Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future

'Lewis, author of The Feathery Tribe, could not have chosen a group of trees more biologically and culturally fascinating than this variously endangered dozen… [Lewis] offers a meticulous survey of these species, as well as their personal histories and importance... 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 … A well-informed, staunch defense of trees’ capacity to multiply biodiversity and support life on Earth' * Kirkus * ‘Twelve Trees is a remarkable adventure that takes us from the heights of the redwood canopy to the craters of Easter Island and the depths of the Congo Basin, using cutting-edge science and personal stories to explain the ways these incredible trees shape our world’ -- Eric Rutkow, author of American Canopy ‘Daniel Lewis channels the wisdom of twelve of the planet’s most eloquent teachers – the oldest, the tallest, and even the extinct – to share their deep time lessons with us. With the precision of a scientist, the skill of a historian, and the voice of a poet, Lewis speaks for the trees. If we listen, we will grow to love these twelve trees deeply, and come to recognize how closely our own lives and fates are linked to theirs’ -- Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of City of Trees ‘This highly readable and informative celebration of trees stands out in the forest of books about them. “No tree is an island,” declares the author, backing this up by exploring the infinite interactions of a dozen well-chosen trees in the web of life on Earth which connects all living things. In an era of rapid environmental change, we and the trees share the same future and must face our fate together. The perspectives and wisdom offered here will inspire greater respect – not just for trees, but for all of nature’ -- Stephen Blackmore, His Majesty's Botanist and author of How Plants Work ‘Rarely have I read a book that so seamlessly interweaves science and sensibility. If you are interested in trees, you will love this book. If you are not interested in trees, this book will show you why you should be’ -- Naomi Oreskes, co-author of Merchants of Doubt and The Big Myth ‘As Daniel Lewis elegantly illustrates, trees are basic material and precious resource; refugees and invaders; recorders, victims, and perhaps solvers of the changing climate. In every case, Lewis argues, they are a mirror back on humanity and its often fraught relationship with the wider world’ -- Zach St. George, author of The Journey of Trees