How To Read A Tree by Tristan Gooley

Author: Tristan Gooley

Title: How To Read A Tree

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: 2023

Pages: 320

Genre: Natural History/Science 

     

Do two trees ever appear identical? No, but why? Every small difference is a clue. Each tree we meet is filled with signs that reveal secrets about the life of that tree and the landscape we stand in. The clues are easy to spot when you know what to look for, but remain invisible to most people. In How to Read a Tree, you'll discover the simple principles that explain the shapes and patterns you can see in trees and what they mean. And you'll learn rare skills that can be applied every time you pass a tree, whether you are in a town or a wilder spot.

     I'm always trying to expand my knowledge, especially regarding the world directly around me. And being someone who is lucky enough to live in the English countryside, I'm never more than five minutes away from a forest or woodland. It is honestly one of my favorite places to be and just walk aimlessly around.  I do however not really know much about all the things I see there other than name the basics tree, deer bluebells, and so on. So when I heard about How To Read A Tree I was curious to see if it could help me learn about the trees I see all around me. I must admit I'd not heard of this author before seeing this book. So having done a quick bit of googling it became clear that he clearly knows his stuff so you got to figure that it gave me the best possible chance at being able to learn a bit more. 

     The world of trees is probably way bigger than we all give it credit for. They have been around longer than almost anything else on the planet. And whilst at first glance there doesn't seem to be a great deal of variation, that could not be future from the truth.  Gooley sets out to show us the basics of what might seem like a random assortment of trees when in actuality it has a very strong purpose and an ordered structure that goes way beyond what we can see. The author does this by breaking down each chapter to tackle a different aspect of the forests. But rather than simply giving us set boundaries for each topic he wraps them up within anecdotes. It's one of those things that I think all the best teachers do.  They manage to make you learn by coming at it a little sideways and before you realize it you're just having a fun time. It also means that whilst you are not only learning about trees you also start to get a better idea of the author himself. 

     I was impressed by just how much Gooley managed to cram into the pages of this book. I wasn't expecting to be able to learn everything there is to know about trees. But what he has done here is give us a good foundation to build upon. We learn about how and why trees grow the way they do and also how to tell an old forest from a new one.  This is all done in his unique style that makes it very accessible for anyone to engage with the text. It is in my opinion the mark of a great author and I feel like I learnt so much from the time I spent within it. Now I would love to say that having read this book I will never get lost in a forest again. But to be fair I can't promise this and I feel like I'm going to have to go through this book again before that happens. But it is also one of those books that I would happily read it again to be able to get it all in such was the experience I had with it.  

     For me, this is a book that I will happily shove this book into anyone's hands that is looking for something to read. And I was left feeling very impressed by Gooly and the work he produces. It is a work that is sure to both entertain you and allow you to learn a great deal.