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In an era when there are countless competing claims on ones attention, how does one find the internal focus to be creative? For master furniture craftsman Gary Rogowski, the answer is in the act of creative work itself. The discipline of working with ones hands to create unnecessarily beautiful things shapes the builder into a more complete human being. In the tradition of 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' and 'Shop Class as Soulcraft', Rogowskis 'Handmade' is a profound meditation on the eternal value of manual work, creativity, human fallibility, and the stubborn pursuit of quality work. Rogowski tells his life story of how he became a craftsman and how years of persistent work have taught him patience, resilience, tolerance for failure, and a love of pursuing beauty and mastery for its own sake. Part autobiography, part guide to creativity, and part guide to living, 'Handmade' is a book for craftspeople, artists, and anyone who seeks clarity, purpose, and creativity in their work and it's the perfect antidote to a modern world that thinks human labor is obsolete.

A discussion of joinery, tools and their uses, and machine shop practice.

A collection of 140 plates for mouldings from bedsteads, cabinets, cupboards, and more.

Historical explanations of the decorative ironwork of South Carolina.

The dovetail joint, which woodworkers rely on for making boxes and drawers, is the hallmark of fine craftsmanship. This unique and comprehensive handbook unlocks the intricacies of the classic joint. Woodworkers will learn exactly how to design and lay out all forms of the dovetail, and how to saw and chisel the mating parts for a perfect fit. With detailed explanations at every step and a refreshingly contemporary approach, master craftsman Ian Kirby shows how to achieve superb results with traditional hand tools as well as modern router jigs. Variations include the through, single-lap and double-lap dovetail; the secret miter dovetail; dovetail housings; and rail-to-leg dovetails. Every serious woodworker will need to own this essential reference.

Considered among the highest achievements of the American arts and crafts movement, Greene & Greene furniture was custom-built for specific interior spaces, and many of the pieces still remain in their original locations. This manual, written by a nationally recognised furniture maker, provides intermediate and advanced woodworkers with well illustrated, step-by-step instructions for classic Greene & Greene details, including ebony plugs, cloud lifts, leg indents, brackets, and pulls. A discussion of the design philosophy of the period accompanies how-to chapters, and photographs of contemporary Greene-inspired furniture provide ideas for projects. Biographical sketches are included for Charles and Henry Greene, Peter and John Hall (who built most of the furniture), and competing furniture maker Gustav Stickley.

How to set up table saws, manage blades, and build simple jigs.

For a woodworker, there's nothing more satisfying than building a project that adds beauty and function to a busy home: the stunning cutting board used every night in the kitchen, the elegant and helpful end-table next to the bed, or the handsome coffee table that proudly serves in the living room. Ultimately, it's the handmade pieces of furniture that become the family heirlooms for generations to come. With Handmade Furniture by Rafael Nathan, a professional cabinetmaker and the former co-publisher of Australian Wood Review, woodworkers of all skill levels will discover 21 beautiful projects that will be a welcome and proud addition in any room in the house. Ranging from boxes and trays to tables and cabinets, the stylish yet straightforward projects require only a limited number of hand and power tools and will enhance a woodworker's joinery abilities as they progress from biscuits and dowels to dovetail and mortise and tenon joints. With the thoroughly documented, expert step-by-step instructions, and the helpful cutting lists, illustrations, and photographs, woodworkers from new to old are guaranteed to successfully build handmade furniture that will last a lifetime.

Acclaimed woodworking craftsman and author Ken Horner presents 50 easy-to-follow plans for exciting and practical kitchen projects in his new book Kitchen Projects for the Woodworker. These fun and challenging woodworking projects offer designs for all kinds of useful and beautiful kitchen tools: cutting boards, trivets, spoons, kitchen stools, and more! Dress up your kitchen -- and make it more functional -- with these stylish, easy-to-make kitchen projects for the home woodworker. Master woodworking craftsman Ken Horner presents his best designs for useful items for the kitchen: cutting boards, trivets, spoons and spoon holders, spice shakers, trays, glass holders, candlesticks, kitchen stools, coasters, trays, bowls, baskets, knife holders and more. Step-by-step instructions and illustrations make each project simple to complete while building your woodworking skills. This book will give you the plans and confidence to make your kitchen functional and fun.

Charming, humorous, sometimes tragic, but always fascinating vignettes from a lifetime of craftsmanship. They say life is a merry-go-round -- for Gerry Holzman, this has been literally and figuratively true. A master figure carver who has restored over 100 pieces of antique carousel art and created over 250 pieces of original carousel carving, he was the head carver and executive director of New York's landmark Empire State Carousel Project. Gerry has devoted the past 50 years to woodcarving and his skill has taken him around the world as a student, teacher, craftsman, and artist. Throughout this giddy merry-go-round of a career, he has encountered many intriguing ways to use our brief time on earth and invites us to accompany him as he strives to understand and appreciate them all. In Wanderings of a Wayward Woodcarver, Holzman offers a chronicle of the many extraordinary adventures that this ancient craft has provided him and the unconventional folks it has introduced him to. He also shares with us the wide-ranging lessons woodcarving has taught him about the often-overlooked connections between the work that we do, the colleagues that we do it with, and the culture that we do it for. From these delightfully varied essays, you'll learn: Why a flustered student had to remind him that, We're not all little Mr. Holzmans. How a carver who could not read was able to make signs for the State of New York. What happened when an attractive young witch invited Holzman to visit her coven; Why a fatherly Mafioso told Gerry how to prevent his carvings from being stolen. Holzman's mentor, English master carver Gino Masero, who taught Gerry as much about civility and grace as he did about carving, encouraged him to pass on the insights that they had acquired during their lives as craftsmen. The result is this remarkable book, offering a variety of truly unique perspectives for appreciating the life-affirming values that are so much a part of being human.

