Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Heartbeat of Trees

Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature

Audiobook
2 of 3 copies available
2 of 3 copies available

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES

A powerful return to the forest, where trees have heartbeats and roots are like brains that extend underground. Where the color green calms us, and the forest sharpens our senses.

In The Heartbeat of Trees, renowned forester Peter Wohlleben draws on new scientific discoveries to show how humans are deeply connected to the natural world.In an era of cell phone addiction, climate change, and urban life, many of us fear we've lost our connection to nature—but Peter Wohlleben is convinced that age-old ties linking humans to the forest remain alive and intact.

Drawing on science and cutting-edge research, The Heartbeat of Trees reveals the profound interactions humans can have with nature, exploring:

  • the language of the forest
  • the consciousness of plants
  • and the eroding boundary between flora and fauna.
  • A perfect book to take with you into the woods, The Heartbeat of Trees shares how to see, feel, smell, hear, and even taste the forest.

    Peter Wohlleben, renowned for his ability to write about trees in an engaging and moving way, reveals a wondrous cosmos where humans are a part of nature, and where conservation and environmental activism is not just about saving trees—it's about saving ourselves, too.

    Praise for The Heartbeat of Trees

    "As human beings, we're desperate to feel that we're not alone in the universe. And yet we are surrounded by an ongoing conversation that we can sense if, as Peter Wohlleben so movingly prescribes, we listen to the heartbeat of all life." —Richard Louv, author of Our Wild Calling and Last Child in the Woods

    "Astonishment after astonishment—that is the great gift of The Heartbeat of Trees. It is both a celebration of the wonders of trees, and a howl of outrage at how recklessly we profane them." —Kathleen Dean Moore, author of Earth's Wild Music

    "As Peter Wohlleben reminds us in The Heartbeat of Trees, trees are the vocabulary of nature as forests are the brainbank of a living planet. This was the codex of the ancient world, and it must be the fine focus of our future." —Dr. Diana Beresford-Kroeger, author of To Speak for the Trees and The Global Forest

    "Peter Wohlleben knows the battle that lies before us: forging a closer relationship with nature before we destroy it. In The Heartbeat of Trees he takes us deep into the global forest to show us how."—Jim Robbins, author of The Man Who Planted Trees

    • Creators

    • Publisher

    • Release date

    • Formats

    • Languages

    • Reviews

      • Booklist

        May 15, 2021
        Forester turned ecologist and educator Wohlleben follows his best-selling Mysteries of Nature series--The Hidden Life of Trees, 2016; The Inner Life of Animals, 2017; The Secret Wisdom of Nature, 2019--with a return to the wonders of trees. Part of what one might call the "awaken awe" school of nature writing, Wohlleben amiably explains how our "ancient bond" with trees is evident in the evolution of our senses and in the many ways a walk in the forest is so beneficial for our health. He presents the latest scientific findings illuminating how trees communicate, respond to their surroundings, and feel pain, and how their pumping of water at regular intervals creates "heartbeats." As Wohlleben visits primeval forests in Europe and North America, he sharply contrasts them with tree plantations, decries clear-cutting, cites the many threats against old-growth forests, and elucidates precisely why ""true forests"" are "our most powerful allies in the fight against climate change." By celebrating the complex interconnectivity of forests and how they sustain so many life forms, including our own, Wohlleben seeks to summon veneration, empathy, and advocacy for trees.

        COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • Kirkus

        May 1, 2021
        The bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees returns with another heartfelt collection of essays celebrating the natural world. In his latest, German forester and nature writer Wohlleben writes that while "there has been renewed interest in ways to immerse ourselves in nature," many of us have ignored it. We have allowed our lives to become filled with artificial lights, sounds, and scents, all of which have adverse effects on our well-being. Drawing on scientific evidence and his many years of experience, the author extolls the wonders of the forest, including the calming effects of the colors and aromas of nature as well as the growing popularity of "forest bathing" as therapy. Wohlleben also points out the many direct health benefits of plants and trees--e.g., using willow bark to cure headaches, maple leaves to treat insect bites, and spruce resin to make chewing gum, not to mention the nutritional value that can be found in the leaves of a wide variety of plants across the world. The author discredits many of the myths that prevent people from exploring the outdoors, including fear of assault, encounters with dangerous animals, and exposure to allergens. Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of conservation. Other topics include the introduction of invasive species to forests through global trade and tourism, the impact of fertilizers, and the link between the destruction of indigenous forests and climate change. In an attempt to raise awareness and protect ancient forests and their communities, Wohlleben describes the measures he has implemented in Germany, including the first burial grounds in which a person can choose the tree under which they will be laid to rest, programs offering leases for plots of forest, seminars for hunters to end fox hunting, and educational tours for children. A persuasive invitation to get outside and bathe in nature, perfect for tree huggers and fans of the author's other books.

        COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • Library Journal

        May 1, 2021

        The best selling author of The Hidden Life of Trees revisits a favorite subject. While Hidden Life focused on arboreal wonders, Wohlleben's new book (originally published in Germany in 2019) is as much about human life as it is about trees. Humanity's bond with nature has not been severed, Wohlleben claims, just forgotten. In his trademark conversational style, he explains why we feel good around trees and how, by opening our senses, we can benefit from them. The book's rambling form, appropriately, is like a walk in the woods: 31 short chapters or essays cover diverse topics, including our historical connections to trees, trees' electrical fields, forest bathing, invasive species, climate change, and more. Along the way, Wohlleben takes some jabs at conservative science, industrial forestry, and greenwashing in its many guises. He urges hope, not despair, about our environmental malaise, and closes with a message: laws and regulations won't save our forest friends, but we can, if only we can reconnect with nature through empathy. VERDICT Finding "fascinating phenomena all over the place," Wohlleben sticks with the formula that made his earlier work so popular. This latest book will appeal to fans of popular science and anyone curious about natural history.--Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.

        Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

    Languages

    • English

    Loading