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28th out of 38 books
—
4 voters
Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees
Have you ever seen the delicate flowers of a red maple? The emerging leaves of a tulip poplar? The twigs of a beech? When you look at a tree up close, you begin to appreciate trees in a whole new way. "Seeing Trees" invites readers to watch trees with the care and sensitivity that birdwatchers watch birds. Focusing on 10 common trees of North America, Nancy Ross Hugo highl...more
Hardcover, 245 pages
Published
August 16th 2011
by Timber Press (OR)
(first published August 15th 2011)
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Seeing Trees by Nancy Hugh and photography by Robert Llewellyn. fits into two genres. It's a fine handbook for identifying trees by their twigs and buds - provided you bring these specimens home as the book is oversized in order to best display the photographs. And photography is the second genre into which the book fits nicely. The photographs are gorgeous.
To see the photos go to Amazon's entry for the book ( http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Trees-Di... ) and scroll. Most of the book is there. The...more
To see the photos go to Amazon's entry for the book ( http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Trees-Di... ) and scroll. Most of the book is there. The...more
This book depicts trees in their baseness; not as whole tree but bit and pieces to becoming trees like the Southern Magnolia, which is truly a beauty. Its mere size is breadth taking with its dark, shiny, evergreen leaves and their huge white fragrant flowers.
Red maple is another; its growth may overtake oaks and hickories in the forest. They are sought after as the first sign of spring...
Another is the Eastern Red Cedar(Juniper)tree, giving us blueberries is found mainly in pasture land, places...more
Red maple is another; its growth may overtake oaks and hickories in the forest. They are sought after as the first sign of spring...
Another is the Eastern Red Cedar(Juniper)tree, giving us blueberries is found mainly in pasture land, places...more
Stunning -- the whole method of close observation described by the author and the absolutely stunning photographs by Robert Llewelyn.
One that I will buy and read again. It's already launched me into a lot of other books about trees and even deeper tree-watching than I was doing already.
And from the conclusion:
Because finding answers for most of the questions our tree investigations has generated has been so much fun, I'd also like to comment here on this kind of learning in general. It seems t...more
One that I will buy and read again. It's already launched me into a lot of other books about trees and even deeper tree-watching than I was doing already.
And from the conclusion:
Because finding answers for most of the questions our tree investigations has generated has been so much fun, I'd also like to comment here on this kind of learning in general. It seems t...more
Beautiful - a perfect balance of science and art, exactly the way living trees are. I read while everyone else in the room watched Duke basketball....Duke lost, I gained a gorgeous book. "Learning by looking" is my mantra for life...this book is all about that.
The author describes life cycles and seasonal processes of trees, with detailed attention to 10 species. The photography by Robert Llewellyn is stunning, and made me long to head outside with my camera. However, after reading the description of his process: “stitching together eight to forty-five images of each subject, each shot at a different point of focus” I was pretty sure mine would not measure up. The photographs are taken against a white background, which adds to their clarity.
The writi...more
The writi...more
Trees are all around us. We see trees everywhere, whether we live in the city or the country, but do we really look at them and appreciate them? Or have they become commonplace, a part of the scenery? Seeing Trees takes a close up look at many trees we pass by everday.
As a bird watcher I am familiar with a lot of trees as both a home for the birds and as their food source. I spend a lot of time seeing the trees up close through my binoculars or camera lens as I’m following the birds. I have gone...more
As a bird watcher I am familiar with a lot of trees as both a home for the birds and as their food source. I spend a lot of time seeing the trees up close through my binoculars or camera lens as I’m following the birds. I have gone...more
Ahh! My gosh!!! THIS is *the* most wonderful book! I absolutely love trees -- aesthetically and appreciatively when sheltered by their shade in 100 degree summer heat, buffered from wintery winds, enjoying their lodgings extended to the feathered and crawling critters... The photography and text in "Seeing Trees, Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees" is truly exceptional! Upon "discovering" it (in my local library) and browsing through, I wanted to share it with everyone because...more
This book was amazing. The author talks about trees and how they change all year-round and how there’s beauty in that. She isn’t too science-y in the way she writes so it’s a great book for anyone. If she does break out the science she makes it very easy to understand. So she talks about trees, ten in particular, and the writing style is relaxed but enthusiastic, so the book has a really nice flow. Ms. Hugo isn’t exactly teaching you about trees, but she’s definitely showing you new things about...more
This book is worthy of the coffee table and bedstand. I’ve also enjoyed it on the terrace with a cuppa. I picked this beauty up at Kew Gardens after a day in early spring with lemony lime limbs budding out of all over the conifers. I couldn’t resist touching and photographing the bright new growth in contrast to the mature deep pine. Sure there were daffodils galore, but the trees owned the garden. Seeing Trees has observant and creative text, but the images (with the focus merging multiple dept...more
There are thousands of books about trees out there, but this is one of the best I've seen. The images are stunning, the writing succinct and clear. Unlike field guides, the authors of this book focus on just a few trees, giving them fantastic close-ups and stunning detail. This could be a coffee-table book, but instead you want to use it to identify the trees you're walking by.
