In Trees

Robert Moor, author of On Trails, was once drawn on a whim to climb a tree near his home. That small act grew into a decade-long journey around the world, one that changed him both intellectually and spiritually. The book follows his search for the hidden wisdom of trees, from the mightiest sequoia to the tiniest bonsai. Along the way he climbs to the top of a giant sequoia while filming a nature documentary with David Attenborough. He trudges through swamps in Papua to reach a tribe of hunter-gatherers who live in treehouses. In Tanzania, he visits a remote research camp and spends a night in a chimpanzee nest, hoping to understand something of our deep evolutionary past. He ends up among a band of climate activists who are risking everything to stop construction of an oil pipeline and save an ancient forest. Throughout, Moor learns the art of 'tree-thinking,' a way of seeing that he finds can open up some of humanity's oldest questions. What is the secret to growing old well? How can we put down deeper roots in a chaotic world? How should we live, as individuals, as communities, and as stewards of the earth? Moving through philosophy, history, and science with wit and curiosity, the book begins as a tribute to trees and becomes a hopeful attempt to bring tree-like thinking to human life.