Brush Cat: On Trees, the Wood Economy, and the Most Dangerous Job in America
A Year in the Woods Brush Cat recounts a year in the life of men who perform one of the most dangerous jobs in America-logging New England's vast forests for timber used in hundreds more ways than most of us realize, from houses to furniture to paper to electricity. In the spirit of John McPhee and Tracy Kidder, we meet an unforgettable cast of characters; feel their pain and exultation, and come to realize the centrality of wood in all of our lives.While they are first and foremost loggers cutting down trees, they are also ardent and effective conservationists who depend on healthy, intact forests for their long-term survival. True, some loggers are wood pirates, but most are pragmatic environmentalists, always asking the question: How do we keep this crop alive and thriving forever?The narrative moves deftly from useful tips on how not to lose body parts to a chain saw, through the terror of huge trees that fall the wrong way, to inconsistent and wrong-headed government forest management. It explores the worldwide demand for wood and wood chips, as well as the effect of climate change on the forest, and traces the money that keeps it all moving. Brush Cat clears the branches to reveal a hidden and fascinating world.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0312368917
ISBN13:9780312368913
Release Date:March 2009
Publisher:St. Martin's Press
Length:226 Pages
Weight:0.13 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.9" x 8.5"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Excellent
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
Shipped fast and came in excellent condition - very interesting book as well. Thank you!!!!!!!!
Brush Cat
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
Quite the entertaining and enlightening book. Akin to the various logging shows currently on television, the book not only informs you of the work necessary to actually cut trees in New England but also deals with the various economic, social and political pressures involved in what appears to be just a simple mechanical operation. The writing style is engaging, reminding me somewhat of the approach that Mike Rowe takes on his television show, Dirty Jobs.
Compleat Cat
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
A delightful book that owes more to Izaak Walton than to John McPhee, though it deserves comparison with McPhee as well. McEnany gives a compelling sense of an upstate New Hampshire culture that is as remote and unknown as the more typically romantic American West. Most interesting of all is the author's distinctive and winning prose. He's a real writer.
McEnany's book is a must read!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
'Brush Cat' takes us into the wilds of the Northern Forest on a quest for great trees with the Brush Cats... noble woodcutters and perservers of the forest! McEnany gives great insights into how the Brush Cats actually make the Northern Forests healthier (us too), as opposed to those who clear cut miles of wilderness. McEnany uses rapier wit in relating his personal experiences with Bob (A Brush Cat), and how truly amazing these brave men are... and how they are a dissapearing breed! I look forward to Jack's next book!
Brush Cat
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
Great Read!! Smart, informed, thoughtful, and fun. This is more than a book about logging - you'll love it.
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