Two large soft-cover coffee table books:

THE SHAKER LEGACY: Perspectives On An Enduring Furniture Style - Solid construction and honest functionality make Shaker furniture one of the most popular and timeless design categories. Based on extensive research and personal experience with the last working Shaker community in Maine, this book traces the roots of Shaker design to Shaker belief, which inspired the clean lines, careful craftsmanship, and signature details that define the style. The author also discusses the less known Victorian period of Shaker design and shows how this style has influenced subsequent ones. A bibliography, glossary, and index are included. "As if the content isn't enough, readers will enjoy this book for its clean, upbeat writing. For anyone looking for a primer on the Shaker movement and the furniture it spawned, this is a good selection." - Antique Week Central 

TIMBERFRAME: The Art and Craft of the Post-and-Beam Home.  From Library Journal: Benson is a master of the timberframe craft, in which large structural timbers are left exposed and thus enhance the decoration of a building. His third book on the topic is another classic in its own right. Benson runs a timber framing business from a hamlet in New Hampshire and is regularly featured on PBS, particularly This Old House. His craft is evident here, but his new book presents his art as wellAit is full of magnificent ideas and examples of thoughtful execution. Benson delineates two dozen projects of various sizes and styles. With 400 full-color photographs and dozens of line drawings, images are more prominent than text. The effect is nearly overwhelming, but it is leavened by an introduction from Norm Abram, the master carpenter of This Old House and New Yankee Workshop. Essential for woodworking collections. This may even find a place in art collections. (Index and epilogs not seen.) Alexander Hartmann, Bloomsburg Univ. Lib., PA - Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.