Twelve Trees: And What They Tell Us About Our Past, Present and Future (Hardback) - Daniel Lewis

A story of the history and future of the world, told through twelve species of tree

'A heartwarming guide to these fascinating giants of nature . . . A book that is full of surprises . . . Highly empathetic and informative' Independent

'A global arboreal odyssey' Guardian

ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S BOOKS TO WATCH IN 2024

Twelve amazing species of trees that can teach us about our past, present and future.

In Twelve Trees, professor Daniel Lewis takes us around the world - from Australia to the United States, from Easter Island and Mexico to Cameroon - and introduces us to twelve tree species that epitomise the many threats faced by our planet, from climate change, poachers and parasites, to fungi and even elephants. He celebrates their many strengths in the face of adversity, and their enduring abilities to survive - and even thrive - in an increasingly dangerous planet.

Trees are essential to all of our lives - and they need our help. In this incredible tribute to the noble tree, Lewis dives deep into the cutting-edge science and inspiring community efforts helping to keep them alive. Saving the tree, as he argues, means the saving of humanity.

Beautifully written and informative, Twelve Trees is a heartwarming and enlightening guide to some of our most fascinating trees - and why we should be working harder to protect them.

About the Author

Daniel Lewis is the Dibner Senior Curator for the History of Science and Technology at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in Southern California, and a writer, college professor, and environmental historian. He writes about the biological sciences and their intersections with extinction, policy, culture, history, politics, law, and literature. Lewis holds the PhD in history and has held post-doctoral fellowships at Oxford, the Smithsonian, the Rachel Carson Center in Munich, and elsewhere. Lewis also serves on the faculty at Caltech, where he teaches environmental humanities courses, as well as at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He is also currently serving a five-year term on the IUCN's Species Survival Commission, as a Bird Red List Authority member. His previous books include Belonging on an Island: Birds, Extinction, and Evolution in Hawai'i and The Feathery Tribe: Robert Ridgway and the Modern Study of Birds.