The Lost Carving: A Journey to the Heart of Making Hardback - 2012

“A big moment for the obscure world of wood carving.”—The Wall Street Journal

"A beautifully written account of craft and inspiration."—The New Republic (Best Books of 2012)

“The Lost Carving is a book about the rewards of hard work and learning to appreciate one’s limits. It’s also an exploration of the ways in which great art can enrich our lives in the most tangible ways. This is a serious, beautiful book.”—The Boston Globe

“Profoundly satisfying. Gorgeous. The Lost Carving is a book about making, not just thinking.”—Star Tribune

“Profound and wondrous. Pulled off with such fluidity. Rich in thought and lovely in style. Esterly is that uncommon thing, a visual artist who can coax as much beauty from words as he can from his primary medium. Breathtaking.”—Salon.com

"A meditation on such universal issues as artisanship, creativity, and experimentation."—Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine

“[Esterly] is in love with the physicality of his art, the flowing together of hand and brain, of chisel and creativity.”—The Economist
 
“As intricate as his carvings, Esterly has shaped a story that captures the effort and uncertainty that lies behind the creation of art and beauty.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“[T]he lushness of Esterly’s language, his passion for creation, his reverence for the physical act of work…. [He] approaches life much the way he approaches his beloved wood: with reverence, passion, and respect, but also with a sense of delight.”—Philly.com
 
“The Lost Carving is beautifully written and hauntingly evocative, a graceful meditation on art and craft…and the ties that bind us to the past.”—Maclean’s (Canada)