Question: Sadly I loaned that wonderful $3.95 ~How to build a wheel~ book to a dorm mate and never saw it again back in 1985. I'd give a left preverbial to find a copy. IIRC it was all pencil illustrated with a picture of a wheel and a cup of coffee on the cover. The theme being, sit back and take you're time and success will occur. Just a wild shot.
I believe have the same book: "Building Bicycle Wheels" by Robert Wright, illustrated by Karen Lusebrink, World Publications, Mountain View, CA. Mine says $1.95, copyright 1977. Library of Congress Catalog Card #75-35277, ISBN O-89037-106-7. About 45 pages, 8-1/2x5-1/2 format. Don't know when I got it, but probably between 77 and 81. Very folksy style pen illustrations typical of many "alternative" type books of the day, and yes, a bike on the cover, looks like an inner tube used to hang it from the seat, and there's that cup of coffee, oil can, spokes, etc. Barnes & Noble has it available from their used booksellers - from $13.98 up to an unbelievable $165. Looks like mine is a first edition.
I built a set of wheels in '82 following the instructions in Jobst Brandt's book. I was building for touring - Weinmann concave rims, but I used campy record hubs and DT stainless straight gauge spokes. I'm pretty serious about detail and precision, so I really worked to get the wheels true. Didn't use a tension gauge, just paid attention to number of turns, feel, and lots of time. Used my frame and makeshift guides, no truing stand. Wow, I still ride those wheels after all these years, and several multi-week tours with fully loaded panniers, camping, all the gear. They are still as true as I could want. The weinmanns are heavy rims, but very durable.
I think Jobst Brandt does a very good job explaining the factors involved with spoke fatigue and failure (from an engineering standpoint, which I am also).