniture for your tools.

Incredibly helpful practical techniques. Don't even need to read the book, just watch the videos and you're good to go.

Yes, you can still learn of lot from this book, as noted in the other reviews. But it is now showing its age. This book was written for Sketchup 4.0 when only a time-limited trial was available for free. Sketchup is now at version 6.0 and free from Google (except for the pro version). The advice in this book on how to squeeze a tutorial session into a time-limited trial is just distracting. More importantly, you will not be introduced to the new features in 6.0, such as styles and better organization of model structure. It would be very useful to have Dennis Fukai's advice on how best to use Sketchup 6.0.

When the book/CD came I had problems getting the CD to work Didn't know if it was me or the CD or my PC. I contacted Mr.Fukai and he e-mailed me back immediatly. He stayed with me through a dozen Emails trying to help me.
The CD was bad BTW and he had his wife send me out a new one that worked just fine.
I was a bit exhausted from it all by the time the CD came but stuff happens to the best of us.
The CD is incredably helpful along with the book of illustrations. I haven't gotten through even half of it due to my work load but I'm sure when I continue with it I won't have much trouble in spite of being PC challenged.
Mr.Fukai I think has this book geared for people like myself as well as hard core PC users.
He seems to be doing his best to take you through it one step at a time slowly and deliberate.
I highly recommend this book/CD

I am sure if you are a Google fan you now know that they offer SketchUp for free. Dr. Fukai's book assumed you had a limited amount of time (480 minutes) using the SketchUp 4.0 trial version included with his book. I can say that his book is truly one fantastic way to learn a lot about the details of modeling with SketchUp. Dr. Fukai's interactive "shorties" allows you to go over as often as needed to learn the details of this 3D software. I was having some difficulty part way through the tutorials and emailed Dr. Fukai and received detailed instructions on how to proceed. He is an excellent teacher and his book is highly recommended.

The book is awsome! The instructions are so detailed and outlined. I plan on building my own family home, this is the Book!

As for the author, a master of his craft!

Mr. Fukai and Mrs. Babara Fukai, You have both left a wonderful lasting memory in my mind!

Thanks You

Michael in San Antonio Texas

This book has the most awesome animal drawings I have ever seen. The fact that they are wood engravings is more than remarkable!

A present for my daughter-in-law and the illustrations were incredible. She is an artist and will make good use of this book.

Wow - the enormous numbers of animal life is astounding and the book clearly shows this. Unfortunately the images are quite dark and the book is very thick (you get your money's worth - image-wise), so scanning them for use in various artistic media is difficult. Therefore, I bought two of the books and plan to cut one of them up (that hurts to say for I treasure books of all types). This way I can control the scanning and modification using software to bring out details and highlight an image to my satisfaction. And finally, the classic images are impressive and I applaud the author for his selection of animals from all realms of life on earth.

Used several of these drawings in projects. Books like this are great for those of us designers who aren't the best freehand drawers.

This is just packed full of brilliant illustrations of birds frogs fish girafee spiders butterflies you name it , throughly recommended for any one who loves botanical illustrations or engravings , really good source material for artists or designers.very nice book but rember it is a paper back not that that matters to me.

I have been crocheting for many years and love to experiment with my work so when Myra Wood released this book, I was very curious about it. Myra's work in freeform crochet and her bead work are legendary so I had a feeling that her book would be very inspiring as well. I couldn't have been more right!

Let me start by saying that this book is not a line by line pattern book, nor is is a stitch guide or any other traditional crochet format that you may be used to. It IS, however, a wonderful guide teaching the reader easy to follow techniques for creating totally freeform garments using your own creative ideas. She has outlined several styles of freeform crochet lace, given ways in which to shape and style the work, how to lay it out properly, techniques to join the smaller pieces you may have into a larger item, and things to consider about fit and drape as you work.

This book is a beautifully laid out, easy read with gorgeous photography and lots of very good, sound advice for anyone wanting to get into the field of freeform crochet.

