A book to get me through the winter?

[James Spillman]

I am looking for a book to get me through a Buffalo winter. Not a project or how to book. I'd like something to provide inspiration. If you have a favorite book from one of the masters I'd like to know about it. Thanks.

[Michael Fross]

I love tools and I have recently re-read the Anarchist Tool Chest (https://lostartpress.com/collections/books/products/the-anarchists-tool-chest). I really enjoy Chris's through and interesting discussions of essential hand tools.

As for inspiration, I've been looking through Greene & Greene Furniture: Poems of Wood & Light (https://www.amazon.com/Greene-Furniture-Poems-Wood-Light/dp/1440302995). If you like G&G, the pictures are fantastic and, to me, very inspirational.

Best of luck. Our Chicago winters may not be at the level of a Buffalo winter, but a good book certainly helps me.

Michael

[William Adams]

As bitterly as I complain about the typos and the pedestrian micro-typography, Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley is a wonderful, inspiring book.

There's an excerpt up on the product page (which shows one of the errors which I find most egregious, the duplication of a photo of flat pliers, rather than the pair of jeweler's pliers which should be depicted --- does anyone know of a good photo of those in any of the photos which have been shared?) which should give you a good idea of it.

[Pat Barry]

Groundhog day is coming up soon.

[Les Groeller]

An inspiration for me was the "Grove Park Inn - Arts and Crafts Furniture", by Bruce E. Johnson. It's a Popluar Woodworking publication. It's got it all...history, intrigue and very nice pictures of beautiful furniture! 😁 Seriously though, I thought I appreciated historical woodworking but until I read this book I had a limited concept of the depth of the subject and the influence on society of the woodworkers that plied their craft in the past. It won't take all winter to read (170 pages or so) but it is an enjoyable read!

[Frederick Skelly]

I found James Krenov's "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook" inspiring.

[Lee Schierer]

Tolstoy's " War and Peace" will take two Buffalo winters to read. ;)

[Steve Hubbard]

Second vote for "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook". Other inspiring options are works by Sam Maloof or Nakamichi.

[JimA Thornton]

Not a book, although it could be, I've been working my way through Paul Sellers Blog: https://paulsellers.com/woodworking-blog/paul-sellers-blog/ starting on page 222. If you read it, be sure and at least skim through the "Comments" as there's a lot of info in them as well. Keep in mind that I'm a lifetime wood machinist, new to hand tool woodworking, so others might not get as much out of it as I have.

Jim

[Prashun Patel]

A Splintered History of Wood.

[Derek Cohen]

"The Intelligent Hand" by David Savage.

"The Soul of a Tree" by George Nakashima

"A Cabinetmaker's Notebook" by James Krenov

"Sam Maloof, Woodworker" by Sam Maloof

"Why we make things and why it matters: The education of a craftsman" by Peter Korn

All highly recommended.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bruce Haugen]

The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World, by Simon Winchester

Not woodworking but utterly fascinating, nonetheless.

[Doug Dawson]

I am looking for a book to get me through a Buffalo winter. Not a project or how to book. I'd like something to provide inspiration. If you have a favorite book from one of the masters I'd like to know about it. Thanks.

"The Woodworker: The Charles Hayward Years". Secrets of the ancients! Buy all four volumes! Available from Lost Art Press, https://lostartpress.com/products/the-woodworker-the-charles-h-hayward-years-vols-i-iv

In between, read "Infinite Jest", by David Foster Wallace. That should shake out any chuckles you have stuck inside you. It's very long and thorough. Yes, chuckles are like sawdust, they can be collected.

[Thomas Crawford]

I really like "By Hand and Eye" by Tolpin and Walker.

If you are a fly fisherman then "The River Why".

[Tony Shea]

"The Intelligent Hand" by David Savage.

"The Soul of a Tree" by George Nakashima

"A Cabinetmaker's Notebook" by James Krenov

"Sam Maloof, Woodworker" by Sam Maloof

"Why we make things and why it matters: The education of a craftsman" by Peter Korn

All highly recommended.

Regards from Perth

Derek



This is def the best list of recommendations by far. I'm sure this is mentioned a lot but what really got me down this rabbit hole of woodworking what #3 on Derek's list. James Krenov "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook" is my favorite all time woodworking book. He romanticizes this trade in a way that is hard for me to put into words although he does it perfectly. After reading this book I searched out all his other books and love those as well. They are not how to books in any way and I don't particularly want to read how to woodworking books.

The only one I might add to this list is Mike Pekovich's book "The Why and How of Woodworking." That is what I'm currently reading right now and he has done a wonderful job with it. I'm a big fan of his writings and his woodworking. I don't necessarily love his style of furniture, although he does have some pieces I'd like to build off of, but his methods are perfect. He has a wonderful mind and teaches his methods in extremely easy to understand steps.

[Graham Haydon]

"Time, Taste and Furniture" - John Gloag. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/time-taste-and-furniture-by-john-gloag-a-1925-gem/ Can be found for not much and is a nice change from the excellent but somewhat predictable recommendations.

[Ron Kellison]

Two other books by James Krenov that are excellent reads are "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" and "The Impractical Cabinetmaker".

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

Not woodworking, but inspiring in terms of protecting historical practices (and farmland):
"The Shepherd's Life," by James Rebanks

[Tom M King]

Thanks Megan! Just found a pristine first edition on ebay for 10 bucks. I couldn't figure out how to answer the 1 book question. I bought 154 off ebay last year, just on Virginia Colonial era history alone.

[Ron Kellison]

Here's one that captures the ethos of woodworking without gusting about the ethereal virtues of design. This one is a classic.

https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Guide-Building-Bamboo-Fly/dp/0962060976

[David Dalzell]

I have all of the Krenov books. I would buy all of them again if need be. They are all inspirational and can be read and reread.

[Bill McNiel]

Definitely "The River Why" !!! More about life & love than fishing, one of my favorite reads (I reread it every couple of years).

[James Spillman]

Thank you for all the replies. So many wonderful options, but where to begin? I think I will start with James Krenov. A number of you suggested him as a great source of inspiration..

[Jason Martin Winnipeg]

Damn, and I just put through an Amazon order. The books I ordered are:

Chinese Domestic Furniture in Photographs and Measured Drawings, by Gustav Ecke
Making Shoji, by Toshio Odate
A Cabinetmaker's Notebook, by James Krenov
The Village Carpenter, by Walter Rose
Woodworking Joints, by Charles Hayward
David Charlesworth's Furniture-Making Techniques: A Guide to Hand Tools and Methods, by David Charlesworth

And also a Pentel GraphGear mechanical pencil.

[Don Jarvie]

The violin maker by John Marchese. It’s about a violin maker in Brooklyn and follows him making a violin for a player. There’s a little WWing in there like how they have theses secret finish recipes. You will definitely look into trying to make one after this book.