The Heartbeat of Trees

May 1, 2021

The best selling author of The Hidden Life of Trees revisits a favorite subject. While Hidden Life focused on arboreal wonders, Wohlleben's new book (originally published in Germany in 2019) is as much about human life as it is about trees. Humanity's bond with nature has not been severed, Wohlleben claims, just forgotten. In his trademark conversational style, he explains why we feel good around trees and how, by opening our senses, we can benefit from them. The book's rambling form, appropriately, is like a walk in the woods: 31 short chapters or essays cover diverse topics, including our historical connections to trees, trees' electrical fields, forest bathing, invasive species, climate change, and more. Along the way, Wohlleben takes some jabs at conservative science, industrial forestry, and greenwashing in its many guises. He urges hope, not despair, about our environmental malaise, and closes with a message: laws and regulations won't save our forest friends, but we can, if only we can reconnect with nature through empathy. VERDICT Finding "fascinating phenomena all over the place," Wohlleben sticks with the formula that made his earlier work so popular. This latest book will appeal to fans of popular science and anyone curious about natural history.--Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2021
The bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees returns with another heartfelt collection of essays celebrating the natural world. In his latest, German forester and nature writer Wohlleben writes that while "there has been renewed interest in ways to immerse ourselves in nature," many of us have ignored it. We have allowed our lives to become filled with artificial lights, sounds, and scents, all of which have adverse effects on our well-being. Drawing on scientific evidence and his many years of experience, the author extolls the wonders of the forest, including the calming effects of the colors and aromas of nature as well as the growing popularity of "forest bathing" as therapy. Wohlleben also points out the many direct health benefits of plants and trees--e.g., using willow bark to cure headaches, maple leaves to treat insect bites, and spruce resin to make chewing gum, not to mention the nutritional value that can be found in the leaves of a wide variety of plants across the world. The author discredits many of the myths that prevent people from exploring the outdoors, including fear of assault, encounters with dangerous animals, and exposure to allergens. Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of conservation. Other topics include the introduction of invasive species to forests through global trade and tourism, the impact of fertilizers, and the link between the destruction of indigenous forests and climate change. In an attempt to raise awareness and protect ancient forests and their communities, Wohlleben describes the measures he has implemented in Germany, including the first burial grounds in which a person can choose the tree under which they will be laid to rest, programs offering leases for plots of forest, seminars for hunters to end fox hunting, and educational tours for children. A persuasive invitation to get outside and bathe in nature, perfect for tree huggers and fans of the author's other books.

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