The structure of wood: an overview --; Basic wood chemistry and cell wall ultrastructure --; Water and wood --; Dimensional instability of timber --; Transport processes in wood --; Characteristics of stemwood and their manipulation --; Sawmilling --; The drying of timber --; Timber preservation --; Grading timber --; Wood panels: plywoods --; Wood panels: particleboards and fibreboards --; Pulp and paper manufacture --; The energy sector: a hidden Goliath --; Wood quality: forest management and utilization.