{"product_id":"wood-work-crafting-a-living-building-a-life-9781939017888","title":"Wood Work: Crafting a Living, Building a Life","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"A moving and lyrical memoir about Maine, woodworking, and the life-affirming joy of working with one's hands.\"--Tess Gerritsen, New York Times-bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Spy Coast\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat happens when you walk away from security to build a life with your hands?\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn January 2019, former white-collar professional Steve Smith stepped into the snowy Maine woods with a simple, risky goal: to see if he could make a living using nothing but an axe. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith no formal training and no safety net, Smith began hand-hewing logs into timber beams, learning a heritage craft once essential to survival and now nearly forgotten. What began as an experiment became six years of punishing labor, financial uncertainty, and personal transformation as he built a thriving timber business--and discovered a different measure of success. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eStructured around the turning seasons of the Maine woods, \u003ci\u003eWood Work\u003c\/i\u003e traces Smith's physical and philosophical journey away from corporate life and toward a livelihood rooted in craft, land, and community. Drawing on his upbringing in a religious cult and a lifelong search for meaningful work, he reflects on what is lost when modern life separates us from making--and what can still be reclaimed. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eClear-eyed, humble, and deeply reflective, \u003ci\u003eWood Work\u003c\/i\u003e is a meditation on purpose, resilience, and the enduring human need to shape something real with our own hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Islandport Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781939017888\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 200","brand":"Stephen A. Smith","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53458942754997,"sku":"9781939017888","price":16.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/9781939017888.jpg?v=1791297555","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/wood-work-crafting-a-living-building-a-life-9781939017888","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}