The Wild Trees
by Richard Preston · first published 2007
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Narrative nonfiction about the discovery and study of the tallest redwoods, written so it reads almost like a novel; suits readers who like trees or science told as a story.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rain forest valleys in Northern California are the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained--the coast redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens. Ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed by logging, but the untouched fragments that remain are among the great wonders of nature. The biggest redwoods have trunks up to thirty feet wide and can rise more than thirty-five stories above the ground, forming cathedral-like structures in the air. Until recently, redwoods were thought to be virtually impossible to ascend, and the ca
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Have you read The Wild Trees, by Richard Preston? It's a fascinating story of redwood tree researchers, and reads almost like a novel. (At least if you like trees as much as I do.)
on “The Treeographer” ↗The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. The tallest redwood trees were only discovered ten years ago, by a small group of people who just love trees. It's a pretty fascinating and inspiring story.
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've read in the past year?” ↗For more about giant trees in California, read The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. It's a fascinating story of redwood tree researchers, and reads almost like a novel.
on “World's tallest tropical tree discovered and climbed in Malaysian Borneo” ↗The Wild Trees by Richard Preston about climbing Giant Redwood trees in California. It started my own tree climbing which I learnt entirely from YouTube and some falls. In the book the author describes making love in…
on “Ask HN: What books got you curious and inspired about fields other than CS?” ↗…edition, with cool pictures illustrating cool tree things: https://greystonebooks.com/products/the-hidden-life-of-trees...! If you like scientific nonfiction in this vein, I'd also recommend: - The Wild Trees - Mycelium Running - Mind of the Raven - The Klamath Knot Or if you want tree fiction: - The Overstory (edit: dunno how to do bullet lists here)
on “The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate (2018)” ↗The book The Wild Trees is a fantastic story about finding this tree.
on “Hyperion (Tree)” ↗