How to Read a Tree: The Sunday Times Bestseller

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.

As the author of the international bestsellers The Walker’s Guide and How to Read Water, Tristan Gooley knows how to uncover the phenomena worth looking for. He has been instructing people in the art of reading trees for two decades and this book includes signs that will not be found in any other book in the world.

‘Wherever you are – city or wilderness – if you want to understand the secrets of trees you pass, this is the book to read. . . Tristan has the rare gift of explaining the most complex ideas with humour and deep insight.’ – Peter Thomas, Emeritus Reader in Plant Ecology at Keele University