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

by Spike Carlsen

In a world without wood, we might not be here at all. We wouldn't have had the fire, heat, and shelter that allowed us to expand into the planet's colder regions. If civilization somehow did develop, our daily lives would be vastly there would be no violins, baseball bats, chopsticks, or wine corks. The book you are now holding wouldn't exist. Spike Carlsen's A Splintered History of Wood is a grand celebration of all things wooden and the characters who lovingly shape them—eccentric artisans and passionate enthusiasts who have created some of the world's most beloved musical instruments, feared weapons, dazzling architecture, and bizarre forms of transportation. From champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, from the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, here is a passionate, personal, amazingly entertaining exploration of nature's greatest gift.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Woodwork, Science, Adult, Biology, Natural History

432 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2008

About the author

Spike Carlsen has been writing about the world around us, the stuff in it and how it all works for over 25 years. He was an editor with Readers’ Digest’s, Family Handyman magazine for 15 years where he wrote hundreds of articles and oversaw the books division. He’s written for Men’s Health, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, Make, Mother Earth News, Fine Homebuilding and a number of other magazines.
He’s the author of the award-winning A Splintered History of Wood, as well as The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects, Woodworking FAQ, Cabin Lessons, Building Unique & Useful Kid’s Furniture and more. He’s appeared on the NBC TODAY SHOW, Modern Marvels, HGTV, the CBS Early Show and dozens of other radio and television programs.
Prior to picking up a pen he swung a hammer for fifteen years and taught elementary school. In his free time he enjoys biking, woodworking and attempting to keep their 170 year old house from keeling over. He and his wife, Kat, live in Stillwater, Minnesota, in close proximity to their 5 kids and 8 grand kids
His most recent book, A Walk Around the Block: Squirrels, Sewers, Stoplights, and Other Stuff you see Every Day but Know Nothing About (Harper One) was released fall of 2020.

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that it's only my somewhat irrational love of commodity biographies that kept me reading this book. Carlsen obviously loves wood, and loves writing about it, and is quite good at it... if you already share his interests. This is very much a book for people who already have experience in and knowledge about woodworking. There are terms used that I'm sure are very common and basic woodworking tools, but I don't know them. And when the title says the book is "splintered", it isn't lying. It's very scattered, and very complete. However, it's more than stretching it to call this a history. The focus is very contemporary, sometimes completely ignoring historical uses. Carlsen's writing style kept me reading, but I'd tell pretty much everybody who isn't a big wood fan already to pass it by.

[Gabriel Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general a good book. However, I had some issues.
I recently read "The Secret Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben, so it was difficult to share Carlson's enthusiasm for timber as a resource (although he does address this in the epilogue, for me this was too little too late).
This was my main issue for the whole book. Although Carlson is clearly passionate about wood, I simply couldn't share it.
There were genuinely interesting sections (historical uses and uses in musical instruments); however, I found myself skipping sections (sport) and glazing over in others.
I picked up this book as an honour to my grandfather who was a carpenter and always had a passion for timber. Unfortunately, I couldn't channel him.

[Andrew Crowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating deep dive on wood. Not just it's cool uses, but how wood has shaped culture, history, and progress. As a carpenter, I feel more grounded in my craft and more appreciative towards the resource.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

