The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World

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Have you ever imagined trees as having thoughts and feelings? The Hidden Life of Trees suggests you may not have been so far off. This book became a surprise sensation in Germany, and it completely surprised me too. I read it while camping and it made the experience so much richer. Recommended By Moses M., Powells.com

"If you read this book, I believe that forests will become magical places for you, too." — Tim Flannery

A forester's fascinating stories, supported by the latest scientific research, reveal the extraordinary world of forests and illustrate how trees communicate and care for each other.

In this international bestseller, forester and author Peter Wohlleben draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families; tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. With their newfound understanding of the delightfully complex life of trees, readers will never be able to look at a walk in the woods the same way again.

"[A] declaration of love and an engrossing primer on trees, brimming with facts and an unashamed awe for nature." Andrea Wulf, Washington Post

"[A] passionate and penetrating guide to the inner workings of each tree and every woodland." Gerard Helferich, Wall Street Journal

“A paradigm-smashing chronicle of joyous entanglement that will make you acknowledge your own entanglement in the ancient and ever-new web of being.” Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast

"This fascinating book will intrigue readers who love a walk through the woods. Wohlleben who worked for the German forestry commission for 20 years and now manages a beech forest in Germany has gathered research from scientists around the world examining how trees communicate and interact with one another. They do so using a variety of methods including the secretion of scents and sound vibrations to warn neighboring plants of potential attacks by insects and hungry herbivores drought and other dangers. The book includes a note from forest scientist Suzanne Simard of the University of British Columbia whose studies showed that entire forests can be connected by “using chemical signals sent through the fungal networks around their root tips” and led to the term “the wood wide web.” Wohlleben anthropomorphizes his subject using such terms as friendship and parenting which serves to make the technical information relatable and he backs up his ideas with information from scientists. He even tackles the question of whether trees are intelligent. He hopes the day will come “when the language of trees will eventually be deciphered.” Until then Wohllenben’s book offers readers a vivid glimpse into their secret world. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved."

Peter Wohlleben spent over twenty years working for the forestry commission in Germany before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice. He now runs an environmentally-friendly woodland in Germany, where he is working for the return of primeval forests. He is the author of numerous books about trees.