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  • The Hidden Life of Trees

  • What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World
  • Written by: Peter Wohlleben
  • Narrated by: Mike Grady
  • Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (689 ratings)

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The Hidden Life of Trees cover art

The Hidden Life of Trees

Written by: Peter Wohlleben
Narrated by: Mike Grady
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Publisher's Summary

How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings? Research is now suggesting trees are capable of much more than we have ever known.

In The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben puts groundbreaking scientific discoveries into a language everyone can relate to.

In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders, of which we are blissfully unaware.

Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impact of extremes of heat and cold for the whole group. As a result of such interactions, trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old. In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group.

Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown lives of trees and their communication abilities; he describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in the forest around him. As he says, a happy forest is a healthy forest, and he believes that ecofriendly practices not only are economically sustainable but also benefit the health of our planet and the mental and physical health of all who live on Earth.

After a walk through the woods with Wohlleben, you'll never look at trees the same way again.

©2015, 2016 Ludwig Verlag, Munich, part of the Random House GmbH publishing group. Jane Billinghurst. Tim Flannery. “Note from a Forest Scientist” by Dr. Suzanne Simard. (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

What the critics say

"The matter-of-fact Mr. Wohlleben has delighted readers and talk-show audiences alike with the news long known to biologists that trees in the forest are social beings." (The New York Times)

What listeners say about The Hidden Life of Trees

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  • eve
  • 2018-02-12

Totally delightful!

This is unlike any book I'd think to read. It is like a delicate lullaby to listen to. It is gently educational in a story-telling way and fully engaging at all times. There is a reason it became a bestseller. Now I am much more aware of my surroundings and of the power of nature. So glad I read it (and I ended up listening to it twice).

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14 people found this helpful

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A model of how science does not have to be dry

This book could have been so boring, but instead it's a model for how natural science can be interesting and compelling. The content is fascinating and made even better by the voice of Mike Grady. I'll see what else he reads just to hear him tell a story.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Pam
  • 2017-12-27

worth a listen.

Intriguing. I found a deeper understanding from the book. The narration was almost soothing. I would recommend this listen.

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8 people found this helpful

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So good!

Such an interesting book, listened to a lot of it in awe. Great narrator as well, perfect voice that allowed me to get lost in the story.

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5 people found this helpful

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i love trees more now

I didn't think it was possible to love the forest and this planet more than I did, but I now legitimately ache for the day we can understand the language of trees and mycelium, insofar as it can be understood by mammals.

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4 people found this helpful

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Magical book

This is another one of those books I've listened to and then must buy in print form so I can turn the pages on the story once more. Fascinating story that could awaken even those who have never thought about the life of trees.

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Absolute nonsense

I'm 25% in and I'm not finishing this terrible non-scientific piece of garbage. I wanted an understanding of the science behind communication among trees/plants (which occurs via chemical signaling pathways in any other non-animal living thing and also among animals for some non-verbal communication) and what I got was extreme personification of trees: they are "calling out to each other", their "stomachs are rumbling", they "choose" things. This book is a joke and a good example why people have a terrible understanding of how science actually works. Thr language is written for children. It's basically children's fantasy lit.

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3 people found this helpful

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oh

imagine not eating plants based on the same ethical arguments for not eating meat. it's pretty wild.

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An incredibly interesting book

As a Horticulture Technician I understand why people might find aspects of this book problematic. the author uses very poetic language and overly personifies trees and other plants. other people have issue that the author states several times that this aspect of plant science is in its infancy. which kinda undermines decades of plant sciences.

having said that, I believe that were it counts the science is very sound. the emerging science of plant 'intelligence' (for lack of a better word) is incredibly fascinating and this book is an incredible introduction to plant communication and symbiosis.

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excellent

will listen to this many times over, has changed my perception of trees and the way they benefit the ecosystem.

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2 people found this helpful