A Concise Guide to Trees

by Jenny Linford

Trees are the world's most complex and successful plants. Tellingly, the oldest and largest living things on Earth today are trees which is a tribute to their longevity and ability to survive. Ever since trees first appeared on our planet, over 370 million years ago, they have played a vital role in climate regulation, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Trees exist in an astonishingly diverse range of forms, often ingeniously adapted to the environment around them.

Throughout human history, mankind has used trees in a huge variety of ways. All around the globe, trees have provided human beings with the materials for fuel and shelter as well as being a source of food and medicine. Trees and their products play an enormous part in our everyday lives, providing the paper for our books and newspapers, many of the fruits we eat and much of the furniture we have in our homes. Trees have also meant so much more than a simple, physical resource. They feature in our religions, myths, folklore and have inspired artists and writers.

This attractively illustrated guide explores trees from around the world, offering detailed entries on over 120 different chairs. Each entry includes detailed facts about a tree and a fascinating outline of the tree's history and traditional uses.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm the type of person, that you'll be sure to find, especially in the spring and summer, sitting under a tree, enjoying the dappled shade, with a book on my lap, and a coffee extremely close by.
I am appreciative of nature, woodland and the environment, and this book satisfied my curiosities about some common trees, that I quite often stumble upon on my precious walks. This book identifies and discusses some of the most common trees, and does include some rather useful and interesting information for each tree mentioned. My favourite tree, has always been the willow, then close behind is the Japanese maple.
I do think this book was rather vague in parts, and it did lack detail in some areas of the book.
I must mention, that there are some truly beautiful photographs in here, and you may appreciate these more than most, if you are a lover of trees.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes it is concise...... not really a guide bok for the student or indeed the amature who would like to identify trees in the feild but it is a nice book with some interesting facts. I would reccomend it to a younger age group, or somebody who really knows nothing about trees to give them an idea but there are other clearer more detailed books out there for that purpose.