We are temporarily lowering the price of “The Anarchist’s Design Book” to $37 (down from $52) in a sincere effort to clear out a huge section of our second floor devoted to warehousing this title. This is not a junk title – “The Anarchist’s Design Book” is our second best-selling book of all time.
We have more than 400 *boxes* of this book – nearly a three-and-a-half year supply, which we ordered during the dark days of the pandemic when it was next to impossible to get inventory. We are trying to move all our inventory to one location in Covington – right now it is spread over three locations, which is expensive and complicated.
The sale on the book starts today and runs through Jan. 19.
“The Anarchist’s Design Book” is the second book in the series and begins with the question:
“The people who could afford high-style furniture also owned mega-farms, factories and (sometimes) entire towns. This is not a knock on their wealth. But it is a simple way of asking a question that rarely gets asked among amateur makers: Why would you want to imitate the taste of your boss’s boss’s boss?”
The book offers vernacular furniture forms – classic and simple pieces that have changed very little during the centuries – that can be built with simple tools. Things like six-board chests, backstools and solid freestanding bookshelves.
“The Anarchist’s Design Book” focuses on two simple joints, nails and the staked mortise and tenon, to build all the pieces. It is designed for beginning and intermediate woodworkers. And it is a different path (and destination) than the one most woodworkers take.
“The Anarchist’s Design Book” is a massive hardbound book at 656 pages. Casebound, with a bookmark ribbon and made in the USA.
We very rarely discount products (unless we are closing them out). We hope this short sale will give us the space we need in our warehouse and put this book in the hands of some eager woodworkers.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. We have notified all our retailers that they can also lower the price during this period if they wish (and we have reduced the wholesale price for them, as well).
Awesome, I will be putting in my order this morning.
I own this book. If you’ve been teetering back and forth over it, it is definitely time to buy it. You’ll be happy that you did. So many great projects, any of which can also serve as a launch pad for your own ideas and development.
My first LAP book and my favorite
It is (like the others) a beautiful book – my daughter gifted me a copy for Christmas. I shall keep the fact that it’s now discounted from her!
I will confirm that this is a fantastic book. I have not built any of the projects as published, but I keep coming back to this over and over again as a reference for design, methods, and proportions. Probably the most referenced woodworking book I own.
This is an excellent book! I have built the bookcase, staked backstool and stick chair. I am an average woodworker at best, and found it extremely helpful to actually getting some projects built.
It is an excellent read and well worth full price, a steal at this price!
Phew, I needed this. It’ll be my third purchase of the book. I keep “lending” mine to friends. I want one back in my shop!
i have the first edition or I’d jump on this. i had great fun building the desk out of reclaimed pine from another work bench desk that was 50+(?) years old.
It is a f….fundamentally brilliant book! Sucks for you to do this, on the other hand it will make a bunch of people happy – and make moving stock for you easier. It makes sense. Still…
I paid full price for the second edition, it is worth every cent I paid. I have built a few projects, some with my kids, and plan on building more. Thank you for writing and printing this book!
Chris, perhaps you know I am a devoted fan of yours and have followed your writings, articles, designs and creative suggestions with great interest since we met years ago at Kelly Mehlers’ shop/ school class on work benches. I agree with and try to emulate almost everything you propose.
One of your basic messages is the one with which I most aggressively disagree. I do not believe we should slavishly follow the designs and ptactices of our “bosses’ bosses”, but I find masterful art and creativity in much of the wooden furniture and art produced in the past by despots, monarchs, monopolists and wealthy classes who were not interested in the most utilitarian products, but the most beautiful, unique and fashion setting pieces they could find. Their money and power attracted the efforts of the most creative hands and minds of their time. Without them we may never have had the works of Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Matisse, Ceszanne, Picasso and so very many others. These masters of their arts worked for whomever produced the highest value /reward. for their services. Would there have been no Last Supper or Cistine Chapel but for the wealthy/powerful of their time? What do you find disagreeable with those woodworkers who seek to recreate or emulate the best of the past?
