A Splintered History of Wood: Belt-Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers, and Baseball Bats - Softcover

Carlsen, Spike

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061373575 ISBN 13: 9780061373572

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2009

Synopsis

In a world without wood, we might not be here at all. We wouldn't have had the fire, heat, and shelter that allowed us to expand into the planet's colder regions. If civilization somehow did develop, our daily lives would be vastly different: there would be no violins, baseball bats, chopsticks, or wine corks. The book you are now holding wouldn't exist.

Spike Carlsen's A Splintered History of Wood is a grand celebration of all things wooden and the characters who lovingly shape them—eccentric artisans and passionate enthusiasts who have created some of the world's most beloved musical instruments, feared weapons, dazzling architecture, and bizarre forms of transportation. From champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, from the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, here is a passionate, personal, amazingly entertaining exploration of nature's greatest gift.

About this title

About the Author:

SPIKE CARLSEN is an editor, carpenter, woodworker, and author of the award-winning A , which was featured as an NPR “Best Books of 2008” and 2008 MBA Midwest Connections Pick. A former executive editor of  magazine, he has written for , , , and many other publications. 

From School Library Journal:

Adult/High School–Carlsen explores our reliance on wood from numerous angles. A carpenter, woodworker, and author of dozens of books and articles on home improvement, he knows his subject well, and his love and respect for trees and all things made from them are evident on each page. The author includes just enough of the science of trees and wood, and of the technology of wood products and woodworking, to inform but not burden lay readers. Numerous stories add immeasurably to the books appeal. Readers are told how a Steinway piano is built, why a Stradivarius violin is so special, about the role of the long bow in military history, and how pens and pencils evolved. In addition, there are discussions of the offbeat, including a full-scale (and functional) Ferrari carved of wood, the 36-year remodeling project known as the Winchester House, a staircase with no visible means of support, and the use of wood forensics in the Lindbergh kidnapping case. Carlsen explores the extraordinary variety of woods on our planet, the profession and hobby of fine woodworking, the tools used to work wood, and the many uses of it in our lives–in music, sports, shelter, furniture, weapons, and transportation. The volume ends with a word on the highly complex issues surrounding human use of the worlds forests and the consequent effects on the global environment. Black-and-white photos are included. Thoroughly researched, thoughtful, and entertaining.–Robert Saunderson, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0061373575
• ISBN 13: 9780061373572
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 411