Environmental historian to discuss the role of wood in civilization development

Environmental historian John Perlin will read from his acclaimed book A Forest Journey: The Role of Wood in the Development of Civilization April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives. The public is invited to attend free of charge.

Selected by Time magazine as “must read” for Earth Day 1990, A Forest Journey (Norton & Co., 1989) chronicles civilization’s exploitation of the world’s forests over 5,000 years.

“Perlin deftly weaves human history into an intimate relationship with the forests of the world; it’s essential for those interested in forests as professional or citizen conservationists,” said American Forests magazine.

Perlin also co-wrote A Golden Thread: 2,500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology and currently is at work on the forthcoming book From Space to Earth: The True and Amazing Story of Solar Electricity.