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    The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate
    The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate
    The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate

    Written by Peter Wohlleben

    Narrated by Mike Grady

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Sunday Times Bestseller ‘A paradigm-smashing chronicle of joyous entanglement’ Charles Foster

    Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month (September)

    Are trees social beings? How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings?

    In The Hidden Life of Trees Peter Wohlleben makes the case that the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death and regeneration he has observed in his woodland.

    A walk in the woods will never be the same again.

    For those in the UK with a passion for top books on nature, Wohlleben's great work merges the worlds of plants, gardening, and general ecology into an absorbing narrative that underscores the importance of environmental conservation and protection. It is a significant addition to the literary conversation on how we interact with the living world around us. For fans of Suzanne Simard (Finding the Mother Tree), Tristan Gooley (How to Read a Tree), Merlin Sheldrake (Entangled Life) and Isabella Tree (Wilding) and Robin Wall Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass).

    Editor's Note

    The irreplaceable value of trees…

    Especially in our age of climate change and deforestation, it’s important to understand the irreplaceable value of old-growth forests. Whether you love trees or want to learn more about the complex webs that impact our climate, “The Hidden Life of Trees” is a great read.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateSep 13, 2016
    ISBN9780008218348
    The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate

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    Reviews for The Hidden Life of Trees

    4/5

    1,000 ratings65 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This is an amazing book, which is written from a place of vast life experience coupled with scientific research.
    • 5/5
      The author passes on his love of trees and forests through his words.
    • 5/5
      This is beautiful book! This books just opens us a new perspective on plant life, which have been ignored by us. I don't ever want to stop listening to this book. It is so beautiful. The narration is also very soothing.
    • 5/5
      super interesting and informative. I recommend to all nature lovers.
    • 5/5
      The best non-academic book I've read or listened to about trees. The narrator was excellent. If I had the actual book it would go on the top shelf, a place reserved for books worth reading again.
    • 5/5
      The way the book is written strikes an imagination into the world of trees and its rich and secretive community.
    • 4/5
      I have absolutely no science background so I can't address the science behind the thoughts in this book. But, I do love being in the woods and I thought this book was great. It was jam packed full of really fascinating and interesting tidbits.
    • 5/5
      So very interesting. And I loved the narrator's voice. I'll never treat plants with any disregard in future
    • 5/5
      Um livro maravilhoso que nos faz despertar um olhar inteiramente novo sobre as árvores e a floresta. Bem narrado também.
    • 4/5
      The discovery of the interconnected and complex systems that are part of old growth forests.
    • 5/5
      A life-changing book. It's already transformed the way I look at the trees around me. Sometimes the author is anthropomorphising, but even when he is I think he's bridging that conceptual gap of understanding between animals like us and trees as effectively as possible. How else are we to understand other living beings around us than by analogy?

      When you see trees as living beings as worthy of life as any other, it emphasizes the moral importance of correcting human destruction of natural habitats and our role in causing the climate crisis.
    • 5/5
      A very enjoyably, thought-provoking book that leaves me with a desire to know more in at least 3 different directions!
    • 1/5
      I was just listening to this and haven't finished it..... What's up with it now beeing not available in my country??
      Please respond.
    • 3/5
      Het minste dat je kan zeggen is dat dit ?Verborgen leven van bomen? overkomt als een heel sympathiek en interessant boek. Peter Wohlleben schrijft duidelijk met heel veel liefde over bomen, in het bijzonder de door hem zo gekoesterde en bewonderde beuk; in een 30-tal lemma?s behandelt hij tal van aspecten van leven en dood van bomen, gebaseerd op zijn eigen ervaring als houtvester en ook verwijzend naar allerhande wetenschappelijk onderzoek. En het beeld dat hij schetst is ronduit fascinerend: ik leerde tal van nieuwe dingen over bossen, bomen, schimmels en kevers enzovoort; Wohlleben illustreert treffend dat bomen veel complexere organismen zijn dat we doorgaans vermoeden.Maar toch heb ik mijn twijfels. Wohlleben vermengt voortdurend eigen observaties met vaststellingen uit wetenschappelijk onderzoek, maar ook met heel verrassende verklaringen waarvan niet duidelijk is waar ze vandaan komen: uit wetenschappelijke studies of uit zijn eigen koker. De hele droge, opsommende vertelstijl van Wohlleben geeft de misleidende indruk dat het allemaal ??n geheel is en berust op geverifieerde feiten. Maar wat dan te denken van bijvoorbeeld volgende passage: ?Twee echte vrienden letten er echter van tevoren op dat de takken die ze in de richting van de ander vormen niet te dik zijn. Die willen elkaar over en weer niets ontnemen en vormen daarom alleen krachtige kroondelen naar de buitenkant, dus in de richting van bomen waarmee ze niet bevriend zijn. Zulke paren zijn via hun wortels zo innig verbonden dat ze vaak zelfs samen doodgaan.? Van zo?n antropomorfe taalgebruik schrik je toch wel even, maar vooral in het begin van het boek schrijft Wohlleben geregeld over bomen alsof het mensen zijn. Nu ben ik niet zo?n bekrompen iemand ? denk ik toch ? dat ik meen dat er buiten de wetenschap helemaal geen heil bestaat; ik ben er absoluut van overtuigd dat er een heel deel van de werkelijkheid is waar we met de wetenschappelijke methode absoluut niet bij kunnen; of dat er ook niet-wetenschappelijk manieren zijn om naar de werkelijkheid te kijken die ook erg waardevol zijn (het holisme bijvoorbeeld, om uit het religieuze domein te blijven); en ik wil ook wel aannemen dat bomen en planten (en dieren en stenen zo je wil) veel complexere organismen zijn dan we tot nu toe aannemen. Ik wil daar open voor staan, maar ? dan heb ik toch liefst dat een auteur aangeeft waar hij het wetenschappelijke, geverifieerde domein verlaat en zich begeeft in het domein van de plausibele, op eigen ervaring gestoelde hypothesen, of gewoon een heel ander taalregister hanteert om iets over de werkelijkheid uit te drukken dat in andere (wetenschappelijke) taal niet lukt. En dat is mijn probleem met Wohlleben: ik wil hem gerust het voordeel van de twijfel geven, en zo liefdevol over bomen schrijven alsof het mensen waren is best sympathiek (want ook ik hou van bomen en bossen), maar hij moet het mij wel gunnen dat ik op mijn hoede blijf.
    • 5/5
      Even if some of it might be speculation, it leaves you in awe of trees.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Anthropomorphizing trees -- yes please! I have always been a bit disdainful of the scientific proposition of not anthropomorphizing other living things. I feel that it leads to a real lack of empathy and is used to justify awful behaviors that have negative consequences for our ecology. I felt that this book was companionable to another I have read, "Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?" by Frans de Waal.

