Reviews: The Hidden Life of Trees (12)

Easy to read, down to earth explanation of tree behaviour. The "spoken" language fits the laymen, and might even captivate young readers. Bite size chapters so one does not have to read it from cover-to-cover. Interesting.

This is the first time I have read a book about nature since I was a child and this book is brilliant. I'm usually not a fan of non-fiction, but the short easy to read chapters make this book such an easy-read! And it made my hikes in nature 100 times more magical now I know what is going on with the trees around me, how they communicate, support eachother and protect themselves!

Definitely would recommend this one to people who already like reading about nature, but also people who never read a book about it before, but enjoy spending time outdoors and like to learn new things about the world around them!

I bought this book for my son, a tree surgeon, who loves trees with a passion. He called me to thank me and to say that he is really enjoying reading it.

Having read his other books in this series I was longing to read this one and it didn't disappoint me. I have now read it twice and I know that over the years to come I shall read it yet again. I love the way the real world slips into the magical without any fuss. To me it seems to say, 'this is the way life is or was or will be' Perhaps this is fanciful but the book is down to earth and a thriller in spite of what I have said. Read it and you won't be disappointed
I look forward to the next two books we are promised. I don't think it matters how old you are when you read it. My grand daughter is eleven and I am eighty eighty!

A very interesting book, well worth reading , amazing how the thought of fungi have taken over the thinking in both this book and agriculture generally.

I was really looking forward to reading this but must admit to a little disappointment. Wohlleben clearly loves his trees but to humanise them (tree parents and their children ugh) as he does makes uncomfortable reading. They clearly interact via their roots and associated fungi but to give them any sort of animal feelings is a bit disney. The book is a bit relentless and repetitive and I was relieved to come to the end. I think a little more depth was necessary to keep the attention. Anyway its clearly a good time to make people aware of trees however the means as they are more and more our lifeline in this changing world.

I really enjoyed reading this book. So informative and easy to follow with short chapters i can read before bed. Has opened my eyes to the fascinating world of trees. Would recommend!

The author has been a Forester for 40 years. He introduced me to the concept of the WWW (Wood Wide Web) and suggests that trees “Communicate” with each other and can sense the weather conditions. Beech trees adjust the timing of their crop to fit in the the needs of the wild boar that eat them. He is knowledgable and writes well. I recommend his books without reservation.

I’ll never look at a tree in the same way again! This book is a fantastic insight into the ways trees communicate, support each other and ensure their offspring have a chance of survival. Written with such passion for trees and the ecosystems they Interact with. I can see me reading this over and over!

With years of experience in forestry, Wohlleben writes from the perspective of knowledge gained from hands-on experience rather than that drawn from academic or scientific study alone. Packed with information on every page, he concentrates on the coniferous and deciduous species found in the forests of Germany to explain how and why management strategies have and should change.

The book covers a wealth of topics and includes information on the structure of trees, details of habitat, contribution to climate control, and the history of forestry itself. Easy to understand throughout, ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’ also provides a handy index and reference section. However, Wohlleben’s tendency to use words and phrases that explained trees in terms of human senses, and in the later chapters repeating material covered earlier in the book did put me off. An informative rather than enjoyable read.

A very informative book packed with fascinating information.

Amazing! So all those folk tales are true? Trees can talk? As the book’s review says a walk in the woods will never be the same again.
Highly recommend.