I know Norm bashing is popular but in his defence staining is often
necessary in the real world. Customers often have expectations that
must be met. They may expect their new cherry table to look like 100
year old cherry that they see in antique furnitue and don't want to
wait for it to darken. If you want to make the sale you do what you
have to to try to give that look. If you are doing a one off showpiece
you can spend three years looking for a piece of wood with that perfect
figure. If you are making kitchen cabinets for moderate prices you may
have to "enhance" the appearance a little. Stains, glazes and even
topcoats change and enhance the appearance of wood. Oils, shellac and
even varnishes add color to the appearance. Ironically some of the much
ridiculed polyurethanes probably are the clearest, read least
colormodifying, coatings. You may be lucky and able to enjoy the
natural looks of woods. but even recreational woodworkers have
customers to deal with, specifically SWMBO, so learning the technique
probably isn't a bad idea. Now I won't defend Norms skills as a
finisher. If you want to be really good at it get a good book like Bob
Flexner's and spend your couch time productively.