A Splintered History of Wood: Belt-Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers, and Baseball Bats

By Spike Carlsen
Harper Perennial, $15.99, 411 pages

For those of us who have never witnessed a belt-sander race—yet have wished to know more about the intimate relationship between humans, woodworking and wood products—columnist and carpenter Spike Carlsen brings us A Splintered History of Wood.  Besides the pleasant, novel-like feel of this enjoyable read, Carlsen’s wry humor shows through in the various people and things showcased, which circumvent normal wood topics experienced on television programs, stepping into another realm altogether.

“Why is it that with electric pickups and sound effect modules that can create every sound in the book, we still choose the wood violin over its synthesized substitute?”

Via a knowledgeable guide, the reader is deftly led through historical logging techniques, unique stories of “minimalist” board merchants, even including a piece on former president Jimmy Carter, pictured skillfully woodworking in his garage. Who knew that one could vacation in a huge, hollowed-out tree? Apparently you can, at a “treesort” near Cave Junction, Oregon… or for world travelers, the Kayila Lodge in Zambia. A far cry from mundane, this book holds a well of interest-invoking topics whose educational intent is so subtly purveyed that one almost does not know they are learning.

Reviewed by Meredith Greene