In January 2019, former white-collar worker Steve Smith stepped into the snowy Maine woods with a single question: could he make a living using only an axe?
 
With no business degree and no formal training—only books, YouTube videos, and stubborn determination—Smith founded Renaissance Timber LLC in Cumberland, Maine, becoming one of the only commercial hand-hewers in the United States. Over the next six years, he navigated brutal weather, physical danger, financial uncertainty, and family strain while building a successful timber operation that ultimately earned more than any of his previous office jobs.
 
Drawing on an upbringing in a religious cult and years of failed attempts to secure meaningful wage work, Smith explores the deeper forces that drove him toward a life of manual craft and self-reliance. Structured around the months of the year, Wood Work follows the seasonal rhythms of labor—frost, mud, sun, and sweat—revealing both the hardship and deep satisfaction of building something real with one’s hands.
 
Part memoir, part meditation on vocation and meaning, Wood Work is a resonant testament to the enduring human desire for purpose beyond the fluorescent glow of the modern office—and a beacon for anyone who has ever dreamed of leaving the desk behind.