The Age of Wood: Our Most Useful Material and the Construction of Civilization

This book is an exploration of wood’s pivotal role in shaping our global ecosystem, from human evolution to the rise and fall of empires. Author Roland Ennos reveals that our relationship with wood has been the key to our success.

Synthesizing research from anthropology, archaeology, architecture, engineering, and carpentry, Ennos reinterprets human history, showing how wood’s properties impacted our bodies, minds, societies, and lives. From Southeast Asia and West Africa to East Africa, China, Japan, and Northern England, Ennos traces the evolution of human-wood relationships.  Addressing effects of industrialization, including the replacement of timber with fossil fuels, this book emphasizes the essential role of trees in human history and evolution, urging a return to traditional tree-growing, using, and understanding practices for the planet’s benefit.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)