I love this book.

As a study of the mind of a top-notch musician, the writer has done a superb job of capturing an intimate portrait of how Casals thought about music, and the production of musical performance. Through a series of well-organised chapters, the reader feels as if he/she is undergoing a masterclass with Casals: diminuendo, stress, meter, mythology, feeling . . . by revealing Casals as a philosopher of orchestration, this book shows the microscope of Casals mind when viewing a score. We benefit from his incomparable insights, spoken off like night-time chat, and we learn from his conductor's sensibilities, like we're sitting in the string section in front of him.

This book is invaluable to musicians--of an instrument--composers, conductors, and amateur enthusiasts such as myself who'd like to experience the workings of a keen sense and ear in a genius like Casals.

This book, like few others, have deeply enriched my understanding of music--as a thing of time, shape, and expression.

From Blum's first discussion of the "First Principle" through his Casals-inspired revelations about melodic shape, dynamics, and rhythm, this book is invaluable as a guide for true artistic expression. The line between music as a set of performance skills and as an interpretive art is clearly drawn, and the spirit of Casals beckons all of us who would be truly inspired musicians

David Blum writes an insightful and rewarding text based on notes taken from rehearsals, master classes, and personal conversations with Pablo Casals. According to Blum, the idea for the book came from Antony Hopkins who encouraged him to take his notes and memories and document them so that other musicians could benefit from Casals' musicianship. The book provides a study of the "laws of music" or "laws of nature" which Casals considered to be the essential elements of meaningful interpretation. The text serves as a guide to musicians, conductors, and music educators on the art of music making.

Most musicians know of Casals the cellist. Unknown to many, his conducting career spans a period of over sixty-five years. During his career as a conductor, rehearsals clearly revealed his ideas about music interpretation. The text records the oral statements and the aural interpretations made by Casals during his rehearsals.

Five chapters divide the text with each chapter representing the main areas of Casals' interpretive ideas. The last chapter serves as an application of the elements of interpretation combined to produce a performance. Every chapter includes printed music excepts, detailed notations of performance practice, insightful commentary from the author, and compelling statements made by Casals during the rehearsal of a particular passage. Topic areas covered in the chapters include The First Principal, Finding the Design, Diction for Instrumentalists, Perceiving Time Relationships, Insights for String Players, Casals and Bach, and A Casals Rehearsal: the Pastoral Symphony.

A unique aspect of Blum's book, the reader is encouraged to study and become involved in every music example. The music examples are excerpts from his performances on the cello, lessons with cello students, and rehearsals with the orchestra. Transposed to the key of C for easy reading, all excerpts are in treble or bass clefs. They have notated phrases, articulations, dynamic nuances, and other stylistic attributes illustrating the points of Casals' concepts. Blum tastefully adds Casals' vocal statements to enhance the music examples, "Casals cried out, Here is the anguish! - Let it sing at the top of the phrase!"

David Blum's book is well written and informative. The music examples with Casals' statements allow the reader to easily and quickly gasp the details of interpretation. This scholarly book with practical applications and insights is invaluable.

The best part of this book is the first twenty two pages. Paul explains customizing and planning a design to fit your need and then goes into working with different materials. He even explains and has a drawing to show the proper way to install a screw. His information on joinery is easy to understand with the shop drawings to help explain them. Most people think you need a large selection of tools to build a project, not so as is demonstrated with the list Paul gives you. Layout and stock preperation along with the triangular marking system is information every woodworker should know to make a project easier to build, and finally someone gives us a simple finish to put on a project instead of worrying about using expensive spray equipment. Throughout the book there are many tips that can be applied to any project. The photos are great, the book is well written with some fantastic projects anyone would be proud to show off in their home. Thanks Paul for a great addition to my library and my shop.

Taunton Press realizes that a how-to book must not only deliver in content, but must be able to stand the abuse that taking it to the shop can cause. They use a slick cover and page material that looks like it could be damp-mopped many times without wilting. The content will also pass the test of time without wilting also. Anthony has brought six great woodworkers, including himself, to take on thirteen different storage projects.

There is probably not a project in this book that anyone would have a problem with. The attention to detail is amazing; from the complete and accurate cut-lists, to the step by step written procedure for each operation with outstanding photographs to illustrate what tool or machine to use. We have all been advised to do "dry clamp-ups" to make sure of glueing sequence and optimum clamp placement. This is covered in detail on almost every project.

For those of you who are Turners, you get your chance on the legs of the Storage Bench, and Allen Spooner shows how to book-match veneer for the Man's Jewelry Box.

I have found Anthony's book to be more than worthwhile addition to my library, and I am sure you will also. Where else can you get working drawings, great instructions and photographs for thirteen projects for this price?

Paul Anthony's new 'Home Storage Projects' from Taunton Press is not a run-of-the-mill 'store-it' campaign. He teaches fine woodworking along the way, with items as simple as a CD cabinet or pantry door storage. For those who want more complicated pieces, he offers a bench with curved, sleigh-bed end handles and a built-in of under-bed storage with a pedestal and drawers that roll out on both sides. He shows how to construct a printer stand that looks elegant enough to be a display case in a living room.

A long kitchen work station, a file cabinet, and a desktop organizer designed for real storage of work at hand, are some of the projects included. A mobile closet for guests, a man's jewelry box, and a medicine cabinet with a locking partition for drugs, are all presented with design options for fitting to required spaces or use.

The author offers up shop jigs for mitered clamping cauls, spline miter mortises and tapering. Hints show how to set router depth for leaf hinges in an instant, how to spring a batten for a fair curve, and how to install a full mortise lock. Producing these projects off the fully illustrated instructions would be a basic course in woodworking, with guidance in resawing, joinery and simple finishes.

The nice thing about this book is that the author never forgets to inform the reader why he is doing something, so it all makes sense as you go along. Illustrations and photos are clear and move the work along step by step. Selecting a space in the home, then designing a project to fill that space, is one of the best ways to learn design and construction techniques, and that is where this book succeeds so well. From small projects to large, there are useful pieces here for nearly everyone.