A Splintered History of Wood

“Who knew wood could be this fascinating?” – Booklist

“Engaging and exhaustively researched…a solid history of wood.” – Publishers Weekly

“Thoroughly researched, thoughtful, and entertaining…. just enough of the science of trees and wood, and of the technology of wood products and woodworking, to inform but not burden lay readers….Numerous stories add immeasurably to the book’s appeal.” – School Library Journal

“Engaging, informative…Spike’s wide-eyed enthusiasm is catching, and his curiosity takes him way beyond the ordinary…[Splintered History] is for anyone interested in how this humble material, and the people who work with it, have made us who we are.” – Family Handyman magazine

“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 know wooden tool: the toothpick.” – NPR Morning Edition

Spike Carlsen is the former executive editor of The Family Handyman and author of the Reader’s Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual. He is also projects editor for Backyard Living, where he pens a bimonthly column called “Ask Spike.” He lives in Stillwater, Minnesota. For every book sold, the author will donate funds to plant a seedling at the Bomalan’ombe Secondary School tree farm in central Tanzania.