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 All you ever wanted to know about trees but never thought to ask August 10, 2008
Erudite yet accessible, Colin Tudge has written a marvellous small volume about the "big plants with sticks up the middle" with which we are all so familiar and yet which we in danger -- real danger, as Tudge explains in the last section of his book -- of overlooking.
Not only does Tudge describe what we know of the evolution of trees, their uses, their abilities and their important place in the ecology of the planet, as he does so he illuminates diverse topics such as the difficulties of scientific classification and the impact of DNA studies upon the field, the intricate interrelations between trees and other organisms, the often harmful consequences of commercial monocultures and exploitation, large-scale geographical systems and the risks of global warming.
He does this by writing in a wholly engaging and balanced manner. The book is neither a modern homily nor a lecture, yet all who read it are likely to come away much better informed and with much to think upon, having enjoyed the experience.
I recommend this book to you strongly not merely if you are interested in trees, wonderful though they are, but also because of its insights into life on this planet in general. Tudge has done a fine job of melding his material into something readable and informative.
 Warning: another intelligent design book... February 11, 2008
12 out of 22 found this review helpful
The idea to write a book about trees is great, and the book cover is great too.
However, not only the author is often vague in his arguments, but he keeps going on about his belief in God, and (it becomes clear after a few pages) intelligent design.
Indeed page 54 he uses the well known intelligent design wrong argument, claiming that creationism (as in Genesis) and atheism are both extreme positions ("Neither of these extreme positions is valid"), and that the truth lies in the middle etc...
This "argument" is of course wrong, and for 2 reasons :
1. The author chooses what he wants to appear as a moderate position (intelligent design), and then two other positions so that his position is in the middle. He then claims that the two other positions are "extreme" and comes up as a moderate by believing in the middle position.
Using the same argument he could say "Norway is neither North of the Tropic of Cancer, nore is it South of the Tropic of Capricorn, these are two extreme positions. The truth lies in the middle and Norway is indeed inbetween the two tropics, near the Equator".
2. The second reason for which this argument is wrong is that either God exists, or God does not exist. There are only two possibilities. And the author makes it look like if there were three (by dividing the "God exists" possibilities in two possibilities)!!!
The first one being "God doesn t exist", the second one "God exists and Genesis is true", and the 3rd one "God exists but Genesis is wrong". Of course the intelligent design people need to do this in order to use the argument in the previous paragraph as the arguement requires three possibilities, not two.
I have just talked about one particular shocking argument in the book. Even if it was the only one, that should be enough to put you off, rightly. But there are many more.... ("Many biologists believe in God" !!! etc...)
So, one star, for the book cover, which - I say it again - is great.
 You really have to be a tree anorak, and even then.... October 19, 2007
10 out of 15 found this review helpful
I have no doubt Colin Tudge is committed to trees and knows them intimately. His book does have astonishing facts and anecdotes about the inner workings of trees around the world and I truly enjoyed those bits. But first, the book bludgeons you with endless chapters on Latin taxonomy. Only in the last third does he see fit to write about the trees themselves in any accessible way. I'm utterly perplexed by the reviews... Good science writing should not be pedantic. Both he and his editor should ask themselves how they could waste so many trees and come up with something so dense and dull!
Pure Delight July 18, 2007
31 out of 32 found this review helpful
I have said before that I am a fan of Colin Tudge's writing and my enthusiasm is increased by this lovely book.
It is always a pleasure to read a book by someone who loves what they are writing about, and Tudge's admiration for trees comes through so clearly in this work. He manages to cover pretty much everything, ranging effortlessly across the botany of trees, covering (surprisingly thorughly) all the major families, noting their particular features, the curious nature of some reproductive techniques (and some really are curious!) and touching on the economic and historical importance of some species.
Finally he looks at the ecological role of trees and how they fit into the jigsaw of life in a wider sense.
I cannot see how this book could be improved - the writing is fluid and entertaining and the science clearly explained. A wonderful gift to anyone interested in the natural world. Certainly I now look much more closely at the hedgerows and woods that I pass while walking the dog!
Highly recommended.
 For Tree Lovers Everywhere April 8, 2007
27 out of 30 found this review helpful
I loved this book.
More of a text book than anything else, but full of amazing facts about trees that occasionally made me stop reading and tell people what I had just read.
I now want to own land and plant trees and save as many endangered species as possible before they are lost for good.
Amazing.
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