Wood: Craft, Culture, HistoryA rich, authoritative look at a material that plays an essential role in human culture Wood has been a central part of human life throughout the world for thousands of years. In an intoxicating mix of science, history, and practical information, historian and woodworker Harvey Green considers this vital material's place on the planet. What makes one wood hard and one soft? How did we find it, tame it? Where does it fit into the histories of technology, architecture, and industrialization, of empire, exploration, and settlement? Spanning the surprising histories of the log cabin and Windsor chair, the deep truth about veneer, the role of wood in the American Revolution, the disappearance of the rain forests, the botany behind the baseball bat, and much more, Wood is a deep and satisfying look at one of our most treasured resources. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - Eoin - LibraryThing(2.5) How can you write a book about something so various? Answer: You can't. Plenty of facts, but no real depth, of course, since the topic is the cultural-historical importance of wood. Weird ... Read full review
Contents
Into and Out of the Woods I | 1 |
Shelter | 49 |
The Rub of the Grain | 89 |
The Empire of Wood | 137 |
Furniture Faith and Music | 189 |
Thinking Inside the Box | 231 |
Little Things with a Point | 275 |
8 | 315 |
Fire Smoke and the Costs of Comfort | 359 |
Epilogue | 393 |
Acknowledgments | 407 |
| 443 | |
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Common terms and phrases
American ancient areas ball barrels became began blade boards Book building built called carved chair Chinese common construction consumers continued craft culture curved decorative developed early edge effective England English especially Europe European example expensive feet figure finished fire floor force forests frame furniture grain hand human important inches industry iron Italy joints land latter least length less living lumber machines makers maple materials means metal Native nature nineteenth century North once original pieces pine planes planks practical Press probably produce relatively round seems shape ships side smoke smooth space stick stone structure surface things timber tion trade traditional trees turned twentieth United University usually western wood wooden woodworking York
Bibliographic information
| Title | Wood: Craft, Culture, History |
| Author | Harvey Green |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Penguin, 2007 |
| ISBN | 0143112694, 9780143112693 |
| Length | 464 pages |
| Subjects | › › Architecture / Methods & Materials Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork History / United States / General History / World House & Home / Woodworking |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |