The Social Life of Teak
Published on 23. April 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
220 pages
978-616-451-082-1 (ISBN)
Description
Tracing human interactions with the world's most famous tropical timber species, The Social Life of Teak maps worlds revolving around teak forests, trees and wood.
What gives Tectona grandis such a powerful aura, stoking desires and capturing imaginations? How has teak shaped people's lives, driving fortunes and impacting futures? What has happened to the teak forests and what is their destiny?
In this illustrated anthology of oral histories, people connected personally or professionally to teak speak of survival, change and learning, creativity and destruction, growth and demise. Woven together, these experiences bring to light the ways that teak has been sought, crafted, cultivated, traded and prized over time.
Animist beliefs, creative expression, scientific invention, economic viability, imperialist expansion, peak luxury, violent repression, ecological disaster and the regenerative power of nature all find a home in this global intergenerational tale.
Charting the domestication of wilderness and exposing the era of extinction of a feted natural resource, this book seeks to stimulate conversations about our role as nature's most troublesome offspring.
What gives Tectona grandis such a powerful aura, stoking desires and capturing imaginations? How has teak shaped people's lives, driving fortunes and impacting futures? What has happened to the teak forests and what is their destiny?
In this illustrated anthology of oral histories, people connected personally or professionally to teak speak of survival, change and learning, creativity and destruction, growth and demise. Woven together, these experiences bring to light the ways that teak has been sought, crafted, cultivated, traded and prized over time.
Animist beliefs, creative expression, scientific invention, economic viability, imperialist expansion, peak luxury, violent repression, ecological disaster and the regenerative power of nature all find a home in this global intergenerational tale.
Charting the domestication of wilderness and exposing the era of extinction of a feted natural resource, this book seeks to stimulate conversations about our role as nature's most troublesome offspring.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Thailand
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
200 Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 256 mm
Width: 235 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
1274 gr
ISBN-13
978-616-451-082-1 (9786164510821)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
New Zealander Virginia Henderson has been based in Southeast Asia since 1990 and is an oral historian with a doctorate in heritage management. Tim Webster is a documentary photographer specialising in theatre, dance and architectural heritage photography.
Content
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
ESSENCE 21
PROVIDENCE BEYOND BELIEF LORE OF THE JUNGLE
HANDMADE 34
STRANGE WOOD
MINISTRY OF WOOD CARVING
SIZE MATTERS
LOCAL DECOR
LABOUR OF LOVE
HEAD ABOVE WATER
FORTUNE'S WHEEL
ANCIENT TRADE 59
VITAL INGREDIENT
REGAL WAYS
MIND'S EYE
GOLDEN VESSELS
COLONIAL PROJECTS 74
ESSENTIAL HARDWARE
FORTY-SIX GUNS
GOING THE DISTANCE
BACK ON TRACK
OLD IS GOLD
AGENTS OF THE CROWN
TAINTED LOVE
DANISH REALM
FOREST LIFE
TWISTED FORTUNE
LAW OF THE LAND
PROVENANCE
DYNASTY 112
FAMILY TREE
THE MECHANIC
FINAL STRAW
EXTRACTION 125
NATURAL CALLING
MOUTH AND KNEES
RISKY BUSINESS
ALL EARS
CHAINSAW FAMILY TREE 136
FEWER TREES
MOVING ON
VALID CONCERNS
AFTER THE GOLDRUSH
ORDER OF THE DAY 145
WE COULD FOLLOW
ESPECIALLY FAIR
STEALTH
POETIC INJUSTICE
WITH THE FLOW
FEEDING FRENZY
THE FLOOD
GREEN ACTIVITIES
TEACHER FRIEND
DESIRE 164
RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
NO OBJECT
NEXT GENERATION
END OF WILDERNESS 181
FOREST CHRONICLE
WOOD FOR THE TREES
END OF WILDERNESS
GOLDEN BREED
ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION
FOREST WATCH
ONE WAY TICKET
PLANTING OUT
THE PEOPLE'S TREE
MORE THE MERRIER
GROWN ON TREES
DIMINISHING RETURN
THINK LOCAL, ACT GLOBAL
EARLY HARVEST
NEW ECOLOGY 216
SHOW ME THE MONEY
EXTINCT IN THE WILD
A BETTER TREE
NEW ECOLOGY
TRANSITION PERIOD
PART OF THE PROBLEM
SCARCITY 233
TWENTY-TWENTY VISION
WANTS AND NEEDS
PRICE IS RIGHT
PARADISE LOST
NEW ID
NEEDS AND WANTS
EPILOGUE 247
STARTING AGAIN
GLOSSARY 248
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 252
INTRODUCTION
ESSENCE 21
PROVIDENCE BEYOND BELIEF LORE OF THE JUNGLE
HANDMADE 34
STRANGE WOOD
MINISTRY OF WOOD CARVING
SIZE MATTERS
LOCAL DECOR
LABOUR OF LOVE
HEAD ABOVE WATER
FORTUNE'S WHEEL
ANCIENT TRADE 59
VITAL INGREDIENT
REGAL WAYS
MIND'S EYE
GOLDEN VESSELS
COLONIAL PROJECTS 74
ESSENTIAL HARDWARE
FORTY-SIX GUNS
GOING THE DISTANCE
BACK ON TRACK
OLD IS GOLD
AGENTS OF THE CROWN
TAINTED LOVE
DANISH REALM
FOREST LIFE
TWISTED FORTUNE
LAW OF THE LAND
PROVENANCE
DYNASTY 112
FAMILY TREE
THE MECHANIC
FINAL STRAW
EXTRACTION 125
NATURAL CALLING
MOUTH AND KNEES
RISKY BUSINESS
ALL EARS
CHAINSAW FAMILY TREE 136
FEWER TREES
MOVING ON
VALID CONCERNS
AFTER THE GOLDRUSH
ORDER OF THE DAY 145
WE COULD FOLLOW
ESPECIALLY FAIR
STEALTH
POETIC INJUSTICE
WITH THE FLOW
FEEDING FRENZY
THE FLOOD
GREEN ACTIVITIES
TEACHER FRIEND
DESIRE 164
RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
NO OBJECT
NEXT GENERATION
END OF WILDERNESS 181
FOREST CHRONICLE
WOOD FOR THE TREES
END OF WILDERNESS
GOLDEN BREED
ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION
FOREST WATCH
ONE WAY TICKET
PLANTING OUT
THE PEOPLE'S TREE
MORE THE MERRIER
GROWN ON TREES
DIMINISHING RETURN
THINK LOCAL, ACT GLOBAL
EARLY HARVEST
NEW ECOLOGY 216
SHOW ME THE MONEY
EXTINCT IN THE WILD
A BETTER TREE
NEW ECOLOGY
TRANSITION PERIOD
PART OF THE PROBLEM
SCARCITY 233
TWENTY-TWENTY VISION
WANTS AND NEEDS
PRICE IS RIGHT
PARADISE LOST
NEW ID
NEEDS AND WANTS
EPILOGUE 247
STARTING AGAIN
GLOSSARY 248
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 252