THE
CARPENTER'S NOTEBOOK
BY MARK
CLEMENT
The
secret to living a good life can be found on a jobsite.
Two
years after his father’s death, Brendan Herlihy leaves his daughters
and collapsing marriage to fulfill a promise: remodel his father’s
dilapidated shop into an art studio for his mother. There Brendan
finds his father’s dented and scratched aluminum contractor’s clipboard,
Gideon Herlihy’s Carpenter’s Notebook. On the curled, yellowed papers
Gideon recorded ‘True Things’ that helped outline the mission of
his life and make sense of his existence as a young father, husband,
and man. Gideon used his tools for more than just building and improving
the homes in his small town, he used them to build and improve his
life. He used them to find meaning.
Too soft and out of shape, Brendan recalls sunny, sweaty summers
long ago working with his father and rediscovers that building is
both a physical and mental test. With every swing of his hammer
and every turned page of his father’s notebook, he makes progress
rebuilding the shop. And, with every wall Brendan tips into place,
every pound he sweats off, and every fear he defeats, Brendan rebuilds
himself and his family’s life.
"Inspiring
work and great reading—don’t miss it!”
—Scott Phillips is host of Public Television’s American Woodshop
and American Homeshop
“Anybody who builds should read this book and see the legacy
and memories they will leave behind for their children.”
—Rick Schwolsky is Editor-in-Chief of Tools of the Trade and El
Nuevo Constructor
“A great lesson of home spun philosophy for those who have lived
it, and even greater for those who haven't.”
—Don Dunkley is a fourth generation builder and coordinator of JLCLive! |