The first one I purchased was The Knots Handbook (Step-by-step Instructions for Tying Any Knot) I liked this book right from the start. It gave great descriptions of various kinds of ropes and cordage, as well as a glossary of knot terminology. The book also has some pretty good illustrations, even if they are all black and white. There were a few instructions that weren’t 100% clear, but that was mainly on the more advanced knots.

Although the Knots Handbook was a good start, I wanted to see what some other books had to offer. My next selection was Knots: a Practical Step By Step Guide to Tying 100 Knots. This book didn’t have quite the in-depth look at cord types and terms as the first book, but it seemed to convey just as much information in a shorter amount of pages. The illustrations are much better and they’re all in color. This surprisingly makes a very big difference when trying to learn any of the knots. It also has a cool little application guide which tells you what knots are good for certain uses (ie. camping, hauling, boating, etc.).

I haven’t read either book in it’s entirety, but I’m trying to learn one knot per week while maintaining the memory of the previous knots I had learned. Now, next time a friend or my parents ask me to haul something in the truck, I’ll be able to tie everything down properly and safely.