Book and Magazine Recommendations

[RobK]

So, what books and magazine would y'all recommend to a novice like me to learn about forestry? I'm planning on getting a subscription to Sawmill and Woodlot and I'm going to pick up some of the text books I'll need when I go back to Purdue. What else can you guys recommend? What books should I read to learn the basics, and what books will I want to buy for reference for the rest of my life?

This would make a good thing to put in the knowledge base, too.

Thanks!

[Ron Scott]

Rob,

You would end up with quite a library space if you obtained all the reference books and magazines on Forestry and its specific areas. Forestry covers many areas, but become a good generalist first.

Determine what areas of forestry you are specifically interested in and seek out that subject matter. Check with the Forestry Department at Purdue and your advisor there in your course of study. They should be able to give you some good reference material.

Check with the Society of American Foresters also. They can also provide you with some good reading material and have a number available for purchase.

[Tom]

One thing you could do is to read all the info in the knowledge Base and then peruse the Links library here on the Forestry Forum.  That would give you some ideas of the varied subject matter that Ron is talking about. :P

[Ron Scott]

With 42 years as a graduate and practicing forester, I'm still learning and have not been able to read "all the books".

Remember that Forestry is not an exact science, but foresters have the most diverse education in natural resource management; soil, air, water, wildlife, recreation, forage, Wilderness, etc.

The USDA-Forest Service use to hire almost all foresters since they got more for their money for management of all forest esources.

However, they have now gone to high paid specialists; bologists, ecologists, hydrologists, landscape architects, archaeologists, geologists, sociologists, law enforcement specialists, fire specialists etc. and very few foresters, "the jack of all trades".

Most such "specialists" today have very little field experience
but a lot of "pedigree". Has National Forest management improved greatly??

[RobK]

The library my wife and I have is already overflowing, but you can never have enough books!

Can you recommend books that I ought to read to become a good generalist? It's one thing to find a book about a subject, but another to know if it's any good. I can tell you there are a lot of worthless computer books. What's a good book on basic tree biology? Are there any standard reference books that everybody seems to have? What are people's favorite forestry-related magazines?

I will follow up the links in library more, but I just really like a good old hard copy book.

As to specialization, Robert Heinlein said it best, "Specialization is for insects."

[Tom]

As much as I enjoy hard-copy there just isn't much of it anymore.  What little I've found is so high priced that I have limited myself to used bookstores.  It seems that "wood" books  whether about trees or carpentry are kept by the public and not turned out as often on the used market.  I have decided that the internet was the place to read.

Here is my favorite  "do-it-all" when I have a question about lumber and beams.
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/FPLGTR/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm

This link is a little slow to load but will keep you busy for a day or two.
http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/querypubs.jsp

[Ron Scott]

Check at a major library. There are approximately 30 books in The American Forestry Series that are worth reading, but it will take awhile.

I'd start with "Forestry and Its Career Opportunities" by Hardy L. Shirley or any on the series list that might interest you.

[Phil]

I always liked TREE FARMER, the American Tree Farm System's magazine.  It doesn't usually go into a whole lot of depth, but it touches on a lot of different areas and, more importantly, highlights real-world examples.

Phil