In a world without wood, we might not be here at all. Without wood, we wouldn't have had the fire, heat, and shelter that allowed us to expand into the colder regions of the planet. If civilization somehow did develop, our daily lives still would be vastly different: there would be no violins, baseball bats, chopsticks, or wine corks. The book you are now holding wouldn't exist.
At the same time, many of us are removed from the world where wood is shaped and celebrated every day. That world is inhabited by a unique assortment of eccentric craftsmen and passionate enthusiasts who have created some of the world's most beloved musical instruments, feared weapons, dazzling architecture, sacred relics, and bizarre forms of transportation. In A Splintered History of Wood, Spike Carlsen has uncovered the most outlandish characters and examples, from world-champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, and many more, in a passionate and personal exploration of nature's greatest gift.
Spike Carlsen is an editor, author, carpenter, and woodworker, who has been immersed in the world of wood and woodworking for more than thirty years. He is former executive editor of Family Handyman magazine where he wrote hundreds of articles on home improvement and oversaw the creation of dozens of books including the revised Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual. He has written articles for Old House Journal, Fine Homebuilding, Workbench, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Backyard Living magazine, and other publications. Prior to becoming an editor, he worked as a carpenter for fifteen years and ran his own construction and remodeling company, working on projects ranging from energy efficient homes to historic restorations. He and his wife Kat have five adult children and live in Stillwater, Minnesota.
432 pages
