A Forest Journey: The Story of Wood and Civilization [Paperback]

John Perlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2005

A contemporary view of the effects of wood, as used for building and fuel, and of deforestation on the development of civilization.

Until the ascendancy of fossil fuels, wood has been the principal fuel and building material from the dawn of civilization. Its abundance or scarcity greatly shaped, as A Forest Journey ably relates, the culture, demographics, economy, internal and external politics, and technology of successive societies over the millennia.

The book's comprehensive coverage of the major role forests have played in human life--told with grace, fluency, imagination, and humor—gained it recognition as a Harvard Classic in Science and World History and as one of Harvard's "One-Hundred Great Books." Others receiving the honor include such luminaries as Stephen Jay Gould and E. O. Wilson. This new paperback edition will add a prologue and an epilogue to reflect the current situation in which forests have become imperative for humanity's survival. 50 black-and-white photos and illustrations, bibliography, index

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Perlin has accumulated what seems every reference to the use and misuse of forests in the period beginning with Gilgamesh and ending with the 1880 U.S. census. In between, he chronicles the deforestation of Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, the West Indies, and the United States by kings, warlords, and robber barons for purposes ranging from building navies to smelting iron to clearing land for cash crops. The research is exhaustive, but the book disappoints in two ways. First, the style is flat. All information is treated as equal in weight, without interpretation or expert opinion. This makes for heavy reading; the hundreds of subheadings in the text accentuate a sense of the book as a compilation, rather than a narrative. Second, given how deforestation has recently become a hot topic, one wishes for a connection to the present time, so that the information might be applied, rather than simply noted.
- Mark L. Shelton, Columbus, Ohio
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“This work...captures the significant impact of wood on past and present civilizations. ...well written and well illustrated.” (M. J. Zwolinski - Choice )

“Perlin deftly combines a balance of social and ecological values as well as lessons for the immediate future.” (John Brosnahan - Booklist )

“Like some Greek epic poem spanning 4,000 years of civilization…an impressive array of research and a novel topic.” (Los Angeles Times )

“The new edition of Perlin's landmark work again brings needed attention to one of the primary concerns of the modern era.” (Elizabeth Hall - Forest History Today )

“This book takes one those bold imaginative steps through world history that leaves you full of excitement, as suddenly events seem to fall into a pattern for the first time. Perlin not only presents us with a bold hypothesis profusely documented and illustrated, he does it with a story-teller’s pace and ability to surprise.” (Book Talks, BBC World Service )

“'Delight' is not a word one expects to use in connection with deforestation, but John Perlin has certainly written a delightful book...It deserves to be a classic and should make a welcome present for anyone who enjoys a good read.” (Forest and Conservation History )

“Well documented and illustrated, it is history at its best.” (American Forests )

“A journey through time—a sort of Western Civ. 101 with a focus on the crucial role of wood in the rise and fall of states and cultures...Solid survey that adds significant dimension to our picture of the current crisis.” (Kirkus Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press (September 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881506761
• ISBN-13: 978-0881506761
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.1 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #610,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rise and Fall of Trees­The Rise and Fall of Civilization July 1, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

A Forest Journey first reminds us of the absolute importance of wood to human history: how much we have depended on wood for our very existence:

"Throughout the ages trees have provided the material to make fire, the heat of which has allowed our species to reshape the earth for its use. With heat from wood fires, relatively cold climates became habitable; inedible grains were changed into a major source of food; clay could be converted into pottery, serving as useful containers to store goods; people could extract metal from stone, revolutionizing the implements used in agriculture, crafts, and warfare; the builders could make durable construction materials such as brick, cement, lime, plaster, and tile for housing and storage facilities....

"Transportation would have been unthinkable without wood. Until the nineteenth century every ship, from Bronze Age coaster to the frigate, was built with timber. Every cart, chariot, and wagon was also made primarily of wood. Early steamboats and railroad locomotives in the United States used wood as their fuel...

"Wood was also used for the beams that propped up mine shafts and formed supports for every type of building. Water wheels and windmills ­ the major means of mechanical power before electricity was harnessed ­ were built of wood. The peasant could not farm without wooden tool handles or wood plows; the soldier could not throw his spear or shoot his arrows without their wooden shafts, or hold his gun without its wooden stock. What would the archer have done lacking wood for his bow; the brewer and vintner, without wood for their barrels and casks; or the woolen industry, without wood for its looms?"

Perlin then thoroughly documents how all past nations declined once their forests were depleted.... Today, with the world's forests in jeopardy, A Forest Journey provides much needed information that can help us avoid another needless repetition of history. Read more ›

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An important and monumental history of fuel and the tragedy of the commons January 14, 2006

By Simcha F. Udwin

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is one of the most important books I have ever read.

The relevance for our times of this highly engaging history of how the earliest civilizations to late 19th-century America have exploited wood (primarily as fuel, then as building material) and cleared forests cannot be overstated. Again and again, Perlin shows that the tragedy of the commons repeats itself throughout the patterns of human history, and the cycle has continued to the present day when we have the choice to break it by developing renewable, clean energy.

