A passionate and personal exploration of nature's greatest gift: wood
“Wonderfully strange and interesting. . . . Mixing well-researched history, trivia, and humorous anecdotes, A Splintered History of Wood meanders from chainsaw artists to belt-sander races, from Steinway pianos airdropped during WWII to the first known wooden tool: the toothpick.”
--"NPR Morning Edition"
From true relics of the cross to Derek Jeter’s bat, the invention of toothpicks to the famed Stradivarius violin, medieval catapults to the construction of Levittown, wood has played an essential role in nearly every aspect of human existence. But this is no dull dissertation on the scientific properties of wood; instead, writer and professional carpenter Spike Carlsen has traveled thousands of miles and interviewed hundreds of wood users and enthusiasts to carve out a comprehensive and dynamic history of wood’s global impact and its personal significance to people in all walks of life.
In the successful tradition of books such as Salt and Cod, Carlson explores the history, versatility, and special appeal of something we use everyday, but take for granted.
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Spike Carlsen is the author of seven books, including "A Splintered History of Wood: Belt Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers and Baseball Bats," which was selected as a NPR "Best Book of the Year for Gift Giving." He is former Executive Editor of Family Handyman magazine and has written articles for The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Men's Health, MAKE, Fine Homebuilding, Mother Earth News and other publications. He has made appearances on Modern Marvels, the CBS Early Show, Cabin Living, The Weekend Today Show, HGTV's "25 Biggest Renovating Mistakes" and many other national radio and television shows. Spike is an avid cyclist and woodworker. He and his wife Kat live in Stillwater, Minnesota in close proximity to their 5 kids and 9 granddaughters. Visit him at spikecarlsen.com. |