About this title: The oak tree is found throughout the temperate zones of the world; knowing how to use it has made an astonishing difference to human history. Acorn-eating has sustained humans and animals; oak has been central to religious rites, heating, homemaking and travel by land and sea; the ink from oak galls advanced the written word; oak casks have made ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Fine. 0393327787 Ships next business day. NEW/UNREAD! ! ! Text is Clean and Unmarked! --Be Sure to Compare Seller Feedback and Ratings before Purchasing--Has a small black ink mark on bottom/exterior edge of pages. May have light shelf wear to cover from storage, if any. read more
Edition: Illustrated.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780393047738ISBN:0393047733
Description: Good in very good dust jacket. Ex-library. 2005 W. W. Norton & Co. Publishing. EX-LIBRARY. Hardcover with mylar over jacket is almost like new. Very clean. Book has library markings. Ships next day! Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 320 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co
Date Published: 2006-07-17
ISBN-13:9780393327786ISBN:0393327787
Description: Like New. First printing as indicated by number line of new-looking 2006 softcover. All clean crisp text pages with a nice secure binding. Daily shipping. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Ww Norton & Co
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780393327786ISBN:0393327787
Description: New. From the ink of Bach's cantatas, to the wagon, the barrel and the sword, oak trees have been a constant presence throughout history. This work relates the delightful history of the reciprocal relationship between humans and oak trees. read more
Binding: Hard Back
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company, New York
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780393047738ISBN:0393047733
Description: Good in Good jacket. Oak-History Books jacket has some slight creases and very slight wear. Spine is straight. Pages are unmarked. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc
Date Published: 2006-07-01
ISBN-13:9780393327786ISBN:0393327787
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780393327786. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Date Published: 2005-07-11
ISBN-13:9780393047738ISBN:0393047733
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. Ex-library with the usual stamps, stickers, etc. otherwise clean & tight throughout. FFEP lightly rippled. Mylar over dust jacket. We ship 6 days a week, generally within 24 hours; single CDs and DVDs upgraded to 1st class! read more
"I learned that civilization was much more strongly connected to Oak trees than I had ever imagined. This is a great read for anyone interested in the rise of civilization and the role several species of oak trees. From its use as food (acorns) to shipbuilding and wine casks, the story of oaks is told in a compelling, thoughtful and ultimately memorable way."
"It's possible to read "Oak" and simply come away with an appreciation of quercus and the many benefits it has provided to humans and a host of other creatures. But that would be to miss what I consider to be major underlying themes of the book: trees (and nature) have an intrinsic worth that extends beyond mere monetary value, and humans reach their greatest potential when they appreciate and work with the natural world. One of the most moving stories recounted occurs near the beginning of the book. Logan is called to examine a pear tree to determine if it will ever bear fruit. A couple would like to remove the tree from their yard to add on to their house but killing a tree that is still bearing would break their religious laws. Logan has to inform them that the tree is in fact quite healthy; he is surprised to find the husband is thankful for giving them this news, they can't build where they want but they have remained faithful to their beliefs. Logan contrasts their attitude with one he has often encountered:
I had known numerous clients and would-be clients quite willing to remove bearing fruit trees and huge centenarian oaks simply because the leaves were littering their yards and clogging their gutters. They were ready to kill a creature more than one hundred years old in order to spend one day less each year sweeping leaves. This man needed to make a bedroom for a child, but he wouldn't kill this tree to do it. "It's a good law," I said.
Much of the middle portion of the book is taken up with discussing various arts and crafts that involve the oak as a raw material. The reader has the opportunity to learn about coopering, tanning, building various sailing vessels and the beauty of a good mortise and tenon. But the high point of the book comes on page 181. Though all these crafts were valuable to the advancement of human societies they also had an affect on the artisan.
The great thing about coopering and other crafts was that they occupied the brain, the hand, and the emotions, all at the same time. There was a resistance to the completion of the task, and this had to be overcome by the craftsman's know-how, a composite of his knowing, remembering, and action. Memory, reason, and skill are God's three gifts to human beings, and the simultaneous activity of the three might just be a requirement to become and remain a human being.
Logan is describing a type of activity that most people rarely (if ever) take part in today. With the vacuous distractions of text messages, video games, television, and the internet it is much easier to be entertained, then it is to take up a task that will resist completion. There are very few people in the "developed" world who take the time to work with their hands; very few that can stand back when the work is done and appreciate that they have created something.
I find the book an enjoyable read, enough to go from cover to cover three times (so far). However an enjoyable read isn't synonymous with a great book, but this is a great book. I enjoy Logan's style and in my opinion he is quite adept at retaining the reader's attention. The passion he has for his subjects is obvious. His examinations of natural history and human history are held together by his observations about their effect on the human spirit. This is a must-read book."
"Enriching, interesting, great combination of natural history, history and science. This book will really change your prespective of the Quercus genus (oaks) I highly recommend it."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