I saw this book reviewed at Englewood Review of Books and so picked it up when I saw it at the library today. One look at the page I opened to and whatever SAD that I have this winter staggered away from me reeling! The color and the intensity of the photos is amazing. I haven't even read any of the prose but I am giving this five stars. Beautiful.
Wow, another beautiful book about trees, this one with delicate photos of seeds, stems, leaves (some bark), and interesting text about the tree in questions. Purports to be north American trees; in fact, eastern trees. No cottonwoods; only cedars for evergreens. Still, a fascinating book if you love trees (as I do).
Ten trees you'll find everywhere in this area, including the white oak and red maple found at my house, are looked at closely and with a discerning eye. You will never take a tree for granted again, especially in spring. The photographs are as quietly spectacular as the text. This might be one to own.
This book is amazing. Have you ever thought about really looking at trees? Learning to tell their seasons in the infinite little details? This book makes me want to dedicate my life to seeing trees. The photographs are spectacular and the prose is marvelous. If you are a tree person, read this book.
even if you think you know everything there is to black walnuts, ginkos, red cedars, sycamores, and beech, you aint seen nothin yet. a most admirable book on trees common to virginia (and most of usa east of mississippi river) author hugo is insatiable in her curiosity and writes about the lives of trees as if they were her best friends. you kinda get they feeling they are. and photographer llewellyn has incredible shots of many aspects of the trees, especially their sexual organs, which are the...more
Stunning photographs of the smallest parts of tree. Rich descriptions of trees in their complexity and beauty. Ithought I looked at trees. I need to look again.
Loved this - probably only for serious plant geeks but the photos are fantastic and the text is really engaging.
amazing book with gorgeous photography. do you really SEE trees? read this book and you will!
Beautiful book. Never would have thought I could read a whole book just about trees.
A reminder to look. Astonishing photography.
The photography in this book was amazing.
I absolutely loved this book! The photographs were gorgeous and the writing was fascinating. Hugo did a great job of offering unique insights into the seasonal changes of trees that we pass by everyday. I now have a renewed desire to observe the trees around me. I want to own this book.
Another gift for helping us learn to see.
More looked at the amazing photos than "read," though I appreciated the author's conversational style when I did dive into the text.
A delight to read. I highly recommend it to everyone but particularly those in the eastern United States. I guarantee you won't look at the trees around you the same way again. The writer's enthusiasm is infectious. She's a great writer and I haven't even mentioned the photographs, they're awesome! I'm going to save up my money and buy this book, it begs repeat readings. Anyway, bydhttmwfi, just read it already.
Visually stunning. Wish they had covered a wider range of trees.
Very good natural and cultural field guide to ten or so tree groups. As a library rental, I enjoyed the few chapters I found time to read, but was not sorely tempted to renew the check out, largely because many of these trees don't live in the climate I do and I'd rather spend my limited amateur-arborist hours learning about the trees that do.
Gorgeous photographs of leaves, flowers, and buds -- the writing is dense and less interesting. I skipped most of the text and was most impressed with the images of pines and ginkgo.
As a gardener I wanted to explore something I took for granted. This was a truly insightful book and the passion of the author as well as the photographer is readily apparent. A true joy to read not just for a plant lover, but for any person who wants to learn about the simple yet amazing beauty of trees.
Truth be told, I didn't read much of this, but it's a beauty to page through.
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Feb 06, 2012 11:24am