[.ca] Grain of Truth: The Ancient Lessons of Craft (ISBN 0802776388)

Amazon.ca:
"Every contemporary woodworker during the finishing stages of a project is a modern alchemist," doing the equivalent of translating base metals into gold. So writes Ross Laird in this thoughtful meditation on craft. Making Windsor chairs and bedsteads is more than a matter of block planes, come-alongs, and sharp knives, though such things figure in Laird's pages; it involves disposition, assuredness, the ability to find the right rhythm for working with a particular birch log or fir plank. "The vault of the body does not always open to the inquiry of work," Laird allows. "Sometimes I become distracted, or fickle, or too bent on perfection, and the protean movements that my frame offers me slide into frustrating repetitions of strain or injury or--this is the worst--complete stalling." When the mood and knowledge and rhythm are right, though, wonders can ensue. Some of the best moments of Laird's book describe his travels through the Rocky Mountain forests in search of the perfect piece of wood, his explorations of craft with fellow workers in the small towns near his home, and his thoughts on the back-to-the-land life he's chosen. Drawing for inspiration on the natural and cultural landscapes of British Columbia and ancient China alike, Laird reflects on the work, mental and physical, that goes into the making of handcrafted boxes, furniture, and such, and on what Robert Frost called "the pleasure of taking pains." His book offers inspiration for the weekend artisans among us, and it makes a fine addition to any library devoted to simple living and the old ways. --Gregory McNamee

Wonderful book:
I really loved this book. The author moves beyond the technical "how to" of his woodwork projects and writes about the meaning he finds through the work. The book was touching and funny -it has stayed with me and encouraged me to attempt a few "projects" of my own.

Not what I'd hoped for:
When I saw this book I thought it would be a "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for woodworkers. I was even more interested when I noticed a chapter of refurbishing an old boat. Since my occasional hobby is wooden boat building I bought the book with eagerness. But what a disappointment. Laird tries hard to write cleverly about the inner workings of a craftsman from the "I Ching"/Taoist point of view. However, he turns his sentences with too much effort -- like a novice making a candlestick on a lathe for the first time. I had trouble swallowing much of his non-narrative prose. As far as a story goes, you quickly realize he's not a professional woodworker with decades of experience to relate. From what I know about sharpening blades on a Japanese waterstone, a light touch is the best approach. Laird, on the other hand, describes how he presses down so hard that his back aches afterward. And, personally, I was turned off when he got around to the boat project: it's a Fiberglass hull! He had lilted for several chapters about the natural qualities of wood and then dismisses wooden boats as impractical because they rot. So he then proceeds to poison himself (and the environment) with epoxy. As an alternative to this book I'd recommend "Tools of the Trade: The Art and Craft of Carpentry" by Jeff Taylor.

A real sleeper:
This is a beautiful book, a real sleeper. My wife got it for me because I enjoy working with my hands (home workshop, etc.) and I read it with pleasure for the descriptions of the satisfaction of making things (Laird makes a marimba for his kids, repairs an old family boat, builds a lovely container for his grandmother's ashes, etc. But what he's really addressing is the nature of creativity, where it comes from (comparisons with lightning strikes, drowning, and such) and how you find ways to soldier on in a project that baffles you -- and in your life, as it throws curves and roadblocks at you. The writing is sublime and I found myself practically hpnotized as I read it. Highly recommended both as of interest both to crafts-oriented people and to those of us who view life as a spiritual journey as well as a physical and intellectual one. This thing is a quiet little masterpiece.