My original intent in reading A Splintered History of Wood was to pick up some trivia and increase my knowledge of the subject generally. In this, the book was more than satisfying; it presents a diverse survey on the history of wood(working), complete with colorful histories, curious etymologies, and unique biographies. However, the presentation of the material is unbalanced. Despite Spike Carlsen's preface warning readers that the book is a splintered (incomplete) history of wood, it's obvious that certain topics have been more thoroughly researched than others, as both the number of pages dedicated to a particular subject as well and the quantity of reliable facts pertaining to a particular section attest. Carlsen also puts the credibility of his book at risk by trying to define wood within scientific fields; in attempting scientific proofs, his analogies are weak and his definitions often too general. For example, Carlsen stretches the definition of wood to include grasses (namely bamboo) at the end of the first chapter - a license that deflates confidence in the authority of the rest of the work. And then, having raised it, he fails to discuss bamboo as a wood elsewhere (though it is briefly mentioned on two separate accounts as an inefficient material). The problems with definitions, however, go beyond specific instances of accuracy. Lumber, for example, has a predictably significant role in Carlsen's book. But Carlsen mistakenly presumes his reader's familiarity with lumber vocabulary. Helpful definitions are few, and when provided - at least on one account - are introduced too late. Carlsen's book would have profited enormously from decent editorial help. Because wood is a very interesting subject, the book would have been more pleasurable to read if it it's definitions were more balanced - perhaps with a supporting glossary. However, content aside, Carlsen's editor failed to monitor even basic writing errors, typos, and factual inconsistencies. Carlsen draws in his reader with his casual "e-mail-esque" writing, which delivers an eye-roll-worthy pun or witty remark on nearly every other page. And while the information about wood is ultimately translated to the reader, the patience required to appreciate Spike Carlsen's big picture is tiresome.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Description: Many of us are removed from 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. In A Splintered History of Wood, Spike Carlsen has uncovered the most outlandish characters and examples, from world-champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, and many more, in a passionate and personal exploration of nature's greatest gift.

My review: I am fascinated by in-depth explorations of everyday objects. I loved the book Salt. This doesn't have quite the narrative quality, but I still found it satisfying.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I love Spike Carlsen, this book was...... well, I only finished because I started it and because it was Spike Carlsen. It was extremely splintered -- far too much, with too little transition -- and the splinters weren't nearly interesting enough.
I didn't really have any expectations for this, only that it would be good... and it... well... meh.

[Henry Percy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlsen’s book is a quirky, desultory collection of vignettes about how wood is used. Carlsen has an omnium-gatherum mind. If you don’t have one of those you might be better off here:
• Ruth Goodman, The Domestic Revolution: How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything
• Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate; Discoveries from a Secret World

I greatly enjoyed this book, though there are a number of annoying errors in editing, detailed below.

Page nos. refer to paperback edition.

16 20 words for snow in Inuit—No! How many times must this be debunked? The misapprehension stems from a failure to understand the differences between synthetic and analytic languages. The Eskimo-Aleut languages are synthetic (as is Latin), whereas English is analytic. For example, the concept “things which must be done” Latin expresses with a single verb, “agenda.” Latin synthesizes the idea into a solitary word whereas English analyzes it into five separate words. Does that make Latin somehow “poorer” than English vis-à-vis “agenda”? No! Does it make English richer? No! It makes them different.
54 Typo: “casa die libri” should be “case dei libri"
55 Typo: “arrivaderci” should be “arrivederci”
117 “Stradivari” is the man, “Stradivarius” the instrument (Italian vs. Latin). Usage is hopelessly muddled in this section.
212 In 1915 Jos. Knowles lived off the land in the Maine woods for 60 days, publicity stunt for a newspaper. Great story! Must research that.
213 Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA, 6 stories of everyday wooden objects, 40,000 of them, from 18th & 19th cents.
214 Everyone on earth consumes 3.5 lb of wood / day; 4 billion tons harvested annually. 55% fuel & cooking, 30% paper, 15% as wood—furniture, housing, etc.
241 Typo: “Roman barbarian Maximin” should be “Emperor Maximinus (235-238)”
248 Toothpicks. White birch, 1 cord produces 7.5 million. Diamond Match makes 90% of US consumption. US 50 billion / year, made by 10 workers. 9000 toothpick accidents / year.
257 “pompous Crusaders”: why pompous? Saladin was not pompous?
278 Thos. Boehm, Ancient Archery: makes flat bows, longbows, and recurves.
286 Ethanol distilled from poplars will be a “large-scale reality by 2017”! Predicting even 8 years into the future is a fraught enterprise.
311 In the section on Venetian gondolas, the Italian “forcola” (sing.) is hopelessly muddled with “forcole” (pl.).
312 One of these is not like the others: “indoradori … fonderie … tapessieri … sartori … barateri … calegheri.” All of these Italian nouns are plural, referring to occupations (gilders, upholsterers, etc.) except “fonderie” = “foundries.”
341 Wooden vs. steel roller coasters: makes me wish to seek out a wooden ride!
349 Epilogue. I was expecting a broadside against the global logging industry, urging that not another tree be cut down. Instead, his stance is remarkable balanced. For instance, using concrete and plastics rather than wood has a greater environmental impact.
354 The forests of Siberia and Canada may increase global warming! Now there’s a contrarian position.

