The Complete Handbook of Screws
The Professional's Guide to Selection, Installation, and Application
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
The practical reference for selecting, installing, and troubleshooting screws in any application—for professionals who can't afford to guess.
About this book
Screws are everywhere, yet most users treat them as interchangeable commodities. They are not. The difference between a wood screw and a deck screw, between a Phillips head and a square drive, between a Grade 2 and a Grade 8, determines whether your fastening holds under stress or fails quietly in the field.
This handbook cuts through the noise. Written for contractors, manufacturers, technicians, and serious hobbyists, it teaches you the engineering logic behind screw design—why thread pitch matters, how material grades affect shear strength, what corrosion resistance actually costs, and when premium fasteners are worth the money. You'll learn how to specify the right screw for wood, metal, concrete, and composite materials; how to install them correctly to avoid stripping, cross-threading, and premature failure; and how to diagnose and fix the most common problems that appear months or years after installation.
This is not a marketing guide. It's the reference you keep on your bench, in your truck, or on your desk—practical, specific, and built on the real decisions professionals make every day.
Reader Reviews
Rebecca Garcia
★★★★★Rebecca Garcia (4/5): This handbook is exactly what I needed for my contracting business. Chapter 1 alone clarified why my crew was having stripping issues on hardwood—I hadn't understood the difference between thread geometry on wood screws versus machine screws. The book is dense with practical detail, though I wish there were more photos showing installation mistakes. Still, the selection logic in Chapter 3 has already saved me money on fastener spec-outs.
Mark Perez
★★★★★Mark Perez (3/5): Solid reference material and definitely more useful than generic online guides. The explanation of how screws work mechanically was clear. My complaint: it reads more like an engineering textbook than something accessible to a serious hobbyist like me. I had to look up a few terms even though there's a glossary. The brand positioning chapter felt rushed. Good data, but could use more narrative flow.
Donna Martin
★★★★★Donna Martin (5/5): I've been a maintenance manager for 15 years and thought I knew screws. This book taught me why certain fastening failures I've seen in the field actually happened—and how to prevent them. Chapter 1's explanation of thread pitch and shear strength was revelatory. The troubleshooting section in Chapter 5 alone is worth the purchase price. Finally, a fastener reference written by someone who actually works with them.
Mark Jackson
★★★★★Mark Jackson (3/5): Informative and well-organized, but assumes a baseline level of technical knowledge. As a newer contractor, I found the material helpful once I got the hang of the terminology, but I had to read Chapter 1 twice to really understand it. The FAQ in Chapter 8 was genuinely useful. Would recommend, but with the caveat that this isn't a beginner's guide to fasteners.
Karen Johnson
★★★★★Karen Johnson (4/5): Exactly what I was looking for—no marketing, just practical knowledge. I use this for my fabrication shop's purchasing and quality control. The chapter on brands and suppliers gave me clarity on why we were paying what we were. Only minor gripe: I wish the installation chapter had more troubleshooting detail for sheet metal screws specifically. Otherwise, this is a keeper on the bench.