I, too, love simple, utilitarian pieces. I enjoy building Shaker furniture, but I am most challenged and rewarded when pursuing the Imperial, Queen Ann, Roman, Impressionist, Federal etc., art of the past. Utilitarian furniture should never be scones or prohibited, but neither should that derived from those seeking the most beautiful and original pieces they could find.
I am just trying to rebalance the scales. High-style furniture is fantastic (I write that sentence many many many times in the book). But it should not the only thing that museums and books and scholarship pay attention to. Try to find anything vernacular in the British Museum. Good luck (I tried).
I very much fall into the Annales school of history. What was done by Great Men (and Women) is part of history. But the price of bread in 1676 can teach us a lot about history that we have ignored.
I know histhry isn’t thrue, Hinnissy, because it aint like what I see ivry day in Halsted Sthreet. If any wan comes along with a histhry iv Greece or Rome that’ll show me the people fightin’, gettin’ dhrunk, makin’ love, gettin’ married, owin’ the groceryman an’ bein’ without hard coal, I’ll believe they was a Greece or Rome, but not befure. Historyans is like doctors. They are always lookin’ f’r symptoms. Those av thim that writes about their own times examines th’ tongue an’ feels th’ pulse an’ makes a wrong diagnosis. Th’ other kind iv histhry is a post-mortem examination. It tells ye what a counthry died iv. But I’d like to know what it lived iv.
—Finley Peter Dunne’s “Mr. Dooley”, 1902
Exactly right…
I own this book it is a bargain and a delight at the old price. Have built several projects from it and have used it for a jumping off point for several more. Buy it
It’s a fantastic book. This price is a steal.
Purchased! I have a first edition copy, but keep referencing a .pdf LostArtPress provided when it was revised. The printed 2nd edition will be well used. My 11 year old wants to tackle a wood working project, and we are going wood shopping for a panel bench this weekend. As always, thank you!
My daughter (aged six) is building a staked bench at the moment. She loves planing, and she is quite handy with a saw (her older brother is ok – but uses too much force… boys, eh?). My kids love working wood (and other handcraft, like origami, sewing, carving, or crochet). As parents we can only encourage them to just do stuff they are interested in. Good luck with your projects!
Excellent book. I recommend it as a first book to all of my students. And the bonus project in chapter 30, is to die for.
I think this may be the best of all the great books you have put out because it really shows that anyone can, if they desire, build good looking furniture that can be passed down instead of thrown out. And it made me an aesthetic Anarchist too. I had built a good bit of furniture before this book, just for fun, but now I want to show others they don’t have to constantly consume. Hopefully Lee valley has the sale in Canada because I want to give it to many nieces and nephews as they are starting out on their own now. If not I will pay full because this one book moved my mind. Maybe I will create another woodworker before I go, if not I will leave some copies for the future.
I purchased the book before Christmas. I ummed and ahhed over getting it, which was stupid because its an excellent book. I expected to like the content, but the quality of the printing (paper etc) was much better than I was expecting compared to other wood working books I own. 100% Recommended.
Were there two different editions of this book? My copy of The Anarchist’s Design Book is about 434 pages long.
Yes, there is a revised edition, which has been out for four years. You can download a free pdf of the expanded edition using these instructions:
https://blog.lostartpress.com/2019/11/28/how-to-upgrade-your-copy-of-the-anarchists-design-book/
Wonderful beat I wish to apprentice while you amend your web site how could i subscribe for a blog web site The account aided me a acceptable deal I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea
I bought a few days too early, mine arrived today but I’ll say it’s worth the full cost. The book is solid and feels amazing. The texture if the covers, the weight of the paper…. It’s a delight to literally just feel this, and the other books I ordered.
Thanks begin going to pull the trigger on this for awhile.
We have the same discount now for European customers, until 22 January.
https://www.rubank.se/en/the-anarchist-s-design-book-expanded-edition
/Rubank Verktygs AB
I have this book and it was a bargain at the full price, so if you don’t have a copy get one now.
I suggest anyone considering the ADC, pick it up; at this price! It’s a great read as a read through and also a great ‘peruser’ to pick up afterward for ideas when developing your designs regarding problem solving, concepts, or even just straight forward building pieces from the book incorporating your own ideas. Don’t let this one get by -Just my 2¢.