[Timothy Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got wood? You'll get wood here. Whether you are an artisan craftsman or just a person who loves a good yarn, Spike Carlson delivers a well-researched and at times wry rendering of the history of wood as we know it. Carlson chases down the people who are enchanted by the working of trees and wood and the tools they use. From a giant 8 foot wide, 3 ton drum cut from the base of one humungous tree, to Stradivarius violin makers, Steinway piano makers, chainsaw wood sculptors, baseball bats, to people who hot-rod their wood tools and hold competitions, and far more wood-thru-history tales than you can imagine, this book will educate you and you'll be grateful for it. A book you'll keep on your shelf.
Did you know President Jimmy Carter is a skilled woodworker and has a nice tricked-out wood shop? Did you know famed luthier Jim Olson makes hand-made guitars for guys like James Taylor that have a base price of $12,500? What types of wood goes into a masterful creation like a Strad or Steinway? Did you know the wood comes from a specific location and a multitude of factors make it a one of a kind piece of wood?
Just wtf IS wood? Carlsen takes us from it's many cellular compositions, the many varieties and their many uses, to the lingo and terms used by Woodsmen and Woodswomen, a hodgepodge homage to All Things Wood. Great interviews and wonderful knowledge.

[Kris Rude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this was written in 2008, I had to wonder as I read how things have changed. And then I went to the plant store with my husband who commented on how expensive whiskey barrel planters are. I not only could tell him why they are burned on the inside, I knew all the steps and the skill used to make them. And then I came across a box of varied wood scraps my Dad had put together for my daughter several years ago (durning a whittling phase) with examples of Purple Heart, cherry, and Osage orange, among others. So different and so beautiful. And now I know much more about what they are good for, where they came from and how they grow. Don't even get me started on the trees used to support Venice or to build catapults during the crusades. So maybe some of the info is dated, but much more of it remains fascinating and relevant. A great read!

[Daniel Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of interesting material here. As other reviews have mentioned, it’s not a history of wood but really a collection of essays about wood. I think that it could have used a better photographer (one photo is just a photo of a sign at a historical site, used to refer to the diagram on said sign). And the transition paragraphs at the end of each chapter were unnecessary and cheesy. The author uses “man” for humanity and has some jokes that show he’s imagining a male audience. I’m glad read it though, it was interesting and mostly well written.

[Corvonero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and interesting, but reads like a one of those trashy NatGeo reality docus that try to insert action and drama everywhere, and a bit too enamored with cringy Americana for my liking (seriously, no one cares about baseball or rednecks having belt sander races). Also, in many parts it was hard to understand the author's descriptions of various contraptions because of his usage of jargon or ambiguous terms.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love histories of everyday things that you might not think much about until you read a book like this. Although a lot of the woodworking terms and discussion went over my head, it was still really interesting to learn about the different kinds of wood and the history of its use. I'm going to better appreciate all the wooden things in my life! Even you, toothpicks

[Phillip J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a primer of the wonderful uses and qualities of wood

Worth reading, sometimes humerous, yet more frequently highly informative and somewhat mind boggling in the amazing qualities and multitude uses of wood. I am a former woodworker and learned a whole lot I didn't know before. Recommended for anyone that enjoys learning new things about an "ordinary" material.

