Product Description

Now available once again with a new preface by the author, The Book of Bamboo introduces us to the oldest, most remarkable resource on the planet. Part catalog, part history, The Book of Bamboo shows us how this versatile wood, which is both sustainable and plentiful, has been used for thousands of years to make items ranging from things needed for survival like clothing and housing to more exotic and luxurious objects like phonograph needles and children's toys, as well as dozens of others. With information both practical and wistful, David Farrelly tells us about the plant's biology and life cycle, gives tips on harvesting and planting, and lore about the ancient wood. Farrelly conveys the rich and timeless message that bamboo -- strong, flexible, and beautiful in both its natural and its finished states is an abundant resource that could beneficially replace many of the less sustainable materials now commonly used in many aspects of our daily lives and transform our culture in the process.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94302 in Books
• Published on: 1984-09-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

From the Inside Flap
Now available once again with a new preface by the author, The Book of Bamboo introduces us to the oldest, most remarkable resource on the planet. Part catalog, part history, The Book of Bamboo shows us how this versatile wood, which is both sustainable and plentiful, has been used for thousands of years to make items ranging from things needed for survival like clothing and housing to more exotic and luxurious objects like phonograph needles and children's toys, as well as dozens of others. With information both practical and wistful, David Farrelly tells us about the plant's biology and life cycle, gives tips on harvesting and planting, and lore about the ancient wood. Farrelly conveys the rich and timeless message that bamboo -- strong, flexible, and beautiful in both its natural and its finished states is an abundant resource that could beneficially replace many of the less sustainable materials now commonly used in many aspects of our daily lives and transform our culture in the process.

About the Author
David Farrelly has taught at Washington University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Saskatchewan, and has spent more than a decade planting, harvesting, and building with bamboo in Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States.

Customer Reviews

Use Other Books for Pictures
This is a very good reference book for studying the botony of bamboo and also for building (ideas only) and other uses for bamboo in the past and present in other countries where bamboo is in abundance. Do not expect pictures because there are none at all, just line drawings. Very good source for those wanting to learn EVERYTHING about bamboo from a scientific viewpoint with some nice personal antidotes here and there. Yes, buy it! And DO GROW BAMBOO!

Bamboo Science, Philosophy, Opinion and Lore
When I first read "The Book of Bamboo" many years ago, I thought it was brilliantly researched but simply too eccentric in organization and style to be representative of mainstream thought on the subject. Despite the wealth of information it contains, I hesitated to recommend it to people for fear its intensity would put people off rather than draw them in. However, after several years of growing bamboo in coastal northern California, I recently picked it up again and instantly recognized it for the classic it is. Fewer than 1 percent of 1 percent of all non-fiction books published are ever republished after they go out of print, especially by a prestigious national firm with major editorial capabilities. See for yourself why David Farrelly's "The Book of Bamboo" is one of those rare, wonderful books worthy of such investment and respect.

Great book -- eclectic, poetic, and practical
this book is a encyclopedic idea book, full of plant descriptions, botanical characteristics including harvesting and propagating, and scores of ideas on how to use bamboo. Demanding and educational; useful and inspiring --- even if you don't buy the book, grow bamboo . . . Mark Wall