Customer Reviews 

I have been trying to find the perfect book for a novice woodworker and this is not it. The word "complete" in the title implies that it is for beginners -- as an experienced woodworker would most likely buy more specialized books -- such as a book just on dovetail joints.

For example, it has a chapter on all the different kinds of joints you can make -- which is good for a beginner. But then they have a how-to on using a hollow-chisel mortiser - a machine that no novice has in their shop.

They will often show how to do things on upper-end machinery that is out of the price-range or has too large a footprint for a beginner. Some of these things can't be done as well (if at all) with entry-level tools (like cutting down the width of a board with a band saw).

So it is good if you want to understand the big-picture world of wood working, but it is equally silly to give quick lessons on how to use upper-end tools that a beginner just wouldn't have.

If anyone from Taunton is reading this, it would be great to have a book geared toward the beginner who mostly has bench-top tools and doesn't have tools like jointers and shapers.

What you need to get started. "Knowledge"
I'm new to woodworking, and I didn't want to spend a ton of money. The Taunton Series of Woodworking books looked like a good bet, but then I discovered this newly released book, which takes the most important info from the Taunton series of books. Pretty much anything you want to do is described in this book. Everything from setting up shop to shaping wood to finishing it. It's well written and and a must have woodworking guide for the shop. I especially like the tips on how to handle pieces safely. When I need more detail, I'm sure I'll pick up the other Taunton books. For 20 bucks on Amazon, its a no-brainer for those of us starting out.

Great Guide
I've justed considering doing something about my interest in woodworking. After watching scores of decorating shows where they build fairly simple pieces of furniture, I felt I needed a more detailed guide. I was especially interested in the tools, their uses and general kind of construction. This book has it all and explains it in an easy-to-understand manner. My husband has almost all the tools, but I don't know how to use them.

I really like the Case Joinery section where they explain various ways to join pieces of wood and the Construction secion where they show you how to construct different projects, including doors, drawers and shelves. They not only explain it, but include color photographs that are easy to follow.

There is so much covered in this book and was well worth the money. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I have several Taunton books and this one rates up there with the best of them.