The first part, »Think About Chairs«, introduces you to the world of the ordinary stick chair and the tools and wood used to build them. The second part, »Chair making techniques«, covers all the steps involved in making a chair, from cutting the strong legs to making curved arms from straight wood and carving the seat. You also get an idea of the variety of shapes you can use. The chapter on seats shows you how to create 14 different seat shapes. The chapter on legs contains 16 common shapes that can be made with just a few hand planes. Together with the 11 different arm shapes, the 6 arm joints, the 14 shapes for the hands, the 7 carrying devices and the 11 combs, you could spend your entire life making stick chairs without ever making the same one twice. The final section provides detailed plans for five stick chairs, from a simple Irish armchair to a dramatic Scottish comb chair. These five chair designs are a good starting point for making your own armchairs. Other chapters in the book deal with comfort, finishing, sharpening the tools and answering the most common questions asked by new chair makers.