SHORT LOG & TIMBER BUILDING BOOK: A HANDBOOK FOR TRADITIONAL AND MODERN POST AND BEAM HOUSES. Mitchell, James. Vancouver, Hartley & Marks, c1984. 282pp, paper, ISBN 0-88179-009-5 (cloth) $24.95, 0-88179-010-9 (paper) $14.95. Grades 12 and up Reviewed by Margaret MacLean Volume 13 Number 6 1985 November An excellent handbook on how to build from short log and timber, this volume includes an illustrated history of the form from the earliest known structure in Poland, about 700 BC, to North American buildings of the nineteenth century. Designs included range from sod-roofed cabins to ranch style or two-storey suburban houses. Wood, tools, foundations, and the preparation of logs are covered. All aspects of construction are explained, accompanied by line drawings by Bob English. Considerable knowledge of general construction is necessary as the drawings and instructions are intricate and detailed. A builder would have to be adept in the use of the chain saw; the author shows a lot of free hand cuts. Appendices deal with specifics of construction. All use both metric and imperial measure. There are two pages of bibliography that include writers from many parts of the world, six pages of glossary, and a two-page index. Recommended for grade 12 building construction students and public libraries. Margaret MacLean and Ron Hill, Central Technical School, Toronto, Ont.