The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Plant Life, Trees, Home & Garden, Crafts & Hobbies, Woodwork, Environment, Ecology
Cover of the book The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees by Robert Penn, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robert Penn ISBN: 9780393253740
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: July 25, 2016
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Robert Penn
ISBN: 9780393253740
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: July 25, 2016
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

The story of how one man cut down a single tree to see how many things could be made from it.

Out of all the trees in the world, the ash is most closely bound up with who we are: the tree we have made the greatest and most varied use of over the course of human history. One frigid winter morning, Robert Penn lovingly selected an ash tree and cut it down. He wanted to see how many beautiful, handmade objects could be made from it.

Thus begins an adventure of craftsmanship and discovery. Penn visits the shops of modern-day woodworkers—whose expertise has been handed down through generations—and finds that ancient woodworking techniques are far from dead. He introduces artisans who create a flawless axe handle, a rugged and true wagon wheel, a deadly bow and arrow, an Olympic-grade toboggan, and many other handmade objects using their knowledge of ash’s unique properties. Penn connects our daily lives back to the natural woodlands that once dominated our landscapes.

Throughout his travels—from his home in Wales, across Europe, and America—Penn makes a case for the continued and better use of the ash tree as a sustainable resource and reveals some of the dire threats to our ash trees. The emerald ash borer, a voracious and destructive beetle, has killed tens of millions of ash trees across North America since 2002. Unless we are prepared to act now and better value our trees, Penn argues, the ash tree and its many magnificent contributions to mankind will become a thing of the past. This exuberant tale of nature, human ingenuity, and the pleasure of making things by hand chronicles how the urge to understand and appreciate trees still runs through us all like grain through wood.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The story of how one man cut down a single tree to see how many things could be made from it.

Out of all the trees in the world, the ash is most closely bound up with who we are: the tree we have made the greatest and most varied use of over the course of human history. One frigid winter morning, Robert Penn lovingly selected an ash tree and cut it down. He wanted to see how many beautiful, handmade objects could be made from it.

Thus begins an adventure of craftsmanship and discovery. Penn visits the shops of modern-day woodworkers—whose expertise has been handed down through generations—and finds that ancient woodworking techniques are far from dead. He introduces artisans who create a flawless axe handle, a rugged and true wagon wheel, a deadly bow and arrow, an Olympic-grade toboggan, and many other handmade objects using their knowledge of ash’s unique properties. Penn connects our daily lives back to the natural woodlands that once dominated our landscapes.

Throughout his travels—from his home in Wales, across Europe, and America—Penn makes a case for the continued and better use of the ash tree as a sustainable resource and reveals some of the dire threats to our ash trees. The emerald ash borer, a voracious and destructive beetle, has killed tens of millions of ash trees across North America since 2002. Unless we are prepared to act now and better value our trees, Penn argues, the ash tree and its many magnificent contributions to mankind will become a thing of the past. This exuberant tale of nature, human ingenuity, and the pleasure of making things by hand chronicles how the urge to understand and appreciate trees still runs through us all like grain through wood.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Childhood and Society by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military by Robert Penn
Cover of the book The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl: How Two Brave Scientists Battled Typhus and Sabotaged the Nazis by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Einstein's Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius by Robert Penn
Cover of the book More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City (Issues of Our Time) by Robert Penn
Cover of the book 8 Keys to Parenting Children with ADHD (8 Keys to Mental Health) by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Placebo Effects: Poems by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Fakes: An Anthology of Pseudo-Interviews, Faux-Lectures, Quasi-Letters, "Found" Texts, and Other Fraudulent Artifacts by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Uncle Fred in the Springtime by Robert Penn
Cover of the book The Workshop and the World: What Ten Thinkers Can Teach Us About Science and Authority by Robert Penn
Cover of the book North Carolina: A History by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers (Issues of Our Time) by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Bar Book: Poems and Otherwise by Robert Penn
Cover of the book The Highland Witch: A Novel by Robert Penn
Cover of the book Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Battle for America by Robert Penn
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy