Woodworker's Central Woodworker's Gazette Gazette Archive 7/23/98

Book Review by Bill Sharp Title: The Ultimate Birdhouse Book Author: Deborah Morgenthal Available through: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 387 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016-8810 If you want to build a birdhouse and need some help with the design, you'll like this book. It will stretch your imagination and teach you a new way of looking at a most common object. Forty different birdhouse designs from twenty different designers make up the bulk of the photo and drawing illustrated text. Designs range from totally "cute" to ultra modern and everything in between, and construction difficulty varies from simple, elementary butt joints to more sophisticated and difficult curved laminations. Ya pays your money, as the saying goes, and ya takes yer cherce! Each plan has a materials list, a cut list, a tools needed list, and step-by-step instructions. I can see an entire family, Dad, Mom and kids, all building different birdhouses out of this book, each according to his interests and woodworking skill level. My personal favorites are the Diad, a modern back-to-back "duplex" for two separate bird families; the weathered barn with the Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco ad on the side; and the design that imitates the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Finally, whether you build one of these birdhouses or a design of your own, you'll find in this book a wealth of tips on how to attract and protect "our feathered friends." Bill Sharp Editor's Note: Sterling Publishing has graciously donated several books for review which are passed on to our members free of charge. Thank You!