Books, Boxes & Portfolios: Binding, Construct and Design, Step-By-Step

This item was received in a very timely fashion and was in excellent condition. It was a birthday gift for my son.

I have done several bookbinding and box-building projects, and have looked at a number of books on the subjects. This is the best introduction I have seen. I wish I had had it when starting out. The language is clear and effective. The illustrations (mostly drawings) are also clear and effective. There is a helpful listing of the tools needed. All are simple hand tools, and none are particularly expensive. The suggested materials are currently widely available. If you are thinking of doing a bookbinding project, and have no experience, this book is highly recommended.

Thorough and practical. Every hand bookbinder needs a copy of this classic work.

I have been a fan of Oragami boxes for a long time, and I finally decided to step up to something more substantial. This book is really "the goods."What I like about this book is that the author does not try to dumb it down to bored housewife levels. This is not something that you will ever see on HGTV (why do they even bother with craft shows?). Yet, I think anyone with patience would be able to follow the instructions. The diagrams are clear and drawn in such a way that you can interpret the scale to suite your needs. The instructions are a bit pedantic, and the tone can be lecturing, but this volume is more like a class than like a guide, so I think it is appropriate.As for the projects themselves - they work and work well. You do need many hours to complete them, but you learn an enormous amount on the way. Take your time, think about what you are doing, look at the many, excellent diagrams, and you are well on your way to success.

I dabble in photography as an art form. One of the things I like to do is make a series of prints and assemble them into a bound book or portfolio. I have worked with several very fine book/album makers in the design. My only problem is that the process is costly, even though it can be deeply satisfying.It was several years ago that the urge came upon me to investigate making of books and portfolios myself. While casting about among a limited set of resources, I came upon Franz Zeier's guide. It has been my guidepost ever since. In fact, it is a measure of Zeier's success that this volume has been in print in English for 12 years and is still in print.Zeier's objective, to provide clear instructions for building many paper-based objects without the need for mechanical tools. Nor does he focus on decorative techniques. Because of this, he does not investigate leather binding, blind and gold tooling, gilt edges, decorated papers, and other such additions. He believes that the opportunities afforded by the basic, 'preliminary' techniques are sufficiently enough to satisfy the many of the creative urges of hobbyists and craftsmen.The text addresses materials, techniques, solids, mats, boxes, portfolios, books and albums in a straightforward, easy to follow fashion. The book itself is extremely well made, obviously intended for survival in the workshop. An interesting feature is that Zeier eschews photographs, preferring to illustrate his techniques with drawings. I think this works well, because a drawing can emphasize the important parts of a process better than a camera can.