It feels as though there have been a lot of books about chairmaking. In recent months, I've written reviews about several of them. Perhaps that's what led me to think, when I got a review copy of Chris Schwarz's latest rendering, The Stick Chair Book, that it was superfluous, given what preceded it. Frankly, I opened the book with a rather ho-hum expectation. It is, after all, a lengthy tome, weighing in at over 600 pages. And it looked dense, the kind of book that puts you to sleep in minutes if seated in a soft chair.

Boy, was I ever wrong. Because once I opened its covers, I found out that this is not merely another chair book but a revelation and an inspiration. Before I picked it up, I was certain that I'd never try my hand at chair making. But I had not read many pages before Chris convinced me that not only could I build a competent example but that it was something I needed to take on in the not-too-distant future.

It needs to be said that this book is neither tentative nor speculative. It is, rather, the distillation of Chris's nearly two decades' experience building stick chairs, a form he clearly loves. The result is a guide to all the elements of chair construction and a collection of advice about how to avoid traps and pitfalls. It is a compilation of accumulated knowledge, freely shared in the interest of enabling woodworkers everywhere to succeed, even in their earliest endeavors.

A volume of this depth might well have been dry. Okay, let's say it: it might have been boring. But it's not. Chris brings a familiar light tone and frequent humor to the text, which makes it not merely approachable but also compelling. I had trouble putting it down. Had Chris thought to include a few cliffhangers, I might well have stayed up beyond the wee hours turning pages. OK, confession time: I did stay up beyond the wee hours devouring it. It's that fascinating.

So, what's to be found between the covers? An early chapter answers the question of what wood should be used for stick chairs. The simple answer: whatever wood you happen to have can be made to do. Then there's the matter of specialized tools for crafting chairs with spindles and guttered seats. Yes, such tools exist, and you may want to get hold of some of them, but you can probably get by with the tools you already have, at least for your first chair. So, while you can certainly spend a lot of money on those special tools, you don't need to do so.

Chris then defines the extensive range of forms that make up the stick chair genre. This, though, is preamble to the real meat of the book, which is a detailed walk-though of all the steps to making a stick chair, no matter what specific design you've chosen. This highly valuable part of the book—and it makes up about half its pages—details all the things to consider, as well as errors to avoid, at each stage of construction. I won't elaborate them here, other than to say that this encyclopedia of hard-won knowledge is easily worth the price of the book.

The final third of the book is devoted to issues of design. After first considering comfort in chair design, Chris presents detailed plans for five chair forms that can either be modeled or used as the basis for further modifications to suit individual preferences. The book concludes with helpful appendices on finishing, wood strength, tool sharpening, and answers to commonly asked questions.

This book, as is true of all Lost Art Press books, is clothbound with a sewn binding. It is made to last. It's richly illustrated with color and B&W photographs and drawings that clearly show the steps needed to build a chair.

So, who will benefit from this book? Chris's experience will be a valuable resource for any chairmaker, whether seasoned or prospective. Its thorough content will enable anyone who is not all thumbs to build a satisfying chair. And it accomplishes this goal without any off-putting math.

As I mentioned, I never intended to range into chair-building. In part, this was because I feared I would fail. But I'm now convinced that I will succeed if I follow Chris's advice and apply his lessons learned.

This book is, in my estimation, an instant classic. It is not only of immediate value but the knowledge it contains will guarantee it an enduring future. To be honest, before I picked it up, I did not think I needed a copy for myself. But now that I've read it, I know differently. That's why I bought a copy for my own library and use in the shop.

If you have any curiosity about chairs made with spindles and sculpted seats, it will be well worth investing in a copy for yourself. I highly recommend this book.

J. Norman Reid is a woodworker, writer, photographer and woodworking instructor living in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife, a woodshop full of power and hand tools and two cats who think they are cabinetmaker's assistants. He is the author of Choosing and Using Handplanes: All You Need to Know to Get Started Planing by Hand, and co-owner of Shenandoah Tool Works. He can be reached by email at jnreid45@gmail.com.