Twelve Trees

January 1, 2024
The lifestyles of 12 magnificent trees conveyed through science and history. Lewis, author of The Feathery Tribe, could not have chosen a group of trees more biologically and culturally fascinating than this variously endangered dozen. Each has captivated the human imagination even as we have drastically reduced their numbers, from the coast redwoods of Northern California and baobabs of Africa to the olive trees of the Middle East and the bald cypress of the southeastern U.S. coastal plain. The author, environmental historian and curator for the History of Science and Technology at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in Southern California, offers a meticulous survey of these species, as well as their personal histories and importance, without succumbing to familiar bromides. He writes not in a hectoring, calamitous tone, but in a comradely one, hoping we are as concerned as is. He deals with the complexities of conservation efforts (and resistance to them) with an even hand, and the book is as rigorous as it is readable. The author, who also serves on the faculty at Caltech, reminds us that the time to campaign for a species' survival is when it is at its most prolific, rather than being in decline, because abundance offers more lessons than loss. He also questions our certitude as to what, over the passage of time, is and is not an indigenous or "invasive" tree--such as the alternately loved and loathed blue gum eucalyptus, introduced to California from Australia. Lewis also explores the strategies, old and new, involved in aiding species' survival. The author clearly regards trees as the heartbeat of the world, providing "a bulwark against a changing climate, offering nourishment, rest and sustenance for other species, and space and quiet in their midst." A well-informed, staunch defense of trees' capacity to multiply biodiversity and support life on Earth.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 22, 2024
“Every species of tree offers lessons to the world,” according to this enchanting study. Lewis (Belonging on an Island)—a curator at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in Southern California—expounds on the biology and ecology of African baobabs, Great Basin bristlecone pines, and Central African forest ebony, among other tree species. Explaining the extraordinary abilities of California’s coast redwoods, Lewis notes that the trees “generate some two million pounds of negative pressure” to pull water from their roots to their uppermost branches, a journey that takes weeks to complete. Lewis also explores trees’ relationships with humans, discussing how the Indian government has implemented strict bureaucratic rules controlling the growth and sale of East Indian sandalwood trees, which are often poached and sold for huge sums because of their importance to traditional Asian medicine (“When a farmer has approval to harvest, a government official must come in person to uproot the entire tree”). The plentiful trivia fascinates, and Lewis has a talent for complicating conventional wisdom. For instance, he contends that despite California residents’ denigration of the invasive blue gum eucalyptus as the “nation’s largest weed,” it provides crucial shelter for migrating monarch butterflies, whose needs aren’t met by native vegetation. The result is a loving paean to all things arboreal. Agent: Wendy Strothman, Strothman Agency.

February 1, 2024
"You might have personal or professional reasons to not like them, but all trees are good," writes Lewis, senior curator for the history of science and technology at the Huntington Library, Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. From this ardent mantra, the author teases out the backstories of 12 significant species of trees worldwide, from the valiant bristlecone pine--the oldest of which has reached 5,073 years of age--to the aromatic East Indian sandalwood tree, the coveted and highly protected ebony tree, the utterly otherworldly baobab tree, the life-giving and -extending olive tree, and the longleaf pine, for which forest fire is not a death sentence but rather, a lifeline. These backstories fill in the qualities that make these trees unique from any others, the myriad ways humans and other creatures find to exploit them, the environmental and cultural threats they face, and solutions scientists are applying to protect them. A book that brims with wonder, appreciation, and even some small hope.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 1, 2024

Lewis (sr. curator, History of Science and Technology, Huntington Lib., Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; Belonging on an Island) selects a small but extraordinary sample of arboreal species to explore their distinctive attributes. He also considers larger issues such as the legal rights of trees (redwoods), the invasive vs. native conundrum (blue gum eucalyptus), and the myriad threats to their survival, including the accelerating effects of climate change. The text is accessible and discursively casual throughout, be it a report from a burn in a Carolinian longleaf pine stand, the story of a leading guitar manufacturer that works to trade Central African ebony sustainably, or an account of Lewis's quest down the Amazon River to see a sublime Peruvian ceiba. Another interesting topic is plant science itself. Lewis shows how specialized methods are deepening society's understanding but endorses--and demonstrates to stirring effect--a humanistic view. Sounding at times like Thoreau, Lewis exhorts readers to try to see the world from a tree's perspective and to practice empathy. Nyquist's exquisite illustrations complement and enhance the book's gorgeous world. VERDICT This engaging heart-and-mind approach to educating readers about trees reveals that they too have lessons to offer to the world.--Robert Eagan

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.