The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworkers Reflections

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Written by: George Nakashima

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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 749.213
ISBN: 0870119036
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: 1988-10-15
Publisher: Kodansha International
DteCode: j01

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Editorial Reviews:

On a farmlike compound near New Hope, Pennsylvania, George Nakashima, his family, and fellow wood-workers create exquisite furniture from richly grained, rare timber. Tables, desks, chairs, and cabinets from this simple workshop grace the homes and mansions and executive boardrooms of people who prize such excellence. In this lavishly illustrated volume, George Nakashima allows us in intimate look at his artistry, his philosophy, his life. It is the portrait of an artisan who strives to find the ideal use for each plank in order to "create an object of utility to man and, if nature smiles, an object of lasting beauty."
The author's search for the meaning of life took him as a young man to Paris, Tokyo, and Pondicherry, India. In India, he found the inner peace for which he had been searching and began to find ways to work with timber. He writes movingly about the grandeur of ancient trees and stunning figured woods and explains how he selects and prepares his materials. Above all, he impresses us with his devotion to discovering the inherent beauty of wood so that noble trees might have a second life as furniture. The Soul of a Tree looks at the world through the eyes of an artist and evokes the joy of living in harmony with nature.

User Comments about the The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworkers Reflections

Nakashima, a woodworker in the classic sense. Any woodworker should have this book not on the shelf, but closer, to the workspace at all times. Only wanted the tree to live on longer by working with and creating with it. This book is a great example of the love one can have for both nature and woodwork.

i'm an electrician, but i really like wood. his views make his work even more valuable and amazing. george nakashima on the other hand loved wood.

Able to tug at you in so many ways. A privilege to be able to buy his product.

Alot of philosphy, mostly biographical, has a few quotes that stick:"Man has the audacity to try to improve the tree."This is a MUST read for a woodworker.

I also encouraged her to contact Nakashima's Conoid Studio (if it still existed) to let them catalogue the pieces. Even after years of use by a family with kids living in the sticks the pieces were obviously crafted with meticulous care and held up surprisingly well. He outlines some of his own personal history and how he developed his ideas about craft. On a personal note I had a lady call me years ago to fix up `some old furniture' she and her husband had bought years ago (in the `50's I believe). What she wanted me to do was to nail up some chairs that had worked loose over time. Like the books of James Krenov, "The Soul of a Tree" is as much a book about philosophy as it is about wood.

The book is really about the soul of Nakashima. There's not really much on technique here - you can certainly find better books for that - but you won't find many more inspiring. I refused, of course, and explained to her that these were valuable pieces that should be cared for properly. She was flabbergasted. And it's a good philosophy: slow down, take your time, play with the wood, and enjoy it. Seems when they were young college professors they found this young oriental guy down the road who made furniture in his garage.

It was a real joy to bring them back to daily use. When I looked at the furniture I told her that her young oriental friend had become quite famous and showed her this book.