Beginning with the Mesopotamians, and continuing unabated to the present day, civilizations have access to forests previously admired and considered sacred. Greed for economic gain and/or military power, not the necessities of life (for which the forests amply provide) motivates Man to cut down forests at an increasingly alarming pace, as everyone wants to get in on the profits. Enormous quantities of wood are often cut down to produce a small quantum of finished products, such as a few kilograms of iron or refined sugar. The exploitation of forests is almost completely unregulated until it is too late for governments to do much about it. Often governments themselves dismiss or respond insufficiently to concerns by educated citizens, who warn of economic and ecological devastation if the free-for-all logging continues. And often this is because government members are well-placed to make personal profits from the wood/fuel trade. The individual cutters don't think to replant what they have taken, or even to spare saplings and young trees - why, when there's so much of it for oneself? Within several hundred years, there is little or no wood left (the latter situation was more common).... The civilization declines for environmental devastation (such as large-scale erosion) and lack of fuel (as they are no longer able to compete with other civilizations and their militaries who still have access to wood, and there is little or no wood left for basic necessities such as heating and cooking). We see that the only civilizations which have exploited wood on a large scale and yet escaped this cycle were the modern-day civilizations that began to rely on coal and other polluting fuels, such as Industrial Revolution-era Britain, and eventually the United States of America.

The book goes into far more detail than this, crammed with information on the key role wood has played in wars, alliances, the building of civilizations, the power of civilizations and, again, their decline.

I found this book fascinating and read it from cover to cover. Its relevance for today is in showing us that fuel shortage problems are nothing new, and that the survival of civilizations has always depended on fuel not running out, and likely always will, for as long as we aspire to live beyond the bare necessities of life. Our present-day civilizations are no exception, but as we all know, the human population and therefore the human need is much higher than it ever has been before, and many of us are not aware of the ecological implications of our lifestyles, as we are so far removed from the natural ecology in cities. But we can make a difference before it is too late. Not only is an awareness of history a wake-up call if we choose to educate ourselves, which would encourage us to live more wisely in taking care of the environment around us, but environmentally-friendly fuel technologies are emerging for us to live at an even higher level of comfort and health than ever before.

The author, along with his Nobel-prize winning collaborators at UCSB, Drs. Walter Kohn and Alan Heeger, are avid researchers and promoters of solar and other renewable energy sources: watch this space! The author is also affiliated with a great website promoting solar energy, explaining solar technology and delving into some of the history of solar energy use (which goes back to the time of the ancient Greeks!): [...]

I cannot recommend this book more highly. We all live in a world which continues to be so unwisely exploited on our behalf that it could mean the decline of us all - this book is therefore essential reading for every single person in our time. Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Trees' Most Famous Fruit ­ Wood June 28, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

A Forest Journey should be required reading in every school. It thoroughly documents the absolute importance of wood to human history and how all nations declined once their forests were depleted. In his introduction, John Perlin reminds us of something taken for granted: the importance of wood to our very existence...At a time when we have lost touch with the basis of much that makes us human, this book can help us avoid the downfalls suffered by nations that have gone before us. As Lily Tomlin supposedly said, "If we would just pay attention, history wouldn't have to keep repeating itself."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating journey into four thousand years of forest use March 16, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Perlin's Forest Journey traces civilizations from the Fertile Crescent to Colonial North America and how their rise and fall is related to the health of their forests. His knowledge of history is extensive and his writing style is enjoyable. The surprise is that we have yet to learn the lessons of history.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling first half, disappointing second half August 18, 2007

By Arthur Digbee VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is what is says it is: the story of wood and civilization. That sounds a bit odd, but you will be amazed to see how many ways wood contributed to the growth of civilization, as fuel, material for houses, ships and wagons, as support for digging mines, molds for crafting other materials, and so on. Only when coal and oil become available as alternative fuels, and especially when coal can be used to smelt and forge iron, does wood recede somewhat in importance.

The basic structure of the story is simple. Some city or state develops because it has ready access to forests. It eventually destroys the forests, with no thought of the future. At that point, it goes abroad to purchase or conquer new lands with virgin forests. But someone in those new lands manages to build up their own civilization and defeat the old-timers. The new civilization then repeats the pattern.

The first half of the book tells this story in a lively but necessarily superficial way for ancient civilizations from Mesopotamia to Rome. Presumably something similar was happening in China, India, and the New World civilizations of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas, but we hear very little about those. The stories are compelling, and they will make you see these civilizations in a new light.

The second half of the book focuses on England, some New World colonies such as Madeira and Brazil, and the United States. These chapters become much more detailed - - we meet individual foresters, iron forgers, and learn about particular pieces of legislation. Here Perlin has written a much more traditional history, with a less vigorous story.

Thus, the two halves of the book are unbalanced: the first half sweeping, the second half unnecessarily detailed.... Perlin also gives no thought to case selection: why talk about England and not Sweden? Why not Russia? Without such considerations about the overall structure of his narrative, he tends to give us a collection of anecdotes more than a compelling argument.

Oddly, the book leaves off exactly where you wish it would continue. Perlin gives only passing attention to 20th-century forest policy in the United States. US forests have grown in size over this century, even as the Forest Service and private landowners have clearcut huge swaths of our forests. Is this an example of successful management, or not? Why or why not?

Perlin should provide a similar analysis of tropical deforestation today. Will Brazil, Indonesia, and others follow the US example and reforest their lands a few decades after clearing them? Or will the follow the example of civilizations such as Persia and end up trying to survive in denuded semi-deserts?

Those are the real questions for such a book, and it is a shame that Perlin did not address them. Read more ›