John Perlin, renowned expert on the role of wood in civilization, to present here Dec. 6
John Perlin, author of the highly acclaimed A Forest Journey: The Role of Wood in the Development of Civilization, will make his second visit to Virginia Tech to present a College of Natural Resources seminar titled “A Forest Journey: The Story of Wood and Civilization,” on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. in Fralin Auditorium.
Perlin’s book has been ranked by Harvard University Press as among the "One Hundred Great Books" of all time. His body of work is currently on exhibit at the Science Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke, Va., where Perlin will also make a presentation and hold a book signing on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.
A Forest Journey: The Role of Wood in the Development of Civilization, recounts how wood--the principal fuel and building material from the Bronze Age through the 19th century--played a major role in the culture, demographics, economy, internal and external politics, and technology of the great civilizations of Sumer, Assyria, Egypt, China, Knossos, Mycenae, Classical Greece and Rome, Western Europe, and North America.
Perlin’s visit is sponsored by Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Department of Wood Science and Forest Products. For additional information, contact Tom Hammett at (540) 231-2716.
The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. Areas of studies include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development.
