A Guide to Useful Woods of the World

An invaluable reference source for woodworkers, wood collectors, and others interested in wood.

This all new 640-page edition of the Guide introduces 78 additional species and contains a number of invaluable features not included in the original edition, including: 1) each of the 279 species is described in a two-page data sheet containing information on the scientific name, family name, other names, distribution, the tree, the timber, seasoning, durability, workability, uses, and supplies; 2) specific gravity is included for all species and average tangential, radial, and volumetric shrinkage values are included where available; 3) each data sheet includes a line drawing of a key botanical feature, a photomicrograph of the end grain of the wood, and a color photograph of a sample of the wood; 4) this new edition also contains a common name index of over 2,000 names, a family name index, a scientific name index, and three very useful appendices including a discussion of biology and taxonomy for woodworkers, insights on the toxicity of various wood species and possible health effects related to the handling and use of these species, and a list of selected references of use to readers.

A Guide to Useful Woods of the World is one of the most comprehensive manuals available. -- Phil Davy, Good Woodworking Magazine, December 2001

This book stands as a highly significant source of wood data. -- Australian Wood Review, December 2001