Chapter One deals with ancient fire making by different indigenous people of the world.

Chapter Two describes Australian Aboriginal methods of fire making – the hand drill, and the fire saw using a spearthrower cut across a shield, a boomerang over a shield or split stick, or a piece of wood over the dried cracks in a fallen log.

The remaining chapters describe and illustrate, in precise detail, practical demonstrations of fire making using two sticks: the hand drill, bow drill, fire saw and fire plough. The advantages and disadvantages of each method, pitfalls and troubleshooting advice are given, allowing the reader to achieve these methods.