Over the weekend, our online bookstore added a virtual wing with hundreds more titles. My Shop Drawings book series is now available. Yesterday, I browsed through some of my old favorites books and found some that you might not have known about, but they are worth a look. These are my top five favorite books:
The Art of Japanese Joinery offers a visual feast. It is comprised of black-and-white photographs of traditional Japanese joints. Its an interesting look at different ways two pieces of wood can connect, and intricate work from the other side of the world.
Cabinetmaking, the Professional Approach by Alan Peters is an overall look at what it takes to earn your living working wood. Peters was a British craftsman who was trained in Arts & Crafts traditions and is best known for updating the Ernest Joyce classic Encyclopedia of Furniture Making. It’s not just about how to make stuff; it’s how to make high-quality stuff efficiently.
Every now and then someone suggests that I do a book on the furniture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. I will not be publishing The Complete Furniture Drawings and Interior Designs. This comprehensive volume details Mackintoshs work with original drawings and photos. If you are a Mackintosh enthusiast, it is not cheap.
Modern Cabinet Work is a reprint from an early 20th century text that provides valuable insight into how furniture was made during the Arts & Crafts period.
Everybody needs a hero, and The Furniture of Sam Maloof is an in-depth look at the work of mine. This book is filled with detailed photos and is an inspiration resource for one of the most skilled craftsmen of all time.
