Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History
Because trees make so many more aspects of our lives possible and pleasurable than we realize, Wells felt compelled to reintroduce us to these miraculous sentries, companions, and providers, entities that make the earth both bountiful and beautiful. Long considered sacred by diverse cultures, trees are crucial in this time of accelerated climate change, thanks to their ability to counteract the deleterious impact of carbon emissions. Trees offer shade, shelter, and quiet; medicine and food; and building materials for everything from houses to books. Trees are wreathed with lore and continue to yield scientific discoveries, yet, Wells observes, “We can even live on a street named for a particular tree and not be able to identify the tree itself.” To rectify this loss of invaluable knowledge, Wells portrays 100 trees, beginning with acacia and ending with yew, in a tree album containing lovely drawings and pithy essays. Cinnamon, ginkgo, “small and spiny” frankincense, mahogany, Osage orange, sycamore—all are succinctly described and celebrated in this warmly informative, fun-to-browse book of colorful tree histories. --Donna Seaman