|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Review
"What a pleasure to have the tales of these new wonders told, and in such lovely prose." Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
Product Description
A master craftsman provides us with the timeless wisdom he has gained from heaving and hewing stone. In his highly anticipated second book, Vermonter Dan Snow once again proves that he is not just one of America's premier artisans, but also one of our most articulate voices on the natural world and our relationship to it. Snow's medium is stone: He is the nation's premier drystone wall builder. Schooled in this ancient craft, he painstakingly creates structures as breathtaking as sculpture with nothing but gravity as their glue. In Listening to Stone, Peter Mauss's tactile photographs of Snow's artistry are matched by the artisan's quietly compelling prose. In a voice as expressive as Annie Dillard's and as informed as John McPhee's, Snow demonstrates astonishing range as he touches on such subjects as geology, philosophy, and community. We learn that stone's grace comes from its unique characteristicsits capacity to give, its surprising fluidity, its ability to demand respect, and its role as a steadying force in nature. In these fast-paced times, Snows life's work offers an antidote: the luxury of patience, the bounty and quietude of nature, the satisfaction of sweat. I work with stone, he ultimately tells us, because stone is so much work.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews)
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Book of the Year, Nov 17 2008
By Julia McCurdy - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Listening to Stone: Wall Building, Rural Follies, and Meditations on Nature (Hardcover)
I've been a huge fan of Dan Snow since I received his first book, In the Company of Stone, 6 years ago as a gift from my father. I often find myself re-reading this cherished volume, so perhaps it's not too much of a surprise that Dan's next book scores at the top of my list of favorite books I've read this year. It is difficult to keep the hands of family and friends off my copy, because they inevitably find themselves fascinated not only by the thought-provoking and entertaining writing, but by the beautiful and intriguing photos as well. If you are interested in stone walls or sculpture, you will love this book. Dan Snow writes about not only his relationship with stone, but the relationship that stone has with the rest of us, (and, for that matter, the world) with fresh perspective. The writing is cleanly and carefully crafted such that each word, sentence, and paragraph seem to fit as gracefully together as the stones that comprise his creations. The result is simply delightful; I highly recommend this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
If Vermont's in your future, this belongs in your book bag, Nov 19 2008
By Sharon Isch - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Listening to Stone: Wall Building, Rural Follies, and Meditations on Nature (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
As a longtime admirer of the dry stone walls of England and the intersecting dry stone mounds at Washington's National Gallery East Wing, I've often wondered about the manner of men (and it's just about always men, right?) who master and practice this ancient craft. Until now, the only one I've "met," is Peter Robinson's fictional Chief Inspector Gristhorpe of the Inspector Banks mysteries. What a pleasure, then, to discover the rare and quite real American waller, Dan Snow, to see the incredible diversity of his works--a grotto, an Asian garden, a footbridge, a shrine, a style, seats, shelters and, of course, walls--and learn firsthand about the insights and ideas that inspired them and the tussles with nature and other challenges involved in their execution. As an accompanying graphic shows, most can be found in Snow's native southeastern Vermont. Or within a stone's throw.I doubt I'll ever again see a dry stone edifice without also trying to envision what it tells me about its creator.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Zen, Nov 23 2008
By Brunello - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Listening to Stone: Wall Building, Rural Follies, and Meditations on Nature (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
This is a beautiful little book. Sitting out here in Hawaii reading "Listening to Stone", my mind was immediately transported to the verdant Vermont countryside where a man still works with his hands in the most elemental way with the most elemental of materials. While the rest of us struggle with the strangeness of modern life, Snow has found a livelihood in simplicity itself. His art is beautiful in a Zen way where the material fits in nature without spoiling it.The language of the book is wonderful too. His descriptions are vivid and poetic.
I loved it.
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Landscape
- Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Reference
- Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
- Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Nature & Wildlife
- Books > Engineering > Civil > Construction
- Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Landscape
- Books > Professional & Technical > Architecture > Landscape
- Books > Professional & Technical > Architecture > Reference
- Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil > Construction
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
