This book is an exploration and celebration of tools. It's not a complete reckoning,

but it spans most commonly encountered tools and many of their lesser known

variants. It's an attempt to unravel the complex tapestry of how tools relate to one

another, their use, and the esoteric language that enshrouds them. Simply put, this

book will teach you what a hammer is, tell you which one to buy, and explain how it

came into being.

Tools are an important part of the human story. Our evolution is chronicled by the

tools we've made. Stone Age. Bronze Age. The Industrial Revolution. Sure, in part it's

because those tools are the remnants that survive us, waiting millennia to be

unearthed along some riverbank, but it's also because our ability to shape the world

around us is largely what's defined our species. We've been doing it for millions of

years, and in lockstep our evolution of purpose-built tools has grown in size ... while

also becoming ever less approachable.

That's the difficulty of these storied objects. They are an intimidatingly deep well

of specifications and jargon that's daunting to unpack.

Think of this book as a low-resolution map. While it might not have detailed

information on every tool, it provides context, connecting the dots for the newly

interested while filling in some gaps for the more seasoned. By cataloging a wide

variety of tools, I hope to plant the seeds for future discoverability and help you ask

the right questions.