The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter Paperback - 2007

Summary

Media reviews

“Enchanting. . . . Tudge sees grandeur in how trees exist in the world . . . and demonstrates it with fascinating stories.” –New York Times Book Review

“Tudge writes in the great tradition of naturalists such as Humboldt and John Muir. . . . Eloquent and deeply persuasive.”–Los Angeles Times

“To be both scientifically literate and lyrically inclined is a unique gift, and justly celebrated whenever we encounter it, in Lewis Thomas, for example, or in Stephen Jay Gould. Colin Tudge is such an individual.”–Melissa Fay Green, Washington Post

"Through its astonishing revelations about what is related to what in the plant world, Colin Tudge's The Tree reawakens the pleasure of those childish games [of classifying animal, vegetable, or mineral]. But The Tree is a far deeper book than this might suggest, for its author has a remarkable ability to ask fundamental questions about trees and their world--questions that, much to our detriment, most of us stopped asking as we grew up. . . . The Tree is full of . . . wonderful scientific facts and folklore. . . . Profound."
-Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books

“English biologist Tudge has synthesized volumes of research and presents his resulting work with humor, passion, even panache. . . . Fascinating. . . . Dazzling. . . . Few books are as relevant for our time as this one.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred

“In an elegant tribute to denizens of nature that humans too often take for granted, British biologist Tudge presents a wealth of intriguing facts about trees. . . . A persuasive call to action for the preservation of the environment so that trees, and humans, can survive.”–Publishers Weekly

‘Page after page of astonishing tree-facts … makes us look anew at the familiar, to understand a little more of the hidden and constantly enacted miracles taking place in the woods all around us’ Sunday Times (UK)

“In this comprehensive book, Tudge combines vast knowledge of evolutionary biology with a gift for storytelling.”–Entertainment Weekly

‘Reminds us just what we spend our lives not knowing, and all of it is not only wondrous and important but entirely free’ Guardian (UK)

‘A love-letter to trees, written with passion and scientific rigour … a pleasure to read. Tudge writes with warmth and wit’ Financial Times (UK)

“Science writer extraordinaire Tudge offers a sumptuously specific tour of the phenomenal world of trees. . . . Tudge’s explanation of how climate change will endanger trees is invaluable. . . . [An] indispensable celebration of one of our most precious resources.”–Booklist, starred

‘Tudge’s delight in the world of trees in infectious’ Herald (UK)

“Dig into Colin Tudge’s lovely new book.” –Daily Telegraph


From the Hardcover edition.

Citations

• Books & Culture, 07/01/2008, Page 14
• New York Times Book Review, 11/25/2007, Page 32