"Written by Paul Carter. 3rd edition. 309 pages.

Every Stage Technician's Bible. This is the industry standard ""book of knowledge."" It's packed with all the technical information you need on stage. Hundreds of illustrations, tables and charts. THIS IS A ""MUST HAVE"" BOOK. Whether you are a new hire or ""old-timer,"" this book has the information you need. It covers tools, hardware, materials, electric, shop math, architecture, and more. Visuals cover everything from stock sizes and specs of wood screws, safe rope working loads, 22 types of standard lamp bases, and so much more. This should be the first book in any technician's library."

"Entertainment Rigging" formerly known as "Arena Rigging" Same book just a different title.
Written by Harry Donovan
Hundreds of drawings, pictures and tables. 700 pgs.

Finally, a book that really explains arena rigging. For the novice and experience alike...everyone can learn something from this book. Harry's been teaching this subject for years in special week-long seminars. Now he's put all that information on paper.

The book discusses all aspects of entertainment rigging. And for those of you not in the entertainment business, 90 percent of the information is applicable to other trades that use rigging, such as construction, mining, material handling, logging, longshore work, cranes, and industrial rigging.

I love this book. It includes many drawings actually showing you the right and wrong ways to do your job. You know, a lot of things SEEM like they might be right when you're doing them but are actually incorrect and that affects SAFETY...of both yourself AND the people under you. It's a wealth of valuable information for both the riggers in the air and the ground riggers that support them.

I highly recommend this book.

Here's a computer program that computes and adjusts rigging geometry and forces, calculates positions, lengths, and forces for bridles, breastlines and deadhangs. It manages any number of loads simultaneously, of any weight and at any location, rigged from beams at any location. It does solutions in both 2 and 3 dimensions. Individual solutions can be adjusted to fit a particular situation. It supports files of beams and show rigging points. Solutions can be viewed individually, printed, recorded, and exported in spreadsheet form singly or as part of a group.

System Requirements: RigRight 1.0 runs in Windows 98, 2000, and XP. It needs 20 MB of RAM, 10 MB space on the hard drive, and a screen resolution of 800 x 600 or higher. You must own the "Entertainment Rigging" book to purchase the CD.

What comes with the software? You get the Complete Rigging System, consisting of the 710-page book Entertainment Rigging, two laminated reference cards, RigRight 1.0 on CD, and a comprehensive 87-page manual.

Second Edition. Written by Jay O. Glerum. Over 100 drawings and photos. 137 pgs.

The first edition was like a guided tour of the pin rail. The new expanded edition gives you lots more -- the important stuff that riggers today need to know. It now includes the math involved in rigging and a chapter on using block and falls. Four sections cover hemp rigging, counterweight systems, motorized rigging and specialized problems with their practical solutions. As you flip through the pages, you'll see that it's been updated with real thought toward real life situations and problems. I think it's 100% better than the first edition. Each section includes sytem descriptions, maintenance instructions, operating instructions, and safety inspection prodcedures. This is information EVERY stagehand, not just riggers, should know.

by Bill Newberry, 128 pgs., small pocket format.

This is a handy reference handbook sized to fit your shirt or back pocket so its expertise is with you when you need it on thejob. Primarily written for heavy construction riggers, it contains much valuable and absolutely necessary information for the theatrical and arena rigger.

by Eric Taub, 276 pgs. Small pocket format.

Explains the movie business from behind the scenes. An interesting narrative with interviews from the crew to the top. All the jobs that interact to make a motion picture are covered in this candid, revealing book.

The perfect reference for handymen, maintenance people, engineers, scientists, industrial workers, contractors, and builders and of course, stagehands. It contains 768 pages of facts, tables, and vital information.

Features hundreds of tables, maps, formulas, constants & conversions with a huge index of information.

2nd Edition by J. Nigel Ellis, Ph.D., CSP, P.E.

Any guy with that many initials after his name ought to know what he's talking about! Seriously, this is a great book published by the the American Society of Safety Engineers. The new 2nd edition is now a hard cover book. It's an 8 1/2"x11" oversize book 30% larger than the 1st edition loaded with diagrams to explain everything about safety when it comes to fall protection. It's absolutely the most comprehensive fall protection guide and is highly recommended for anyone involved in providing for the safety of others as well as anyone interested in their own safety when working high.