Very few books force you to look at the world from a completely different perspective. The Hidden Life of Trees is unashamedly anthropological in its approach, and the result is a stunning shift in understanding and appreciation of these creatures.Creatures? If Wohlleben had his way, we'd regard trees in the same way as we do a favoured pet; a being with agency and worthy of profound respect and love. The only difference is that they move in glacially slow motion. For example, they take thousands of years to cross the continents that take us mere hours by plane.
He builds his case through describing all aspects of tree life - from birth to death and painting a picture of how they respond to weather and pest based threats. Perhaps most fascinating though, is the realisation that trees can be connected to each other - even different species - through a fungal/root network knowingly called the "Wood Wide Web". As a consequence of this network, as well as exchanging information about pests and other threats, trees will even help older and sick trees out by transferring nutrients.
Verdict: Involving and outstanding.
No comments:
Post a Comment