Measure Twice, Cut Once: Lessons from a Master Carpenter

I am neither a carpenter nor a handy person but that didn't stop me from enjoying Norm Abrams' book. I found Mr. Abrams' book a delightful read his writing style is "let's sit down and have a cup of coffee and talk" comfortable and relax. Even if you don't have a home workshop with every tool ever manufactured give this book a chance and you just might find out a lot more about a man then what you see on TV.

I was wary of this little book at first. Little inspirational volumes are popping up everywhere, and are usually less than inspiring, and far less than useful (there is a plague of these in recent fishing literature).Norm Abram's book is different. This is inspiration, yankee carpenter style. Abram discusses hand tools in a fair amount of detail, with some notes on proper use, level of efficiency, and personal preferences. A small smattering of stories about his father and his childhood experience doesn't detract from the practicality of all this; instead, Abram manages to show the roots of his profound knowledge, presumably leading us down the path of agreeing with his choices in an area where agreement can be difficult to reach.I am a novice carpenter at best. In fact, that's probably overly generous, but I can say with some confidence that any beginner will benefit from Abram's take on the evolution and utility of hand tools. But I'd also go so far as to say that even more experienced carpenters would enjoy this book. It's a rare opportunity to learn, from a master, some of the details about everyday tools that even experienced users might not be aware of.

When my wife first bought it for me I did not know what to think of it. But once I started reading it I could not put it down. And I kept going back to it. Norm offers a great insight into tools I have used and never really thought much about. One can tell immediately for example when he talks about framing squares (why a quality one is hard to find)that he has the experience you should listen to and heed. Having lost my father a year before his dad passed away, I found a lot in common with his feelings. I did take notes and reread it 8 times. Norm impressed me with how much he really knows about tools. And his experience in using them day after day, year after year taught me how much I have to go inorder to be called a Master Carpenter.

This book not only gives a novice tips on what tools to own and why, but also provides insight into how a craftsman chooses his tools, the importance of choosing quality tools, and how those tools help make the craftsmen what he is. Norm is a craftsman who appreciates good tools, and the tools discussed in this book are among the most basic tools any carpenter should own. This book will help explain why.

This book is great for both the occasional and experienced carpenter. It tells which tools you need to put a carpenter's box together as well as how to use these tools. Norm's stories and anecdotes regarding the tools are a real treat. His style of writing is plain, personal and understandable. This book is very informative and fun to read. It could easily be used as a reference if an index was provided.