The Hidden Life of Trees

A forester's fascinating stories backed by the latest scientific research illustrate how trees nurture and talk to each other. In this international bestseller - which has sold more than 320,000 copies in Germany alone - forester and author Peter Wohlleben draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to reveal the ways in which trees are like human families and communities: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in his forestry work: a happy forest is a healthy forest, and we need to recognise and nurture these relationships to support sustainable development. With their newfound understanding of the delightfully complex life of trees, readers will never be able to look at a walk in the woods the same way again.

'The matter-of-fact Mr. Wohlleben has delighted readers and talk-show audiences alike with the news long known to biologists that trees in the forest are social beings.' -- The New York Times
'In this spirited exploration, [Wohlleben] guarantees that readers will never look at these life forms in quite the same way again.' -- Library Journal

Peter Wohlleben spent more than 20 years working for the forestry commission before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice. He now runs an environmentally friendly woodland in Germany, where he is working for the return of primeval forests. He has written numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees, The Heartbeat of Trees and the children’s book Peter and the Tree Children. Mike Grady is an actor and published audiobook narrator. He is probably best known for his comedy roles in films and TV. In films he can be seen in Citizen Smith (1977), Last of the Summer Wine (1973) and The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), and his voice can be heard in popular children’s series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends as Sir Robert Norramby.

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