the "Engineer's Black Book"

 Because of a recent small windfall, I've been in a somewhat acquisitive mode lately,* and one of the things I've acquired, which has been sitting on my Amazon Wish List for a while now, ever since Some Mysterious Stranger On The Intertubes recommended it, is The Engineer's Black Book, compiled by Pat Rapp:

  The title is a misnomer IMO, since the contents are skewed firmly toward metalworking and machining information vs. general-purpose engineering information.  Although that does not detract from its value, it might frighten off a serious machinist or budding home shop machinist, and it shouldn't.

 This thing is chock full of really useful information, organized and illustrated in a very thoughtful way.

 Every single page has been laminated with a non-glare finish, and the spiral binding means the pages lie flat on your workbench, mill table, or Crafting Table.  Heh; just seeing if you were paying attention.

 Topic tabs are provided, but you have to put them on yourself.  This took maybe ten minutes.  Additional blank tabs are provided so you can add your own.

 Now, as near as I can tell, there is nothing in this book which is not also available in "Machinery's Handbook" which you should already have a (used) copy of...

 BUT! 

...(and that's a big 'but') it's one hell of a lot easier to find the info - and to read it, once you've found it - in this book vs. the classic references.  I have both now, and I can already tell which one I am going to be reaching for more often, now that I have the choice.  (This, this gushingly positive review, obv.)

 Also, a new copy of The Engineer's Black Book (in 'trade' size format, Large Print Edition) runs $42, whereas you'll be hard-pressed to find a beat up, greasy, half-mangled copy of Machinery's Handbook for that low.  Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but seriously, for something that doesn't actually conveniently fit into the drawer reserved specifically for it in every brown enameled machinist's tool box there is... I feel it oughta be a little cheaper than it is.  Also, the pages in Machinery's Handbook are not laminated (there's too many of them, it would be a foot thick, LOL) nor will they ever lie flat.

 Honestly, I haven't found any gotchas or warts on this book - highly recommended if you do any machining or metal-working, or if you are an engineer who likes to get his hands dirty... BUY THIS BOOK.

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*although I'm holding back plenty of funds to pay for investigating (and
maybe even fixing, haha, LOL, sob, OMG, FML) my back / hip / leg pain
probem. Well... I know that I can afford to pay for the MRI at least. :\