In the tradition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, legendary furniture craftsman and teacher Gary Rogowski offers a profound meditation on finding focus, mental clarity, purpose and clarity in the modern age of distraction.

Fine wood artists volume four features new work by artists who work with wood. Wood turnings, fine studio furniture, sculpture and more are all featured in full color in this volume.

A “smart and surprising” (Booklist) “expansive history” (Publishers Weekly) detailing the role that wood and trees have played in our global ecosystem—including human evolution and the rise and fall of empires—in the bestselling tradition of Yuval Harari’s Sapiens and Mark Kurlansky’s Salt. As the dominant species on Earth, humans have made astonishing progress since our ancestors came down from the trees. But how did the descendants of small primates manage to walk upright, become top predators, and populate the world? How were humans able to develop civilizations and produce a globalized economy? Now, in The Age of Wood, Roland Ennos shows for the first time that the key to our success has been our relationship with wood. “A lively history of biology, mechanics, and culture that stretches back 60 million years” (Nature) The Age of Wood reinterprets human history and shows how our ability to exploit wood’s unique properties has profoundly shaped our bodies and minds, societies, and lives. Ennos takes us on a sweeping journey from Southeast Asia and West Africa where great apes swing among the trees, build nests, and fashion tools; to East Africa where hunter gatherers collected their food; to the structural design of wooden temples in China and Japan; and to Northern England, where archaeologists trace how coal enabled humans to build an industrial world. Addressing the effects of industrialization—including the use of fossil fuels and other energy-intensive materials to replace timber—The Age of Wood not only shows the essential role that trees play in the history and evolution of human existence, but also argues that for the benefit of our planet we must return to more traditional ways of growing, using, and understanding trees. A brilliant blend of recent research and existing scientific knowledge, this is an “excellent, thorough history in an age of our increasingly fraught relationships with natural resources” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Norman Pirollo, wood artist, describes his fascinating journey of transitioning from full-time employment to being self-employed as a wood artist. He currently creates wood art and sculptural work in his studio. Norman faced many obstacles throughout the journey where apprehension about the decision was often at the forefront. Perseverance, fate and critical decisions combined to map out the direction he followed later in life. Often seeking creative outlets, working as a multidisciplinary artist ultimately became his vocation. Norman Pirollo chronicles his fascinating journey over a fifteen-year period. Follow the riveting story of how his technology career evolved into a multidisciplinary art career including furniture making, sculpture, photo art and ultimately wood art. Read how Norman, through determination and perseverance, finally attained his goal of becoming an artist in the genre of wood art. Delving into and studying art history has provided him the art language and background to develop his own vision of wood art. Discover how he immersed himself into the contemporary art movement to develop a style and voice of his own. Find out how, through twists and turns, Norman acquired the skills and techniques to become an award-winning wood artist and sculptor today. The opportunity to work at something he truly enjoys has ultimately brought him solace and independence. Author: Norman Pirollo www.woodskills.com Norman has written several books and has been featured in publications over the years. Quiet Woodworking (New Art Press) Hand Tool Woodworking (New Art Press) Start Woodworking (New Art Press) Craftisian Interview (Norman Pirollo) HackSpace Magazine - Make With Wood April 2020 Woodworking: From Design To Making (New Art Press) Woodworking With Hand Tools 2018 (Fine Woodworking) The Wood Artist: Creating Art Through Wood (New Art Press) From Hi-Tech to Lo-Tech: A Woodworker's Journey (NAP) Start Your Own Woodworking Business (NAP) Rooted: Contemporary Studio Furniture (Schiffer Publishing) Canadian Woodworking magazine Jan. 2015 Our Homes magazine Fall 2014 NICHE Magazine Winter 2013 FWW Magazine - 4 Bench Jigs for Handplanes FWW Magazine - Essential Shopmade Jigs Woodwork magazine (2008) Wood Art Today 2 (Schiffer Books) 500 Cabinets ( Lark Books) Studio Furniture: Today's Leading Woodworkers Canadian Interiors Design Source Guide Ottawa Life magazine (Profile, work) 2012 Panoram Italia magazine Our Homes magazine (2011) Craft Journal (2009) Woodworker's Journal (2006)

Make sleek and functional home furnishings from inexpensive plywood and other off-the-shelf materials using only basic hand and power tools. This unique building guide offers 73 innovative ideas for using plywood to make everything from desks and workstations to children’s playhouses. Projects for every need and skill level are presented with clear assembly diagrams, step-by-step instructions, and photos of the finished product. Discover the simplistic beauty plywood can bring to your next project and take pride in making your own handmade furniture.