The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworker's Reflections
Product ID: 5525494
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.
| Dimensions | 7.8 x 0.31 x 11.5 inches |
| Edition | 1st |
| Isbn 10 | 1568363958 |
| Isbn 13 | 978-1568363950 |
| Item Weight | 2.82 pounds |
| Language | English |
| Print Length | 224 pages |
| Publication Date | January 1, 2012 |
| Publisher | Kodansha International |
M**L
Inspirational;
Confirmation of principals the I strongly suspected but did not articulate until the reading Soulfull indeed
S**H
Well written
Haven't finished the complete book yet, but it is very well written and extremely interesting. Already learned a few things I did not know before. Really well written and easy to read. Love the pictures as well.
A**R
Beautiful Book
If you're a woodworker or just enjoy amazing and artistic wood furnishings, you won't be disappointed in this book. Nakashima was a true artist who put the soul of the tree in every piece he made. I purchased this for a friend who started making workbenches and other simple projects using fine woods. He loved the book, and began to think about elevating his craft to finer home furnishings. If you're looking for a coffee table book with many images of Nakashima's finished products you might want to look elsewhere. This is a book for true artists who can appreciate all of Nakashima's sketches and the story behind his beautiful works.
D**A
What.a BEAUTIFUL book! WOW
I read about this book when someone posted a quote from it on Facebook and spoke about this woodworker. I ordered it as a gift for a friend of mine who is an artistic woodworker and when I opened it I was very surprised at how stunning the book is. It's larger, like a 'coffee table' book. I highly recommend this as a gift for any talented woodworker. It can only be purchased used, it appears. I found a 'very good' copy and it is.
B**N
The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworkers Reflections
A great book for anyone interested in this one special "Master Woodworker". And yes, his family's enterprise still exists. Book arrived as promised, and in perfect condition. Thank you very much !
G**I
The perfect gift
This book will be a Christmas gift for my son-in-law. He is an architect and has aspirations of designing his own furniture someday. They have visited New Hope, Pennsylvania and love the history of the town. The photos in the book are beautiful and the information about George Nakashima so very interesting. It will make a great gift!
B**B
Great Book On Nakashimas Philosophy
This is a great book if you’re looking for info on George Nakashima‘s philosophy on building furniture. If you’re looking for a book jampacked with photos of his work, this definitely isn’t it. There are a lot of hand sketches of his, and random drawings, but surprisingly few photos of his work. One would think that a book about a furniture maker would have a lot of photos of said furniture, like Sam Maloofs book, but that isn’t the case. In fact I found far more photos of his work in a random auction book published in 2019 than this book about the man himself. In that regard, it’s disappointing.
V**E
Beautiful book, fascinating person
Beautiful book, fascinating person
K**N
A Epic of not just an ideal wood worker but also a wise man. Thought me How to love Nature and be a better Man. Have never owned a better book.
L**M
Veio rasgado. O livro em si é ótimo, mas a entrega deixou a desejar bastante.
V**N
Produit livré rapidement et conforme. Très bel ouvrage en Anglais.
E**C
Gréât story
L**N
A bit ho hum …. I was expecting a more poetic treatise in the vein of james Kernov whose books I find very inspiring and magical for my cabinet making interest.
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