      This book answered so many questions I have had about trees and how they behave. Like why do trees still drop leaves in climates like Southern California where the seasons don't really change? It also gave explanations for feelings I have had when I walk through various types of forests, from old growth (peace), to logged and replanted ones (dissonance).

      I loved the last quote in the book, "Until then, when you take your next walk in the forest, give free rein to your imagination--in many cases, what you imagine is not so far removed from reality after all!"
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the book, and learned a lot — I think, anyway. I don’t entirely trust the science here. Scientists have been learning incredible things about trees lately, for sure. My guess is that everything in this book is backed by a science paper or two (there are some footnotes) but I’m not confident that it’s all settled science, or that we are given sufficient context for all the marvelous things described. (The author is a forester, not a scientist.) Also, the anthropomorphism has kind of run amok, I fear. Maybe it’s really pretty true that in some cases “mother” trees are “caring” for their young. Such a wonderful way to see it! But I think he’s gone out on a limb (!) saying that trees have emotions, as he does in the last chapter. Who knows, maybe depending on how you define emotion, maybe this could conceivably be true. But I think it’s a stretch, I doubt any rigorous science really indicates an emotional life for trees.

      I’d like to read a book, covering the same basic subject matter, by a well recognized biologist who specializes in trees and is also a good writer. Maybe Hope Jahren?
    • 2/5
      I found the information in this book fascinating, but it was presented in a very dry manner. This may have been an issue with the audiobook narrator, did not click with me at all.
    • 5/5
      Surprisingly informative. Short chapters sense with tree info made easier to read by anthropomorphism if trees. Read for Nature Narratives Book Club.
    • 4/5
      The Hidden Life of Trees is entertaining, enjoyable, and informative. I learned a lot in reading it. The author's style is familiar and chatty, like a friendly conversation. He strives hard to make trees and their lives relatable to everyday people which was sometimes off-putting as he anthropomorphized trees and their processes. Still, I highly recommend this for a deeper understanding of trees and forest ecology.
    • 5/5
      Thorough description of the interconnected network of plants and other living beings. Reminds me of systems-thinking and should be required reading for all who want to better understand the systemic approach. If nothing else, this book will entice you to get out into nature and pay attention to your surroundings.
    • 3/5
      I love trees.
      I am a tree hugger. Or was. I don't think I can hug a tree again without guilt after reading this book knowing I'm causing it harm by compacting the earth at its base.
      My god this book bummed me out - every tree except the ones in the old growth forests in germany are all screaming from the daily onslaught of attack from every other living being on earth.
      These trees are constantly fighting for survival.

      I'm sorry Bob Ross - but these little trees aint happy according to this book.

