2008-08-10 All you ever wanted to know about trees but never thought to ask

Erudite yet accessible, Colin Tudge has written a marvellous small volume about the "big plants with sticks up the middle" with which we are all so familiar and yet which we in danger -- real danger, as Tudge explains in the last section of his book -- of overlooking.

Not only does Tudge describe what we know of the evolution of trees, their uses, their abilities and their important place in the ecology of the planet, as he does so he illuminates diverse topics such as the difficulties of scientific classification and the impact of DNA studies upon the field, the intricate interrelations between trees and other organisms, the often harmful consequences of commercial monocultures and exploitation, large-scale geographical systems and the risks of global warming.

He does this by writing in a wholly engaging and balanced manner. The book is neither a modern homily nor a lecture, yet all who read it are likely to come away much better informed and with much to think upon, having enjoyed the experience.

I recommend this book to you strongly not merely if you are interested in trees, wonderful though they are, but also because of its insights into life on this planet in general. Tudge has done a fine job of melding his material into something readable and informative.