Extremely Average #294: I read a great book...

Excellent Book indeed, Eric!!
When I Googled Eric Sloane, I was a little surprised to learn that he is chiefly remembered for his Painting. Not that he doesn’t deserve it mind you, but he was the banner bearer for Early Americana, before Roy Underhill came along…
This book, and many others that he wrote, covered not only Tools and Wood-craft but also Early Weather Forecasting… an equally fascinating topic…
It is rather saddening to see how little notoriety he gained, and how his work is slowly vanishing. Very much like his subject matter, history is marching over and past it… and it’s everyone’s loss… :(
Thanks though, for trying to re-instill some interest in him!! I too, would recommend any of his books!!

-- Mike in Concord, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.

You blog mentioned the multifaceted of charcoal so I thought I would post this here as well. Charcoal is also a standard antidote for poison. I always keep some natural charcoal (not the self starter kind) around because I have dogs and puppies who sometimes eat things they shouldn’t. Just scape the charcoal on the little side of a grater and make it into powder. Add a tiny bit of water and shovel several tablespoons into the dogs mouth. Works very well, but makes for a black gooey mess when it comes out the other end. ;) If you have pets, you should also have some charcoal handy.

-- Homer : "Oh, and how is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain."

I am so happy to find other people who are passionate about Eric Sloane’s work. I hope to buy and read some of his other works during the holidays. I will definitely do reviews for anything else I might read, as I would love to help instill some interest in his work.

-- Brian Meeks, http://extremelyaverage.com