With more than 16,000 new books headed our way during the next month, we are making space at our Covington warehouse to keep us from storing books in our cars and under our beds.
So for the next 30 days we are offering “James Krenov: Leave Fingerprints” by Brendan Gaffney at a significant savings – $29, down from $49. This book is simply the best woodworking biography I’ve ever read.
Brendan spent years piecing together the story of Krenov’s movie-ready life, from the wilds of Russia, to halfway around the world in Sweden to Mendocino, California. That’s where Krenov founded the famous woodworking school that bears his name.
Before becoming a woodworker, Krenov’s life was spent doing everything from working in a factory to writing a travel guide. He picked up the tools later in life and quickly became one of the most skilled and thoughtful craftsmen alive.
His first three books inspired many of the woodworkers of the late 20th century to pick up the tools and work to a very high level. Krenov changed the trajectory of the craft for the better.
But his life could be a struggle at times, even when he was the driving force behind the College of the Redwoods (now the Krenov School of Fine Furniture). Gaffney, a graduate of the school, paints a balanced and nuanced view of Krenov. And he tells the story with hundreds of archival photos, maps and documents.
This is an excellent price on an outstanding book.
— Christopher Schwarz
It’s a fantastic book.