I read this book for the first time back in 1965-1966. I have shared this book with several of my catholic friends who found the book to be exqusided. I have the May 1953 editition. Naturally I had to order the revised edition. Since reading the new edition I find it very, very informative. and I highly recommend it be read by all old and new Catholics. It will answer many if not most of the questions you have about the Catholic Faith. God Bless You!

This book shows almost every wood joint invented. It shows where these joints are best served (for drawers, tables, chairs, etc). It ranks the best wood choices for the best joints, and the ease of making them with or without the proper tool. After the charts, it details the procedures for creating each joint.

I had the chance to read the book in French and I must say that there are not a lot of books like that ( there is more than 40 in English, lucky you!) written in French . It is possible for for me to compare because I read some of them in English... In fact you will discovre a very clearly written book, with plenty of very nice colored illustrations, changin from the B/W illustration of some, a logic distribution of the chapters. In other words I recommand it absolutely. Charles Rydel

This publication is a great source of information to me as a shop teacher trying to arouse young students' interest in tools. In one book, the author relays the history of most of the common hand tools in use in carpentry and associated trades today. In addition, he gives detailed instructions as to the use of each tool and provides flawless illustrations to guide the reader.

I would recommend this book as a gift for a hobbyist, shop teacher, contractor or any persons with similar interest areas. I plan to award a volume to my top shop student each year.\

Steve Schmit David City, Nebraska 12 / 11 / 99

This book is an outstanding resource for anyone with even a passing interest in Car Wars. It combines all vehicle body types (including cars, bikes, tanks, helicopters and airplanes!) as well as the equipment and weaponry from all previously published material. In college, I bought 2 copies -- one for me and one to circulate around my gaming group. This book contains equipment for those who prefer the classic slugfest, but also stealth, sound-systems and sound enhancement systems useful for ROLE-PLAYING.

As a side note, for anyone who plays other RPGs but needs good vehicle combat rules, give Car Wars a try. The vehicle combat rules are quick and clean. In the early 90s, there were even groups adapting Car Wars vehicle construction for use in GURPS and Shadowrun.

If you like Car Wars (or just need some good vehicle construction rules) get this book.

A nice survey of woodworking - covers wood, tools, design, and common woodworking activities at a high level. The book is packed with interesting full color pictures and illustrations. I have a hard cover edition that would make a fine coffee table book. If you're looking for a well illustrated dictionary, then this is a great book. However, this book has a lot of breadth, but little depth so don't expect to learn much.

I got this book shortly before getting "The Basics of Craftsmanship", and enjoyed the detailed discussion of wood types. However, I was looking for a little more "how-to" information. It's not enough to say how such-and-such a tool is good for ripping; as a beginner I want to know WHAT ripping is, and how to do it with different tools. I found that "Basics" gave more coverage to this kind of information. With all its pretty pictures I'll probably be more likely to put this book on my coffee table than in my shop.

This book started off with everything I expected; the growth of wood, types of joints, basic construction, and so on. The illustrations and pictures are first rate. As the study turns to tools I felt that the writers were very traditional if not old-fashioned in the emphasis on hand tools. Everything about power tools related to European models and many all-in-one types. I suppose Norm Abrams might refer to parts of this book as history instead of useful information. Nonetheless, this book will remain part of my reference collection.

This book covers more than just the lumber. It explains how trees grow, how forests are managed, how lumber is cut, and some basic woodworking techniques. Endangered trees are discussed and marked throughout the book. Traditional woodworking woods, plywood, and man-made woods are covered with characteristics, common uses, workability, and finishing tips for each. There are many beautiful pictures and drawings throughout.

A few things could be improved. The wood descriptions are arranged by scientific name so a better index is needed to help locate common names. For example "Walnut" and "Black Walnut" are not in the index, but "American Walnut" is. A section of the book shows pictures of each tree species (20 per page) but instead of having the name by each picture there is a "from left to right" list in a small box at the bottom of each page.

This seems pretty close to an ideal introduction to the world of wood and woods. After the succes of the British version of this book ("Collins_Good_Wood_Guide") there now are US, French and German versions (and perhaps some more in other languages?).

The great thing about the book is the quality of the illustrations which convey a very great deal of information very effectively. I am not entirely sure of the quality of the text, which dips into a very wide range of topics, but owing to the quick-in quick-out style the authors certainly manage to avoid saying anything stupid.

My favorite part is the 74 individually photographed wood samples (also including a bit of end-grain and a bit of side-grain, occasionally including the bark) which are faithfully reproduced at an ample size and in glorious color.

This 128-page book may not completely satify the wood buff, but it is pretty close to an ideal introduction to woods for anyone starting out doing anything with wood. Great value for money!

This book is something of my bible. It's clearly written, has excellent illustrations and, above all, treats the reader with respect and intelligence. I've used this book successfully with doing large electrical projects, plumbing, sanding floors, laying out a brick garden path, and many many others. The detail provided in this book to guide you is both extensive and clear. An excellent choice that will serve you well for years to come.

I bought this book for its section on electrical wiring. I had a problem with a couple of outlets at my house, and looked at several books that dealt specifically on home electrical wiring (ie Ortho, Black & Decker, Time-life and Better Homes) Pop Mech's "Home-How-To" book in my opinion far exceeded all other books on electrical wiring. This book went into more wiring configurations than the other books and explained them in simple step by step instructions with color diagrams to help. This book also explained alot about the different circuits (120v,240v,small appliance, lighting and individual) that are in your house and required by the NEC. There is even a small section on the process of getting a permit for adding extra circuits to your house. If your completely new to electricity the first few pages in the elecrtical section explains what amps, volts, and watts mean and even how to read your electric meter. So if you are new to home wiring and just want to know how to replace a switch or outlet then this book is for you, but if you are more knowleged and want to add a indoor or outdoor circuit line with a seperate circuit breaker in your main elec box, then this book is also for you. On a last note, I must again state that I am only rating and giving a 5 star rating on its electrical section, I have not had the chance or need to read into the other chapters.

This is the only home repair book I've seen that doesn't treat the reader like an idiot. By assuming that the reader already knows how to use a hammer, the editors are able to devote far more attention to actual home repair projects. For example, this volume devotes about 8 pages to plaster repair - a critical task for anyone maintaining an older home, yet one ignored by every other comparable book on the market. This book fills a needed gap between beginner do-it-yourself volumes and advanced instruction for the professional tradesperson.

I liked the scope of this book and the clear helpful illustrations. I found it very informative. It covers a wide range of antiques and collectibles. Good basic information for the average collector and general repairs.

This book is a great place to start for anyone either wishing to resurrect fantastic old pieces or just make the most of the ones they already have. It's packed full of diagrams and should have something for both amateurs and the experienced alike. It basically tells you how to deal with furniture restoration and maintenance from simple polishes to complete overhauls. A great resource to have around.