OAK - The Frame of Civilization
William Bryant Logan

Reading this was like riding the Log Plume at Six Flags; I read quickly at first, akin to a log out of the gate. Then I hit chapter three and stalled, like splashing after the drop down "Big Hill". From that point on it was a calm, enjoyable pace to the finish. The first two chapters were interesting and amusing at times, but chapter three really seemed to drag. Once past the droll stuff it picked up again and left me wanting to read more. The book contains seven chapters; it leads off with In the Middle of the World, followed by Names and Forms, Balanoculture, Age of Oak, End of the Age, Oak Itself, and wraps up with Eiffel and Oak.

In the Middle of the World establishes how Oak integrated with societal evolution. It holds no records, yet succeeds as a major contributor due to it's "resistance to specialize" (the book has all sorts of definitions as to what this phrase means). Oaks are compared to Redwoods for height, Sequoias for mass, Bristlecone Pine for age, and many exotics (with much greater strength properties) to prove a point about it's lack of distinction. This very quality served as it's catalyst for prolific growth. It was this proliferation that fostered use by civilizations over millennia. This is supported by many historical references that trace migrations of people to locales literally saturated with forests of oak.

Names and Forms presents examples of how prodigious oak was in ancestral life by it's copious use as/in homes, wagons, plows, ships, casks, caskets, etc. It literally carried our progenitors from cradle to grave. Lesser known uses include clothing, paper, and ink (did you know our Declaration of Independence and Constitution were both written with ink from oak galls?). This chapter also describes how origins of our very names stem from where people lived and what their occupations were. The Foresters, Wards, Hughes, and Cleavers of the world all descend from first families that tended trees and woodlots. There's also an interesting origin for Hobson - I wonder if Bill is aware of that?!

Balanoculture is where the "ride" stalled for me. While it was initially interesting, my attention soon waned as the Author seemed to write on ad infinitum about "acorn-eaters". True - I didn't realize this nut was so crucial to societies, nor did I know about various recipes that include it; they can be eaten as whole nuts, ground into flour, boiled and leached to make pastes, jams, jellies, etc. But surprising as it was, after a while I just didn't care much anymore!

My two favorite chapters are Age of Oak and End of the Age. In these the Author assembled much detail about mechanization and manufacture of the material; how it was used to create everything from mundane platforms to extraordinary works of art. Also included are detailed descriptions of craft virtually lost on present-day society. For instance, charcoal producers (colliers) and barrel makers (coopers) were extremely talented individuals who spent many years learning the subtleties of a trade, to be hailed as "misters" (masters) once granted title by their superiors. Also included in these are descriptions of great accomplishments such as Viking ships (the sleekest, most maneuverable of all seaworthy vessels), timber-frames such as Westminster Hall, and the grandest of all wooden ships such as the U.S.S. Constitution - incredible assemblages of timber that, with cargo in hold, measured hundreds of tons and could stand up to gale-force winds and waves over 40 feet tall!

The last two chapters are Oak Itself, and Eiffel and Oak. The former describes botanical Oak; how to identify it in all its forms. There's much on leaf identification, bark description, tree structure, etc. The latter is very short, but a curious comparison between Eiffel's tower and the Oak tree. Their similarities (a skeletal comparison of sorts), and what makes them unique. At this point I believe Mr. Logan wants us to appreciate the Oak as a masterpiece of natural engineering. We marvel at a man-made tower, yet barely give a tree a second glance. He considers this preposterous; after all, an oak can stand up to wind fully encased in a woody covering. Cloak the Eiffel Tower in sheathing and it would crumble at the next encounter with a storm!