"Fine Woodworking - Biennial Design Book"
by R. Bruce Hoadley, Tage Frid, et. al.

Reviewed by Mark Gezella – May 2003

Time has been tight for me lately, consequently my reading time has been limited. I hadn't planned on borrowing another library book this month, but after shelving stock at the last meeting I was once again hooked!

This month's review is about a book published back in the 1970's from the editors of Fine Woodworking. It's not a book in the textual sense; it's more of a picture book for us grown-up woodworkers.

Mr. Hoadley, Mr. Frid, John Kelsey and Paul Roman combined efforts to sift through 8000 photographs submitted by over 1200 individuals to arrive at a final selection of 600 pictures to fill the premier design book. They categorized entries according to basic disciplines of the craft; architecture, chairs, tables, desks, beds, cabinets, sculptures, instruments and toys. Types of items run the gamut from basic, no-nonsense furniture to odd, eccentric sculptures. The instruments section is what captivated me - once I saw some of those pages I knew I had to check it out for an extended viewing.

I find it interesting to see how the craft revival of the '70s spawned so much interest in woodworking. I'm particularly fond of it since so much work from that period eventually drew me to my hobby. Publications of this sort really support the claims about how prolific artisans were then. The only drawback to the book is that all photos are black and white. Later publications were converted to color, along with more sophisticated soft cover presentation.

I never tire of seeing talented crafts-people forge an idea in their mind then ply their abilities to create a thing of beauty. Whether in picture form or true dimension, it gives great pleasure to an audience and I'm sure an extreme sense of satisfaction for the creator. Just imagine sitting in your favorite chair on a quiet evening, beverage of choice on a table next to you, browsing the pages of this book... mmmm, mmmm, mmmm - makes you realize life is worthwhile!

I seem to be stuck on the Taunton Press lately, but I can't help myself. Since this original, there have been another six design books to come along (the library holds all but one of these; issue six is not available). Each builds on the same theme and provides us with a contemporary view of what's going on in the world of woodworking.

Even if you never check the book out from the library, you may enjoy a quick thumb-through before or after a future SLWG meeting. I think you will be pleased.

This book is currently available for checkout in the Guild library.