Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Beginning with a lively prologue about the 1772 New Hampshire Pine Tree Riot, which few Americans are likely aware of, Ennos (Trees, 2016) delivers an often surprising general history of humanity’s long reliance on wood. Following a a look into primate biology to explore the evolutionary appeal of trees, the author discusses how wood was used for building fires, developing tools, hunting, and designing everything from ships to shelter. While the topic may be familiar, and Ennos’ perspective is often focused on the West, there are plenty of intriguing histories to enjoy here and his amiable writing style is quite appealing. The opening revolutionary focus sets the stage for other gems from the past, and while the author has done a copious amount of research (documented via end notes), he imparts the facts he's gathered with wit and charm, such as when he notes the remarkable number of steps (102) to craft a bow and arrows. Smart and surprising, Ennos' inquiry proves that there is much we still need to learn about wood and how it has shaped our past and present.

Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

Wood is a fascinating material, according to Ennos (Univ. of Hull): unmatched for its structural properties, lighter than water, as stiff, strong, and tough as steel of the same weight, resistant to stress and compression, and easy to shape. Aside from all this, it's also renewable. In 15 chapters and 4 parts, Ennos plots the history of humankind's interactions with wood. Part 1 envisions human evolution in relation to wood, from prehistoric arboreal origins to likely developments involving human physiology and tool making. Part 2 surveys the building of whole civilizations—clearing of forests, forming communities, learning to smelt and cook, creating or extracting luxuries. Here Ennos also posits the influence of wood on warfare and the emergence of (Western) geopolitical and commercial dominance, including its essential role in the formation of the United States. Part 3 describes the industrial era, replacement of firewood by charcoal, and uses in the 19th century and the modern world. Part 4 ("Facing the Consequences") includes chapters on assessing human impacts and mending relationships. Included are discussions of deforestation, reforestation, forestry practices, and human effects on climate change. Chapter notes and references conclude this fascinating book, likely to capture the interest of all readers interested in history, anthropology, engineering, environmental science, and even in wood itself. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Robert Edward Buntrock, independent scholar

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Informative study of the crucial role of wood in the development of humans over centuries. “I hope [this book] will show that for the vast majority of our time on this planet we have lived in an age dominated by this most versatile material, and that in many ways we still do,” writes Ennos, a professor of biological sciences who has authored textbooks on trees, statistics, and biomechanics. In this enthusiastic exploration, which begins in prehistory and moves to the present, the author digs deeply into paleoanthropology, tracking the earliest technological developments of man and what essentially brought them out of the forest—namely, climate change and the necessity of making fire. Ennos delves into a wide variety of disciplines, including social history, carpentry, geography, geology (specifically, how new energy sources such as peat and coal surpassed wood during the Industrial Revolution), and mechanical engineering. Even when iron and other materials replaced wood in some forms of construction, it still took wood (in the form of charcoal) to smelt the metals. “In the Middle Ages,” writes the author, “around thirty pounds of wood was needed to smelt one pound of iron.” Ennos also examines the supply of wood throughout history (into the 20th century, the New World’s vast forests seemed inexhaustible), the intense labor required to move timber to manufacturing sites, and the high level of skill and focus involved in carpentry. The innovation of pig iron, cast iron, and wrought iron—all of which Ennos describes knowledgeably—transformed building into the 19th century and beyond. Yet even despite the widespread acceptance of such modern materials as steel, concrete, and plastic, as well as energy (oil), wood has continued relevance today—plywood, laminated wood, and wood pulp, among other applications. The author corrects some deforestation myths, discusses ecological disaster, and concludes with ways of "mending our strained relationship” with wood. An excellent, thorough history in an age of our increasingly fraught relationships with natural resources. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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Ennos (Trees), a professor of biological sciences at the University of Hull, delivers an illuminating and fluidly written study of “the central role of wood in the human story.” Drawing from archaeology, anthropology, biomechanics, and architecture, among other academic fields, Ennos documents the links between trees and timber and a wide range of historical milestones, from the evolution of the human hand (primates developed soft pads on their fingertips and nails instead of claws in order to better grip tree branches) to the Boston Tea Party (inspired by an earlier riot in New Hampshire against British laws prohibiting the harvesting of large white pine trees). Ennos also examines the complexity of everyday wooden items; notes that the cellular structure of wood inspired the structure of plastics; and details the use of laminated wood in recent construction projects, including the Forte tower in Australia and the Richmond Olympic Oval in Canada. Extended discussions of bronze, wrought iron, steel, concrete, and plastics somewhat undermine the central argument that mankind has never fully left “the age of wood.” Still, this expansive history will give readers a newfound appreciation for one of the world’s most ubiquitous yet overlooked materials. Agent: Peter Tallack, the Science Factory. (Dec.)