Blanket Chests (Taunton, 176 pages, $24.95)

by Scott Gibson and Peter Turner

No project tests a woodworker’s skills and stands as a testimony to his craft more than the blanket chest does. As Taunton says, “It’s a simple form — essentially a large box with a lid — and yet it can be complex, elaborate, and intricately detailed.”

In this guide you’ll find 30 original designs that illustrate the versatility of the chest by artisans from around the world. First, you’ll find an overview of chest-building techniques. Next are the chests themselves; each one has the construction details you’ll need to create the piece.

The book also features approximately 200 full-color pictures and 50 drawings. The text flows smoothly and the tips on how to approach the construction of each chest are quite helpful and easy to follow.

Brain Storm: Unleashing Your Creative Self

(Disney Editions, 320 pages, $14.95)

by Don Hahn

Harnessing one’s creative juices is perhaps the key element in any successful endeavor involving writing a story, composing music or creating a work of art. A little creative flair also comes in handy whether you are in the kitchen, your workshop or out in the garden.

Want some help tapping into your own creativity? Here’s a book designed for just that purpose. As Disney says: “Acclaimed film producer Don Hahn offers his own unorthodox, yet highly effective methods for reawakening the creative spirit. Blending personal and often hilarious anecdotes with prescriptive advice for rediscovering your creative self, Hahn explores the emotions that accompany creativity and discusses the important of constructing a creative environment.”

Viper Force: 56th Fighter Wing — To Fly and Fight the F-16

(Zenith Press, 192 pages, $40),

by Lt. Col. Robert “Cricket” Renner, USAF Ret. (text) and John M. Dibbs (photography)

Stunning aerial color photography makes this a book that you’ll find hard to set back down once you’ve opened it. The book follows the training of a Viper “driver” — from training flights to deployment — and addresses the many challenges of learning to master this versatile fighter.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon, known as the Viper by those who fly and service it, requires a special breed of pilot to put it through its paces. In this informative and breathtaking volume, the author captures the lives of the Viper drivers in their own words.

If you are interested in high-performance military aircraft, Air Force history or airplanes in general, this is a book you’ll definitely wish to add to your home library.