[Christopher Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been wanting to read this book for about eight years. It came to my attention when I was writing the Great Tree. I had hoped it would increase my knowledge and understanding of the countless gifts wood has given to us. Indeed, it would have.

[Nancy R Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book Definately re-readable

This book covers an encyclopedia of wood information. And does so in a very readable fashion ! I feel as if I have completed a course in WOOD.

[Jo-Anne McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book, and very interesting. Lots of facts told in an entertaining manner, and I recommend this to anyone. Non-fiction, about any topic, that is easily accessible and relevant is a treasure. I was truly gobsmacked at how much there was to learn about wood.

[Kim Zinkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

B. Informative. Who has this? JE?

[Kristina Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as well organized as I would have liked, topics seemed to be covered pretty randomly. But interesting information, kept me turning pages.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this 2 stars, but it mentioned Henry Mercer and the Mercer Museum along with another Doylestown shout-out, so it was worth the read.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Had no idea the complexity involved in barrel making

[Eric Army · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like other reviewers noted... this is really just an amalgam of a un-connected anecdotes and trivia.
Great "bathroom reading" -- really interesting and entertaining esoterica. But don't expect a narrative.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This microhistory of wood includes the chapters: Extraordinary woods (including a scientific explanation of what wood is) ; The wacky world of woodworkers (including blind woodworkers, chainsaw art, Jimmy Carter) ; The tools that work the wood (manual and power, including belt sander racing) ; Wood in the world of music (violins, pianos, etc.) ; Wood in the world of sports (baseball bats, caber toss, etc.) ; Wood as shelter (log cabins, Winchester house) ; Wood in day-to-day life (pencils, barrels, true relics, etc.) ; Wood, weapons, and war (catapults, archery) ; Wood by land, air, and sea (train trestles, the Ark, gondolas) ; Wood in unusual uses and peculiar places (Venice, roller coasters) ; Epilogue (the fate of trees).

Although it took me forever to get through because it's really long, I did really enjoy this. The writing gets clunky in several places, especially when the author really wanted to talk about something that just didn't fit the topic but jammed it in anyway, and during transitions between topics. Overall, though, it's fine, and is a good choice for people with shorter attention spans or shorter times to read, because he covers each topic quickly. I could have done with a lot more pictures, especially when he was describing the unusual woods and wood grains; I kept my phone close so I could look them up. I looked up many other things too, when I found them hard to picture in my head (like "forcolas"--oar supports for gondolas). Anyway, an enjoyable and educational read.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Who knew wood could be this fascinating" says the Booklist blurb on the back of the paperback edition. Um, I did. And it is fascinating when Spike Carlsen is talking about, for example, the building of pianos or the construction of gondolas. Unfortunately, Carlsen's writing style is so hackneyed, so cliche-abundant, that the few times when he falls into his own reverence for wood are scattered, while he otherwise writes dopey gags, inconsequential stories about himself, or stretches for some bon mots that will conclude his topic with a snap. I began to expect to hear a quick drum beat whenever I reached that point in the book.
This was a book for everyone that has never thought of wood, and it's essential importance to life and well-being on earth.
When I saw this book, I was so interested in the topic that I ignored the fact touted on the cover that it was an NPR Best Book of the Year.
Instead of praise, that rating is an indication of the quality NPR aspires to. Like NPR's reportage, A Splintered History of Wood presents part of the story, some parts of it in more detail than others, wrapped in pleasantries, attempts at humor, and needless personalization. In the final chapter, Carlsen tries to remain politically neutral while explaining that trees are vital to life on earth.
Well, you can't please everyone.
I stuck with this all 350 someodd pages. He really needed an editor.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for all of these natural history how-the-world-was-changed-by-[enter animal, mineral, vegetable, invention:]-and-how-life-would-suck-without-it books. The author is very aware that this is another one to throw on that pile.

