Tree: A Life Story

Like the other reviewers of this book, I found it a delightful, informative, but troubling experience. What struck me most powerfully were the ways in which trees and other plants, including fungi, cooperate with one another in the primeval forest to promote their common welfare. The Douglas fir, for example, does not disperse its seeds widely, as some trees do. Instead, most of them drop to the forest floor near its roots. As they grow, their roots and those of its parent tree grow together, and the parent tree, which is much better at producing nutrients than its offspring, actually feeds its young until they become established. As the seedlings become tall, mature trees, they return the favor by contributing to the overall health of the forest, which is literally joined at the roots. I wish the social Darwinists who think everything in nature and society is individualistic cut-throat competition and survival of the fittest would reflect on this book's description of the forest ecosystem and apply it to human society.

i was a terrible science student in high school. i could never wrap my head around how microorganisms affected my world outside the classroom. but then, i didn't have teachers like david suzuki and wayne grady. this fascinating book looks at a single tree, and examines it life up to its death. they have an engaging writing style that is informative and clear. two big thumbs up.

It seems fitting that on the same day I received an e-mail regarding Kimberly-Clark's indiscriminate use of old growth forests to produce Kleenex tissues I finished reading "Tree: A Life Story," a new book by acclaimed geneticist and environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki, and nature writer Wayne Grady. The book focuses on the life of a Douglas-fir, to illustrate plant evolution, biology, and the interdependence of organisms. Throughout the chronological account of the tree's life, the authors interweave short biographies of noted botanists and their historical roles in helping us to further understand and appreciate life and death in the forest. The book is also interspersed with drawings by well-known nature artist, Robert Bateman. The authors allude to the story of Genesis to depict the first days of life: "In the beginning," early forms of bacteria, and algae gradually made their move from the ocean to land's rocky surface. These life forms evolved into mosses and then into plants such as ferns. Competition for sunlight caused these ferns to thicken their stems and grow taller; these plants evolved into trees. Our main character is born around 1400, into favorable conditions created by a recent all-consuming fire. Through the tree's 500 year lifespan, we gain further insight into scientific concepts presented in earlier chapters. We learn that various fungi, which grow on the tree's roots, are capable of extracting a thousand times more water from the soil than the root itself. The fungi supply the tree with nutrients and water and, in turn, receive sugars produced through photosynthesis (the process whereby light energy is used to transform carbon into nutrients) in the tree's canopy. This is just one example of many where the interdependence of organisms is illustrated. The authors expand on the theory that a tree is forever "part dying and part being born," which was originally stated by Theophrastus, otherwise known as the "father of botany." A student of Plato and Aristotle's, and one of the first field scientists to present extensive data on plants, Theophrastuses theory is illustrated in the following ways: our tree's core is made of dead wood; over the years, new layers of wood will grow around the "heartwood" core. When our Douglas-fir finally dies, it stands as a "snag" for about 60 years and becomes home for a range of species, such as flying squirrels and spotted owls. In the end, when the trunk falls to the forest floor, it serves as a nursery for seedlings; even in death, it possesses life-sustaining qualities. A true testament to the book's overall success is that the lyrical way in which the science was conveyed whetted my appetite to revisit "Tree," in order to fully absorb all of its vital information. At times, however, the abundance of technical terms slowed my reading pace considerably. A short glossary would help the scientifically unfamiliar reader to carry concepts and

+++++ This easy-to-read book, by zoologist, geneticist, environmentalist, TV host, & author David Suzuki and author & translator Wayne Grady is advertised to be a biography of one tree, a Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi). This story connects us to other times in history and to all parts of the world. However, this story can be thought of as the story of all trees as well as all life throughout Earth. This book explores the many mechanisms by which the tree is able to thrive for centuries while remaining rooted in one spot. It also looks at the tree's complex relationships with other organisms in its community, from such things as lichens, ferns, mosses, and fungi to other trees to such things as woodpeckers, squirrels, owls, cougars, bears, termites, ants, salamanders, and salmon. In addition, this book shows how a tree connects us to the atmosphere, the soil, and the world's oceans, as well as linking us all the way back to the universe's origins. Examples of other topics covered include the history of botany, insect, bird, and mammal portraits, genetics, anatomy, nomenclature and taxonomy, climate, chemistry, biochemistry, and environmental issues. The amazing thing about this book is that these topics and others are combined in such a way as to make the main narrative extremely interesting and never dull. The authors say this more eloquently: "In this book, we have tried to restore a layperson's sense of wonder and questioning and added the kind of information acquired by scientists." I was surprised to learn that "after [a] millennia of study, there is still much about a tree we do not know." This book definitely tells the reader what is known not only about a tree but about life as well. Finally, there are over a dozen black and white illustrations in this book. They were created by internationally known wildlife artist Robert Bateman. These illustrations add another dimension to this book. In conclusion, this is a book that has richly detailed text that's augmented by evocative original art. The final result "is a revelation, a salute to life itself." (first published 2004; acknowledgements; introduction; 5 chapters; main narrative 180 pages; references; index) +++++

Who could possibly have thought that a book about a tree could be so fascinating? The authors say they could have used any tree, an oak in England, a Banyon in India, but they picked a local tree, the Douglas Fir. I was attracted to this because my hundred year old house is made of Douglas Fir. And on a recent visit to Mt. St. Helens I was exposed to the absolute devestation caused by the eruption - 25,000 acres flattened, literally millions of trees blown down. At one of the visitor centers on the road up to Mt. St. Helens there is a museum operated by one of the big logging companies. To no surprise they are talking about how much better their forests are under their careful management practices. And at a first glance, this makes sense. The trees are bigger, straighter. But where is the ecological balance, the bio-diversity - it's gone. Like anything else, there are two sides to a story. We want wood for the next house we build. And it has to come from somewhere. But after reading this book, you'll never think of a tree in the same light.