Wood Reference
Handbook
(1991, Canadian
Wood Council;
800/531-3122).
559 pages.
Cloth-bound,
7x10. $75.
The Canadian Wood Council has
done a fine job of producing a comprehensive
treatise on wood products
and uses. Wood Reference
Handbook covers a broad range of
topics with clarity and excellent
graphics. The first five sections
describe everything from lumber
grades and sizes to fire safety and
installation of particular wood products,
including dimension lumber,
glulams, trusses, PSL/LVL beams,
prefab I-joists, sheetgoods, and more.
Section 6 pulls all the preceding
material together into a discussion
of complete structural systems.
One unexpected pleasure in this
technical publication is the splendid
color photos that open each
section. These imaginative, real-life
examples admirably illustrate the
beauty and versatility of wood construction.
By the time I was halfway
through the book,