Man's manifold uses of wood, from biblical times to modern computer applications are reviewed here. In peace and in war, in the Old and the New World, man first turned to wood for his basic needs and later learned to use advanced science to employ wood as his most sophisticated raw material, being infinitely versatile and an easily renewable source. It is confidently predicted that wood will remain a major renewable resource for man's future.
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The completed manuscript was received 25 October 1981. It is based on the author's presentation under the title of ‘Contributions of Wood Products and Wood Science to the Development of Society’ to the 147th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Toronto,iCanada, on 5 January 1981. This review was written and prepared by a US Government employee on official time and is therefore in the public domain.
