For every man who has ever conjured up a picture of himself felling trees in a roar of chainsaw noise and power, The Backyard Lumberjack is an account of dreams fulfilled. Father and son lumberjacks Stephen and Frank Philbrick have enjoyed the thrilling destruction of felling, bucking, and splitting timber for hundreds of cords of firewood. Together they bring practical instruction and first-hand advice to every man with a chainsaw.

Before there can be any felling of trees or satisfying shouting of Timber!, every potential lumberjack must choose the proper saw. The Philbricks offer buying advice based on the quantity of wood to be cut and the amount of time to be spent on the job. Diagrams of chainsaw parts, functions, and maintenance requirements; tables and charts of saw specifications and firewood volume; and personal cautionary tales of on-the-job injuries arm potential lumberjacks with the necessary tools to make informed choices.

Chainsaw in hand, father and son move on to detailed instructions on managing a woodlot, felling and bucking, splitting and stacking, and even include fun facts on burning. For every lumberjack chore they offer advice on equipment (chaps, helmets, felling wedges, hatchets, mauls, peeves), careful procedural instruction, safety and efficiency strategies, and always their humorous anecdotes and tales of tree adventure.

For the rural lumberjack with acres of woodland, the suburban guy with a cord of wood to split and stack for the fireplace, or the urban guy who just likes to think about chainsaws, The Backyard Lumberjack is as much an engaging read on the legends and experiences of lumberjacking as a practical reference guide.

andquot;[The authors] have created a guideand#8230;that's fun to read even if you don't know a chainsaw from a chain letter.andquot;and#8212;Jan Gardner, Boston Globe, Oct. 8, 2006

andquot;and#8230;coversand#8230;getting trees from forest to fireplace with such enthusiasmand#8230;that you'll find yourself hankering to swing a maul.andquot;and#8212;Mary Beth Breckenridge, Akron Beacon Journal, Nov. 11, 2006

andquot;Here is something for the would-be lumberjack in your life.andquot;and#8212;Gordy Holt, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nov. 25, 2006

Frank Philbrick lives in New York and competes in lumberjack events around the country.