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Awhile back I mentioned a new plan for our financial strategy associated with our website. Instead of annoying everyone with ads placed on our site, we wanted to have to integrity of only recommending products that we personally use and enjoy. I read a lot, so I figured that it would be natural to give book reviews and recommendations for books that I found to be worthwhile.
What’s awesome about sharing my Amazon account with Bre is that if I put a book I want into our wish list, sometimes it magically appears at our door! I was lucky to receive this book for Christmas (along with several others), and it was the first book I had read in awhile that affected me in such a profound way.
Now, it’s normally not the type of book I read, and perhaps that is the reason for my affection. Normally I read “how-to,” nonfiction books – books that teach you a skill. I had read a book by Roy Underhill, and this book was on HIS list of recommendations, so I knew it had to be great.
The Village Carpenter, by Walter Rose, was first published in 1937. The book is a personal memoir of the author that documents his life and experiences relating to carpentry. It relates the structure of a 19th century town and the vital role that the carpenter plays.
I found it historic, heartwarming, and I came away with a newfound love of carpentry and woodworking in general. Several times I have been asked why I enjoy working with hand tools over power tools. Many people think that it is more laborious and time consuming; more fit to be a punishment than a joy. It wasn’t until I read this book that I could formulate the words of an appropriate answer.
Walter Rose refers to carpentry by hand as “a process of quietude,” and I could not form a more apt response than that. By learning about our past, we’re given a unique insight to our present. More appropriately, by learning about the profession of woodworking, from a master carpenter, in a world in which it was relied upon, has opened my eyes to a further enjoyment of the craft.
I am excited to continue the practice of these skills, and I hope to educate them further. Whether you enjoy craftsmanship, woodworking in general, or just historical reads – I think you’ll find this book well worth it.
If you decide you’d like to purchase The Village Carpenter, please consider doing so by clicking this link. Let me know what you think!