The Workshop Book

Like its companion, The Workbench Book, The Workshop Book is a classic written by Scott Landis that serves as a definitive guide to its subject. Lost Art Press has continued its important work making these out-of-print gems accessible again with the republication of The Workshop Book -- this one with a new foreword by Roy Underhill.

As Landis straightforwardly notes in the book’s subtitle, the workshop is simply a workspace for a craftsperson, and the book’s goal is to help make the most of such a space. The Workshop Book explores a wide range of workshops - commercial and home-based; shops based in the garage, shed and basement - and also less expected locations such as pantries and attics; shops that use green and recycled wood; shops that serve multiple crafts; workshops for kids; workshops of legendary woodworkers like Nakashima - with loving attention to detail, many photographs and sketches, and interviews explaining the intentions behind the workspace.

The book provides wise ideas about layout, machinery, lighting, benches, accessories and storage along with fascinating information about the history of workshops. At the same time, it serves as a tribute to human ingenuity. Landis is a comprehensive and companionable guide -- or as Roy Underhill writes in the foreword, “The Workshop Book is a continuation of that great project of the enlightenment - enabling the wisdom of may to enrich us all. Scott Landis is our Joseph Moxon, our Denis Diderot, as we travel with him on his modern journey through the genius of our age.”

You’ll never look at a workshop in the same way. And you’ll come away feeling inspired to make the most of your own space.

Hardcover. 215 pages with lavish illustration. 9" x 11". This Lost Arts Press edition includes the original text by Scott Landis and a foreword by Roy Underhill. Printed on FSC-certified recycled paper with a durable sewn binding designed to last generations.

"You are about to join Scott Landis on a dream assignment - visiting as many interesting woodworking shops as you can, then sharing the adventure..” -- Roy Underhill, from the foreword