Thank you Myra, for such a wonderful book!!!

I just got my copy of Creative Crochet Lace and I am in love. I have seen some lovely freeform crochet in the past and was intrigued by its beauty, but never wanted to try it myself because I thought its end use was limited, and how many wallhangings does one really need? This book not only shows a variety of freeform techniques, but also shows how to make items in freeform that are practical as well as beautiful. I'm hooked - pun intended!

A great resource for those of us who are bored with the same old patterns. Myra explains how to develop your own crochet lace and free yourself from the "doily" look. Just what I have been waiting for!

This is a great addition to books on freeform crochet. Don't expect lots of line-by-line instructions which, IMHO, is antithetical to freeform. Instead you get lots of advice and guidance on how to create freeform lace crochet garments. It's up to you to take the leap of faith that freeform crochet requires to start and complete your own unique project.

This book is sensational. No patterns, what a concept. Myra's whole philosphy about crochet sings out loud with this book. I cant wait to get started.

This is the first book I read that was set in Australia and I got a lot more from it than just the wonderful story of the lead characters and the interesting people around them. There was not really any permanent villain, each characters whether they started as bad people had their reasons for their actions and you don't really grow to hate them even towards the end unlike the typical villain. What I love is the author had done an extensive research about the history of Australia from the convict days and the life of the Aborigines that were forced to live with the European immigrants. The heroine was a very adventurous woman who was seeking her mother's early childhood memories that cost her grandparents their lives and her mother having an amnesia of her early years of life. I could not put this book down and read it in two days. The ending was not as great as I expected because the Woods left a lot of the characters behind and I did not know what happened to them. Additionally, the main characters were not reunited in person in the end after the lead character discovered where Kara-kara is located (the place that she's been searching from the beginning of the novel). I don't want to give away too much so just pick this book and you won't regret it!

I highly recommend this book to those who love Australia, are fascinated by the good and the bad of its history, and the mysticism of the Aborigin culture. It is a wonderful read for those who just want to read and be entertained; but it has much more to offer and is deeper than your normal page turners. It explores the personal development of a number of characters as well as provides a gentle critism and depiction on a human level of some of the unpleasant sides of Australia's fronteer days and of the beauty of a culture that was trampled on.

This is a wonderful book about the Australian outback and the myths and legends connected with the native peoples. It is a story about a young woman who goes in search of the cause of her mother's nightmares and of her own fears about her heritage. It was a wonderful book.

I needed something to read and purchased this book because I loved "The Thorn Birds" and was hoping this would be on a par. Needless to say, it was. I especially loved this book because it explores the world of the tribes of Australia and other things that The Thorn Birds missed out on. I would love to see this book made into a film. This was just the first of many Barbara Woods novels I've read. I read the book in one sitting. I highly recommend "Green City In The Sun" a great book about Africa that I can see Sean Connery playing the lead male role in. "Domina" another great Barbara Wood book that shows the role of women in medicine when women weren't allowed to be a part of that world. "Virgins Of Paradise" where Barbara does it again! This book will open your eyes to the roles of women in a country where women are considered "property". AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ, and "The Prophetess"...an incredible book that keeps you on the edge of your seat with suspense and excitement, yet explores religion through a completely new set of eyes and shows us how much we are all alike despite our "beliefs" A page turner that you can't put down till the end. I LOVE BARBARA WOOD. The Dreaming is just one of many of her books you'll love too! *"CHILDSONG" is another book of hers, a very early one, that will make you think twice about a lot of things in life. I certainly hope you can find some of these fine novels still in print and enjoy them as I have and many of my friends.

