When Jimmy Carter was a boy he helped break the land with a mule-drawing plow. It was slow and tedious work. I enjoyed a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction, knowing that I had left behind me the visible proof of my work, says Carter. I still have similar emotions while working in my woodshop. Periods of drudgery that come with the repetitive use of chisel, drawknife, spokeshave, plane, rasp, scraper, sandpaper, or paint brush fade into relative insignificance when I can examine the result of my labor. The excitement of an original design, the meticulous detail of precise measurements, the characteristics of the wood, the heft and beauty of the hand tools are all positive aspects of crafting a piece of furniture." The basic purpose of this book is to show that even those with limited talent can develop adequate skills to produce worthwhile things. The entire process, from learning to creating, can be enjoyable. There is no limit to the skill that woodworkers can seek.