The Hidden Life of Trees

I guess I've grown cynical and dubious in my older age. I really wanted to enjoy Peter Wohlleben's tale of trees that communicate, feel, think, adapt, and more... but he tends to use really flowery language without providing any kind of scientific citations, and for lofty claims such as these, I feel a need for more citations.

The author clearly loves trees and the forest.

I enjoyed learning more about trees from the narrative.

Some of the metaphor is too forced or fake. While I could feel the distance, I think I also understood the reasons the author kept anthropomorphizing trees - to help us understand and feel connected.

My forests -even old growth- are mostly coniferous, and the climate is much different, but I still found the description of forests engaging.

Enjoyed reading this book because of the new information and tree research explained, but it lacked a cohesive structure to follow. More like a collection of magazine articles instead of a narrative line of exploration and explanation. I would have appreciated more of the author's presence in the work, showing how he does his research and anecdotes of what it is like to manage a forest, etc. I'm glad I read the book but felt less than satisfied when I was finished.

This book is so flipping charming! It is suffused throughout with the obvious admiration and affection Wohlleben feels for the trees (and all other living creatures) in the German woodland he manages. My husband is an arborist, and I still learned a great deal from the book, from what we don't know (e.g., we don't actually have any idea how large trees manage to move the huge quantities of water they do every day) to the remarkable stuff we do (e.g., trees can communicate to each other via scent). Wohlleben's “agenda” is clear, but it's such a good one that it's hard to fault him for it: he thinks we should all be more in awe of trees than we are, and more willing to find ways to serve trees and the ecosystems they create, versus expecting them to serve us. My one complaint is translation-related; it felt a little uneven. At times, passages were beautifully and fluidly written; at others, word choices distracted me from the content. A small quibble.

Wohlleben does an amazing job of making me genuinely care about the microscopic happening in the dirt of forest floors. One of my favorite books is Michael Pollan’s Botany of Desire, so I felt likely to enjoy this when a friend gifted it to me. The author’s revelations about the communication capabilities of trees is at once amazing and revelatory and also, “Oh yeah, that’s makes a lot of sense.” Of course thru communicate. How could they not? But the author also fully presents their obvious limitations. For all their abilities, they remain helpless against our own intrusions. I highly recommend this and can’t wait to discuss it with the friend who gave it to me. If only they would go ahead and finish it too.

I've always loved trees, ever since I was a child. I grew up in a forest. I married in a forest. I chose my house because of the enormous trees on the property.

But I've never known much about trees until I read this book.

Peter Wohlleben drawn up on research and his years of personal experience with trees and forests to tell the truths about trees. He tells a story of trees as social beings, trees that care for their children, that care for each other. He shares the secret powers of trees, the ways trees are able to warn other trees of danger, how trees can send predators scurrying off by deploying scents. He tells of ways trees can communicate with each other, ways that are almost unnoticed by man.

An altogether fascinating read.

This was a fascinating book. Trees are amazing. This short book was written in short chapters so it was the perfect science book to dip into here and there for a chapter or two. I learned many interesting things. A smattering:
> Trees need their sleep. Four percent of oak deaths in one American city happened because the trees were subjected to light every night.
> Every day in summer trees release about 29 tons of oxygen per square mile of forest (which is the daily requirement for about 10,000 people). Every walk in the forest is like taking a shower in oxygen. But only during the day.
> Cutting off a tree limb starves a section of the trees roots.
> Compacting the earth around a tree trunk makes it harder for the roots to grow, making the tree less stable. This is a big reason why trees in the city struggle to survive and stay healthy.

Did not finish.

This is a very interesting read and there's so much to learn about trees which you don't generally get to know. However, there are no clear images that illustrate the trees that are mentioned in the book. So, while I was walking in the woods not too long ago, I knew there was a ton to tell about the trees along the road. However, I had no idea what.

Will need to revisit when I have an overview of the trees and insects mentioned.

A fascinating account of what lies in our forests, how trees cooperate, how they endure in relationship to the plants and fungi in their midst. The author has received some criticism of this account but then again, there are always naysayers. With our forests depleting around the globe, this book gives a good argument as to why we need to protect these natural giants.

Wohlleben takes the fascinating nature of trees and spins them into a modern fantasy, bursting with fact, theory, and mystery. A great read for tidbits on forestry and why we need to protect them - beyond our selfish exigencies.

I nerded out on this book. Like, I couldn't stop reading. It was one giant tree filled science-gasm. And I was all in. If you know me, you know I enjoy the outdoors just about as much as I enjoy reading. To me, nature is a great teacher because she can humble you, educate you, and leave you breathless with her beauty. But, as it pertains to the book's specific content, you're probably asking yourself, “A book about trees. C'mon Chris, really? “ “Is it that interesting?” To that, I would say absolutely, and this is why. 

You will learn how trees communicate, how they collect and store water, how they ward off pests, and most important of all, how they help the planet and its surroundings. The book does a great job explaining each concept, and I thought the chapters flew by. 

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, I'd say give it a shot. You will never look at a tree the same way again.

Completely fascinating. Also, I'm pretty sure I will never be able to have a live Christmas tree again.