The Fundamentals of General Tree Work: 25th Anniversary Edition

An essential volume for tree and forestry workers young and old, The Fundamentals is a modern classic. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition will continue to educate and inspire for years to come.

Here it is folks, the Bible of Tree Work from the legend himself, G.F. “Jerry” Beranek! Filled with over 400 photographs and illustrations, ‘The Fundamentals’ is the most comprehensive reference work in our field. Covering tree felling, climbing, rigging, limbing and bucking, and so much more, Jerry Beranek’s epic achievement in 500+ pages is undeniable proof that good books are worth their weight in gold. Simply put, if you work with trees and chainsaws, you need this book!

“The idea of this book came to me in 1978... There were no books or manuals on tree climbing technique or it’s associated tree cutting practices. There were plenty of safety manuals though. But they never really tell a person how to do anything, but be safe! As a result, every practical thing a new employee learns, good or bad, is passed on by their foreman, many of whom have only a few years experience themselves. From my own experiences with these matters in the line clearance business I found much complacency in craft and management. Not on safety matters, everybody’s hell on safety, but on proficiency and expertise! I’ve never seen any emphasis put on either craft or management. I was told many times, “What can you expect? Just make sure they do it safely!” With that attitude there’s people doing tree work that don’t even know their basic knots and splices let alone the physics of what they are working with. This is why I decided to write a book, a book on practical techniques, ideas, theories, and practices used in tree work..."