Suzuki: Tree
From Scienticity
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David Suzuki and Wayne Grady, art by Robert Bateman, Tree : A Life Story. Vancouver ; Berkeley : Greystone Books, 2004. ix + 190 pages; illustrated; includes bibliographical references and index.
I love trees. When I was younger, no matter where we moved I always had a special tree. In San Angelo, it was a mimosa. In High Wycombe, it was an oak tree. In San Antonio, it was a magnolia. They were trees I could climb with just a bit of effort, that welcomed me in to their nest of branches. I would curl up, and read or journal or just observe and think for hours.
Trees are magical. Apparently, Suzuki and Grady agree with me. In Tree, they’ve written a biography of a Douglas Fir tree, following it from its birth to death and even afterwards. Of course, no man is an island, the tree is no different, so the book also discusses its habitat, the wonderful forest ecosystem it plays such a crucial role in.
I loved the book for its wonderful mix of scientific information and pure reverence for nature. I loved it for showing how dignified, how important, how marvelous a tree is. The writing was wonderful--I felt like I was walking through the woods with these two and they were just chatting with me. And there are line sketches scattered throughout the book, which delighted me (don’t you just love little sketches?). And at just under 200 pages, the book didn’t wear out its welcome at all. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves nature, and it’s another one that I want to own for my shelves.
-- Notes by EVA
