A Carpenter’s Life as Told by Houses

The late Haun—one of Fine Homebuilding’s most popular writers—reflects on a long life through an exploration of the houses he lived in and built, in the audio edition of his fascinating memoir-cum-carpentry history. Narrator Patrick Lawler delivers a compelling performance, enriching the text with skillful modulations of emphasis, tone, and rhythm. Equally important, Lawler manages to downplay the author’s various assertions about how people today are just not as good as they used to be—something that would certainly alienate younger listeners if mishandled by the narrator. An additional treat for listeners, Haun, who died last year at the age of 80, reads the book’s introduction. An absolute must for carpentry and woodworking enthusiasts. A Taunton hardcover. (Sept.)