Books by William Smith

Several years after his return from the Caribbean island of Nevis, the English clergyman William Smith wrote a series of letters to Charles Mason, the Woodwardian Professor of Fossils at Cambridge. Published in 1745, they discuss the island's flora and fauna as well as Smith's various other interests, including cryptography.

Intended to complement scriptural and theological studies, this volume has a philosophical methodology. Since the belief in a continuation of life after death or reunion with deceased loved ones offers consolation to many people, this book examines the possibility of human immortality. It also presents various rational arguments.

William Smith (1768-1839) was a civil engineer and canal surveyor who pioneered the concept of stratigraphy. This volume, first published in 1817, contains Smith's catalogue of his fossil collection for the British Museum. Smith catalogues the fossils according to rock strata, providing a practical demonstration of his stratigraphic system.

Segmented wood turning is an intriguing new art form. The basic vase project illustrated and described can be completed in a weekend and requires no special turning equipment or tools, just an easily constructed jig. Includes information on wood selection and preparation, jigs, glue, turning tools, finishes, and advanced techniques for making vases, boxes, and sculptural pieces.