The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery by Gary Rogowski
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Book Reviews of The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery
Book Review: almost great
Summary: 3 Stars
The book is rather idiosyncratically organized. It goes by joint family and then type, but there is overlap and gaps. For instance it doesn't mention Parsons joints and some of the joint descriptions are really lacking, like the locked miter (totally useless description).
Overall better than average with very good production values, but not comprehensive and IMHO poorly organized. The index is also less than great and some of the joint descriptions are at best sketchy to useless.
Book Review: Big Disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
As a moderately experienced woodworker with a lot to learn, I thought this book might provide a comprehensive description (or nearly so) of woodworking joints with detailed instructions and tips on how to do the joinery. Unfortunately, it turned out to be long on glossy image and short on nuts-and-bolts information. The list of joinery techniques is a long one and may indeed be quite comprehensive; it definitely includes some I had not seen before. The photography and production are beautiful and sumptuous. But the descriptions of how to make the joints are sadly deficient. Again and again, on one type of joint after another, I find the instructions to be breezy and incomplete (as if I were expected to know how to do everything already). Frequently the text gives a one-sentence instruction and then refers to a photo where one might expect to be able to fill in the information missing from the text. But the photos, although beautiful, are no more informative than the text. In most cases, line drawings would be much more informative. For a much less sumptuous, but definitely more informative book, I recommend Woodworking: The Right Technique: Three Practical Ways to Do Every Job-And How to Choose the One That's Right for You, by Bob Moran and Nick Engler. It doesn't cover as many techniques, but the ones it does cover, it covers well.Book Review: A Disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
As with most Taunton Press publications, the illustrations and photographs in this book are spectacular and the organization and layout is superb. Nonetheless, I found this book disappointing. It lacks both depth and breadth. I had hoped for a detailed review of wood joinery including some of the more unusual joinery found in Japanese woodworking. This book, however, is targeted more toward the beginner. Even so, it does not cover the details and "tricks" of even the most basic techniques in sufficient detail to allow beginners to easily reproduce them. Consequently, it is unclear who this book was written for - not the beginner as it lacks depth, and not the advanced woodworker as it lacks breadth. Far more effort appears to have been put into appearance and organization than in content.Book Review: Disjointed.
Summary: 2 Stars
I agree with one of the other reviewers: this is a GREAT looking book, filled with well-crafted photos. However, as a beginner woodworker, I was unable to follow most of the text. I thought this book would give step-by-step instructions on accomplishing various joinery solutions. Instead, it merely mentioned the solution and more or less told the reader to fumble his way through it himself. This may be a decent reference book for TYPES of joinery, but if you're looking for guidance in crafting the joints, you'll probably need other material to do so. What is also seriously lacking here is a glossary of terms used throughout the book to help the beginner understand exactly what the author is writing about.Book Review: joinery
Summary: 1 Stars
I have purchased many woodworking books and this book written by gary rogowski is one of the worst books i have read. It is filled with numerous joints but little if any instructions as to how to put them into action. I was extremely disappointed. i gave it a ranking of 1 star only because it has identified many joints.Now i know all the names, i will just have to research another book as how to make them.