“A tree can be only as strong as the forest that surrounds it.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: forests, fungi, communication strategies, nutrient exchange, helping neighbors, age, growth and the beautiful canopy of trees.

In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware. Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impact of extremes of heat and cold for the whole group. As a result of such interactions, trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old. In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group.

Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown life of trees and their communication abilities; he describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in the forest around him. As he says, a happy forest is a healthy forest, and he believes that eco-friendly practices not only are economically sustainable but also benefit the health of our planet and the mental and physical health of all who live on Earth.

This book is a hidden gem!

As soon as I saw this book existed, I knew I had to get it. It’s not like I’m a tree enthusiast, but I’m very curious about nature and I’m always looking to read and learn more about it.

If you like trees or maybe you’re curious about trees, this is the book for you. In this book you’ll learn about how trees communicate, share nutrients, help their neighbors, grow, reproduce, protect themselves and live peacefully in community. 

It’s true that I learned a lot while reading this amazing book, but one of the best things about it is how you can feel the author’s enthusiasm through his writing. You can feel his excitement through the pages and how much he enjoys what he does. There is no doubt in my mind that this man loves trees and nature.

Even though I enjoy enthusiasm and I like nature myself, I was a little bored at times while reading this. It’s not that the book is boring, but it gets a little monotonous and repetitive. I guess I just don’t love trees to that extent!

At the end of day, I enjoyed this book and I learned a lot. I think this is a great option to pick up if you like to read and learn more about nature. Just keep in mind it’s a deep dive!