The Songs of Trees, by David George Haskell
This popular book, now out in paperback, has been sitting on my shelf for a while. It's probably no surprise that my reading of The Overstory was the impetus for finally picking it up. Haskell's thesis, that trees are inextricably linked to thousands of other flora and fauna, and that we are a part of that ecology, is familiar. Given that this is a work of science rather than fiction, Haskell is able to bring us much deeper into the reality of trees than Powers was in his novel.
The format is fantastic: each chapter picks a single tree, a specific individual, to help explain a central tenet of Haskell's argument, and sound, of course, is a constant thread throughout. We start with the mighty ceibo, sovereign of the Amazon rain forest, whose branches and leaves are home to amazing microcosmic worlds; in the discussion of this incredible tree, we also learn about the native population trying to keep its habitat safe and intact despite the massive oil reserves that rest underneath the ceibo's roots. A cottonwood in the middle of a Denver city park lets us see how humans are learning to better take care of our water ways and urban wildlife. An olive tree in Jerusalem bears witness to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as new and traditional methods of farming. The archaeological remains of a hazel tree prove that hazels provided hearth, home, and nourishment to ancient settlements in Western Europe, and teach us my favorite bit of trivia from this book: the sound of a fire burning provides measurable health benefits, while the sight of that same fire without the accompanying sound does not.
This is a perfect book to take on a camping trip, one that can be dipped into sporadically when you need a little extra bit of wonder in your life.
Shop local!
The format is fantastic: each chapter picks a single tree, a specific individual, to help explain a central tenet of Haskell's argument, and sound, of course, is a constant thread throughout. We start with the mighty ceibo, sovereign of the Amazon rain forest, whose branches and leaves are home to amazing microcosmic worlds; in the discussion of this incredible tree, we also learn about the native population trying to keep its habitat safe and intact despite the massive oil reserves that rest underneath the ceibo's roots. A cottonwood in the middle of a Denver city park lets us see how humans are learning to better take care of our water ways and urban wildlife. An olive tree in Jerusalem bears witness to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as new and traditional methods of farming. The archaeological remains of a hazel tree prove that hazels provided hearth, home, and nourishment to ancient settlements in Western Europe, and teach us my favorite bit of trivia from this book: the sound of a fire burning provides measurable health benefits, while the sight of that same fire without the accompanying sound does not.
This is a perfect book to take on a camping trip, one that can be dipped into sporadically when you need a little extra bit of wonder in your life.
Shop local!
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