title: The Nature of Woodworking: The Quiet Pleasures of Crafting by Hand
author:  Rodney Frost 
description: Many books take the fun out of woodworking because they emphasize measurements to the 64th inch or require a shop full of expensive tools. Frost, an art teacher and craftsman, introduces readers to a variety of hand tools and shows how to complete a number of projects including boxes, a knife, a sleigh, a weather vane, and a chair by using them. His approach is somewhat unstructured, a little bit of this and that, but it works. It is somewhat like spending time with and learning from a knowledgeable friend or neighbor. The book's colorful illustrations are particularly appealing. This is a fun book and should be considered for general public library collections. <br />Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: Sleight of Hand
  
  © Simon Haynes 2005
  
  All rights reserved
  
  Originally Published in
  
   **Potato Monkey issue #1**
  
  Ralph Swindon has always been a bit of a tinkerer. Whenever we went to his
  place for a meal, I would end up in his workshop while Jenny and Rachel
  enjoyed a glass of Baileys or two on the balcony overlooking the pool.
  
  Ralph confided once that his workshop was the only place he could really
  relax. He worked for one of those big, scientific firms which design hardware
  for spy agencies and the military. He often brought home bits and pieces of
  equipment, given free rein by a management eager to stimulate his brilliant,
  creative mind. I had no doubt the ideas he got in the stress-free environment
  of his workshop were worth a dozen of the ones that came up at work.
  
  Tonight it was in more of a mess than usual. The shelves at the far end held
  half a dozen small cages, the white, furry occupants barely visible in the
  dull glow of a twenty-five watt bulb. There was a scarred wooden