Oak: The Frame of Civilization.OAK: The Frame of Civilization WILLIAM BRYANT
Oak trees, often taken for granted Adj. 1. taken for granted - evident without proof or argument; "an axiomatic truth"; "we hold these truths to be self-evident" axiomatic, self-evident obvious - easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; "obvious errors" , have played a pivotal role in the development of civilization, from the acorns that fed early humans before they learned to farm, to the ships that brought Westerners to the New World, to the ink used by Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci (də vĭn`chē, Ital. lāōnär`dō dä vēn`chē), 1452–1519, Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist, b. near Vinci, a hill village in Tuscany. , Johann Sebastian Bach, and the Roman historian Pliny to record their works. And of course, oak logs kept all of the above warm enough to survive and prosper, much as they fuel fireplaces today. Oak wood has, in shipping crates and barrels, contained food, beverages, and the nails used to hold together crates, barrels, and buildings. With oak trees available everywhere in the world, people have used the wood to build civilizations from New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of to Kyoto, Oslo to Istanbul. Any student of history or lover of the woods will enjoy discovering the many contributions that this tree has made. Readers will have plenty to think about the next time they pass under a canopy of these amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. trees. W.W. Norton, 2005, 336 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $24.95. |
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