A wondrous journey through the wilds of nature and the gnarls of history, exploring how trees – from the tiniest bonsai to the mightiest sequoia – teach us to grow wise, from New York Times bestselling author Robert Moor.
A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SUMMER BOOK OF 2026
"Brilliant, powerful, fascinating" ROBERT MACFARLANE
"Deeply thoughtful" ROBIN WALL KIMMERER
"Marvellous" JAY GRIFFITHS
"Captivating and exhilarating" TRISTAN GOOLEY
“A sage, companionable and fulgent meditation” CHARLES FOSTER, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
"Entertaining, original and inspiring" CLIVE COOKSON, FINANCIAL TIMES
"A beautiful book, impossible to put down” DAVID WALLACE-WELLS, THE NEW YORK TIMES
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A tree is not just a type of being, it is also a way of being – one that is wildly creative, fantastically resilient, and most of all, deeply rooted...
One day, on a whim, Robert Moor set out to climb a tree near his home, unwittingly embarking on what would become a decade-long, globe-spanning adventure. Drawing on an astonishing range of thinkers, from cutting-edge scientists to ancient philosophers, Moor explores how trees have shaped human lives for millennia – and how they can guide us into the future.
His hunt for the ‘wisdom of trees’ takes him from the Lake District to Ethiopia, Tanzania, Papua and Japan. He dines with David Attenborough, naps with chimpanzees and risks his life to save an ancient forest. Along the way, Moor investigates some of humanity’s oldest mysteries: What is the secret to growing old well? How do we set down roots in an increasingly chaotic world? And most importantly, how should we – as individuals, as communities, as stewards of the Earth – live?
What begins as an ode to the miracle of trees blossoms into a joyous, daring, fiercely hopeful endeavour to broaden our minds and deepen our connections. To truly grasp the wisdom of a tree, this bold new classic announces, you must learn to think like one.
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"Wise, profound, and quietly transformative; this is a book I will press into the hands of loved ones" SOPHIE PAVELLE
"An abundant forest of poetry, philosophy, prose, passion and piercing dendrology" MERLIN HANBURY-TENISON
"profound and deepening, written with flair and originality. Everyone should read it – even people who aren’t much into trees" JINI REDDY
