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I don't know where they got their prices for this, and I don't want to rain on their parade, but this book is available from Lee Valley for $ 35.00 and the companion dvd is $12.00. Just hought you ought to know there is another alternative.

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I purchased this book because I have been reading Chris in Popular Woodworking for some time now and I enjoy his articles. I had no certain expectations and was looking for more education (I'm a beginner) that focused on hand tools. I'm glad I made this purchase as I have read it cover to cover 3 times now, there must be 30 bookmarks sticking out and and the yellow highlighter got a workout. I have also purchased Chris' DVDs and his workbench books and enjoy those also.

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When I was reviewing the synopsis, reviews and other information about this book, I wasn't sure what I would be getting. Some people have written some unflattering remarks about the book. Furthermore, the concept seemed strange. Nevertheless, I'm a fan of Schwarz's writing style and decided to take a chance on it.

I had expected to get a list of recommended tools and the plans and thought process behind the tool chest he's made famous. But it is so much more than that.

In addition to the well thought out list of tools, the reasons behind their selection and the process of constructing the tool chest...Schwarz writes a manifesto here--straight up. The final chapter is an eye-opening call to action. Schwarz gives an inspiring plea that has reinforced my belief that a quality, handmade item--regardless of industry--should be the focus for our consumption as a society. I cannot lie and say this has changed my viewpoint entirely because I've always shared this ideology. But it does give me more confidence in knowing that I'm not alone.

A long time ago, someone once told me, "You have a champagne taste and a beer budget." I always have hated that statement. Although I've never been wealthy, I've always cherished quality things and respected those who make them. Of course, this usually comes at a price, but like Schwarz states in this book--if you buy it right, you'll only buy it once. There are fewer and fewer people out there that make quality products and provide excellent services. They need our support to continue.

If nothing else, The Anarchist's Tool Chest taught me one powerful thing as I finished the last chapter. We are all artisans. We wield the most powerful tool in today's world--money. With money in hand, we can vote for the world we want to live in with every purchase. That's something I'll never forget.

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Very nice book containing why's and why nots of all the tools you need to be a tradition wookworker. Christopher's wit and wisdom is second to none. Although I don't always agree with everything he says or all his view points, it is still a very enjoyable read, hard to put it down. Read the whole book in two evenings. The author gives great advice for the novice woodworker who is just getting his feet wet in traditional woodworking. and the only woodworking project in the whole book is,....naturally the "tool chest". Compleat with pictures and fully illustrated.

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I was reluctant to review this book even though I read it several times and have owned it for more than a year. I guess that I'm still somewhat undecided on it when it comes down to it. But I will do my best to try.

The bulk of this book discusses choosing proper hand tools for, you guessed it, traditional woodworking. Chris Schwarz uses his experience to help the reader choose between a good tool and a bad one, and maybe more importantly, choosing the right or essential tools rather than tools that are more or less unnecessary, as well made as they might be. The book then goes into building a traditional tool chest to store your new set. The book is written in the same style as Schwarz's other writings, with a lot of analogy and self-effacing humor. This isn't necessarily a bad thing and the book reads fairly quickly. There really isn't anything mind bending in the chapters on choosing tools; it's been done before in other books. Those sections really come down to trusting Chris Schwarz's tool judgment, which is usually good. Same with the tool chest, as having or not having a tool chest is in no way going to make or break your woodworking career, at least in my opinion. The book, however, does take somewhat of an interesting turn in the final chapters.

Schwarz goes into a brief but interesting history of anarchy in America, and then goes on to explain his definition of it in the woodworking sense. An anarchist woodworker, he states, is one who eschews massed produced furniture and cheap tools and builds his or her own furniture using quality tools made by artisans, not machines. I am paraphrasing greatly but you get the idea. He makes it a point to mention several times that anarchy isn't a bad thing. But I still have a bit of a problem with the word. It is quite easy to say you are an anarchist from the comfort of the society you are "rebelling" against. Much like a teenage rebel who still lives at home and has his clothes washed by his mother. Can you be an "anarchist woodworker" and still shop at Walmart on the weekends? I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that there are few true anarchists in the modern, western world, even if you are taking the word with a grain of salt. The author made his living and gained his popularity because of a free market society, mainly by writing for Popular Woodworking magazine, which, like other magazines, is very much a capitalist venture. There wasn't much anarchy going on at that publication I can pretty much guarantee you. He still sells things, he still cashes a paycheck, he is still a consumer. Can you be a true anarchist and also a capitalist for lack of a better word? Again, I cannot answer that question. But the two ideologies do not mix, at least all that well. Still, I understand what he is getting at and in many ways agree with his philosophy, but when you use a word as strong as "anarchy" you had better be able to back it up.

The last chapters deal with the decline of the professional woodworker in the traditional sense and the role of the hobbyist in carrying on traditional woodworking. Here I will disagree only slightly simply because I don't believe woodworking is in as much trouble as Schwarz thinks it is, and much of the trouble it does have is the result of traditional woodworkers themselves, who for years were reluctant to pass on their knowledge and clung to an archaic way of thinking and working. Today more than ever the hobbyist woodworker has access to high quality hand and power tools and even more importantly, woodworking knowledge. In the brief time I've been woodworking my options for woodworking classes and courses has increased dramatically, and there are several options when it comes to purchasing high quality woodworking tools, and other equipment. Woodworking seems to be thriving from my point of view, not declining, and I would have to say that Christopher Schwarz is one of those woodworkers who have helped the hobby thrive.

So while I wouldn't call this book a must read, I think that Chris Schwarz's fans will like it, and understand what he is getting at, and where is he going. My minor disagreements with the book didn't stop me from reading it a second time, and I think I may even read it again one day. It's nicely written, it gets to the point, and has a nice message. So I would call it worth reading.

P.S. If you want to read about maybe one of the last anarchists check out One Man's Wilderness which is taken from the journals of Richard Proenneke. He maybe as close to true anarchist as anyone who has ever lived, and was and is my woodworking idol.