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Garage Journal Bookshelf...what's on your reading list?

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phartman

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So what do you keep "at the ready" on your workbench or on the shelf beside your workbench in the garage?

Here are a couple publications that I always have handy....

1) All the repair and service manuals for my tools and power accessories

2) Since I drive a couple early Fords, the repair manuals for the cars I own

3) Catalogs: Speedy Bill's, Dennis Carpenter, Mac's

4) The Vern Tardel Let Me Help You series of instruction books




5) Dream Garages and Ultimate Garages I and II



How about you? What is on your bookshelf in the garage? Beside your favorite chair? On the nightstand beside the bed that is garage related? Any good reads/websites/magazines/publications you might want to share?
 
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jason74

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The Night Land by William Hope Hodgeson.

And yes I have old shop manuals and general repair books. still have my electronics and science experiment books from the 5th grade, got me thinking it would be nice to crack those open again...
 
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sxk122

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1957 Popular Mechanic 12pc Encyclopedia Set.
1990 Miata Haynes Manual
All manuals related to the power tools/ lawn equipment.
Folders with how-to print outs for the Miata and the Focus ST
 
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phartman

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Big-Foot said:
The Art of Racing in the Rain
--- by Garth Stein ---
Click to expand...

Excellent, excellent, very engaging read. And like Old Yellar, yup, I cried. Oh yeah.

I recommended this book to somebody here on the Journal yesterday. If you enjoy woodworking and music, you'll be sad when this story is over.

 
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Jim_No_Garage

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Millington NJ
After reading the thread here on GJ about "Under the Dome" I checked the book out from the library and finished it last night.

I read the "Crunch" trilogy by James Wesley Rawles. It's a series of books on what might happen in the US in a WTSHTF scenario.

I also read "One Second After" which is a similar story based on an EMP Attack on the United States.

I pick up books at garage sales for 25 cents. Can't lose at that price. Sell them at my next sale.

I'm a HUGE fan of WEB Griffin's OLDER work. The Army, OSS and Marines series are great. I read the early OSS books under the psuedonym and recognized his style 10 years later when I read one of the Army Series books. The newer stuff with help from his kid is slipping in quality.

Cheers

Jim
 
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phartman

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Oops, forgot several titles that are on the shelf there in the garage....

Peter Vincent's book, Hot Rod Garage. His photography work is terrific.



Forgot I owned this book. Kinda fun. Need to revisit it.



And this Popular Mechanics title:

 
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sxk122

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Jim, ditto on the WEB stuff. The newer ones also take place in current day, as opposed to the 60/70's, but its the same characters, and they are the same age.... kinda threw me at first
 
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softailgarage

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Bullhead City, Az.
After looking up Outlaws signature, I would like to read "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long". Problem is I dont have the time or patience. Any "free time" reading is spent on something called "The Garage Journal".
 
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phartman

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softailgarage said:
After looking up Outlaws signature, I would like to read "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long". Problem is I dont have the time or patience. Any "free time" reading is spent on something called "The Garage Journal".
Click to expand...

I wasn't familiar with his work, but here's a little blurb. Sounds like the kind of book you can set on the back of the toilet in your garage "library" to enjoy during your down time, ie, the type of book that lends to browsing rather than reading straight through.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notebooks_of_Lazarus_Long

 
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Drew_flux

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I have been reading corkey bell's Maximum Boost recently, a lot of it may go over the head of your avrage diy'r. but I highly recomend it.
 
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Kevin54

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Home-Shop-Machinist.jpg


machinist_workshop.2592.jpg
 
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Garage Dog

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Minnesota
Bunch of shop manuals for cars, trucks, tractors, skid-steers, in the shop.

Well I don't have these in the shop but, if you like non-fiction:

"Killing Pablo" by Mark Bowden was the last book I couldn't put down. The true story of how the Colombian cartel leader Pablo Escobar, was assassinated and his Medellin cocaine cartel dismantled by US special forces.

"Endurance" by Alfred Lansing is also a great read. The story of Earnest Shackleton's attempt to cross Antarctica on dog sled. Their ship crushed in the ice of the Wedell Sea, they survived over 2 years in one of world's harshest environments. Just an amazing true story.

If you read "Endurance" then "Shackleton's Other Men" is also a must read. The story of the other half of the Shackleton Expedition - equally dramatic true story.

Many more, but those are the first three that come to mind.
 
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805gregg

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Ojai, Ca
I just finished Dan Browns Inferno, great book, also just finished "Southern Cross to Pole Star" by Tschiffely about him riding two horses from Buenos Aires to Washington DC in 1895, and now I started Greasy Rider about 2 guys that drove a MB station wagon across the country, without buying any fuel, running the diesel with free used fry oil, I usually have 2 or three books going at one time and read at least 2 a week
 
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bran1har

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CT
summer reading for going into junior year. Must choose three books from a **** list and write some stuff about them. Not really looking forward to that. I liked catcher in the rye, that was pretty good, but man, some of them just stink.
 
