Mention furniture finishes and most folks think varnish, maybe lacquer. But even if there's not a handy bone in the reader's body, furniture restorer and teacher Hosker reveals the complexity--and beauty--of the finisher's craft. He begins by stating that there are right and wrong protective surfaces, showing the difference via pictures, charts, and words. Based on that conviction, he gently leads readers into all the intricacies of finishing, from health and safety precautions to the pros and cons of stripping. His love of French polishing, a many-step craft resulting in a mirrored, piano-finish surface, is obvious, since this subject features the most elaborate photographs and directions. And his almost cursory glimpse at the very popular painted finishes is too brief. Nonetheless, an excellent guide (and, maybe, deterrent) for the wannabe finisher. Complete and accessible, the guide simplifies daunting choices regarding proper finishes for various surfaces. Along with expert tips on finding the right finish for each job, comes a start-to-finish tour through the skills of power sanding, surface preparation, staining, bleaching, varnishing, coloring, using modern syn-thetic lacquers, and finishing turned works. Includes recipes for special finishes.