I read this novel while I was in Australia last month - my first trip there. Ironically, I purchased the book several years ago, but never read it. Now, I am glad that I read it when I did, because it made Australia come alive
for me, rich with history, culture, geography, economics, etc, more than even just being in Australia on vacation. I especially found fascinating the embedded information about the Aboriginal culture. I went to Uluru (Ayer's Rock) shortly before I neared the end of THE DREAMING and felt much more connected to the spirituality of the land because of B.Woods' invocation of the spirit of Aboriginal life. My last day in Sydney, I went on a walkabout in the Blue Mountains, led by a guide with Aboriginal ancestors. Reading the novel gave me a different appreciation of my experience. Then I went on the Indian Pacific Railway for 24 hours, through mostly desert, and I felt as though I were a character in Woods' novel. I would have enjoyed this novel even if I read it elsewhere than in Australia, but I would encourage anyone planning to travel there to buy this book and read it if you really want to understand Australia better. Barbara Woods is an author, yes, but really she is a born teacher, because she made me hungry for more information about all the subjects she touched upon. (I was also reading Bill Bryson's excellent humorous travel narrative DOWN UNDER. He treats many of the same subject but with non-fiction humor. If you go to Australia, you should definitely read both of these books.)

Kevin Sheehan has simplified the great qualities of important leaders and placed them in an entertaining text. A gift which I have passed on to my dearest friends, this book is both inspirational and educational. My highest recommendation.

Poignant, powerful stories. Beautifully written with a distinctive and important design. This book's not to be missed--by you, your friends, your business colleagues. Bravo!

Within his book A Leader Becomes A Leader, Kevin Sheehan delightfully illustrates the essence of true leadership. He poignantly definies a diverse group of past and present leaders; while exploring their life events and characteristics of greatness. Encourage your friends, family and coworkers to read this motivational book!

The author does a phenomenal job of breaking the topic down into small manageable and inspiring readings; also covers a great cross-section of leaders and the characteristics that made them successful. I ordered a dozen copies as executive and motivational gifts.

J. Kevin Sheehan presents a celebration of what's possible in his biographical snapshots of great leaders. By focusing on the unique character traits of outstanding leaders the author transforms the mysteries of leadership into something very real. He answers the question "what made them great?" in an extremely concise and inspirational style. Great as a corporate gift or graduation present. My children have used it for school projects and I have found inspiration for my own business. No home or school library should be without this most valuable tool.

This book is a keeper and I'll probably read it several times. I have already ordered another for my daughter and am thinking of sending this book to others as well.

When I first saw this book I felt a little bit like a kid again--and that's exactly where this book took me--Every Sunday I would go into our sun filled living room and sit down and read a chapter in Julie's book--Every one of her outdoor "Nature" experiences took me back to the unencumbered days of my childhood --seeing nature through her eyes made me feel at peace while learning more and more about the things in nature that I would have liked to understand years ago--I just wish she would write another one just like this one--Have you ever read a book you wish would never end?? This was one of them--Thank you-

This is a wonderful little book. Julie Zickefoose is a writer, illustrator, and contributor to NPR. In this book, organized by the seasons of the year, she shares her experiences living on her 80-acre farm in southern Ohio. She brings a sense of wonder to seemingly mundane things such as squabbling starlings and the wreck of her vegetable garden.There are sad points, such as euthanising a little opossum caught in a steel trap, but most of the book is devoted to happier topics. I really enjoyed reading it.

Experience the seasons with Julie and her family on their wildlife sanctuary in the Appalachian foothills in southern Ohio. A gem of a book, if you love birds and other animals... very real and full of the wonder of everyday happenings - if you keep your eyes open.

I loved Ms. Zickefoose's little book. It's a publication one reads in small doses, enjoying her comments and her art. The style is like having a really good conversation with an interesting, accomplished naturalist. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys nature.

This is an outstanding resource for plank grilling. It is exceptionally well written, and the recipes are simply incredible. If you want that "one special cookbook" as the foundation for your plank grilling, then this is "The Book" to have.

This book is written by 4 amateur cooks - 4 seemingly nice ladies that are doing this in their spare time. While the recipes are interesting, most seem to not achieve the harmonious "melding" of flavors that demonstrates a sure sign of a well tested recipe designed by a seasoned chef. A fair number are pretty bland. This is not a bad book to page through and perhaps get some ideas of your own but be prepared to test and modify most recipes before trying them out on others.