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Bull

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Is this about books actually in our shops and garages, or just what we are reading in general?

I have service manuals in my garage. Inside I have more books than I can ever hope to read. I'm currently working my way (slowly) through an old 2500 page set of Plato's Dialogues, with analysis by the editor of the series.
 
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e30bradley

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Don’t have a garage in Arizona USA
I have quite a collection of books.. Many service manuals, rebuild manuals, books about cars, motorcycle, Kurt Cobain, magazines.. lots of mags going back like 5 years ago when I was into r/c cars. 1940-50s college books on chemical engineering, strength of materials, pharmaceutical industry, small business, accounting, etc.. I don't really have any fiction books. All informational.
 
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Thumper68

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I just finished "Mexico" by James A Michener
51u7F4h-p5L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg


I have read most of his others as well.

In the shop for fiction I keep a selection of what I call fluff reading.
Louis Lamore
Max Brand
Alaister McClean

On the shelf there are about 200 mags mostly woodworking

The big blue book from Fastenal
The grainger book
the Grizzly book
Many other parts books
20 or so haines and Chilton's manuals

Several books about machining and welding
 
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phartman

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I read this book more than 30 years ago and struggled. Still a difficult read today, but much more enjoyable, and there is now a reader's guide available to help with the philosophy background.

Your efforts will be richly rewarded. A great read.



 
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MDSPHOTO

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phartman said:
I read this book more than 30 years ago and struggled. Still a difficult read today, but much more enjoyable, and there is now a reader's guide available to help with the philosophy background.

Your efforts will be richly rewarded. A great read.



Click to expand...

Ditto. This is a very deep read which requires a lot of thought by the reader, but glad I got through it.
 
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Big-Foot

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Big-Foot said:
The Art of Racing in the Rain
--- by Garth Stein ---
Click to expand...

hoffman912 said:
just picked this up. looking forward to reading it though i suspect it will have me balling like a baby..
Click to expand...

Post your thoughts after reading it here... I've yet to meet a gearhead who did not place this in the top 5 books they've ever read...

I have the audio book (CD) that my wife gave me for my birthday last year and that brings a fair bit more to the experience...

Supposedly going to be made into a full length feature film as well.. :thumbup:
 
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hoffman912

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Columbus, Ohio
there is also 'The ABC'S (and 912's) of Porsche Engines: or Porsche Engines and The Future of the Human Race'


a hilarious and really informative book by famous 356/912 engine builder Harry Pellow.

here are some sample stories from the book mixed in between manual and how tos and what to look for when building your 356 or 912 engine

http://maestroslibrary.com/stories.html
 
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Alamedasam

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La Selva Beach,Ca.(Santa Cruz).
I usually confine my reading to car, truck, & tool stuff. My wife got me a book as an anniversary gift. So I just finished reading, 'Happy,Happy,Happy', by Phil Robertson,of Duck Dynasty. Pretty interesting guy.Ok so its not car or tool related but it was damn good.
 
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Chaznsc

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SC
Welders Handbook by Richard Finch (for my upcoming class in September)
 
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Jim_No_Garage

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Millington NJ
I'm considering buying the entire Travis McGee series by John D MacDonald on EBAY and taking another pass through them. I read them growing up and I think my son might enjoy them as I did.

I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain - great story. Only if I had opposable thumbs - Enzo!

I have Zen and the Art . . . in my book pile - I read it in HS and got an A on the Book Report. Sounds like I might have understood it or at least was able to BS my way through the report . . .

I just finished Schindler's List on vacation - an equally depressing yet heartening story.

I read Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon. It's written using very elaborate language - using fancy language almost for the sake of using big words. The story was good but tough to follow as I got hung up in the language.

Cheers

Jim
 
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67carl

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Part of my garage library... More stuff packed away until my garage is done.
 

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bathurst-racer

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I get Muscle Car Review and most Hemmings magazines which are all keepers. Car books are mainly American muscle related or Formula One. The Unfair Advantage has been replaced because my original copy was read so many times it fell to bits and It Was Fun by Tony Rudd looks like doing the same. I do all of my own maintenance and race car prep so there are a few repair manuals and general tech books.
Inside the house there is everything Michael Connolly and Jonathan Kellerman ever wrote. Space and The Drifters by James A Mitchener are other favourites. I also have a few books on alpaca breeding but nothing beats your own experience when it comes to animals.
 
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littlebritishcar

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phartman said:
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work

Just read it. Good stuff. I keep mine on the shelf there in the shop. Here's a summary:

http://www.matthewbcrawford.com/

Click to expand...


THANK YOU! I heard about this book but could never remember the title. I am going to order it as soon as I post this!

I typically read three or four books at a time because I keep one in my car, one at work for breaks, and one on my bedside table. I am currently re-reading three of Malcolm Gladwell's books: Outliers, Tipping Point, and David & Goliath. I also recently finished Brock Yates book, Hotrod, which is highly recommended for car guys.
 
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sracer99

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Every Carroll Smith book. A lot of wisdom in them if you touch race cars.
 
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