Diana Wells’ book “Lives of the Trees” is a veritable folkloric historical encyclopedia for the common folk about trees. If you ever wondered what the Apple tree had in common with Shakespeare, where the tree originated, what political impact it has had on Europe, and why the Golden Delicious is just a marketing name after the Red Delicious became so popular then this book is for you.
Armed with some facts from this book you will be the sexiest person at your next tree pruning cocktail party.
I bought the book because I wanted to get a deeper knowledge on trees for the Eco Brooklyn natural landscaping business. And it did that.
Not because it gave me lots of trivia, but because it did what the author intended: it gave life to the trees. It wove them into my cultural and historical awareness. She spoke of the Apricot tree not as a plant with a Latin name but as an old friend who lives next door.
He main point in writing the book was to bring trees, and nature in general, back into our lives, both physically and culturally/socially.
