Ennos specializes in biomechanics and writes with an appreciative eye for wood’s physical qualities ... We are, in profound ways, shaped by wood. Binocular vision, hands rather than paws, and differentiated front and hind limbs, Ennos notes, are not human features so much as they are animals-living-in-trees features ... Ennos points out that the largest ship in the world in 1514, the Henry Grace à Dieu in the English king’s fleet, was no larger than the great ships of antiquity. The age of wood had been an age of relative stasis, with limited outlooks and constrained possibilities. Wood, for all its wonders, is a stubborn material, better suited to time-consuming artisanal work than mass production. By replacing it, first as a fuel and then as a material, the British exited a long era of placid economic growth and entered a dizzying time of unbounded possibility ... The age of wood is over, yet Ennos hopes that aspects might return. Psychologists have suggested that being around wood is calming, and, compared to its fossil-fuel rivals, it’s easier on the environment.
... a lively history of biology, mechanics and culture that stretches back 60 million years, from the evolution of small, tree-dwelling, bush babies, with which humans share a common ancestor. It ends in our more sobering modern times, as megafires, propelled by climate change, incinerate millions of hectares in Australia and the United States, and thousands of square kilometres of Brazilian rainforest are razed to make way for mining and cattle ranching.
Ennos shares his insatiable curiosity with us. He applies his sharp eye for details, and he does so entertainingly ... Ennos draws from his own research ... He also draws on an erudite knowledge of history, anthropology, animal behavior and cognitive science.
[Ennos] takes a fresh look at the familiar substance, wielding it like a wedge to pry open our past, examine our present and even glimpse our future ... one of the appealing features of The Age of Wood is that it is about much more than its nominal subject ... Even when the focus is exclusively on wood, the author offers intriguing insights ... Throughout, Mr. Ennos writes with an amiable voice and a readable style. A visiting professor of biology at the University of Hull, in England, he knows how to explain technical subjects for the layperson. Even so, some readers may have appreciated more definitions of scientific terminology and fewer historical examples from the U.K.
This engaging natural history will draw in fans of Mark Kurlansky's Cod and Vince Beiser's The World in a Grain. It does a fantastic job of elevating humble wood to its rightful place alongside stone, bronze, and iron as a key resource in leading humanity to its dazzling achievements.
... often surprising ... 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 ... Ennos’ inquiry proves that there is much we still need to learn about wood and how it has shaped our past and present.
An informative study of the crucial role of wood in the development of humans over centuries ... 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 ... An excellent, thorough history in an age of our increasingly fraught relationships with natural resources.
... illuminating and fluidly written ... 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.
