A Splintered History of Wood

Belt Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers and Baseball Bats
by Spike Carlsen

This fascinating book takes readers into 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. Spike Carlsen, carpenter, woodworker, writer, and editor, has uncovered the most outlandish characters and examples, from world-champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, in a passionate and personal exploration of the history of wood.

“Spike Carlsen’s history of wood may be splintered, but it sure makes for smooth reading. Taken together, the book’s parts tell a fulsome story of the ubiquitous material and of people who work, play, and live with it.” –Henry Petroski, author of The Pencil and The Toothpick.

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