Spike Carlsen

The bestselling author of A Splintered History of Wood uses a walk around his hometown to explore how every part of our urban landscape--from manhole covers and recycling bins to pedestrian crossings and bike lanes--impact and shape our lives in this fascinating work of popular science. A simple walk around the block set Spike Carlsen off on an investigative journey to discover everything he could about every thing we take for granted in our everyday life. Leading readers on a spirited tour of his hometown, and a few other environs, he teaches us how to best appreciate and make the best use of the world's most useful things with illuminating narrative tales about the hidden world outside and underneath our front door. With wit and everyman expertise, Carlsen explains the engineering marvels, unheralded utilities, and how to make the best use of the world's most useful things, including: How the addition of a front porch reduces crime and increases property value How planting a $10 boulevard tree cuts air-conditioning costs by 20 percent, while generating approximately $30,000 worth of oxygen and $31,000 worth of erosion control. How a simple walk, in addition to reducing the chance of a stroke (20 percent), cardiovascular disease (30 percent), and broken bones (40 percent), can increase creativity by 60 percent. Engaging, entertaining, and informative, illustrated with black-and-white photographs, A Walk Around the Block celebrates all the seemingly random yet essential stuff we encounter yet overlook every day.

Stoplight Secrets, Mischievous Squirrels, Manhole Mysteries and Other Stuff You See Every Day (and Know Nothing About)

A Walk Around the Block

Gardeners, small farmers, and outdoor living enthusiasts will love this compilation of 76 rustic DIY projects. From plant supports and clotheslines to a chicken coop, a greenhouse, and a root cellar with storage bins, most of the projects are suitable for complete novices, and all use just basic tools and easy-to-find materials. You’ll find techniques to build whatever your outdoor world is missing, with additional tips to live sustainably, happily, and independently.

76 Useful Things You Can Build to Create Customized Working Spaces and Storage Facilities, Equip the Garden, Store the Harvest, House Your Animals, and Make Practical Outdoor Furniture

The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects

In a world without wood, we might not be here at all. Without wood, we wouldn't have had the fire, heat, and shelter that allowed us to expand into the colder regions of the planet. If civilization somehow did develop, our daily lives still would be vastly different: there would be no violins, baseball bats, chopsticks, or wine corks. The book you are now holding wouldn't exist. At the same time, many of us are removed from the world where wood is shaped and celebrated every day. That world is inhabited by a unique assortment of eccentric craftsmen and passionate enthusiasts who have created some of the world's most beloved musical instruments, feared weapons, dazzling architecture, sacred relics, and bizarre forms of transportation. In A Splintered History of Wood, Spike Carlsen has uncovered the most outlandish characters and examples, from world-champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, and many more, in a passionate and personal exploration of nature's greatest gift.

Belt-Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers, and Baseball Bats

A Splintered History of Wood

Whether you’re a beginner building your first shelf or an experienced craftsman designing a new gazebo, Spike Carlson has the answers to all of your woodworking questions. You’ll find expert advice on setting up your work area, choosing appropriate tools, working with different types of wood, and building furniture, as well as tips on joinery techniques, custom finishes, and much more.

The Workshop Companion: Build Your Skills and Know-How for Making Great Projects

Woodworking FAQ

In a world without wood, we might not be here at all. We wouldn't have had the fire, heat, and shelter that allowed us to expand into the planet's colder regions. If civilization somehow did develop, our daily lives would be vastly different: there would be no violins, baseball bats, chopsticks, or wine corks. The book you are now holding wouldn't exist. Spike Carlsen's A Splintered History of Wood is a grand celebration of all things wooden and the characters who lovingly shape them—eccentric artisans and passionate enthusiasts who have created some of the world's most beloved musical instruments, feared weapons, dazzling architecture, and bizarre forms of transportation. From champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, from the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, here is a passionate, personal, amazingly entertaining exploration of nature's greatest gift.

Blending the practicality of IKEA with the creativity of Martha Stewart, this collection of innovative projects is presented with simplicity of construction in mind. The suggested pieces are practical, have broad appeal, and carry a high brag factor upon completion. Requiring minimal assembly time and tools, this concise, engaging, and even humorous guide offers countless tips as well as clear and instructive photography. The majority of the projects also incorporate clever construction, such as the use of bifold doors, stock cabinets, and off-the-shelf lumber, guaranteeing that the required materials are both inexpensive and easily accessible. Featuring ideas for furnishing both the interior and the exterior of the home, this handbook is ideal for weekend woodworkers.

Great Looking Furniture Anyone Can Build

Ridiculously Simple Furniture Projects

Gardeners, small farmers, and outdoor living enthusiasts will love this compilation of 76 rustic DIY projects. From plant supports and clotheslines to a chicken coop, a greenhouse, and a root cellar with storage bins, most of the projects are suitable for complete novices, and all use just basic tools and easy-to-find materials. You’ll find techniques to build whatever your outdoor world is missing, with additional tips to live sustainably, happily, and independently. Also available in this series: The Backyard Homestead, The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals, and The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How.

Easy-to-build, affordable, beautiful, durable, fun furniture projects kids will love! Give your child a unique gift of a lifetime--without breaking your checkbook--and you and your kid will have fun making it! Building Unique and Useful Kids' Furniture: 24 Great Do-It-Yourself Projects gives complete step-by-step instructions for building 24 professionally designed one-of-a-kind children's furniture projects that are easy to build and your kids will love. You don't need advanced skills. You don't need specialized tools. You don't need expensive materials. All of these projects can be built using basic tools and materials from any home improvement store. Step-by-step instructions and color photos show you exactly what to do--and many projects are labeled "Kid Friendly," so your child can safely help you build it, developing their skills and confidence. These projects will fill every room of your house with kids' furniture that is cleverly designed, attractive, whimsical, safe, with timeless design that look fresh 20 years from now, giving your kids a lasting legacy to pass on to their kids.

24 Great Do-It-Yourself Projects

Building Unique and Useful Kids' Furniture

"35 great do-it-yourself projects"--Cover.

Spike Carlsen

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