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5 comments about A Cabinetmaker's Notebook.

1. Not a practical cabinet making how to book, but not intended to be. This is a wonderful book of philosophy and idealism designed to inspire artistry in wood. It is easy to see and catch Krenov's passion for producing beauty.



2. As woodworking books go, James Krenov's "A Cabinet Maker's Notebook" is an anomaly. What you won't find is any detailed plan on how to build Krenov cabinets. On fact, what you will find is the reason why you won't find step-by-step instructions. This is as close as woodworking comes to a philosophy book. Krenov is sharing the inside of his head, and his head doesn't quite work like anyone else's. It is a chance to look at the why's, not the how.
   
   Krenov's life has been a serendipitous one, living in Siberia, Alaska, Sweden, and parts in between. And holding a number of jobs while he was at it. The result is a woodworker who has had so many influences that his style has become unique and often imitated. But imitating James Krenov is a lost task unless you are willing to work and think the way he does. And, as truth would have it, if you would do that you would be a fine craftsman, but your work would be different from Krenov's, and that would be the point.
   
   Krenov the woodworker is a careful meticulous man who does much of his work with hand tools. One who accumulates wood and makes it part of the family, waiting patiently until idea and material gel in his mind. Then, with a few rough sketches in hand, produced another of his pieces that he will be quick to tell you are unobtrusive, soft, and friendly. They are also unmistakably Krenov's in their subtlety and total commitment to craftsmanship.
   
   This book is about many aspects of Krenov's like - his love for wood and cats, his personal history, and his philosophy. There is one sizeable section where he talks about several of his pieces - quick tours that may very well leave you stunned when you realize the completeness of his vision. If I just once accomplish something as beautiful as a Krenov cabinet what a proud wood shaper I will be.



3. I just read the book. It is a personal statement, and an inspiration to those who wish to do fine woodworking, and learn attitudes that will help you excel at whatever you do. Just as weightlifting helps your strength overall, this book helps you improve your outlook on life, your work ethic, and most importantly, how to deal with the struggles of frustration and finishing long difficult projects. I was surprised to read that he was plagued by self-doubt regarding his ability for many yrs. He talks here about his childhood, parents, and how he met his wife, so it's more personal. His cabinet work is astounding in its attention to detail, and he can literally work with thousandths of an inch by hand...as well as design beautiful pieces, work with wood grain, types of wood, etc. This book covers the personal, emotional, ethical, environmental, and even spiritual aspects of fine craftsmanship and personal fulfillment. Does it have all the answers? No, he himself says he can't tell you whether or not to "sell out" and do fast, cheap, commercial work. But his insights, intelligence, and experience can go a long way to help you work out these issues for yourself, as we all must do at one time or another. Read this book, then "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" which discusses details of how to sharpen planes, chisels, select wood, etc. A must-read for any thoughtful craftsman....



4. Another of the essential books for woodworkers. Even if you don't like the style of Krenov's work you can't help but be touched by his philosophy and be a better woodworker because of it. This is the authors most philosophical work but don't let that scare you - there's noting dry or academic here - just good advice on loving what you do. Another classic.



5. The most influential modern book on cabinetmaking, July 9, 1998
   Reviewer: A reader
   First published in 1975, The Cabinetmaker's Notebook is a modern classic for those who wish to pursue cabinetmaking as a mode of sensitive self-expression. That may seem like a mouthful, but you either build cabinets because you need to store things, or for some less practical reason. As Red Green says "If your wife doesn't find you handsome, she should at least find you handy". That is one reason beyond the practical, A kind of I want to impress people stage. But when you get beyond that; the house is full of furniture, and your wife actually wishes you would come in from the shop once in a while, what keeps you out there? If it is a desire to do your best work, with the best tools and wood you can find then this book may be for you.
   Why do I call it the most influential book of its kind? Well partly because it influenced me, but it also struck a cord when it first came out in the seventies and the woodworking revival was underway. It is pretty much as valid today as then. Krenov, who grew up in the U.S., wrote these books while living in Sweden. They proved so popular that a school was created stateside at which he still teaches. Krenov's insights are of some use to people who pursue other crafts.
   
   The most likely volumes to share shelf space with this and other Krenov books are; George Nakashima The Soul of a Tree (worth it for the pictures alone) and Sam Maloof Woodworker (ditto)

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1 comments about Single Building: Phoenix Central Library: The Process of an Architectural Work.

1. By the 1980's, Phoenix needed a new library.

   The requirements were simple. It had to be downtown, which has the highest crime rate in the city including a murder rate that is eight times the national average. The chief librarian wanted a big box, "a warehouse for books." Only limited funds were available, and budgets were being trimmed for a library system that circulates more books for less money than any other city in the nation.

   Phoenix itself is a "branch plant" town where out-of-state businesses build box-like factories for semi-skilled workers who assemble products. The major media are owned by out-of-state companies. The university is famed as one of the top party schools in the nation. The crime rate is among the highest in the nation, social services are among the lowest, the traditional architectural style is the strip mall and the modern version is faux theme park, while urban sprawl spreads faster than ragweed. The library site is between a parking lot and the lush green lawns of a city park.

   This may sound familiar other hard-pressed city officials.

   It's a classic case of downtown urban renewal. Dozens of cities have faced similar challenges, and many have renovated old neighborhoods and historic districts. In Phoenix, the decision was to build a state-of-the-art library as one of the crown jewels needed to revive the downtown.

   The new library is primarily due to the leadership of an outstanding mayor -- Terry Goddard -- who recognized the importance that quality means to civic pride. The result is that Phoenix architect Will Bruder built one of the outstanding new libraries in the nation. This book is primarily photographs and drawings, showing how it came to be and what it is today. It will inspire any public official faced with the need to do a lot more with less, and to do it with beauty. It shows that outstanding civic quality is possible despite sometimes severe budget limitations, and that signature buildings can be built without raiding the public treasury.

   The east and west sides are clad in copper, one of the four C's on which Arizona was founded -- copper, cotton, citrus and climate. South side windows are shaded by adjustable louvres, for protection against temperatures that can reach 122 degrees. North windows use fabric sails to cut the glare. Twelve inch thick concrete walls shade the main portion of the building, soaking up heat during the day and allowing it to dissipate easily at night instead of soaking into the building.

   The fifth floor Reading Room was inspired, at least in part, by the Frank Lloyd Wright design of the Johnson Wax Building which features tall columns that flare out at the top like lily pads. Bruder did something different; he designed tall columns that taper toward the top like massive dinner candles, with a circular skylight above each. The columns are laced together with a network of cables on which the roof floats, free of the walls and the columns. The atmosphere is like being out of doors.

   In Bruder's words, the library embodies his core philosophy "that real architecture exists when both pragmatism and poetry are served with equal passion."

   This book expresses it well. It shows what a community can accomplish when civic officials are willing "to think outside the box." Civic officials contemplating a major project, whether they have ample budgets or not, will find this book is an inspiration to soar above mediocrity.