The Global Forest

Download or read book The Global Forest written by Diana Beresford-Kroeger and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-11-29 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pioneering scientist writes of the fascinating ecological and pharmaceutical properties of trees, and how mother trees nourish younger trees and help them defend themselves The inspiration for the documentary Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees, and herself part of the inspiration for Dr. Patricia Westerford, the tree researcher at the heart of The Overstory, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Powers Renowned scientist Diana Beresford-Kroeger presents an unforgettable and highly original work of natural history with The Global Forest. She explores the fascinating and largely untapped ecological and pharmaceutical properties of trees: leaves that can comb the air of particulate pollution, fatty acids in the nuts of hickory and walnut trees that promote brain development, the compound in the water ash that helps prevent cancer, aerosols in pine trees that calm nerves. In precise, imaginative, and poetic prose, she describes the complexity and beauty of forests, as well as the environmental dangers they face. The author's indisputable passion for her subject matter will inspire readers to look at trees, and at their own connection to the natural world, with newfound awe.