How to Read a Tree

How to Read a Tree: Clues and Patterns from Bark to Leaves

🌲Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller🌲UK Independent Bookstore Bestseller🌲Waterstones Non-Fiction Special Recommendation🌲Foreword INDIES 2023 Finalist★Trees cannot speak, but the traces of their life have long been engraved in their branches, leaves, bark and roots.
When we gaze at a tree, we are reading its past, present and future, and seeing its life story.
A new masterpiece from Wenjin Award winner Tristan Gully! Drawing on twenty years of observational experience, he reveals the principles and universal characteristics of tree growth, allowing us to rediscover the familiar "background" of trees:
Why are there "eyes" on the south side of the tree trunk?
Why do the trees on both sides of the avenue grow towards the middle?
How tall can a tree grow?
What determines the growth direction and angle of tree branches?
A "territory battle" between conifers and broadleaf trees?
Why would a tree want to escape from the forest?
How do trees cope with structural stress?
Which special tree shapes are the result of the game between wind and light?
…
From a single leaf to an entire forest, this book takes you on an intriguing and surprising journey of discovery, helping you master the art of reading nature's signals. We'll learn how altitude and temperature influence the distribution of tree species; how branches, leaves, and roots guide us; the texture of a tree's bark reveals its age and the stresses it hides; how bright, open environments and the center of a woodland influence a tree's appearance; and what survival strategies and wisdom trees possess...
★35 hand-drawn tree cross-sections and 32 full-color pictures, with both pictures and texts, meticulously describing every detail about the trees.
★The bare spine binding design makes it light and easy to carry. You can spread it out on the grass to read and enjoy the pleasure of being with nature.
【Content Introduction】
Trees want to tell us many things. They want to tell us stories about the land, water, people, animals, weather, and time. They also want to share with us the pain and joy they experience. Trees can tell stories, but only to those who know how to read.
In "How to Read a Tree," author Gu Li reveals the hidden clues of trees: the secret messages of their branches, leaves, bark, trunks, flowers, and stumps. Understanding these secrets reveals the life story of trees and helps us find our way around nature. If you see a distinct white line on a leaf, it indicates a nearby water source. Soon, you'll see a river. If you see a clump of low, young branches at the base of a trunk, it suggests the tree is in serious trouble. Besides the dense branches on the south side, the color of the leaves and the roots can also provide guidance.
No two trees are alike, but by carefully observing their differences, we can unravel the remarkable life stories of trees.
【Media Recommendation】
Gourley interprets clues like a wilderness private investigator, leaving no stone unturned… For those seeking to unravel mysteries woven into the landscape, this author’s interpretation of clues is just what they’re looking for.
—The Wall Street Journal
Gully has become a master of natural navigation, traveling around the world using only clues and indications from nature. During a sailing expedition in Iceland, he discovered that if you are at sea and see more than 10 birds in any 5-minute window, you are within 40 miles of land – a fact that has become part of the British military's survival manual.
——The Daily Beast
Gully is the guy you're looking for...calm and down-to-earth, he shares simple ways to understand your surroundings, whether you're at night by a creek or on the high seas, without the need for instruments.
—Discover Magazine
While Gurley offered practical methods for predicting weather changes, determining when predators would forage, and finding true north at night, his true gift was inspiring people to wonder and anticipate the world around them.
——Shelf Awareness
Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate Gully's extensive knowledge and approachable attitude.
—Publishers Weekly
In this age of GPS, Gurley, who has single-handedly revived natural navigation, has the birdwatching skills of Bill Oddie and the deductive ability of Sherlock Holmes. He can make you feel like you've been walking around with your eyes half closed for half your life.
—The Telegraph
Most of us have lost our way in nature at some point...if you're willing to invest the time, Gully can lead you back to nature.
——National Park Traveler
Gully’s quiet, thoughtful authority on celestial bodies like the sun and moon established his credentials as a master—but what really earned him that status was his ability to uncover clues scattered throughout the natural environment: how dried-up puddles on a path, the shapes of sand dunes, grains of gravel on a leeward slope could be used as a compass to determine direction.
—Pause, London edition

2025-03-01

上海社会科学院出版社

Qingdou Bookstore

320

9787552046076