      It was awesome to learn about how they communicate, eat etc but the overall tone was really alarmist and depressing.
      As a millenial, the last thing I need is to stay awake at night thinking about the screaming trees that I can't help.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this nonfiction book that reads almost like a memoir of the forest. Wohlleben is a forest manager in Germany and he's written a book about his observations and scientific knowledge about trees. It's fascinating to hear about how trees communicate with each other, support each other, and defend themselves. The time scale they live in is completely different from the human lifespan, making them foreign and fascinating. I also was struck by how, though they reproduce so slowly that their evolution pace is extremely slow, they have great diversity within each species that protects them. We've done so much damage to our forests, and this book will make you want to be on the side of the trees.Highly recommended. Original publication date: 2016Author’s nationality: GermanOriginal language: GermanLength: 290 pagesRating: 4 starsFormat/where I acquired the book: purchased kindle editionWhy I read this: LT review
    • 5/5
      Mind blowing science, and yet an easy and enjoyable read. This is a fascinating look at the current research of what we understand about how mature forests work, how trees are interconnected and how they communicate and support each other. Wohlleben's combination of thoughtful observations based on his work as a forester in an established German forest preserve and skillful interweaving of information gathered from around the world creates a moving and inspiring argument for forest preservation. I particularly like that he comes from a logging background, so is able to relate the ongoing need for wood harvesting into this greater picture. It's an inspiring book for our time of rapid climate change -- the trees work slowly, but they can make a huge impact on our continued survival as a species. I hope this book finds a wide audience.
    • 4/5
      This is an excellent read for anyone with any interest in trees. Each chapter dives into an aspect of trees' lives, bringing forth fascinating insights that are written in a way a wide audience can understand and enjoy.
    • 2/5
      I want/wanted to read about trees. I started another tree book, [book:Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest|54976983], and it was by someone from a logging family and I didn’t feel like reading a biography of a human/humans even if only a small part of the book and even this book starts off by a person who participated/participates in using trees. I got really tired of reading the sentences that start with or include “The forest I manage…” I’d love to read a tree book by an expert who is a pure nature lover and not someone whose current or past perspective includes trees for humans to use or to manage. Maybe [author:Bill McKibben|43861] was right though. Ever since I read his book [book:The End of Nature|1318899] in the 80s I’ve never been able to look at “nature” in the same way and maybe we’ve altered everything so much that we’re interconnected with trees to the point where we can’t be separated. I do wonder about the anthropomorphizing though. Maybe I will have to read that other book and hopefully more tree books to cross reference the information. I’m fascinated. Maybe I need to read a very recent and up to date botany book about trees.Overall though this is a beautifully written book. The most interesting facts for me were the ones about the trees’/forests’ elaborate ecosystems.Reading about natural forests makes me want to go see the redwoods or the sequoias and I’m afraid I’ll enjoy my local trees less than I have. Heavily managed and relatively recently planted, they could very well be hindered in being the “natural trees” we all like to assume they are.The trees information is fascinating and I learned a lot. He seems to know his subject matter though I do also want to read other books about trees to hopefully cover some of the same material and maybe learn even more than I did from this book, which I have to say is a lot. He does care about various forest/trees ecosystems and describes them in detail. It really is amazing. There is sort of some nature left, even if not untainted by humans on the planet. The (too few) black pen/ink illustrations of trees are lovely. There aren’t very many of them though. I read a Kindle e-edition borrowed from my public library so I don’t know if it has all the pictures that are in the paper edition(s).To sum up: I wanted to love this book but it just did not work for me. I do have quibbles with some of what is presented and how it’s presented, but mostly it’s probably not the book’s fault. I was hoping to even better appreciate the trees in the parklands I see on a regular basis but what I’m left with is some curiosity still unsatisfied and some sadness. I think maybe what would work for me is an on-site class, perhaps a walking through the trees class with an expert good at teaching. 2-1/2 stars for this book, rounded down because my reading experience was disappointing. Not a good start to my 2022 reading year. I hope that things improve.ETA: (in addition to correcting typos): Because of the way information is presented I’m not sure I can trust all of the facts. I need to read that other book and more books and information from legitimate sites on the web too.
    • 4/5
      A book about -- you guessed it! -- trees, especially about the aspects of them that we humans tend not to perceive or appreciate. Trees, it turns out, are much more sophisticated, complicated organisms than meets the eye, especially when you consider them in the context of a forest or an ecosystem. It's all really interesting subject matter, and I did learn some cool things, but I had decidedly mixed feelings about the book. Wohlleben gets, I think, a bit too repetitive on certain subjects, whereas with others he doesn't go into nearly as much scientific detail as I would like. (Although perhaps that's not too surprising. Not only is this book clearly meant to have a broad appeal, including to less science-y types, but Wohlleben himself is a forester, not a scientist.) He also does a lot of what I can only call anthropomorphizing, and while to a certain extent that's effective in making his point that trees are very much living things, not inanimate objects, he goes a bit further with it than I'm entirely comfortable with, and it leaves me with niggling doubts about the extent to which he might be letting sentiment trump science.
    • 4/5
      nonfiction (forestry, biology, ecosystems). This was very like watching David Attenborough in "Life of Plants"--fascinating, and written in layman's language (though I would have liked to see a bit more science in it). Scientific studies are cited in the endnotes.
    • 5/5
      Never will I see trees the same. They are social creatures, communicating through their roots, feeding their sick neighbors, protecting their saplings, and agreeing not to infringe on one another's sun access. They can outlive humans by a hundred lifetimes. Anyone who wants to see beyond the human-centric world should read this book.
    • 4/5
      A much needed book that expands our perception of the plants we live with. Plants are far more sophisticated than we like to think and I'm betting they will survive us in the long game.