I enjoyed this. The topics surrounding wood, its properties and it use, were rather broad, but interesting specific examples were brought in for each one. An avid woodworker himself, his interest in a wide range of things about wood was as infectious as -- well, to use a locally-inspired simile -- oak wilt.

Discussions about the physical properties of different species of wood and the physics of wood in general were scattered throughout the book, rather than dealt with in one place. He really went the extra mile to interview people who were passionate about the way the used wood. He interviewed forensic botanists, bow makers, cooper, bat manufacturers, former president Jimmy Carter, Venetian archaeologists, you name it. And the wide range of products he covered included golf clubs, toothpicks, water pipes, bridges, houses, roller coasters....

Nothing too in-depth here. But really fun to read.

[Mjackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, author knows his stuff, enjoyably breezy, finished in a few days. The only thing is, I am vaguely irritated by the way books such as this zoom in on one subject and therefore avoid taking in the full sweep of history. By zooming in with a microscope (sometimes literally), we never have to encounter clearcutting, spiking, Earth First, fincas, colonialism, etc. Sort of the same way gender studies classes allow academics to get into great detail of individual experience without ever getting to the nitty-gritty of injustice. As if every social issue is just one course at the New School away from finally being understood. The truth is, most people understand intuitively what others would take 2,000 college credits before they'd start putting the pieces together. By the time Carlsen finally talks politics, at the very end, his breezy tone disappears and he seems, for the first time, distinctly ... uncomfortable? No wonder this book has honors from NPR ... take a freakin' stand!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit like reading Ripley’s Believe it or Not, an Encyclopedia, and the Guinness Book of World Records. I enjoyed parts of the book a lot and kept reading passages aloud to Roy. Some parts were just not of interest and I gave myself permission to skip them. I liked the chapters on woodworkers, woodworking tools, wood in sports (especially baseball, tennis, and, strangely enough, pool), the Spruce Goose, barrel making, and some others. In general, I enjoyed pieces that involved interviews with a person and discussion about his (were there any hers?) craft. My absolute favorite piece was about the wood collection at the Forest Product Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin; I had to laugh at myself – the eternal librarian.

[Bill Sides · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had just come out in a trade edition and I heard a story about it on NPR. Coincidentally I was starting to learn how to work with wood so it was bound for the top of my reading list.

By choosing to present just parts of the history of man's use and love of woodworking the author gets to cherry-pick the stories. This is great for the reader in two ways: No filler, just interesting, fun stories all around and the book isn't 14,000 pages long.

Although certainly some stories interested me more than others, overall this is a great read.

As a side note: I bought some of the ancient Kuari described in the book and I love making pens out of approx. 50,000 year old trees.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although not the best written book of its type, I found the arcana attached to wood extremely interesting. But of course, I've had a lifetime love of wood anyway. But I learned lots that had me annoying my husband reading things out loud. Did you know that the first instance of using wood analysis in forensics solved the Lindbergh kidnapping? This section alone was fascinating and satisfying. The book is filled with stuff like this. Spike is an engaging storyteller, but his humor often fell short. (I could have gone without reading that forests evolved because some plant in the primordial swamp "had a woody," for example.)

[Barbara Gregorich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found some of the articles in this book very interesting, such as the ones on baseball bats, boomerangs, catapults, and gondolas. Others I found less interesting.

As a whole, the book seems to lack a story, the way Salt has a story. The individual pieces don't progress in any particular order. What's missing for me is a driving force, the story of how humans have related to wood over tens of thousands of years. I wanted to care deeply about wood, but these articles arouse only a mild interest.

[Gyoh80525 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really easy read. The book is set up like a string of magazine articles about wood. Each one is fascinating and you don't need to read one to understand another. In fact, I don't think there was a single reference across "articles". Because of this, the book is easy to pick up and put down. The only problem is that I kept staying up late reading just one more "last article".

I recommend this book.