A guide to living fully and humanely by learning the wisdom of authentic manual work. Many of us live in a world of constant abstraction, immersed in our heads and our screens. But there is a deeper wisdom to be found in working with our hands in the real world. In THE WISDOM OF OUR HANDS, craftsman and educator Doug Stowe shows how working with our hands, either professionally or as a hobby, is essential for a full education and a full life. Based on his 45 years as a woodworker and 25 years as a teacher of handcrafts, Stowe argues that human beings have a natural need to express themselves creatively through tangible work. The use of one's hands and whole body to make physical things and reshape our surroundings promotes both physical and mental health and fosters a sense of mastery in both young and adult students. A life of craftsmanship offers the opportunity and obligation to define one's own values. Drawing on his experiences living and working in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a town dedicated to handcrafts and arts, Stowe demonstrates how craft work can create community, forge deeper social bounds, and foster a saner attitude about the value of human labour and material goods. Written for everyone who wants to reconnect with the deep experience of the human body at work, THE WISDOM OF OUR HANDS is a quietly radical call to spiritual (and physical) action.

BUSHCRAFT WHITTLING presents an easy and fun introduction to an essential self-sufficiency skill for hunters, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. Bushcraft whittling -- the art of shaping improvised campsite and hiking implements -- requires no special tools or complex techniques, and you can practice on just about any wood that comes to hand. Plus, being able to make your firewood tinder, tent pegs, walking sticks, roasting sticks, digging tools and more can be a lifesaver on the trail. Master whittler Rick Wiebe shows step-by-step how anyone with a common pocketknife, a hatchet, and an itch to do something with their hands can make projects that are fun, eye-catching, and useful. The book will show you the tools you need (all available at any hardware store), the right cutting techniques, carving safety, how to select the right wood, and how to make dozens of useful items at your campsite. Everyone who spends time in the outdoors -- campers, hikers, ramblers, hunters, fishermen, skiers, and any kind of sportsman -- needs to master the art of bushcraft whittling. Additionally, bushcraft whittling is the perfect low-effort introduction to the fun and relaxing hobby of whittling, as well as an excuse to use that fun knife you just bought. If youre an outdoorsy person -- or even if you just want to be an outdoorsy person someday -- BUSHCRAFT WHITTLING is a must-have book.

This is the first book to specifically address how to write feature articles for women. It appeals to both active writers and journalists and those who are just beginning.

In this collection of firsthand accounts by those who knew Cesar Chavez best, a portrait of an uncommonly complex man, both driven and focused, yet humble, empathic and exceedingly principled, emerges. The reader gains an understanding of the yoke Chavez chose to place upon his own shoulders, as well as the ideals he employed to accomplish for the migrant farmworkers what many predicted would be impossible. The 45+ contributors range from the famous -- Edward James Olmos, Henry Cisneros, Martin Sheen, Coretta Scott King, Jerry Brown and others -- to members of the Chavez family, to UFW staff, to the farmworkers themselves. Illustrated by the compelling black and white photographs of George Elfie Ballis, who began photographing the farmworker movement in the 1950s.

Irving Stone takes us on a journey that allows us to encounter the citizenry, experience the milestones, and appraise the events that forged the nation's most populous state. Experience the culture, the hardships, and the greatness of men such as John Sutter, John Bidwell, Samuel Brannan, Thomas O. Larkin, the Revered Walter Colton, and John Charles Fremont. Witness the terrible tragedy of the Donner Party and the long-battled for successes of so many others. Marvel at the speed gold fever transformed a sleepy trickle of immigration into the torrent of the Gold Rush. Follow the intrigue as the intrepid Mexicans, Californios, and Americans vie for control of the territory destined to become our Union's 31st state.

While nearly all of America's major rivers have been compromised, few have been so misused as the San Joaquin. In its comparatively brief history, it has been dammed, diverted, and depleted beyond comprehension. Here, in colourful and informative prose, veteran author Gene Rose identifies the forces and figures who have shaped, altered, and corrupted this once mighty waterway which some now view as "a river betrayed".

The most persistent enemy of the native Californians was the firmly rooted white philosophy which preached that, one way or another, the Indian was doomed. Beyond the callous references to "Diggers" and "Poor Lo", the single most important catchword of the period was "extermination." It was used early and often and picked up by the newspapers and repeated in the army reports, letters, government documents, and journals of the time. It was a word that set the stage for slaughter. When the Great Spirit Died is a sad and tragic story that will haunt our country forever.

He came to California with the great Gold Rush, but instead of riches, Isaiah W. Lees discovered his great talent for solving crimes and catching criminals. He captured stage robbers in Missouri, tracked con men to New York and caught the notorious eastern bank robber, Jimmy Hope in the middle of a San Francisco heist. San Francisco in the 1850's, was the gateway to the gold fields, a city filled with adventurers, outlaws, con men and desperadoes of every description. In 1853 Isaiah Lees was appointed the first Chief of Detectives on the new Police Force and during nearly fifty years he acquired an amazing record. An innovator of police methods, Lees easily eclipsed such legendary lawman as Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp. When he retired as chief in 1900, the San Francisco Chronicle stated that "in point of service, no one has ever equalled the record of Lees." He was the right man, in the right place, at the right time, and this is his exciting, true story, told here for the first time.

This book presents extraordinary, little-known tales of the infamous bandits and highwaymen who plied their trade in early California.