Reddit reviews UNDERSTANDING WOOD 2nd EDITION - By R. Bruce Hoadley
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A Craftsman's Guide to Wood TechnologyNew info. on composite materials, adhesives, & finishes brings this book into the 21st century.More than 300 photographs bring important visual information to life.This edition covers the nature of wood and its properties.It also covers the basics of wood technology, & the woodworker's raw materials.
I actually own the book, and it's slightly thicker companion tome by the same guy, "Understanding Wood." Humorous as the cover and titles are, they're really incredible resources. R. Bruce Hoadley really knows his stuff.
This will probably not fully answer your question, but there is a difference between seasonal wood movement due due to RH (relative humidity) changes and cracking, checking, twisting, or warping due to wood's drying process.
Once wood has been properly dried and it reaches EMC (equilabrium moisture content), then it is stable in it's environment. It should not continue to crack, warp, twist, etc. It will only move - grow and shrink across the grain - as the seasons change.
Some chainsaw carved logs crack, and some don't. That's just the nature of the log it was carved from - not anything done to prevent it. Logs ends can be painted or coated with wax to slow down the drying. That can help prevent cracks, but it won't eliminate them entirely. If a log is green when it's carved, it will likely do whatever it would have done had it not been carved (split or not split).
As for large furniture carved from many pieces glued together, it is important to start with dry and stable lumber. Also wood that is quarter sawn or rift sawn will generally be more stable than plain sawn. Use only the most stable lumber with MC = EMC when it's glued, and that will give you the best protection from future problems.
To expand upon using the words "properly dried" above - if wood is kiln dried improperly it can become case hardened. In this case, there are internal stresses inside the wood. Everything looks great on the outside, but if you plane off the surface or cut though the board, the wood can bend or twist because of those internal stresses.
This is similar to wood from branches or trunk wood from trees that don't grow straight up. The internal stresses in these woods is caused by how they grew. Years of fighting gravity will cause wood to be in tension in one side and compression on the other. This wood will also twist and bend when it's cut lengthwise.
I hope this answers part of your questions. I defer to u/skidemon1198's father - Whatever he says will probably be more coherent (and valuable!)
EDIT: Book recommendation: Understanding Wood - Bruce Hoadley