I learned to chip carve from reading this book. The patterns and work shown are somewhat simple and are easily attainable. Barton's descriptions and explainations are clear and if you follow what he does, it inspires enough confidence to continue.

A good basic book about chip carving. Covers selection of wood, tools and their maintenance, technique, and a brief history of chip carving. Also includes a variety of patterns.

After you've read and mastered any other chip carving technique, this one comes along as a surprise. Barton reviews other styples and applications of chip carving so that when he explains positive image motif, you get the full impact of what it does. Positive Image motif is a radical change from traditional chip carving but one that is certainly very pleasing. The carver would have to develop his drawing skills to do it, but the results are well worth it!For anyone who works with wood, this is a book that adds an entirely new dimension to any woodworking project.

"What do I read Next" is an excellent resource. Every question I had about genre, its success, and its latest trends were answered. The authors were incredibly thorough. The 700+ page book is divided by genre, such as Mystery, Romance, etc., then dissects each genre by category. It defines each subgenre and category. It classifies each text that has been publshed that year. Next the author analyzes each genre. The latest novels are identified and described. The genre is examined by category to explore the latest trends, developments, reviews, and other issues concerning romance. I loved this book because it provided a wealth of information for Final Paper. I would definitely use it again.

Book is great for borders and traditional patterns and gives some basic tips, but does not give details on how to achieve the effects shown.

Some of what is in this book is also in the first book.Technically this book could stand on its own and that's why the repitition. However, this book is more pattern oriented than the first book. It has two more typefaces that can be photocopied and used for lettering projects and more patterns that are somewhat more advanced than the first book. The biggest help for a beginning chip carver is to acquirle a collection of patterns and typefaces to use for any carving projects. This could be used as a starting point for anyone interested in chip carving, but the rosettes and the lettering patterns in the first book are invaluable as well.

Fairchild's Passage is an engrossing tale of the West; but not the romaticized Louis L'Amour's West. This is a harsher, more realistic story of a wagon train heading to Oregon and of the hardships encountered. The characters are interesting and well defined; their situations are basic, difficult, and (at times) horrible. I suspect that this is what the Old West was really like. This book definitely held my interest; I only wish it had continued for a few more chapters; there were additional problems in the story that needed (in my opinion) to be resolved. But I would recommend this book to a friend. If you like Westerns, you'll like this book.

This is Way too Expensive for what your getting. Sorry Guys, Had to be said.

"What Do I read Next" is an excellent reference for anyone interested in genre fiction. As a readers advisory, it does a very good job of explaining the different sub genre categories available within Mystery, Romance, Western, Inspirational, and Horror fiction. It then goes even further to explain the story types that make up each sub genre -- a very important distinction for anyone who has ever tried to find a particular story theme or time period within the genres. In romance, for example, Historical Romance is a sub genre. Within this sub genre are different story types like Medieval romance or Regency romance or even Americana Romance. You can also search for titles by locale, character, time period, occupation and much more! It also has the added feature of suggesting other titles you might like. Knowing what you're looking for goes a long way in finding what you're looking for! However, I do agree that the price for the book is high, but that is what a library is for! This title is probably available to you from your local library. If it isn't, request that it be added to the collection. Updated every year, it is an invaluable source for anyone who's ever been in that frustrating position of trying to decide, "What do I read next?"