I’ve been paddling and woodworking for most of my life. Each paddle project has added a bit of knowledge to the store, and that store turned into this book. Getting out on the water is one of my favorite things. Making the paddle that I use while I’m out on the water is one of the next best things. Using hand tools to turn a bunch of weak individual strips into an amazingly strong shaft and blade is a great feeling. I’m lucky enough to live in a flyover state that is blessed with abundant lakes and rivers. Getting out on the water with a paddleboard I made myself and a paddle I also made myself is hard to beat. I think you should be a paddle maker and I hope you will consider this book as one of the tools to get you going on a DIY project that turns your pile of wood into your own bent shaft laminated canoe paddle!