The Real Wood Bible

Book excerpt: A practical and inspiring A-Z guide to the world's most popular woods. Many of the world's most beautiful and useful woods are in serious decline due to over-harvesting and environmental degradation. This updated edition of The Real Wood Bible gives the current sustainability status of these rare and important woods. Wood is a favored building material because of availability, ease to cut and join, decorative properties, functionality, flexibility, and a favorable strength-to-weight ratio. The Real Wood Bible is a comprehensive handbook for anyone who works with wood...or is planning to. Woodworkers, crafters, carpenters, and interior designers will find extensive information about the woods they regularly use as well as discover some new ones. This colorful, easy-to-use book features: How trees are converted into boards and veneers How to convert your own trees into boards Woods that incorporate beautiful natural effects A list of woods available from sustainable sources Useful advice on buying and storing lumber. An extensive and illustrated A-Z guide to the world's most popular woods is the heart of this book. Each wood is shown with a color illustration demonstrating the true look and beauty of the finished and unfinished grain. A special section on sustainability is included, with an introduction to key conservation issues. The Real Wood Bible is the essential reference for the appreciation of the practical beauty of the world's most popular building material.