I bit outdated and basic
I was a bit dissapointed in this book. Being in the building trades I was hoping to get a couple of good tips or techniques i hadn't come across. Much of the information and processes in the book I would consider outdated or too inaccurate for commercial use. May be fine for the novice home improvement crowd.

What are you doing?
Stop reading these reviews and buy this book right now. It is indispensable. Once you get it, read it. Read it again a few years later.

Saying this book is outdated is like saying the Pythagorean theorem is outdated. Some of the techniques in this book are centuries old and some are tricks developed by builders of the 20th century. The point of this book is to understand the fundamentals so you can be effective, efficient and flexible at any project you are a part of. It is geared toward home building and carpentry but anyone in construction would benefit from it, even if you use a laser theodolite.

Good referance book
Learn to layout. Really just a good reference book. If you are a carpenter then you must know how to layout correctly. Different techniques, good practice.

Excellent International Tutorial
This is a well written book, in plain language. It will help any amateur considering building, or constructing brick, or wooden structures, or extensions. John Carroll makes the reader think about accuracy when approaching any building project. He provides many simple easy-to-understand methods on how and what, to measure.

He shows many examples of how simple miscalculations can result in costly errors. Unlike other American DIY books, that pretend the metric system does not exist, Carroll covers imperial for the home market and metric conversions for the rest of the world. This factor, and his humble writing style and experience as a craftsman, will make this book an international best seller for anybody who will pick up a saw, rafter gauge,or masonary hammer. The book is a must for anyone who needs important tips on construction methods. In conclusion this excellent book makes you think and visualize what you want to achieve before you start the job.

Good book except for page 27 & other similar "metric" references
This author is in the dark ages with respect to the use of the metric system. As a country, we've been there / tried that. We can't help it if the rest of the world is backwards using the metric system! Why was at least a whole page WASTED in talking about this? How ridiculous! It is an okay book, but mostly black and white drawings and lots of text. Perhaps if the author, and Taunton, had spent more time with the content of the title and included some color in a book that is the same price as their other titles with LOTS of color, they would have had a good book.