One other thing: there is another sure sign that this book was written by a group of 30-something women. Most recipes really emphasize the use of "healthy" ingredients. This is good for the overly health conscious people out there, but I never think preoccupation with one's health should be at the expense of flavor and enjoyment of the meal. Eat less if you have to, but don't skimp on the flavor. And frankly, sometimes one just wants a decadent, well seasoned, perfectly grilled rib-eye with a pat of burgundy butter...or the plank equivalent.

I have a couple of Plank Grilling cookbooks - but his one is the BEST!
It's got all of the do's, don't's and watch-out-for's you'd ever need to know about Plank Grilling! It also has some funny stories of 'what not to do' in it.
The recipes are great - I've modified some of them for my own tastes - which can be done easily.
This is a GREAT beginner book for first time Plank Grillers and a GREAT addition to your collection if you've been Plank Grilling for awhile.
I would highly recommend this product. Enjoy!!

Well thought and completely illustrative on how to achieve the best of flavor in your food creations. This book is truly a masterful work with a proven collection of recipes.

Perhaps like a lot of people I thought plank grilling was not difficult and there was not much to know. Buy a piece of wood, soak it in water, and then fire up the grill. Right? Well not exactly. Take a hard look at this book written by a group of people who really worked the project, challenged each other, and crafted a new art. You will not believe the food this book can help you to create. Awesome does not begin to describe it. It covers the gamut from techniques to recipes in a thorough and concisely clear manner. In spite of that there is one piece of advice that is missing. When you are going to plank grill, soak twice as many boards as you think you will need. That way if you screw up (like I do) and burn the first plank up, a spare is ready to hand and the cooking can commence. The authors caution that it takes experience to learn how to plank grill well. There is a candor to this book that is refreshing with a lot of side bars about things not going according to plan each and every time. This book is as much about the adventure of plank grilling as it is about the recipes.

The authors caution that plank grilling works best with a gas grill. Having both a gas and a charcoal grill, I, like all children, had to find out for myself. The authors are right of course. If the charcoal fire is not quite low, the plank will burn right up. If the charcoal fire is low, it takes forever for dinner to be ready. There is not one false step in this book as far as I can tell. It is up to you dear reader to follow the instructions. Men (or at least this man) seem to struggle with this concept. The book is good, real good.

the type of reading material most grandparents search for to excite and encourage our youngsters' reading and interests.

I bought this book of poems while doing a them on Penguins. The children read Mr. Popper's Penguins and I used the Teachers printables for the unit. The poems were used during Writing to immerse the children in poems and cross theme with Penguins. This poem book and them can be used across all grades and guided reading levels. My 5 year old even loves it.

This book gives good basic information on penguins in a very fun format. The poems are catchy. I teach 3-6 year olds and I caught them repeating the phrases they liked the best. I highly recommend it for this age group.

I bought this book for my son since he is interested in penguins. Most penguin story books are promoted to toddlers or are penguin science books; not books for fictional reading for older children. Normally he doesn't choose to read but when he received this book for christmas, he immediately put down his other items and began to look through the book. Later that evening, before bedtime, he chose to read his book before going to sleep. He also liked that the book had poems; something he's been studying in school and hasn't seen how it could be fun to read. Now he likes them a little more. I'm glad it will help to promote more reading for him.

First of all, I love this book because I love penguins. However, as a piece of children's literature, it's so much more. This is an excellent example of how literature (poetry) and science can go hand and hand. There are some poems in this book that seem written just for fun, (e.g. "Be My Penguin"). However, most of the poems in this book are written about and around actual behaviors that penguins exhibit: from regurgiating their food to feed the young ("Regurgitate") to the motherly instincts of father penguins ("A Hatchling's Song" and "My Father's Feet") to poetic riddles about penguin predators (sea lion, killer whale). The book is charming, easy to read, and full of delightful penguin illustrations. A great gift for any child interesting in science or literature or anyone who (like me) just loves penguins.